In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the International Summer Festival Shimla-2026 will feature an inter-school declamation competition, ‘Shyamala Manthan’, providing students with a platform to showcase their public speaking, critical thinking and reasoning skills.
The competition will be conducted in both English and Hindi languages and is open to students from classes VIII to XII. Participants will deliver speeches on one of two contemporary themes: “Will generative AI create pioneers or bystanders?” and “The 15-second attention economy: How doomscrolling is rewriting our brain.”
According to Shimla Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap, the zonal-level rounds will be held on June 2 at designated nodal schools, while the grand finale is scheduled for June 10 at the historic Gaiety Theatre.
The winning team will receive a cash prize of Rs 50,000 along with a trophy. The runners-up and second runners-up will be awarded Rs 30,000 and Rs 20,000, respectively.
Kashyap said that this year’s festival would extend beyond cultural and entertainment programmes to actively engage students and young people in meaningful and progressive discussions.
“At a time when much of the younger generation spends a significant amount of time on social media and other virtual platforms, it is important to provide opportunities where they can express their ideas and opinions on contemporary social issues. This competition will be one of the major attractions of the festival,” he said.
Highlighting the importance of debates and declamations, the DC noted that the tradition of public discourse has long been an integral part of India’s intellectual heritage. He said the competition aims to foster logical reasoning, self-confidence, effective communication, leadership qualities and social responsibility among students.
“It is also a step towards steering young people away from drug abuse, anti-social activities and other negative influences,” he added.
Speaking about the themes selected for the competition, Kashyap said the first topic would encourage students to examine the growing influence of artificial intelligence on innovation, creativity, employment, education and future opportunities. The second topic will focus on the effects of social media, reels and short-form video content on attention spans, cognitive abilities, mental health and behavioural patterns among young people.
