Inspired by first edition of Manvantara, Koppal administration announces second edition

The initiative aims at cultivating reading habit among people, especially children, and giving them better exposure

The competition is divided into two categories: children and general.  | Photo Credit: file photo

Considering the overwhelming response for its Manvantara, a unique initiative for cultivating reading habits and critical outlook among people in general and children in particular, the Koppal district administration has announced the second edition: Manvantara 2.

The programme is a competition for writing a literary review and a literary criticism of the books selected by the administration. The competition is divided into two categories: children and general.

Four books, two each in Kannada and English, have been selected for the childrens’ category: Chidambara Rahasya (K.P. Purnachandra Tejaswi) and Marali Mannige (Shivaram Karanth) in Kannada and Becoming – Adopted for Younger Readers (Michelle Obama) and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (J.K. Rowling) in English have been chosen.

For the general category, the chosen books are: Malegalalli Madumagalu (Kuvempu) and Grahabanga (S.L. Bhyrappa) in Kannada, and The Glass Palace (Amitav Ghosh) and Ikigai: Japanese Art of staying Young... While Growing Old (Keira Miki) in English.

The contestants need to select a book and write a review/criticism that doesn’t exceed 1,000 words. A contestant can write on more than one book.

As per the details provided by the district administration, those who are interested need to get registered at www.koppal.nic.in by providing their personal details before June 25, 2022. The reviews and criticisms should be submitted online in the same portal before August 10, 2022.

Taluk-level selection committees will select the two best write-ups on each book in the two categories and send them to a district-level evaluation panel. The district committee will shortlist the best two write-ups for each book.

The committee will then call the shortlisted candidates for interviews and select the winners. The first prize will carry ₹20,000 in cash followed by a second prize with ₹10,000, and a third prize with ₹5,000. Those who are not selected for the interview would be honoured with a consolation prize of ₹2,000. The best review of an English work would carry a special prize of ₹15,000 in cash.

“The purpose of the initiative is to cultivate reading and writing habits among people, especially children. By reading and analysing the works we select, the readers would also get different ideas and better exposure. The first edition in 2000 received a good response by getting over 5,000 reviews. I hope the people would show similar or more interest in this second edition as well,” Deputy Commissioner Suralkar Vikas Kishor told TheHindu.

“The date of prize distribution is tentatively on the Independence Day. But, it depends of the number of reviews we get. If we get more write-ups we may need more time to evaluate and resultantly postpone the date,” he added.

For details on the programme, people can contact Harish Jogi, UNICEF’s Child Protection Programme manager and the nodal officer for Manvantara 2 on 9035129484.