MPs yet to sign up for first-ever essay competition

 Parliamentarians have given a cold shoulder to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan’s maiden initiative to get them to participate in an essay writing competition to celebrate the International Day of Democracy.

Till Saturday evening, not a single member of the Lok Sabha had submitted application to participate in the competition, the first such initiative for them, scheduled to be held in the Central Hall of Parliament on Tuesday.

“Usually, such competition is open only to Lok Sabha staff, but Speaker gave instructions to invite application from members of the lower house, their spouses and children,” Parliament officials said.
The Lok Sabha secretariat had intimated MPs about the competition on September 8 through the bulletin.

 Separately, offices of political parties in Parliament have also been informed about the event with a request to convey the information to the Parliamentarians.

“We have received 300 applications from the Lok Sabha secretariat staff, but not a single from any MP,” officials said with the hope that at least some of the Lok Sabha members would express keenness in participating in the event, applications for which have to be submitted by Monday evening.

The participants will have to pen their thoughts in 1,000 words in Hindi on the topic “Loktantra main Janata ka daayitva” (responsibility of the citizens in a democracy).

The International Day of Democracy has been commemorated by the United Nations on September 15 every year since 2007.

The UN has asked all member states and organisations to commemorate the day with an aim of promoting and upholding the principles of democracy.