NEW DELHI:
To boost skill development at the district level, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) today signed a contract with the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore for introducing a two-year fellowship programme Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship (MGNF) programme.
The contract was signed in the presence of R. Subrahmanyam, Secretary, Dept. of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, GoI, Dr. K P Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, G Raghuram, Director, IIM, Bangalore, Junaid Ahmad, Country Director, World Bank, and officials from the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, GoI. The program has been developed under the able guidance and leadership of Dr.Mahendra Nath Pandey, Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship; who has given a renewed focus to skill development at the district level, since his joining at the Ministry.
Designed under Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP) the fellowship aims to address the challenge of non-availability of personnel for implementation of various programmes at national, state and district levels.
The MGNF programme has an in-built component of on-ground practical experience with the district administration. Launched on a pilot basis in 75 districts across Gujarat, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, eligible fellows for the programme have to be in 21-30 years age-group, have a graduation degree from a recognized university and be citizens of India. Proficiency in official language of state of fieldwork will be mandatory.
