New Delhi Office

Cluster Office for Bangladesh,

Bhutan, India, Maldives,
United Nations Nepal and Sri Lanka
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Year 1 AC (After Coronavirus)

Pan India Online Essay Contest 2020

Essay Topic: Stronger together and a new word for

us: Solidarity

Solidarity, a word that means support of one group of people

for another. A word referred for people who are united to
achieve victory. They all are united to become stronger and to
Asees Sagoo rise. However, once the unity falls, the strong become weak,
The Heritage School and the bold becomes thick. Integration can bring any great
Vasant Kunj, New Delhi achievement and division can bring losses.

Category - Children “United we stand, divided we fall” this quote by John Dickin-
son implies that together you can defeat anyone. People in
South Africa united to remove apartheid; people in India united to gain independence; in
Russia, workers united to ask for a better life. People standing together, can break and rise
from anything. These groups grasped power, which was built through support and collab-
oration.

Whether it is about fighting for freedom, for peace or against a disease, you can be stron-
ger, bolder and more powerful together. This is what is happening around the world.
People are getting bolder and powerful by uniting to defeat this disease. India, a fast-de-
veloping nation, is getting saluted by countries for its collaboration and solidarity for fight-
ing the coronavirus.

It takes a village to raise a child, it takes all the employees to raise a company, and it takes
all the soldiers to win a battle or a war. It does not take one good book to make you under-
stand life; it takes thousands of books. Just like it takes all the organs of the body to live a
life and not one alone. An individual’s strength can only be found in unity, and can be cher-
ished in unity. Together, there is perfection, peace and strength. An individual can achieve
success, but not alone. Maria Sharapova made success because of herself and her parents’
sacrifice. Nelson Mandela did not overcome apartheid on his own: it took the whole nation
to support, as well as all the notable leaders before him.
The United Nations recalls that to win the battle against coronavirus, we have to work
together as one. Believe it or not but individually, we are only a drop of water in the bucket,
and together we are an ocean. An ocean that has strength and solidarity in each drop,
together. As said by Hellen Keller, “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much”.
We have to come together to become stronger and do our part in solidarity, the new word
for unity and strength.

In closing, “one color does not make a rainbow; one tree does not make a forest, and one
leader does not make a change. It is collaboration that results in any and every triumph; it is
solidity the key to success”.
 New Delhi Office
Cluster Office for Bangladesh,
Bhutan, India, Maldives,
United Nations Nepal and Sri Lanka
(GXFDWLRQDO6FLHQWL¿FDQG
&XOWXUDO2UJDQL]DWLRQ

Year 1 AC (After Coronavirus)

Pan India Online Essay Contest 2020

Essay Topic: Culture and Crafts: How to be creative

when staying at home.

It is 50 days of strict lockdown, and life looks like a cleverly

crafted sci-fi film—a false reality, which one would have never
planned. As they say, when all doors seem to shut, look for the
Avantika Kampani window. For us, I am talking about the windows to our souls:
Dhirubhai Ambani International
School our art and crafts, all a part of our glorious culture.
Bandra (East), Mumbai
Aptly stated by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, “The art of a people is
Category - Children a true mirror to their minds”. Consider a sketchbook or a book
of poetry; words and shapes are so precious that they allow you to travel without moving
a finger and giving us space to render the emotions building within us only to create some-
thing beautiful and unique.

As I look around me at home, I realize it plays the role of a healing balm. To soothe her anxi-
ety, my mother makes puzzles; my brother in between the exams allays his unanswered
questions through his sketches. My father sings his favourite movie songs. We draw from
our culture for solace and positivity whether, in the small rangolis in our house
prayer-rooms or the tiny garlands of flowers as offerings, it infuses us with joy. Spectacular
culinary wonders were created with the love and warmth of my grandmother's kitchen,
which we look forward to be all works of art in their own way. The most powerful voice of
my Indian classical music teacher, rich even in an online format eases my wavering mind.

Dancing is another way to make each tenuous strand of the day into something meaning-
ful. Nothing ever felt better than hitting my feet against the wooden floor, projecting all
apprehension into my art and creating the most beautiful beats.

