Four government school Class X toppers return after youth exchange programme in Japan

Four students from State government schools, who secured the highest marks in Class X, and selected to participate in the Sakura Science Programme in Japan from August 17 to 23, have returned home.

In a statement on Monday, the Samagra Shiksha State Project Director B. Srinivasa Rao said that the four SSC toppers — T. Pushpanjali form Gollaprolu Zilla Parishad High School in Kakinada district, K. Harish from A.P. Model School, Bhogapuram in Vizianagaram district, M. Aishwarya from Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalay at Bitragunta in Prakasam district and P. Varun Sai from MPL High School, Weavers Colony, at Mangalagiri in Guntur district — were among the 34 students drawn from across India, who participated in the “Japan-Asia Youth Exchange Programme in Science”, also known as the Sakura Science Programme.

The event was conducted by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), who have been conducting the youth exchange programme since 2014, he said.

The students visited the Samagra Shiksha State office on Monday and shared their experiences with Mr. Srinivasa Rao. He asked them about their travel experiences, observations and learnings from the places they visited. He expressed hope that other government school students would take inspiration from them and excel in their studies.

The students’ team started for Japan from New Delhi on August 17 under the aegis of the Ministry of Education, Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), Government of India.