By OurCorrespondent
BHUBANESWAR:Bansidhar & Ila Panda Foundation (BIPF) felicitated the recipients of ‘Professor Ghanashyam Dash Scholarship for Higher Education’ (PGDS). In the academic year 2025-2026, we have four recipients pursuing MBBS, Chumki Jena (AIIMS, Bhubaneswar), Annapurna Chakrabarty (SCB Medical College & Hospital, Cuttack), Gyana Ranjan Behera (Shri Jagannath Medical College & Hospital, Puri), Dhableswar Pujari (Saheed Laxman Nayak Medical College & Hospital, Koraput,) and Naba Jyoti Giri enrolled in B.Tech Computer Science at NIT Rourkela, Odisha.
Every year meritorious students, pursuing professional degrees in engineering, medicine, STEM and liberal arts, receive this prestigious scholarship. The selected candidates get up to 90% of the academic fee and eligible expenses for 4 year course amounting up to Rs. 6 Lakhs per recipient. Instituted in 2005 by IMFA, this scholarship is named after renowned historian Late Prof. Ghanashyam Dash, father of late Mrs. Ila Panda; is to provide equal opportunity through financial assistance to facilitate higher education.
Since 2016, BIPF has taken over the mantle of this scholarship and has added a new dimension by introducing “UTSAAH”, a meaningful segment for mentorship. All recipients will receive mentoring, coaching, and virtual sessions over 20 modules, specifically designed to help them strengthen academic focus, time management, career prospects, mental wellness, AI skills, life and social skills, identify their inner potential, networking opportunities, hone their oratory and leadership traits, and unleash their capability for a well-planned trajectory.
Congratulating the recipients, “Ms Shaifalika Panda (Trustee & Founder CEO, Bansidhar & Ila Panda Foundation) said “Education is fundamental; for every individual educated, the impact uplifts families and transforms entire communities. By supporting meritorious students, we fuel their potential to become enablers to national growth. To further strengthen their path to success we undertake a mentorship program to help students develop leadership qualities and agile skills to make informed choices in this constantly evolving world.”
About Bansidhar and Ila Panda Foundation (BIPF)
With a mission to engage, educate and empower the most underserved populations, the Bansidhar & Ila Panda Foundation (BIPF) was established in 2011 inspired by the vision of its IMFA’s founders. Its programmes place special emphasis on women and youth, recognising them as key drivers of long-term socio-economic transformation. Over the years, BIPF has become a trusted partner in community development, focusing on sustainable and scalable solutions that empower the most vulnerable. The Foundation’s work spans several interlinked areas of community development. Operating in more than six districts of Odisha and covering hundreds of villages, BIPF has touched the lives of thousands through its education, health, and livelihood initiatives. Its work has earned national recognition, including multiple CSR awards, affirming its role as a catalyst for meaningful change. With a participatory approach that encourages community ownership, and commitment to solutions that are both inclusive and scalable, the Bansidhar & Ila Panda Foundation continues to shape a more empowered and self-reliant future for the people of Odisha.
