New Delhi: Three academically brilliant people, including an IITian who is a nature photographer and an Indian researcher at a Lahore varsity, have bagged the first Manmohan Singh Scholarships instituted by the Cambridge University, Britain.

Niladri Banerjee, an IIT Kanpur postgraduate, Manasa Patnam, an Indian engaged in research at the Lahore University of Management Science (LUMS), and Nitu Duggal, who was an M. Phil scholar at Cambridge University will head for St. John's College, Cambridge, to pursue their doctoral fellowship, the British High Commission said here on Friday.

"I always dreamt of being able to go to Cambridge. Probably because I heard that Isaac Newton studied there. The desire was very persistent, so much so, that it can safely be called a childhood dream," said Banerjee, who calls nature photography as his major hobby.

Earlier this year, the St. John's College had launched the Manmohan Singh Scholarships in honour of the Indian Prime Minister, who is a graduate and honorary fellow of the college.

Though academics are high on the agenda, all three winners have wider interests. While Banerjee is passionate about nature and spends his free time capturing its different aspects with a camera, Patnam is an avid climber and mountaineer and has formally trained at the Indian Mountaineering Federation. Patnam is also a Kathak dancer.

Duggal wants to engage herself in teaching activity and work along with teachers to reach out to maximum number of students. IANS