NEW DELHI: When Prime Minister Modi announced the nationwide lockdown on March 24, he held up a poster made by a child to show the entire nation how creativity could help in the fight against COVID-19. 'Corona means Koi Road Par Na Nikle' the poster read, which has since become the display picture of many Indians across social media platforms.
Children across the country have another shot at displaying their creativity and joining the global fight against the deadly pandemic. The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) which is fighting against COVID-19 on many fronts has now launched a national 'poster making challenge' for school students.
The online initiative, which is likely to engage children who have been suffering from the continued confinement, also carries cash rewards of Rs 50,000, Rs 40,000 and 25,000 for the first, second and third winners, in three separate categories. The three categories are of Class 1-5, 6-10 and 11-12.
The entries could be in the form of a painting, drawing or sketch with an appropriate tagline and slogan.
In addition, 10 motivational prizes of Rs 5,000 will be given in each of the three categories. The cash prizes are tagged with an array of inventories that would empower them further.
"The entries are being invited through the Twitter account of the Force @crpfindia till April 25, 2020," a senior CRPF official said.
The country's largest paramilitary force which is mandated to provide internal security in Jammu and Kashmir and Maoist-affected areas has adopted the method when the nation rallied against the ongoing pandemic which has so far claimed 324 lives and over 8,000 confirmed cases in India.
Besides sticking to its core competence in ensuring law and order during the 21-day lockdown, the CRPF has gone beyond its professional domain to serve the people in myriad ways -- from distributing food, medicine, sanitisers and other essential items to making masks and donating their salaries towards the PM-CARES fund.