Hospitals overflowed, homes fell silent, and across India, families were forced to grieve alone. While the country has since reopened its doors and learned to live with uncertainty, the truth remains that the pandemic did not end for everyone. For thousands of children who lost parents, caregivers, and financial security, the impact continues every single day.
Amid this quiet aftermath is a generation carrying invisible grief, children whose education was interrupted, whose dreams were paused, and whose futures were suddenly uncertain.
One such child is Malladi Sushma.
In a modest colony in Nuzvid, Andhra Pradesh, Sushma’s world revolved around school, books, and a simple dream to study at IIIT and become a software engineer. Her father, Ramarao, worked as a bike mechanic and was the sole earning member of the family. Life was modest but stable.
That stability collapsed in 2021.
When Ramarao contracted COVID-19, his condition worsened rapidly. He was shifted to a government hospital, where he passed away alone. Like countless families during the second wave, Sushma and her mother were not allowed to see him one last time. His body was taken directly for the last rites. There was no goodbye.
Sushma was in Class 7.
Her mother, Prasanna, uneducated and suddenly widowed, began working as a domestic helper to survive. Education became fragile. Every school fee, every notebook, every exam felt like a burden too heavy to carry. Sushma quietly began believing that her dreams might need to be sacrificed for survival.
At a moment when the future felt like it was closing in, support arrived not as charity, but as belief.
Through the Sanjeevani Scholarship Program, an initiative by Sony India in partnership with IGF-India, Sushma received educational support that changed the direction of her life.
The scholarship did more than cover academic expenses; it restored dignity, confidence, and the courage to dream again.
With renewed assurance, Sushma studied relentlessly. She went on to score 577 out of 600 in her Class 10 examinations and secured admission to IIIT. As she entered the campus gates, she carried gratitude in her heart for her mother’s resilience and for a program that believed her future was worth investing in.
The Sanjeevani Program was born from a simple but powerful truth: education is one of the strongest pathways to recovery.
The Sanjeevani Program was designed with this larger reality in mind. Sony India and IGF-India recognised that children who lost parents or guardians during the pandemic were among the most vulnerable, yet often the least visible. The program focuses on ensuring that such loss does not permanently disrupt access to education or the possibility of a dignified future. It supports children from economically marginalised and socially disadvantaged backgrounds, particularly those from SC/ST/OBC/EWS communities, single-parent households, and families facing layered vulnerabilities.
“The pandemic may have receded from public memory, but for many children, its consequences are still unfolding every day. Education is not just continuity—it is recovery, dignity, and the possibility of a future that loss could not erase. Through the Sanjeevani Scholarship Program, our effort is to ensure that no child’s potential is defined by a tragedy they did not choose. We are proud to partner with Sony India in creating pathways of hope where uncertainty once prevailed.” Sundeep Talwar, CEO, IGF-India
Mr Sanjay Bhatnagar, Vice President, CHRO & CSR Head, “At Sony India, we believe meaningful CSR is about translating concern into long-term commitment. The Sanjeevani Scholarship Program reflects our responsibility toward children whose lives were disrupted by the pandemic—ensuring that loss does not define their future. This initiative is not about temporary relief, but about restoring confidence, continuity, and the courage to dream again.”
The program offers comprehensive educational support, including tuition fees, learning materials, digital access, and essential needs, supported by a transparent and rigorous selection process. Each application undergoes multi-level verification, combining documentation, on-ground engagement, and contextual understanding to ensure that assistance reaches those most in need. Funds are disbursed directly to educational institutions, ensuring accountability and uninterrupted learning.
As India continues to rebuild, the responsibility to support those most affected remains ongoing. Encouraged by the impact of the program, Sony India and IGF-India are exploring ways to expand Sanjeevani across more regions, languages, and special-needs categories, with a strong focus on rural India. The partnership also calls upon other stakeholders to join this collective effort because no child’s education should be a casualty of a crisis they did not create.
Sushma’s journey is not an exception. It is a reminder of what becomes possible when timely support meets determination and of the many futures that can still be rebuilt through access to education.
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