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The Inlaks Fellowship For Social Engagement

The Fellowship gives young people the opportunity to build a diverse worldview and establish long-lasting connections to issues of public importance. It encourages them to challenge the status quo while building confidence and security to explore alternatives and make independent choices about their lives.

The Inlaks Fellows for Social Engagement at the annual fellowship workshop 2024

The norm in India is for young graduates to join the workforce immediately, which inhibits sufficient self-exploration and often leaves young people with little space to develop critical thinking and a broader view of the world. This impedes many talented individuals from engaging with society in a meaningful way. The Fellowship creates one such space and possibility for such an engagement.

Application Status

Applications Closed for 2024

Applications for the 2025 Fellowship will open in November 2024.

About

The Fellowship will give young people the opportunity to work with a mentor of their choice and involve themselves in a process where knowledge drives social change. The fellowship will give participants the chance to build a diverse worldview and establish long-lasting connections to issues of public importance.

The work pursued may take many forms, including action-oriented research, cause lawyering, grassroots journalism, ecological efforts, community rights, public health, archiving, reviving, or reporting on dying arts, culture, language etc.

Duration and Value

  1. The Fellowship is for two years, subject to the satisfactory completion of a probation period and a quarterly and annual review of the Fellow’s work. The probation period will be for the first six months of the Fellowship.

  2. Depending on the geographical location of the fellow, the Fellowship stipend* will be as follows:

    • INR 45,000 per month if the fellow is living and working in a “X” category area.

    • INR 35,000 per month if the fellow is living and working in a “Y” category area.

    • INR 25,000 per month if the fellow is living and working in a “Z” category area.

    • In exceptional cases, additional funding up to a maximum of INR 20,000 can be granted for special projects undertaken by a Fellow. This will be approved on a case-by-case basis upon submission of a proposal describing the particulars of the said initiative and the expenses involved. 

*Please note that the final stipend amount is at the Foundation’s discretion. The definition of the categories is available here.

Eligibility Criteria

  1. The applicant must be an Indian citizen currently residing in India.

  2. The applicant must be born on or after 1st January 1989.

  3. The applicant must be a graduate (hold a Bachelor's degree) from a recognised institute/university in India.

  4. In the absence of a Bachelor's degree, they must carry at least three years of relevant work experience.

Exclusions

Those enrolled in academic studies/PhD for the duration of the fellowship are not eligible to apply.

How To Apply

When the opportunity is open to new applications, clicking the 'Apply Now' link at the top of the page will provide access to the application form.

If the opportunity is closed and not accepting applications the 'Apply Now' link will not be visible.

For detailed instructions on the application process please the document to use as you complete the application.

Contact Us

For any further questions, please reach out to fellowships@inlaksfoundation.org

Please note that we will be unable to respond to individual queries regarding the status of your application.

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