With a view to encouraging law students to go for higher studies in the field, National Law University (NLU) today awarded its first-ever scholarship to a student for pursuing an LLM at the University of Cambridge, UK.
The 'Pratibha M Singh Cambridge LLM Scholarship' was awarded to Deepika Sriram, a law student of NLU, by the Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Smriti Irani.
The scholarship is an initiative by Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh and his wife, senior advocate Pratibha M Singh, who is an alumna of Cambridge University.
Speaking on the occasion, Pratibha Singh announced the setting up of the Sardar Manmohan Singh Charitable Trust, which will sponsor students of NLU who have been chosen by Cambridge University to pursue an LLM degree.
"The trust was set up to provide financial aid to law students and encourage them to pursue their ambition and get the necessary exposure to achieve their aim. Our aim is to provide annual scholarships to students," Pratibha Singh said about the trust named after the father of Maninder Singh.
Lauding the initiative, Irani said, "It's a great step towards female education and that the first scholarship from NLU is going to a girl student speaks volumes about the development in the country. It's an exemplary effort on the part of the university and other institutions must follow suit."
Delhi High Court Judge Justice S Ravindra Bhat, who was also present on the occasion, said, "Our community needs more such young and ignited minds to serve the field of law. The next generation who go abroad for higher studies are required to come back and work in their own country here, in whichever capacity."
The scholarship, which was announced in November 2013, received 17 applications of which one was selected. The selection was based on grades and performance in extra- curricular activities, said Pratibha Singh.
Also present at the event was Cambridge University Vice Chancellor Leszek Borysiewicz and Vice Chancellor of NLU, Prof. Ranbir Singh.
