The Government of Tamil Nadu has launched the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Fellowship Programme (TNCMFP) 2024-26. The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Fellowship Programme 2024-26 commenced in November 2024. Introduction The Government of Tamil Nadu seeks to achieve the best-in-class good governance in all spheres. As a part of this initiative, the Government of Tamil Nadu has introduced the two-year "Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's Fellowship Programme (TNCMFP).” It aims to harness the energy and talent of young professionals to optimize the governance processes and enhance the service delivery of various programme and policies in Tamil Nadu. The Fellows’ role will be to monitor and evaluate, identify issues, and aid data-driven decisionmaking on the assigned programmes to address the gaps, if any, in service delivery and optimize the same in line with the global best practices. Implementation agency Special Programme Implementation Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu is the Nodal Department and Bharathidasan Institute of Management (BIM) Tiruchirapalli is the academic partner in the implementation of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's Fellowship Programme (TNCMFP). Overview of the Fellowship programme A total of twenty-five (25) Fellows selected and assigned to various departments under the following thematic areas:(i) Augmentation of Water Resources(ii) Agricultural Production, Productivity, and Creation of Marketing Linkages(iii) Rural and Urban Housing(iv) Improving Educational Standards(v) Improving Health Indicators(vi) Social Inclusion(vii) Infrastructure & Industrial Development(viii) Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Development(ix) Institutional Credit(x) Youth Welfare(xi) Ecological Balance and Climate Change(xii) Data Governance The selection of candidates is purely on merit (following the reservation policy of the Government of Tamil Nadu for admissions to academic institutions) based on the performance in the selection process. Duration and Stipend: The fellowship will be for a period of two years with a monthly stipend of Rs. 65,000 and an additional allowance of Rs.10,000 to meet their incidental expenses in performing their assigned work, such as travel, mobile phone, data usage, etc. No additional financial assistance will be provided. Induction to the Fellowship programme begins with a mandatory 30-days orientation programme at the Anna Administrative Staff College, Chennai. Upon satisfactory completion of the orientation programme, Fellows will be attached to various Government departments identified by the Special Programme Implementation Department. Their primary role will be to identify issues, if any, conduct data-driven analysis, and aid data-driven decision-making on the assigned programmes to address the gaps and optimize the service delivery. They have to undertake field visits to districts to assess the ground situation, elicit feedback and assist in appropriate follow-up actions. The Fellows are required to submit their monthly activity reports to the Special Programme Implementation Department and BIM for review, guidance, and performance assessment. They will be allocated responsibilities as per the requirements that may arise from time to time. The Fellows will submit the final project report (s) at the end of the two-year term. Upon successful completion of the fellowship programme, the candidates are eligible for a Post-Graduate Certificate in Public Policy and Management subject to satisfying the eligibility criteria laid by the academic partter. In addition, Fellows having a Master’s degree will have the option to enroll in the Ph.D. programme in Public Policy Management, in the subsequent year, subject to satisfying minimum eligibility requirements. In case of selection for any other fellowship / paid assignment /public or private recruitment during the tenure of the TNCMFP, the candidate will be required to tender resignation from the fellowship with a 30 days prior notice. This Fellowship is a temporary position, and it does not confer upon the Fellow any right/claim for regular appointment or continuance in any post. The fellowship is liable to cancellation in case of i) Misconduct, ii) Unsatisfactory progress, iii) Candidate is later found to be ineligible, iv) Candidate is already availing a similar fellowship from any other sources, v) false information furnished by the Fellow or any fraudulent activity. Eligibility A candidate must hold a first-class in Bachelor’s degree in respect of Professional Courses (Engineering, Medicine, Law, Agriculture, Veterinary Science) or first-class in Master's degree in Arts/Science from any of the Universities incorporated by an Act of the Central or State Legislature in India or other educational institutions established by an Act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 or possess an equivalent qualification. Candidates with a Ph.D. degree will be preferred. Work experience will be an added advantage. Strong emphasis will be given to research experience. Working knowledge of Tamil is mandatory. Age Limit: The applicant’s age shall be between 22-30 years as on 06.08.2024. For candidates belonging to SC/ST category, the maximum age limit shall be 35 years, and for candidates belonging to BC/MBC category, it shall be 33 years. The final shortlisted 30 Fellows under TNCMP 2022-24 are not eligible to apply to this programme. Selection Process The selection process includes three stages as follows: Stage 1: Preliminary Assessment (Computer-based Test) Stage 2: Comprehensive Examination (Written Examination) Stage 3: Personal Interview The Preliminary Assessment will be a computer-based test (CBT) of objective type (multiple-choice questions) carrying a maximum of 150 points. There will be three sections in the CBT: General Awareness (to test a candidate’s knowledge of current affairs) Quantitative Aptitude (to assess basic math skills, such as algebra, numbers, geometry, statistics, and data interpretation at the level of tenth grade) Verbal Comprehension and Logical Reasoning (to assess a candidate's comprehension and communication skills, analytical ability, decisionmaking and problem-solving skills, and general mental ability) The sole purpose of this exam is to serve as a screening test and will not be counted for the final selection of Fellows. There will be negative marks for incorrect answers (-0.33 for every incorrect answer). The test centers will be in major cities in Tamil Nadu and at Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ernakulam, Puducherry and Vishakapatnam. The availability of test centers is subject to change. Personal Interview will be conducted to test the candidate’s intellectual and emotional quotient, knowledge of current affairs, problem-solving skills, and ability of systemic thinking. Testing of working knowledge of Tamil will be a part of this phase of the selection process. The personal interview will be conducted in Chennai only. The final merit list will be based on the combined score from the candidate's Comprehensive Examination and Personal Interview. How to apply The online applications can be accessed through the web portal https://bim.edu/index/tncmfp/. The last date for receiving the online applications is 26th August, 2024. There is no application fee for the fellowship selection process. Only online mode of submission of applications will be accepted. The final results have been published during November 2024. Source: https://bim.edu/index/tncmfp/