Chandigarh, August 4:The Governor of Punjab and Administrator, U.T. Chandigarh, Shri Gulab Chand Kataria today felicitated 508 meritorious students, 35 Principals of Government Schools that achieved 100% CBSE results, and 18 IndiaSkills achievers at the "Felicitation Ceremony of Meritorious Students" organised by the Education Department at Tagore Theatre, Chandigarh. The Administrator was accompanied by Chairman of the Administrator's Education Standing Committee Shri Jatinder Pal Malhotra, Chief Secretary, U.T. Chandigarh, Shri H. Rajesh Prasad, and Education Secretary Ms. Prerna Puri.

Addressing the gathering, the Administrator said the ceremony celebrated not only academic excellence but also hard work, discipline and skill. Congratulating students, principals, teachers and parents, he said their achievements reflected the strength of Chandigarh's education system. He appreciated the dedication of teachers in nurturing students and urged educational institutions to strive for excellence. Calling upon students to dream big, he encouraged them to emulate the ideals of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and transform every challenge into an opportunity.

Highlighting the achievements of the Education Department, Shri Kataria noted that the number of students securing 90% and above in the CBSE examinations had increased significantly. He said the CBSE Class X pass percentage improved from 88.20% to 95.02%, an increase of 6.82%. He further noted that the number of Government Schools achieving a 100% pass result doubled from 17 to 35, reflecting the continuous improvement in the quality of public education.

Emphasising the growing importance of skill-based education, Shri Kataria congratulated the IndiaSkills achievers and lauded Chandigarh's outstanding performance at the national and regional IndiaSkills competitions. He said skilled youth are the foundation of a developed India and appreciated the efforts of the Chandigarh Skill Development Mission, the Department of Technical Education and participating institutions.

The Administrator announced full reimbursement of school fees for all students securing 75% or above in the Board examinations. He also announced a cash reward of ₹5,000 for each of the 526 students being felicitated, amounting to ₹26.30 lakh. He further congratulated Anoop Saini on securing admission to IIT Roorkee and announced financial assistance from the Chandigarh Administration for his higher education.

Also, present were Director School Education Shri Nitish Singla, Director Higher Education Ms. Palika Arora, senior officers, principals, teachers, students, officials of the School Education Department, and parents.