Gandhi Fellowship

Gandhi Fellowship 2016-18

India Education

As a country that is grappling with issues of leadership, political corruption, scams and lack of efficient governance, Indian needs reforms now more than ever. That’s where this unique scholarship comes into context. The Gandhi Fellowship was set up in 2008 with the aim of creating the next set of national leaders who would be instrumental in implementing social and public reforms. The fellowship, a two-year programme, is essentially a youth leadership development program which trains the youth with skills sets and abilities that will be used to implement lasting changes in the society.

The fellowship was initiated by the Kaivalya Education Foundation (KEF), a non-profit organization. It is based on two core principles that were inspired by Gandhi’s ideologies – to be the change you wish to see in the world and his belief in the process of action and reflection, and using reflection as a major tool for personal and then societal change.

The fellowship is funded by Piramal Foundation, UNICEF, and the Michael and Susan Dell foundation among others.

Programme

The Gandhi Fellowship is a carefully structured 2-year residential program for those individuals who want to understand the impending problems in society at the grassroots and make a transformation, be self aware and understand their capabilities, develop a strong co-dependent ecosystem, and realize their personal goals & dreams.

During the two-year period, fellows will go through a rigorous process of coaching and training with regular reviews and feedback from faculty and peers. The fellowship focuses on developing 7competencies, namely, self awareness, collaborative work, excellence, influence without authority, risk taking and entrepreneurship, articulation of values and articulation of private dreams.

The program helps students understand and empathize with societal issues. During the two years, each fellow is assigned 5 schools, and they have to bring about a significant transformation in these schools during this period. Divided into 4 semesters, the program is designed with field visits, periodic reviews by peers and experts, meditation retreats, recreation, knowledge sharing, which will help the fellows to identify and hone key skills and result in overall development. The chosen Gandhi fellows will have to practically work with 5 schools-5 headmasters-50 teachers-500 children and the community in difficult rural and urban locations.

A grant/ stipend (salary) of Rs.14,000 per month & a mobile allowance of Rs.600 per month is given to the fellows throughout the program to cover their basic living costs. Out of the Rs.14,000, half shall be paid on monthly basis and the remaining Rs.7000 would be retained as interest-free reserve amount. The cumulative reserve amount will be paid at the end of the term of the fellowship after a period of 23 months. The fellowship also takes care of housing, transportation and other such facilities.

Gandhi Fellowship’s Placement and Alumni Cell, works with the fellows throughout the year on their private dreams and growth aspirations. Based on the articulations and interest areas, the fellows are supported in their placements.

Application process

To apply for the fellowship for the 2016 – 2018 batch, follow this process:

Go to the http://www.gandhifellowship.org/apply.php
Create a login ID and password
Provide all necessary information regarding contact details, academics and extra curricular activities
Try to be as elaborate as possible and make sure you mention all your major accomplishments and activities

For more information, go to http://www.gandhifellowship.org/ and address any application-related queries to [email protected].

Important dates

Application begins

2 October, 2016

Deadline for application (phase I) for 2016-2018

31 December, 2016

Deadline for application (phase II) for 2016-2018

31 March, 2017

Eligibility

You must be below 25 years of age by 1st July, 2017.
You must be an achiever i.e have showcased excellence and passion in academics and/or extra -curricular activities (Sports, NSS, NCC, voluntary work, performing arts, literature, etc).
You must possess compassion and sense of responsibility towards solving the pressing problems of India
You can be from any of the diverse streams: Engineering, Applied & Pure Sciences, Commerce and Business, Humanities, & Liberal Arts, Social & Behavioural Science, Maths and Journalism, Education, Law etc.

Selection process

There will be a strict, 3-level personalized and reflective recruitment process that will assess your various competencies of leadership