Becoming a topper in a school a college gives immense joy, but not as much as getting appreciated for it by the District Magistrate himself! Happiness mixed with a sense of pride was writ large on the faces of SSLC (Karnataka Board) toppers in Dharwad, Karnataka as they entered the Magistrate’s bungalow for a one-to-one conversation over warm breakfast one morning.
The District Magistrate of the city, IAS officer Nitesh Patil exclusively talked with Indian Masterminds about his meeting with the toppers.
A BIG OPPORTUNITY
Speaking with us, Mr. Patil said, “Even I was an SSLC topper back in the day but our batch never got a chance to meet the collector. I really wished to do so then but could not, because of lack of opportunity. Therefore, I decided to meet the toppers from now on, in order to motivate them and advise them about life.”
Instead of just meeting the first two or three toppers, the officer decided to invite the top 20 to his residence and have a good interaction with them over breakfast.
MOTIVATING THE YOUNG MINDS
Mr. Patil had further invited all the senior officers of the district to his residence. Along with him, the CEO Zila Panchayat, a young probationary IAS officer, and the SDM of the district met with the young kids and interacted with them.
“We advised them that they should pursue whatever interests they have and whichever field they would like to go in. There are numerous opportunities that the country provides them with and they should confidently go for the things that they love, whether it is civil services or any other field,” he told Indian Masterminds.
The Magistrate also asked them to ‘Dream Big’ and made them understand that with hard work, every dream and aim is achievable.
On asked about how he invited the young kids over, the IAS officer revealed that he reached out to the top 20 with the help of the Education Department of Dharwad, Karnataka.
“We have all their databases and through DDPI (Deputy Director of Public Information), we received the contact numbers of all the district toppers and invited them over,” said Mr. Patil.
A REJUVENATING EXPERIENCE
Talking about the overall experience of the day, Mr. Patil held that it was extremely energizing to interact with children as they were full of positive energy.
‘Starting the day with them felt really good. As part of our job, we tend to face new challenges every day, but beginning the day with such radiant energy reeking out of children, it seems special and wonderful! Even if we can make an impact on few children’s lives, it becomes fruitful for the District Administration,” the officer told Indian Masterminds.
The previous year, Mr. Patil had felicitated all the toppers, and this year, he decided to bring it up a notch by inviting them for breakfast to his residence. The officer is planning to carry on this activity every year, till he is posted here.
