UK announces 75 scholarships for Indian students; marks India's "Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav" [details]

In continuation of sharing flourishing diplomatic relations between the UK and India, the former is offering scholarships for Indian students to mark India's 75th year of Independence. The UK government announced on Wednesday that the scholarships will be fully funded and will allow 75 Indian students to study in the UK, which is the highest number of scholarships given for one-year master's programme to date.

The programmes also include Chevening scholarships for one-year master's programme and study any subject at a UK university. India's Chevening programme is the largest in the world with over 3500 alumni. The fully-funded scholarships include tuition, living expenses and travel cost for a one-year postgraduate programme. The candidates are required to have a minimum of two years' work experience to be eligible for the award.

UK scholarships for Indian students

The British Council in India is also offering around 18 scholarships for women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), covering over 12,000 courses across more than 150 universities in the UK. Additionally, the British Council in India is offering six English scholarships.

"In India's 75th year, this is a great milestone together," Alex Ellis, the British High Commissioner to India, said at the India Global Forum in London. "Thanks to the exceptional support from our partners in industry, I am delighted to announce 75 scholarships for Indian students to experience the best of the UK. Nearly 30 per cent of Chevening scholars in India come from smaller cities or are first generation students, making this an increasingly diverse programme."

HSBC, Pearson India, Hindustan Unilever, Tata Sons and Duolingo are among the companies supporting the opportunistic initiative to celebrate India's 75th year of Independence. HSBC will sponsor 15 scholarships, Pearson India will sponsor two, Hindustan Unilever, Tata Sons and Duolingo will sponsor one each, the statement said.

"We're delighted to partner with Chevening for the 'Chevening HSBC Scholarship' programme. Our objective is to encourage young people with potential to become leaders and decision makers in their fields by leveraging the world class educational facilities offered under this programme. As a British bank with a significant lineage and legacy in India, we believe we have a meaningful role to play in developing leadership talent in the country," Hitendra Dave, CEO, HSBC, said in a statement.