Firdous Hassan
Srinagar: A long cherished dream has come true for 24- year-old Misbah Reshi after she won the prestigious Rhodes scholarship 2020.
Hailing from the Naid Kadal area in the old Srinagar city, Misbah was raised in New Delhi. After completing graduation in Philosophy (Honours) from St Stephen’s College, she enrolled for Law at Campus Law Centre, Faculty of Law, University of Delhi. Currently, she is in the final year of Law.
She is only the second Kashmiri to have earned the prestigious scholarship, which enables her to study for the next two years at the University of Oxford.
Earlier in 2018, Sameer Rashid Bhat became the first Kashmiri to get the prestigious Rhodes scholarship.
“It is really a great moment for me. I came to know about the Rhodes scholarship through my seniors from St. Stephen’s who had received it. I started focusing on this scholarship in my second semester. I am exhilarated to bag the scholarship, finally,” she said.
Misbah said throughout her interviews, she was asked about her works, many among which were based on Kashmir
“I had to go through a different virtual interview and the panelists belonged to different disciplines. The first interview was technical in nature, the second was generally focusing on the statement of purpose and the third was personality-based. I was asked about my work, which included my researches and reports on Kashmir,” she said.
Misbah said she will pursue law at Oxford University during her two years scholarship programme.
“I want to pursue my education in law and will apply for Oxford University. My family’s happiness is beyond words and I am also elated that my work and contributions are getting valued,” she said.
Misbah is currently serving as a student convener of the Legal Aid Society at Delhi University and has been actively writing on minority rights and human rights issues.
Her recent works include a 125-page report titled ‘Kashmir’s Internet Siege’ which had a detailed account on internet gag imposed by the government post abrogation of article 370.
She has written about the Media Policy of the Jammu and Kashmir government. She has also worked with noted advocates including Fauzia Shakil, Vrinda Grover, and Rebecca John.
