BHU to launch academic excellence awards for UG, PG students from 2025–26; minimum 8.5 CGPA required

Banaras Hindu University (BHU) will institute annual awards to recognise students with high academic performance across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. The awards, titled Academic Excellence Award for Students, will cover all regular and special courses across university departments.

As per the official press release, the BHU award scheme will begin from the 2025–26 academic session. Students with a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 8.5 will be eligible. Each award will include a cash prize and a certificate of excellence.

The institute states that the cash prizes are set at Rs 25,000, Rs 20,000, and Rs 15,000 for the top three students. Programmes with over 100 students will offer three awards; those with 50–100 students will have two awards, while programmes with fewer than 50 students will offer one award.

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Academic council approves student awards

The Academic Council, chaired by Vice-Chancellor Ajit Kumar Chaturvedi, approved the proposal during its first meeting since Chaturvedi took office. Presenting the proposal, Dean of Students Anupam Kumar Nema stated that the awards will help BHU focus on promoting academic performance and strengthening the university’s position in higher education.

Speaking after the approval, the Vice-Chancellor said the awards aim to acknowledge merit and hard work. “We at BHU must focus on, promote, and acknowledge merit, hard work, and excellence. We should be proactive and prompt in recognising those who make exceptional academic performance and bring laurels to the university. We want to inspire students to aim for academic excellence.”

The Vice-Chancellor further added that the award, starting from the 2025–26 academic session, will motivate students across departments to maintain high academic standards. He noted it will encourage effort, improve performance, and attract students from across the country to BHU.