39 more girls get aid under Nanda Sunanda project for education in Doon

my uttarakhand news Bureau

DEHRADUN, 23 May: The Dehradun district administration’s ambitious ‘Nanda-Sunanda’ project continues to bring new hope to economically distressed girls. At at an event here on Saturday, financial assistance worth Rs 12.98 lakh was disbursed  to 39 beneficiaries during the 15th edition of the initiative held at the district Collectorate.  District Magistrate Savin Bansal distributed cheques to the beneficiaries on this occasion and encouraged them to remain committed towards education and self-reliance.

The initiative, being implemented under the guidance of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, aims to ensure that the education of girls from financially and socially weaker families does not get disrupted due to adverse circumstances. With the latest distribution, the project has so far helped revive the education of 175 girls by providing assistance amounting to nearly Rs 57 lakh.

Under the latest phase of the scheme, assistance was extended to 12 girls studying at the primary level, nine from upper primary classes, five from secondary level, seven from senior secondary classes, five pursuing graduation and one pursuing post-graduation. Emotional scenes unfolded during the programme as several girls and their mothers narrated stories of hardship, financial distress and personal struggles that had threatened to bring their education to a halt. Many spoke about losing their fathers, battling severe economic difficulties and surviving with single parents trying to support families under extremely challenging circumstances. Their accounts left many officials, employees and parents present at the venue visibly emotional.

Addressing the gathering, DM Bansal said that ups and downs are a natural part of life, but strong determination and courage can help overcome every challenge. He urged the girls to utilise the opportunities provided to them and continue moving towards their goals with confidence and dedication. He described ‘Nanda-Sunanda’ as a sensitive and meaningful initiative intended not merely as financial assistance but as a campaign to give wings to the dreams of daughters who otherwise risk losing access to education due to economic hardship.

Chief Development Officer (CDO) Abhinav Shah said students should pursue their studies with full dedication and responsibility so that they become self-reliant in future and are also able to support others in need. He said the government and district administration remain committed to ensuring that no child is deprived of education because of financial constraints.

Several inspiring examples emerged during the programme. Anshika Sharma, an MSc second semester student, said her mother works as an Anganwadi worker and the family’s weak financial condition had made continuation of studies difficult. Madiha Beg, a BCA second semester student, said her mother has been supporting the family through tailoring work following the death of her father. Tanishka Mehar said her family has been entirely dependent on her mother after her father’s death and financial difficulties had begun affecting her education. Harshita, pursuing BSc OTT, said her widowed mother supports the family through stitching work and it had become impossible to pay her fees. Aanchal Pundir, a BSc Nursing student, said her studies were on the verge of discontinuation due to economic hardship. Amrita Sharma, pursuing BA-BEd, said her mother has been raising the family as an Anganwadi worker since the death of her father in 2020.

All 39 beneficiaries pledged to make meaningful use of the assistance provided by the district administration and work towards becoming successful individuals capable of helping other needy and helpless people in society.

The district administration further stated that since its inception, the “Nanda-Sunanda” project has helped girls pursuing education across multiple streams including primary, upper primary, secondary, senior secondary, graduation, post-graduation, PhD, ANM, Civil Engineering, MBBS, Hotel Management and skill development courses.

District Programme Officer Jitendra Kumar, District Probation Officer Meena Bisht, CDPOs from various regions, other officials, employees, students and their guardians were among those present during the programme.