The Rhodes Scholarships for India 2023-24

The Rhodes Scholarships for India 2023-24 is an initiative of the Rhodes Trust in partnership with the second-century founder of McCall MacBain Foundation (NGO), John Mccall Macbain O.C. for Indian postgraduate applicants to the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom.

The scholarship is for young leaders of outstanding intellect and character who are motivated to engage with global challenges, committed to the service of others and show promise of becoming value-driven, principled leaders for the world’s future. The selected candidates will receive a fully-funded scholarship for full-time postgraduate study at the University of Oxford.

The scholarship is being offered by the Rhodes Trust, University of Oxford.

To be eligible, an applicant must:

• be a citizen of India
• be an Indian passport holder or equivalent proof of citizenship 
• Meet the following age criteria - 
  • be aged 18-23 on 1st October 2023 (i.e. the applicants must have been born after 1 October
    1999 and before 2 October 2005)
  • be under the age of 27 years on 1st October 2023 (i.e. have been born after 1 October
    1996) and must also have completed the academic requirements for the first undergraduate degree on or after 1st October 2022
• have completed an undergraduate degree (usually a bachelor’s) by July 2024
• have an academic background and grade that meets or exceeds the specific entry requirements of the chosen course at the University of Oxford
• have undertaken formal study at an educational institution in India for a minimum of 4 of the last 10 years and have either:
  • have completed a school leaving exam (Class 10 and 12 or equivalent) at a school in India
  • be in the final year or have completed an undergraduate degree at a university in India

Note - For detailed information, kindly go through the 'Scholarship Detail Document'.

The selected candidates will receive a fully-funded scholarship for full-time postgraduate study at the University of Oxford.

Note - A domestic travel allowance for candidates invited for the final interview will be paid by the Rhodes Trust if the interviews are held in person. International travel will not be reimbursed.

Eligible candidates can apply for the opportunity by following the below-mentioned steps:
Step 1: Click on the 'Apply Now' button.
Step 2: Click the 'Register' button and fill in the required registration details. (Note - If already registered, log in using Gmail/Mobile number/Email Id)
Step 3: Navigate to the 'Check Your Eligibility and Apply' option on the left-hand side of the dashboard and click on it.
Step 4: Check the eligibility to proceed with the application process. 
Step 5: When the 'Apply Now' button appears, click on it to proceed with the application process.
Step 6: After successful registration, log in to access the application form.
Step 7: Fill in the required details, upload the documents and submit the application by 1st August 2023 before 23:59 India Standard Time (IST). 

Note - For detailed information, kindly go through the 'Scholarship Detail Document'.

• A head-and-shoulders colour photograph (jpg format)
• Birth certificate or valid passport confirming that the applicant meets the age criterion
• A list of four (minimum) to five (maximum) people (applicant's referees) who are willing to submit references on applicant's behalf
• A valid passport or equivalent proof of citizenship such as a voter ID (with translation, if necessary), confirming that the applicant meets the citizenship criteria
• A personal statement of no more than 750 words
• An official transcript or marksheets from the college or university at which the applicant is studying, or have studied
• Official transcripts or marksheets of Class 10 and 12 (or equivalent) school/junior college/pre-university college leaving board examinations
• A full curriculum vitae (CV) including information about academic qualifications, prizes, scholarships, positions of leadership, employment positions, involvement in student, voluntary, community or political activities and any cultural, musical or sporting accomplishments [Note - This should not exceed two A4 (12pt font size) pages in length]

The candidates will be selected based on the fulfilment of the eligibility criteria. The decision of the selection committee is final. The following criteria will be taken into consideration for selection - 

• Selection for the Rhodes Scholarship is made without regard to the financial condition, marital status, race, ethnic origin, colour, gender, religion, sexual orientation, social background, disability, caste or other irrelevant distinctions of the applicants.
•  Applications are made in the first instance to the Rhodes Scholarships.
• Following the Rhodes Scholarship selection process, successful candidates are required to apply separately to their chosen programme of study via the University of Oxford’s graduate application form.
• The Rhodes Scholarship is confirmed only upon successful admission to the University of Oxford.
• No selection will be made if a sufficiently qualified candidate cannot be found.

Application Start Date -1st June 2023
Application Deadline - 1st August 2023

• No selection will be made if a sufficiently qualified candidate cannot be found.
• Applications from refugees/asylum seekers in India will also be considered in this constituency.
• The eligibility criteria, application requirements and selection process vary slightly depending on which constituency the applicants are applying for.
• If the applicants are longlisted, they will be invited to attend a preliminary interview, which will be held in person or via video conference.
• All applications must be submitted online. No alternate method of application is accepted.
• There is no application fee for the submission of the Rhodes Scholarship application form.
• The scholarship cannot be brought forward or deferred to a later academic year if the applicant is applying for a Rhodes Scholarship for entry to the University of Oxford in October 2023.
• The provision of such information in the ‘Equity and Inclusion' section of the application form is optional but helps the institution to ensure that the selection processes are fair and the outreach efforts are effective.
• The information provided by the applicant does not form part of the application and is only shared with those who are involved in selection in an anonymized format after scholarships have been awarded.
• If the applicants have disclosed a disability and requested additional support at the interview stage, then it must be informed to the National Secretary. All the necessary/requested arrangements for the applicants' support will be made after a discussion with them. It will not affect shortlisting, or the progress of the application, in any way.
• Only one of the five available scholarships (and, in exceptional cases, two) will be awarded in the aggregate to
  • candidates who are pursuing or have pursued, their undergraduate studies at a university located outside India and
  • inter-jurisdictional candidates
• If unsuccessful in the first application to the Rhodes Scholarships, the applicant may subsequently re-apply only one more time (and this must be in the same constituency), if they fulfil the eligibility criteria.
• The Curriculum Vitae (CV) should be completely accurate with a fair representation of the achievements. The applicants must make sure that the details provided are correct as it will be checked for embellishments and inaccuracies.
• Material misrepresentation will result in the disqualification of an application or, where appropriate, the invalidation of a scholarship. Examples of misrepresentation include exaggeration of roles/accomplishments/ participation/biography; embellished publication lists; inflation of GPA/grades.
• No candidate will be selected without an interview. The selection for the interview is entirely within the discretion of the Selection Committee.

Note - For detailed information, kindly do through the 'Scholarship Detail Document'.