The Overseas Resident Malayalis Association (ORMA International) has officially kicked off the third season of its prestigious International Speech Contest in Philadelphia. The event, held in collaboration with Vedic IAS Training Academy, Carnet Books, and Career Heights, was inaugurated by Dr. Bindu Alappatt, Vice President for Academic Affairs at Holy Family University, with a traditional lamp-lighting ceremony. The inauguration witnessed the presence of socio-cultural leaders, sponsors, media representatives, and well-wishers from across the community.
Leadership & Acknowledgments
The event commenced with a prayer led by Shine Thomas, followed by a general meeting presided over by ORMA President Saji Sebastian. The new office bearers—President Saji Sebastian, Secretary Christy Abraham, and Treasurer Roshan Plamoottil—took their oaths, administered by Board of Trustees Chairman Jose Attupuram. Orma Talent Promotion Forum Chairman Jose Thomas expressed gratitude for the success of the past two seasons and encouraged participation in this year’s contest. Several distinguished guests, including former President George Natavayal, Philadelphia Police Sergeant Blessing Mathew, and Orma Public Affairs Chairman Vincent Emmanuel, delivered congratulatory speeches.
Adding a cultural touch, Angel and Rosemary Plamoottil sang the national anthem, followed by multi-lingual musical performances by Shine Thomas, Christy Abraham, and Shaila Rajan. ORMA Philadelphia Chapter President Shaila Rajan welcomed the gathering, and Secretary Christy Abraham delivered the vote of thanks. The event was hosted by UN Speech Fame and Youth Coordinator Emilin Rose Thomas.
Competition Structure & Cash Prizes
The ORMA International Speech Contest spans three phases, from January 26 to August 9, 2025. The grand finale will take place in Pala on August 8-9. Unique among speech contests, ORMA provides rigorous training to all contestants advancing past the first round. Winners will also receive scholarships for civil service training at the renowned Vedic Civil Service Training Academy in India.
The competition is divided into junior and senior categories:
- Junior Category: Open to students from grades 7-10
- Senior Category: Open to students from grade 11 through the final year of undergraduate studies
From January 26 to March 26, 25 participants from each category (English & Malayalam) will advance to the second round. In the second phase, 13 finalists from each category will be selected to compete in the grand finale. On August 8, finalists will undergo an exclusive public speaking training session before the final competition on August 9.
The contest offers substantial cash awards, totaling Rs. 10 lakhs, with top winners receiving:
- Grand Prize: ‘Orma Orator of the Year-2025’—Rs. 1 lakh, a trophy, and a certificate
- Senior Category:
- First prize: Rs. 50,000 (Malayalam & English)
- Second prize: Rs. 30,000 each
- Third prize: Rs. 20,000 each
- Fourth prize: Rs. 10,000 each
- Fifth prize: Rs. 5,000 each
- Junior Category:
- First prize: Rs. 25,000 (Malayalam & English)
- Second prize: Rs. 15,000 each
- Third prize: Rs. 10,000 each
- Fourth prize: Rs. 5,000 each
- Fifth prize: Rs. 3,000 each
Registration & Participation
Participation is free, and registration is conducted via Google Forms. Contestants must submit a three-minute speech video on the topic “World Peace” at the time of registration. Videos can be uploaded directly through the form or emailed to moc.liamg@hceepsamro with the contestant’s name mentioned at the start of the video. Sample videos and further details are available at www.ormaspeech.org.
Expert Panel & Organizing Committee
An esteemed advisory board supports the competition, including:
- Dr. K Narayana Kurup (Former Acting Chief Justice, Madras High Court)
- Dr. Tessie Thomas (Former Director General, DRDO-Aero Systems)
- Dr. Ajay Nair (President, Arcadia University, USA)
- Dr. Babu Sebastian (Former Vice Chancellor, Mahatma Gandhi University)
- Nipin Niravath (Renowned Mentalist)
- Lal Jose (Film Director)
- Shameem Rafeeq (Corporate Trainer & Business Coach)
The ORMA International Talent Promotion Forum, chaired by Jose Thomas, leads the event alongside key directors Attorney Joseph Kunnel, Alex Kuruvilla, Dr. Anand Haridas, Dr. Jayaraj Alappat, and Shine Johnson. The ORMA leadership team includes President Saji Sebastian, General Secretary Christy Abraham, Treasurer Roshan Plamoottil, and Kerala Chapter President Kuriakose Maniwayalil. Speech training is led by Benny Kurian and Zoi Thomas from Synergy Consultancy, with mentorship from George Karunakkal and Professor Tommy Cherian.
Founded in Philadelphia in 2009, ORMA International continues to unite Malayalis worldwide, expanding across six regions with numerous provincial chapters. The organization’s international speech contest, now in its third season, remains a beacon of global talent recognition and youth empowerment.
