Female students from DTU, IIT Guwahati, IIT Patna awarded Bajaj Scholarship worth Rs 8 lakh to pursue core engineering
In a significant move to empower female engineering students across India, the inaugural Rupa Rahul Bajaj Scholarship for Women in Engineering has been awarded to numerous deserving candidates from prestigious institutions such as the Delhi Technological University (DTU), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, and IIT Patna, among others. This scholarship, valued at up to Rs 8 lakh, aims to provide comprehensive financial and professional support to women pursuing core engineering disciplines.
Background of the Scholarship
The Rupa Rahul Bajaj Scholarship is part of Bajaj Auto Limited’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, designed to address the declining participation of women in core engineering and manufacturing sectors. Recent statistics reveal a concerning trend: female enrollment in engineering programs has dropped from 28% in the academic year 2014-15 to a mere 20% in 2023-24. Furthermore, women currently represent only 3% of the workforce in core engineering roles.
Financial Aid and Support
The scholarship provides financial assistance of up to Rs 8 lakh over the four-year duration of the BTech degree, covering full semester-wise academic fees. However, the initiative extends beyond mere financial support. Selected scholars benefit from a holistic development program that includes:
- Structured life skills training
- Career preparation workshops
- Leadership training
- Specialized technical modules
- Guided exposure to real-world manufacturing environments
- Direct mentorship from senior engineers and women leaders in the industry
To retain the scholarship, students must maintain a minimum GPA of 6.5 each academic year and actively engage in various activities organized by the foundation.
Core Focus Areas
The scholarship is exclusively available to female students admitted to the 2025-29 batch across 40 identified top engineering colleges. It specifically targets core engineering disciplines, including:
- Mechanical Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Electronics & Communication Engineering
- Industrial/Production Engineering
- Automobile Engineering
- Mechatronics
- Instrumentation Engineering
- Material Sciences
- Metallurgy
The selection process was highly competitive, employing a rigorous tie-breaker system that prioritized applicants from lower-income families, followed by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) ranking of their institutions, and then their class XII scores.
Celebrating the First Cohort of Scholars
Following a thorough screening and verification process, leading institutions have begun to honor their first cohort of scholars. At the Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST) Shibpur, 33 female students from core departments were selected, with the foundation disbursing over Rs 43.7 lakh for their first-year fees. Notable recipients from IIEST Shibpur include:
- Minakshi Kumari
- Arpita Das
- Lulu Gammeng
- Rajni Meena
- Harshita Gupta
- Komal Kumari
- Jahnvi Singh
- Nandani Singh
- Priya Kumari
- Chetna
- Muskan Kourav
- Rajashree Ghosh
- Ishika Kumari
- Prachi Singh
- Anshu Kumari
- Dipali Kumari
- Trishna Gupta
- Pallabi Mahata
- Swet Shakshi
- Anoushka Shaw
- Swastika Bandyopadhyay
- Ayushi Kumari
- Ritwika Routh
- Suchismita Bandyopadhyay
- Kausani Pyne
- Manishi Patra
- Manisha Yadav
- Sharanya Dasgupta
- Nandini Yadav
- Sreya Talukdar
- Ananya Seth
- Oindrila Das
- Manami Paul
At IIT Guwahati, thirteen students were awarded the scholarship. The recipients include:
- Ruksar Bano
- Mehak
- Ruthwika Naidu
- Pratibha
- Ipshita Garg
- Kallakuri LV Lasya Priya
- Palnati Spoorthy
- Bavurupudi Devi Sri Priya
- Janhavi Jawatkar
- Boddu Isha Sanvi
- Marvi Kulkarni
- Mangapuram Bhavya Sree
- Jyoshika Gollapalli
At IIT Patna, seven students received the fellowship, including:
- Priya Bharti
- Sneha Raj
- Saumya Tyagi
- Kuracha Tejaswini
- D Neeharika
- Ishika Agrawal
- Janhvi Singh
Additionally, DTU held a dedicated felicitation ceremony to honor eleven selected students from the Electronics and Communication, Electrical, and Mechanical engineering departments. The honored students are:
- Muskaan Makkar
- Mauli Hirawat
- Priya
- Anvita Agarwal
- Shruti Anand
- Mansi Kumari
- Yashvi Chandra
- Shagun Tomar
- Pratistha Chandra
- Areca Khare
- Bhumi
Conclusion
The Rupa Rahul Bajaj Scholarship for Women in Engineering represents a significant step towards enhancing female representation in engineering fields, particularly in core disciplines. By providing financial support and professional development opportunities, this initiative aims to dismantle barriers and foster an inclusive environment for women in engineering.
Note: The details mentioned in this article are based on the latest available information as of April 2026.</