Painting brings me peace, and then the music-most dear to me. A place of immense com-
fort, a place that I can call home without any hesitation. Three a.m. teenage thoughts, to
happy memories made with friends and family can all be translated into a song. A playlist
that perfectly describes every aspect of you; music is truly something that completes and
alters this game of life for many.
Everyone has their way of raising their spirits whether writing a diary, starting a sketch-
book, helping out and cooking, or even coding a new video game! These things help
release happy thoughts and positivity within and around us. Taking our emotions and
creating something beautiful out of it is one of the most significant advantages we have as
humans and, we should celebrate it.

Go ahead, dance to high school musical bops, colour out your feelings, capture every
moment with photography, make the most of these days. Take out time to study and learn
more about your own cultures and origins connect to your roots for it is there where you
will feel most comfortable.

Zoom out see the larger picture; do not fill your isolation with distraction. Nourish this
time with meaning. Do what you have always planned to but did not have the time for. The
time is now: chant or meditate. It has been handed down to us over centuries to raise
collective conscience, pick up skills like stitching- use this to make colourful masks. Do
something different; Shake it off with Taylor Swift rather than shaking stocks with CNBC.

Find your way, and soon you will realise as I have: it is the way we will traverse the distance
and close the gap. This new normal will not hold us down as it will be us in-charge of craft-
ing the world that we want to live in.
 New Delhi Office
Cluster Office for Bangladesh,
Bhutan, India, Maldives,
United Nations Nepal and Sri Lanka
(GXFDWLRQDO6FLHQWL¿FDQG
&XOWXUDO2UJDQL]DWLRQ

Year 1 AC (After Coronavirus)

Pan India Online Essay Contest 2020

Essay Topic: Learning at Home during Lockdown: My

Parents and My Teachers

Learning is a significant medium for acquiring essential knowl-

edge and skills. Learning can be both something that makes us
grow, and challenge us. Learning means also evolving.
B. Deepak Balaji
Sri Chaitanya Techno The initial days of lockdown were quite dull, but then my par-
School ents came up with exciting ideas of learning for me. I spent a
HSR Layout Bangalore lot of time developing my knowledge and improving my phys-
ical and mental strength.
Category - Children
My everyday routine included getting up early and doing 30 minutes of HIIT workout,
followed by muscle stretching and relaxing with Yoga. Yoga is an incredible and effective
tool as it calms the body and mind and keeps it fit.

I am not too fond of mathematics because I never get the correct answer in the first go.
Instead of blaming the subject, my parents suggested I should try solving a mathematical
equation everyday by referring a mathematics book. In the initial days, it was tough for me
too, but now I have understood the concepts well. Day by day, I am able to see improve-
ment in my knowledge and I have started to like the subject.

Reading is a good habit, so I started reading an e-newspaper. It has enhanced my vocabu-

lary, reading skills, and my general knowledge on current affairs. On my parents’ sugges-
tion, I read aloud in front of a mirror. This is beneficial, as it helped in correcting my body
language. My father gave me two topics a day, and I would make a small oral presentation
on both. The objective tested my thinking abilities, sentence formation and presentation
skills.

On alternate days he would give a topic for letter writing to improve my writing skills,
which I had to do in set time. Overall, the practice was useful as the speed of handwriting
improved. When we are promoted to higher classes and have to take board exams, speed
will be essential to write quickly in a short time.
I also pray for 10 minutes, as I know a few Sanskrit Shlokas, believed to improve memory
power and knowledge.

The school has started online classes on Zoom and I have to spend two hours in the morn-
ing and two in the evening for learning the course curriculum. It is an extraordinary experi-
ence for me, and this is the first time I got the opportunity to attend online classes.

