More Rhodes scholarships to Oxford University for Indians from 2028
The Rhodes Scholarship Trust, which offers the prestigious scholarship for studying at the University of Oxford, is aiming to increase the number of scholarships for Indians from 2028, to align with the country's population strength, Richard Trainor, the trust's CEO, said.
Mr. Trainor, who was in India ahead of the announcement of applications for the 2026 academic session, told PTI in an interview that six scholarships are presently offered to Indian candidates annually.
"The priority now is to try to get some additional scholarships for places where the number of scholars per head of population could be higher, and India is one of those places. So, we have six scholarships a year for India, which is good, but there are a billion and a half people in this country, as you know, so there should be more scholarships," Mr. Trainor, who is also the interim warden of the Rhodes House, said.
"We are trying to raise money for additional scholarships, because the trust needs to have that money in the endowment in order to pay the fees to the University of Oxford, and to pay the living expenses of the scholars," he said.
The other regions on the trust's radar for increasing the number of scholarships are China, and Africa. At present, four scholarships are offered to candidates from China, and 21 scholarships are offered to candidates from Africa.
"We would like to have some additional scholars in each of these three areas by the time of the 125th anniversary of the scholarship scheme, which is 2028. We are going to have a big push on fundraising between now and the 125th anniversary," Mr. Trainor said.
Mr. Trainor, who himself was a Rhodes Scholar in 1970, says people often talk about the Rhodes Scholarship transforming their lives.
'...it also transformed mine. I had barely been out of the United States at the time that I took up the scholarship and, you know, it broadened my view of the world and led to my becoming a historian of another country, and then making my career in another country, and so on,' he said.
"So, and then having this series of academic leadership jobs which have been very international in scope. So....Rhodes Scholarships was totally beyond my background and aspirations at that stage," he said.
The Rhodes Scholarship is given to outstanding students to undertake two to three years of study, depending on the academic curriculum taken, at the University of Oxford. Students aged 18–23 years (up to 27 years in particular circumstances) are eligible to apply.
The Rhodes Scholarship is among the world's pre-eminent and oldest graduate fellowships, based at the University of Oxford since 1903.
Administered by the Rhodes Trust in Oxford, the programme awards 106 fully funded scholarships to students from anywhere in the world with proven academic excellence who also show exceptional character, leadership, achievement in extracurricular activities and a commitment to solving humanity's challenges.
The applications for the 2026 session began on June 3 and are open till July 23.
Noted Rhodes scholars from India include the late Olympian Ranjit Bhatia, the late playwright Girish Karnad, economist Montek Singh Ahluwalia, researcher and historian Mahesh Rangarajan, environmental law expert Lavanya Rajamani, among others.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
22 minutes ago
- Time of India
Fordoward Thinking
Iran may still negotiate with US, taking a long view, while skirmishing with Israel. Even if its nuclear infra is damaged, its knowhow isn't. But if the conflict spreads, welfare of 9mn Indians in the region will be New Delhi's first concern For two decades every United States administration said it might someday bomb Iran's enrichment plants. On Saturday night that 'someday' arrived. B-2 stealth bombers dropped 30,000-pound 'bunker buster' bombs while submarines and aircraft launched Tomahawks at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, the three most consequential nodes in Iran's IAEA monitored nuclear network. Trump declared that 'Fordow is gone', and that Tehran must 'agree to end this war'. The flourish was vintage Trump – muscular and headline grabbing. But behind the applause lines lies a strategic gamble whose downsides may echo far beyond Qom. Trump crossed a threshold earlier presidents tiptoed around, turning an Israel-Iran slugfest into a US-Iran confrontation. He insists the raid was a 'one-off', intended to cripple enrichment. Although neither US nor Israel has produced evidence that Iran was on the brink of building a bomb, the Pentagon's quick look report claims the strikes set the programme back by years at minimal cost. Physics, however, counsels humility. Centrifuges are hardware while enrichment expertise is software lodged in scientists' heads. Bombs can destroy cylinders but not knowledge. Hardliners in Tehran will now argue that only a nuclear weapon can deter the next bunker buster. Did the raid delay a bomb or make it inevitable? Iran accused US of a grave violation of the UN Charter, NPT and international law and vowed that it will not go unanswered. The easiest escalation is to menace the Strait of Hormuz through which about a fifth of global oil passes every day. Next may come missile salvos on Gulf energy infra or on US installations, and then the possible activation of proxies from Lebanon to Yemen. With Iran's parliament reportedly approving the closure of the strait, Brent could easily move past $100 a barrel. Oxford Economics projects $130 if flows are disrupted, a level that would push world inflation back toward 6%. Traders are already paying a war premium in afterhours quotes. Jerusalem