In a proud moment for India, five students have made it to the top 50 shortlist for the Global Student Prize 2025 – a prestigious international award by the Varkey Foundation, run in partnership with Chegg.org.
The five Indian students were selected from nearly 11,000 nominations and applications from 148 countries.
The prize recognises extraordinary students making a real-world impact beyond academics, and awards USD 100,000 to the winner.
“At Chegg, we’re proud to support and celebrate the changemakers who aren’t just imagining a better world – they’re building it,” said Nathan Schultz, President and CEO of Chegg, Inc.
“From environmental and social justice to education, health, and youth empowerment, this year’s Global Student Prize finalists are tackling the world’s most pressing challenges with courage and innovation,” he added.
Meet the five Indian students shortlisted in this year’s top 50:
ADARSH KUMAR: BIHAR’S BARRIER-BREAKER
Growing up in Champaran, Bihar, where electricity was scarce and money scarcer, Adarsh Kumar dared to dream big. Raised by a single mother who worked as a domestic help, he left home at 14 with Rs 1,000 and an old laptop to pursue education in Kota.
He couldn’t afford coaching, so he used public libraries and Wi-Fi to teach himself.
That self-belief led him to found Skillzo, a platform that has trained over 19,500 underserved youths. His earlier project, Mission Badlao, brought vaccines, tree plantations, and school access to rural areas.
Adarsh also co-built Sparkle and Education-21 with IITs, reaching thousands more.
He became the first student to win a Rs 30-lakh full scholarship to JPIS and now helps others secure the same. As a Google Youth Advisor, he advocates for equitable tech access, and his future plan includes SkillzoX, a low-bandwidth AI mentorship tool for rural India.
2. MANNAT SAMRA: GIVING SECOND CHANCES
Mannat Samra, 17, is redefining criminal justice and refugee education. Her prison reform work has helped over 50,000 incarcerated people, from delivering communication training to launching India’s first job portal for ex-convicts. Through Bridge, she supports small businesses run by formerly incarcerated individuals.
Mannat also mentors refugee students, helping some gain entry to universities like Stanford. Her social enterprise SustainaBite turns food waste into high-protein flour, and she co-developed SecureSense, an AI system protecting borderland communities.
Ranked in the top 1% of her class, Mannat has earned awards from the Diana Foundation and Rochester University.
Her idea incubator has nurtured dozens of youth-led projects, and she now plans to scale up prison reintegration and career counselling in juvenile centres.
Her vision is clear: “No one is a prisoner of their circumstances.”
3. SHIVANSH GUPTA: THE VOICE OF THE INVISIBLE
From Haryana, Shivansh Gupta is changing how we understand gender economics and youth leadership. His academic work, published in journals like SocArxiv, explores unpaid labour and patriarchy’s economic impact.
But Shivansh isn’t just a thinker – he’s a doer.
Through government partnerships, he’s trained over 40,000 rural women in financial literacy. His non-profit, The Teen Debater, has taught debate and critical thinking to 10,000+ students in over 250 schools, especially in India’s Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns.
He invented ParkinStep, a $5 wearable that helps Parkinson’s patients walk safely, inspired by his great-grandfather.
A national economics medallist, he’s also a musician and debater who’s competed at Harvard, Oxford and Cambridge.
His next goal? To scale ParkinStep and expand his educational work to marginalised youths globally.
4. DHIRAJ GATMANE: RESTORING DIGNITY TO ELDERS
In the tribal areas of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Dhiraj Gatmane saw how older people suffered in silence. That empathy led to Second Sunrise, a youth-led movement reaching over 3.5 million elderly in 20+ countries.
Second Sunrise has built 350 green homes, conducted 120,000 health screenings, and trained 150,000 elders in digital skills through e-waste-powered Tech Pods. Dhiraj’s model blends sustainability with care, using recycled materials, solar energy, and intergenerational collaboration.
Despite chronic illness and financial hardship, Dhiraj excelled in academics and has published AI research at Oxford and Imperial College London.
His future plan includes drone-deployed labs, AR heritage trails, and a global NFT art campaign led by elders and youth.
For him, “Innovation is about proximity to those we often forget.”
5. JAHAAN ARORA: MEALS, MENTORSHIP, AND A MOVEMENT
Jahaan Arora started by raising funds to feed 40 HIV+ children. Today, his project, 1 Million Meals, has served 950,000 meals and supported children with cerebral palsy and HIV/AIDS across India. It also won a USD440,000 grant from the Azim Premji Foundation.
Jahaan also created $ocialCred$, a youth timebanking platform where students exchange volunteer hours for mentorship and skills. The platform now includes 11,900 children from five countries, clocking 168,000+ hours of community service.
Through his environmental initiative, Trash Mafia Kids, he’s helped divert 20 tonnes of waste from landfills and recycled thousands of items.
Recognised globally, Jahaan has spoken at the World Time Banking Conference and aims to reach 1 million meals and 1 million civic hours by 2030.
BUILDING IMPACT
Whether in a tribal village, a courtroom, or a refuge shelter, these five students have one thing in common – they’re proving that age is no barrier to impact. Their stories echo a global truth: when young minds lead with heart, change becomes not just possible – but unstoppable.
This year’s shortlisted Indian changemakers are not only academic achievers but also builders of global social innovation.
“Their story is a powerful reminder that education is a catalyst for solving global challenges. At a time when the world is changing rapidly, investing in education has never been more vital. It’s how we prepare the next generation to lead with purpose, think boldly, and shape a better future,” said Sunny Varkey, Founder of the Varkey Foundation.
– Ends