BENGALURU: Scholarships worth Rs 25 lakh were distributed to over 200 students of University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering at a function held at Jnana Jyothi Auditorium by UVCE Foundation, a philanthropic organisation formed by UVCE alumni in USA and India.
The special focus of the scholarship this year was the girl students of UVCE from poor families, with the Foundation extending an annual financial support of Rs 50,000 to each recipient. Delivering the keynote address on the occasion, TV Mohandas Pai, Chairman, Manipal Global Education, Manipal University, said “In the next 15 years, we are going to see the advent of robotics, artificial intelligence, 3-D printing, electric vehicles, internet of things (IoT). UVCE should become a Centre of Excellence in these areas.”
Prof Venugopal KR, vice-chancellor of Bangalore University was the chief guest on the occasion.
A former recipient of the scholarship, Deepika Sadanand, a gold medallist from the Department of Architecture, who works for a top architect firm today, said she was deeply indebted to UVCE Foundation for their financial support during her years at UVCE, as she could focus on his goals without worrying about the costs, something that her mother, the sole breadwinner could not have borne.
Ram Vasantharam, the chairman of Fundraising committee emphasised the Foundations commitment to the scholarship program, stating “We are helping poor families who otherwise cannot afford sending their children to college and hopefully, in the long run, support the entire family.”
Into its seventh year, the scholarship programme has supported over 800 students due to contributions from alumni in India and abroad, particularly from the Bay Area USA who have organised multiple fundraising events for this programme. The criteria for selection for the scholarships were the financial need, family conditions and the academic merit of the candidate.