Tech students securing top three positions to get laptops: Minister

Patna: State’s science, technology and technical education minister, Sumit Kumar Singh, on Monday announced that students securing top three positions in different streams of engineering and polytechnic across the state would be given laptops from next year under “Medhavi Chhatra Protsahan Puraskar”.At present, the award carries a medal, certificate, memento and cash reward of Rs 5,000, Rs 4000 and Rs 3,000 for students securing first, second and third positions, respectively, at state-level—both in engineering colleges and polytechnic.“We should not confine the award to five streams only. Instead, we would like to give laptops to all the students securing top three positions at state-level in all the streams of engineering and polytechnic.

It would inculcate healthy competition among the students,” Singh said.He was addressing a gathering of students and their parents at an event, organised to award the toppers with “Medhavi Chhatra Protsahan Puraskar 2025”, given to students securing top three positions at state-level in five streams.The function was organised on the birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna and eminent engineer Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya. The day is celebrated as ‘Engineer’s Day’.

“In order to motivate performing teachers in engineering colleges and polytechnic, they should also be honoured,” the minister said.The department’s secretary Pratima said the award would motivate others to study hard to reach top positions.Stating that emphasis is being laid on “technical education” and STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) across the country because it’s a technology-driven world, she said engineers, who are technology drivers, work as facilitators to ensure “ease of living”.“Chief minister has put special emphasis on technical education which is evident from the fact that he had set a goal of having one engineering and polytechnic college in each district of the state,” she said.“Guided by the CM, now our emphasis is on improving quality technical education. We have to constantly design curriculum keeping in mind the requirements of industry,” Pratima said, adding that the department is working hard to get NBA accreditation and NIRF ranking for its engineering colleges apart from introducing new streams.