Research Fellowship – Article 21 Trust
Article 21 Trust was established to support, study and build knowledge at the intersection of technology and welfare. From critique of the Aadhaar project to Non-personal data governance to use of technology for justice dispensation, the Trust has engaged with multiple issues in a collaborative manner, organising public lectures and deep dive discussions that go to the heart of law and policy and help build collective understanding.
The adoption of digital technologies for improving citizen-state engagement and providing citizens easier access to government and its functions is certainly necessary, especially in a country the size of India. Yet, the decision-making behind this digitization remains opaque; the average citizen barely gets to know how policies are crafted and who all are consulted. This is especially worrisome in the domain of public welfare wherein techno-solutionism, as in the case of Aadhaar, throws up more problems than those tackled.
India’s first attempt at a digital identity verification system, the Aadhaar project, has now been ongoing for nearly a decade. The biometrics-linked 12-digit Aadhaar number was purported to be a welfare enabler, a technological tool to help identify – uniquely – those receiving welfare benefits and subsidies from the state. The abject reality, however, is that making provision of the Aadhaar number, or undergoing Aadhaar-based biometric authentication, has only furthered the problem of welfare delivery, with genuine beneficiaries also failing to receive the entitlements due to them. Those responsible for governing the scheme remain impervious to criticism and have made no attempts to study the impact thereof.
In furtherance of the Trust’s objectives and with the aim of supporting critical scholarship on issues at the intersection of welfare and technology, we propose to offer two research fellowships on contemporary issues of concern.
Subjects for research
Two Fellowships will be awarded for study in the following broad subject areas:
- Databasing and welfare – the research on this subject is intended to critically analyze the growing trend of creating databases (for instance, the recently released e-Shram central database for unorganized workers) for dispensation of welfare benefits. Premised on enabling ease of access to information and transparency, databases can also become tools of surveillance and shift accountability from humans to algorithms.
- Technology and Justice – improvements in the justice dispensation system are required and increasingly technology is being touted as a panacea to solve all the issues in the justice system. The use of technology might certainly be beneficial in some cases but the push for increased reliance on technology, Artificial Intelligence & Machine learning etc. may result in making justice even more inaccessible than it already is. Research on this subject will attempt to critically gather and analyse recent proposals to introduce technology in justice dispensation, what role can technology play in improving justice dispensation and the limitations associated with use of technological solutions.
Number of Fellowships on offer
Two fellowships will be offered, one for each subject.
Duration of the Fellowship
The Fellowship will start on 1st December, 2021 and the duration of the Fellowship will be 3 months.
Who can apply?
Applications are invited from interested candidates who are graduates in any discipline. Those pursuing Masters or higher degrees will be preferred. Working professionals can also apply as long as they can commit to completing the research and deliver the final study within the stipulated time. Preference will also be given to candidates who identify themselves as females or belonging to LGBTQIA+ community or Dalit, Adivasi, Bahujan or religious minority communities or those who are differently abled.
Fellowship stipend
Each Fellow will be paid a stipend of Rs.25,000/- per month.
Expected deliverables from the Fellows
- Fellows are expected to devote a minimum of 15 hours per week to the research and writing involved.
- They will be required to attend review meetings periodically.
- The final outcome, at the end of 3 months, is expected to be an academic paper or
policy brief.
How to apply?
- Interested candidates need to apply by sending their resume, which must highlight
prior publications, if any, along with a brief research proposal of not more than 500 words which explains the hypothesis of the research and the proposed methodology. Please note that the subjects proposed are deliberately kept broad to enable candidates to explore multiple topics within those broad subjects. Candidates are free to propose their own take on the broad subjects as long as those contribute to developing a critical understanding of the subject. The Trust reserves the right to not entertain proposals which do not align with the objectives of the Trust. - The last date to apply is Sunday, 24th October, 11.59pm.
- To apply, interested candidates need to send the resume and research proposal to
art21ind@gmail.com - Those shortlisted will be invited to make detailed online presentations on their research proposals to a jury of their peers. This will likely happen in the second week of November 2021.
- Those selected will be offered the Fellowship in the last week of November 2021.
- The Fellowship will begin on 1st December, 2021
