Surabaya, Dec. 25 -- East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa has awarded cash bonuses to students who won medals at the 2025 National Science Olympiad (OSN), after the province secured a total of 37 medals across multiple disciplines, local education officials said on Thursday.

Khofifah approved Rp188.5 million ($12,300) in bonuses, allocating Rp7.5 million for each gold medalist, Rp5 million for silver and Rp4 million for bronze, according to the East Java Education Office.

The awards were handed over through the provincial education chief, Aries Agung Paewai.

Addressing the students, Aries said the medals should be seen as a starting point rather than a final goal.

"The color of your medal today is not the end, but the beginning...