PRESS RELEASE Tamil Development Department The glorious history of how the land once known as the Madras Presidency came to be named Tamil Nadu must be deeply etched in the hearts of our younger generation. It is the Government of Tamil Nadu's wish that every one of our schoolchildren should understand this heroic history, unified by language, and carry forward the spirit of Tamil. It is for this purpose that, on the occasion of the "Tamil Nadu Day" celebrations, the Tamil Development Department is conducting elocution and essay writing competitions for school students from Standard 6 to Standard 12. This is not merely a competition; it is a grand celebration proclaiming the greatness of our Tamil language and the history of our Tamil Nadu! I urge our students to come forward in large numbers like a surging sea, participate in these competitions, and showcase their talents. In Chennai District, essay and elocution competitions for school students will be held on Tuesday, 14.07.2026, at 9.00 a.m. at Sindhadhiripettai Kalyanam Girls' Higher Secondary School, and participants are requested to sign the attendance register. The essay competition will be held on the topic "Tamil Nadu Day: From Conception to Realisation", while the elocution competitions will be held on the topics "The Tamil Nadu I Wish For", "Yesterday's Madras Presidency, Today's Modern Tamil Nadu", "Tamil Nadu Through the Eyes of the Youth", "Tamil Nadu, Excellent in Education", and "Tamil Nadu, Rich in Valour". Students wishing to take part in these competitions must obtain a letter of recommendation from the head teacher of the school in which they study. Students who win first prize in the competition must go on to participate in the state-level competition. Director of Tamil Development Issued by: Director, Directorate of Information and Public Relations, Chennai-9