UPES signs a landmark MoU with the Indian Navy to provide educational opportunities to Naval Personnel and their families
DEHRADUN : In a landmark move, Mrs. Shashi Tripathi, President, Navy Welfare & Wellness Association (NWWA), along with Cmde SM Urooj Athar, Cmde (Naval Education), and Mr. Manish Madaan, Registrar UPES, Dehradun signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Navy to provide academic and professional development opportunities to its personnel and their families. This agreement, aligned with similar collaborations that UPES has established with the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force, is part of the university’s ongoing commitment to honour and support India’s defence forces through education.
Through this partnership, UPES will offer a comprehensive range of educational programmes to Naval personnel, both serving and retired, as well as their spouses and wards. The scope of the MoU also includes support for families of Naval personnel who died in harness or have been physically incapacitated in the line of duty. The offerings will span full-time on-campus undergraduate and postgraduate programs, part-time Ph.D. programs designed for working professionals, and flexible online learning courses in areas such as management, law, technology, and more. Additionally, joint research activities and management development initiatives will also form an integral part of the collaboration.
Speaking on the occasion, Mrs Shashi Tripathi, President, Navy Welfare & Wellness Association, said: “This collaboration with UPES is a significant step towards enabling our naval community to leverage the transformative power of education more flexibly and efficiently. By opening new academic pathways for our serving and retired personnel, their families, and especially for the Veernaris and their wards, we are investing in their future and honouring their immense sacrifices. Education is not just a tool for personal growth — it is a means to uplift families, open new doors, and build stronger, more resilient communities. This MoU reaffirms our commitment to ensure that every member of our extended naval family has access to quality learning, meaningful opportunities, and the support they need to thrive.”
Expressing his views on the MoU, Mr. Bharat Kharbanda, Member, Board of Governors, UPES, remarked, “This partnership is our tribute to the commitment and courage of the Indian Navy. We are proud to extend our academic ecosystem to those who serve the nation and to support their personal and professional journeys through meaningful educational pathways.”
As part of its commitment, the university will provide merit-based scholarships to wards of serving or retired Naval personnel, provided they meet the academic criteria and confirm their admissions within the stipulated timelines. Naval personnel enrolling in online learning programs will benefit from a 20% fee waiver, along with a 5% relaxation in eligibility criteria. For those with relevant work experience, project work requirements may be waived and replaced with a viva-based assessment. Learners will also have access to live weekend classes and recorded sessions, ensuring flexibility. Online examinations can be taken remotely, supporting both domestic and international participation.
For Naval personnel pursuing part-time Ph.D. programs at UPES, the university will offer a 50% scholarship on tuition fees for each semester. Scholars will also be granted limited-time access to UPES’s e-library resources and may be provided guest house accommodation for academic visits, subject to availability. The MoU also lays the foundation for future academic and research collaboration in key areas relevant to the Indian Navy, including aviation, aeronautics, engineering, science and technology, logistics, management, and legal studies. UPES will facilitate joint research, exchange of knowledge, and leadership development programs aligned with the Navy’s operational and strategic priorities.
For more details, please visit https://www.upes.ac.in/
About UPES
Established through the UPES Act, 2003, of the State Legislature of Uttarakhand, UPES is a top-ranked, UGC-recognised, private university. As per the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2024, the Ministry of Education, Government of India, UPES has been ranked 46 among universities, with a rank of 28 in Law, 41 in Management, and a rank of 42 in Engineering. As per the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2025, UPES now stands in the 501-600 band globally and 7th in India, with a leap of over 300 ranks from 2024. In addition to this, the university has been ranked the No.1 private university in academic reputation in India by the QS World University Rankings 2025. It is among the top 2% of universities in the world.
UPES has also been accredited by NAAC with a grade ‘A’ and has received 5 stars on Employability (placements) by globally acclaimed QS Rating. The university has had 100% placements over the last five years. Forty-six (46) faculty members of UPES are among the world’s top 2% researchers as per Stanford University list.
UPES offers graduate and postgraduate programs through its seven schools: School of Advanced Engineering, School of Computer Science, School of Design, School of Law, School of Business, School of Health Sciences & Technology, and School of Liberal Studies and Media with 16,000+ students and 1,500+ faculty and staff members.
