The Global Student Prize 2025, organized by the Varkey Foundation in partnership with Chegg.org, celebrates students who drive transformative change. Five Indian students have earned a spot in the top 50 shortlist, selected from nearly 11,000 nominations across 148 countries. Their initiatives, impacting over 3.5 million people through 1,000+ projects in 25+ countries, span prison reform, climate action, rural entrepreneurship, gender economics, and elder care. The winner will receive USD 100,000 to further their work.
Key Points:
- Five Indian students among 50 global finalists for USD 100,000 prize.
- Selected from 11,000 nominations across 148 countries.
- Focus areas include social justice, education, health, and sustainability.
- Top 10 finalists to be announced next month, winner later in 2025.
Adarsh Kumar: Empowering Rural Youth
From Champaran, Bihar, Adarsh Kumar overcame poverty to found Skillzo, a platform training 19,500+ underserved youths. His journey from self-learning in public libraries to securing a Rs 30-lakh scholarship at Jayshree Periwal International School (JPIS) inspires others.
Key Points:
- Founded Skillzo and Mission Badlao for rural education and vaccine access.
- Co-built Sparkle and Education-21 with IITs, reaching thousands.
- Google Youth Advisor advocating for equitable tech access.
- Plans SkillzoX, an AI mentorship tool for rural India.
Mannat Samra: Championing Justice and Sustainability
Mannat Samra, a 17-year-old from JPIS, Jaipur, is transforming criminal justice and refugee education. Her initiatives have supported 50,000+ incarcerated individuals and mentored refugee students to universities like Stanford.
Key Points:
- Launched India’s first job portal for ex-convicts via Bridge.
- Developed SustainaBite, converting food waste into high-protein flour.
- Co-created SecureSense, an AI surveillance tool for border communities.
- Plans to scale prison reintegration and juvenile career counseling.
Shivansh Gupta: Advocating Gender Economics
Haryana’s Shivansh Gupta is redefining gender economics through research and action. His non-profit, The Teen Debater, has taught critical thinking to 10,000+ students across 250+ schools.
Key Points:
- Published research on unpaid labor and patriarchy in journals like SocArxiv.
- Trained 40,000+ rural women in financial literacy via government partnerships.
- Invented ParkinStep, a $5 wearable for Parkinson’s patients.
- Aims to scale ParkinStep and expand education to marginalized youths.
Dhiraj Gatmane: Caring for the Elderly
From Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Dhiraj Gatmane’s Second Sunrise supports 3.5 million elders across 20+ countries with green homes, health screenings, and digital literacy programs.
Key Points:
- Built 350 eco-homes and conducted 120,000 health screenings.
- Trained 150,000 elders in digital skills using e-waste-powered Tech Pods.
- Published AI research at Oxford and Imperial College London.
- Plans drone labs, AR heritage trails, and NFT art campaigns.
Jahaan Arora: Feeding and Empowering Communities
Bangalore’s Jahaan Arora has served 950,000 meals to children with HIV/AIDS and cerebral palsy through 1 Million Meals. His $ocialCred$ platform engages 11,900 students in community service.
Key Points:
- Secured USD 440,000 grant from Azim Premji Foundation for 1 Million Meals.
- $ocialCred$ logs 168,000+ volunteer hours across five countries.
- Trash Mafia Kids diverted 20 tonnes of waste from landfills.
- Aims for 1 million meals and civic hours by 2030.
Significance of Their Achievements
These students exemplify how education fuels global change. Their work addresses pressing issues like inequality, environmental degradation, and social exclusion, proving age is no barrier to impact.
Key Points:
- Collectively impacted 3.5 million+ people across 25+ countries.
- Initiatives align with global challenges like sustainability and equity.
- Recognized for innovation, leadership, and community engagement.
- Inspire a new generation to lead with purpose and creativity.
Next Steps for the Global Student Prize
The top 10 finalists will be announced next month, with the winner selected by the Global Student Prize Academy later in 2025. The USD 100,000 prize will support the winner’s vision for greater impact.
Key Points:
- Top 10 announcement expected in September 2025.
- Winner to receive USD 100,000 for scaling their initiatives.
- Finalists gain global visibility and networking opportunities.
- Encourages students to pursue innovative solutions to global problems.
Guidance for Aspiring Changemakers
These stories inspire students to take action. To follow in their footsteps:
Key Points:
- Identify local challenges and create scalable solutions.
- Leverage platforms like Chegg.org for global recognition.
- Collaborate with peers, NGOs, and government bodies for impact.
- Stay updated on opportunities via the Varkey Foundation and Chegg.org.
