Indira Priyadarshini Nehru at Somerville

Indira Priyadarshini Nehru joined Somerville College, Oxford in 1937 to study Modern History. There is not much known about her sojourn at Sommerville except that she stayed in one of the draughty student rooms and felt very cold. Somerville was a college exclusively for women.

By all reports Indira Nehru kept much to herself and definitely away from other Indians, especially those who were training for the ICS at Oxford and much wanted to befriend Pandit Nehru's daughter. One such gentleman recalls that the only remarkable thing about her was that she was the daughter of a great man. College records show that she had to leave her degree unfinished since her marks were below what was required. Another student of Somerville who would leave studies was Margaret Roberts who came to the college in 1943. Both Indira and Margaret would go on to become the longest serving Prime Ministers of their respective countries. 

To make up for that lost degree Somerville honoured Indira Gandhi, then the prime minister of India, with a doctorate.