I have also learned from my parents washing clothes and utensils, and house cleaning.
I have realized the pain of household chores that all mothers undergo at home. They never
share their sorrows and always take care of us with a smile. I come to realize that every day
should be celebrated as mother’s day for their love and care for us.
 New Delhi Office
Cluster Office for Bangladesh,
Bhutan, India, Maldives,
United Nations Nepal and Sri Lanka
(GXFDWLRQDO6FLHQWL¿FDQG
&XOWXUDO2UJDQL]DWLRQ

Year 1 AC (After Coronavirus)

Pan India Online Essay Contest 2020

Essay Topic: The current crisis is showing the best

and the worst of humanity. Will a new form of solidar-
ity emerge at the end of the tunnel or do you think on
the contrary that previous trends of the last few years
(e.g. increasing nationalisms) will be enhanced?

It is said that only in the waves of change, we find our true

direction.
Divya Gautam
XLRI - Xavier School of
Management
As a citizen of a state, a country, and the world, our duties,
Jamshedpur, Jharkhand thoughts, and responsibilities differ. Change brings uncer-
tainty; it jostles our understanding of where we are headed as
Category - Youth people.

When the current crisis was nascent, thoughts focused on countries where it was severe,
where death toll made headlines, but overall, life was normal. Next, everything, every-
where, started spiraling out of control. Mortality data extrapolations, lockdowns, and con-
finement became the new normal. It was like a switch was flipped. Fear, uncertainty, and
discomfort seeped into lives that slowed down exponentially. With this deceleration came
a realization that it is happening to everyone and everywhere. In all this slowdown human-
ity is united.

This unity was highlighted by virtual meetings and ‘digital age’ is getting a new meaning.
Work systems and education are becoming agile. While some are affected worse than
others, most recognize and strive to acknowledge this difference in the outcome. Dona-
tions poured in from around the globe for those in need. Hopes and prayers resonated
from hearts that were suffering from the bout of change.

The change was one thing, but our reaction as people was another. The discomfort we feel
due to these unprecedented circumstances is akin to grief, according to a Harvard Business
Review article. We as people are grieving, for the lives lost, for lost opportunities and for
abandoned plans. More than ever, there is a tremor, a ripple that is spreading via the digital
mediums of this technologically savvy world, to uplift and to honour the time that we have
to grieve, recuperate, improve, heal. The world is united in spending this time effectively, in
discovering one’s purpose, realigning with nature, taking a minute to ponder over what is
truly important to us.

Before this crisis hit, there was a trend of protectionism in policy decisions; nationalist senti-
ments headlined the news, and life seemed to be obsessed with achievement and speed. It
takes a large-scale mentality shift for these sentiments to pivot in a more progressive and
inclusive direction.

This crisis is one of great magnitude. It is not every day that you live through a crisis that will
be penned down in the history books. The grave reality of the large-scale calamity is making
people listen. Listen to nature, to others, to the needy, and to themselves. It is in listening to
that lies the real hope for the state of our future. Listening breeds empathy and empathy
paves the way for acceptance and inclusion. For the lives of our own to mingle with the lives
of others, we have to find common threads in this suffering that end the separation
between ‘us’ and ‘them’.

While it cannot be said for sure what will be the pulse of the people, where the mood will
pivot, and to what end we have matured as a society through this, it would be a caricature
for us to emerge out of this only to fall back into our lives just the same as before.

Based on the level of solidarity being expressed currently, by governments and by peoples
of different nationalities and faiths, it seems probable that most of humanity has learned a
lesson in the importance of empathy and the strength that lies in solidarity. Once the worst
of this crisis is behind us, I envision a rejuvenated, inspiring, and whole fleet of people lead-
ing their world back to order. I hope we learn to live like that.
 New Delhi Office
Cluster Office for Bangladesh,
Bhutan, India, Maldives,
United Nations Nepal and Sri Lanka
(GXFDWLRQDO6FLHQWL¿FDQG
&XOWXUDO2UJDQL]DWLRQ

Year 1 AC (After Coronavirus)

Pan India Online Essay Contest 2020

Essay Topic: The 21st century, with all its science and
technology, allows us to go to Mars and develop Arti-
ficial Intelligence. Yet, one virus brings us to a com-
plete standstill in a few weeks? Do you think there
should be changes in priorities for science and
research in future?

