The Chief Minister’s Meritorious Students Fellowship (CMMSF) was awarded to the top 50 students of the High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) 2025 examination which was conducted by the Nagaland Board of School, during a function on June 18 held at the State Banquet Hall Chief Minister’s Residential Complex Kohima.
Addressing the occasion, Chief Minister Dr. Neiphiu Rio said it was a moment of pride and celebration to felicitate the top 50 students of Nagaland in the HSLC 2025. He congratulated the students and said that their commitment, hard work, and determination have made their families, schools, and the state proud.
Rio said there was a steady improvement in the overall pass percentage of the board examinations and encouraged all not to become complacent but instead, continue to adopt measures to further enhance the quality of education in the state.
Advising the students to be prepared to face tougher challenges ahead, the chief minister urged upon them to instil a strong sense of discipline and cultivate sound moral values that will guide throughout their lives.
He also expressed concern that while the state is producing a growing number of educated youths, many are still unemployable, adding that the government sector has reached saturation point and cannot absorb all the educated unemployed. This, he said, calls for a shift in mindsets and priorities to adapt to the changing landscape.
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Rio also mentioned that as top achievers, the toppers hold the potential to be competent not just at the state or national level, but globally, and urged them to remain focused, committed, and industrious. He encouraged students to consider entrepreneurship as a viable and rewarding career path as entrepreneurial skills are essential for our youth.
To address the challenges of unemployment, education integrated with skill development is the need of the hour, he stated.
Pointing out that the Government of India has launched various initiatives under its mission to skill the youth, Rio said the Department of School Education in Nagaland has introduced nine skill/vocational subjects at the secondary level and eight at the higher secondary level. He encouraged Naga boys and girls to make full use of these opportunities.
Further, the chief minister underscored the need to re-orient the education system not only to promote academic excellence but also equip our students with life skills, critical thinking, adaptability, and creativity to enable them to become competent, productive, and responsible global citizens.
Secretary and chairperson (additional charge) NBSE Rangumbuing Nsarangbe in his introductory address expressed his sincere gratitude to the Chief Minister for instituting the fellowship for the top 50 students. He said that the gesture and recognition given by the state has been well received by the people, particularly the student community. This fellowship has become one of the most prestigious awards for the students to showcase their academic talents and get rewarded, the official stated, adding that it has been observed that students were being encouraged and motivated to do better to avail the CMMSF.
He also highlighted a brief background of the CMMSF stating that the fellowship was instituted in 2019 to motivate as well as support the students and the first felicitation was held in January 2020 and the best 50 students of HSLC 2019 (55 students) were awarded with the first instalment of 50,000 per student.
He stated that the fellowship is granted to the top 50 students in the top rank in order of merit of HSLC Examination conducted by the NBSE and the selection is based on the rank/marks secured in the HSLC Examination in order of merit. The selected 50 student must belong to an Indigenous Scheduled Tribe of Nagaland as notified by the government, and in case of more than one person in one rank/place while preparing the list of eligible 50 students for the fellowship flexibility would be allowed to include all the persons in that rank or with equal marks. In such case, the number of persons to be awarded the CMMSF will vary. He also highlighted that the fellowship to be granted to the meritorious students shall be made on annual/yearly basis and a citation certificate along with cash award shall be given to the beneficiaries of CMMSF in the first year of grant of the fellowship.
The CMMSF grant shall be awarded for a period of five years. However, to achieve the desired objective of the CMMSF, the annual academic performance of the 50 awarded students shall be continuously monitored. To continue to avail the fellowship, the students should continue to score not less than 80% marks in the promotion/annual/ semester examination in the succeeding classes/grades every year. Non fulfilment of the criteria will lead to the discontinuation of the grant of CMMSF, he added.
CM Rio later presented the awards and certificates to the toppers.
