ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India) – a joint venture between ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel, two of the world’s leading steelmakers – today awarded Beti Padhao Scholarships to 377 students at a felicitation programme.
The programme was inaugurated by Shri Mukesh Patel, Hon’ble MOS Forest and Environment, Climate Change, Water Resources & Water Supply, Government of Gujarat, Shri Sandip Desai, Hon’ble MLA, Choryasi, Shri Ajay Tomar, Commissioner of Police, Surat and Shri Dilip Oommen, CEO, ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India) in the presence of Shri Wim Van Gerven, Director & VP – Operations, Shri Ashutosh Telang, Director & VP – HR & Admin, Shri Keiji Kubota, Deputy Director – HR & Admin, Dr. Anil Matoo, Head – HR Operations, IR and Admin, Shri Santosh Mundhada, Executive Director – Projects, Hazira and Dr. Vikas Yadvendu, Head – CSR. Subsequently, Shri Mukesh Patel and Shri Sandip Desai handed over the scholarships to the students.
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 – from Hazira where AM/NS India’s flagship plant is located, and nearby villages – range from class 9 students to those pursuing higher secondary education, graduation, ITI, diploma, engineering, medical, professional courses, and more.
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/NS scholarships.
Lauding ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India for the initiative, SHRI MUKESH PATEL, HON’BLE MOS FOREST AND ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE CHANGE, WATER RESOURCES & WATER SUPPLY, GOVERNMENT OF GUJARAT, said, “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, both the central and state governments are giving utmost priority to empowering the girl child through education. With the support of large private companies, the opportunities can be expanded further, paving the way for young women to achieve their full potential.”
SHRI DILIP OOMMEN, CEO, ARCELORMITTAL NIPPON STEEL INDIA (AM/NS INDIA), said, “These scholarships serve as a pathway to enable young women to pursue their educational aspirations. This initiative will play a pivotal role in sustaining their education, ultimately empowering the nation for a brighter future. More such scholarships will be rolled out soon to support deserving candidates around our operational areas across India.”
Speaking on the partnership, SHRI GOPA KUMAR T.N., CHIEF BUSINESS OFFICER, PROTEAN EGOV TECHNOLOGIES, said, “We are delighted to partner with AM/NS India as their scholarship delivery platform. With Protean’s Vidyasaarathi, we aim to enhance the accessibility and seamlessness of scholarship management for millions of students across India. At Protean, we are dedicated to our mission of delivering population-scale technology for social and financial inclusion, and this collaboration marks a significant milestone in this journey.”
Meanwhile, as many as 322 students from Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Maharashtra will also be awarded the scholarships in the near future under the scheme.