Vaishnavi Ramalingam, a first-generation graduate, has been awarded the Clarendon Scholarship by the University of Oxford to pursue a fully-funded DPhil in Law beginning Autumn 2026.
Based on publicly available records, Vaishnavi is the first Indian woman to receive the Clarendon Scholarship for a DPhil in Law. The only two previous Indian recipients on record are Gautam Bhatia (2018) and Niranjan Venkatesan (2014).
The Clarendon Scholarship, worth nearly ₹2 crore, is among the most prestigious fully-funded graduate scholarships in the world. It is awarded on the basis of exceptional academic merit and research potential.
Vaishnavi completed her B.A.LL.B. (Hons) from Symbiosis Law School (SLS), Pune. She went on to pursue an Advanced LL.M. in International Children's Rights at Leiden University, Netherlands, on the Leiden University Excellence Scholarship (LExS).
On her journey as a first-generation graduate, Vaishnavi said that the experience had been isolating at times. She said,
"Being the first person in your family to navigate unfamiliar spaces, without a clear roadmap or guide, can be deeply isolating...It often feels as though others have access to knowledge and guidance that is entirely new to you, and things that feel unfamiliar or out of reach to you are everyday conversations for someone else."
She credited professors at Leiden with encouraging her to apply to Oxford.
"They saw potential in me long before I did and that kind of belief can make a profound difference, particularly for first-generation students. I truly do not think I would have applied at Oxford if not for their support and encouragement," she said.
Addressing other first-generation graduates, she said,
"We tend to self-reject ourselves before even trying to get into spaces like Oxford that feel distant or unfamiliar. Stick to the areas you feel passionate about, however niche they may seem, and give yourself the opportunity to be considered. I am glad I took the chance, so please don't count yourself out."
Vaishnavi's LL.M. dissertation examined children's right to positive peer relationships. She argued that while children's rights law engages with adult figures such as parents, guardians and teachers, it largely overlooks peer relationships as a meaningful bond. She said that the gap in legal protection disproportionately affects children from marginalised groups, including children with disabilities and those in the justice system or institutional care.
The thesis was awarded the KHMW Jan Brouwer Prize for Law in the Netherlands, a national prize for the best law thesis awarded by the country's oldest scientific society.
At Oxford, Vaishnavi's DPhil proposal builds on this research through the framework of relational dignity. She intends to develop a child-specific account of relational dignity that incorporates peer relationships and to translate this into a legal framework addressing the practical recognition of this right.