The prestigious Chevening Scholarships and Fellowships offer full financial support for a one-year master’s at any UK university and for 8-12 week professional development courses, respectively.

The Chevening programme in India is the largest in the world, benefiting over 3,500 scholars and fellows since 1983. The number of awards on offer in India have increased further, with the Adani Group co-sponsoring 15 additional scholarships in artificial intelligence over three years. The Chevening Fellowships on offer this year are: Chevening India Cyber Security Fellowship; Chevening Research, Science, and Innovation Leadership Fellowship; Chevening Gurukul Fellowship for Leadership and Excellence; South Asia Journalism Fellowship.

The British High Commission in New Delhi hosted a special reception today for the scholars chosen as part of the UK’s Government special initiative to offer additional scholarships in celebration of India’s 75th year of Independence – with the support of HSBC India, Pearson India, Hindustan Unilever, Tata Sons and Duolingo – over 60% of this cohort hailed from non-metro cities, and 50% are women

Alex Ellis, British High Commissioner to India, said:

Investing in your education in another country is a defining experience; so many congratulations to the next generation of India’s leaders going to the UK as Chevening scholar. It was fantastic to hear about the inspiring plans and to share ideas with them about what they should do and where they should go in the UK.

Chevening offers people an unparalleled opportunity to experience the best of the UK, with full financial support. I’m delighted that we have been able to achieve one of our most diverse cohorts this year, with the amazing support from our partners. I encourage even more people from across India to apply for a Chevening Scholarship and Fellowships.

Chevening alumni in India include Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Anupriya Patel, Global CEO for Tata Steel T.V. Narendran, and the former Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu Girija Vaidyanathan.

To find a Chevening Fellowship programme, click here. The deadline to apply is 12 October 2022.

Chevening Scholarships include tuition, living expenses and travel cost for a one-year master’s. For further details on applying for Chevening Scholarship, click here. The last date to apply is 1 November 2022.

Adani will co-sponsor 15 scholars in the next three years (five per year).

For media queries, please contact:

Media queries: BHCMediaDelhi@fco.gov.uk

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Judy Andrea Roach (54), from Thamesmead, south London, was the sole director of JAR Training Consultancy Limited. The company, incorporated in September 2015, partnered with further education colleges, and provided training to apprentice sports coaches in the Blackburn area.

JAR Training Consultancy, however, entered into creditors voluntary liquidation in March 2021 and the company’s insolvency triggered an investigation by the Insolvency Service.

Following support from the Education and Skills Funding Agency, who shared information with the Insolvency Service, investigators uncovered that Judy Roach failed to ensure that JAR Training Consultancy maintained and/or preserved adequate accounting records throughout the life of the company.

This meant that investigators could not verify what happened to more than £2.5 million worth of public funds secured through the Education and Skills Funding Agency.

Unsubstantiated payments included £1.77 million paid to tutors and assessors, more than £171,000 paid to Judy Roach’s family members, and just over £41,000 paid to a contractor who carried out building work to Judy Roach’s home.

On 13 July 2022, the Secretary of State accepted a 7-year disqualification undertaking from Judy Roach after she did not dispute that she failed to ensure JAR Training Consultancy maintained and/or preserved adequate accounting records or in the alternative she failed to deliver up adequate records to the liquidators.

Effective from 3 August 2022, Judy Roach is banned from directly, or indirectly, becoming involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company, without the permission of the court.

JAR Training Consultancy’s liquidator is considering the recovery of funds.

Mark Bruce, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said:

Every limited company has a legal duty to maintain accounting records, especially those that receive millions of pounds worth of public funding. Judy Roach, however, totally disregarded her duties, which meant she was unable to explain exactly what happened to more than £2.5 million of income provided by the government.

Thanks to the joint working between the Education and Skills Funding Agency and the Insolvency Service, Judy Roach has been removed from the corporate arena for a substantial period. Her ban should serve as a stark warning to other rogue directors that action will be taken against those who misuse public funds and abuse the taxpayer.

Howard Tobias, Head of Enforcement at the Education and Skills Funding Agency, said:

I am pleased to note the success of this new joint working between the Insolvency Service and ESFA. Failing to keep or deliver up books and records will not preclude the directors of such companies from further scrutiny and sanction. This outcome demonstrates that the ESFA is prepared to take robust action and we will work with regulatory partners across government to hold them to account.

Judy Andrea Roach is from Thamesmead, London, and her date of birth is November 1967.

JAR Training Consultancy Limited (Company Reg no. 09787821).

Disqualification undertakings are the administrative equivalent of a disqualification order but do not involve court proceedings. Persons subject to a disqualification order are bound by a range of other restrictions.

Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct, is available.

