The 7th Asetkong Mungdang Yajen Aier Honorary Award and Asetkong Students’ Conference (AKTM) Excellency Award was held at Senden Salang, Süngratsü on Saturday under the theme “Reinvigorating Teaching and Learning.”
Among the awardees in the HSSLC category were Tirmen Jamir of Little Star Higher Secondary School, Dimapur, who secured Top 3 in the Science stream with 95.20 percent, and Ungnir L Kichu of Lima Aier Higher Secondary School, Dimapur, who secured Top 8 in the Science stream with 92 percent. In the HSLC category, Retina Jamir of Little Flower Higher Secondary School, Kohima, secured Top 16 with 95.33 percent.
The Yajen Aier Award also honoured best-performing students from Tzükong schools. Limaonger of GHS Longjang secured the Class 10 award with 73.33 percent, Aosanen of Clark Memorial Higher Secondary School, Impur, received the Class 9 award with 64.5 percent, while Sashimongla I Longkumer of GHS, Longjang, received the Class 8 award with 98.71 percent.
The AKTM Excellency Award was also presented to Tirmen Jamir, Ungnir L Kichu and Retina Jamir in recognition of their outstanding performance in the NBSE examinations. Recipients received Rs 10,000 each along with certificates.
Describing the occasion as one of the most significant events for Asetkong, S Bendang Aier, Council Chairman, Süngratsü, said the award was instituted in 2020 following a resolution adopted by the Asetkong Mungdang during its 2019 conference.
Aier said since the fourth edition, the program has been organised in collaboration with the Asetkong Students’ Conference (AKTM), which also confers the AKTM Excellency Award.
Aier said the first three editions of the program were hosted in Kobulong before the organisers resolved to hold the event on a rotational basis among the Asetkong villages. The fifth edition was organised in Longjang, the sixth in Longpa and this year’s edition in Süngratsü.
The Yajen Aier Honorary Award carries a cash prize of Rs 20,000 along with citations for students securing top positions in the HSLC and HSSLC examinations. The award also recognises best-performing students from Asetkong schools in Classes 8, 9 and 10, besides honouring subject toppers and teachers from schools within the range.
Speaking at the program, Obangnener Jamir, NCS, EAC Kobulong, congratulated the awardees and acknowledged the contributions of teachers in shaping the students’ achievements.
He said that in the future, students, particularly the toppers, would often face pressure and expectations from parents, society and teachers, but urged them not to compare themselves with others.
Instead, he encouraged students to “compete within oneself every single day” and strive for continuous self-improvement.
Jamir also appealed to parents to devote time to understanding the psychological and emotional well-being of their children, stressing the importance of paying attention to their mental state.
Expressing concern over the decline in enrolment in government schools across the Asetkong range, he noted that factors such as rural-to-urban migration and declining population were contributing to the situation. However, he challenged the people of the range to work collectively towards strengthening government schools and producing toppers from within the government school system.
The Yajen Aier Honorary Award is named in honour of Yajen Aier, the first Education Director of the Government of Nagaland.