Top 10 postgraduate fellowships in Public Policy in India

Want to make a difference at the grassroots level? Then getting some hands-on experience would be a great first step. Of course, it is important to get a degree in the field of study that you are interested in. But besides that, here are the top 10 postgraduate fellowships that offer the opportunity to work in fields like rural education, scientific research, planning and community work.

Gandhi Fellowship

• Run by: Piramal School of Leadership (PSL) and Kaivalya Education Foundation (KEF).
• What the fellowship is about: Improving the overall standard of rural school education in India.
• Duration: It’s a 2-year residential programme where fellows work closely with rural communities to usher in large-scale social changes.
• Eligibility: You need to be under 26 years with a BA or BSc degree in any discipline. You may also be in the final year of your graduate programme.
• Stipend: Rs 14,000 per month.

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Legislative Assistants to Members of Parliament (LAMP) Fellowship

• Run by: PRS Legislative Research, an independent institute for legislative, public policy and budget research support to MPs.
• What the fellowship is about: Provides an opportunity to be a part of research work in law and public policy under the mentorship of an MP.
• Duration: You’ll work for 11 months, from the beginning of the Monsoon session of Parliament to the end of the Budget session the following year.
• Eligibility: You need to be 25 years old or below and hold a BA or BSc degree in any discipline.
• Stipend: Rs 20,000 per month.

For more details, click here.

Young India Fellowship

• Run by: Ashoka University.
• What the fellowship is about: Promoting experiential learning through various real-world projects from diverse sectors.
• Duration: It’s a 1-year residential PG diploma programme in liberal studies.
• Eligibility: You need to be 28 years old or younger and must have a BA or BSc degree in any discipline.
• Stipend: None. Since it is a PG diploma programme, you’ll need to bear your tuition and hostel fees.

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Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship

• Run by: The Ministry of Education offers this fellowship through IITs, IISERs, IISc Bengaluru, and some central universities like BHU, NIT Tiruchirappalli and JNU.
• What the fellowship is about: Improving the quality of scientific research in higher educational institutions across the country.
• Duration: Four years for a student from integrated courses (BTech+MTech) and 5 years for a BTech student.
• Eligibility: This is only for students of science. You need at least 8 CGPA to apply for this fellowship. If you have a lower score in degree programmes, you can apply through GATE.
• Stipend: Rs 70,000 per month for the first 2 years, Rs. 75,000 per month in the third year, and Rs 80,000 per month in the fourth and fifth years. In addition, there will be a grant of Rs 2 lakh per year during your tenure for travel and research contingency expenses.

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Chief Minister’s Good Governance Associates Programme

• Run by: The government of Haryana and Ashoka University, to improve governance in the state and make a mass impact on ground.
• What the fellowship is about: Providing rigorous training to students in the fields of education, women’s safety, health and sanitation, higher education and e-governance.
• Duration: 1 year.
• Eligibility: You need one year’s work experience after graduation. Also, you can’t be more than 28 years old. Any Indian citizen can apply.
• Stipend: Rs 50,000 per month.

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District Development Fellowship

• Run by: Ashoka University, in association with the Punjab government.
• What the fellowship is about: Enabling young professionals to work on strategic planning, training, capacity-building and ground-level implementation of interventions. All these are activated through research work and documentation of the initiatives of the Punjab state government.
• Duration: 1 year.
• Eligibility: You need an MA or MSc degree and 2 years of work experience or at least 3 years of work experience after graduation. Also, you must not be more than 30 years old.
• Stipend: Rs 8 lakh annually.

For more details, click here.

Teach for India Fellowship (TIF)

• Run by: Teach for India, an NGO that aims to eliminate education inequality across the country.
• What the fellowship is about: Providing quality education to underprivileged children. Teach for India is a very popular fellowship and many youngsters take a gap year after their graduation to teach children in under-resourced government schools across the country.
• Duration: It’s a 2-year fellowship programme with extensive training sessions.
• Eligibility: You need a BA or BSc degree. There is no age limit for applying.
• Stipend: Rs 20,412 per month.

For more details, click here.

India Fellow Programme (IFP)

• Run by: India Fellow, a non-profit platform of social entrepreneurs.
• What the fellowship is about: Providing training to and mentoring of young Indians. This involves working full-time with a host organisation to create social awareness in rural areas.
• Duration: 18 months.
• Eligibility: You can’t be more than 28 years old. And you’ll need a BA or BSc degree.
• Stipend: Rs 16,000 per month for work in rural areas and Rs 20,000 for metro cities.

For more details, click here.

Azim Premji Foundation Fellowship (APFF)

• Run by: Azim Premji Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation that works in the elementary education system in rural government schools.
• What the fellowship is about: Providing free education to children from poor backgrounds to improve the standard of education at the block level.
• Duration: 1 year.
• Eligibility: You should not be more than 35 years old. You need 4–10 years of teaching experience and a postgraduate degree in any discipline.
• Stipend: Rs 37,000 per month.

For more details, click here.

SBI Youth For India (SBI YFI)

• Run by: State Bank of India.
• What the fellowship is about: Closely interacting and engaging with grassroots communities. The fellows work with NGOs in rural developmental and educational projects.
• Duration: 13 months.
• Eligibility: You need to be between 21 and 32 years with a BA or BSc degree in any discipline.
• Stipend: Rs 15,000 per month along with a readjustment allowance of Rs 50,000 if you successfully complete the fellowship programme.

For more details, click here.