NEW DELHI: There’s a lot that Misbah Reshi, 24, and Anupriya Dhonchak, 22, have in common. They are both law students from Delhi, both are Oxford bound to pursue postgraduate studies on the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship and both hope to be able to hone their critical thinking at Oxford University so that, upon returning to India, they can use their knowledge to make justice more accessible to people and be the drivers of social change.
While Dhonchak is a final year student at National Law University, Delhi, Reshi is a final-year student of Campus Law Centre, Faculty of Law, University of Delhi, both highly respected institutes in their own right, with Oxford sure to add to their list of considerable accomplishments. “Winning the scholarship makes me feel giddy with excitement about the possibilities.
But I think about it as an enabler and not an end in itself,” says Dhonchak, adding, “I can’t wait to meet people from across disciplines and discuss ideas with them.” Reshi modestly says, “This is just the start and I am very excited at all the opportunities and the experiences that this scholarship will open for me. I am looking forward to studying at Oxford and learning about law from different perspectives that will help me become better academically and professionally.” Speaking on their return to India after getting their degrees, the two already have ambitious plans.
“As a legal scholar, I am always curious about the different ways law can be used to effect change and I am hoping to learn about new and extraordinary legal discourses happening across the world. Most importantly, I hope to come back with the strength and confidence required to be a propeller of change for betterment of society,” says Reshi.
Dhonchak feels the education and critical thinking fostered at Oxford can be applied to various situations in India. She is looking forward to translating academic knowledge into action via honing her craft for litigation and policymaking. “I think if you feel invested in trying to demystify the law and are fascinated by the impact that it has on real people, you try to contribute in ways that the people you are writing about will identify with,” she signs off.