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50 winners of HT Scholarship Programme 2019 awarded in Mumbai
Loud cheers filled Rangsharda Auditorium in Bandra on Wednesday morning as 50 bright minds from Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai were awarded scholarships as part of
Loud cheers filled Rangsharda Auditorium in Bandra on Wednesday morning as 50 bright minds from Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai were awarded scholarships as part of the 10th edition of the Hindustan Times Scholarship Programme 2019.
HT received 85,501 applications from students of classes 5 to 9, from 267 schools, for the programme, of which 150 applications were shortlisted. The 50 winners, each of whom received ₹50,000, were picked after an extensive two-step selection process. The awards, which seek to recognise the brightest talents in city schools, were presented by National Award-winning actor Rajkummar Rao; actor Yami Gautam; Deepak Jeswal, senior vice-president, HDFC Bank; and Sachin Kalbag, executive editor, Hindustan Times, Mumbai.
“The whole idea behind the HT Scholarship Programme is not to look at students who excel only academically, because at HT, we believe excellence comes from a variety of fields, skills, talents and capabilities,” said Kalbag.
The auditorium was packed to the rafters on Wednesday, with the winners’ friends, colleagues, teachers, principals and families cheering them on. Interacting with students,
Jeswal stressed on the importance of financial education at a young age. “Parents must teach kids basics of finances and savings early on,” he said.
Clementine Monteiro, vice principal of St Mary’s School (ICSE) in Mazagaon, lauded HT for helping secure the future of students. “Whether a student wins the scholarship or not, such events encourage more students to participate. Parents, too, are assured of financial aid for their kids’ future,” she said. Ranjini Nair, parent of one of the winners, felt such programmes also help students interact with their peers from other schools. “These events prepare our children for the future,” she said. Of the 85,501 applications HT received, NES High School, Bhandup, shone bright and was recognised for the highest number of applications.
The panel discussion’s question-answer round saw a reunion between actor and chief guest Rajkummar Rao and 10-year-old Kabir Shaikh, who had once played the former’s son in a film. “We acted together in a film, where I played your son,” said Shaikh, to which Rao said “of course,” before lauding the child for his acting skills. “How do you prepare yourself for sudden changes in scripts during shoots?” asked Shaikh, who also wishes to pursue a career in acting. Rao suggested that actors should be prepared at all times. “Actors are used to adapting to such sudden changes and most of the time, their rapport with the director helps them overcome such moments,” Rao said.
When Anaya Thakkar walked up to the stage to receive her award, her 82-year-old grandfather, Pramod Thakkar, accompanied her. Pulling out his camera, the 82-year-old smiled and said, “It is worth capturing the moment.” For Anaya, whose parents couldn’t make it to the award function, her grandparents became her cheerleaders. “Look at how happy they are. They start jumping every time I win something, doesn’t matter how small or big the achievement is. Looking at their happiness makes this worth it,” said the student.
As soon as nine-year-old Imanmeher Merchant, a Class 5 student of Khar’s Jasudben ML School, stepped on stage to collect her award, around 15 students from her batch let out a loud cheer! “She’s our friend and we are very proud of her. We all requested our school to allow us to accompany her today,” said Shourya Pasi, a student of the school. Students from various schools like Millat High School in Jogeshwari, Don Bosco International School, among others, were present at the event to cheer for their friends. Students of St Mary’s (ICSE) School also held up a placard with their emblem when their classmate was on stage.
