Lucknow: The English Literary Association of Navayug (ELAN) organised an open mic competition at Navayug Kanya Mahavidyalaya, Rajendra Nagar, providing students with a platform to showcase their creativity, literary interests and communication skills. A total of 21 students from different faculties participated in the event.
The programme was conducted by Dr Reema Chhabra. The jury comprised Major Dr Manmeet Kaur Sodhi and Professor Manjula Yadav. College principal and programme patron Professor Manjula Upadhyay encouraged students to develop independent opinions on political and social issues, cultivate reading habits and remain aware of events around them. She also appreciated the efforts of the ELAN committee.
Participants used poetry, speeches and humorous presentations to explore social issues, gender equality, human values and prevailing stereotypes. Arundhati Yadav spoke about human equality and the tendency to judge others, while Deepti Sengar highlighted gender-based violence and victim-blaming. Muskan Mishra presented a poem inspired by the Bhagavad Gita, and Nidhi emphasised its teachings on knowledge and dedication to action.
Nikita Singh explored women’s identity and self-respect through her poem, ‘Haan, Main Ladki Hoon’, while Nikita Dixit discussed stereotypical expectations of women. Shruti spoke about overcoming struggles and continuous self-improvement, while Vartika Srivastava highlighted the pressure on women to conform to society’s idea of a ‘perfect girl’. Vaidehi Yadav presented a humorous story about social pressures surrounding English language proficiency and pronunciation. Anshika Singh called attention to the importance of preserving human values.
Jury member Major Dr Manmeet Kaur Sodhi said everyone possessed some talent and needed the right opportunity to express it. She described the open mic as a platform where students could freely share their ideas through poetry, stories and contemporary issues. She also enlivened the event with a self-composed poem. Professor Manjula Yadav encouraged participants, observing that stepping onto the stage to express oneself was itself an achievement reflecting courage and confidence.
In the results, Vaidehi Yadav and Nikita Dixit jointly secured first place, Shubhi Singh won second place, and Nidhi Bajpai finished third. Consolation prizes were awarded to Muskan Mishra, Deepti Sengar and Darshana Upadhyay.
The programme was organised under the coordination of Professor Sangeeta Kotwal, Professor Seema Sarkar, Dr Neha Pandey and Dr Reema Chhabra. Professor Sangeeta Kotwal delivered the vote of thanks, acknowledging the jury, participants, organising committee, faculty members and guests. Professors Vandana Dwivedi and Vineeta Singh, along with other faculty members, were also present.
The event gave students an opportunity to build confidence, express their views independently and engage creatively with issues affecting society.
