Tech students in top three ranks to be provided with laptops: Minister

State's minister of science, technology and technical education, Sumit Kumar Singh, on Monday made a declaration stating that students who obtain top three ranks in various streams of polytechnic and engineering all over the state would be provided with laptops from next year under "Medhavi Chhatra Protsahan Puraskar".

Currently, the award carries a medal, certificate, memento and cash prize of Rs 5,000, Rs 4000 and Rs 3,000 for students achieving first, second and third positions, respectively, at state-level—both in engineering colleges and polytechnic.

"We must not limit the award to five streams alone. Rather, we want to provide all the students who have topped at state level in all the streams of polytechnic and engineering. It will instill healthy competition among the students," Singh said.

He was speaking at a meet of students and parents at a function, held to distribute the toppers with "Medhavi Chhatra Protsahan Puraskar 2025", awarded to students who have secured top three positions at state level in five streams.

The event was held on the birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna and illustrious engineer Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya. The day is observed as 'Engineer's Day'.

"To encourage performing teachers in engineering colleges and polytechnic, they too should be rewarded," said the minister.

The secretary in the department, Pratima, said that the award would encourage others to study diligently to become top performers.

Asserting that focus is being placed on "technical education" and STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) throughout the country since it's a world of technology, she asserted that engineers, being technology drivers, act like facilitators to produce "ease of living.".

"Chief minister has laid particular stress on technical education which is clear from the fact that he had aimed for there to be one engineering and polytechnic college in every district of the state," she said.

"CM-led by us, we are now focusing on quality technical education. We have to design curriculum continuously with industry requirements in mind," Pratima stated, mentioning that the department is also striving hard for NBA accreditation and NIRF ranking for engineering colleges beyond launching new streams.