A Century of Trust
It is one of the oldest trusts in corporate India. The J N Tata Endowment for Higher Education is 112 years old. From students wanting to go abroad to pursue medicine, law and humanities, the changing times has the trust being flooded with applicants wanting to go abroad to pursue computer science. The endowment set up by the late Jamsetji N Tata ... to lift up the best and most gifted so as to make them of the greatest service to the country, has over the years nt had many wanting to return but stay put in greener pastures.
From a loan scholarship set up to help those with merit and who are unable to study further due to lack of funds, the trust today has several of its applicants able to fund themselves but avail of the scholarship as being a Tata scholar opens doors for them in universities abroad. In fact, says Prof (Dr) Gulistan J Kerawalla, chief executive officer, J N Tata Endowment for Higher Education, most such applicants are able to return the loan almost immediately.
The J N Tata Endowment for higher education has had recipients none less than luminaries like former president, Dr K R Narayanan, Dr Raja Ramanna, Dr Jayant Narlikar, Dr J J Irani, Dr Freddie Mehta and others.
Interestingly, the first grants were given to two women doctors, since women were shy of going to male gynaecologists. The first recipient of the scholarship was Dr Freney Cama, after whom a hospital is named in Mumbai. The J N Tata Endowment Loan Scholarships are offered for higher studies abroad in technology, sciences and humanities. The trust offers soft loans of Rs 50,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh and a grant of Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000 for studies in various disciplines.
Dr K R Narayanan says, The Tata scholarship shaped my personal and professional life, in the Tata Review Commemorative Issue 2004. Recounting his days as a Tata Scholar, he says, The Tata scholarship played a crucial part in shaping my personal life and influencing my professional career. Eminent nuclear scientist Dr Raja Ramanna recalls how being a J N Tata scholar eased his path while he was securing a PhD in London.
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