In collaboration with the Indian Institute of Management-Bengaluru, National Instruction and Media Institute (NIMI) and State Skill Development Missions (SSDMs), the Union Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Mahendra Nath Pandey, on March 8, launched a pilot version of the Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship programme.
The Fellowship is a two-year programme combining classroom sessions with an intensive field immersion at the district level. The goal is to identify barriers in raising employment and economic output, and also promote livelihoods in rural areas, to strengthen the rural employment ecosystem.
Out of the 74 total fellows selected, 32 are women. A budget of around 13 crore has been allocated to the 24-month programme, which will be utilised from the Rs. 400 crore fund sanctioned by the World Bank towards SANKALP (Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion) scheme. SANKALP aims to fulfil the mandate of the National Skills Development Mission, with special focus on the district-level skilling ecosystem.
Each of the fellows will receive a stipend of Rs. 50,000 per month during the first year of their fellowship. Upon completing the requirements of the first year, they will move onto the second year of their fellowship and will be receiving an increase of Rs. 10,000 in their monthly stipend.
As a part of the certificate programme in public policy and management, the MGNF fellows will each visit a district in the selected states of Uttarakhand, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh, for a period of 108 days.
