Gandhi College offers multiple scholarships based on merit and need. The following scholarships are given to students who are meritorious and/or who come from poor families. A committee consisting of the Principal, Manager, and Gandhi College faculty selects the recipients of these scholarships.
1. Shrimati Rajwanti Modi Scholarship :
This scholarship was established by a generous donation from Mr. Harsh Padia, in the name of his grandmother Shrimati Rajwanti Modi. Mr. Harsh Padia was born in 1978 in New Jersey, USA, where his parents Dr. Ashok Padia and Mrs. Usha Padia have lived for nearly 30 years. He also spent some of his childhood years with his grandparents Shri Purshottam Modi and Shrimati Rajwanti Modi in Bombay, India. His older brother Dr. Siddarth Padia is a medical doctor who also lives in USA. Mr. Harsh Padia graduated from the University of Michigan in 2000, and is a highly successful investment professional who works in the financial district of New York. This scholarship is strictly based on merit.
2. Chandran J. Shukla Scholarship :
Friends of Chandran, his sister Sonia, and his parents, Anne and J. Shukla, have made contributions towards a memorial fund to establish this scholarship in honor of Chandran J. Shukla. This is a need based, gender neutral scholarship.
3. Shrimati Rampyari Devi Agrawal Scholarship :
This scholarship was established by a generous donation from Mrs. Kiran Jiwrajka in the name of her mother Shrimati Rampyari Devi Agrawal. Mr. Santosh Jiwrajka and Mrs. Kiran Jiwrajka also made a generous contribution to build and support a library at Gandhi College. This scholarship is strictly based on merit.
4. Robin and Grant Branstator Scholarship :
Robin Branstator is a former academic at the University of Colorado, where she taught art history and literature. Her husband, Grant, is a scientist at the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research. Both believe in the transforming power of education for all. This scholarship is strictly based on merit.
5. Anoop Natwar Mehta Scholarship :
This scholarship was established by a generous donation from Dr. Om Bahethi and his wife Saraswati Bahethi, in the name of their colleague, Mr. Anoop Natwar Mehta. Mr. Mehta moved with his parents to the United States from Hyderabad, India in 1972. Mr. Mehta has lived in the Washington Metropolitan area since then. Mr. Mehta is currently the Chief Financial Officer for Science Systems and Applications, Inc. (SSAI) and has worked alongside the Bahethi’s since 1980. This scholarship is strictly based on merit.
6. Dr. Mauricio Peredo Scholarship :
This scholarship was established by a generous donation from Dr. Om Bahethi and his wife Saraswati Bahethi, in the name of their colleague Dr. Mauricio Peredo. Dr. Mauricio Peredo was born in Mexico City, Mexico, and moved to the USA in 1980 to pursue studies in Physics and Mathematics at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Peredo has worked on multiple NASA Earth and Space Science projects. Since 2000, Dr. Peredo has worked for Science Systems and Applications, Inc. (SSAI), along with the Bahethies, where he presently serves as Chief Operating Officer. This scholarship is strictly based on merit.
7. D. R. Sikka Scholarship :
This scholarship was established by a generous donation from Dr. Jay Fein and Dr. Sara Fein, of the USA, in honor of Mr. D. R. Sikka. Mr. Sikka was the preeminent meteorologist of India, who was usually referred to as the “Monsoon Guru” and the Dean of Indian Meteorology. Both Dr. Jay Fein and Mr. Sikka are well known for their contribution to monsoon meteorology, and in particular, for the success of the International Monsoon Experiment (MONEX) conducted in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea in 1979. This scholarship is awarded only to girls and is based on merit.
8. Jay Fein Scholarship :
This scholarship was established by a generous donation from Anne and J. Shukla. Dr. Jay Fein was the Director of the Climate Dynamics Program of the National Science Foundation of the USA, who was instrumental in organizing and supporting several research projects and complex field experiments designed to understand the fundamental processes of the climate system. Dr. Fein also played a key role in advancing the science of monsoons, especially the understanding and prediction of Indian monsoons by supporting research, and enhancing collaboration between Indian and American scientists. Dr. Fein, his wife Dr. Sara Fein, and their children Ben and Liz visited Varanasi with Anne and Shukla in December 1996; Jay and Ben also visited the village of Shukla’s birth where Gandhi College was subsequently established. This scholarship is awarded only to girls and is based on merit.
9. Susan Wallace Scholarship :
This scholarship was established by a generous donation from the Friends of Gandhi College and Anne and J. Shukla in honor of Susan “Susie” Wallace, who founded and nurtured the computer literacy and English learning programs at Gandhi College. The scholarship is given to one student each year entering BA Part III, who had the most improved grades from the end of year 1 to the end of year 2, and whose average attendance in years 1 and 2 is 85%. Susie Wallace has an MA in linguistics and literature and an M.Ed. in Teaching English/Bilingual Education. She worked over 25 years in K-12 schools teaching students, directing programs to improve curriculum and teaching, and at the University of Washington helping teachers learn how to improve the education for students learning English. Susie and her husband Mike Wallace have been visiting Gandhi College since 2008. Susie is loved by many students of the college and residents of Mirdha. She especially cherishes her friendships with children and young people whom she has watched grow and flourish and whose photos adorn the walls of her home in Seattle. She is grateful for the friendship and acceptance she found at the college and in the village and considers her time there an unexpected gift in her life. This scholarship is awarded only to girls.
10. Mrs. Kasturi Devi Baheti Scholarship :
This scholarship was established by a generous donation from Om and Saraswati Bahethi Foundation in the honor of Mrs. Kasturi Devi. This is a financial need based scholarship. The scholarship is given to a final-year undergraduate student (BA Part III) from an underserved and underrepresented group including women, with the prior year ( BA Part II ) percentage of marks above 60%. Among all the students with marks greater than 60% in BA Part II, the student with the greatest need should be given this scholarship.
11. Mrs. Ram Pyari Baheti Scholarship :
This scholarship was established by a generous donation from Om and Saraswati Bahethi Foundation in the honor of Mrs. Kasturi Devi. This is a financial need based scholarship. The scholarship is given to a final-year undergraduate student (BA Part III) from an underserved and underrepresented group including women, with the prior year ( BA Part II ) percentage of marks above 60%. Among all the students with marks greater than 60% in BA Part II, the student with the greatest need should be given this scholarship.