Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship: Phase II

Context

Recently, the government has launched phase II of the Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship under SANKALP (Skill Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion) program.

About

• It is a two-year-long fellowship program designed to create opportunities for young, capable people to participate in the development of skills development at the grassroots level.

• MGNF Phase-I (Pilot): Launched in 2019 with IIM Bangalore as an academics  Partner and 69 are Fellows currently operating in 69 states in 6 countries.
• MGNF Phase-II (National Release): Launched in October 2021 with 661 MGNFs to be distributed in all regions of the country. Another 8 rolled IIMs took a total of up to 9 IIMs.
• It seeks to integrate classroom sessions conducted by IIM education partners with deep field immersion at the regional level to build credible strategies and identify barriers to job creation, economic impact, and the promotion of livelihoods in rural areas.

• A strong focus on developing skills for local needs gives impetus to “vocal for local", and building a foundation of sector-related skills will help the cause of "Atmanirbhar Bharat".

Eligibility

• The men must be in the age group of 21-30 years, have a degree from a recognized university, and be a citizen of India.
• Proficiency in the official language of the workplace will be mandatory.

Other Schemes for Skill Development

• Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)
• Recognition of Prior Learning
• National Career Service Project
• Skill Management and Accreditation of Training Centres (SMART)
• Skills Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement (STRIVE)
• Pradhan Mantri YUVA Yojana (Yuva Udyamita Vikas Abhiyan)
• Kaushal Acharya Awards.
• Scheme for Higher Education Youth in Apprenticeship and Skills (SHREYAS)
• Atmanirbhar Skilled Employee Employer Mapping (ASEEM)