DPS Srinagar Alumnus Taif Altaf Selected for Prestigious Rhodes Scholarship 2026 | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: Delhi Public School, Srinagar, has announced that Taif Altaf, an alumnus of its 2021 graduating batch, has been selected as one of six Indian recipients of the Rhodes Scholarship for 2026, following an exceptionally competitive national selection process. The achievement places him among a small cohort recognised for academic excellence and public-minded scholarship.

Taif will pursue fully funded postgraduate studies at the University of Oxford, focusing on access to justice, due process, and the structural barriers that shape how citizens interact with the law in India. His research aims to strengthen evidence-based legal reform and contribute to more efficient justice delivery systems, particularly through recommendations to enhance India’s emergency legal frameworks.

Expressing gratitude for the intellectual grounding that shaped his early years, Taif said that Delhi Public School, Srinagar, encouraged him to read widely, question confidently, and think beyond conventional boundaries. He credited the school’s academic environment for nurturing the curiosity that ultimately guided him toward legal research.

His father, Altaf Ahmed Lone, said the family was proud of his accomplishment and acknowledged the role of the school in shaping both his academic discipline and personal values.

Principal Shafaq Afshan said Taif’s selection was a matter of pride for the institution and an affirmation of the values the school seeks to instil in its students. She described his clarity of purpose and scholarly commitment as an inspiration for younger learners.

Chairman Vijay Dhar said the achievement added to the distinguished contributions of the school’s alumni across multiple fields, noting that the Rhodes Scholarship remains one of the world’s most prestigious academic honours.

This academic recognition follows another major accomplishment for Delhi Public School, Srinagar. The school recently brought laurels to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir by securing the First Runner-Up position at the prestigious National Film Festival organised by The Global Education and Leadership Foundation. The grand finale, held on November 27, 2025, marked the culmination of a rigorous nationwide selection process involving 175 schools, of which only 12 progressed to the final stage.

The DPS Srinagar team presented its short film Raavan Tyol – The Unhealed Wound, based on the theme “The Last Internet Café.” Set in a world where the internet has vanished and survives only as memory, the narrative follows a young girl searching desperately for a cure for her ailing sister. When she discovers an old journal pointing to the last surviving internet café on Earth, she pins her hopes entirely on the information she finds there. Her unquestioning faith in the material leads to choices that ultimately cost her sister her life. The film’s cautionary message warns against accepting online information uncritically, underscoring the value of human judgment and critical reasoning.

Conceived, scripted, and produced by students Manaal Hussain, Zaigham Wajahat, and Hadi Imtiyaz under the mentorship of faculty member Sajad Mohiuddin, the film was commended by the jury for its originality and technical excellence. The panel described the work as “professional-level filmmaking worthy of national and international festivals.”

Principal Shafaq Afshan congratulated the team, saying this achievement reflected the school’s continued commitment to nurturing creativity and excellence in media and the performing arts. She said the distinction, achieved in a competition involving 175 schools, demonstrated the calibre and originality of the students’ work.

Chairman Vijay Dhar said the performance validated the school’s longstanding encouragement of creative disciplines alongside academic pursuits. He said the national recognition was a testament to the talent and hard work of the students and their mentor.

Other finalists in the event included Sose Dwarka and Tagore International School in New Delhi, VidyaGyan’s Bulandshahr and Sitapur campuses, Vivek High School Mohali, Delhi Public School New Town Kolkata, Happy Days School Shivpuri, Learning Path School Mohali, Maharaja Sawai Man Singh Vidyalaya Jaipur, Purkal Youth Development Society Dehradun, and Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan Senior Secondary School Chennai.

With this achievement, the young filmmakers from DPS Srinagar intend to build on the recognition and explore broader opportunities in cinema, hoping to inspire students across the region to pursue creative storytelling. The school extended its gratitude to the organising foundation for offering a platform that celebrates student artistry and innovation.