The Mahatma Gandhi Elocution Trophy 2021-22 was won by two undergraduate students from Ahmedabad University. On January 8, 2022, Aditi Jain, a first-year BBA honours student, and Mana Shah, a first-year integrated Life Sciences student, got the award at the HL College of Commerce competition. This year's debate theme was India's economic recovery from Covid necessitates a return to Gandhian thinking.
Aditi and Mana have been polishing their oratory skills since they were children, and they are always on the hunt for occasions to show off their abilities as public speakers.Mana gave her arguments against the proposal, while Aditi spoke in favour of it. Aditi reminded the crowd that Mahatma Gandhi was one of the first leaders to advocate for "voice for local." "Today, in our society, there is a need to advocate for decentralisation of economic power," she stated. It's past time to be really inclusive, looking beyond the GDP contribution of the country's largest industrial conglomerates."
Mana voiced her displeasure with Gandhiji's teachings being 'copied and pasted.' "We forget what he said: "You must be the change you want to see in the world," he stated. Mana also praised the work of Indian industrialists in the fight against Covid in her statement.
Both winners have an open mind when it comes to the future. Aditi has been doing Bharatanatyam for 11 years and is also a karate practitioner. Aside from her education, Aditi leads an NGO called India Fights Life, where she teaches disadvantaged girls self-defense. In the future, she sees herself as a strong female entrepreneur who will combine her passion for finance with her passions for social service, dance, and public speaking. Besides increasing her oratory talents, Mana would like to focus on ‘cancer’ and ‘genetics’.
Elocution Trophy for Mahatma Gandhi
It was founded in 1940 with funds saved from the cancellation of annual day celebrations due to the country's political situation at the time. The award was named after Mahatma Gandhi, who was a symbol of nonviolence throughout his lifetime.
Other universities whose students participated in the competition this year include St Xavier's College, Umiya College, Uma College Gandhinagar, and HL College of Commerce, among others.