India Press Releases

13 May 2005

U.S. Honors Delhi Students For Winning Website Contest

Says India a Valuable Ally Against Terrorism

NEW DELHI -- The United States government today formally honored the four students of Ryan International School, Gurgaon (Haryana), whose website has won the prestigious 2005 "Doors to Diplomacy" award of the U.S. Department of State.

The selection of their website on violence and terrorism as the top international entry for 2005 out of a field of 293 entries from 39 countries, was announced on May 10, in Washington D.C.

At a ceremony in New Delhi, U.S. Embassy Charge d'Affaires Robert O. Blake congratulated the four high school students - Alisha Chaudhry, Smriti Jaggi, Rewan Rai Parti and Wishal Rampal - for their "professional and technically sophisticated web site, with useful and well-researched information."

On behalf of the U.S. Embassy, Mr. Blake presented them a congratulatory letter stating that: "Your entry, EffortsUnited.Com, combines impressive technical talent, strong research, philosophical sophistication and a drive to better understand of the causes and consequences of terrorism."

"Looking over your website, it is easy to see why your project was judged the top amongst almost three hundred entries from around the world. You, your parents, and your teachers should be proud of your accomplishment," the letter said.

In his remarks, Mr. Blake said: "The U.S. and India are allies in combating terrorism. We are both victims of terrorism, and combat it throughout the world. As you rightly point out, it will take cooperation on a global scale to address the causes of terrorism, and the cooperation between India and the United States is an excellent example of how nations with similar concerns, similar goals, and similar aspirations for our children, can work to solve these problems."

The students presented a demonstration of their website to Mr. Blake, in the presence of their principal Ms. Madhuri Parti. Each of the four students will receive a $2,000 scholarship and a trip to Washington, DC this spring, where they will receive a private tour of the State Department facilities, meet with key officials, and participate in a special award presentation ceremony.

In addition, the school will receive a $500 cash award. The winning sites will be linked from the State Department's youth site at www.future.state.gov later in May.