Development Consortium

For many young women in India, finishing school does not automatically lead to the life of their choice. Family pressure, restrictions on mobility, early marriage and a lack of guidance can force young women to give up their ambitions before they have had a chance to make an informed choice about their future.  The ability to pursue professional education is one of the pathways towards a life of financial and personal independence. Social and economic pressures however make this path difficult specially for young women.  Streeksha, an initiative of the Development Consortium, helps young women overcome these barriers through scholarships, mentorship, skills training and career support. Your contribution can help cover her college fees, books, accommodation, living expenses, professional skills and opportunities for work experience. It will also help her delay marriage, fight for her rights, negotiate for her education and give her the agency to not compromise her aspirations.  A contribution of $2,632 or ₹2.5 lakh can support one Streeksha scholar for an entire year. Scroll down below for more options on how you can support! What makes Streeksha unique?   Unlike most other scholarships, Streeksha is designed not only as a merit scholarship but as a circumstance moving support. During our selection process, we give equal weightage to merit but also to the socio- economic financial circumstances of our scholars. If a scholar can change the circumstances of her and that of her family by pursuing a vocational course in her town or by joining a premium university in a metropolitan, Streeksha supports all disadvantaged young women.  Streeksha has so far supported 23 young women from underserved communities from Rajasthan and Bihar to pursue professional education in a variety of domains including computer science, geoinformatics, nursing and life sciences and education. Our first scholar Annu Kumari is now a Remote Sensing Scientist working for government projects for Agriculture. She also contributed to studies on Chandrayan. Her journey from a small town of Mehrual in Rajasthan, India’s remote Sensing program is truly a testament to what encouragement and support from you can bring about.  “Receiving the Streeksha scholarship changed my life in many ways. The financial support helped me pursue my education at a renowned university in India, which opened doors to opportunities that I had only dreamed of before. The scholarship not only supported my education but also helped me believe in my potential and showed me that girls can excel and build successful careers in technical fields.”   Annu Kumari   Help more of our scholars change their circumstances. Scroll down below to see options on how you can support! Meet our Scholars: Annu is not alone. There are many others like her. Below are stories from some of our girls who are making the journey towards a life of independence.   Muskan Prajapat – From her home in the town of Khairthal in Rajasthan, Muskan went for BSc Zoology at Delhi University to an Integrated Masters in Biotechnology, Muskan is now training as a data analyst. Her story is proof that ambition, when nurtured, knows no limits. “Coming from a modest background, I had learned to limit my dreams. Streeksha removed those boundaries — enabling me to study at Delhi University, discover new interests, build confidence, and reinvent myself. I have continuously evolved without the fear of financial limitations holding me back.” Muskan Prajapat Ekta – From Narwas village in Rajasthan, where her life was once destined for early marriage, Ekta found her voice through education. With Streeksha’s support, she completed her BA in History at Delhi University and now teaches while pursuing her B.Ed . “This scholarship gave me more than an education — it gave me belief in my own potential. I will remain forever thankful to those who invested in my future. Their faith in me fuels my commitment to fulfill my own dreams and to create opportunities for others, proving that their trust was truly well placed.” Ekta Yadav Sugandh – A NCC cadet, a yoga trainer and a BTech in Computer Science. Sugandh has not let her modest background come in the way of her aspirations. Her parents, migrant labourers in Delhi were supported by Streeksha in ensuring that Sugandh can fly high. A specialized course in ethical hacking from IIT Indore, also supported by Streeksha helped her land her first internship. Even the sky is not the limit for our Sugandh. “Before Streeksha, financial stress and lack of guidance made continuing my education difficult. The scholarship eased the burden, gave me confidence, and opened doors to learning and skill development. Today, I’m building my cybersecurity expertise with clarity and determination.” Sugandh Bhardwaj Your support can change the lives of many other young women like Ekta, Annu, Muskan and Sugandh. Scroll down below to see how you can support!   A Note from Streeksha Founder “Streeksha began as a personal initiative, a tribute from me to Papa. After losing him at the age of 58 to fronto-temporal dementia, I was keen to honor him for what I considered his single most important gift to me. As I saw girls around me step back on education, Papa motivated me to study in Delhi, the first girl in my household to have ever stepped out for education. Then again, I became the first person ever to study abroad from my family. Papa provided this support not just to me but all the girls who could not fight this battle at their homes. Today my friends and I live independent lives, and this is the dream I have for our scholars. That is why Streeksha is also not merely envisaged as a merit or a STEM scholarship. It is an opportunity that is offered to every girl, who wants to change the circumstances for herself and her family. And that is why our scholars range from Remote Sensing Analyst to Auxiliary Nurses & Midwives (ANMs), because every girl is moving towards financial independence and there is no one path towards it.” Arti Shukla   Why does this matter? As of 2026, nearly all girls in India enroll in primary school (Gross Enrolment Ratio of 92.3%), but only about 60.9% make it to higher secondary, meaning 4 in 10 girls drop out before Class 12. Even for those who do complete school, only 27.2% of women in India participate in the workforce compared to 76.6% of men — showing how education often fails to translate into financial independence. This gap is not due to lack of talent, but lack of opportunity. Streeksha exists to bridge this gap. Through your support we can help young women to rise above barriers, pursue higher education, and lead lives of dignity, resilience, and ambition. How can you support? 1. Provide financial sponsorship.   Breakdown of Annual Costs (INR / USD):   Books and supplies — ₹15,000 / $158 Exam fees — ₹5,000 / $53 College fees (per semester) — ₹25,000 / $263 Living stipends — ₹175,000 / $1,842 Research & work experience — ₹15,000 / $158 Skills training (English, IT, Communication, soft skills) — ₹15,000 / $158 2. Provide mentorship - Support a scholar by providing them with guidance on higher education and building their career. If you would like to get involved in this capacity, please write to us at partnerships@devcons.org   3. Support with upskilling - If you can help our scholars develop skills that will help them shape their careers (tech, language or other soft skills), please get in touch with us partnerships@devcons.org   You are giving a future to girls which will have a multiplier effect over their lives — transforming not just one destiny, but of their families and communities.  About Development Consortium Streeksha is an initiative of New Delhi based Nonprofit Development Consortium that helps young women from disadvantaged backgrounds pursue higher education and move towards financial independence - https://www.devcons.org/streeksha-1 Development Consortium is registered under India’s Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, or FCRA, to receive eligible foreign contributions in accordance with applicable regulations. Scholar stories and photographs featured on this page are shared with their consent. References Girl Child Education in India: The Numbers That Matter in 2026 – The Pushpa Narendra Foundation Labour Market Dynamics in Million-plus Cities, 2025 , National Statistics Office (NSO), Government of India, June 2026. Million +cities-combined Press note Women and Men in India 2025: Selected Indicators and Data , Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Government of India, April 2026. -Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation | Government Of India