President Dr Mohamed Muizzu and First Lady Sajidha Mohamed officiated at the national literary and calligraphy awards ceremony, organised by the Dhivehi Bahuge Academy. The event, held at the S’alaah’udhdheen School hall, honoured achievements across five disciplines and drew more than 3,000 participants from across the country.
Competitions were staged in essay writing, short story composition, poetry, oratory, and handwriting. The academy reported particularly strong engagement in the essay and short story categories, which together attracted more than 2,000 submissions. The contests were open to students from lower and higher secondary levels, as well as adults and private organisations, reflecting the breadth of national participation.
Top honours were awarded to institutions including the Centre for Higher Secondary Education (CHSE) and Jamaluddin School, both of which secured multiple distinctions across academic tiers. Individual accomplishments were recognised in memorial competitions dedicated to historical literary figures, notably the 40th National Essay Writing Competition in memory of Mohamed Jameel Didi and the 38th National Oratory Competition commemorating Ibrahim Shihab.
Minister of Dhivehi Language, Culture and Heritage Adam Naseer Ibrahim joined language experts to present awards to the top ten performers in each category, underscoring the competitions’ role in advancing literary and cultural excellence.