Indian students offered human rights scholarships at Sheffield Hallam

University, UK, in honour of Kapila Hingorani

New Delhi/Patna, May 5th 2015: Two new scholarships are being offered by a leading modern
university in England in memory of one of India's most prominent human rights lawyers. The legacy of
Kapila Hingorani known as the 'mother of public interest litigation' has been recognised by
Sheffield Hallam University with two scholarships for a masters course in Applied Human Rights
being offered in her name.
Applications for scholarships, to begin the MA Applied Human Rights course in September 2015, are
welcomed from self-funding students domiciled in India. Winners of the Kapila Hingorani Postgraduate
Scholarships will receive a 50% scholarship on tuition fees for MA Applied Human Rights. The course
draws upon relevant disciplines in law, politics and social science and provides opportunities to gain
the experience and skills needed to work with key human rights organisations.
Sital Dhillon, Head of the Department of Law and Criminology at Sheffield Hallam, said: "We are
honoured to be able to recognize the tremendous contribution of Kapila Hingorani to public interest
litigation in India. We hope that the winners of these scholarships will be able to follow in her footsteps
by continuing the global fight for human rights justice and education."
Kapila Hingorani's three children, Aman, Priya and Shweta, are all practicing lawyers. Both Priya and
Aman recently attended the launch of the Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice at Sheffield
Hallam, a home for its human rights and social justice programmes.
Priya, Vice President of the Supreme Court Bar Association in India, said: "I think my mother
would be very happy to have her name attached to these scholarships. She always wanted to
encourage everyone to have access to justice and education so I am sure she would be very proud.
We hope this will be the start of a partnership with Sheffield Hallam, in which professionals from the
UK and from India, can gain and exchange international experience."
Mrs. Hingorani, who died in December 2013, was the first Indian lawyer to issue a public interest
litigation on behalf of prisoners awaiting trial for a period longer than the sentence they would serve if
found guilty. In her 50 years of practice, Mrs. Hingorani and her husband Nirmal fought more than
100 cases in the Supreme Court and provided a voice, through public interest law, for underprivileged
and marginalized sectors of Indian society.
Kapilas family has set up the Kapila Hingorani Foundation with a view to continue her work for
disadvantaged sections of society and on socio-legal issues. It was following discussions with the
Foundation that the Department of Law and Criminology decided to launch the Kapila Hingorani
Postgraduate Scholarships in memory of Kapila.
Sheffield Hallam University is the best modern university in the north of England (Times and Sunday
Times, 2015) with award-winning expertise in professional legal skills and social and criminal justice,
including the British Society of Criminology National Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2014.
More about the Kapila Hingorani Postgraduate Scholarships The deadline for applications is 30
June, 2015. It is necessary to hold an offer for the course to be eligible to apply for the scholarship.
For more information and an application form, visit www.shu.ac.uk/international/scholarshipsbursaries/kapila-hingorani-pg.html

More about the MA Applied Human Rights For more information about the course, visit
www.shu.ac.uk/prospectus/course/1292/

About Sheffield Hallam University: Sheffield Hallam University dates back to 1843 and is
one of the most progressive universities in the United Kingdom. Sheffield Hallam is currently offering
750+ courses to 35,000 students including more than 4,000 international students from more than 100
different countries. Sheffield Hallam also has collaborations with several Indian Universities including
Vidyalankar School of Technology, Mumbai, Symbiosis International University, Pune, Gautam
Buddha University, Greater Noida, Delhi, Christ University, Bangalore, Techno India NJR, Udaipur,
Bhagwant Group of Institution, Jaipur, TAPMI, Manipal and seeks to develop a global and pioneering
mindset in its students.