Rajya Sabha Establishes Fellowships and Chair Under RSRS Scheme

Under the RSRS (Rajya Sabha Research and study) Scheme, the upper house of the parliament, Rajya Sabha, introduced four Rajya Sabha Fellowships and a Chair called Dr S. Radhakrishnan Chair. Rajya Sabha has also started a new internship scheme to familiarise students with the way Parliament works focusing it mainly on Rajya Sabha. The Upper House has increased the number of Fellowships from two to four now.

The Fellowships and the Chair will be operated and selected by a RAC (Research advisory Committee). The committee has a total of five members, out of which, two members who are prominent academics will be nominated by the Rajya Sabha, two members will be selected from the Rajya Sabha and the fifth one will be the Chairman. As per the directions given by the Secretary-General of Rajya Sabha, the interns will be selected.

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Eligibility Criteria for Dr S. Radhakrishnan Chair

Candidates interested in the Chair must meet the following requirements:

• Applicants must have a PhD in an area that is relevant to the subject of study.

• The applicant should not be more than 65 years old.

• The researchers must have proven records of research or publications or scholarships in the study of Democratic Institutions, Socio-Economic challenges that nation faces and Political Systems.

• Former officers of the Parliament and State Legislature Secretariats can also apply for the Chair.

Duration of Dr S. Radhakrishnan Chair

• The duration of the Chair is going to be for two years.

• The duration will be counted from the date of the award.

• The duration can be extended up to 1 year.

Research Grant for Dr S. Radhakrishnan Chair

• The research grant for Dr S. Radhakrishnan Chair is INR 20,000,00 for two years.

• As per the schedule of the fund release, 20 percent of the grant will be paid at the time of selection.

• 30 percent of the grant will be paid after submitting the first draft report.

• Another 30 percent of the total amount is payable after the recipient submits the final draft report.

• The rest 20 percent of the grant will be paid after getting an approval of the report by the Chairman of Rajya Sabha.

• Apart from Rs. 20 lakhs, the recipient will be provided with an additional Rs. 2.5 lakh for the entire period.

NOTE - Candidates will have to submit the final draft no later than 3 months before the tenure of the Chair ends.

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Eligibility Criteria for Rajya Sabha Fellowship

The Rajya Sabha Fellowships are open to the scholars who meet the following requirements:

• Candidates must have an experience or educational qualification relevant to the area of study.

• Former MPs, State Legislatures and Secretariats can also apply for the Fellowships.

• The candidates’ age should fall between 25 to 65 years.

• Candidates must hold at least a Master’s degree in Law, Social Science or any other relevant discipline.

• Preference will be given to the candidates who are currently pursuing or have completed a PhD and M.Phil.

Duration of Rajya Sabha Fellowship

• The duration of the Fellowship is 18 months.

• The duration will be counted from the date on the fellowship will be awarded.

• The Fellowships can be extended for up to 6 months.

Research Grant for Rajya Sabha Fellowship

• The total research grant for each Fellowship is Rs.8 lakh for the whole duration.
• The fund release schedule of the Fellowships is similar to that of the Chair.
• Apart from INR 8 lakh, the candidates will be given an additional Rs.50,000 for the entire duration.

NOTE - The candidates must submit their final drafts no later than two months of the termination of tenure.

Interested candidates can apply for the Chair, Fellowships, and Internships before 31st August 2019. For more education news, go to CollegeDekho.