Mysore/Mysuru: Meritorious Brahmin community students from Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Mandya, Hassan and Kodagu districts, who had scored high marks in SSLC, were honoured by Bengaluru-based Brahmin Development Board at the Pratibha Puraskar programme organised by the Board at Sri Ramamandira in Krishnamurthypuram here on Sunday.

Speaking after inaugurating the programme, Karnataka Brahmin Development Board Chairman H.S. Sachidanandamurthy stressed on the need for the community to shed differences and get united.

Maintaining that the Government has announced several programmes for the benefit of Brahmins, he called upon the community members to make best use of them.

Pointing out that the Prime Minister has announced a 10 percent reservation for economically weak sections among upper castes, he observed that the community should aim at getting financially empowered.

A total of 21 meritorious  community students who scored high marks in SSLC were presented with Pratibha Puraskar.

The meritorious students are: Shresha S. Nekkar, P.R. Sahana, S. Sri Charan and R. Harsha of Mysuru; R. Likith Sharan and N. Sripriya of Chamarajanagar; S. Deeksha and B.S. Yash Bharadwaj of Mandya; H.V. Chaturthi, H.B. Pramathi, M. Ashitha D.J. Navanidhi and Ananya Bhat of Hassan; U.M. Mayuri and G.M. Sinchana Bhat of Kodagu.

MLA S.A. Ramdas presided over the function.

District Brahmins Association President D.T. Prakash, Brahmin Development Board Directors K.N. Chayapathi, C.V. Gopinath and M.R. Balakrishna,  Corporator M.V. Ramprasad, Adarsha Seva Sangha President G.R. Nagaraj, community leaders K. Raghuram Vajpayee, Ranganath, Vikram Iyengar, Ajay Shastri, Ramamandira President Ilai Alwar Swamiji and others were present.