Bhimraj M, a Dalit student from Tamil Nadu, is crowdfunding his living expenses for an MPhil programme in Law at Oxford University. Bhimraj has been awarded the Ratanshaw Bomanji Zaiwalla Scholarship, which is a partial scholarship that mostly covers the tuition fees, given by the Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development, based at Somerville College. He hopes to fund other expenses including living expenses, visa cost, immigration, health surcharge, airfare, through the crowdfunding initiative.
Formerly a doctoral student at the South Asian University (SAU) in New Delhi, Bhimraj faced disciplinary action in November 2022 for participating in the student protests for increased stipends and scholarships, among other demands. He was initially rusticated for a year, and then expelled after he and others questioned the University’s harassment of a student who had to be hospitalised following his rustication for protesting against the SAU administration.
In December 2022, Bhimraj filed a complaint before the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) against the institutional harassment at SAU. The NCSC has not taken any action in the matter yet. He had also filed a case before the Delhi High Court challenging the arbitrary proctorial orders. The case will be heard next on August 2.
Bhimraj, who hails from Kannigapuram in North Chennai, completed his Bachelors in law from the Tamil Nadu Dr Ambedkar Law University in 2017. He then went on to pursue Masters in international law from SAU. During the course of his Masters studies, Bhimraj cleared the UGC’s Junior Research Fellowship Examination in 2018. Afterwards, he worked as a guest faculty in the Tamil Nadu Dr Ambedkar Law University, teaching public international law and international trade law.
It was in 2020 that Bhimraj joined the doctoral programme in SAU, securing the first rank in the entrance examination for the same. While pursuing PhD at SAU, Bhim had been selected for the Indian Equality Law Visiting Fellowship Programme, jointly organised by the University of Oxford and Melbourne Law School.
Bhimraj’s research touches upon the intersection of law and Dalit rights. His Masters dissertation analysed the adequacy of international human rights mechanisms to address caste-based discrimination. His doctoral research was on environmental discrimination faced by Dalits in India. Bhimraj intends to analyse the Indian legal mechanisms in challenging discriminatory waste facility siting as part of his MPhil at Oxford.
The scholarship amount that he has been awarded will almost cover the tuition fee of £26,450. However, the living and other expenses (like the visa cost, immigration, health surcharge, airfare, etc.) amount to approximately £19,518 (Rs 20,08,792/-) Bhimraj hopes to raise the amount by July 10. Those wishing to contribute can do so here - Help Bhim To Raise Funds For His Higher Education at Oxford | Milaap.