IIM Bangalore, in collaboration with Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Government of India (GoI), and State Skill Development Missions (SSDMs), is offering a Certificate Program in Public Policy and Management. The program, Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship (MGNF), is a unique opportunity for young, dynamic individuals to contribute to enhancing skill development and promote rural employment at the district level.
The MGNF will be rolled out on a pilot basis in the states of Gujarat, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh.
The admission cycle for MGNF 2019 was open from October 14 to November 20, 2019. During this period, the application portal received 12,757 registrations, out of which 2915 candidates paid and completed their applications.
The MGNF Written Entrance Test was successfully held on December 8, 2019. Around 2,170 candidates appeared for the exam held in the cities of Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Dehradun, Jaipur, Lucknow and Shillong.
Candidates short-listed after the written test will be invited for personal interaction comprising of an interview and a case analysis to judge the candidate’s fit, motivation and knowledge of the official language used in the state government.
Program Structure:
The Fellows will receive a stipend of Rs. 50,000 per month during Year 1 of the program and, on completing the requirements of Year 1, the Fellows will receive a stipend of Rs. 60,000 per month during Year 2 of the program. Upon successful completion of the program requirements, the Fellowship will lead to the grant of a Certificate in Public Policy and Management.
The two-year Fellowship seeks to combine classroom sessions (Academic Module) at IIM Bangalore with an intensive field immersion at the district level (District Immersion) to create credible plans and identify barriers in raising employment, economic output, and promote livelihoods in rural areas. They will work in the district through the District Skills Mission and use their on-campus learning components to document and understand the potential of employment and livelihoods in the skills.
The entire District Immersion Module will be supported by a cross-institutional team with support from a number of stakeholders outside IIM Bangalore for example, the State and District Skills Missions, Administrative Training Institutes. Further, over the course of first phase of orientation each Fellow will be assigned a Practice Management Team (PMT). The PMT will consist of state level coordinators in each of the MGNF active states and a program management team based at the Center for Public Policy, at IIM Bangalore. This team will facilitate the MGN Fellow’s integration to the learning environment and function as a key anchor around which MGNF various activities will be conducted.
There has been a lot of interest among various stakeholders for example, IIMB teaching faculty, NGOs based in the livelihoods and social sector and within different parts of the government as well. We hope to harness this positive energy towards creating and managing a practice-oriented learning environment around district economies and skill development.
