Young India Fellowship

Offered by the prestigious Ashoka University, the Young India Fellowship is a one-year postgraduate diploma in Liberal Studies. It has been appreciated across the globe for its emphasis on providing individuals with the necessary tools and techniques so that they contribute to the society in an effective way. The fellowship program especially emphasises on building critical thinking, problem-solving, communication and collaboration skills. Past fellows have gone to work at leading corporate and social organisations as well as into higher studies at elite institutions of the world. Through this blog, we will take a look at the key details of the Young India Fellowship, its eligibility criteria as well as learning and programme structure.

Important Notifications

For batches [2020-2021] starting on July 15th, 2020, the admission rounds are carried out in three rounds. Each step of the application procedure consists of three stages, namely, Application Submission, Telephonic Interview and Personal Interview. Prospective applicants can begin to apply as early as 20th August in Round 1 and the deadline for submitting application for Round 3 is March 31st 2020. Refer to the following table for specific dates & deadlines about the Young India Fellowship:

Rounds	Notification & Dates for Young India Fellowship
Round 1	Date for Opening of Applications: August 2020 Deadline for Submission: November 2020
Round 2	Date for Opening of Applications: November 2020 Deadline for Submission: February 2021
Round 3	Date for Opening of Applications: February 2021 Deadline for Submission: March 2021

Note: Applications to the YIF 2020-21 are closed now. Applications to the YIF 2021-22 will be announced around October 2020. 

Eligibility Criteria for Young India Fellowship

The eligibility criteria to apply for the Young India Fellowship is quite flexible as it aims to select a diverse pool of candidates hailing from different fields and with a wide array of experiences. Past graduates have belonged to the disciplines of Science, Commerce, Social science, Languages, amongst others. Read through the following pointers to know about basic eligibility.

• Age: 28 years of below as on 15th July 2020. [Born on or after 15th July 1992]
• An undergraduate/postgraduate degree in any discipline from an accredited college/university.
• Record of strong academic and extracurricular achievement.
• Advanced level written and verbal communication proficiency

The above eligibility conditions are only set as minimum criteria for applying for the Young India Fellowship. Ashoka University looks for individuals who have a desire to take initiative, to think uniquely and are passionate to make a mark on our society.

How to get Young India Fellowship in 2020?

A programme designed for the chosen 300 candidates with 8 terms spanning for a year, it includes 6 core courses and 14 elective courses. The application procedure for the eligible candidates includes three rounds:

1. Online Application Assessment: The applicants are rigorously filtered by the faculty on the basis of their eligibility mentioned above.
2. Telephonic Interview: The short-listed candidates are informed about the telephonic interview which usually involves a short 20-minute discussion related to the submitted application.
3. Personal Interview and Comprehension Test: The final round involves a comprehensive test to evaluate critical thinking abilities and understanding of the candidates. The candidates are then called for a personal Interview. The interviews are held in the cities- Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bangalore.
4. International candidates have the facility to give their interviews on Skype.
5.    The following list of Documents are important and should be kept ready during the application process:
   
   – IT returns for of candidate’s family
   – 3 months salary statements of working family members
   – Financial assets details 
   – Form 26AS (businesses/ professional)
   – Loan statements
   – In case the candidate wants to avail of the Haryana Resident benefit they need to submit their state domicile

Selection Criteria

The selection Criteria majorly depends on how confidently you present yourself in the above rounds. The faculty asks questions that revolve around your fields of interest and the mentioned extra-curricular activities. The whole intention for mentioning extra-curricular activities is to analyse your sincere involvement and enthusiasm in various ventures.  Their focus is to choose people who are passionate and realistic about their goals and vision for India. Make sure you don’t try to feign any of your achievements or interests. 

Young India Fellowship: Programme Structure

A multitude of factors constitute the structure and curriculum of the fellowship. Through tools such as experiential learning module, critical writing programme, mentorship opportunities, amongst others, the fellows are encouraged to innovatively thinking and apply gained skills in various situations. Further, the curriculum involves a combination of core and electives across a range of subjects in Science, Social Sciences, Languages, Arts and a host of other fields. Some of the unique subject offerings include Science as a Renaissance Activity, Translating India, Energy policy in India, Indian Ecosophy etc.

Also Read: Ramanujan Fellowship

The Experiential Learning Module

Forming a major component of the highly appreciated Young India Fellowship curriculum, the Experiential Learning Module is an immersive training program wherein fellows are placed under specific projects at different organisations. Examples of organisations include Centre for Civil Society, Government of Delhi, INTACH, Samagra Development, McKinsey Social Initiative, amongst others. The fellows work in a structured way to analyse, interpret, design and implement project solutions in an effective, sustainable and time-bound manner. Fellows have the option to choose projects belonging to the fields of finance, consulting, community development, agriculture etc.

Career Prospects

The record of Young India Fellows both in terms of placements and selection in higher studies and top universities is more than impressive. The graduates of the fellowships have been selected for wide-ranging programs at schools such as Graduate Institute Geneva, UC Berkeley, National University of Singapore, Wharton School of Business, amongst others. Illustrious companies/organisations who have tie-ups with Ashoka University include names like AT Kearney, Deloitte, Boston Consulting Group, Central Square Foundation, Khan Academy, IDInsight etc. These companies hire across a variety of levels and roles. The highest salary offered to the graduating class in 2018-19 was 23 lakhs per annum. 

FAQs

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The Young India Fellowship is considered amongst the most respected study programs not only in India but also around the world. If you are looking to apply for any such study programs or degree courses and don’t know how to go about it, consult the experts at Leverage Edu and we’ll help you throughout the application process to ensure that you get successfully shortlisted for your chosen program and advance ahead in your career journey.