Making the ‘IIT dream’ come true
Panasonic India recently hosted the fourth edition of the Ratti Chhatr scholarship programme, working for inclusive growth in society, contributing to sustainable development of local communities and enabling young aspirants achieve their dreams
Laying the ground for future innovators and leaders, Panasonic India declared the winners of its annual scholarship programme, Ratti Chhatr. The scholarship programme aims to provide assistance to select undergraduate students, enabling them to pursue higher education at their respective Indian Institutes of Technology (IITS) across the country.
Panasonic India instituted the scholarship programme in 2015 and has already facilitated over 90 students. On the fourth edition of the programme, Panasonic India awarded scholarships to 30 students. The event was held at The Leela Hotel in the presence of Chief Guest Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog .
Congratulating the winners, Manish Sharma, president & CEO, Panasonic India & South Asia, said, “The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITS) are a platform for young India to learn and excel; a platform that helps nurture leaders of tomorrow. At Panasonic India, we value the essence of education and understand the importance of providing scholarships in order to encourage the talented students to continue pushing the limits and set a mark for themselves. High quality skill development is the need of the hour in our country, we hope that through our efforts these students will embody that notion and emerge as imperative assets for our economy and serve the nation proudly. We congratulate the winners and hope this small token of appreciation will help them achieve their dreams.”
Speaking on this occasion, Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog, said, “I am once again delighted to be back here to witness another batch of bright young talents, who through the assistance of Panasonic India and their persistent hard work have been able to achieve an imperative milestone in life. Our nation is going through a phenomenal era from a developmental standpoint, but it still need to push the limits in terms of innovation and creation. Those elements can only be imparted through the inflow of young innovators and disruptors, who in this new generation can take us forward into a successful period of continual glory and invention.”
He added, “Ratti Chhatr Scholarship programme, will serve as the perfect platform to help propel students to realize their full potential and contribute to the country’s development.”
Later, Zairus Master, CEO, Shine.com was called upon the stage to express his views – He congratulated the 2018 batch of Ratti Chhatr Scholarship programme and their families who travelled from all over the country. He added, “Panasonic is a trusted corporate partner and has time and again proving its commitment towards the development of the country. We commend the efforts of Ratti Chhatr initiative and strongly believe in its ability to transform lives by harnessing the potential of the youth.”
He also added, “Young people are the innovators, creators, builders, and leaders of the future but they can only transform the future if they have an opportunity to acquire the right skills, and are presented with real choices in life.” Commenting on the programme, Ritu Ghosh, head, corporate affairs and CSR, Panasonic India said, ‘’We provided scholarships to 30 deserving achievers to nurture and encourage the young minds. We remain duly committed to the community with various corporate social responsibility initiatives in the near future, extending the programme for another four years.
He added, “This will benefit 120 more undergraduates and bring total beneficiaries under this programme to 240, thus expanding our reach and achieving our collective mission as an organisation.’’
PANASONIC RATTI CHHATR PROGRAMM
The 2018 Ratti Chhatr Scholarship programme received over 194 applications, of which 118 applications were shortlisted from which 30 winners from 15 IITS across the country were chosen through a rigorous screening and interviewing process.
The programme aims to provide financial assistance to the aspiring engineers pursuing education from different IITS present in the country.
The total scholarship amount is Rs 42,500 per annum given in a quarterly basis for a period of four years to 30 Scholars selected by Panasonic India. The scholarship programme operates PAN India and is open to students, who are pursuing their first year of engineering studies.
Started in 2015, the scholarship programme identifies and recognises a group of talented young individuals with the potential to excel in their respective fields and then proceeds with their shortlisting procedures.
The organisation also provides financial assistance and support to the young individuals from low income families, who are unable to justify their admission with the educational fees.
In 2017, Panasonic India assisted 30 talented students with the tuition fees for their course for the next four years. The programme has already actualised the engineering aspirations of 90 students, and strives on to continue this vision and fulfil more ambitions in the years to come.
“By providing the young aspirants of this country with the essential tool – education, we hope to not only make a difference but also strive to inspire the next great Indian success story. Our scholarship programme is an initiative which inspires people to educate the future of our nation,” says Ghosh.