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Pune: COEP Technological University, a prestigious engineering institution, has received a philanthropic donation of ₹2 crore from renowned bridge engineer Virindra Kumar Raina and his wife, Vinita Raina. The endowment will establish the Virindra-Vinita Raina Engineering Scholarships, a perpetual fund aimed at supporting financially challenged yet meritorious Civil Engineering students of COEP.
The scholarships will be awarded every year to select third-year and final-year Civil Engineering students on a merit-cum-means basis. The fund will remain a permanent corpus, with scholarships distributed from the interest generated, ensuring sustained student support in the years ahead.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) formalising the endowment was signed between COEP Technological University and Raina on Aug 18. Present on the occasion were vice chancellor Prof Sunil Bhirud, director (RIIL) Srinivas Mahajan, and senior faculty members.
Expressing gratitude, Prof Sunil Bhirud said, “We are deeply grateful to Raina for this generous contribution. This gesture reflects a strong commitment to empowering future engineers through education. The endowment will open doors of opportunity for talented students facing financial challenges and will inspire others to contribute towards nation-building through education.”
Reflecting on the initiative, Raina remarked, “Education has been the foundation of my own journey, and I firmly believe that no deserving student should be deprived of opportunities due to financial limitations. COEP holds a special place in my heart. Through this scholarship, my wife and I hope to support and inspire future generations of civil engineers to dream big, work hard, and contribute meaningfully to society.”
Raina is internationally acclaimed as a pioneering bridge engineer. He has worked with the United Nations, World Bank, and African Development Bank across 22 countries. During his illustrious career, he has designed and supervised over 1,10,000 lane-metres of bridges and trained hundreds of engineers worldwide. He also served as Distinguished Chair Professor (Bridges) at COEP Tech, mentoring students and faculty with his expertise.
The Virindra-Vinita Raina Engineering Scholarships are expected to significantly expand opportunities for aspiring civil engineers, reinforcing COEP’s commitment to excellence with equity.
