Maharashtra: After two years, CM Fellowship programme makes a comeback

According to the government resolution, the educational programme will be an integral part of the CM fellowship programme. In October 2022, The Indian Express had reported that the proposal was being mooted to restart the programme, which was initiated when Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis was the state CM during 2014-19.

Under the programme, graduates with a work experience of one year were selected to work with different government departments. They were assigned with the offices of secretaries, collectors, and zilla parishad CEOs. They were paid a stipend between Rs 45,000 and 50,000 every month, and they were given a certificate signed by the state CM after its completion.

During the MVA regime, when Uddhav Thackeray became the Maharashtra CM, the last batch of students for the fellowship completed the programme and it was never renewed. A pet scheme of Fadnavis, it has now restarted. Fellows who have worked before will not be eligible for the selection process now.

A total of 210 candidates — in the age group of 21-26 — will be selected through an online test, and they will be interviewed by a panel of bureaucrats and experts from different fields.

During Fadnavis’s tenure, the programme was publicised as a platform to provide valuable experience to youths interested in the social development sector. It gives an opportunity to youths to work along with the government.