Young India Fellowship

YOUNG INDIA FELLOWSHIP

India has a large number of gifted and deserving students who are unable to avail of a high-quality learning experience from reputed institutions in India or abroad due to financial or other constraints. YIF will reach out to such students.

Leading undergraduate programmes in India seem to focus too early on professional and specialized courses that tend to stifle the abilities of talented young minds to explore different perspectives and avenues. YIF is designed to rekindle the desire to learn and explore.

The perceived value of a broad-based liberal arts education at the undergraduate level has declined over the years. This has compromised a well-rounded learning experience at the higher education level in India. YIF wants to bring liberal arts to the centre-stage of a more holistic learning experience.

New ideas and possibilities get created at the boundaries of various disciplines. YIF aims to showcase the power of a multi-disciplinary learning environment created by some of the best and most inspirational teachers from India and the world.

YIF

“Let us launch your leadership journey…”

The YIF will catalyse your growth and development as one of India’s young leaders with an exciting one-year immersion in a world-class learning environment. Across time, internationally renowned institutions have always brought together the best and the brightest students and teachers from diverse fields. Moreover, what distinguishes these institutions is how they inspire students and teachers to engage with each other and amongst themselves. The result is an unparalleled privilege for those who have the opportunity to participate in such a learning experience. The YIF brings you such a programme right here in India to place you in a league of your own:

·         Join 50 fellows from around India in the Founding Batch of Young India Fellows: study, work and learn with India’s best minds, carefully selected for their passion and leadership potential. Your batchmates will include engineers, scientists, accountants and lawyers, as well as those who have graduated with degrees in history, sociology, English literature, and the liberal arts.

·         Take classes in a range of subject areas that cover anthropology to ethics, life sciences to climate change, and art appreciation to entrepreneurship. You will develop insights and a worldview on a broad set of core disciplines as well as on some of the most complex global challenges we face.

·         Learn from some of the world’s most reputed faculty members drawn from the best universities and institutions around the world, and known for their outstanding teaching and research. The hand-picked YIF faculty will not only inspire you and help you learn how to learn, but also challenge you to be the best you can be.

·         Get mentored by some of the best minds and role models with diverse backgrounds and experiences. From corporate leaders to social activists, from researchers to entrepreneurs, the YIF Council of Mentors will help you think through what you should do next in life and how.

·         Be coached on life skills and develop your “whole person” through a portfolio of engaging leadership courses. You will take courses in writing and communication, learn numerical analysis, critical thinking and problem-solving, and train in business and entrepreneurship.

·         Experience working in the real world through a year-long team-based consulting and research project created especially for the YIF. Whether for a major company or a start-up, for a university lab or an NGO, the Experiential Learning Module (ELM) will help you learn from doing.

·         Receive a full scholarship of Rs 8 lakhs to cover the entire fee, boarding and lodging when you enter this prestigious fully-residential, full-time programme. And on completion, our experienced placement counselors will support and guide you in securing a career or higher-study opportunity in your area of choice.

PROFILE

Given the unique nature of the programme there is no "one" kind of profile for a Young India Fellow. However, the following points are being presented to give a broad idea of what we are looking for. A Young India Fellow could be someone who has:

·         A deep rooted ambition to make an impact and a passion for an idea or issue which could have wider social/business/academic implications

·         The humility to believe that he/she needs to learn more and an appreciation of the limitations of his/ her specialised undergraduate degree

·         The willingness to think differently and chart a new course

·         A demonstrated ability to overcome challenges

·         Qualities of integrity, self-awareness, energy, initiative and open mindedness

·         An above average academic record

ELIGIBILITY

This postgraduate programme is open to:

•           Students who are in the final year of their undergraduate degree

•           Students who have completed their undergraduate degree and have worked straight after that for not more than two years

•           Students who are in the final year of their postgraduate programme - provided that they enrolled in the programme immediately after completing their undergraduate degree

•           There is no restriction with respect to the area of specialization at the undergraduate level

•           There is no restriction with respect to the medium of instruction (English, Hindi, regional language) that the student has been exposed to at the school level. However, she/he should be able to converse, read and write in English given that the medium of instruction at the YIF programme is English.

•           All Indian Nationals.

SELECTION PROCESS

The YIF follows a rolling admission process, split into two rounds. Please look up the admission schedule for the duration of these two rounds.

SUBMISSION OF DETAILED APPLICATION DOSSIER:

Students can choose one of the three following ways to get a copy of the form:

Apply online by registering himself / herself on the YIF website

Download the application form from the YIF website.

Take a hard copy directly from the YIF office

The selection process will be carried out in three stages:

1. Assessment on basis of submitted applications: All applications will be reviewed by the selection committee consisting of faculty and executive members of the programme spread across different parts of the world. Hence, it is advisable that you apply online.

2. Telephonic Interview: Wherever necessary applicants will be interviewed on phone before being called for in-person interview.

3. In-person interview: 1st round applicants who are short-listed will be interviewed in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai while the 2nd round applicants shortlisted for interview will be called to New Delhi. There could be multiple rounds of interviews for a candidate, depending on the need for further assessment. At this stage the applicants will also be administered a general ability test to assess their verbal, written and analytical skills.

The final selection will be based on the applicant’s successful performance at all these stages.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Each applicant will be evaluated on a combination of the following criteria:

·         Demonstrated talent in the domain of their interest

·         Demonstrated passion to learn things beyond the prescribed curriculum

·         Past academic record, both at the school and college level

·         Involvement and achievement in extra-curricular activities

·         Performance in interviews

·         Potential to benefit from the Young India Fellowship

SCHEDULE

The deadlines for the class entering in May, 2012 are as follows:

SN ACTIVITY DEADLINE

1 Application opens for 1st round: 19th october2011

2 Last date for submission of applications for 1st round: 15th Dec 2011

3 In-person interviews for 1st round applicants: 1st Jan to 21st Jan 2012

4 Application opens for 2nd round: 16th Dec 2011

5 Final offers to 1st round applicants: 1st to 10th Feb 2012

6 Last date for submission of applications for 2nd round: 28th Feb 2012

7 In – person interviews for 2nd round applicants: 1st Mar to 21st Mar 2012

8 Final offers to 2nd round interviewed applicants: 1st April to 7th April 2012

9 Final offers to wait listed applicants: 8th April to 14th April 2012

FOR DETAILS, PLEASE REFER http://www.youngindiafellowship.com/Index.aspx