Infosys Foundation commits over Rs 100 crore for girl students' STEM scholarship

NEW DELHI: Infosys' philanthropic arm Infosys Foundation has committed over Rs 100 crore to launch a STEM scholarship programme for underprivileged girl students.

As part of the first phase of the programme, over 2,000 girl students from economically weaker sections, who intend to pursue higher education in any of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) fields from reputed colleges, will be given financial assistance for four years across the country.

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The 'STEM Stars' scholarship will help cover tuition fees, living expenses, and study materials of up to Rs 1 lakh annually for the duration of the STEM course, Infosys Foundation said in a statement. Infosys Foundation Trustee Sumit Virmani said, in India poverty denies many youngsters the right to education, and girls are often the most impacted.

"Beyond serving just the individual, we have seen that education for women positively impacts the schooling of their children, in turn, thus keeping opportunity disparities from becoming a generational issue. That's why, the 'STEM Stars' scholarship programme seeks to empower aspiring girl students with a holistic educational ecosystem," Virmani said.

In its inaugural year, this scholarship will cover NIRF (National Institutional Ranking Framework) accredited institutes that include IITs, BITS-Pilani, NITs, and renowned medical colleges, the statement said.