Prime Highlights:
- 1,490 SC/ST students were honoured with the Dr Ambedkar National Merit Awards 2025 in New Delhi for their outstanding academic performance.
- Union Minister Virendra Kumar praised the students, stressing that education is central to Dr B. R. Ambedkar’s vision of empowerment and social change.
Key Facts:
- Awardees received cash prizes of Rs 60,000, Rs 50,000, and Rs 40,000 for first, second, and third positions, along with a special award of Rs 60,000 for the top-performing girl student.
- The awards recognized toppers from Class 10 and Class 12 board examinations conducted by 29 state and central boards during 2021-22 and 2022-23.
Key Background:
In a remarkable celebration of academic achievement, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment felicitated 1,490 Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) students with the prestigious Dr Ambedkar National Merit Awards 2025. It was held in New Delhi under the stewardship of the Dr Ambedkar Foundation and was attended by the Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Virendra Kumar.
The award is given to students who have achieved high positions in Class 10 and Class 12 board examinations organized by 29 states. An extra prize of Rs 60,000 was also given to the highest-scoring female student if no girl ranked in the top three.
Union Minister Virendra Kumar, who also heads the Dr Ambedkar Foundation, congratulated the students for their dedication and success. He said that education was at the heart of Dr B. R. Ambedkar’s dream of social change and that it continues to give strength to disadvantaged communities to move forward in life. “The government is committed to strengthening the educational aspirations of SCs, STs, and other disadvantaged groups through targeted scholarships and welfare schemes,” he said.
In the 2021-22 academic year, a total of 367 students from Class 10 and 563 students from Class 12 were honored, which included 71 top rankers. In 2022-23, 198 Class 10 and 362 Class 12 students were recognized, with 46 students receiving toppers’ awards.
The event was attended by Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale and B. L. Verma.
Ramdas Athawale encouraged the students to follow the values of equality, unity, and respect. He said education is the strongest path to empowerment. The Dr Ambedkar National Merit Awards serve as inspiration for young achievers to continue their studies and carry forward Babasaheb’s vision of a fair and inclusive society.