Gyanda Kakar
Gujarat National Law University
Koba, Gujarat “The lesson the pandemic teaches us is that, without solidarity,
freedom and equality are just empty words”.
Category - Youth -Pope Francis

Humans have had significant achievements, yet we cannot find a vaccine for a virus that
has brought the whole world to a standstill. It is understood that we can curb the infection
of the virus by washing our hands with a soap costing less than Rs.20, yet we will have to
wait to develop a vaccine for this RNA-based, destructive virus. This should act as a
wake-up call for countries to prevent such situations in the future.

We must create a virus depository with genomic data, which will be tremendously useful
in early diagnostics. The origins of diseases, i.e., bacterial infectious diseases, viruses, or par-
asites that can spread from animals to humans, are a vital research field. Animal processing
processes associated with foodstuffs need to be revamped to reduce the risks of zoonosis.

We must focus on strengthening early action and early responses, timely and transparent
communication, so that researched facts can propagate around the world beyond the
cacophony of assumptions and myths. Since pandemics prohibit personal face-to-face
conversations, efforts must be made to improve communication technologies. Strength-
ening fundamental work strengthens the ability to track, react, and eventually prevent or
mitigate pandemics.

Global issues like pandemics need global cooperative responses. To ensure that research
has the right medicines and develop vaccines, better funding at the national and global
level is prerequisite. In the field of prevention and treatments, researchers in all nations
now appear to work with a global perspective. In co-operation with international organiza-
tions such as the WHO and others, professional associations need to realize how they can
serve the society better. Government based on sound science and a clear foundation for
common fundamental values can only alleviate the effects of crises. There is a reason to
expect a worsening of the health crisis and, ultimately, a deep global recession with pro-
found and tragic implications, particularly for developing countries, unless countries
reduce their nationalistic interests.

Civil society should be sufficiently motivated, since addressing current challenges entails
global collaboration and implementing initiatives which can only be effectively enforced by
local communities. We cannot return to business as usual even after COVID-19 is controlled.
A thorough review of worldviews, lifestyles, and short-term economic forecasts is required.
When we are to thrive, we need a more accountable, more egalitarian, more inclusive, com-
passionate, and fairer society.

Our government could for example pool resources with friendly nations and make vital
investments in the research and development of state-of-the-art instruments, capable of
detecting deadly bacteria and viruses in the atmosphere instantaneously. It is essential to
set up clinical laboratories that can deploy advanced technologies. Also, new vaccines pro-
duction and storage to be increased. The production of new vaccines is costly and calls for
long-term investments. This is why the advancement of the vaccine development program
needs public funding and government support.

A national surveillance program could be established to hire clinicians and veterinarians

who are trained to respond to these type of challenges. Biological threats and contami-
nants are difficult to contain and manage and can be potentially destructive if released.
Similar risks are associated to biological weapons and their potential use by violent groups.

Terrorists could harm a nation even more with bio-weapons than they could by recourse to
physical violence. The cost to benefit ratio of bio-weapons is high; that is few resources can
cause more harm. It is, therefore, increasingly necessary for nations to prepare for the
threats of the future. There is plenty of investment to prevent violence, but developed
countries remain highly vulnerable to biological threats and their impact on national and
economic security networks. Considering this, there should be a shift in priorities.
 New Delhi Office
Cluster Office for Bangladesh,
Bhutan, India, Maldives,
United Nations Nepal and Sri Lanka
(GXFDWLRQDO6FLHQWL¿FDQG
&XOWXUDO2UJDQL]DWLRQ

Year 1 AC (After Coronavirus)

Pan India Online Essay Contest 2020

Essay Topic: The lockdown affected men and women

equally. At home, it also forced them for instance to
share household chores. Do you believe this crisis will
have long-lasting consequences on gender roles and
stereotypes in the country?

Ishita Jain “It Takes Two To Build A Home And It Should Take Two To Sus-
The Heritage School tain It.”
Vasant Kunj, New Delhi
Enough already. Social distancing and working from home
Category - Youth initially gave good reason to be cheerful amidst the lock-
down. Keeping in mind that William Shakespeare and Isaac
Newton did some of their best work while England was ravaged by the plague, though
neither of them struggled with child-care responsibilities.