meanwhile is jubilant. Netanyahu called the strike a bold decision. Strategically Israel has shifted part of the fight and the risk to Washington. If Iran retaliates, Americans rather than Israelis will calibrate the counterpunch. That is deterrence by entanglement in the short run. Over time it hands Iran a larger menu of US targets and risks dragging America into a war it does not want. Russia immediately cited the bombing as proof of US recklessness while Beijing called it a serious violation of international norms. Any condemning move at the Security Council will face a US veto. However, in the General Assembly the Global South is expected to side with Iran in significant numbers. For India the strike lands like a thunderclap at a cricket match. New Delhi has tried to balance a growing partnership with Washington, deep defence ties with Israel and consequential arrangements with Tehran, from the Chabahar port to International North-South Transit Corridor and once-robust crude imports. That balancing act has lately been criticised by the main opposition party. ● The immediate anxiety is economic. The Gulf supplies 54% of India's oil, generates about 40% of its remittances and accounts for more than $170bn in two-way trade. India imports more than 80% of its crude; every ten dollar rise in Brent adds about one billion dollars a month to the import bill and pressures the rupee. Consumer inflation just slipped below 5%; a Hormuz scare could undo that gain and complicate RBI's plan to cut rates. GOI is already moving to secure supplies, eyeing the strategic petroleum reserve and talking to several producers to ensure continuity. ● A second priority is the safety of nearly nine million Indians working in the region. Evacuation from Iran and Israel is underway. Operation Sankalp ships in the region can be helpful, if required. Diplomatically India has open channels with Washington, Tehran and Jerusalem, but leverage is thin while missiles fly. Still New Delhi may be able to offer discreet messages that help each side edge away from the brink, just like back-channel efforts by Qatar and Muscat. Meanwhile others such as Saudi Arabia and UAE are actively counselling restraint. The key actors need face-saving options. That also means Washington spelling out what de-escalation looks like. Would it accept enrichment capped below weapons grade? Does it envisage returning to the JCPOA framework with phased sanctions relief? Absent clarity Tehran will read 'time for peace' as code for surrender. In US, supporters have praised decisive action; critics have warned that the President had bypassed Congress and demanded a War Powers vote. Trump's boast that the mission was historic and limited is politically smart yet strategically ambiguous. If Iran swallows the blow and returns to talks the White House can claim victory. If Tehran retaliates Washington can strike again and say it had no choice. Either way the attack chips away at the nonproliferation regime and bets that humiliation will not ignite a wider war. The US entry into another West Asian conflict recalls 1991 and 2003, but this round involves nuclear facilities, peer power pushback and an energy hungry Global South. Fordow's tunnels may indeed be rubble, yet geopolitics rarely collapses neatly. US strikes may be tactically brilliant. Strategically they kick a radioactive can down a much steeper road. That road needs to be kept from becoming a cratered battlefield. The test is whether diplomacy can move faster than the bunker busters. The writer is former permanent representative of India to UN and served as an international civil servant at IAEA Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
India Gazette
29 minutes ago
- India Gazette
India can play proactive role in stopping Iran-Israel war, says West Asia strategist Awwad
New Delhi [India], June 23 (ANI): West Asia expert and veteran journalist Waiel Awwad on Sunday said that India can play a proactive role in stopping the ongoing war between Iran and Israel. While speaking to ANI about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Awwad emphasised that India should leverage its position to de-escalate tensions in the region. '...Prime Minister Modi has said that this era is not for war. Peace should prevail. India will be affected by the war situation in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries and the Persian Gulf. Food and oil security will be affected...7 billion dollars of Indian revenue is generated there, so India will suffer...,' he said. 'India says that it is taking a leadership position -- even the G20 was held here -- which means India can play a proactive role in stopping this war,' he added. PM Modi on Sunday spoke with the President of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, expressing deep concern at the recent escalations and called for 'immediate de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy'. In a post on X, PM Modi wrote, 'Spoke with President of Iran @drpezeshkian. We discussed in detail about the current situation. Expressed deep concern at the recent escalations.' He emphasised the need for a peaceful resolution and added, 'Reiterated our call for immediate de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward and for early restoration of regional peace, security and stability.' During the intervening hours of Saturday and Sunday, the US and Israel targeted Iran's nuclear sites in Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow. Fardow is Iran's main enrichment location for uranium enrichment to 60 per cent. According to a CNN report, the US likely used six B-2 bombers to drop a dozen GBU-57 A/B 'bunker buster' bombs, also known as Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOP), on the Fordow nuclear site, which is Iran's main location for uranium enrichment. A US official also told CNN that a full payload of bombs was dropped on Fordow. In his first public remarks following the strikes, President Trump warned that further action could be taken if Tehran fails to agree to a satisfactory peace settlement. 'There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran, far greater than we've witnessed over the last eight days,' Trump said in his address to the nation from the White House on Saturday (local time). (ANI)
