Barbil: ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India), a joint venture between ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel, two of the world’s leading steelmakers, awarded ‘Beti Padhao Scholarships’ to 147 girl students of Barbil region in a felicitation ceremony held on Wednesday at the auditorium of Rungta town hall, Barbil.

The flagship CSR project of AM/NS India, Beti Padhao Scholarship aims to bridge the gap in education finance by offering scholarships to young women from economically weaker sections to fulfil their academic aspirations. The initiative is aligned with the government’s efforts to promote the education of the girl child. The scholarship recipients range from students of class 9 to those pursuing higher secondary education, graduation, ITI, diploma, engineering, medical, professional courses, and more. Under this initiative, AM/NS India is awarding scholarships to young women of Odisha, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Maharashtra.

The scholarships were presented to the recipients by the chief guest D S Subhadarshi Joshi, Tehsildar, Barbil. Present on the occasion were from AM/NS India Sharanappa Kambalii, chief of mining operations, Pramod Mishra, mines manager, Thakurani Mines, L D Babu, mines manager, Sagasahi Mines and Ashok Panda, Lead CSR, among others.

AM/NS India has partnered with Protean eGov Technologies for mobilising the scholarships. Protean’s Vidyasaarathi, a pioneering corporate scholarship management platform, has managed the complete scholarship lifecycle, including application, validation, allocation, and fund disbursement of the AM/NNS India scholarships.

The event showcased heartwarming success stories of the scholarship recipients who have overcome challenges and excelled academically, inspiring others to pursue their dreams relentlessly. Through the Beti Padhao Scholarship, such girls are not only given access to quality education but also empowered to break barriers and shatter stereotypes.

Commending the endeavours of AM/NS India, D S Subhadarshi Joshi, Tehsildar, Barbil, said, “I applaud the initiative undertaken by AM/NS India, benefiting 147 girl students from our Barbil region. These interventions will support the educational aspirations of the girl students and empower them to pursue their dreams.”

On the occasion, Sharanappa Kambalii, Chief of Mining Operations – Barbil, AM/NS India, said, “The Beti Padhao Scholarship represents our humble effort to empower women and serve as a catalyst for young women in the region to pursue their educational goals. We are dedicated to fostering inclusive growth across all segments of our community, and we are planning several similar interventions in the future.”