For those with caring responsibilities, an infectious-disease outbreak is unlikely to give

them time to write King Lear or develop a theory of optics. With men and women both
working from home, it is certainly not outrageous for women to expect a helping hand
from men juggling household tasks and professional obligations. Even in the absence of
a pandemic, it is never outrageous for men and women to divide housework amongst
themselves. However, if that was true, why do we tend to glorify men who help out at
home? Why is this seen as an unusual gesture rather than a responsibility?

When a man volunteers to help out in the kitchen, he seems to be going out of his way to
do it. You are to kiss the ground he walks on if he knows where the waste basket is in the
house. On the other hand, a woman who doesn’t bother to fold the washed linen or
couldn’t care much about how the in-laws like the tadka (seasoning) on their dal
(cooked lentils) deserve criticism and disapproval. It is as if we are lesser women if it is
not our hobby to spend Sunday afternoons cleaning the house.

If that was not difficult enough, an unanticipated catastrophe disrupting our regular
regime surely ticks off all boxes of distress. COVID-19 is an uninvited guest on our dinner
table, and let me assure you, it is certainly not the life of the party. When we entered the
new decade with passion coursing through our veins, little did we know that we would be
compelled to confine ourselves to the four walls of our homes? With children stuck at home
and the hired help unavailable, women are overloaded with the mammoth task of manag-
ing their personal and professional lives diligently.

In these trying times, we see several men- who might have never touched a rag or worked
with a rolling pin before- try to succor their wives by accomplishing basic household chores.
While these efforts put in by men hardly cover the bare minimum, we commend their ‘glori-
ous’ attempts and applaud their ‘chivalrous’ gestures. It is beyond ridiculous that we are part
of a community that makes household duties seem far too inferior for their overly-glorified
machismo. These are not favours but tasks that are finally being fulfilled. If we want these
‘courtesies’ to become responsibilities, we need to discard gender-biased roles. We need to
bloom as a society.

We long for progress, but we refuse to change our outlooks and beliefs. How are we ever
going to regularise uniform allocation of housework when we have already labelled it as
unconventional?

Gender roles have been etched so deeply in our minds that expecting a few months of lock-
down to change our perspectives would be naive. It is true that men have been assisting
around the house, but once we are out of this period, would they continue to do this? I
doubt very much if experiences of listening to sullen men are anything to go by. They might
believe in equality, root for equal pay, and detest patriarchy. Their belief in equal rights still
fails to motivate them enough to wash the utensils regularly. Hence, it will not come as a big
surprise if these gender-biased roles persist even after a lifestyle-intruding emergency.

For thoughts to change and for people to stop assuming that being armed with housekeep-
ing skills makes one a suitable bride, we need to let go of our destructive traditions. We
need to teach our daughters as well as our sons to work around the household in all capac-
ities so that when they grow up, they choose their life partner- not based on their culinary
skills- but for love. We all deserve a life partner who is willing to love us irrespective of
whether our curry is well flavoured or how to clean a dirty collar.

As it is often said, “household management is a life skill, not a wife skill”.

 New Delhi Office
Cluster Office for Bangladesh,
Bhutan, India, Maldives,
United Nations Nepal and Sri Lanka
(GXFDWLRQDO6FLHQWL¿FDQG
&XOWXUDO2UJDQL]DWLRQ

Year 1 AC (After Coronavirus)

Pan India Online Essay Contest 2020

Essay Topic: Culture and Crafts: How to be creative

when staying at home.

It is a ‘new normal’ to start the day with news on positive Coro-

Khushi Mittal
navirus case counts, the rising deathtoll, news on lockdown
Delhi Public School, extensions, and other related information. We should detach
Gurugram from pessimism around us and enjoy the positives such as
spending quality time with our family.
Category - Children
There is no doubt that the internet has made our lifestyle easy during lockdown, an
enabler facilitating us to continue attending our classes and primary source of infotain-
ment. However, an excessive use of the internet can impact our creativity and originality. It
can also adversely affect our eyesight and mental well-being. We should be experimenting
and unveil the hidden artist, cook, or author within us. Also, spending time learning about
our culture and values system and imbibe them in our daily life.

