Patna: The Bihar government on September 9 honoured 168 meritorious students who topped the 2026 Intermediate and Matric annual examinations, recognising their academic performance with cash awards and additional financial assistance for laptops.
The award ceremony was organised at Gyan Bhawan, Patna, with Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary attending as the chief guest. The students were accompanied by their family members at the event organised by the Bihar School Examination Board and the Education Department.
After the ceremony, Choudhary also sat with students for lunch and interacted with them.
Toppers To Receive Up To Rs 2 Lakh
The government has prescribed different cash awards based on students’ ranks in the Intermediate and Matric examinations.
Students securing first position will receive Rs 2 lakh, while those securing second position will receive Rs 1.5 lakh. Students in third position will receive Rs 1 lakh.
For the Intermediate examination, students securing the fourth and fifth positions will receive Rs 30,000 each.
In the Matric examination, students ranked from fourth to 10th will receive Rs 20,000 each.
Rs 51,000 Additional Assistance For Laptops
Along with the prize money, all award-winning students will receive an additional Rs 51,000 for purchasing a laptop.
The provision is aimed at helping meritorious students access digital learning resources as they prepare for higher education and pursue further studies.
CM Urges Students To Become Job Creators
Addressing the students, Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary encouraged them to look beyond conventional career choices and consider entrepreneurship and employment generation.
He said Bihar was changing and moving forward in the industrial sector. He urged students to prepare themselves to become not only job seekers but also job creators.
Choudhary also said the government wanted toppers to be honoured soon after examination results rather than waiting for several months. He suggested that future award ceremonies should be organised within a month of the announcement of Matric and Intermediate results.
Education Minister Highlights Student Achievements
Education Minister Mithilesh Tiwari, who chaired the programme, congratulated the 168 students honoured at the ceremony.
Tiwari said the recognition was significant because students benefit from encouragement from their families as well as institutions. He also referred to the change in the number of applications he receives during his public engagements, saying that on the day of the event only 20 applications had been received.
Deputy CM Praises Bihar Board
Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary also congratulated the students and praised the progress of Bihar’s education system.
He said the state’s education system had improved considerably and highlighted the Bihar School Examination Board’s efforts to conduct examinations and announce results early.
According to Choudhary, officials from outside the state have also visited Bihar to study aspects of its education system.
Government Pushes Merit And Digital Learning
The award ceremony is part of the government’s effort to recognise students who perform exceptionally well in the state’s board examinations.
The combination of cash prizes and Rs 51,000 laptop assistance is intended to provide both financial recognition and access to digital learning tools as students move towards higher education.
The presence of students’ family members at the ceremony also underlined the role of families in supporting academic achievement, while the interaction and lunch with the Chief Minister gave the awardees an opportunity to engage directly with the state leadership.
