Mehsana, Oct 4 : To recognise and nurture the talents of school children, the Gujarat government is running the Mission Bal Varta programme. As part of this initiative, a story-writing competition was organised among students at government schools in the Kherva cluster of Mehsana district.

Students from nine schools participated in the competition, and many of their stories were selected, bringing great joy to the young writers.

Students were quite excited after they were informed about their stories being selected. They were also informed that their stories would be published in the form of a book.

Krishna Garhvi, a student, told IANS, 'A Bal Varta competition was held at my school, and my story was appreciated. It will be published in a children's literature book, which makes me very happy.'

The students expressed that Mission Bal Varta has been a great source of inspiration for them and has encouraged them to explore creative writing more seriously. Several other students who participated in the competition expressed similar joy and happiness.

Diya Gadia, a student, said, 'The programme has motivated me a lot and helped me improve my storytelling skills.'

During the competition, 21 stories met the required standards and have been selected by the education department for publication in a book.

Hetalben Mehta, CRC Coordinator of Mehsana, stated, 'The education department will publish these stories as a book very soon, providing a platform for young writers and encouraging literary talent in schools.'

Alongside the competition, a dialogue session with the participating children was held at Kherva Primary Kumar School, where teachers provided guidance to help students improve their writing skills.

The Gujarat government's Mission Bal Varta programme has proven to be very effective in honing the skills of students at the school level and promoting a culture of reading and writing among young learners.

/IANS