San Francisco, California, USA: Aneesh Gupta and Eesha Kondapalli have been declared winners of the India Philanthropy Alliance (IPA) Youth Essay Competition 2025, which this year attracted a record-breaking number of entries from across the United States.

Gupta, the top prize recipient in the high school division, centered his essay on the far-reaching impact of unregistered births. “I wanted my essay to serve as a call to action, ensuring that every child is recognized and accounted for,” he said. He emphasized that registering a birth may appear minor, but it is among the most powerful steps to safeguard a child’s future. Gupta plans to donate his $1,000 award to CRY America.

In the middle school category, Kondapalli secured the top spot with her essay addressing India’s rabies epidemic and its connection to the nation’s nearly 60 million stray dogs. “With such a massive stray dog population and the resulting rabies crisis, the problem affects everyone in India, no matter where they live,” she explained. She will contribute her $1,000 prize to the Stray Animal Foundation of India.

Both winners will showcase their essays on October 2 during the Indiaspora and IPA Philanthropy Summit in San Francisco. The event will be held at the Indian Consulate and moderated by writer and performer Isheeta Ganguly.

The youth essay contest, first introduced in 2020, invites middle and high school students in the U.S. to identify India’s urgent challenges and suggest innovative solutions. This year’s theme, #FutureByYou, put the spotlight on youth-driven change and actionable solutions