Bagalkot initiates cash awards for toppers at govt schools

Bagalkot: To ensure better SSLC results in govt high schools, the Bagalkot district education department has announced cash incentives for three toppers at each school in the ten taluks under the district. This is in addition to the Rs 50,000 cash award given by the state govt to toppers at govt high schools at the district and taluk levels.The amount of incentives, though, will vary from school to school, depending upon the funds collected, an official said.
The education department has also announced cash prizes for students securing 100% in a subject and for three toppers at every school. It has mobilised Rs 1.1 crore from organisations, entrepreneurs, parents and the public to fund these cash awards. Ajjappa Chunappa Mannikeri, the deputy director of Public Instructions (admin), told TOI: "We intend to encourage students at all the 492 high schools in the district. We launched a campaign to collect funds from Jan 26 at the school level. Education enthusiasts and organisations have donated funds. Fo far, we have collected Rs 1.1 crore." He further said all officials concerned, such as headmasters, block coordinators and block education officers (BEOs), are engaged in the fund-raising drive. "Govt employees' associations are also contributing to this initiative," he added. Hailing the drive, Ghanashyam Bhandage, a social worker in Bagalkot, said: "The scope of raising funds at govt high schools is limited, given that students mostly from poor backgrounds study at these institutions." Jamakhandi BEO Ashok Basannavar said that responding to the initiative, retired DGP Shankar Bidari has donated Rs 10 lakh in March, to SRA Aided High School, where he pursued his high school education. "As per his suggestion, the amount is kept as fixed deposit at a cooperative bank, where annual interest is 10%. The school will give the cash prize of Rs 1 lakh to three toppers every year," he added.