Raag Yadava, Varsha Aithala, Arvind Narrain win inaugural Dr NR Madhava Menon Scholarship for 2020-2023

National Law School of India University (NLSIU) has announced that Raag Yadava, Varsha Aithala and Arvind Narrain have been awarded the inaugural Dr NR Madhava Menon Scholarship for 2020-2023..NLSIU introduced its first PhD scholarship in honour of the University’s Founder-Director, Dr NR Madhava Menon back in September 2020..The three-year programme will sponsor three meritorious students admitted to NLSIU’s PhD programme. GE India has partnered with the University for an overall sponsorship value of around ₹75 lakh which will fund the scholars..Yadava, a 2013 graduate of NLSIU, did his post-graduate studies in legal philosophy at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. He has also acted as counsel for the Government of India in its international trade disputes and advised on environmental and higher education reform. He currently teaches at NLSIU..Aithala is a 2007 graduate of National Academy of Legal Studies & Research (NALSAR), Hyderabad, and completed her Master’s Degree in Corporate Law at the University of Cambridge. She is a Research Fellow at Azim Premji University, Bangalore..Narrain graduated from NLSIU in 1998, and is a prominent human rights advocate and founding member of the Alternative Law Forum in Bangalore. After graduating from NLSIU, he earned a Master’s Degree in Law at the University of Warwick. He has been a part of many fact-finding reports on sexual minorities in India and was also part of the litigation team that challenged the constitutionality of Section 377 before the High Court and the Supreme Court..A release issued by the University states that the Menon Scholars will receive fully funded opportunities including annual tuition fees, a monthly stipend, a laptop, and travel costs for attending a conference, among others. .The interview panel comprised Dr Kamala Sankaran, former Vice-Chancellor of Tamil Nadu National Law University, Prof Sudhir Krishnaswamy, Vice-Chancellor of NLSIU, and Dr T Ramakrishna, Chairperson, of the Post-Graduate and Doctoral Council at NLSIU..While announcing the launch of the Scholarship last year, Prof Krishnaswamy said,“The Dr NR Madhava Menon Doctoral Scholarship was created to honour and celebrate the role of our Founder who pioneered legal education reform in India. This Scholarship programme will identify and support PhD Research Scholars at NLSIU to make an exceptional contribution to legal knowledge and legal education and to become future leaders in India.”