For me, it was a worthy experience to shift screen time from watching online movies to the
epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata on National TV channel. Have heard a lot from our
parents about these and it was entertaining. It also guided us well in understanding the
diversity of Indian culture.

This COVID-19 pandemic can help us rediscover/recreate our culture: today everyone pre-
fers greeting each other by folding hands and saying 'Namaste' instead of shaking hands.
I admire how the entire nation stood up on the call of our Prime Minister to thank the emer-
gency service workers who are working through the pandemic outbreak. Firstly by stand-
ing in the balcony or at main-door for 5 minutes and clapping, ringing a bell and blowing
a conch to attract positivity. Followed by lighting diyas to mark fight against the coronavi-
rus.

The current situation calls for us to maintain cleanliness around us, so a natural start point
can be to carry out household cleaning and sanitization activity; this will not only help us
to become self-reliant but would also reduce work pressure on our mothers. It is in our
culture that we should serve our elders.

Sometimes listening music is the only way that gets your mind off everything else, so
listen to music or sing. It makes us feel rejuvenated. Also, people who dance often are likely
to have elevated confidence and a more positive vision on life; dancing also keeps our
body fit and flexible. According to studies, music and dance shifts our minds' focus and
brightens us.

Writing and reading are overly pleasing and useful practices. While writing makes us more
expressive, reading takes us to a completely different world where we can feel and visual-
ize the story. Both reading and writing expand our vocabulary and help us become more
imaginative.

Our generation is fond of baking - cakes, cookies, and pizzas. One should indulge not only
in baking but also try the regular cooking as well. I learned to make some starters and des-
serts during the lockdown. Trust me it gives a real sense of achievement.

If you are into artwork, I will suggest try your hand in decoupage, which is decorating bot-
tles, jars, glass tumblers, and others. Experiment your creativity by quilling, or creating
paper designs and objects. If you have old wooden guitars, you can do acrylic paint on
them and make some floral and traditional patterns or simply decorate with fancy hang-
ings. Old metallic kettles can also be reused in the same way.

Be experimental! Utilize this time judiciously, be with your family.

STAY HOME! STAY SAFE!
 New Delhi Office
Cluster Office for Bangladesh,
Bhutan, India, Maldives,
United Nations Nepal and Sri Lanka
(GXFDWLRQDO6FLHQWL¿FDQG
&XOWXUDO2UJDQL]DWLRQ

Year 1 AC (After Coronavirus)

Pan India Online Essay Contest 2020

Essay Topic: Do you think that the COVID-19 pan-

demic will force us to redefine the quest for a better
use of our natural resources? Will there be a before
and an after for environmental issues? If so how?

Close your eyes. Close your eyes and let me take you on a
Santusht Arora voyage to a place where I can only visit in my dreams. As we
The Heritage School descent down this ‘dream destination’, we see water that is
Vasant Kunj, New Delhi clear enough to have gone unnoticed from the glistening
web of sunshine running through it.
Category - Youth

We go further, towards the forests, and see flowers that look so delicate they could disinte-
grate into thousands of flakes by so much as a whisper. Moving on, we can see the frozen
mountain peaks emerging out of the mist when suddenly, a sign stands clear that says “NO
HUMANS ALLOWED”.

Sorry, I do not know what lies ahead for I have not been able to past it at least myself. I
wonder: why? Why is that signboard there? Is it because we are dangerous to the environ-
ment ahead? Is this environment better off without us? Is Earth better off without us?

As humans, we are supposed to act as mediators between nature and development, to

create a system in equilibrium where development and preservation go hand in hand. We
must utilize natural resources and put them to productive use, it is not our right to exploit
these resources and over compensate towards industrial growth.

