Azim Premji Foundation expands scholarship scheme for 2.5 lakh girls across 18 states

The Azim Premji Foundation has announced a major expansion of its scholarship initiative, aiming to support up to 2.5 lakh girl students in the 2025-26 academic year. This financial aid will benefit girls pursuing diploma or undergraduate degrees in accredited colleges or institutions, with each eligible student receiving Rs 30,000 annually.

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The scholarship is exclusively available to girls who have completed Class 10 or 12 in government schools and have secured admission into legitimate higher education programs. This initiative is designed to reduce the gender gap in education by helping young women overcome financial and societal obstacles that often limit their access to higher studies.

The support continues throughout the entire duration of the course, provided the student maintains satisfactory academic progress. For example, a student enrolled in a four-year nursing program can receive up to Rs 1.2 lakh over the course of her education. The scholarship amount will be directly credited to the student's bank account in two instalments each year, and students are free to use the funds as needed.

Initially tested during 2024-25 in select districts of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Jharkhand, the pilot phase supported over 25,000 girls. With its proven success, the program is now expanding to 18 states including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Sikkim, Telangana, Tripura, Uttarakhand, and others.