Students who wrote the top 100 essays for the competition conducted by The Hindu and Kovai Nanneri Kazhagam were felicitated at an event held at Hindusthan College of Arts and Science here on Saturday.

The essay competition was conducted on February 21 to mark International Mother Language Day. Over 1,100 essays were received from children studying in Classes VIII to XI in Coimbatore, Tiruppur and the Nilgiris districts. Of the submitted essays, the top 100 were selected by a team of faculty from the Department of Tamil, Hindusthan College of Arts and Science.

Ku. Pa. Tholkappia of Ruby Matriculation School, Saravanampatti, won the first place. The second place went to R. Jenifer of Corporation Girls Higher Secondary School, Ramakrishnapuram, and the third place was won by S. Kanishka of Palaniappa Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Avinashi.

Ku. Tharani, Kovai Maruthamalai Matriculation School, and Mo. Varshitha, Satchidananda Jothi Nikethan International School, Mettupalayam, received the special jury awards.

Sahitya Akademi award-winning author Cho. Dharman, Kovai Nanneri Kazhagam president Iakoka N. Subramaniam, Managing Trustee of Hindusthan Educational and Charitable Trust Sarasuwathi Khannaiyann and Director (Human Resource Development) of Roots Group of Companies Kavidasan felicitated the students. Sponsors of the event were Vijaya Pathipagam, Udumalai.com, Simplicity, Prezantim, Cotsvilla Resorts, Brookefields, Hindustan College of Arts and Science, Kovai Kondattam, Zone Hotel, and Sri Krishna Sweets.