Infosys Foundation, the philanthropic and CSR arm of Infosys, announced that it has launched a scholarship program called ‘STEM Stars’ to support education in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) fields for underprivileged girl students. The program aims to encourage and provide financial assistance, thereby helping them pursue an undergraduate degree in STEM. As part of the first phase of this program, over 2,000 girl students across the country, who intend to pursue higher education in any of the STEM fields from reputed colleges, will be given financial assistance for four years.
In India, the primary factors preventing students from choosing STEM courses are lack of access, mentorship, and monetary constraints. The STEM Stars scholarship will help cover tuition fees, living expenses, and study materials of up to INR 1 lac annually for the duration of the STEM course. In its inaugural year, this scholarship will cover NIRF (National Institutional Ranking Framework) accredited institutes that include, the IITs, BITS-Pilani, NITs, and renowned medical colleges.
Sumit Virmani, Trustee, Infosys Foundation, said, “Poverty denies many youngsters, in India, the right to education, and girls are often the most impacted. At Infosys Foundation, we believe it is vital to support education for underprivileged girl students and to help them realize their potential. Beyond serving just the individual, we’ve 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 program seeks to empower aspiring girl students with a holistic educational ecosystem. We believe this is key to moving our nation forward.”
