Balasore: Fakir Mohan University's topper in the English MA course will get a gold medal from the 2017-18 academic session.

The medal has been named after educator and public representative Rajendra Chandra Mardaraj, who belonged to the Mardaraj dynasty of Nilgiri.

The younger son of the late Rajendra, Jagdish, had requested the university to consider the request. The university has approved the proposal and the medal will be awarded from the academic year 2017-18. "A request was received from Jagdish Mardaraj to institute a medal in the name of his father and the proposal was considered and approved," said university registrar Amar Singh Soren.

"The award will be given from the 2017-18 academic session. It will be presented on the university's foundation day of July 11," he said.

"My father Rajendra Mardaraj, a three-time MLA, had an excellent educational career. After completing pre-graduation from Raipur University, he completed his Bachelor of Arts with distinction in English honours," Mardaraj said.

"He had completed his LLB from Calcutta University and was sent by the Odisha Assembly to the Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy, Mussoorie, for six months to receive special training in public administration. He was syndicate member of Utkal University for three terms and had represented Nilgiri constituency thrice."