National Fellowship Transforms Life of Faridabad's Pratibha Rani, Who Earns PhD
Dr. Pratibha Rani from Haryana overcame financial barriers to achieve her PhD degree with the support of the NFSC scholarship.
The National Fellowship for Scheduled Caste Students (NFSC) scheme, initiated by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, has brought a positive transformation to the life of 35-year-old Dr. Pratibha Rani, a resident of Faridabad, Haryana. Through this scholarship, she was able to overcome her financial challenges and realize her dream of pursuing higher education.
Dr. Pratibha Rani began receiving financial assistance under this scheme in September 2019. This support included a scholarship, House Rent Allowance (HRA), and contingency grants. She received approximately 18 lakh rupees in total through the scheme, which provided critical help in completing her PhD and resolving the financial difficulties associated with higher studies.
Reflecting on her academic journey, Dr. Pratibha mentioned that she initially struggled due to a lack of information regarding educational assistance schemes. She believes that for women from the Scheduled Caste community, achieving higher education is often a difficult dream due to financial constraints, family circumstances, and social pressures. The NFSC provided her with the economic stability needed to focus on her academic goals. This assistance also improved her family's financial situation, as her parents have since retired.
Alongside her studies, Dr. Pratibha has been contributing to the education of underprivileged children for the past 12 years. Her journey also opened new professional opportunities for her. She participated in a project at the CSIR-National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL) in New Delhi, where she received a monthly honorarium of 43,000 rupees for one year.
Expressing her gratitude for the financial support, Dr. Pratibha Rani stated, “NFSC helped me overcome financial challenges and realize my dream of obtaining higher education, provided economic stability, and encouraged me to contribute to the education of underprivileged children.” Her success is now inspiring other girls in her community to pursue higher education and academic development.
