Rhodes Scholarships 2025: Meet the five shortlisted Indian scholars

Five scholars from India have been selected for the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship and head to the University of Oxford in October 2025 to join a cohort of more than a hundred scholars from across the globe and undertake fully funded post-graduate studies.
The five scholars were selected following a competitive application process and two rounds of preliminary interviews, a press release informed.
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Additionally, the troop includes a law student committed to citizenship rights, a philosophy student who wants to study epistemological injustice, a literature major who wants to pursue museum anthropology, an aspiring astrophysicist from IIT-Bombay, and a veterinarian dedicated to conservation, the release added.
Speaking about the scholarship, Dr Elizabeth Kiss, CEO of the Rhodes Trust, expressed her delight in introducing the ‘extraordinary 2025 Class of Rhodes Scholars Elect’ who represent cultures and perspectives from every corner of the world.
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“We eagerly anticipate the invaluable contributions these Scholars will make, not just during their studies, but throughout their lives as they join the community of Rhodes Scholar alumni who are creating a more equitable and sustainable future for the world,” she said.
The Rhodes India Secretariat said, “It is heartening to see candidates from diverse disciplines, institutions, and parts of the country apply to the Rhodes Scholarship. We are always impressed by the level of intellect as well as the character and empathy that they all display.”
“As is the case each year, we had a diverse and talented field of applicants. We are very grateful to all the selectors who assisted us through a rigorous selection process and very proud of the five Rhodes Scholars-Elect who have emerged from the process. They will benefit from the rich intellectual resources of the University of Oxford, and will join a lifelong community determined to change the world for the better.”
It may be mentioned here that the scholarships for India began in 1947 and have been awarded to 5 outstanding applicants each year.
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This year, the winners of the Rhodes Scholarship hail from different parts of India—Bengaluru, Kolkata, Kurukshetra, Ghaziabad, and Ranchi. They include:
Rayan Chakrabarti completed his Master’s at the School of Arts and Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University. He holds an undergraduate degree in literature from St Stephen’s College. His work lies at the intersection of memory studies, critical heritage, and anthropology. At Oxford, he is interested in building and working on an archive and museum of the Covid-19 Pandemic and its impact in South Asia.
Rayan is also a trained pianist and loves writing and translating poetry that centres around politics and nationhood.
Vibha Swaminathan is a final year law student, pursuing an LL.B. (Hons.) at the National Law School, Bangalore, and also holds a BA (Hons) in Political Science from Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University. She is interested in studying the political and legal fragilities of citizenship regimes and hopes to combine this academic engagement with a human rights litigation practice before trial courts in India.
Avanish Vats hails from from Ranchi and has completed his bachelors in Philosophy from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi. He conducted research on accessibility in education and healthcare for disabled individuals in Jharkhand, under the State Disability Commissioner’s office in Ranchi. He is a tabla player and has written and directed short films. His academic interests include epistemology and making philosophy accessible to disabled people.
Shubham Narwal is pursuing a Bachelor’s in Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry at ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly. He has a keen interest in studying Veterinary Science, and eager to pursue an M.Sc. in Clinical Embryology to explore new conservation strategies for the critically endangered bird, the Great Indian Bustard. Besides his passion for volunteering in nature conservation organisations, he likes Harry Potter and is a basketball enthusiast.
Pal Aggarwal is a final year B.Tech. Engineering Physics student at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. Her academic journey has been driven by a deep-seated interest in astrophysics, mathematics and data science, having worked with researchers at the National University of Singapore and the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics. At Oxford, she wants to study high-energy astrophysics, striving towards her dream of becoming an astronaut and advocating for women in science. She is also a trained Bharatnatyam and contemporary dancer.
Meanwhile, the applications for the 2026 Rhodes Scholarships will open in June 2025. For more information, candidates can visit www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/apply.