The India Circuit Blogs

Subsequent to my previous blog about the Cadence Scholarship Program, I bring to you another inspiring story featuring one of our students - Mohammad Mujamil.

Meet Mohammad Mujamil

Growing up with poverty always at the door, struggling as a first-generation learner, having to return to his village from the city during the pandemic—the odds appeared pretty heavily stacked against Mohammad Mujamil. Yet, today he is in the final year of his B.Tech in Electronics Communication from Bangalore’s prestigious MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology. What is more, he has already secured a well-paying job with a healthcare insurance company. Kudos not just to this young man, but also to his family who stood behind him and, in the face of challenging poverty, encouraged him to study rather than dropping out of the educational system to provide for them.

Hailing from a small town in Karnataka, Mujamil spent most of his childhood and youth in Bangalore with his carpenter father, his homemaker mother, and his younger sister, all living in a tiny one-room tenement. He scored good marks in his Grade 12 Board examinations and, while trying to figure out how to finance his further education, was referred to the Cadence Scholarship Program by his college.

Mujamil impressed the Cadence and Joining Hands selection committee right away with his potential and quiet determination, so much so that the committee decided to fund not only the college fees but also the dorm fees. But what has been of equal value has been the mentorship and guidance provided by Cadence’s Dr. S Rajesh. Being an engineer himself, Dr. Rajesh’s guidance to Mujamil on his academics has been priceless. Along with that, he has encouraged and guided Mujamil to build his confidence and communication skills.

In the face of the pandemic, the family was forced to move back from Bangalore to their village, where the internet connection is exceedingly poor. Attending classes became very difficult for Mujamil, but nevertheless he continued with his studies, aided by video recordings and calls with Dr. Rajesh. Today, Mujamil is looking ahead at a bright future. But Cadence’s role doesn’t end there! Cadence and Concern India Foundation have also taken Mujamil’s sister under their wing and she is now enrolled in the Cadence Scholarship Program as well.

Kofi Annan once said; “Education is the premise of progress in every society, in every family.” By supporting brilliant young individuals like Mujamil and his sister, we look to contributing to the progress of families and of our society at large.

The Cadence Scholarship Program

At Cadence, giving back to society is of the important aspects of the work culture. We make a difference in the world by helping others through our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

The Cadence Scholarship Program is one of our flagship CSR programs of Cadence India,  introduced five years ago. Many meritorious students from under-served sections of the society drop out of the education system after school because of the lack of finances. The Program addresses this issue by retaining such students in the academic cycle through funding and support.

The execution and administration of the program is managed by our NGO partners Concern India Foundation (CIF) and Joining Hands.  The students are selected through a rigorous process of due diligence carried out by Joining Hands. Concern India Foundation oversees the students' performance throughout their coursework.

Over the last five years, it has benefited 132 students in the NCR region where it was started. After a successful pilot, it was expanded to Bangalore four years ago, and has benefited 71 students. In its third year, the Pune chapter was added and has helped 32 students till date. Cadence employees in each of these locations volunteer as mentors to help them with their studies, develop their confidence, and improve their communication and employability skills.