SINGBEL LAD IS OFF TO SCINDIA BOYS SCHOOL ON FULL STATE SCHOLARSHIP: Ajay Karki of Singbel Junior High School in East Sikkim [seen here with the Headmaster TD Koirala] was felicitated and accorded a warm farewell by his school on Friday as he prepares to leave for the prestigious Scindia Boys School in Gwalior on full state scholarship. Ajay had secured the 15th position in the Chief Minister’s Meritorious Scholarship exam held in December last year. This rank has secured him a berth at Scindia Boys School, considered one of the most prestigious public schools of the country. Singbel JHS is understandably proud of this bright export and organised a formal farewell for him on Friday, complete with a chief guest in former Headmaster RP Timsina, a special guest in Patuk Singbel Panchayat President KB Chettri, a welcome address, cultural performances, vote of thanks and many khadas. It is in dreams come true like this that the CM’s Meritorious Scholarship scheme continues to impress and inspire… [reported by H.L. ADHIKARI]

State level INSPIRE exhibition cum project competition held

FIVE STUDENTS SELECTED TO REPRESENT STATE AT NATIONAL LEVEL
GANGTOK, 11 Oct: The Sikkim State Council of Science & Technology organized the State Level ‘Innovation of Science Pursuit for Inspire Research’ (INSPIRE) award exhibition on 09 October, 2012 at Sikkim Science Centre, Marchak.
As per a press release, a total of 487 students were awarded INSPIRE Warrant amounting to Rs. 5000 for each student. Out of 487 awardees from all over the state, 407 awardees participated in the District Level Exhibition at SIRD Karfectar, Sikkim Science Centre, Marchak and Modern Secondary School, Gangtok.
47 participants were selected to participate in the State Level Exhibition cum Project competition. Finally five awardees have been selected out of the total 407 projects to represent the state at the National Level Exhibition cum Project Competition to be held during October 21-23, 2012¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬ in Delhi.
The programme had Principal Research Officer, Forest Environment & Wildlife Management Department, Usha Lachungpa as the chief guest. While inaugurating the programme, she spoke on the importance of this national programme of Department of Science & Technology, Government of India for providing the right platform for children to showcase their innovation and creative skills in the field of science.
She said that the students who have availed of the INSPIRE scholarship should take advantage of the opportunity and represent the state at national level.
It may be recalled the Sikkim bagged two national awards in the First National Level INSPIRE Exhibition where the students received the award from the then President of India, Pratibha Devisingh Patil in New Delhi at the national function.    
The other judges also commented on the significance of the programme. They informed that the main objective of the programme is to inculcate scientific temperament among the students community and to attract more students to study basic sciences and take up research in the future.
They said that the main reason why we should take active role in such initiatives is because there is a brain drain among the bright students to take up other streams and give lesser preference to basic sciences and research.
The chief guest along with other judges visited the stalls after the inaugural programme where forty projects brought from all over the state were on display to be judged by the jury members. The jury members comprised of Dr. Khusre [Central Agriculture University], Dr.B.C Basistha [Addl. Director, Science & Technology], D.T Bhutia [Addl. Director, Science & Technology], P. Shah [Dy. Director, HRDD], and Usha Lachungpa [Principal Research Officer, Forest, Environment and Wildlife Management Department].
After meticulously judging the result was declared in the afternoon of 09 October. The candidates selected to represent the state at the National Level Exhibition cum Project competition are Sandeep Gurung [Tingmoo Sec. School, South Sikkim], Kunja Gurung [Yangsum Sec.School ], Pranita Subba [Yangang Sr. Sec. School, South Sikkim], Biki Sharma [Govt. Sr Sec.School, Tadong, East Sikkim] and      Mikma Lhamu Lachenpa [Mangan Sr.Sec. School, North Sikkim].
The Secretary, Science & Technology and Climate Change has congratulated all the winners of INSPIRE State Level Exhibition cum Competition and has wished them good luck for the National Level Competition.

Further, all schools including Government schools, Public Schools, Private Schools, JNVs, Central Schools, Army Schools have been requested to send two nominations of students for the year 2012-13 from class VIII and IX immediately so that the students do not lose the opportunity of INSPIRE award and national level exposure.
The nominations can be directly given to Science & Technology Department or through HRDD Nodal Officer, P S Shah. Details of criteria of nomination can be seen in the website http://www.inspire-dst.gov.in/

The INSPIRE Programme is a centrally funded flagship programme of the Govt. of India which is being implemented through state Governments and UT administrations. The objective of this programme is to develop scientific temper amongst the young and to motivate them to take up scientific carriers for the scientific and technological advancement of the country.
This programme has five components covering entire range of education and research from class VI to post doctoral stage of a student. The first component of this programme is INSPIRE Award which recognizes the talents among students at a very early stage. Each INSPIRE Awardee will receive a onetime award of Rs.5000 in his/her school career and with this money the awardee is required to make a project / model which will subsequently be displayed at the exhibition organized at various level viz: district level, state level and finally national level.
Additional proposal for INSPIRE scholarship to cover all schools within the state during 2012-13 is under way. All schools including government, private & public schools, central & JNV schools above Class VI are eligible to apply for the scholarship.