Humans have only been around for 0.004% of Earth's history. In the last 50 years of this
period, our actions have led to a drop in the ozone levels to as low as 33 percent of their
pre-1970s values. We have depleted areas of the ozone layer, which took more than 600
million years to form, by 66 percent. Since the 1970s, we have also contributed a great deal
towards making the River Ganges the sixth most polluted river in the world. The river
which originates from glaciers of pure water and is millions of years in age. It is not our
right.
Nature has finally spoken back.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a global lockdown; it has forced us to isolate ourselves
so that nature can get its much-awaited spa. Until now, we were stuck in an endless loop,
where we exploited natural resources to accelerate the development, and then spend the
earnings in its preservation.

In iterating this paradoxical process over and over again, we ended up spending more than
billions to clean up the river with negligible results. However, a month into lockdown, the
river cleansed itself to its originally exquisite form, without any human contribution. It is as
if our planet is finally getting the global detox it deserves.

Another impact of the COVID-19 lockdown is it made us realize what we need the most. It
has helped us distinguish between luxuries and necessities.

If we look back now, we can also see how coronavirus has made us realize our flaws, and
now, as soon as the lockdown ends, we will be given a shot at securing a better life, both for
us, and our the planet. We will be given a chance at sustainable development, environmen-
tal welfare, and HUMANITY.

It is time that we make a conscious effort to rectify our flaws and to set right, our wrongs.

Let us put an end to this deadly tradition and open our eyes, awaken from dreams and ask
ourselves: “Is Earth better off without us?” Let us work harder and harder, every day until
we can say that Earth is beautiful because of us. Let us get rid of the "NO HUMANS
ALLOWED" sign.
 New Delhi Office
Cluster Office for Bangladesh,
Bhutan, India, Maldives,
United Nations Nepal and Sri Lanka
(GXFDWLRQDO6FLHQWL¿FDQG
&XOWXUDO2UJDQL]DWLRQ

Year 1 AC (After Coronavirus)

Pan India Online Essay Contest 2020

Essay Topic: Science And Health – What Should We

Change To Be More Resilient?

Being at home due to COVID-19 has its share of negatives and

Shounak Malhotra positives, while the former outweigh the latter. However, posi-
Sanskriti School tive leads to a surge in innovation, which has resulted in overall
Chanakykpuri, New Delhi
beneficial and inventive solutions to the issues we have and
are facing since decades.
Category - Children

We need to be adaptable in all aspects of our lives, including medicine, and one answer to
how we can be resilient is in exploring Telemedicine as a scientific health solution for the
present.

During a time like this, we often turn to the most inspired scientific inventions of human-
kind, such as technology, paving our way from boredom and catering our needs. From
keeping up with the government’s latest announcements to following the activities of vari-
ous celebrities on social media, to catching up with our favourite television shows, technol-
ogy has taken over our existence. In short, by the time the dust settles our outlook towards
technology will change and its usage will increase multifold.

Fictions around Artificial Intelligence usually speak about uprisings and over-intrusion and
often portray technology in a negative light. I believe that in the right hands and with the
right mission, technology may actually save us and be harbinger of hope. Issues of protec-
tion of privacy and confidentiality as a patient right has been consistently debated past
few months; providing healthcare services to those who need the most, with minimum
in-person interaction, definitely appears to be a step in the right direction. Enter Telemedi-
cine.

Telemedicine (also referred as telehealth or e-medicine) allow healthcare professionals to

treat patients in remote locations using telecommunications technology.
In addition to providing timely access to healthcare facilities and saving cost, especially for
the vast majority of patients in rural India, the virtual dispensation of medical advice
through the use of Telemedicine becomes most pertinent in the current pandemic scenar-
io. With telemedicine, there is also a higher possibility of maintaining records and docu-
mentation and hence continuity of healthcare history and better legal protection.

