Deadline: 10 June, 2022.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Fellowship Programme (TNCMFP) 2022-24 for Indians
The Government of Tamil Nadu invites applications from eligible candidates for the prestigious Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Fellowship Programme (TNCMFP) 2022-24.
A. 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 Naduhas 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 decision-making on the assigned programmes to address the gaps, if any, in service delivery and optimize the same in line with the global best practices. 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).
B. A total of thirty Fellows will be selected, with two Fellows assigned to each “Thematic Area” and six Fellows assigned to the Special Programme Implementation Department Monitoring Cell. The twelve thematic areas for TNCMFP2022-24 are as follows:
- Augmentation of Water Resources
- Agricultural Production, Productivity, and Creation of Marketing Linkages
- Housing for All
- Improving Educational Standards
- Improving Health Indicators
- Social Inclusion
- Infrastructure & Industrial Development
- Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Development
- Institutional Credit
- Heritage and Culture
- Ecological Balance
- Data Governance
C. The selection of candidates will be 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 (detailed in point 6 below). They will be
allowed to join the fellowship programme after verifying the facts/information furnished by them in their online applications.
D. 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.
E. Eligibility for the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Fellowship Programme (TNCMFP) 2022-24
(i) 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 toresearch experience.
Working knowledge of Tamil is mandatory.
(ii) Age Limit: The applicant’s age shall be between 22-30 years as on 25.05.2022. 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.
F. Selection Process for the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Fellowship Programme (TNCMFP) 2022-24 for Indians
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
(i) 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: (1) General Awareness (to test a candidate’s General Knowledge including current affairs) (2)Quantitative Aptitude (to assess basic math skills, such as algebra, numbers, geometry, statistics, and data interpretation at the level of tenth grade) (3) Verbal Comprehension and Logical Reasoning (to assess a
candidate’s comprehension and communication skills, analytical ability, decision-making 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 marksfor incorrect answers(-0.33 points for every incorrect answer). The test centers will be in major cities in Tamil Nadu and at Cochin, Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Vishakapatnam. The availability of test centers is subject to change.
(ii) Comprehensive Examination is a written examination. The questions are of conventional essay type. Questions will focus on General Topics including Governance, Social Justice, Technology, Economic and Social Development, Sustainable Development, Poverty, Demographics, Environment, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Agriculture, Disaster Management, Schemes and Policies of the Government of Tamil Nadu, and Tamil Heritage and Culture. The test centre will be at Chennai.
Candidates will be shortlisted for the Personal Interview based on their performance in the Comprehensive Examination.
(iii) Personal Interview will be conducted to test the candidate’s intellectual and emotional quotient, knowledge of current affairs, 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.
G. The online applications can be accessed through the web portal www.tn.gov.in/tncmfp or www.bim.edu/tncmfp. The last date for receiving the online applications is 10thJune,2022. There is no application fee for the fellowship selection process. Only online mode of submission of applications will be accepted.
H. Induction to the Fellowship programme begins with a mandatory 30-day orientation programme at the Anna Administrative Staff College, Chennai (a detailed programme structure will be given on www.bim.edu/tncmfp). 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 monitor, identify issues, if any, and aid data-driven decision-making regarding the assigned programmes to address the gaps and optimize the service delivery. They have to periodically 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. In addition, Fellows having a Master’s degree will have the option to enroll in the Ph.D. programme in the subsequent year, subject to satisfying minimum eligibility requirements.
I. The Fellows would be required to submit a 30 days prior notice in case of withdrawal from the TNCMFP. ThisFellowship is a temporary position, and it does not confer upon the Fellow any right/claim for regular appointment or continuance in any post.
J. 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.
K. The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Fellowship Programme will commence in August 2022
