As many as six meritorious students on Sunday were conferred with the prestigious Prof. Ghanashyam Dash Scholarship for Higher Education.
Bansidhar and Ila Panda Foundation (BIPF) and the CSR wing of the Indian Metals and Ferro Alloys Limited (IMFA) bestowed the scholarship on the six students.
Bansidhar and Ila Panda Foundation (BIPF) Trustee Paramita Panda, who graced the ceremony as the Chief Guest, handed over the scholarship in the presence of IMFA CS Prem Khandelwal, COO Bijayanand Mahapatra and many others.
The scholarship has been instituted by IMFA in the memory of historian Prof. Ghanashyam Dash to facilitate higher education of meritorious students belonging to the financially weaker background in the field of engineering, medicine and liberal arts.
The scholarship of Rs 4 lakh to each student will bear 90 per cent of their academic fees and related expenses for the entire duration of the course.
After being bestowed with the scholarship, a student Nimain Biswaranjan Behera said, “Before I joined MBA, I was worried about my educational expenses. Financial constraint was a hindrance to my studies. I came to know about the scholarship and applied for it. I had no hope that I would get it. But, thanks to the jury members, I got it and I’m extremely grateful now. I also want to thank the whole Bansidhar and Ila Panda Foundation team.”
“I always had dreamt to study at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). After my Plus II, I had taken coaching in Aryabhata. Back then, Aryabhata had helped me with the coaching. Now, BIPF and IMFA are giving me a 90% scholarship. I will forever be grateful,” said another student P. Manoj Kumar.
The IMFA has been awarding the scholarship to meritorious students since 2005. In total, six scholarships are granted - two for the children of permanent employees of IMFA and four for the meritorious students from economically weak families who are permanently domiciled in Odisha.