The Jha Family Legacy of Learning

Merit-cum-Means Scholarship Endowment | Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Five Names, One Family, One Promise

In memory of Ripu Sudan & Yashoda Thakur, Ek Nath & Gunjeshwari Jha, Prabhu Nath & Nirmala Jha, S.N. & Renu Mishra, and Amit Kumar Jha — five memorial scholarship funds, all made possible by the generosity of Mr. Ramanand Jha, stand as a living tribute to the people who shaped his life. Each fund carries a name forward. Each name now carries a student through IIT Madras.

Since its founding, this endowment has helped talented students from financially constrained families complete their engineering degrees at one of India's premier institutions — without the weight of tuition standing between them and their potential.

Why This Matters

Under the Government's Merit-cum-Means Scholarship scheme, eligible students receive support covering two-thirds of their annual fee — ₹1.33 lakh ($1,389 USD) of the ₹2 lakh total ($2,088 USD). The remaining ₹66,667 per student, per year ($700 USD), is where donor generosity steps in — closing the gap so no admitted student is turned away for lack of means. Through a generous $25,000 grant that has already been funded, the Legacy Fund has helped finance this vital effort to support and empower gifted students over the last two years.

Who Qualifies:

• Annual parental income between ₹1 lakh and ₹5 lakh.

• Enrolled in B.Tech, Dual Degree, or B.S. programs.

• Coverage for up to four years of study.

• Not currently receiving any other scholarship.

The Impact, In Their Own Words

"This scholarship has given me the support and motivation to stay focused on my education... it has encouraged me to stay focused on my studies and actively participate in academic and campus activities." — Nutheti Hansika, Mechanical Engineering

"Receiving this scholarship alleviated the burden of living expenses for my military-pension-supported family, providing immense peace of mind... this scholarship empowered me to successfully complete my degree and confidently start my career." — Rohan Rajaram Kenjale, Ocean Engineering

"The support could not have come at a better time because it provided vital support to my family in time of dire need. It helped me divert my mind from troubles at home and concentrate on my studies." — Sachin G K, Civil Engineering

"This monetary grant was quite beneficial in mitigating my fears that my parental income would not be enough to pay the institute fees." — Aiman Nazar, Mechanical Engineering

10 Scholars, 5 Legacies, Countless Futures Ahead

This year's 2026 cohort spans Mechanical, Civil, Ocean, Chemical, Metallurgical, and Data Science & AI Engineering — future placements at companies like American Express, Appian, Tata Steel, and beyond; students representing IIT Madras nationally in sports, robotics, and cultural leadership; and every one of them the first to say the burden lifted is what let them dream bigger.

From a national-record sports event to a state swimming team, from a hyperloop research project to an intern desk at Tata Steel — these are not just recipients of a scholarship. They are proof of what becomes possible when a financial barrier is removed at exactly the right moment.

Carry the Legacy Forward

Every gift to this fund becomes a bridge — between a family's sacrifice and a student's ambition, between a name remembered and a future being built. Join Mr. Ramanand Jha in making sure merit, not means, determines who gets to walk through IIT Madras's gates.