Udupi: In a significant effort to support meritorious students from government schools, Yakshagana Kalaranga has completed the construction of its 100th house for a financially underprivileged student under its Vidya Poshak scholarship initiative.

Launched in 2005, the Vidya Poshak Scholarship Programme has benefited more than 1,200 students over the past two decades, disbursing scholarships worth approximately Rs 1.38 crore. The initiative has also expanded beyond educational assistance by providing housing support to students from economically weaker backgrounds.

The 100th house has been constructed at Shivapura Kulkunda in Hebri taluk for Sinchana, a Class II PU student who scored 83 per cent in the SSLC examination despite severe financial hardship. The two-bedroom house, built at an estimated cost of Rs 7 lakh, will be formally handed over to her family on June 28.

Sinchana's parents work as daily wage labourers, while her mother is undergoing treatment for health issues. The family had been living in a temporary tent due to the lack of permanent housing.

Yakshagana Kalaranga president M. Gangadhar Rao said students are selected for the scholarship programme based on academic merit and their socio-economic background. Applicants scoring above 80 per cent in the SSLC examination are generally considered, and around 250 students are shortlisted every year for financial assistance, including support for PU education, coaching and laptops for engineering aspirants.

Rao said repeated visits to beneficiaries' homes revealed severe housing challenges, prompting the organisation to begin constructing houses in 2012. Since then, it has also undertaken repairs and completed partially built homes for needy families.

He added that many former beneficiaries who are now employed have started contributing to the initiative. For Sinchana's house, former scholarship recipients collectively donated Rs 5 lakh towards the construction.