HYDERABAD: Younger generations are not oblivious to the social and environmental issues plaguing humanity. While most of us sit in our despondent minds, unable to find hope in the future, there are emerging ‘change-makers’ who have taken up the herculean task to find solutions to complex problems.
K G Reddy College of Engineering and Technology, ranked among the top academic institutes of the state, has announced no less than 15 scholarships for such young enthusiasts. The only eligibility requirement is an inclination and a will to make changes for the betterment of our world.
“The tagline of our institution is ‘engineering India’s change makers’. Everything that we do at our institution is to help transform our students to become future change-makers. So that after they graduate, they work on tackling complex issues in society, related to sustainable development goals, climate change, social justice, etc. In all our programs, we have partnered with around 10 villages where our students work with them to identify problems in society that can be addressed through technological solutions. This is for the students to empathise with the community and also build solutions, that are useful and helpful to the world,” said Rohit Kandakatla, the director of the college.
The change-makers scholarships are part of the college’s 15-year anniversary celebrations. Hence, 15 scholarships are offered, out of which, three will be fully- funded. “These scholarships, unlike the typical scholarships, which are focused on 10th grades or 12th grades, or sports performances, are more focused on the story of what the students have done as change makers until now. We would like to bring in students who are activists and who have been in the social space to come to the institution and inspire other students as well. Any student who can show a decent track record of being part of a change project or impacting a community can apply,” said Kandakatla.
The scholarships are not restricted to any particular course but apply to all the courses offered by the college. “We mainly want to look at their inclination towards change. We want them to be individuals who promote service and development and can create an impact. We will be having interviews and based on the interviews and how we think they are really aligned with our vision, we’ll award the scholarships,” the director said.
The process to apply for the scholarship is quite easy. Students just need to visit the website and fill out a form. A few general questions will be asked regarding the nature of the social welfare work students have been involved in and in what ways they have impacted the lives of other people. Based on these answers, the college management will select a few candidates for personal interviews and after the interviews, the scholarships will be awarded to the deserving candidates.
“This initiative reminds me of my own journey as an activist that started 10 years ago. I was a student at the college and helped build a shelter on the college campus. Now I help students to pick a cause that they really feel for and work towards it. By the end of their second year, we encourage them to find technological solutions for the issues they have been dealing with. This helps build empathy within them and also pushes them to think creatively. We are not only making great minds but also great hearts,” said Zabi Khan, an activist and an alumnus of the college.
Interested students can follow this link to apply for the scholarships:
https://kgr.ac.in/scholarships/#Changemakers-Scholarships