The Sikh Education Council is co-launching the Guru Nanak Social Mobility Scholarship with barrister Mukhtiar Singh in the UK. The first recipient to be awarded later this year will receive mentoring and a £4000 prize in a Bar scholarship. The aims of the scholarship are to improve access to the legal profession for financially and socially disadvantaged individuals, and to promote discourse on Sikh jurisprudence.
The Bar scholarship is open to any individual who has the potential to become a barrister, can demonstrate strong commitment to the Bar, and is from a socially or financially disadvantaged background. In addition to completing an application form and covering letter, applicants need to write a 2500-3500 word essay answering the question, ‘Was Teresa May right when she said Sikh values are “values we need more than ever as we forge a new ambitious role for Britain in the world“?‘ Comprehensive information relating to an application for the scholarship and essay guidelines are available online.
Sikh Education Council Chairperson Dr Pargat Singh stated, “We are so delighted to work with barrister Mukhtiar Singh on this project. He is a diligent professional who continues to make a difference every day with his work, and the founding of this scholarship does just that too. It pleases us immensely to know that the topic of Sikh jurisprudence will be researched and deliberated over through the application essays; we thoroughly look forward to receiving them and encourage anybody interested in a career at the Bar to consider applying.”
It is anticipated that the scholarships will extend to other professions perceived to be out of reach by the financial and socially disadvantaged in the future, such as solicitors, politicians and doctors.
