SCDCC Bank Hosts Pratibha Puraskar: Dr. M. N. Rajendra Kumar Urges Students to Become Nation Builders

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Mangaluru : Dr. M. N. Rajendra Kumar, President of SCDCC Bank, called upon students to transform into responsible citizens who actively contribute to the nation’s future. He made these remarks on Saturday while inaugurating a special felicitation ceremony organized in memory of the pioneer of the cooperative movement, the late Molahalli Shiva Rao, held at the Molahalli Shiva Rao Auditorium at the bank’s headquarters. Stressing the bank’s commitment, Dr. Kumar stated that such programs are consistently designed to motivate students to scale greater heights and serve society. He highlighted that the Navodaya Grama Vikasa Yojana empowers a self-reliant lifestyle for its members, 90% of whom are women, and hoped that the young awardees would use their bright futures to build the nation, noting that the bank’s efforts would be truly rewarded if these students helped at least two other children in the future.

Former Minister J. Krishna Palemar, who distributed the excellence awards and scholarships, praised the initiative by saying that such recognitions inspire other children to excel and mold themselves into valuable national assets. He remarked that Dr. M. N. Rajendra Kumar’s extensive pro-people initiatives and immense contributions to the cooperative sector have set an exemplary standard across the state, even echoing the legacy of the cooperative pioneer Molahalli Shiva Rao. Palemar congratulated the bank for establishing a benchmark by identifying and honoring talented students across various academic and extracurricular fields. During the academic year 2025–26, excellence awards were presented to a total of 34 top-scoring students in the 10th standard and Pre-University examinations across Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts. Additionally, higher education scholarships were distributed to 116 children of the bank’s employees and 161 children of Navodaya Self-Help Group members.

The event featured special felicitations for extraordinary achievements, including Kanish D. Kotian, son of Janata Bazar branch manager Deepak, for his excellence in sports; Ms. Sreeja C. Kotian, daughter of Navodaya Grama Vikasa Charitable Trust staff member Chandrashekhar, for her multifaceted talents; and Tanushree Pitrodi, who was honored for her exceptional accomplishments in yoga and who also performed a yoga demonstration during the event. The program commenced with a prayer by Chitralekha Shetty, followed by a welcome address from Bank Director Shashikumar Rai Balnottu, and was masterfully anchored by staff member Rajeev Kakyapadavu, concluding with a vote of thanks delivered by Assistant General Manager Rajesh Shetty.

A distinguished galaxy of dignitaries graced the occasion, including Bank Vice President Vinay Kumar Soorinje, Managing Director Gopalakrishna Bhat K., and several directors including Deviprasad Shetty Belapu, Bhaskar S. Kotyan, M. Vadiraja Shetty, S. B. Jayarama Rai, Monappa Shetty Ekkaru, M. Mahesh Hegde, Rajesh Rao, and S. N. Manmatha. Other notable attendees included MUDA President Sadashiva Ullal, Chikmagalur DCC Bank MD Pravin Nayak, Deputy Registrar of Cooperative Societies Ramesh H. N., Assistant Registrar Raghu, and SCDCC Bank General Manager Sunil Kumar Holla.