A total of 106 students from 16 city schools participated in an essay writing and a painting competition on Mahatma Gandhi that ran simultaneously at Audrey House here on Wednesday.

The state branch of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach) organised the contests.

“This is a part of a national-level competition that is being held at 300 centres across the country, including four in Jharkhand, not on the same day though,” said Amitava Ghosh, co-convener of Intach’s Jharkhand chapter.

In Jharkhand, these were being held in Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Hazaribagh and Ramgarh. “In Ranchi, we organised these competitions in association with the state art and culture department,” Ghosh said, adding that students of classes VII to IX were eligible for participating in both the competitions.

Intach was organising these competitions on the occasion of 150 years of Gandhiji under guidance of its heritage, education and communication service division, Ghosh said.

Those who took part in essay competition were asked to write a 750-word essay on either Gandhi’s contribution to Indian society or his contribution to heritage and culture.

Similarly, those participating in the painting competition had draw on either Gandhi’s association with Indian culture or any heritage site connected with him in their region, along with a suitable title given to the painting.

“We will send the essays and paintings to Delhi where Intach will get those evaluated for selecting the winners both at regional and national level,” Ghosh said.

The results, he said, would be announced by mid-February. While all students taking part in the competitions will get participation certificates, winners of regional and national-level contests will also get trophies.

“Ten national winners will also be taken on an educational trip to Delhi,” Ghosh said.