Ceylinco Life presents 162 more ‘Pranama’ scholarships at virtual ceremony
View(s):Ceylinco Life recently celebrated the 20th edition of its ‘Pranama’ Scholarships programme with its first ever virtual ceremony to felicitate and reward 162 students who excelled in academic and extracurricular activities with Rs. 11.8 million in scholarships.
The certificates, medals, and gifts that usually accompany the scholarships were to be physically presented to scholarship recipients individually at branch-level in the first week of August, the life insurance company said in a media release on Wednesday.
The scholarship ceremony videocast via Zoom to beneficiaries and Ceylinco Life staff countrywide commenced with a welcome address by Ceylinco Life Managing Director and CEO Thushara Ranasinghe, and was followed by the keynote address of the Chief Guest, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ruhuna, Senior Professor Sujeewa Amarasena.
Additionally, a past Pranama Scholarship winner who is now a research engineer Charana Suneth Sonnadara and current scholarship winners and district level first place winners at the GCE Advanced Level J. M. Tharinda Rashmi Bandara Navarathne, Konesamoorthy Akshika and Umesha Amodama Tilakarathna also addressed the audience as part of the ceremony, the release said.
Ceylinco Life launched the Pranama scholarships scheme in 2002 recognising the increasing burden on parents to invest money and effort in the education of their children despite the availability of free education in the country. Over the next 19 years the company presented Rs. 155 million in scholarships to 2,725 students, and with the 20th round of scholarships presented in 2021 that figure has now reached Rs. 167 million and benefited 2,887 young and talented Sri Lankans. Many past Pranama Scholarship winners are now doctors, lawyers, engineers, or in other pivotal positions that contribute to the development of society in a testament to the value of Ceylinco Life’s initiative to motivate future generations of the country, the release said.
Ceylinco Life Pranama scholarships are presented to policyholder’s children who achieve the best results in their respective districts at the Year 5 scholarship examination, the GCE Ordinary Level, and the GCE Advanced Level as well as to those who excel at the national level in sports, invention, drama, cultural activities, or display other special skills. The company also pays special cash awards to policyholder’s children who are placed second, third and fourth at district level at the GCE Advanced Level examinations.
The latest edition of ‘Pranama’ Scholarships rewarded 30 students who excelled at the 2020 Year 5 scholarship examination with Rs.120,000 each, payable in instalments over five years. Another 25 students who excelled at the 2019 G.C.E. Ordinary Level Examinations will receive Rs. 84,000, payable monthly over two years, while 25 students placed 1st in their districts at the 2019 G.C.E. Advanced Level examinations will receive scholarships worth Rs. 144,000 each, payable over a three-year period.