This is my solution to the current chaotic situation. We are armed with our tools of technol-
ogy; our minds full of ideas of how to make the world a better place and our hearts burn-
ing with passion and compassion for those who need our help the most. We will work to
provide awareness about telemedicine and hopefully implement processes to allow it to
exist. Our real power, however, will be resilience. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, our
young minds will strive to rebuild what was once deeply divided world and, as it seems
now, a world on the margins, into a world renewed – one filled with new prospects and
opportunities and I believe that Telemedicine will bring that tomorrow to us, today.
 New Delhi Office
Cluster Office for Bangladesh,
Bhutan, India, Maldives,
United Nations Nepal and Sri Lanka
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Year 1 AC (After Coronavirus)

Pan India Online Essay Contest 2020

Essay Topic: What will be the role of young people

in addressing the crisis caused by the pandemic
and related issues, such as new balances in power,
raising inequalities and reduced employment
opportunities?

Does youth mean the people who are in the age group of
Soumyadeep Bera
Tripura University
15-30 years? As said by Sir Robert Kennedy, “The world
Suryamaninagar, Tripura demands the qualities of youth: not a time of life but a state of
mind, a temper of the will, a quality of imagination, a pre-
Category - Youth dominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for
adventure over the life of ease”. According to my perspective,
any person having these qualities mentioned by Sir Kennedy are youth.

In the present battle of the pandemic, youth are responsibly following the steps and mea-
sures taken by the government.

Most of the population is following complete lockdown. Among us, there are frontline
workers who are incessantly working during the pandemic. They are the youth of the
nation who have come forward to serve for the well-being of others. The shopkeepers sell-
ing essentials, the cleaning workers, volunteers etc. who also have the responsibilities to
keep their families safe are doing their duties. No holidays, no rest, no self-interest, they
have come forward to do selfless service and serve the nation. Youth are also conscious
about hygiene such as, washing hands, sanitizing, wearing a mask and following social
distancing. Youth is such a power, if guided in the right way; it can get the whole world on
the right track.

Therefore, I feel the power should always be in responsible hands. I think the right person
is our youth, and that leadership is not ruling on others or ordering your followers to do
work as you want. A good leader is who harness the aspirations of the followers to make it
happen. A good leader always takes suggestions and makes decisions for everyone’s wel-
fare rather than enforcing his decisions. It is crucial for a leader to do work wisely because
wisely because it will affect the followers. Moving in a wrong way is a sin, but governing
others in the wrong way is a much bigger sin. I believe our Prime Minister, Mr Modi, is also a
youth, leading the sail in this heavy storm.

According to Bhagvat Gita, “Common men follow the footsteps of a great man and whatev-
er standards he sets by his exemplary acts, all the world pursues”. In Ramayana, when a
squirrel tried to help build Ramsetu by carrying small stones to the ocean to which all mon-
keys started laughing, Lord Rama appreciated and said that a small contribution can help
build a big construction. Thus, a good leader has a quality to observe small contributions
and appreciate it like it was not an easy task.

Raising inequality is a big problem. Imbalance in any field either in the economy, gender,
caste, wealth, religion, always the minorities have to suffer. Why will some people live with
all benefits and some with injustice? The government has made several policies to tackle
this problem, but there is a lack of efficiency during application, corruption, and scams
which are failing these policies and helping in rising inequality. Youth has a vital role, who
can change the whole world by their thinking. As India is a developing country, many things
yet to happen, and I believe unemployment will not be a factor when everyone gets a
better education and does not want to do a job. When they do what they want, no one will
sleep hungry.

The Government of India has already launched vocational courses, which should be popu-
larised and introduced in all the schools and colleges. These types, of course, help them in
avoiding longer times in education. Young people should opt for short and long duration
vocational course which can make them to become entrepreneur and industry ready for
suitable specialised jobs. In addition, this type of flexible arrangement can help young
pass-out students to stay in education for a further six months or more to make them
self-dependent, to build up their skills, and the government will get some more time to
cope-up with the emergency. Entrepreneurs can play a role in creating job opportunities.
MSME can help to start small-scale industries. This may be a leap towards Bharat Bikash.

Young people should proactively participate in the battle to fight back the COVID-19 virus.
Each one should act as CORONA warriors. They can help in disseminating information to the
huge mass regarding measures to stop the spread of COVID-19.