Sachini Niwarthana of Sabaragamuwa University wins IPS’ inaugural Policy Pitch Contest

Thursday, 28 October 2021 01:17 -     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Sachini Niwarthana

Jayana Vimalasinghe

Samali Jinadasa

Sandali Seneviratne


Sachini Niwarthana of the Sabaragamuwa University has won the Policy Pitch Contest 2021 organised by the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS) for her essay on organic farming. 

In her essay titled ‘From Conventional to Organic Farming: Towards a Slow and Steady Transition’, Niwarthana highlights the difficulties faced by the farming community due to the sudden shift from conventional to organic farming and calls for a clear national policy to facilitate a smoother transition.

Niwarthana will be awarded a cash prize of Rs. 25,000 for her essay. Essays by Jayana Vimalasinghe of the University of Peradeniya, Samali Jinadasa also of the University of Peradeniya, and Sandali Seneviratne of the University of Kelaniya were commended. 

The IPS Policy Pitch Contest, aimed at encouraging youth to present practical solutions to contemporary problems in Sri Lanka, was open to all undergraduates enrolled at a local or foreign university. Participants were asked to critically analyse an existing policy, explain why the status quo is not working, and present a solution to address the issue. 

The winning and commended essays can be read at: https://www.ips.lk/talkingeconomics/2021/10/27/ips-policy-pitch-contest-2021/ 

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