Kotak Mahindra Group (Kotak) today announced the first two beneficiaries under its recently launched CSR initiative ‘Kotak Shiksha Nidhi’ - giving financial assistance to students who have lost a parent/ parents and/or a primary earning family member to COVID-19, to complete their education.
Vanisha Pathak and Vivan Pathak – siblings aged 17 and 11 years respectively, studying in Bhopal’s government school, lost their parents to COVID-19 in 2021. Further to their application to avail Kotak Shiksha Nidhi, Kotak announced that both Vanisha and Vivan have been selected as recipients of Kotak Shiksha Nidhi from the academic year 2021-22.
Buddy4Study – Kotak Education Foundation’s implementing partner for Kotak Shiksha Nidhi has credited the financial assistance to their guardian’s bank account on October 30, 2021.
Rohit Rao, Joint President & Group Chief CSR Officer, Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited said, “We commend both Vanisha and Vivan’s resilience and desire to continue with their education even after the irreparable loss of their mother and father during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are gratified to be able to help the two students complete their education and it is our sincere endeavour to support as many children as we can so that their education up to diploma or graduation continues unhampered.”
Dr Ganesh Raja, CEO, Kotak Education Foundation said, "KEF and Buddy4Study - one of India’s largest scholarship platforms, together are working towards expanding the coverage of Kotak Shiksha Nidhi to Kona Kona of India. The online application can be easily accessible via a computer / laptop or even a mobile handset. The financial assistance being given under Kotak Shiksha Nidhi to Vanisha and Vivan Pathak and all other such selected students will cover school and college fees, library deposit, stationery and other relevant expenses payable to the school/college, including hostel lodging & boarding expenses.”
Kotak Shiksha Nidhi
Kotak Shiksha Nidhi is a collaborative CSR Project on Education and Livelihood of Kotak Mahindra Group companies, which is being implemented by Kotak Education Foundation (KEF).
The initiative, open to Indian nationals only, started inviting applications in September. The application window will remain open until March 31, 2022. Students who have lost a parent/parents and/or a primary earning member of the family from April 1, 2020 onwards, and are studying in a government recognised State and Central Board or Indian University in any standard from the first grade to diploma or graduation (i.e. from age six years to 22 years) are eligible to apply.
Application Deadline: 31st March, 2022
Apply Online: https://kotakeducation.org/kotak-shiksha-nidhi/
