Five students from India have secured a place among the top 50 finalists for the Chegg.org Global Student Prize 2025, a prestigious USD 100,000 award that recognises students making meaningful contributions to education, innovation, and social change around the world.
Chosen from nearly 11,000 applications and nominations across 148 countries, the Indian finalists include Adarsh Kumar and Mannat Samra of Jayshree Periwal International School in Jaipur, Dhiraj Gatmane from Secondary and Higher Secondary School in Kasampura, Maharashtra, Jahaan Arora from The International School Bangalore, and Shivansh Gupta of Heritage International Xperiential School in the Delhi-NCR region.
Kumar was recognised for launching Mission Badlao, an initiative that helped over 1,300 families access government welfare schemes, and for developing Skillzo, a platform focused on mentorship and entrepreneurial education.
Samra, 17, earned her spot for her work in criminal justice reform, refugee education, and environmental technology, including the co-development of SecureSense, an AI-based surveillance tool designed to safeguard border communities.
Gatmane, who grew up in the tribal regions of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, founded Second Sunrise to promote digital literacy among senior citizens, construct eco-homes, and conduct health screenings.
He plans to expand his Tech Pods initiative internationally and train 50,000 more volunteers if awarded the prize.
Arora’s work includes impactful fundraising efforts for people living with HIV and the creation of $ocialCred$, a youth-driven time-banking platform that rewards community service.
Gupta was acknowledged for his initiatives in gender equality, social inclusion, and innovation.
The Global Student Prize, open to students aged 16 and above enrolled in academic or skills-based programmes, will announce its top 10 finalists next month.
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The final winner will be selected by a distinguished panel from the Global Student Prize Academy later this year.
Nathan Schultz, President and CEO of Chegg, Inc., praised the finalists as change-makers who are actively shaping a better world through bold thinking and action.
Sunny Varkey, founder of the Varkey Foundation, highlighted the transformative power of education and underscored the importance of supporting students who are leading with purpose.
