Bhopal, July 4 (IANS) Chief Minister Mohan Yadav awarded laptops to 15 top-performing Class 12 students from government schools across Madhya Pradesh during a programme held at the Kushabhau Thakre Convention Centre on Friday.

These students secured the highest marks in the state for the academic session 2024-25 across various streams, including Science, Commerce, Arts, and Mathematics.

Among them, Prayal Dwivedi, who topped with 492 out of 500 marks in the Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education (MPBSE) exams, was the first to receive a laptop from the Chief Minister. The CM was accompanied by School Education Minister Uday Pratap Singh during the ceremony.

The other meritorious students who received laptops are Harsh Pandey (490), Ankur Yadav (490), Abhay Singh (489), Aryan Pandey (488), Heena Kumari (488), Hariom Shahu (486), Raghuveer Gautam (484), Gargi Agrawal (484), Divyanshu Tiwari (484), Deepika Singh (483), Parth Rathore (483), Nishra Pandit (487), Panjal Kushwaha (487), and Yogita Tank (478).

In total, 94,234 meritorious students across the state are eligible to receive benefits under the Pratibhashali Vidyarthi Protsahan Yojana of the Madhya Pradesh government. While the top 15 students were felicitated with laptops, the remaining beneficiaries will receive Rs 25,000 directly in their bank accounts.

The initiative, aimed at empowering students who have scored 75 per cent or more in the Class 12 MPBSE examinations, has a total financial outlay of Rs 238.98 crore this year. The direct benefit transfer model ensures transparency and allows students the freedom to choose digital devices that meet their academic requirements.

Launched in 2009-10, the scheme has so far benefited over 4.3 lakh students, with a total disbursement of more than Rs 1,080 crore. Last year alone, 89,710 students received financial aid through the programme.

The 2025 edition marks a significant scale-up in both coverage and budget. According to officials, the scheme includes students from both regular and self-study modes, and is applicable to those enrolled in government and recognised private schools. While the minimum eligibility for general category students is 75 per cent, students from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes qualify with 65 per cent marks.

–IANS

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