Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship: Apply now, no fixed deadline

The Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund (JNMF) has announced the opening of applications for the Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship, offering financial support to Indian citizens pursuing new ideas, research, and creative projects focused on India. The fellowship provides a monthly stipend of Rs 1 lakh for a two-year period, alongside additional allowances for project-related expenses.

Established in 1968, the fellowship aims to support talented individuals who require dedicated time and financial assistance to engage in intellectual pursuits, research, or creative work. As of 2017, the JNMF had awarded a total of 155 fellowships under this programme.

Eligibility and Application Process

The Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship is open to Indian citizens across various academic and professional fields, including science, humanities, writing, journalism, arts, and civil services. There is no prescribed age limit for applicants, but candidates are expected to demonstrate a strong record of work in their respective fields and a genuine interest in undertaking a creative project.

Applicants can submit their details on plain paper, as there is no fixed printed application form. The application package must include a bio-data, professional experience, a project synopsis (typed, double-spaced, maximum 1,000 words), and a recent passport-size photograph. Applications should be sent to the Secretary, Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund, Teen Murti House, New Delhi, 110001. Candidates currently in state or central government service are required to submit their applications through the proper official channel.

Financial Support and Project Details

Selected candidates will receive financial support for a duration of two years. The monthly stipend of Rs 1 lakh is exempt from Income Tax under Section 10(17A) of the Income Tax Act, 1961. In addition to the stipend, fellows are eligible for reimbursement of actual expenses related to secretarial assistance, travel, and other contingencies, subject to a maximum of Rs 75,000 per year. The total stipend over the two-year fellowship period amounts to Rs 24 lakh.

Applicants have the flexibility to choose any location within India to carry out their projects. The programme is designed to provide complete financial support, enabling fellows to concentrate fully on their proposed job without financial constraints. The JNMF offers one Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship every year.

Selection and Programme Objectives

A committee comprising distinguished individuals from various fields is responsible for selecting the fellows. This committee assesses applications to identify candidates who have demonstrated excellence in their work and whose proposed projects align with the fellowship’s objectives of encouraging higher learning and free intellectual inquiry. The programme commemorates Jawaharlal Nehru’s passion for knowledge and intellectual development.

The Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund, which instituted these fellowships, also manages the Jawaharlal Nehru Scholarships for Doctoral Studies. This doctoral scheme, initially launched by the Ministry of Human Resource Development in 1987 and later managed by the JNMF from 1993 with a corpus of Rs 7 crore, had awarded 688 scholarships as of 2017.

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Written by Nishit Kumar

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

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