Tagore National Fellowship for Cultural Research
Category: Education & Learning, Sports & Culture
Level: Central | State: All
Ministry: Ministry Of Culture

Details:
The Scheme “Tagore National Fellowship for Cultural Research” has been introduced to invigorate and revitalize the various institutions under the Ministry of Culture (MoC) and other identified cultural institutions in the country, by encouraging Fellows/academicians to affiliate themselves with these institutions to work on projects of mutual interest.
    With a view to infuse fresh knowledge capital into the institutions, the scheme expects these Fellows/academicians to select specific resources of the institutions to use in their projects and take up research works that are related to the main objectives of these institutions. It is also expected that the research work would enrich the institution with a new creative edge and academic excellence.
> **Nodal Institutions (Participating Institutions):**

The Scheme shall cover the institutions under the Ministry of Culture (MoC), as listed in the Guidelines, and may cover other such institutions in the future. The scheme will also cover Non-MoC institutions with cultural resources like manuscripts, artifacts, antiquities, books, publications, records, etc., and seek to take advantage of the scheme by engaging distinguished Fellows to work on its resources and also known for its rich publications. The nodal institutions (both MoC and non-MoC) are classified into four groups broadly based on their different areas of specialization, focus, and resources. The classification is as follows:
1.	Group-A: Archaeology, Antiquities, Museums &amp; Galleries
2.	Group-B: Archives, Libraries and General Fellowship
3.	Group-C: Anthropology &amp; Sociology
4.	Group D: Crafts, Performing/Visual/Literary Arts
> **Scope of the Scheme:**

The scope of the Scheme is to enable the identified cultural institutions to engage Fellows of outstanding merit, to work on research projects in order to unravel their unexplored resources. For purposes of convenience, monitoring, accounting, and responsibility, one of the institutions listed above would be the ‘Nodal Institution’ for each project, and the Fellows will be attached/anchored to that institution.
> **Duration of the Fellowship:**


  - The duration of the Fellowship will be for a maximum period of two years.
  - In exceptional cases, the institution may recommend to the NSC an extension for a period of up to one more year, or a reduction to somewhat less than two years, if it is supported by its assessment of the quality of the work undertaken. However, in the case of extension, the fellow won’t be eligible for any remuneration including contingency.
  - The award of the Fellowship will commence from the date of joining and the ‘months’ and ‘years’ will be reckoned accordingly.

> **Number of Fellowships:**


  - The scheme envisages the granting of up to 15 Fellowships in a year.
  - Each nodal institution can be awarded 1 Fellowship in a year. However, the MoC has the discretionary power to relax these numbers.

> **Administration of the Scheme:**

The total number of Fellowships administered by the institutions may be decided by the Ministry of Culture from time to time, in consultation with the participating institutions. This will be based on certain criteria such as the size of its untapped holdings, physical facilities already existing in the institution, the capacity of the institution to guide and inspire the Fellows to get the best out of them, its past record in publication and research, need for research/study in a particular area, etc. An amount of up to 2% of the total allocation may be set aside for meeting expenses related to the administration of the scheme including monitoring, implementation, inspection, review, etc. of the research work carried out by the Fellows, through outsourcing or Consultants.

