A landmark UK-Uttar Pradesh pact brings the Chevening Scholarship to the state, funding 15 scholars for master’s study in Britain and strengthening bilateral education ties.
The United Kingdom has partnered with the Government of Uttar Pradesh to expand the prestigious Chevening Scholarship Programme to the state, opening new academic doors for aspiring young scholars. The agreement, signed in Lucknow, will see up to 15 students from Uttar Pradesh benefit from full financial support to pursue one-year master’s degrees in the UK.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was formalised in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and British High Commissioner to India, Lindy Cameron. The scholarship initiative has been named the Chevening Bharat Ratna Sri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Uttar Pradesh Rajya Sarkar Scholarships Yojana, honouring the former Prime Minister who hailed from the state.
Under the scheme, five scholars will be selected annually for three consecutive academic years from 2026 to 2029. Applications for the inaugural batch are already open and will close on 7 October 2025. Successful candidates will be fully funded through a joint arrangement, with the Government of Uttar Pradesh and the UK Government sharing the costs equally.
Building bridges through education
The Chevening Programme, launched in 1983, has grown into the UK’s largest global scholarship initiative, and India accounts for the highest number of beneficiaries worldwide. More than 3,900 Indian scholars and fellows have participated in the scheme over the past four decades, with many of them going on to play influential roles in policy, science, innovation, and social development.
The agreement, signed in Lucknow, will see up to 15 students from Uttar Pradesh benefit from full financial support to pursue one-year master’s degrees in the UK.
Speaking at the signing, British High Commissioner Lindy Cameron described the partnership as a milestone for deepening educational ties between the UK and India’s most populous state.
“The UK is a fantastic place to study, and I am delighted that our new partnership with the Government of Uttar Pradesh will help even more talented young people from the state experience our world-class education,” she said. “Chevening alumni in India include some of the brightest minds, working on everything from cyber, science and innovation to policy and development. They are a fundamental part of how the UK and India work together to solve global challenges and form the unique living bridge that connects our countries.”
The scholarship is aimed at nurturing leaders from diverse backgrounds. Over 40% of Chevening recipients in India come from outside metropolitan areas, are first-generation learners, or belong to marginalised communities—making the scheme a platform for social mobility as well as academic achievement.
Strengthening state-to-state ties
The signing of the MoU came during Cameron’s one-day visit to Lucknow, where she held wide-ranging discussions with Chief Minister Adityanath. Their talks explored opportunities for collaboration in higher education, trade, and investment, particularly in the context of the UK-India Free Trade Agreement signed in July 2025.
The High Commissioner’s visit forms part of the broader UK-India Vision 2035, which seeks to expand bilateral cooperation beyond central governments to include states and regions. For Uttar Pradesh, the Chevening partnership represents not only an investment in its youth but also a step toward positioning itself as a hub for international collaboration in education and innovation.
By joining hands to support the Chevening Bharat Ratna Sri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Uttar Pradesh Rajya Sarkar Scholarships Yojana, both governments are signalling their intent to cultivate the next generation of thinkers, innovators, and policymakers. For the young men and women of Uttar Pradesh, it is an opportunity to study at some of the UK’s most prestigious universities and return with the skills and networks to contribute to their communities and the state’s future growth.
Applications and further details about the scholarship are available at www.chevening.org/apply
