Overview
Submissions are officially open for the prestigious Heartfulness Essay Event 2026, organized by the Shri Ram Chandra Mission (SRCM) in its 34th consecutive year. Partnered by the MYBharat-affiliated Udaan Youth Club, this global essay contest invites young minds to reflect deeply on themes of inner growth, acceptance, and human evolution, aiming to strike a harmonious balance between intellectual and heart-based development.
Categories and Topics
- Category 1 (Ages 14–18): Write a 500-word essay on the topic: "No one can hurt me without my permission."
- Category 2 (Ages 19–25): Write a 750-word essay on the topic: "Acceptance is a sign of evolution."
Eligibility Criteria
- Open to all youth aged 14 to 25 years.
- 12 Approved Languages: Essays can be submitted in English, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, or Telugu.
Contest Guidelines
- Only one essay submission is permitted per participant.
- Essays must be typed or legibly handwritten on A4 paper using black or blue ink.
- The participant’s name, father’s name, age, and institution name (if applicable) must appear on every page.
- Strict adherence to word limits is required; the final word count must be mentioned at the end of the essay.
- Essays must be 100% original. References and quotations must be properly acknowledged. Plagiarism will lead to immediate rejection.
- No appeals, illustrations, or slogans are allowed within the essay.
- Submissions must be uploaded in PDF format (maximum file size: 3 MB).
Evaluation Criteria
Essays will be evaluated based on theme introduction/interpretation, structure, language, originality, relevance to the theme, research, and conclusion. Relevance of ideas holds the highest weightage (40%), followed by originality (20%).
Prizes and Recognition
- Winner & Runner-up (in each of the 12 languages and both categories): Trophy and e-certificate.
- 3rd to 10th Ranks: Memento and rank e-certificate.
- Top 10% Shortlisted: E-Merit Certificate.
- All Eligible Participants: E-certificate of participation.
- Note: Some top participants may be invited for telephone or video interviews as part of the final selection process.
How to Register and Submit?
There is no participation fee for this event. Eligible participants can submit their essays directly by clicking the official registration link below. Ensure you note down your enrolment number after successful submission.
For queries, you can contact the organizers at essayevent@heartfulness.org.
