Chief Minister Fellowship Program 2025–26 Announced Opportunity for Youth to Work with the Administration – Selection of 60 Fellows to be Made

 Chief Minister Fellowship Program 2025–26 Announced

Opportunity for Youth to Work with the Administration – Selection of 60 Fellows to be Made

 

Mumbai, April 5: In order to provide the youth of the state with an opportunity to gain hands-on experience working with the government and to broaden their horizons of knowledge and experience, the “Chief Minister Fellowship Program 2025–26” has been announced under the initiative of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The goal is to leverage the creativity, fresh perspectives, enthusiasm, and technological inclination of young individuals to enhance the efficiency of administrative processes. A total of 60 fellows will be selected under this program.

The eligibility criteria, terms and conditions of appointment, and the academic program framework to be implemented through educational institutions are made available on the official website of the Government of Maharashtra.

This program was originally launched during CM Devendra Fadnavis’ first tenure and was successfully implemented. Following the successful execution of the 2023–24 edition, it is now being relaunched for 2025–26.

The implementation of this program will be carried out by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Planning Department.

Selection Criteria for Fellows:

            •          Nationality: Applicant must be an Indian citizen.

            •          Educational Qualification: Graduate in any discipline with a minimum of 60% marks.

•          Experience: Minimum one year of full-time work experience is mandatory.

•          For students of professional courses, one year of full-time internship/apprenticeship/articleship as part of their curriculum is considered valid.

•          Full-time self-employment or entrepreneurship experience will also be accepted, subject to a self-declaration.

•          Language and Computer Skills: Proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking Marathi is mandatory. Adequate knowledge of Hindi and English is also required. Applicants must be proficient in computer operation and internet usage.

•          Age Limit: Applicants must be between 21 and 26 years of age as of the last date of application.

            •          Application Process:

Applications must be submitted through an online application system prescribed by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics.

            •          Application Fee: ₹500/-

Out of the 60 selected fellows, one-third of the seats are reserved for women. If the required number of female fellows is not available, the remaining seats will be filled by male candidates. Fellows will hold a status equivalent to Group-A officers in government service.

Selection Procedure:

•          Candidates must submit the online application and pay the application fee.

            •          Aadhar Card or other identification is mandatory while applying.

            •          Applicants will have to appear for an Online Objective Test.

            •          Details of the test process and guidelines will be available at mahades.maharashtra.gov.in.

•          Former fellows of the Chief Minister Fellowship Program are not eligible to apply again and must disclose prior participation in the application.

•          Approximately 210 top scorers from the objective test will be shortlisted to submit an essay on a given topic through an online mode.

            •          These 210 candidates will be called for an interview in Mumbai.

 

Appointment & Tenure:

•          Fellows will be appointed in selected 20 districts, with 2–3 fellows assigned per district.

            •          One fellow will report to the District Collector and the others to the Chief Executive Officer, Zilla Parishad.

            •          The tenure of the fellowship is 12 months, non-extendable.

•          The fellowship will terminate automatically after 12 months from the date of joining.

Fellowship Benefits:

            •          Monthly stipend of ₹56,100/-

            •          Travel allowance of ₹5,400/-

            •          Total monthly honorarium: ₹61,500/-

Academic Component:

            •          The academic program is an integral part of the fellowship.

•               In collaboration with IIT Mumbai, a Postgraduate Certificate Course      in Public Policy will be offered to selected fellows.

            •          Offline and online lectures will be organized on relevant topics:

            •          Offline sessions at the start, mid-year (after 6 months), and at the end  of the fellowship at IIT Mumbai

•          Online sessions will be held on weekends or public holidays as per need.

            •          Attendance at all academic sessions is mandatory for fellows.

The purpose of this program is to assist fellows in using appropriate tools and scientific methods for working in public interest and policymaking, and to develop the knowledge, skills, and capabilities necessary for implementing development programs.

Upon successful completion of the course, fellows will receive a certificate from the respective institute. To receive the government-issued certificate of successful fellowship completion, fellows must fulfill both the fieldwork and academic program requirements.

In addition to the academic program, other activities such as orientation sessions, visits to social organizations, interactions with dignitaries, and certificate distribution events will also be conducted throughout the year.