50 bright minds win hearts, HT scholarship
Parents and teachers cheered for the winners of HT Scholarship Programme, 2019, as they were presented with a trophy and ₹25,000 each
CHANDIGARH: The excitement was palpable as 50 winners of the Hindustan Times Scholarship Programme from Classes 5 to 9 arrived in smart uniforms with their parents and teachers in attendance to collect their awards at the auditorium of Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration in Sector 26, Chandigarh, on Thursday morning.
The HT Scholarship Programme, 2019, received a total of 23,815 applications from students of 127 schools in Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali. All of them took a daily quiz and wrote on an essay on the basis of which 150 applicants were shortlisted for the interview round. The shortlisted students were invited to the HT office in Mohali for an interaction with the senior editorial staff, who talked to them about their interests, hobbies, ambition and activities they excelled in. Finally, the 50 winners, 10 from each class, were selected for the scholarship of ₹25,000 each.
Of the total applications HT received, Satluj Public School, Panchkula, shone bright and was recognised for maximum participation.
‘REACH THE UNREACHED, SERVE THE UNSERVED’
Dr G Dewan, director, health services, Chandigarh, was the chief guest at the third edition of the HT scholarship programme which also saw the presence of Jatinder Gupta, senior vicepresident, HDFC Bank, Chandigarh; and Ramesh Vinayak, executive editor, Hindustan Times, Chandigarh; and Yojana Yadav, senior news editor, HT, Chandigarh
The event started with Dr Dewan and Vinayak lighting the ceremonial lamp, followed by a minute’s silence observed to commemorate Martyrs’ Day.
In his brief and meaningful address to the winners, Dr Dewan was all praise for the bright minds he met at the event. “I congratulate the winners. They are the ones who will take society forward towards a new India. My advice to these children is that no matter where they are and to whatever capacity they grow, it’s their duty to reach the unreached and serve the unserved.”
The inaugural speech was given by Yadav, who shared details of the programme. She said, “We were looking for two qualities in our winners: Originality and confidence. We are honoured that we found so many youngsters with such drive to achieve great feats in life.”
“We had wonderful conversations with the students about their studies, interests, school life and their dreams and aspirations. This year, the topic for the essay was: How wonderfully rich our country is on the tourism front; and what can we do to attract more foreign tourists to our country,” she said.
“My advice to the winners is to believe in their potential and strive to be the best version of who they are. Being original and creative liberates from stress and anxiety,” she added.
‘START SAVING, PLAN EARLY’
HDFC’s Gupta sensitised the students about the importance of saving from an early age. “Financial planning and discipline are crucial for leading a good life. With more and more youngsters making money at a young age, it is important for them to start saving early to be able to enjoy as well as provide for their families in the future. We at HDFC Bank have the Kids Advantage Account, which youngsters should explore.”
Referring to the theme of the essay on tourism, Gupta was all praise for the scenic locations we have in the country. “I believe a lot can be done in the field of tourism in our country. With the kind of innovative ideas these young minds have come up with to boost the sector is encouraging and reassuring. These ideas should reach the right place so that they can be implemented in the right way,” he said.
Talking about the event, he said, “Whenever I get a chance to interact with youngsters, I learn something from them. Their energy and zeal towards leading a happy and successful life is inspiring.”