Daijiworld media network – Udupi (TP)

Udupi, Jul 6: The Deenadayal Charitable Trust honored the SSLC topper students from the Udupi City Municipality area on Thursday, July 6.

Gujjadi Prabhakar Nayak, former city municipality president, graced the event as the chief guest.

In his speech, he emphasized the significance of the SSLC exams as a guiding path for the students' futures. He urged them to always have a clear goal in life and never make choices without purpose. He stressed the need for educational institutions to become placement centers, offering practical education and nurturing students' interests. He also emphasized that marks should not be considered the ultimate achievement but rather the pursuit of knowledge.

Nayak further highlighted the dedication of V S Acharya and Dr Shama Prasad Mukherjee, both of whom dedicated their lives to the welfare of the country. He noted the coincidence that both were born on July 6, the day of the event. The trust has been providing scholarships to SSLC toppers for the past 11 years, initiated by Shanth V Acharya, wife of V S Acharya, in the name of Gayathri.

Murali Kadekar, a retired headteacher, shared his thoughts during the program, emphasizing that students should not be judged solely based on their marks but that values hold more significance. He advocated for education not being driven by money, stating that when education is given importance, success and financial stability will naturally follow. Kadekar also stressed the importance of providing career guidance to students and the need for reforms in the education system, including changes to the evaluation system. He advised students to keep a distance from negative influences and to remember the names of V S Acharya and Dr Shama Prasad Mukherjee.

The program commenced with a prayer song, and the dignitaries offered flowers to Mother India representation, V S Acharya, and Dr Shama Prasad Mukherjee. All the SSLC toppers were felicitated with certificates, medals, and cash prizes. Dinakar Shetty welcomed the gathering, and Ragavendra Kini, the president of Deenadayal Charitable Trust, as well as Malpe Vishwanath Bhat, Praveen Shetty, and others, were present at the event.