Page 35 - Reliance Foundation Annual Report 2021-22

Bridging the financial

gap to unlock the

potential of youth

Dhirubhai Ambani

Scholarships

The Dhirubhai Ambani Scholarships (DAS) were
established in 1996, inspired by Reliance Founder-
Chairman Shri Dhirubhai Ambani’s belief that the best
way to ensure the nation’s progress was to invest in
its youth. The DAS programme has supported 12,776
students across India since its inception. Of these,
50% are female scholars, and 20% are students
with disabilities. 663 Dhirubhai Ambani Scholars are
currently being supported until the end of their degree
programmes in a range of subjects.

Reliance Foundation Helping Sumitra rise

Scholarships to the top

The Reliance Foundation Scholarships were
established in FY20-21 to empower India’s brightest Reliance Foundation Scholar 2020-2021
young minds, who are uniquely positioned to drive IIT Hyderabad, M. Tech Computer Science
technological progress and growth. In August 2021, and Engineering.
Reliance Foundation welcomed its inaugural cohort
of 76 scholars, studying Artificial Intelligence and Sumitra Malagi grew up in a modest background
Computer Science at the undergraduate and graduate and knew early on that education was the only
level in top institutes across India. These scholars means of achieving success. After working as an
were chosen through a rigorous selection process, Associate Network Infrastructure Engineer she
which included interviews with renowned Indian and decided to pursue a Master’s at IIT-Hyderabad,
international experts in the field. where she came to know about the Reliance
Foundation Scholarships.
For the FY21-22 cycle, 100 of India’s brightest
undergraduate and postgraduate technology students Sumitra recalls “I was thrilled when I looked up my
received the Scholarship (Rs. 4 lakh for undergraduate interviewer and realised that I was interviewed by
and Rs. 6 lakh for postgraduate students), which now one of India’s most eminent data scientists of India,
covers a wider range of subjects including Artificial Dr Shailesh Kumar!”. Much to Sumitra’s delight,
Intelligence, Computer Science, Mathematics & she was selected and received a scholarship. She
Computing and Electrical and Electronics Engineering. is full of praise for the Scholarships’ development
Reliance Foundation will nurture scholars with a sessions, observing “there are specially curated
comprehensive development programme that aims to masterclasses and fireside chats throughout your
build a cohort of outstanding individuals innovating for scholarship tenure. The sessions are a mixture of
social good, every year. inspiration, guidance and education.”

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