You can also follow the Insolvency Service on:

The scheme, being run at HMP Hewell in Worcestershire, is part of a landmark trial between the prison and farming technology company, LettUsGrow, that will see prisoners grow leafy greens, salad and herbs in high-tech ‘vertical’ farms.

Vegetables are grown in compact towers using aeroponics using an air or mist environment rather than soil.

At the forefront of farming, this advanced technology produces more plants, more quickly and with 98 percent less water than conventional methods.

Most importantly, the scheme will train prisoners up in the jobs of the future, such as farm management software, plant science and food safety. This will help them find a job on release in new and emerging technologies and dramatically reduce their chances of reoffending.

This is just the latest move in the government’s strategy to make sure prisoners use their time behind bars to get the skills they need to find work once through the gate and back home.

Prisons Minister Stuart Andrew MP:

This innovative scheme is just the tip of the iceberg in our drive to equip prisoners with the practical skills they need to get a job on release – ultimately cutting crime and keeping the public safe.

Up there with education, family ties and addiction treatment, stable work holds the key to a life free from crime and safer communities for us all.

Ralph Lubowski, Governor of HMP Hewell:

I am delighted to partner with Lettus Grow in this fantastic initiative, which will give our prisoners the opportunity, confidence and training to turn their lives around.

Vertical farming is an innovative, emerging industry and this partnership highlights our commitment to ensuring that prisoners are skilled up to find work on release.

The latest figures show the number of former offenders in work six weeks after release has increased by nearly half, whereas proven reoffending has fallen to just over 25 percent – making huge progress in tackling the £18 billion cost of repeat offending and keeping the public safe.

Notes to editors

• The latest statistics from the Ministry of Justice show that the proportion of persons released from custody who were employed at 6 weeks from their release rose by 6 percentage points to 16 per cent between April 2021 and March 2021. This is an increase of more than half (57 per cent).
• New data shows that over the last 10 years, proven reoffending has decreased from 30.9 percent (2009/10) to 25.6 percent (2019/20).
• The Prisons White Paper – the Deputy Prime Minister’s strategy to reduce reoffending and keep the public safe – puts a laser-sharp focus in getting prisoners into work both behind bars and on release.
• Learn more about LettUsGrow here

Oxfordshire’s world-leading solutions to reaching net zero

• Inaugural OX to ZERO summit to demonstrate how Oxfordshire is leading the global charge in addressing the climate emergency
• September 1 event at The Blavatnik founded by University of Oxford, Harwell, UK Atomic Energy Authority and OxLEP to help accelerate net zero transition
• Programme includes experts in fusion energy, transport, storage, systems, CO2 removal and innovation, with virtual tickets at oxtozero.com

A new one-day summit at The Blavatnik School of Government will showcase how Oxfordshire leads the global charge in addressing the climate emergency.

OX to ZERO unites the county’s most innovative thinkers, investors and entrepreneurs exploring the potential of new ideas, technologies, and companies to accelerate the net zero transition.

Curated by founding partners the University of Oxford, Harwell, UK Atomic Energy Authority and OxLEP, the September 1 programme includes thought leaders in fusion energy (Tokamak Energy, First Light Fusion), transport (YASA, ARRIVAL), storage (Johnson Matthey, Faraday), systems (Low Carbon Hub, SSE), CO2 removal (Oxford Net Zero, OUI) and innovation (STFC, Cleantech).

Keynote speakers include ocean advocate Emily Penn and Simon Mundy, Moral Money editor at the Financial Times and author of climate change book Race for Tomorrow.

Chas Bountra, University of Oxford, said: “After the pandemic, the climate emergency will potentially destroy even more lives, make parts of the world uninhabitable, and produce irreversible changes to our surroundings. OX to ZERO provides an insight into how the Oxford ecosystem is once again pulling together to take on the biggest challenge facing our planet. I hope we can create hope and solutions for humanity.”

Sebastian Johnson, OxLEP, said: “Oxfordshire has a history of delivering pioneering solutions to the world’s greatest challenges. The expertise and desire that exists in the county can be a critical driver to tackling the climate emergency head-on, at pace. OX to ZERO will showcase further solutions that can drive the world towards a zero-carbon future.”

Tim Bestwick, UKAEA and Harwell, said: “OX to ZERO will showcase the big ideas and solutions that, coupled with investment and supported by Oxfordshire’s innovation ecosystem, can make an important impact on the sustainable future of our planet.”

OX to ZERO will feature experts from a variety of fields dedicated to supporting the drive towards a zero-carbon future, including more leading figures from green finance, business and academia. It will also be one of the first opportunities worldwide to watch Star Makers: The Energy of Tomorrow, a new documentary about the fusion energy record achieved on the Joint European Torus at Culham Science Centre.

Numbers are limited for the in-person event, with virtual tickets and more information available at oxtozero.com.