Chief Minister Fellowship Program 2023

The last date for the submission of the application is 2nd March, 2023

The Directorate of Economics and Statistics (DES) is functioning as a principal Statistical Organisation of Government of Maharashtra, which is administratively under control of the Planning Department at Mantralaya. The office of the DES, headed by Shri. Vijay Aher, is housed on 8th floor of the Administrative Building, Mumbai Suburban District, Bandra (East), where as the EDP centre of DES is functioning on 4th and 7th floors of New Administrative Building, opposite Mantralaya, Mumbai.

The main functions of the Directorate are to collect official statistics, to collect data through surveys, censuses and type studies on such matters for which official statistics are inadequate; to analyse the data so collected; to undertake evaluation of important programmes; to bring out statistical publications regularly; to impart training to statistical personnel; to co-ordinate the work of statistical sections in different departments of the State Government and give them technical guidance and to give advice to the State Government on economic and statistical matters. As the principal statistical office in the State, the Directorate has to act as liaison between the State Government and the Central Government on all statistical matters. The processing of statistical information collected by this Directorate and other departments of the Government is done at Electronic Data Processing Section of this Directorate.

The Chief Minister Fellowship Program offers the youth an opportunity to be a part of the government. The innovative ideas of the fellows has helped the administration. The enthusiasm and tech savviness of fellows gives momentum to the administrative processes. The program has helped the young fellows in broadening their vision through the knowledge and experiences.

Eligibility

To apply for Chief Minister Fellowship, 2023 the eligibility criteria are as follows:

1. The age of the candidate has to be between 21 years to 26 years as on the last date of submission of the application. That is a person having birthdate between 03/03/1997 to 03/03/2002(inclusive of both dates).

2. The candidate should be a graduate from any discipline with minimum 60% marks. However, preference will be given to higher educational qualification.

3. The candidate should possess at least 1 year of full time work experience. Full time internship / apprenticeship / articleship as part of a professional course will be considered as experience. Full time self-employment or entrepreneurship will also be considered as experience.

4. Candidate should be able to write, read and speak Marathi. Sufficient knowledge of Hindi and English is required. Applicants should have knowledge of internet and computer handling.

Nature

1. The term of the Fellowship will be of 12 months from the day of joining as a Fellow. All the Fellows will join on the same day. It will be mandatory for all the fellows to be present at the time and place, as directed

2. The selected Fellow will be appointed (placed) at the office of a specific authority. These authorities include offices of District Collectors, Chief Executive Officers of districts, Commissioners, Secretaries in the government, Managing Directors of the corporations or other senior government officers.

3. The decision about appointment at a specific authority will be taken by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics. The Fellows will not have any right or choice in the selection of authority.

4. The Fellows will work under the guidance of the chief officer of the concerned authority. They will work for the effective functioning of the authority. This will be called Field Work.

5. Along with the field work, the Fellows will be bound to complete the special course designed by IIT, Mumbai or IIM, Nagpur. The Directorate of Economics and Statistics will have the rights to select one of these institutions for each fellow. The fellows will not have any right to select the academic institution.

6. Only those fellows who successfully complete the field work and academic course will be eligible to get the Fellowship completion certificate.

Selection process

Selection process will be implemented in two stages. Details of the selection process are as follows:

Stage 1

Part 1: Online Test
Part 2 : On the basis of highest marks shortlisting of 210 candidates for Stage 2

Stage 2

Part 1 : The shortlisted candidates will upload the essays
Part 2 : Interview (applicable to shortlisted candidates who upload essays)
Part 3 : List of selected candidates is published

Nature of online Test :

Multiple choice objective questions

Medium

Medium of the test will be English. Wherever feasible Marathi translation of the questions and optional answers will be provided

Duration : 60 minutes

Composition of online test:

Shortlisting candidates for Stage 2

• Total marks shall be out of 100
• 210 candidates having highest marks will be called for interview
• Shortlisted candidates shall submit 3 written essays. The essays can be in Marathi, Hindi or English
• Topics of essays will be conveyed to candidates through email and website
• Only those shortlisted candidates who have submitted all 3 essays will be called for the interview. Shortlisted candidates not having submitting all 3 essays will not be eligible for the interview

Final Selection

Following marking system will be used for the final selection of candidates

• Marks of online test, out of 100 will be converted into out of 15 marks + essays 30 marks + interview 50 marks + post graduation or professional degree 5 marks
• List of selected 60 candidates and a waiting list of 15 candidates will be published
• Vacancies created as a result of selected candidates not accepting the offer letter within stipulated time period will be filled from the waiting list

Please note

• The selected candidates need to carry the original copy and photocopies of all the marksheets, experience letters, proof of identity and other relevant documents at the time of interview
• Candidates eligible for interview will be conveyed the date and time of interview by email
• Travel or any other expense made towards appearing for the interview shall not be reimbursed

Entitlements

1. The position of fellows will be equivalent to that of Grade – A officer in the government service.

2. Fellows will be provided a temporary ID-Card and Email ID for official purpose during the period of fellowship.

3. Fellows will be paid a stipend of Rs. 70,000/- and Rs. 5,000/- for travel and related expenses i.e. in all Rs. 75,000/- per month

4. Fellows are entitled for 8 days of leave during the period of fellowship.

5. Fellows will be provided with accidental insurance cover during the period of fellowship.

6. Fellows completing the special academic course implemented by IIT, Mumbai or IIM, Nagpur will be awarded a separate certificate by the concerned institution.

7. Fellows successfully completing the fieldwork of 12 months and special academic course implemented by IIT, Mumbai or IIM, Nagpur will be awarded a certificate by the Government for completion of the fellowship.

