Edu dept revises Bhamashah award criteria

Jaipur: The education department Wednesday said that it has revised the eligibility criteria for this year’s Bhamashah (philanthropist) awards, introducing updated donation slabs and project facilitation thresholds across state and district categories.

Director for education department Sitaram Jat, during a departmental meeting Wednesday, said that the changes are aimed at standardising recognition for contributors and motivators supporting school development initiatives.

Under the revised norms, donors contributing more than Rs 1 crore will be conferred the ‘Shiksha Vibhushan’ honour on June 29 at the state-level Bhamashah felicitation ceremony. Those donating between Rs 30 lakh and Rs 1 crore will receive the ‘Shiksha-Bhushan’ honour. For contributions at the district level, philanthropists donating amounts ranging from over Rs 1 lakh to less than Rs 30 lakh will be awarded the ‘Shiksha Shree’ honour during the district-level Bhamashah award ceremony.

The department also revised criteria for the ‘Prerak Samman’ (Motivator Award), which recognises individuals who facilitate education-related projects and partnerships. The state-level ‘Prerak Samman’ will be awarded to individuals who facilitate projects worth Rs 50 lakh or more. At the district level, the ‘Prerak Samman’ will be given to individuals facilitating projects valued between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 50 lakh.

Officials said the revised criteria will apply to the current award cycle and will be used to assess nominations and verify contributions and project valuations. District education offices have been asked to align their documentation and scrutiny processes with the updated thresholds ahead of upcoming ceremonies.

Manju Sharma, joint director for Jaipur division, said, “The felicitation ceremony aims not only to honour the contributions of these philanthropists but also to encourage their continued support for the education sector.”