<p class="bodytext">Minister for Social Welfare H C Mahadevappa on Friday said that Ankit Bheemappa Karatagi, a student of Morarji Desai Science PU College in Nidashosi, Belagavi district, who has secured 598 out of 600 marks in the 2026 second PUC examinations, would be felicitated with a cash reward of Rs 5 lakh on the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti on April 14.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Addressing a news conference, he said the performance of residential PU colleges under the umbrella of the Social Welfare Department’s Karnataka Residential Educational Institutions Society (KREIS) in this year’s examinations outstripped their performance in 2025.</p>.<p class="bodytext">As against a pass percentage of 91.64% recorded by students of these schools last year, 97.22% of the schools’ students cleared the exams this year.</p>.Karnataka II PUC results: 74 government colleges record 100% pass percentage.<p class="bodytext">“Of the 5,103 students from KREIS schools who appeared in the exams this year, 4,961 have passed,” said Mahadevappa, adding that 2,321 had secured distinction, while 2,487 had been awarded first-class.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Ankit, with a score of 598/600, not only stood second on the list of state toppers, but also secured the top spot among students from all government colleges. “But for his score in English, in which he scored 98, he had a perfect score in the rest of the subjects,” said Mahadevappa.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The minister said that the government has offered coaching for JEE/NEET/KCET examinations at all 72 residential PU colleges starting from the 2025-26 academic year to help rural students realise their dream of enrolling in professional courses such as engineering or medicine. “As many as 106 students from KREIS schools have cleared the JEE (Mains)-1 exam this year,” he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He said, “The Morarji residential schools have been started on the model of Jawahar Navodaya Residential Schools run by the Union government to provide free and quality education to the rural talented SC/ST and Backward Class students, and education is being imparted in English medium. At present, 874 residential schools/colleges of 539 SC, 156 ST and 179 Backward Classes are functioning and catering education to 2,15,460 students.”</p>
<p class="bodytext">Minister for Social Welfare H C Mahadevappa on Friday said that Ankit Bheemappa Karatagi, a student of Morarji Desai Science PU College in Nidashosi, Belagavi district, who has secured 598 out of 600 marks in the 2026 second PUC examinations, would be felicitated with a cash reward of Rs 5 lakh on the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti on April 14.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Addressing a news conference, he said the performance of residential PU colleges under the umbrella of the Social Welfare Department’s Karnataka Residential Educational Institutions Society (KREIS) in this year’s examinations outstripped their performance in 2025.</p>.<p class="bodytext">As against a pass percentage of 91.64% recorded by students of these schools last year, 97.22% of the schools’ students cleared the exams this year.</p>.Karnataka II PUC results: 74 government colleges record 100% pass percentage.<p class="bodytext">“Of the 5,103 students from KREIS schools who appeared in the exams this year, 4,961 have passed,” said Mahadevappa, adding that 2,321 had secured distinction, while 2,487 had been awarded first-class.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Ankit, with a score of 598/600, not only stood second on the list of state toppers, but also secured the top spot among students from all government colleges. “But for his score in English, in which he scored 98, he had a perfect score in the rest of the subjects,” said Mahadevappa.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The minister said that the government has offered coaching for JEE/NEET/KCET examinations at all 72 residential PU colleges starting from the 2025-26 academic year to help rural students realise their dream of enrolling in professional courses such as engineering or medicine. “As many as 106 students from KREIS schools have cleared the JEE (Mains)-1 exam this year,” he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He said, “The Morarji residential schools have been started on the model of Jawahar Navodaya Residential Schools run by the Union government to provide free and quality education to the rural talented SC/ST and Backward Class students, and education is being imparted in English medium. At present, 874 residential schools/colleges of 539 SC, 156 ST and 179 Backward Classes are functioning and catering education to 2,15,460 students.”</p>
