Ranger presents scholarship amount to SSLC topper

Gesture comes in for praise from Scouts and Guides

The district unit of Bharat Scouts and Guides is beaming with pride ever since a ranger felicitated and presented her scholarship amount to an SSLC topper from her village Ajjavar near Sullia.

The district unit went a step ahead by posting a photograph in their messaging app WhatsApp, which showed the ranger Shahana Mumthas presenting her scholarship amount to Rakshith B R who has braved all odds to score 563 marks (90.08 per cent) for 625 marks in the SSLC examination.

Dakshina Kannada Bharat Scouts and Guides Organiser Bharat Raj K, who posted the picture on social media, said social service is in the blood of Shahana, a final year BSc student at Vivekananda College in Puttur.

“She is inspired by her father who is also a social worker,” Bharat said.

Mumthas' father Abdul Kunhi Nelliyadka and mother Aysha said that they have been impressing upon their daughters to keep helping others until their last breath. "Mumthas took a decision to give her scholarship money to Rakshith. The Kannada medium school at Ajjavar has recorded just 41% results in SSLC examinations. Rakshith, without the help of any external coaching, has overcome poverty to excel in the examinations," Kunhi said.

Kunhi, a farmer and director of an agricultural co-operative bank in Sullia, told DH that he had accompanied Mumthas to Sullia to receive 'Covid warrior' certificate awarded in the morning in recognition of services of Scouts and Guides rangers who had distributed sanitisers and face masks to students at SSLC examination centres.

While returning home, they had stopped at the house of Rakshith to felicitate him. "She presented him the scholarship and flowers picked from our garden," he recollected.

Mumthas humbly said that the scholarship amount was just Rs 1,000. "There was a desire in me to help Rakshith in whatever manner possible. The felicitation was to boost his confidence and express support in all his activities," Mumthas said with a smile.

"The thought of spending scholarship money on my needs never crossed my mind as the scholarship amount is sacred and should be spent on education," she added.

District Scouts and Guides Chief Commissioner N G Mohan said other students should draw inspiration from Mumthas's gesture.

PGR Sindhia, the chief commissioner of Bharat Scouts and Guides (Karnataka), described Mumthas's gesture as 'true compassion'.

"From the age of 10 years, when they enrol as Bulbul we train them to be compassionate. In my 50 years of public service, this generation whether being compassionate or active is better than my generation," he stressed and congratulated her parents.

Ajjavara topper Rakshith told DH that the felicitation left him happy and with a feeling that he has the backing of all.