Many gold medallists were disappointed to find that their medal was neither made from the precious metal nor even coated by gold. Their cash awards ranged from a paltry Rs. 800 to a modest Rs. 2,000. “We did not even get a gold-plated medal!” said Devika M., who had hoped to display the medal in her house. The university, however, claimed helplessness. Ninge Gowda, Registrar (Evaluations), said most sponsors had donated just Rs. 5,000, the interest of which is given to the student. “How much interest can we you get in one year from Rs. 5000? There has been no response to our request to sponsors to increase the amount,” he said.
