How Shakti scholarship is empowering girl students at UPES

Since 2020, UPES has offered Shakti scholarship to more than 6000 girl students from across India. For academic year 2023, meritorious girl students with more than 60% marks in class 12th are being awarded scholarships of up to 30% in tuition fees

Indian women have made giant strides in all spheres of life, including politics, arts, literature, sports and education, among several others. They are now also being inducted into the combat stream of the armed forces. They have defied patriarchal prejudices, overcome financial hurdles and have fought for their rights to make a name for themselves in their chosen fields. At the UPES campus, too, there are countless stories of girls who have defied several odds to further their education and career.

Lack of financial resources is one of the major reasons that prevent girl students from pursuing higher education and fulfilling their dreams. UPES, through its women empowerment initiative Shakti, has supported several girls in their ‘classroom to boardroom’ journey. Since 2020, UPES has offered Shakti scholarship to more than 6000 female students from across India. Under the initiative, meritorious girl students with more than 60% marks in class 12th are being awarded scholarships of up to 30% in tuition fees for academic year 2023. The girls, who have availed the scholarships in the past, have nothing but gratitude for the institution and dreams of a great career ahead.

“My father was about to take an education loan for my under graduation. Just when hope seemed to recede, I got to know about the scholarship UPES was offering. I am honoured to have received the Shakti scholarship from UPES. It has not only been an immense financial help for my family, but it has also provided me with the ease of mind to pursue engineering to the best of my abilities. I appreciate the financial support given to me to pursue my educational dreams,” says Tisha Goswami from School of Advanced Engineering.

Tanushpreet Kaur from School of Computer Science says, “This scholarship allowed me to primarily focus on my studies, rather than the stress of supporting my education and family. It has been such a relief to receive this scholarship. I am looking forward to attending offline lectures, extracurricular activities, and other opportunities the upcoming semester will bring. I think the initiative Shakti is a great step to motivate girls to pursue higher education and achieve their goals.”

Another beneficiary of the Shakti scholarship, Priyanka Soni from UPES School of Advanced Engineering, says, “Most high school pass outs look for financial assistance to pursue their dream career. UPES is one of the few universities that give scholarship to girl students. The Shakti scholarship will help me accomplish my current goals, move on to the next, and eventfully become a successful professional.”

Khushi Agarwal from School of Computer Science says, “My family is my biggest support system. My parents gave me the freedom to make informed decisions. They constantly motivated me to believe in myself. Fee waiver from UPES allowed me to explore my career path and discover my passion for software and technology. Scholarship from UPES and my family support inspired me to take up this unique specialisation in the Internet of Things (IoT). I am grateful to receive this scholarship.”

UPES endeavours to increase the strength of female students in the classrooms and prepare more women leaders across various sectors by offering scholarships reserved exclusively for them. The organisation is committed to creating gender parity and enabling girls to realise their potential.