Infosys Foundation launches STEM scholarship program for girl students in India

Women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) are highly under-represented in India, with data indicating that while 52% of women enrolled for STEM courses for their graduation, only 29% of them ended up joining the STEM workforce. To bridge this gap, Infosys Foundation has launched a new scholarship program, STEM Stars, to encourage and provide financial assistance to underprivileged girl students, thereby helping them pursue undergraduate and postgraduate courses at reputed STEM colleges.

The scholarship will cover tuition, living expenses, and study materials limited to Rs 1 lac annually at actuals for the duration of the course. Over 2,000 girl students will benefit from this scholarship program in its inaugural year. The program will cover NIRF (National Institutional Ranking Framework) accredited institutes that include, the IITs, BITS-Pilani, NITs, and renowned medical colleges.

"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," said Sumit Virmani, Trustee, Infosys Foundation.

To apply for the program, you must meet the following requirements:

• Applicants must be citizens of India and should be enrolled in the first year of graduation at institutes of repute (NIRF accredited) in the fields of Engineering, Medical (MBBS) and other related STEM streams.
• Applicants must have obtained admission into the identified colleges and completed their Class 12.
• Ongoing performance score should be a CGPA of 7 in engineering and such related courses and a pass qualification in all subjects for the year in MBBS for continuity till the completion of the course.
• Applicant's annual family income must be less than or equal to Rs 8,00,000.