Entrepreneur announces Rs 50,000 scholarship for State toppers in memory of father

BAGHEYKHOLA, 15 May: Ugen T Ladakhi, Co-Managing Director of Casino Mahjong, has announced plans of launching a scholarship programme for state toppers [of Classes X and XII] from this year onwards. “We will be starting a scholarship programme for state toppers in the name of my late father NT Ladakhi,” informed Mr Ladakhi while speaking to media persons here today.
The Nima T Ladakhi Memorial Scholarship will be given to state toppers from schools in Sikkim and not to Sikkimese students studying outside, he clarified, adding that they toppers will receive an amount of Rs. 50,000 each, a citation and a trophy.
He further informed that in the coming years, the scholarship amount could be increased and even the number of awardees increased. “This is the first year, so we will be taking one topper each from Classes X and XII who can be from private or government schools,” he said and added that this will be done once the results are declared and the names of the State toppers announced at a special function.
“The State has done a lot for the people, but the people are just taking the state for granted and are never satisfied. Look at all the schemes and programmes that the state has started for the people, everything is being provided but the people are still not happy,” he stated. Sikkim being a peaceful state has even provided a safe working environment for the people and its now time for the people of the state to give something back, he stressed.
“Being a son of Sikkim, I too want to contribute for the people and want to do something for them,” he said and added that education was the most important asset one could contribute to. Speaking on the Mayalmu Sangh, he stated that if the government provided a proper piece of land anywhere between Ranipool and Rangpo, he would take full responsibility for the construction of the entire infrastructure of the Sangh, as promised earlier.
“I want to do something for the people of Sikkim and this I want to do in the name of my late father and mother, who themselves were big contributors towards society”, he said and added that very soon he would be starting the Ladakhi Trust as well.

NHPC scholarships for 20 students

MANGAN, 21 March: A total of twenty students, ten from East and 10 from North Sikkim, were provided scholarships by NHPC Teesta Stage V today. The five schools from North district from which the students were chosen are Thingchim JHS, Gnon Sangdong SS, Hee-Gyathang Sr. Secondary School, Gor Sec. School and RangRang JHS.  The scholarships were handed over at a special function organized by NHPC Teesta Stage-V in association with Yuva Jagriti Sangh at Lower Samdong.
The students were selected from ST and SC BPL families based on their academic performance. Preference was given to girl students, the organizers inform. An amount of Rs. 10,000 each was provided to the students as scholarship.
The events for the day also included a Talent Hunt Competition on the theme, “Energy Conservation &  General Knowledge”, which was participated in by 54 students [classes VI to VII] from 27 schools from different parts of the State.
The function had Singtam-Khamdong MLA, Am Prasad Sharma, present as the chief guest accompanied by Chief Engineer In-charge, D Chattopadhya and Chief Engineer Teesta Stage-IV, AK Choudhary.
The function started with a welcome speech from SK Sethi, Assitant Director, HR, followed by a brief introduction to the programme by Binod Adhikari, General Secretary, YJS, who also detailed the various activities undertaken by NHPC in villages in the area.
In his speech, CE Incharge, Mr. Chattopadhya, highlighted that NHPC has been in Sikkim since 1980 and has developed two power projects- the 65 MW Legship HEP and the 510 MW Teesta Stage V.
On the issue of delivering on its corporate social responsibility, Mr. Chattopadhya invited the people to suggest ways and means for NHPC to assist development in the villages.  
While addressing the gathering, the chief guest appreciated the initiative undertaken by NHPC and lauded the infrastructure being developed by NHPC in his constituency.
In the Talent Hunt Competition, the first prize went to Mahesh Adhikari of Teesta Model Academy, Lower Samdong, followed by Neha Kumari Gupat of Rangpo SS on second position and Raj Chakraborty of Kendriya Vidhyalaya, NHPC Balutar, coming third.
Five consolation prizes were awarded to Sawan Chettri of Saraswati Vidhya Niketan, Samdong, Priya Pradhan of Makha SS, Sherika Pradhan of Sumin Lingzey School, Shruti Banwal, KV-NHPC and Shradha Pandey of Phalaichey Dara School.

Hemakarna and Sancharani Subba Memorial Trust awards scholarships

SORENG, 16 June: In order to improve the education standard in the area and encourage students, Hemakarna and Sancharani Subba Memorial Trust, Soreng organized an awards ceremony today at the Soreng Senior Secondary School, Soreng, West Sikkim.
This is the 7th year that the trust has been awarding the top-ranked students of Government schools in Soreng-Chakung and two schools of Daramdin constituency. To mark the occasion a grand function was organized today with the area MLA, Roads & Bridges Minister RB Subba as the chief guest accompanied by SDM Soreng Sub Division, Aiswarya Singh as special guest.

Sirwani, East Sikkim gets free medical camp and scholarship to students on International Women's Day

MANGAN, 10 March: Around 250 people benefited from a free medical camp organized for women, children and the physically challenged at Sirwani Secondary School, East Sikkim on 08 March by Lanco Foundation, Lanco Teesta Power Project under their Corporate Social Responsibility [CSR] activity.

On the day, around 52 students from different schools of the project affected area were given scholarships by Lanco. Project Director, BK Ojha while speaking to NOW! said that Lanco is not only working for the power project but also for the development of the society through its community services. He also informed that the affected local people are benefitting from services like the medical camp and scholarship to students which they plan to provide to at least 90 students this year.

Around 25 physically challenged patients were also treated at the camp and free medicine was distributed as per the doctor’s prescription.

The camp was inaugurated by Dr. HK Chettri, while Gynaecologist Dr. Kranti Chettri, Dr. Indu Rawat, Dr. Biva Joshi, other medical staff, General Manager, SK Sarkar, paramedical team, officials from Lanco and the general public were also present.