- SRMIST signs MoU with Indian Coast Guard Welfare Association (CGWWA) to offer educational support for families of Coast Guard personnel.
- Tuition fee relaxations and reserved seats will be provided for spouses and wards of serving, retired, martyred, or disabled Coast Guard members.
- The initiative promotes inclusive, interdisciplinary education and honors the sacrifices of India’s maritime defense community.
In a major move towards enhancing inclusive educational opportunities for Indian Coast Guard personnel families, SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST), Kattankulathur, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Coast Guard Welfare and Wellness Association (CGWWA). The CGWWA, being a non-gender welfare association under the Indian Coast Guard, has an instrumental role to play in maintaining the welfare of the extended community of the service. This alliance is a commitment to bringing the value of quality education to the families of individuals who serve and protect the country's maritime interests.
The MoU was signed officially at the Indian Coast Guard Regional Headquarters (East) in Chennai. The signatories were Dr. S. Ponnusamy, Registrar of SRMIST, DIG Anurag Kaushik, Chief of Staff at the Indian Coast Guard Regional Headquarters (East), and Mrs. Priya Paramesh, President of CGWWA. The event was a demonstration of the cooperative mindset between the armed forces and academia, with the goal of providing easier access to higher education for Coast Guard personnel's families.
Prof. C. Muthamizhchelvan, SRMIST Vice Chancellor, pointed out that the institute has a strong commitment to the vision of inclusive and interdisciplinary education. He pointed out that this cooperation with the Indian Coast Guard and CGWWA is a sign of SRMIST's social responsibility, especially by empowering the dreams of students whose families have devoted their lives to national service.
The MoU provides for salient provisions aimed at the wards and spouses of currently serving and retired Coast Guard officers. Significant among these is the inclusion of those whose relatives have been martyred on duty or are disabled. SRMIST, as per the agreement, will grant tuition fee relaxations and special seats in various undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs offered at its different campuses.
Through establishing this alliance, SRMIST aims to not just empower the Coast Guard community through education but also be a pillar that helps solidify the building blocks of a knowledge society. The program is consistent with larger national objectives of enhancing educational equity and paying tribute to the sacrifices of India's defense personnel and their families.
