West Bengal Lok Bhavan announces essay competition on 1946 Calcutta riots
The West Bengal Lok Bhavan has announced its first state-level essay competition for school, college and university students across the state. Organised by the Governor’s Secretariat, the competition will invite entries in English and Bangla.
The competition will have two categories, one for students from Classes 10 to 12 and another for college and university students. Both categories will focus on the 1946 communal violence in Kolkata, known as the Great Calcutta Killings.advertisement❮❯ Read Full StoryTWO TOPICS ANNOUNCED FOR STUDENTSFor school students, the topic is “Calcutta Massacre, 1946 – Causes and Consequences”, with a word limit of 3,000 to 4,000 words.
For college and university students, the topic is “Direct Action Day by All India Muslim League – A Fatal Assault on Civilisational Bharat”, with a word limit of 5,000 to 6,000 words.
The topics are available in both English and Bangla. Students can submit their essays in either of the two languages. PRIZES OF UP TO RS 1 LAKH
The competition carries cash prizes in both categories. School students will receive Rs 50,000 for the first prize, Rs 35,000 for the second prize and Rs 25,000 for the third prize.For college and university students, the first prize is Rs 1 lakh, followed by Rs 75,000 for the second prize and Rs 50,000 for the third prize.
The prizes will be awarded separately for essays submitted in English and Bangla.WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?
Only students studying in educational institutions located in West Bengal are eligible to participate. Each participant can submit only one essay, either in English or Bangla.Essays can be handwritten or typed and must use only one side of each page. Participants are required to submit a signed hard copy of their essay.
A separate sheet must include the participant's name, residential address, class or discipline, name of educational institution, email address and contact number. School students must also provide a parent or guardian's contact number.
The participant's name, institution or any other identifying information must not appear on the essay itself.AI-GENERATED CONTENT STRICTLY PROHIBITED
Each entry must be accompanied by a signed Self-Declaration Form confirming that the essay is the participant's original and independent work.
Participants must also declare that all sources, quotations and references have been properly acknowledged and that no AI-generated content or generative AI tools have been used to write the essay.
The organisers have said that plagiarism, copying or reproducing material without proper acknowledgement, and the use of AI-generated content or generative AI tools, will be treated as violations and may lead to disqualification.
Entries will be assessed on parameters including depth of research, factual accuracy, originality of thought, analytical depth, coherence and quality of expression.DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION
Entries must reach the Secretary to the Governor, Governor's Secretariat, Lok Bhavan, Kolkata – 700 062 on or before November 15, 2026. Entries will be accepted only through post or courier and cannot be submitted in person. The envelope must be superscribed “State-Level Essay Competition 2026”, along with the relevant category and language.
Further, the winners will be felicitated on January 26, 2027, during the At Home Reception at Lok Bhavan.
The competition marks Lok Bhavan's first state-level essay initiative and seeks to encourage students to undertake research and critical analysis of a significant and contested episode in Bengal's history. With substantial cash prizes and separate categories for school and higher education students, the competition is expected to attract entries from across West Bengal.- EndsREAD | West Bengal to add Syama Prasad Mookerjee to school, college curricula from 2027READ | More students, fewer schools: India's education stats paint a stressful picture
Indrajit Kundu is an Editor and chief of Kolkata Bureau at the TV Today Network. A multimedia journalist with over 16 years experience, he reports from West Bengal, Odisha, Northeast India and Bangladesh. An alumni of the Asian College of Journalism, he holds a certificate in broadcast journalism from BBC World Service Trust. He is also a US State Department International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) Fellow.
