Delhi High Court Directs Centre To Grant National Overseas Scholarship To Gujarat Artisan’s Son For Oxford Postgraduate Study

The Delhi High Court has ordered the Central Government to award the National Overseas Scholarship to Mohit Jitendra Kukaria, a student from a traditional artisan family in Gujarat, enabling him to pursue postgraduate studies in public policy at Oxford University. Justice Swarn Kanta Sharma highlighted that Kukaria likely experienced financial instability from an early age. Despite these challenges, he excelled academically, obtaining a law degree and securing an offer to study at Oxford.

The court emphasized that generational conflicts rooted in deep inequalities and ongoing poverty are closely linked. Poverty continues to persist when each generation faces the same socio-economic challenges. To break this cycle, targeted interventions like the National Overseas Scholarship are essential. Such programs provide a way out of poverty by equipping the next generation with the education and skills needed to overcome these barriers.

The court directed the Central Government to process Kukaria’s scholarship application under the National Overseas Scholarship Scheme for the 2024-25 academic year and to grant the scholarship within two weeks.

Initially, Kukaria’s application was rejected due to a clerical error—he had mistakenly uploaded his Income Tax Return (ITR) computation instead of the ITR acknowledgment form. The court expressed its view that a minor discrepancy, such as submitting income tax computation documents rather than the ITR acknowledgment, should not lead to the denial of a scholarship to a deserving and meritorious candidate, especially when both documents verify the same income.

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The court further noted that the Central Government’s response did not question the authenticity of Kukaria’s documents or his eligibility, acknowledging that Oxford University had already confirmed his qualifications. The court pointed out that traditional artisans, whose skills have been handed down through generations, often remain trapped in poverty without growth opportunities. Lacking access to education and financial support, these artisans are limited to earning a modest income from their crafts, with little chance of improving their socio-economic status.

The court concluded by stating that schemes like the National Overseas Scholarships are crucial. They offer artisans the necessary support to pursue higher education, helping them to break free from the socio-economic barriers that have held them back for generations.