Bring further glory to Bengal: Cm to toppers

Providing assurance to students of providing holistic support for their higher studies, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has urged the meritorious students of the state to enrich their talent as she believes that they harness the capability to influence the entire world from Bengal.

"You all may go abroad or to other parts of the country for further studies. But I would like to urge you all to enrich Bengal with your merit and talent for the sake of the state and our motherland. I believe that you all can control the entire world from our state," said Banerjee while addressing the felicitation program of the meritorious students, those of who secured positions in Madhyamik, Higher Secondary, ICSE, ISC, CBSE and West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination, on Tuesday.

"Everywhere, starting from NASA to the Reserve Bank of India, we see talented students from Bengal. I feel one day you all will get calls from USA and London. But I also believe that one day Bengal will not go to the USA, instead they will come to Bengal as the state is enriched with talent," she said adding that the students of Bengal are best in terms of merit and talent across the world and it is the responsibility of today's meritorious students to keep up the tradition. She also urged the students to make attempts to become IAS officers as there is a dearth of officers from the state. She also encouraged students, who are pursuing to be doctors, to become neurologists or cardiologists.

While interacting with the meritorious students, the Chief Minister told them that if anyone is encountering any trouble in continuing their studies, including financial hindrances then they must inform her and the state government will do the needful to help the students carry on with their studies.

"It is not a crime to be a poor. Your pride is that you secured such a good position in the examinations," she said adding that from this year meritorious students who passed ICSE, ISC and CBSE examinations would also get the benefit of Swami Vivekananda merit-cum-means scholarship for their higher studies along with the students who cleared Madhyamik and Higher Secondary examinations. She further said that the state government is also providing a fund of Rs. 20 crore for the non-NET Fellowship Scheme for M.Phil and PhD scholars as the Centre has stopped providing the scholarship.

Banerjee interacted with each of the 137 students who were felicitated in Tuesday's program and wanted to know what they aspire to become in the future.