(a) the salient features of the Prime Minister''s Rural Development Fellows Scheme (PMRDF) along with the criteria/procedure adopted for selecting candidates under the scheme;
(b) the details of candidates selected/ benefitted and financial disbursement made under the scheme since its inception, State-wise; and
(c) whether the Government intends to continue the scheme for 2015 and if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI BIRENDER SINGH)
(a) to (c ) : A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
Statement referred to in reply to parts (a) to (c) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 258 due for answer on 06.08.2015.
(a) The salient features of PMRDF scheme are as below:
1. Prime Minister’s Rural Development Fellowship is a short term work opportunity for young professionals to serve and learn in backward/isolated areas of the country
2. Fellows are recruited through an open competition. Before being allocated to States, they undergo orientation training for a period not exceeding three months. During the fellowship, fellows also participate in a post graduate degree programme through distance learning and contact sessions, leading to a post graduate degree in development practice. An academic institution of national standing acts as the knowledge partner of the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), with responsibility for recruitment, orientation, degree programme and on-field mentorship. Currently Tata Institute of Social Sciences is the knowledge partner of MoRD.
3. During the two-year fellowship period, fellows remain at the disposal of States and serve the district administration in improving programme delivery and interface with the marginalized section of the population. Immediately after successful completion of the fellowship, a fellow is required t spend at least one year in public service as an employee of the State Rural Livelihoods Mission.
4. The scheme initially covered Integrated Action Plan districts of nine States. It was expanded to seven States in the North East as well as Jammu & Kashmir before the second batch of Fellows were recruited. Currently it covers IAP and backward districts in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar Chhattisgarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Telangana, Tripura and West Bengal.
5. Fellows are paid stipend during their fellowship.
6. Eligibility criteria for candidates to become Fellows under the scheme are as below:
1) Should be a citizen of India.
2) Should have attained age between 22-27 years at the time of application. (The Scheme initially provided that candidates age for eligibility should be 21-30 years, which has been later revised by the Government). For candidates belonging to SC/ST category, the maximum age limit is 32 years.
3) Should be at least a graduate from a recognized University with a four year degree course, or a post-graduate from a recognized University.
4) Should have obtained at least 50% marks in the aggregate or equivalent grade at the graduate or Post-graduate level (The scheme initially did not provide for minimum marks, however this has been revised by the Government).
5) Should be declared physically fit by a Government Medical Hospital.
(b) The Ministry has so far selected 156 Fellows in the year 2012 and 160 Fellows in 2014. Fellows are paid a monthly stipend of Rs.50,000/- during the training and Rs.75,000/- in the first year with an increase of 10% in the second year. The Scheme is implemented in coordination with State Governments, however; no disbursals are made to the States under the Scheme.
(c) The Ministry has not commenced undertaking recruitment of new batch of Fellows under PMRDF scheme for the financial year 2015.
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