Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Oct 18: Fondly known as the ‘Scholarship Master’, 83-year-old K Narayana Naik devoted his life to creating awareness about scholarship opportunities for students across undivided Dakshina Kannada (DK) and Udupi districts. Every year, he visited more than 350 educational institutions to guide students in availing themselves of various scholarship schemes.

Naik, who began this initiative before his retirement, helped students collectively receive scholarship amounts totalling about Rs 5 crore over the years. Each morning, he set out from his home on his two-wheeler or used public transport to reach PU, ITI, polytechnic, and degree colleges in both districts, continuing this mission throughout the year.

He started this noble work in 2001, just before his retirement from service, and took it up as a full-time endeavour in 2007. His visits covered a wide range of institutions — from schools and undergraduate colleges to BEd, polytechnic, and ITI colleges — where he consistently encouraged students to make use of available scholarship facilities.

Having served as a teacher in various primary and high schools, Naik understood the financial hardships faced by poor students striving to continue their education. This awareness inspired him to dedicate his time to ensuring that no deserving student missed an opportunity due to lack of information or guidance.

Naik conducted all his sessions free of charge and remained committed to his routine despite his age. On one occasion, he shared that he was visiting colleges in Hebri and Muniyal, beginning his day as early as 6:30 am.

Although he often travelled by bike, he preferred public transport when the distance exceeded 25 kilometres. Despite his age, Naik maintained good health, allowing him to continue travelling across the region and fulfilling his mission of supporting students through scholarships.