The Chief Minister's Office of Chhattisgarh announced on Friday, June 5, 2026, that Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai felicitated 22 meritorious children of labour families who excelled in Class 10 and Class 12 board examinations, awarding each an incentive of Rs 2 lakh under the Mukhyamantri Noni Babu Medhavi Shiksha Sahayata Yojana (Chief Minister Noni Babu Meritorious Education Assistance Scheme).

Context

At the felicitation event, CM Sai congratulated the students, saying their success is 'not merely a personal achievement but an inspiring story of the struggle, hard work, and resolve of labour families.' He urged the honoured students to never consider themselves lesser than anyone, noting that 'many great personalities have risen from ordinary families to reach the highest peaks through effort, dedication, and education.'

The 22 recipients were selected on the basis of outstanding performance in the Class 10 and Class 12 board examinations, each receiving a cash incentive of Rs 2 lakh to support their continued education.

Policy Backdrop

The Mukhyamantri Noni Babu Medhavi Shiksha Sahayata Yojana is a Chhattisgarh state scheme designed to provide financial support to meritorious children from labour households, targeting students who demonstrate academic excellence at the secondary level. The scheme reflects the state government's broader focus on welfare for labour and tribal communities, a priority that gained renewed emphasis following the 2023 Chhattisgarh assembly elections which brought the BJP government under CM Sai to power.

Merit-linked cash incentive programmes for students from economically weaker sections are a common feature across Indian states, aimed at reducing dropout rates and improving outcomes at the secondary level. Chhattisgarh, with its significant industrial labour and tribal population, has positioned such schemes as central to its social welfare agenda.

Stakeholders and Impact

The direct beneficiaries are children of registered labour families in Chhattisgarh who clear Class 10 or Class 12 with distinction. The Rs 2 lakh incentive per student is intended to ease the financial burden on households where parents work as labourers, enabling students to pursue higher education without economic disruption.

For the 22 students honoured at this event, the recognition carries both financial and symbolic weight — a public acknowledgement by the state's highest office that academic merit in labour families deserves institutional support. Families and communities in the labour sector stand to gain confidence in investing further in their children's schooling.

What's Next

The government is expected to continue disbursement events under the scheme as results for subsequent academic cycles are declared. Analysts tracking Chhattisgarh's education and labour welfare budgets will watch whether the next state budget cycle expands the scheme's coverage — either by increasing the incentive amount, raising the number of beneficiaries, or broadening eligibility criteria. The scheme's visibility at the Chief Minister level signals that it will remain a flagship welfare instrument for the Sai government in the near term.