Dhanbad: In a bid towards promoting gender equity in STEM education, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad launched the G. V. Raghavan Centenary Memorial Scholarship Scheme on Saturday. The initiative is designed to support girl students from economically weaker sections pursuing studies in core earth science and engineering disciplines, including Mining, Petroleum, Applied Geology, and Applied Geophysics.
The launch event, held at the Golden Jubilee Lecture Theatre (GJLT), witnessed the formal signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA), officially initiating the scholarship scheme. The endowment donation of Rs 1 crore by the Raghavan family from Giridih, Jharkhand, has made this landmark initiative possible.
P.M. Prasad, Chairman of Coal India Limited, attended the ceremony virtually as the Chief Guest. IIT (ISM) Director Prof. Sukumar Mishra, also joining remotely from Delhi, expressed sincere appreciation to the Raghavan family for their contribution toward empowering women in technical education.
Prof. Dheeraj Kumar, Deputy Director of IIT (ISM), presided over the event. Distinguished faculty members, including Prof. Rajni Singh, Dean of Corporate Communications; Prof. R. M. Bhattacharjee, Dean of International Relations and Alumni Affairs; and Prof. Rajiv Upadhyay, were also present and addressed the gathering.
Family members of the late G. V. Raghavan — including his children, grandchildren, and extended relatives from across India — participated in the ceremony, marking a proud and emotional moment for the family and the institute.
The scholarship will annually reimburse tuition fees for girl students admitted through the IIT-JEE system under the Merit-Cum-Means (MCM) category in the designated programs. The initiative is expected to encourage greater female participation in core engineering fields and reflects IIT (ISM) Dhanbad’s ongoing commitment to inclusive and transformative education.
