New Delhi, June 25 (IANS): The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) with Grassroots Research and Advocacy Movement (GRAAM) to engage two Fellows under the Embark India Development Fellowship (EIDF) proposal, according to an official statement. The initiative aims to utilise the Fellows’ skills for the benefit of the Ministry while providing them with practical experience in public policy and governance. Under the collaborative programme, highly motivated and research-driven individuals will work alongside the Ministry to support ongoing and new initiatives, contribute to innovative solutions through research and help address critical development, capacity-building and governance challenges. The Embark India Development Fellowship, spearheaded by GRAAM in alignment with the ‘Viksit Bharat at 2047’ vision, seeks to embed young professionals, academics and researchers within government institutions and development agencies to strengthen governance and public policy frameworks.
The 18-month fellowship programme includes six-month immersive institutional placements, hands-on training, mentorship by national experts and grassroots data and policy research. Fellows will work across key sectors such as public finance, economic growth, public health and climate action, while receiving stipends of up to Rs 65,000 per month. The programme aims to equip participants with rigorous training in development theory, public policy and governance systems, alongside strategic mentorship and field exposure to develop evidence-based solutions to real-world policy challenges. The Statement of Intent was signed in the presence of senior officials, including P.R. Meshram, Director General (Data Governance), MoSPI; Basavaraju R. Shreshta, Executive Director, GRAAM; and Prasoon Verma, Director, Training Unit, Capacity Development Division, MoSPI.