Tamil Nadu MP calls ministry of power’s CSR funding to IIT Madras 'casteist allocation'

CHENNAI: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras on Saturday received the highest single contribution from Power Grid Corporation of India for scholarships under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Soon after the announcement, Lok Sabha MP Thamizhachi Thangapandian called it a “biased allocation of funds” and urged the ministry of power to look into the fundings immediately.

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The institute along with the Power Grid Corporation said that it will launch a scholarship programme for meritorious BTech students from economically weaker sections on May 7, 2022. This fund will support deserving students at IIT Madras, covering their tuition fees through merit-cum-means scholarships.

“Power Grid Corporation of India, while being a Public Sector Enterprise, has made an extremely biased allocation of funds at IIT-Madras. Rs 10.5 crore solely allocated to EWS Scholarship? What about the scholarship funds for SC/ST/OBC students?” she wrote on Twitter.

Acknowledging that it is the single largest CSR funding received by IIT Madras in its last financial year for scholarships, she said, “But sad to see that not even a single rupee has been allocated to SC/ST/OBC students”.

The Ministry of Power needs to immediately look at this unfair and casteist allocation of funding made by the corporation that comes under its jurisdiction.

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— தமிழச்சி (@ThamizhachiTh) May 8, 2022

“The Ministry of Power needs to immediately look at this unfair and casteist allocation of funding made by the corporation that comes under its jurisdiction,” she added.

The ‘Power Grid Endowment scholarship’ fund has been created to provide scholarships for BTech students from economically weaker sections on a merit-cum-means basis.

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On the other hand, the institute said, “This one-of-its-kind scholarship programme will carry a special focus on women students from economically weaker sections with an aim to encourage women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). This scholarship programme helps in amplifying IIT Madras’ principle of being an inclusive institute for students from all economic sections,” the institute said.

The agreement for implementing the CSR-driven initiative was signed on May 7, 2022 by Mahesh Panchagnula, dean of Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras, and VK Singh, director personnel, POWERGRID Corporation of India, in the presence of IIT Madras Director, V Kamakoti.