28th May 2024: Kotak Education Foundation (KEF) – the CSR implementing agency of Kotak Mahindra Group, announced 1,000 scholarships under the Kotak Junior Scholarship program to facilitate further education of meritorious Class 10th+ students from economically disadvantaged sections across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Along with financial aid of 73,500 over 21 months, this program offers each scholar a strong support system at the grassroots level for the future youth of the country.
This program, spanning an initial term of 2 years for 10 + students from SSC, CBSE, and ICSE boards, involves robust engagement activities beyond financial support such as one-to-one mentoring, career guidance sessions, entrance exam preparation support, exposure visits, and home visits. KEF’s scholarship wing has been supporting students for over a decade, providing scholarship and financial assistance to over 3600 scholars to date. Over 800 alumni are successful white-collar professionals working in leading companies and other esteemed institutions.
Jayasree Ramesh, Executive Committee Member (EC) & Director of Education Programme and Scholarship, Kotak Education Foundation said, “At Kotak Education Foundation, we are committed to providing opportunity, and access to quality education empowering students and youth over the past 17 years. KEF has a legacy and expertise in offering scholarships for students from underserved communities. With the Kotak Junior Scholarship, we are focused on a concrete student engagement plan to develop strong and qualified professionals, thereby helping their families rise above poverty.”
Benefits:
- Scholarship of INR 3,500 per month during Class 11 and Class 12 (INR 73,500 for 21 months)
- Mentorship support to guide students through their educational journey
- Academic assistance to help students excel in their studies
- Career guidance to facilitate informed decisions about future prospects
- Exposure visits to broaden students’ horizons and enhance their learning experiences.
Eligibility criteria for the Kotak Junior Scholarship are as follows:
- Scored more than 85% in the SSC/CBSE/ICSE Examination and secured admission for Class 11 in Colleges in Mumbai
- Family income is less than Rs.3,20,000/- per annum
- Within MMR (Mumbai Metropolitan Region)
Strengthening school leadership and teacher capacity building, creating a digital ecosystem and learning environment in schools, equipping middle school students with confidence and skills of communicative English, upskilling teachers to provide Foundational Literacy and Numeracy skills, and supporting districts in building and running Model Schools – these are key interventions run by KEF in Maharashtra and partially in Gujarat.
KEF is now at the cusp of change as it prepares for the next chapter in its journey toward empowering the youth with quality education and livelihood. Armed with its vast experience and expertise, the organization now aims to scale its depth as well as the breadth of its reach. KEF’s philosophy is evolving from a ‘school as a unit’ to working toward district/state-level education transformation. As KEF expands its ambit, it will help drive systemic reform and state education transformation to create long-term Impact at Scale.