Bengaluru, August 7, 2025 – In a landmark initiative to support women’s higher education, five women from Karnataka have been selected for the inaugural cohort of Chevening-Karnataka Scholarships. This newly launched programme, a collaboration between the Karnataka government and the UK’s Chevening scheme, offers fully funded one-year master’s programmes at leading UK universities starting September 2025
The selected scholars are Athena Rose Joseph, Chandana Anjinappa, Niharikaa Naresh, Shweata N Hegde, and Sushma Shyamsundar. They come from diverse professional backgrounds such as civil engineering, climate education, urban mobility, and social impact.
This scholarship was launched after a Memorandum of Understanding signed in Belagavi in 2024. Over the next three years, the initiative will support five women graduates annually—particularly those from government colleges and under-resourced backgrounds—ensuring access to world-class education and leadership opportunities.
Out of 1,827 national applicants for this programme, 155 hailed from Karnataka. Supriya Chawla, head of Chevening Scholarships at the British High Commission in Bengaluru, highlighted that more than 60% of Chevening scholars in India come from tier-2 and tier-3 cities and marginalized communities, emphasizing the importance of leadership, collaboration, and compelling personal narratives in the selection process.
Chevening, the UK government’s flagship scholarship, has enabled approximately 3,900 Indians to study in the UK since its inception over 40 years ago. The Karnataka initiative aligns with Chevening’s mission, covering all major expenses—tuition, travel, visa, accommodation, and living costs—with the requirement that scholars return to India upon completion of their studies.
Higher Education Minister Dr. M.C. Sudhakar described the programme as a significant step toward empowering women from resource-limited backgrounds and commended Karnataka’s pioneering role in implementing such initiatives.
Applications for the 2026–27 intake are already open and will remain so until October 7, 2025.
Written by: LIIE IMMIGRATION
