Ten students with disabilities from Nagaland were honoured with scholarship award under the corporate social responsibility programme of Indus Towers on December 12.
The students were honoured at the Indus Towers Scholarship Award Ceremony implemented by Shishu Sarothi, an organization based in Guwahati, in collaboration with Nagaland State Disability Forum, the state partners for the implementation of Indus Towers Scholarship Program, in Nagaland.
Demonstrating its commitment to enhance socio-economic conditions of communities, Indus Towers, in its seventh year of partnership with Shishu Sarothi, will be offering scholarships to 180 students for the academic year 2023-24 towards Academics/ Professional and Coaching for Employment Oriented Examinations.
Out of these, 162 students belong to the northeast region, while scholarships for 18 slots have been reserved for students with disabilities from outside North-East region, who were studying in government recognized institutions of national importance.
At the event, executive director, Shishu Sarothi, Ketaki Bardalai, spoke on the educational challenges faced by children with disabilities specially in the North-East Region of India.
Citing recent WHO figures, she said only 9% of these children complete secondary education, and 45% remain illiterate.
Meanwhile, the team of Shishu Sarothi expressed appreciation to Indus Towers for empowering youth with disabilities, recognizing the crucial role education plays in unlocking employment opportunities and fostering empowerment.
Rajender Gurung, CEO-NESA Circle, Indus Towers, said, “Indus strongly believes that supporting communities with CSR that matters can make significant impact.”
State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, government of Nagaland, Diethono Nakhro, in her address applauded the commendable impact of the scholarship program initiated by Shishu Sarothi and Indus Towers Ltd in 2016. Emphasizing the crucial support it provides to students with disabilities, she appreciated the company’s initiative for empowering youth with disabilities, enabling them to pursue education and aspire to promising career paths, fostering inclusivity and socio-economic growth in the region.
Guest of Honour, Imsuinla, District Inclusive Education Coordinator, Samagra Shiksha commended the initiative, expressing her admiration for the program’s commitment to addressing the educational needs of persons with disabilities.
The felicitation ceremony was followed by an induction to guide scholars on accessing the scholarship portal and other relevant information.
The program concluded with an awareness session on the Rights for Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 conducted for student scholars.
The Indus Towers Scholarship Program, implemented by Shishu Sarothi, was initiated in 2016 to encourage and support students with disabilities. Since then, it has supported 644 students from the North East and beyond.
The program provides support for educational fees, and some students receive additional assistance for study materials, assistive devices, hostel fees, and conveyance. For more details, visit: www.ssscholarship.org or call: 7086268549.
Indus Towers Limited is India’s leading provider of passive telecom infrastructure and it deploys, owns and manages telecom towers and communication structures, for various mobile operators.