Digi Vritti, a small digital pilot in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan is using real-time technology to help students get their scholarships within days, not months. The platform — powered by the Open Network for Employment and Skilling Transformation (ONEST) — connects students needing scholarships with bhamashahs (donors) “It’s like Flipkart,” says Sher Singh Rajput of the Piramal Foundation. This system could scale up to include govt scholarships in the future. Every year, India sets aside over Rs 50,000 crore for scholarships and benefits to support marginalised communities — nearly a quarter of the population. Yet, much of this money goes unspent. Most students in India must navigate multiple portals, often without reliable internet access to apply for scholarships. For MNREGA labourer Suman, every minute lost chasing paperwork means lost wages for her daughter Ronak. “Ive been waiting for her scholarship since she was in Class 6. Last time, I spent almost Rs 1,000 on photocopies, bank visits, running from one office to another to another,’ says Suman.