A twenty-year-old law graduate from Coorg has won The Pemanda Monappa Scholarship this year. Natasha Bopaiah, a graduate from Symbiosis Law School (Pune) will be leaving for Cambridge University this September to pursue her Masters degree. The scholarship is being offered by the Pemanda Monappa Trust and has funded four students in the last four years. Offered by P.M. Belliappa in the name of his late father, the scholarship, is awarded to Indian citizens who have completed a first degree at a recognised university in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala or Tamil Nadu, have been admitted to graduate studies in Cambridge, and have demonstrated financial need. It covers university tuition fees, college fees and allowances paid to scholars for living expenses in Cambridge. “I hope she returns home after her studies to contribute to society in a manner resembling what my father did many years ago,” Belliappa said at an event recently, where the scholarship letter was handed over to Natasha by Mike Nithavrianakis, British Deputy High Commissioner.
Natasha, a gold-medallist from Symbiosis, will be pursuing a degree in corporate and environment law at the University. “I would like to focus on issues such as the impact of climate change on human beings and also on farmers in particular,” she said, “Initially, I will be working on litigations but I hope to eventually handle politics.”
N. Ravi, Director, The Hindu Group of Publications Ltd., said “People from Coorg, though small in number are high achievers. There are so many names you can quote in the field of sports and academics. So it comes as no surprise that the scholarship, this year, goes to Natasha, who hails from there.” While Leela Samson, chairman of Sangeet Natak Akademi and Central Board of Film Certification, who presided over the event added, “Everything we have to offer the world is influenced by who we are. And they are unmistakably Indian… The wise explore and accept each new idea in their merit and with the holistic learning that Natasha will go through in another country will help her discover her strengths and weaknesses.”
