Prime Minister s Rural Development Fellows Scheme

Prime Minister Rural Development Fellows Scheme was a central government fellowship run by the Ministry of Rural Development to place young graduates in backward districts as development workers. Under this scheme, the selected fellows were posted with the district administration to help improve the delivery of poverty relief programmes and to build a group of trained development officers over time.

Scheme has been closed by the government. The PMRDF scheme was closed in July 2021, and no new batch has been selected after the 2014 batch. So there is no fresh application window right now. The details below are kept for reference for anyone who wants to understand how the fellowship worked.

Prime Minister Rural Development Fellows Scheme

PMRDF was launched in 2011 by the Ministry of Rural Development to give short term support to district administrations in backward and isolated districts. The idea was simple. A young graduate was placed with the district collector to work on rural development work, and at the same time the person got a chance to build a career in public service.

The fellowship was run together with the state governments. The Council for Advancement of People's Action and Rural Technology (CAPART) looked after the fellows, while the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) was the knowledge partner that handled training and the academic side. The district collectors looked after the fellows in the field.

Only two batches were selected under this scheme. Around 156 fellows joined in 2012 and around 160 in 2014. Their fellowship ended in 2016 and 2017. After that, no new batch was taken. In July 2021, the government decided to close the scheme, mainly because CAPART, the agency that ran it, was itself closed down.

Key Information

Benefits

Fellows who joined this scheme got a monthly stipend along with other support. The amount changed with the stage of the fellowship.

Apart from the stipend, fellows also got support for boarding, lodging, insurance and medical needs. Travel costs for duty-related travel were paid back, with care for a woman fellow who had a child below five. The district collector gave access to a computer and internet. On finishing the fellowship, a person got a professional certificate too. During the fellowship, the fellows also got a chance to study for a postgraduate degree in development practice.

Fellows had to follow a few rules. They needed to keep valid health, life and disability insurance for the whole period. They could not take up any other job during the fellowship. After completing the two years, each fellow had to serve one year in public service with the state rural livelihood mission. If a fellow did not do this, the training cost and a part of the final stipend had to be paid back.

Eligibility

To be a PMRD fellow, a person had to meet these conditions:

• The candidate had to be a citizen of India. This was the first and basic requirement for the fellowship.
• Age had to be between 22 and 27 years at the time of application. For SC and ST candidates, the upper age limit was relaxed to 32 years.
• The candidate needed a four year graduate degree from a recognized university. If the graduate course was shorter than four years, a postgraduate degree was needed instead.
• A regular full time one year postgraduate course from a recognized college was also accepted as a valid qualification.
• At least 50% marks were needed in the qualifying degree. This was checked at the graduate or postgraduate level, whichever was the qualifying one.
• The candidate had to be physically fit, and this had to be certified by a government medical hospital because the field work could be hard.

Exclusions

If a person was selected for this fellowship earlier but did not complete the full term, that person could not apply again. The scheme also had reservation of 15% seats for Scheduled Castes and 15% for Scheduled Tribes.

Selection Process

Since the scheme is now closed, the details below show how fellows were picked when the scheme was running. Applications were asked through public advertisements, and candidates sent their forms in the format given by the central government. Selection happened in three stages.

Step 1: Candidates took the All India Competency Assessment Test (AICAT) online first. This was the first filter for the applicants.

Step 2: Those who cleared the online test moved to a written test based on a current issue. This checked the analytical and writing skills of the candidate.

Step 3: The final stage was a personal interview where leadership, skills and the commitment of the candidate to pro-poor development work were checked. Shortlisted candidates were then placed in backward districts.

Documents

These documents were asked during the application process when the scheme was active:

• Proof of citizenship and age. These were needed to confirm eligibility for the fellowship.
• Graduate or postgraduate degree certificates, based on the course the candidate had completed.
• Mark sheets showing at least 50% aggregate marks in the qualifying degree.
• Caste certificate, for candidates who wanted to claim the reservation.
• A medical fitness certificate from a government hospital for the field work.

References

Official Guidelines of PMRDF Scheme

Lok Sabha Answer on PMRDF Scheme Status

PMRDF Programme Details by TISS

PMRDF Details on Vikaspedia

FAQ's

Is the Prime Minister Rural Development Fellows Scheme still open for application?

No. The government closed this scheme in July 2021, and no new batch has been taken after the 2014 batch. There is no fresh application window right now.

Can I apply to become a PMRD fellow now?

No. Since the scheme is closed and CAPART, which ran it, has been shut down, there is no way to apply right now.

What was the monthly stipend under this scheme?

Fellows got ₹50,000 during the orientation period, ₹75,000 in the first year and ₹75,000 plus a 10% increase in the second year.

What was the age limit for this fellowship?

Candidates had to be between 22 and 27 years. For SC and ST candidates, the upper age limit was relaxed to 32 years.

How were fellows selected under this scheme?

Selection was done in three stages: an online test called AICAT, a written test, and a personal interview. Around 156 and 160 fellows were selected in the 2012 and 2014 batches.