MoSPI joins GRAAM for Embark India Development Fellowship proposal
New Delhi, June 25
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has signed a statement of intent with Grassroots Research And Advocacy Movement for the engagement of two Fellows under the Embark India Development proposal, according to an official statement on Thursday.
The initiative aims to leverage the Fellows' skills for the benefit of the Ministry while providing the Fellows with practical experience in public policy and governance.
This collaborative initiative is a practical, collaborative platform between the ministry and GRAAM where highly motivated, research-driven individuals work alongside the Ministry. Through this program, Fellows will support ongoing or new initiatives, contribute to developing innovative solutions through research, and help address critical development, capacity building, and governance challenges with rigour and innovation.
The Embark India Development Fellowship (EIDF) is a national leadership and capacity-building initiative spearheaded by GRAAM in alignment with the 'Viksit Bharat at 2047' vision.
The core purpose of the programme is to embed young professionals, academics, and researchers directly into government institutions (including MoSPI) and development agencies to address critical capacity-building, governance, and public policy challenges.
The 18-month programme includes immersive 6-month institutional placements with hands-on training, mentorship by national experts, and grassroots data/policy research.
Fellows work across domains like public finance, economic growth, public health, and climate action. The fellowship provides stipends of up to Rs 65,000 per month and opportunities to co-create high-quality, evidence-based policy solutions.
Anchored in the vision of 'Viksit Bharat at 2047', the programme offers rigorous training in development theory, public policy, and governance systems; strategic mentorship; and immersive field placements. Fellows will gain the skills, exposure, and experience to drive impactful, research-driven solutions to real-world development policy challenges.
The signing ceremony was done in the presence of senior officials including PR Meshram, Director General (Data Governance), MoSPI; Basavaraju R. Shreshta, Executive Director, GRAAM; and Prasoon Verma, Director, Training Unit, Capacity Development Division, MoSPI.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Rs 65,000 stipend is great for fresh graduates! But will these fellows actually work in villages or sit in Delhi offices? Grassroots research should mean field work, not just desk jobs.
Impressive initiative combining policy theory with on-ground exposure. The 18-month immersive model is what most fellowships lack in India. Curious to see what outputs emerge from this collaboration.
Good step but hope they include fellows from tier-2/3 colleges too. GRAAM should ensure diversity in selection. Also, why only 2 fellows? Expand it to more for broader impact.
This is fantastic for young researchers like me! Public health and climate action domains are crucial. Hope the mentorship is strong and fellows get to influence real policy changes. Viksit Bharat needs evidence! 💪🇮🇳
Great concept but my concern is accountability. Many such fellowships become resume-padding. The final outputs should be publicly available. Also, GRAAM's grassroots connect should ensure real data from villages, not just urban sources.
Interesting approach - embedding researchers in govt ministries. MoSPI needs fresh thinking on data collection methods. The 6-month field placement could yield some
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