BENGALURU: “Karnataka has 66 higher education institutions per lakh population, more than double the national average of 30. If the British High Commission considers increasing the number of scholarships for Karnataka students, it will make a huge difference,” Higher Education Minister Dr MC Sudhakar said at the announcement of the first batch of Karnataka Chevening Masters Scholars for 2025–26.
The cohort includes five women scholars — Nihaarika Naresh, Sushma Shamasundar, Chandana Anjinappa, Atheena Rose Joseph and Swetha Nagapathi Hegde — selected to pursue one-year master’s degrees in the UK , and are set to fly in September.
British Deputy High Commissioner Chandru Iyer noted, “Karnataka is the first state in South India to sign such a partnership. Our bilateral relationship is growing. We’ve recently signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and launched a strategic partnership for Vision 2035. These developments will strengthen India-UK ties. Central to this bond is the living bridge — the people-to-people connection.”