Lok Sabha Question No. 2830 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-21
Subject: Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship Certificate Programme
Ministry: SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Asked by: Poonam (Mahajan) Vajendla Rao, Rajeshbhai Naranbhai Chudasama, Mohanbhai Kalyanji Kundariya

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2830 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.03.2022

## MAHATMA GANDHI NATIONAL FELLOWSHIP CERTIFICATE PROGRAMME

## 2830   SHRIMATI POONAM MAHAJAN: SHRI RAJESHBHAI CHUDASAMA: SHRI MOHANBHAI KALYANJI KUNDARIYA:

## Will the Minister of SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP be pleased to state:

- (a)         whether  the  Government  has  launched  a  two  year  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Fellowship Certificate Programme in Public Policy and Management in collaboration with nine Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) if so, the details thereof;
- (b)        the aim of the Government in launching this programme and the details of the fellowships that will be awarded;
- (c)        the details of regarding the post certification avenues available to the fellows; and
- (d)         whether  the  Government  plans  to  induct  them  as  professional  interns/  consultants  within  the State/ district level organizational setup and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP (SHRI RAJEEV CHANDRASEKHAR)

- (a) Yes  Sir.  The  National  roll  out  of  the  two  year  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Fellowship  (MGNF) Phase  II  programme  was  inaugurated  on  25.10.2021  in  partnership  with  09  Indian  Institute  of Managements (IIM) namely IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Jammu, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Lucknow, IIM Nagpur, IIM Ranchi, IIM Udaipur and IIM Visakhapatnam.
- (b) Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship launched a 2-year Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship  programme  in  partnership  with  IIMs,  which  combines  classroom  sessions  at  IIMs  with  an intensive field immersion at the district level to strengthen the district skill administration and to provide support  to  the  District  Skill  Committees  (DSCs)  for  skill  planning  and  management.  The  programme aims at identifying and training a group of young, committed and dynamic individuals, who would work with the district administration in strengthening the district skills ecosystem.

Phase-I of the fellowship programme was launched on 08.03.2020 with IIM Bangalore as the Academic partner  with  a  batch  of  69  Fellows  who  were  attached  to 69  districts  across  six  States,  viz.  Gujarat, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. MGNF Phase-I was completed on 05.03.2022  and  69  Fellows  were  awarded  Certificate  in  Public  Policy  and  Management  by  IIM Bangalore. Currently, 643 Fellows are deployed in 643 districts across 33 States/ UTs of the country as part of the Phase II programme.

- (c) It is envisaged that Mahatma Gandhi National Fellows may explore relevant opportunities in the context of academic inputs as well as experience gained from respective district immersion.
- (d) The  Project  Screening  Committee  (PSC)/Programme  Approval  Board  (PAB)  under  SANKALP has given in principle approval for extension of MGN Fellows for one year (01.04.22 to 31.03.2023) for attaching of fellows in NSTI/ RDSDE, acting as State level NIESBUD/ IIE resource persons.

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