Mint
40 minutes ago
- Mint
Indian stock market: 7 key things that changed for market over weekend- Gift Nifty, Israel-Iran war to oil prices
Indian stock market: Indian indices - Sensex and Nifty 50 - are likely to open on subdued note on Monday amid escalating tensions in Middle East. Asian markets plunged on Monday, meanwhile, US stock market closed in red, following the United States' strike on three nuclear facilities in Iran. On Friday, India's benchmark stock indices ended a three-day losing streak, rising over 1%, driven by short-covering ahead of the upcoming monthly derivatives expiry and relief over U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to delay involvement in Israel's offensive against Iran. The Nifty 50 and S&P BSE Sensex both climbed 1.3%, closing at 25,112.40 and 82,408.17 points, respectively. The rally in the Nifty 50 was supported by strong gains in major stocks including HDFC Bank, Reliance Industries, Bharti Airtel, and ICICI Bank. 'Markets witnessed consolidation after the recent spell of subdued trend, as strong European cues and positive Dow Futures triggered a massive rally in local benchmarks. Investors also resorted to short covering ahead of next week's monthly derivatives expiry. Despite the rebound, investors would still maintain caution due to the ongoing West Asia conflict, as any spike in crude oil prices owing to escalation in tension could fuel uncertainty and spook markets," said Prashanth Tapse, Senior VP (Research), Mehta Equities Ltd. Asia-Pacific markets tumbled on Monday following the United States' strike on three nuclear facilities in Iran, which drove up oil prices and heightened investor concerns over a potential escalation in the Middle East conflict. Japan's Nikkei 225 dropped 0.58%, while the broader Topix index slipped 0.48%. South Korea's Kospi index declined 1.16%, and the tech-heavy Kosdaq saw a sharper fall of 1.99%. Meanwhile, futures for Hong Kong's Hang Seng index were at 23,396, indicating a weaker start compared to its previous close of 23,530.48. Gift Nifty was trading around 24,977 level, a discount of nearly 152 points from the Nifty futures' previous close, indicating a muted start for the Indian stock market indices. U.S. equity futures declined during early Asian trading hours after American military strikes in Iran. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures dropped 109 points, or 0.3%, while futures linked to the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 slipped 0.3% and 0.4%, respectively. On Friday, two of Wall Street's major indexes closed lower as investors monitored escalating tensions in the Middle East and weighed the Federal Reserve's outlook on interest rate cuts. The S&P 500 dipped 0.22% to close at 5,967.84, marking its third straight loss. The Nasdaq Composite slid 0.51% to end at 19,447.41, whereas the Dow Jones Industrial Average inched up by 35.16 points, or 0.08%, finishing at 42,206.82. The world watched with tension on Sunday as Iran prepared to respond to a major U.S. assault on its nuclear facilities—marking the most significant Western military action against the country since its 1979 revolution and carried out in coordination with Israel. A day after the U.S. deployed 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs targeting the mountain above Iran's Fordow nuclear site, Iran pledged to defend itself. Meanwhile, U.S. leaders called on Tehran to exercise restraint, even as anti-war protests began to surface in cities across America. The U.S. dollar edged up modestly on Monday as cautious investors turned to safer assets, though the gains were limited, indicating that markets were awaiting Iran's reaction to U.S. strikes on its nuclear facilities, which have heightened tensions in the Middle East. In the currency market, the dollar strengthened against most major currencies. It rose by 0.25% against the Japanese yen, reaching 146.415 after hitting a one-month high earlier in the day. Oil prices surged on Monday to their highest levels since January, driven by concerns over supply after the United States joined Israel in striking Iran's nuclear facilities over the weekend. As of 0117 GMT, Brent crude futures rose by $1.92, or 2.49%, to $78.93 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude climbed $1.89, or 2.56%, to $75.73 per barrel. Brent has climbed 13% since the conflict started on June 13, while WTI has increased by approximately 10%. Gold prices are likely to be under scanner following a significant escalation in the Iran-Israel conflict, as former U.S. President Donald Trump announced America's involvement in the war. On Friday, gold prices remained largely unchanged. Spot gold hovered at $3,369.63 per ounce—its lowest level since June 12—while the overall index recorded a weekly decline of 1.8 per cent. Meanwhile, U.S. gold futures dropped by 0.7 per cent to $3,385.50. Disclaimer: This story is for educational purposes only. The views and recommendations above are those of individual analysts or broking companies, not Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.
