Merit takes the centrestage at Lucknow University

LUCKNOW: The winners of the top three coveted medals of Lucknow University are not only good in academics but also in sports.
The three musketeers who are good friends will be awarded medals in the convocation ceremony on Saturday. The coveted Chancellor’s Gold Medal has been bagged by Shivansh Mishra of BA (Hons) in political science for being the best student among all faculties.
Shivansh has not only scored the highest in his BA (Hons) course but also represented and won medals for the university at national-level swimming competitions.
“I think I am the luckiest; not everyone gets an opportunity to get a gold medal during the centenary year,” said Shivansh Mishra, who wants to become a civil servant.
The second Vice-Chancellor’s Gold Medal, which is awarded to the best NCC cadet of the university, was clinched by Raina Shukla of BA (Hons) in economics. Known for her excellence in taekwondo, Raina has won various national-level medals.
“I have been visiting slums and training girls in techniques of self-defence. I want to join the Indian Army and work for women’s empowerment,” she said.
She said she was elated to get a “centenary gold medal”.
Awarded to the student most helpful in general and social life at university, the Dr Chakravarti Gold Medal for service has been won by Tejaswani Bajpai of LLB (Hons) course.
Aspiring to be a judge in defence services, Bajpai has stitched masks and distributed them among people in slum areas.
She has also won the gold medal of the guard of honour in the national NCC camp and for badminton.
The students were selected for these three prestigious medals on the basis of their academic and extra-curricular performances.
LU vice-chancellor Prof Alok Kumar Rai and other officials selected the students after conducting interviews to analyse their overall performances.