The Sarojini Damodaran Foundation (SDF), headed by one of Infosys founders S.D Shibulal, on Friday launched its Vidya Rakshak scholarship in partnership with the ministry of home affairs.
In the first leg of the programme, 300 children of martyred paramilitary personnel received scholarships for their school education from union Home Minister Rajnath Singh at a function held here.
They included children of martyrs from BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP, SSB and Assam Rifles from across the country.
The patron of the SDF is Kumari Shibulal, wife of the former chief executive officer and managing director of Infosys, Shibulal.
Kumari Shibulal said one of the key focus areas of the SDF is to transform lives through education. "Through the Vidya Rakshak scholarship, we would like to honour the brave souls who lost their lives trying to protect the nation and secure their children's future.
"Based on need and merit, these children will also be eligible for 'Vidyadhan', our higher education scholarship program," said Kumari.
The Vidya Rakshak Scholarship is designed to support education till Class 12 and it ranges from Rs.6,000 to Rs.12,000. It is a long term commitment of the SDF and every year it will add 100 children to the programme for next five years.
Shibulal began the SDF in 1999 on a small scale providing scholarships to a few underprivileged students in Alappuzha, his home town and has been growing and is involved in sectors which provides support for cardiac care, pension projects, nutrition, organic farming, arts and culture, in different parts of the country.
