Srinagar
Making the Valley proud, Sameer Rashid Bhat, 25, has become the first Kashmiri to get Rhodes scholarship in law. Sameer, who hails from a village in southern part of Kashmir’s Islamabad district is currently enrolled as a final year student at Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar, where he is pursuing BA LLB (Hons). He has been awarded the Rhodes Scholarship-2018 and will be pursing a postgraduate course in law for a year at Oxford University.
The Rhodes scholars are chosen after a rigorous three-step process. By qualifying all three stages, Sameer has not only brought laurels for Kashmir, but also became the first student from Gujarat National Law University to get the prestigious scholarship. Sameer plans to study Comparative Human Rights Law, Criminal Justice, Security and Constitutional Theory during his stay at Oxford. The scholarship entitles him to study a subject of his choice at the university for at least one year.
“It is indeed a proud moment. The credit goes to the efforts and prayers of my parents and friends,” Sameer said.
Sameer, who hails from Pushroo, Nowgam, Anantnag district, did his initial schooling at Modern Public School, Nowgam, from where he moved on to Iqbal Memorial Institute, Srinagar, completing Classes X and XII before enrolling at Gujarat National Law University for BA LLB course.
Though Sameer was a science student up to Class XII, he says he took to creative writing and was driven to social issues. His school teacher, Majid Jahangir, at Iqbal Memorial Institute helped him develop interest in law.
He said diversity at Gujarat National Law University also helped him in shaping his personality, which also contributed in award of Rhodes scholarship to him.
