Azim Premji Foundation plans to disburse Rs 2,250 crores in scholarships for girls pursuing higher education
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The Azim Premji Foundation on Thursday announced a financial support initiative for girls pursuing higher education in the country. Starting in the academic year 2025–26, the programme aims to support up to 2.5 lakh girls across 18 states investing about Rs 2,250 crores for three years.The Azim Premji scholarship is open to girls who have completed their Class 10 and 12 from government schools and have secured admission in recognised higher education institutions (HEIs) across courses in public or select private ones.Each selected student will receive Rs 30,000 annually for the full duration of their degree or diploma programme. The funds will be directly transferred to their bank accounts in two installments each year, the foundation said.'Despite India's progress, girls continue to face societal and financial hurdles in accessing higher education,' said Anurag Behar, CEO of Azim Premji Foundation. 'This scholarship is our commitment to help them gain greater control over their lives,' he added.The programme was piloted in 2024–25 in Madhya Pradesh and select districts of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Jharkhand. Over 25,000 girls received the scholarship during the pilot phase, with their first-year funds already disbursed, Behar told the media.The application process for the 2025–26 cycle will begin in September. The 18 participating states include Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and the entire northeast, among others. The Foundation plans to expand the scholarship pan-India in the coming years.This marks one of the largest philanthropic investments in girls' higher education in India, the Azim Premji foundation said adding that this will help the students meet their out of pocket expenditure that are usually not covered under other educational scholarships.
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