Education
At the closing ceremony of the 38th National Quran Recitation Competition held on September 24, 2026, grand prizes including the President's Special Award and PhD scholarships were awarded after Aishath Zeek Riyaz won first place in the memorization category, Ismail Iz'an Ibrahim won first place in the non-memorized recitation category, and Aayan Ahmed Inan won first place in the reading category. Additionally, the Auditor General's report revealed that while MVR 835.7 million was spent on 16,388 students under the government's free first degree scheme, records of those who completed their studies were not maintained, MVR 19.09 million issued to 790 students who dropped out has not been recovered, and MVR 9.37 million was disbursed to 271 ineligible students.
The 38th National Quran Recitation Competition was successfully concluded, and the ceremony to present prizes and certificates of recognition to those who attained top places in the competition was held on 24 September 2026. At this ceremony, awards were presented to the participants who achieved the highest places in various categories and across the entire competition, as well as to the institutions and schools that won rankings. Conducted at the national level, this competition was a significant event aimed at reviving the art of Quran recitation and fostering a love for the Quran among students and the general public. High-ranking state dignitaries, guests of honor, along with a large number of participants and parents, attended this concluding ceremony.
A special audit report released by the Audit Office has highlighted numerous issues identified in the implementation of the government's Free Degree Scheme. In this regard, the report noted that certain activities were conducted contrary to the scheme's regulations, along with administrative challenges faced in managing the budget and finances, as well as deficiencies in the monitoring and oversight of the scheme. Furthermore, to ensure the optimal utilization of state funds, the audit report urged relevant authorities to strengthen the scheme's governance framework and establish a robust system to manage student information and expenditures.