"… to lift up the best and most gifted so as to make them of the greatest service to the country" -Jamsetji Tata

The trustees of the JN Tata Endowment for the Higher Education of Indians have selected 115 candidates as JN Tata Scholars for postgraduate and doctoral studies and research abroad for the academic year 2003-04. A total of nearly rupees two crore will be disbursed by way of loan and gift scholarships and travel grants to these scholars.

This year the endowment received 1201 applications from students, planning to pursue studies in a wide range of fields. After screening, 505 candidates were shortlisted for the interview and 115 selected on merit, for the JN Tata Scholarship.

The successful candidates are drawn from all over the country. Women candidates have competed in almost every field, and 43 of the 115 awardees this year are women.

The courses of study that the awardees will undertake cover more than 27 fields of study. The largest group of scholars is from the field of engineering and technology covering various branches of engineering followed by computer science and management. In the area of pure sciences, students have opted for various subjects in the fields of biological sciences, physics, chemistry, geography, mathematics and statistics. In the area of applied sciences there are several students going abroad for studies in the field of medical sciences, paramedical sciences, pharmaceutical sciences, veterinary science, environmental science and fisheries. Many of the students from these fields are mid-career professionals going abroad for further specialization in their field. In the area of social sciences there are students going abroad for studies in economics, political science, history, sociology and education. In the field of humanities, students have opted for higher studies in philosophy and literature. The other fields in which students have opted for higher studies abroad are law, art and architecture, and service sector studies

The majority of scholars selected will go to the USA, some of them to prestigious institutions such as the universities of Stanford, Harvard, M.I.T, Cornell, Yale, Columbia, Michigan, and Purdue. Eighteen scholars will be going to the United Kingdom at prestigious institutions like the University of London, Cambridge, Oxford, London School of Economics and Political Science and the London Business School. A small number of scholars will go to various institutions in France, Switzerland, Canada, and Australia.

More than a century ago, in 1892, Jamsetji Tata established the Endowment to serve the higher education needs of the country. The endeavour 'to lift up the best and most gifted' continues 111 years after its establishment. The endowment is today proud and privileged to continue to serve the cause of higher education in the country and keep pace with the changing needs of India in the 21st century.