Tushar Joshi, who lives in west Delhi’s Mayapuri slum community in India, has won the 2021 Sydney Scholars India Equity Scholarship, worth up to $60,000 a year.
22-year-old Tushar Joshi has won this year’s prestigious Sydney Scholars India Equity Scholarship to study International Law at Sydney University.
He commenced his Master of International Relations in August from his home in Delhi as he could not travel to Australia due to Covid-19 travel restrictions.
“Tushar, 22, connects to online classes in the one-room home he shares with his mother, father and sister. At night, to avoid disturbing his family’s sleep, he studies in a corner by the light of a dim lamp,” said the University in a statement.
“Just outside their home is one of Delhi’s largest open drains, which fills the house with flies and mosquitoes. In addition, their community sits beside a railway line, and the noise of passing trains is deafening,” it added.
“There is a lot of noise,” said Tushar. “As part of this scholarship, I will receive a stipend, which will allow me to pay to go to a reading hall to study in peace and quiet.”
The University’s India Equity Scholarship for residents of slum communities in Delhi was created in collaboration with an Indian charity, the Asha Community Health and Development Society.
According to Syndey University, the scholarship is one of the University’s most generous, covering postgraduate tuition fees, a living allowance, textbooks and – when Tushar can travel to Sydney – flights, health insurance and a place at a residential college.
During the pandemic, the university also provides essentials for remote study, including a laptop and high-speed internet.
About the scholarship
· The Sydney Scholars India Equity Scholarship for postgraduate course work was created in collaboration with the Asha Society.
· The scholarship is worth up to AU$60,000 a year.
· It is available to current residents of communities in Delhi, India, where the Asha Society works. Asha works with the University of Sydney to identify potential candidates.
