Bhaktapur, Jan. 22: Minister for Industry Omkar Prasad Shrestha gave away the “Gajendra Bhoosan” award and medal to a boy and girl student securing highest marks in last year’s School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examination from Bhaktapur at a special function held here on Friday.

On the occasion, chief guest Mr. Shrestha presented a cash award of Rs 3,000 and the Gajendra Bidhya Bhoosan medal and letter of commendation each to Roshan Bhakta Shrestha and Miss Lajana Shrestha, both students of the Mount Senai English Boarding School who secured highest marks in the slc examination from Bhaktapur district last year.

Addressing the function, Minister Shrestha called upon all to join hands in removing the aberrations seen in the country’s education system.

He said education should be for intellectual development and self-reliance, not job-oriented.

Social worker Shyam Dhaubadel, Sabitri Thapa, former minister Aishwarya Lal Pradhanang and principal of Mount Senai English School Rajeshwari Shrestha also expressed their views at the programme presided over by founder president of the Gajendra Bidhya Bhusan medal and award trust Mr. Gajendra Pradhanang.