Terms and Conditions

1. Chief Minister Fellowship Program is a full time program and the fellows can not undertake other employment, private practice, assignment or study program (except the special academic course designed by IIT, Mumbai and/or IIM, Nagpur for the purpose of fellowship) during the period of fellowship.

2. This is a one-time program of 12 months having no provision of extension or re-appointment.

3. The program does not assure any job after completion of the 12 months tenure.

4. The office timings of the authority where the fellow is placed will be applicable to the fellow as well.

5. The fellow may need to work extra hours and travel as per the requirement of work.

6. Verification of documents with respect to educational qualification, experience, age and identity will be done at the time of interview. Fellow is required to submit the medical fitness certificate at the time of joining. Police verification of the fellows will be done after joining.

7. The fellow will have to reside in the city and district of his/her placement during the period of fellowship.

8. Fellows will not be provided any accommodation facility.

9. The fellows are required to be present on the day of joining, at the time and place as directed once the offer letter is received. Otherwise their appointment will be cancelled.

10. The fellow cannot be part of any political movement during the tenure of fellowship.

IMPORTANT DATES

Frequently asked questions

1. What is the Chief Minister Fellowship Program by the Government of Maharashtra?

Chief Minister Fellowship Program is an important initiative of the Government of Maharashtra. The Chief Minister Fellowship Program offers the youth an opportunity to be a part of the government. The innovative ideas of the fellows help the administration. The enthusiasm and tech savviness of fellows gives momentum to the administrative processes. The program helps the young fellows in broadening their vision through knowledge and experiences.

2. Who launched the Chief Minister Fellowship Program?

The Chief Minister Fellowship Program was launched in 2015 by the then Chief Minister and the current Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Hon. Shri. Devendra Fadnavis. The program was implemented till 2020. The program is re-launched by Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Eknath Shinde in 2023.

3. What is the duration of the Chief Minister Fellowship, 2023?

The duration of the Chief Minister Fellowship, 2023 is 12 months.

4. When can I apply for the Chief Minister Fellowship, 2023?

The application process for the Chief Minister Fellowship, 2023 starts on 7th February, 2023. The last date for the submission of the application is 2nd March, 2023.

5. How much is the application fee for the Chief Minister Fellowship, 2023?

The application fee for the Chief Minister Fellowship, 2023 is Rs. 500.

6. What are the various stages of the selection process?

• The selection process consists of 2 stages. At stage one all the applicants are required to take an online objective test to qualify for the 2nd stage.
• 210 applicants scoring highest marks in the online test become eligible for the 2nd stage. These candidates need to submit 3 essays on the given subjects. For the final selection personal interviews of candidates submitting the essays are conducted. 60 candidates are selected on the basis of merit.
• The composition of online test as well as weightage given to online test, essays and interviews for the final selection is specified under tab ‘Selection Process’ of this portal.

7. Do I require the original documents at the time of application?

The original documents are not required at the time of application. The information from these documents is to be filled in the application form. The original documents of candidates selected for the interviews are verified on the day of interview. The candidate may get debarred or may have to face the legal proceedings for any discrepancy in the stated information and original documents.

8. As a fellow, who will I report to?

Fellows will work directly under the senior government officials, who will mentor the fellows. Fellows will interact frequently with these officials and update them on their assignments.
Fellows will have to submit their monthly report to their mentors as well as the Directorate of Economics and Statistics. Director, Directorate of Economics and Statistics will evaluate the performance of the fellows every 3 months. Hon’ble Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister will also review the assignments of the fellows twice in a year.

9. What is the nature of work / assignments undertaken by fellows?

The nature of work is different for every fellow. It depends on the placement and the requirements of the office / officer with whom they are placed. The fellows may be involved in supporting the implementation of ongoing programs, planning and execution of initiatives / projects, monitoring of projects, review of existing government programs, policy making, etc. The fellows may work on a single project throughout the tenure of the fellowship or may be involved in multiple projects depending on the nature of work.
In the past the fellows placed across the authorities had collaborated with each other and had presented innovative projects and policy propositions to the government, in addition to their regular assignments.

10. Do you prefer any specific stream of education, skill set or qualities in the Fellows?

Graduates with first class from any stream of education can work as fellows. The fellow is expected to display confidence, leadership qualities, analytical thinking, problem solving skills, communication skills, and soft skills needed to work with diverse stakeholders. Parameters other than the eligibility criteria (like gender, sexuality, marital status, socio-economic background, profession, disability, rural upbringing, etc.) do not have any impact on the selection of fellows.

11. Is there a provision of training for the fellows?

This year we have collaborated with IIT, Mumbai and IIM, Nagpur. Each of these organisations will train 50% fellows in tools and methodologies for effective public policy. These training programs will have on-campus and online modules. It is mandatory for all the fellows to attend the training program and complete it successfully, in order to get the fellowship completion certificate. The details of these training programs will be shared at the right time. Besides these programs, the interactions with eminent personalities, visits to various organisations, etc will be organised. These visits and interactions offer great learnings. There is no specific training for the work that fellows will be undertaking at their placement. The reason being, the work profile of each fellow differs depending upon the placement, requirements of the authority and the skill set of fellow. It is expected that fellows learn while they work. The mentoring officers will guide the fellows.

12. What are the future career opportunities available to fellows?

The experience of working with an important and mammoth institution like the government is a very rare and unique experience. The fellowship program enhances various skills related to management, communication, problem solving, resourcefulness, etc. This experience presents various academic and career opportunities to fellows. Careers in civil services, public policy, policy making, management, consultancy, social sector are some of the avenues.