Vidyadhan is an educational scholarship floated by Infosys Co-founder SD Shibulal and Kumari Shibulal
Vidyadhan, an educational scholarship initiative floated by Infosys Co-founder SD Shibulal and Kumari Shibulal under their Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiative, will now be expanded to as many as 15 states. The addition of three more states – Bihar, Punjab and Jharkhand – will make Vidyadhan boast presence in more terrain, as it continues to provide funding, mentoring and life skill training to meritorious students from disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue higher education.
This year, the scholarship initiative has received a record number of 40000-plus applications to the 1600 new additional scholarships on offer. The number is expected to go up further since the application process is yet to close for some of the states. Vidyadhan rides the “Each One, Teach One,” model, which brings sponsors and students together in a transparent and accountable system. One such successful partnership is with prominent US-based digital transformation solutions company UST, which has sizable presence in India and other parts of the globe. UST has doubled its contribution to support more students covering more states.
Vidyadhan-UST partnership lauded
S D Shibulal, Trustee, Sarojini Damodaran Foundation, which spearheads Vidyadhan, thanked UST for their belief and support in the Vidyadhan program even during tough times. We are fortunate that like-minded people have joined us in this endeavour and there is a visible impact on the ground, he pointed out. Many of the students who have completed their education have gone on to work in prestigious institutions from TCS, Infosys, HCL, UST, Bosch, KPMG, MRF, UNISYS, MBB Labs, Government Offices, Defence Forces, etc.
Several others are pursuing Master’s education and Research in prestigious universities. Besides, the Vidyadhan girl scholars have also been breaking societal stereotypes by becoming primary providers for their families and becoming role models in the community.
According to Kumari Shibulal, “the scholarship initiative Vidyadhan is not just a programme – it is an idea that an individual can make a difference and that a group of individuals can make a much bigger difference. She hoped that all the beneficiaries would keep the “cycle of giving” going by helping others when they are in a position of doing so.
Speaking on the Vidyadhan-UST partnership, Krishna Sudheendra, CEO, of UST said that “finding the right implementation partner is key to the success of CSR initiatives. Vidyadhan’s ability to scale fast, as well as the transparency brought in by the zero administrative cost model, provides a comprehensive view of the student beneficiaries, which is what makes them stand out. UST employees have actively volunteered to mentor the Vidyadhan students which strengthen the bond further.
2200 students complete their higher education
Vidyadhan has helped 2200 students complete their higher education and become productive citizens so far. The alumni comprise 150 doctors, 618 engineers, 250+ students in professional courses.
Further, its technology platform provides an easy and transparent way for all stakeholders to engage with the process and connect on an ongoing basis. The programme is designed as a “pay it forward” model where beneficiaries are committed to sponsoring future students in need once they themselves become self-reliant.
