West Bengal Lok Bhavan announces first state-level essay competition: apply by 15 November 2026

The West Bengal Lok Bhavan has announced its first state-level essay competition, open to school, college, and university students studying in educational institutions across West Bengal. Entries for the competition, which accepts submissions in both English and Bengali, must be received on or before 15 November 2026.

Winners of the competition will be felicitated on January 26, 2027, during the ‘At Home Reception’ at Lok Bhavan in Kolkata. The initiative has drawn criticism from political figures, including Kunal Ghosh of the Mamata Banerjee faction of TMC and CPI(M)’s Sujan Chakraborty.

Competition Topics and Categories

The competition is divided into two categories based on academic level, each with a distinct essay topic. School students from Classes X to XII are invited to write on “Calcutta Massacre, 1946 – Causes and Consequences” in English. For college and university students, the topic is “Direct Action Day by All India Muslim League – A Fatal Assault on Civilisational Bharat.”

Entries will be evaluated based on several criteria, including depth of research, factual accuracy, originality of thought, analytical depth, coherence, and quality of expression. The Lok Bhavan statement, as reported by the Times of India, strictly prohibits plagiarism, copying or reproducing material without due acknowledgement, and how we use AI-generated content or generative AI tools.

Prize Money and Submission Details

Substantial prize money has been announced for winners in both categories and languages. For school students, the first prize is Rs 50,000, the second prize is Rs 35,000, and the third prize is Rs 25,000. In the college and university category, the first prize stands at Rs 1 lakh, followed by Rs 75,000 for the second prize and Rs 50,000 for the third prize. These prizes will be awarded separately for essays submitted in English and Bengali within each category.

All entries must reach the Secretary to the Governor, Governor’s Secretariat, Lok Bhavan, Kolkata-700 062, on or before the deadline of 15 November 2026. The competition aims to encourage academic engagement among students in West Bengal.

Political Reactions to the Initiative

The announcement of the essay competition has drawn criticism from prominent political figures in West Bengal. Kunal Ghosh of the Mamata Banerjee faction of TMC stated that the governor’s role was not to “propagate” the BJP’s political narrative, as reported by the Times of India.

CPI(M)’s Sujan Chakraborty also criticised the initiative, questioning the relevance of the governor’s post if they act as a representative of a political party rather than the Constitution. Chakraborty emphasised that the governor’s main responsibility is to monitor whether the Constitution is properly followed in the state and to discharge duties as a representative of the Constitution.

Written by Nishit Kumar

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

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