THE University of Cambridge is creating a new scholarship programme in honour of India’s Prime Minister.

The Manmohan Singh Undergraduate Scholarship programme, which will enable more Indian students to study at Cambridge was announced in New Delhi by Vice-Chancellor Professor Alison Richard.

The scholarships will provide full funding, covering fees and means-tested maintenance, for undergraduate study at the university.

As the programme develops there are expected to be up to ten Manmohan Singh undergraduate scholars studying at the university at any one time. More than £1 million has already been committed to support the scholarships over the long term.

The scholarships have been named in honour of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who graduated from Cambridge with a First in Economics in the late 1950s and who was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the university in October 2006.

"It is a humbling experience to know that these scholarships for the undergraduate students have been named in my honour," said Dr Singh.

"I express my gratitude towards the University of Cambridge for giving an opportunity to the youth of India to study at one of the most prestigious institutions in the world. India is a nation of young and talented people where scholarships such as these will play a pivotal role in encouraging them to pursue higher education and contribute to the overall social and economic development of the country.

"I am confident that this programme will not only help strengthen relations between people of India and the UK but also serve our shared objective of creating a better world based on equity and justice", added the Prime Minister.

On her first overseas visit in the University’s 800th anniversary year, the Vice-Chancellor said at a press conference: "The University is honoured that the Prime Minister has generously agreed to lend his name to this important initiative.

"This is another great example of the breadth and depth of the partnership between Cambridge and India. We are grateful to Sir Evelyn and Lady Lynn Forester De Rothschild and to Bharti Airtel, through the Bharti Foundation, for their recognition that world-class education requires global reach and we look forward to welcoming the first Manmohan Singh Undergraduate Scholars to Cambridge in 2010."

Professor Richard is on a ten-day return visit to India travelling to Kolkata, Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai. A key theme of her visit will be how Cambridge and India can work in partnership to address crucial environmental and economic challenges.