More Rhodes scholarships to Oxford University for Indians from 2028

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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.

Published - June 08, 2025 08:33 pm IST