Amount worth Rs 1.47 Cr Disbursed
Joda, March 11, 2025: Tata Steel Foundation (TSF) awarded the prestigious Jyoti Fellowship to 1,353 meritorious students from economically disadvantaged Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities from villages around mines of Tata Steel and Neelachal Ispat Nigam Limited in Joda,
Khondbond, and Kalamang area of Keonjhar and Sundargarh districts.
Under the scholarship project, a total amount of ₹1.47 crore was disbursed to support the education of these students.
The two-day event commenced with an inauguration ceremony where 887 students from Joda region and 115 from the surrounding villages of Khondbond mine were awarded scholarship. Similarly, 48 students from Neelachal mine area, and 303 from Kalamanga region in Sundargarh district were honored with the fellowship.
The event witnessed the presence of several esteemed dignitaries, including Mandardhar Mahalik, Additional District Magistrate, Keonjhar; Debendra Pingua, SDPO, Barbil; S. Shubhadarsi Joshi, Tahsildar, Barbil; Rajesh Kumar, Chief, Joda; Deepak Kumar Behera, Chief, Kalamang-Gandhalpada Project; Rahul Kishore, Chief, NINL Mine; G.V. Satyanarayan, Chief, Khondbond Mine; Rabindra Kumar, Head, Joda Cluster, along with other officials from Tata Steel Foundation.
Expressing her gratitude, one of the scholarship recipients, Dipika Das from Bamebari Saraswati Sishu Mandir said, “It is because of TSF’s support that I can continue my education and move forward in life. I am truly grateful for this opportunity.”
A beneficiary of the scholarship, Subarnika Champia of Jagannath High School, Jurudi shared her experience. “With TSF’s financial assistance, I was able to complete my studies. Now I am able to contribute to my family’s livelihood.”
As part of the event, a panel discussion on “Water for Sustainable Development – Averting a Global Water Crisis” will be organized, bringing together local women and farmers. The session will focus on critical topics such as long-term water and agricultural initiatives, water conservation techniques, irrigation management, and innovative solutions for addressing water-related challenges.
