SHILLONG: The Meghalaya government on Friday honoured 40 students who excelled in the SSLC examination, presenting them with cash awards under the Chief Minister's Special Grant.
The awardees were drawn from the Khasi and Jaiñtia Hills districts, and the event marked what officials described as a first-of-its-kind initiative to formally recognise scholastic achievement at the state level.
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma personally presented the awards and spoke about the government's intent to make the programme a recurring annual event.
"This first-of-its-kind initiative marks our commitment to celebrating excellence and nurturing the dreams of our students," Sangma said.
He added that he aims to make the recognition drive an annual tradition, signalling a longer-term policy push to reward academic performance across the state.
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Beyond the awards, the event had a personal dimension — awardees interacted with the gathering and shared their experiences of hard work and perseverance.
CM Sangma said he found the interactions deeply encouraging. "Listening to the heartfelt testimonials of these young minds was truly inspiring and reaffirmed my belief that Meghalaya's future is in capable hands," he said.
The initiative reflects the state government's wider focus on strengthening the education sector by institutionalising merit-based recognition.
Officials noted that felicitating top performers is intended not just to reward individual students, but also to motivate peers across Meghalaya to set higher academic goals.