Moodubelle: Cash Prizes distributed to meritorious SSLC and PUC students
Report and Pictures by Dr. Eugene D’Souza, Moodubelle
Bellevision Media Network
Moodubelle, 10 July 2010: The first function to distribute cash prizes to meritorious students of SSLC and Second Year PUC who had secured first, second and third position among those students who had passed their examinations that were held in March, 2010 in distinction list was held on Saturday, 10th July 2010 at 12 noon in St. Lawrence Composite PU College Hall, Moodubelle. The cash prizes bearing the amount of Rs. 10,000, 8,000 and 6,000 to those students securing first, second and third position were given by Belle Ravindranath Rao in memory of his educationist and distinguished uncle, late Belle Bhawani Rao whose birth centenary incidentally falls this year. These cash prizes which will be given every year henceforth to the meritorious students of St. Lawrence Composite PU College were chiefly due to the initiative and efforts of Belle Sadananda Rao (Sadananda Master), cousin of Ravindranath Rao.
The cash prize distribution function was presided over by Fr. Joswey Fernandes, Correspondent of the parish educational institutions. The chief guests of the function were Ravindranath Rao and his wife Malini R. Rao and the guests of honour were: Mrs. Jacintha Aranha-President of the Belle Grama Panchayat, Gerald Fernandes, President of the Social Justice Committee Udupi Zilla Panchayat, Sons of late Belle Bhawani Rao: Dev Rao Belle and his wife Mrs. Vaijayanthi Dev Rao, and Kuppuswami Rao; daughter of late Belle Bhawani Rao- Mrs. Snehalatha Diwakar and her husband Dr. S. Diwakar Rao; Mrs. Sujataha Karunakar, wife of Karunakar Rao- another son of late Belle Bhawani Rao. Belle Sadananda Rao- nephew of late Belle Bhawani Rao and retired teacher from Church Aided Higher Primary School, Moodubelle, Henry Fernandes-Vice President of the Parish Council, Mrs. Meera Lobo-President of Parents-Teachers Association, Devdas Hebbar-President of the Old students’ Association, Gilbert D’Souza, member of the Belle Grama Panchayat, Commodore Jerome Castelino, Dr. H. B. Shetty, Benedict Martis-President of Lions Club of Moodubelle, Bernard D’Souza, Ignatius Monis, Sylvester Mathais, parents of the meritorious students and teaching and non-teaching staff of both High School and PU College.
Fr. Paul Sequeira-Principal of St. Lawrence Composite PU College welcomed the guests and introduced the Chief Guest-Belle Ravindranath Rao. Born on 2nd March 1938, Belle Ravindranath Rao was son of Padmavathi and Vittala Rao, brother of Belle Bhawani Rao. Ravindranath studied in Mangalore and Bangalore and completed Engineering from Karnataka Polytechnic Mangalore in the field of Mechanical Engineering in 1960. He started his career in MICO-Bosch and served in the company for 45 years rising to become Technical Director of the Company. He was the Project Director for the MICO’s new plants at Naganathapura and Jaipur in Rajasthan. Presently he works as advisor and consultant for many technology firms in Bangalore. Ravindranath Rao is a great social worker and philanthropist by nature and an agriculturist at heart. He has been maintaining a large farm in Bangalore since the last 35 years. He married to Malini R. Rao in 1963 and has been blessed with two sons- the elder is in the United States and the younger in Australia.
Belle Sadananda Rao in his introductory address narrated the background of the Belle Rao family tracing the foundation of the first school in Belle by his grandfather, Dasapayya which was transferred to the Church in 1913 following the foundation of the St. Lawrence Parish in Moodubelle in 1910. He said that the parents had given them the gift of education which they used it for furthering their career and eventually they feel that they should give back to the village from where their forefathers had come from. He had a special mention of the educational pursuit and humane nature of their uncle late Belle Bhawani Rao in whose memory his cousin Ravindranath Rao, a philanthropist by nature has instituted the cash prizes to be awarded to the meritorious students of the institution. Sadananda Master made an appeal to the students to make the best use of the facilities provided to them and achieve greater success in education and in their lives.
Belle Ravindranath Rao presented cash prizes to the meritorious students of SSLC and Second Year PUC who had secured first, second and third positions in the distinction grade. In SSLC: Poorna Nayak (589 marks out of 600)-first prize of Rs.10,000, Ranjit (580)-second prize of Rs.8,000 and Sudha Nayak (562)-third prize of Rs.6,000.
In Second Year PUC Arts: Ashwin Lawrence Cornelio was the only student who was in distinction grade with 515 marks and got the first prize of Rs.10, 000. In Commerce: three students were in the distinction grade: Pradeep M. Lobo (567)-Rs. 10,000, Prima Binish Martis (554)-Rs.8, 000 and Adlin Flavia Menezes (534)-Rs.6, 000. In Science: there were two students who were in the distinction grade: Vignesh Acharya (561)-Rs.10, 000 and Renita Daphney Lobo (520)-Rs.8, 000.
The total amount of the prize money distributed to the meritorious students was Rs. 76,000. In addition, Ravindranath Rao also donated Rs.10, 000 towards the lunch following the prize distribution programme to the students, staff and the guests.
Fr. Joswey Fernandes honoured both Ravindranath Rao and his wife Mrs. Malini R. Rao by offering them shawl, memento, flower bouquet and fruits. Mrs. Jacintha Aranha was offered flower bouquet by Mrs. Hilda Aranha and other guests were also honoured by offering them flower bouquets. Mrs. Jacintha Aranha in her message congratulated the students for their achievements and the cash prizes and reminded them other students that they have greater responsibility in their future life. She expressed happiness that she was the past student of the same educational institution.
Mrs. Shamala, lecturer of PU College complimented the prize winning meritorious students and inspired other students to work hard to achieve success in their examinations and win cash prizes in future. Vignesh Acharya speaking on behalf of the meritorious prize winning students thanked Belle Ravindranath Rao for his generosity. Benedict Martis who had donated two dust-bins to the Composite PU College was felicitated by Fr. Joswey Fernandes by offering him flower bouquet. New teachers who have joined the institution were welcomed. Teachers of both High School and PU College were presented a token of appreciation for their service to the institutions through the hands of Belle Ravindranath Rao. Fr. Joswey Fernandes in his presidential message complimented the prize winning students and appreciated the generous gesture of Belle Ravindranath Rao and wished him and his family well.
Dikshit Kumar, leader of the Netaji Division of the High School proposed the vote of thanks. The entire programme was anchored excellently by Mrs. Chandrakala Sharma. Following the National Anthem, all students, staff members and guests were treated with lunch that was sponsored by Belle Ravindranath Rao.