By Tripura24 News Desk | Agartala Tuesday, February 3, 2026
AGARTALA: In a grand ceremony dedicated to academic excellence and social equality, the Department of Welfare of Scheduled Castes (SC) and Other Backward Classes (OBC), Government of Tripura, organized the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Smarak Medha Puraskar (Memorial Merit Award) distribution ceremony today at Pragna Bhavan, Agartala. The event was graced by the Hon’ble Chief Minister Prof. (Dr.) Manik Saha, who presented awards to students from the SC and OBC communities who excelled in their Madhyamik and Higher Secondary examinations.
Fulfilling Ambedkar’s Dream of Social Equality
Addressing a hall packed with bright young minds and their parents, Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha emphasized that his government is walking the path shown by Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
“Dr. Ambedkar’s dream was the socio-economic development of every class in society. Education is the only weapon that can break the shackles of discrimination and poverty. Our government is committed to ensuring that every meritorious student, regardless of their background, receives the support they need to reach the highest offices in the country,” the Chief Minister remarked.
Key Highlights of the Award Ceremony
- Merit Gold Medals: A total of 40 students from the OBC community who ranked within the top 10 in the Madhyamik and Higher Secondary examinations (conducted by TBSE) were awarded the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Gold Medal and certificates.
- Financial Assistance: The government also provided one-time financial aid to economically weaker yet meritorious students to support their higher education pursuits.
- Educational Loans: As part of the welfare initiative, education loans were sanctioned to several OBC students to help them enroll in professional and technical courses.
- Social Contribution Awards: The ceremony also saw the presentation of the Vidyasagar Samajik-Sanskriti Puraskar to prominent citizens for their contributions to social and cultural development.
Presence of Dignitaries
The event was marked by the presence of several high-ranking officials and political leaders:
- Smt. Santana Chakma, Hon’ble Minister for Welfare of SC and OBC.
- Shri Dipak Majumder, Mayor of Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) and MLA.
- Shri Tapas Majumder, Chairman of the State OBC Commission.
- Shri Tapas Roy, Secretary, Department of Welfare of OBC.
- Shri Mohammad Sajjad P., Director of the OBC Welfare Department.
Government’s Commitment to SC/OBC Welfare
Minister Santana Chakma spoke about the various scholarship schemes currently being implemented in the state. She noted that the state government has significantly increased the budget for pre-matric and post-matric scholarships to ensure zero dropout rates among tribal and backward class students.
The Chief Minister also took the opportunity to mention that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the “Viksit Bharat” vision is being built on the foundation of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas,” ensuring that students from Tripura can compete on a global stage.
The program concluded with an emotional interaction between the Chief Minister and the awardees, where many students shared their aspirations of becoming doctors, engineers, and civil servants to serve the state in the future.
