Rhodes Trust Expands to Offer 6 Scholarships for Indians
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The Rhodes Trust has announced a sixth scholarship seat specific to students from India in a new sponsored seat of the annual India Rhodes Scholarships. Funded by entrepreneurs Mukund and Soumya Rajan-an MBA alumnus, along with his wife, from the Oxford University MBA program, the couple have long-standing associations with the university and come from a family of dedicated public service.
An Oxford University alumnus and a Rhodes Scholar from 1989, Mukund Rajan met Soumya Rajan here. The couple continues to uphold education with this very scholarship that will be named after Mukund’s father, Raghavachari Govindarajan-Indian Government servant-and Soumya’s great-grandfather, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the second President of India. Dr. Radhakrishnan’s birthday is celebrated as Teachers’ Day in India, and it really goes to underscore the educational legacy that the Rajan family wishes to promote.
The Warden of Rhodes House, Dr Elizabeth Kiss, who visited India recently, said that there were excellent candidates from the country to succeed as Rhodes scholars. She was very positive about the growth of the scholarship programme and envisaged expanding it to seven seats in the future. “India remains one of our top five constituencies, and interest in Rhodes Scholarships from Indian students continues to grow,” she said, adding that the Trust received 700 applications for five positions last year.
Kiss further emphasized the Rhodes Trust’s commitment toward gender balance and diversity; as it is reported that half of its Indian Rhodes scholars happen to be women. The Trust has received applications from all diverse regions of India. These selections happen through a merit-based, proven track record of academic excellence, character, and leadership skills. From Nagaland to Kashmir, all the recent selections only reflect the reach of the Trust across all of India.
So far, postgraduate opportunities for students across the globe to study at Oxford University have been offered under Cecil John Rhodes’s scholarships since 1903. With this sixth scholarship, Indian students now have greater scope to participate in this most prestigious program, which has supported scholars in fields of law and public policy, neuroscience, theology, and many others.
The Rhodes Trust is also expanding its presence in Africa, another top priority region, adding to its scholarship count to 32 African students a year, the same number granted for students from the United States.
Contribution of Mukund and Soumya Rajan marks a major step towards furthering opportunities in higher education for Indian students as leaders of tomorrow emerge from one of the world’s most dynamic and up-and-coming economies.
