Underlying the importance of children’s role in a nation’s future, President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday gave away the ‘Pranab Mukherjee Award for Academic Excellence’ to Aman Aggarwal for securing the highest total in Class XII CBSE Examination, 2017.
Speaking on the occasion, the President congratulated the award winners and urged them to strive for excellence in every walk of life.
Both the ‘Omita Paul Award for Academic Excellence’ for the highest total amongst girls in Class XII CBSE Examination, 2017 and the ‘Kunjannamma Mathew Award for Academic Excellence’ for scoring highest marks in Mathematics amongst the girls in Class XII CBSE Examination, 2017 were presented to Muskan Sharma by Omita Paul, the Secretary to the President and Dr Thomas Mathew, Additional Secretary to the President respectively.
While congratulating and inspiring the award winners to always strive for excellence, the President said: “Children are a nation’s future.”
He said when he looked at their bright faces and sparkling eyes he seemed convinced that they will steer the country in the right direction.
Quoting a poem by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, the President said that students must always remember that giving service is a joy.
President Mukherjee reminisced the time when he had taken a class of young students of Dr Rajendra Prasad Sarvodaya Vidyalaya on Teachers’ Day during the last two years.
On this occasion, President Mukherjee said the students will get a chance to serve this great country in various walks of life. Though a vast and diverse country, India has an underlying unity.
He said that he was sure that the children would meet the expectations of their parents, friends and neighbours.
Speaking on the occasion Omita Paul, the Secretary to the President, said that in the last five years under the inspirational guidance of the President, constant efforts have been made to achieve his vision of up-gradation of educational infrastructure and its quality in our country.
She emphasised that children must retain their inquisitive minds and look out for new solutions for challenges, requesting teachers to keep a questioning mind alive in a child since it is the path to creativity and innovation.