Benefits:
Honorarium:
A Tagore National Fellow who is from a University, College, Research Institute, or Government setup in India would be entitled to the same pay, including grade pay, etc., which he/she would have drawn had he/she continued in his/her parent organization. Essential or mandatory contributions of the employer to Provident Fund etc. would be paid by the parent organizations as would have been paid by them had he/she continued in his/her parent organization.
A Fellow from abroad or from a set-up other than University, College, Research Institute or Government service, or who has retired from active service and/or is on pension, would be entitled to a fixed honorarium of ₹80,000/- per month.
No payment of honorarium would normally be made to a Fellow receiving full funding from other sources up to the level of the honorarium, but such Fellow will, however, receive a Contingency Grant, other allowances, and facilities, as decided by the NSC.  
Contingency Grant:
In case of foreign and Indian research fellows residing or serving abroad and having been selected as Tagore Fellows under Non-MoC institutions, to and fro economy class airfare from their country of residence will be provided/reimbursed by the Ministry once during the course of the Fellowship.
Similarly, all fellows under Non-MoC institutions who take up the Fellowship under the Scheme will be reimbursed, on an ‘actual’ basis, contingent expenses for making academic trips, engaging research assistants, etc. up to a maximum ceiling of ₹2.50 lakhs per annum, during the tenure of Fellowship subject to verification of requisite bills by the Nodal Institutions.
Note:
 For Fellows selected under MoC Institutions, the expenditure in this regard will be borne by the concerned MoC Institution from the grant-in-aid received by them from their administrative Division of the Ministry.
Accommodation:
A Fellow who is not a bona-fide resident of the place of the Participating Institution to which he has proposed to be affiliated and who intends to take up rented accommodation in the city of the desired Institution will be required to indicate this fact at the time of applying for Fellowship.
The selected Fellow will be entitled to receive a House Rent Allowance of up to 30% of the honorarium. However, with respect to Fellows from Universities, colleges, Research institutes, or Government setups HRA will be paid by the Parent Organization as per entitlement.
The MoC Institutions will bear the expenditure in this regard from the grant-in-aid received by them from their administrative Division of the Ministry.
In respect of Non-MoC Institutions, the Ministry of Culture will reimburse the House Rent Allowance directly to Fellows on submission of rent receipts (in original) to the Participating Institutions who will verify and forward the same to the Ministry for reimbursement.
Settling Allowance:
A Fellow from outstation will be given, if required, a lump sum grant of ₹1.00 lakh as settling allowance for packing/transportation, etc., of his personal belongings from the old station to the new station of his stay during the tenure of Fellowship, if he moves station or otherwise transports books and academic effects.
Allowance of an equal amount will also be given at the conclusion of the Fellowship for moving out of station. On a case-to-case basis, economy airfare from his/her place/country of residence will be provided/reimbursed upon joining and at the conclusion of the Fellowship. In this regard, Non-MoC Institutions will bear the expenditure and thereafter seek reimbursement from the Ministry after submission of certified copies of Bills along with justification.
Support to Fellows:
Infrastructural support will be provided by the Nodal Institution to the Fellows to enable them to conduct their research. This may include the provision of a computer with peripherals and connectivity, working space in the institution’s premises, providing a congenial atmosphere to carry out research, etc. Other facilities, like appropriate seating arrangements, library facilities, etc., will also be made available.
One important advantage of this scheme will be the access of the Fellows to national institutions for study and avail original and rare research material. In respect of foreign fellows engaged under this scheme, necessary political/security clearances from the concerned Ministries/Departments shall be obtained by the Ministry of Culture.
Encouragement and financial support may also be given to enable the Fellows to present papers at conferences hosted by the concerned institution or other related organizations and institutions, which will be met out/reimbursed, on an ‘actuals’ basis, with a ceiling of ₹1.00 lakh per annum, provided adequate academic interaction is arranged

Eligibility Criteria:
1. Fellows who have sound academic or professional credentials and have made significant contributions to knowledge in their respective fields will be eligible to apply for Tagore National Fellowship.
   1. Preferably the Fellows who have 5 years of experience in conducting/guiding research or the same experience in performing/any other arts can apply for Tagore National Fellowship.
   1. The applicants must have an impressive list of publications into their credit, at least two monographs (single-authored).
   1. Fellows to be engaged must have both the credentials as laid down in the preceding paragraph, as well as a strong reputation in the field covered by the Nodal Institution.
   1. Those who have in the past directly engaged with major projects at the Nodal Institution and fulfilled the above-mentioned eligibility criteria for a Tagore Fellow are encouraged to apply for the Tagore National Fellowship.
   1. Once awarded a Tagore National Fellowship, a candidate cannot apply again for a Fellowship under this scheme, either at the same or any other institution covered under the Scheme.
   1. The Scheme will be open to both Indian and foreign nationals. However, the proportion of foreigners will not normally exceed one–third of the total fellowships awarded in a year.

**Note 01:** Interested Fellows are required to enclose a research proposal prepared on the guidelines provided in Appendix A.
**Note 02:** Fellows are also required to prepare a short write-up on how the proposed research would be beneficial for the respective nodal institution.
**Note 03:** The honour and the honorarium are both of a very high order; the Institution Level Search-cum-Screening Committee (ILSSC) of the sponsoring institution and the National Selection Committee may keep these in mind while recommending/ selecting the Tagore National Fellows.
**Note 04:** In short, a person selected for the Tagore National Fellowship should be one who has already become a ‘legend’ in his area of work or is regarded very highly. It is appropriate that those who do not come near this description may not apply or be considered for the highest honour and honorarium accorded to a Fellow in India under this Fellowship.
> **Areas of Research and Eligible Projects:**


   1. The selected Fellows will normally work on a project that benefits the Nodal Institution in terms of unraveling its resources. The subject of research should be one that can be usefully pursued with the resources and facilities of the Nodal Institution awarding the Fellowship, though he/she will be free to draw on the resources and facilities of other institutions, as well.
   1. If the subject of research extends to more than one institution or the Fellow otherwise needs to draw upon the resources and facilities of other institution(s), the Nodal Institution awarding the Fellowship would recommend the Fellow to such other institution(s). In rare cases, where two institutions appear to be of almost equal importance to the Fellows, the second institution may be deemed to be the ‘Co-institution’ and the two may sign a Tripartite MoU regarding Intellectual Property, Publication, Credit sharing, facilities, etc. but accounting shall be with the Nodal Institution.
   1. Since the Scheme is focused on unraveling the cultural resources of the Nodal Institution, the project must be driven in that direction, that is, to use substantially the resources of the Nodal Institution. The inputs required for the project should have a very strong linkage with the resources available with the Nodal Institution and (in rare cases) the Co-institution.
   1. At the end of it, the project outcome must be beneficial for the Nodal Institution or co-institution, if any, and must add to the existing knowledge of the institution/subject.