Only in Nagaland: CM writes letters to all who cleared Board exams

Kohima: Students who cleared the recently declared Class X board examinations are in for a surprise this year. Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio has sent personal letters to all the students who passed the exam.

In separate letters, the chief minister also congratulated the students who secured top 20 positions in the Nagaland Board of School Education’s (NBSE) High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) examinations 2020.

“It is indeed a significant achievement, and you deserve all the praise and admiration for your hard work. Emerging among the top 20 students in the examinations will bring your family members and your loved ones great joy with a tremendous sense of pride,” wrote the CM.

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Rio acknowled the effort made by students and said, “Clearing the HSLC hurdle is not just an important achievement in the academic career of a student, but a major milestone for every individual and that passing the HSLC brings cheer and celebration to all those around. It was the same for me more than four decades ago. My parents were the happiest. I remember the day as if it happened yesterday.”

Rio further added, “It takes a tremendous amount of hard work, of more than a decade of school life and many sacrifices, to reach where you are today. We are all proud of you. You have completed the chapter of foundation in your life and, from today onwards, a new journey will begin. I am confident that you will face the tasks that lie ahead with flying colours. Even as you rededicate yourself towards successfully sailing over the forthcoming challenges, I want to remind you to enjoy the experiences, celebrate the joys of life and always aspire to be a contributing member of society.”

Challenged with the COVID-19 pandemic, Rio said, “The year 2020 will go down the annals of history as one of the most eventful years in human history. With the ongoing challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, the dynamics of our lives have been altered, forever. We need to adapt and acclimatize to the changing times and become successful agents of change. I urge you to be a responsible citizen, make efforts to ensure a cleaner and safer planet, work towards gender equality, be an agent of peace and forever spread kindness. Most importantly, always be a proud ambassador of our State, its rich culture and our vibrant way of life”.

He also expressed his desire to see more success stories from the students in the future. “You represent the new energy and ambition of Nagaland, and I hope that your generation will propel our state into a new era of success and excellence,” he concluded.

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The chief minister also addressed the Class X toppers separately for emerging among the top 20 students in the examination.

As reported earlier, out of the 15,680 candidates who qualified this year, 8,470 girl students cleared this year’s HSLC (Class X) exams in Nagaland. In the top 20, out of 55 candidates, 39 girls made it to the top.

Under the Chief Minister’s Meritorious Students Fellowships (CMMSF), 55 students who topped the HSLC examination from the state last year were awarded in January this year.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister’s Meritorious Students Fellowship (CMMSF) programme, constituted from October 14 last year, laid down the following guidelines to regulate the fellowship:

1. The fellowship would be granted to the top scoring 50 individual students in the top rank in order of merit of the HSLC examination conducted by the NBSE, selected based on their rank/marks in the HSLC examination in order of merit.
2. The selected 50 Students must belong to an indigenous Schedule Tribe of Nagaland.

3. The number of persons to be awarded the CMMSF will vary in case of more than one person in one rank or place.

4. Fellowship to be granted to the meritorious students shall be made on Annual/yearly basis.

5. A citation along with cash award shall be given in the first year of grant of the fellowship.

6. The grant of CMMSF shall be awarded for five years. To achieve the desired objective of CMMSF, the annual academic performance of the 50 awarded students shall be continuously monitored. To continue to avail the fellowship, the students should continue to score not less than 80% marks in the promotion/annual/semester examination in the succeeding classes/grades every year. Non-fulfillment of the criteria will lead to the discontinuation of the grant of CMMSF.

In February last year, Rio introduced the scheme while highlighting the state budget with the aim to extend fellowships to toppers of NBSE Class-X examination in order to groom them to qualify for Civil services, IITs, IIMs etc. Through this programme, 50 toppers will receive the fellowship every month for a period of five years.

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