Scheme For Award Of Senior/Junior Fellowships To Outstanding Persons In The Fields Of Culture

The “Scheme for Award of Senior/Junior Fellowships to Outstanding Persons in the Fields of Culture” was launched by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India to support artists in creative fields. Earlier, while academicians and scientists had opportunities for independent work through fellowships by institutions like the University Grants Commission and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, similar support was lacking in the field of creative arts. There was also a gap in schemes providing financial assistance for advanced training or independent creative work, especially beyond the age groups already covered. This scheme aims to fill that gap by offering financial support and a creative environment, including for artists in rural and tribal areas. The fellowships are awarded for research-oriented projects, and applicants must demonstrate their capability to undertake such work. However, the fellowships are not meant for training programs, workshops, seminars, or for writing memoirs, autobiographies, fiction, or similar works.
Fields/Area:

1. Senior/Junior Fellowships in the Field of Performing, Literary and Plastic Arts.
   • Performing Arts ( Music/Dance/Theatre/Folk Traditional & Indigenous Arts including Puppetry)
   • Literary Arts (Travelogue/History & Theory of Literature)
   • Plastic Arts (Graphics/Sculpture/Painting including Folk Paintings and Research Work on Traditional Paintings/Creative Photography)
2. Senior/Junior Fellowships in the New Areas related to Culture: In the ‘New Areas related to culture’, projects are sought in the following fields :
   • Indology
   • Epigraphy
   • Sociology of Culture
   • Cultural Economics
   • Structural and Engineering Aspects of Monuments
   • Numismatics
   • Scientific and Technical aspects of Conservation
   • Management aspects of Art and Heritage
   • Studies relating to application of Science and technology in areas related to culture and creativity.
   The objective is to encourage analytical application of new research techniques, technological and management principles to contemporary issues in areas related to art and culture. General and theoretical macro-studies will not be considered. The proposal should be innovative and application-oriented and preferably interdisciplinary in nature.

The number of fellowships will be up to 400 each year. These are of two types, namely, senior and junior fellowships.

Senior Fellowship:

• Number of fellowships: 200
• Monthly amount: ₹20,000
• Age group: Above 40 years

Junior Fellowship:

• Number of fellowships: 200
• Monthly amount: ₹10,000
• Age group: 25–40 years
• Age is calculated as on 1st April of the given year

Publishing Grant
In addition, there could be a one time grant up to maximum of ₹20,000/- or 50% of the cost of the publication, whichever is less, for publication of selected Project documents. This will be restricted to 20% of the awardees.

1. The age of the applicant should be above 40 years for applying under senior fellowships.
2. The age of the applicant should be between 25-40 years for applying under junior fellowships.
3. Graduation is the minimum educational qualification for applicants in the fields/areas mentioned in the scheme guideline.
4. Applicants for senior fellowship should not be the recipient of pension from the Ministry of Culture under the scheme for grant of financial assistance to artists in indigent circumstances.
5. An applicant should not have availed of the same fellowship earlier. However, an applicant who had been awarded a Junior Fellowship can apply for a Senior Fellowship, provided 5 years have elapsed after the closure of the earlier project.

Note 01: The age of the applicant will be reckoned as of 1st April of the year.
Note 02: Under the Senior and Junior Fellowships, the awardees will submit a six-monthly progress report. In cases where such reports are not received timely, the Ministry may withhold further releases of the Fellowship amount.
Note 03: The selected candidates will have to undertake academic or application-oriented research work on projects for which they have been awarded the Fellowship. They will complete their Projects within two years and submit the same to the Ministry. Extension of time by a maximum of three months will be permissible without any additional financial liability to the Government.
Note 04: A mid-term review/assessment of performance in each case will be carried out after one year and further continuance of Fellowship will depend on such review/assessment.

The fellowships are not intended for providing training, conducting workshops, seminars, documenting memoirs/or writing autobiographies, fiction, etc.

Online

Application Process:
Step 01: Applications for the award for Fellowship will be invited every year. Advertisement is given in Employment news as well as leading newspapers of the States/UTs in English, Hindi, and Vernacular languages for the Fellowship Scheme as per the instructions of the S&F section, Ministry of Culture.
Step 02: Applicants are required to submit online applications on the Website of the Ministry of Culture or Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT).
Step 03: Visit the official website of the Ministry of Culture and click on "MOC Schemes Application".
Step 04: Click on 'Registration' and Fill up the registration form.
Step 05: Get Username and Password for Login.
Step 06: Go to the current scheme status and click on the appropriate scheme.
Step 07: Fill up the form and submit it.
Post-Application Process:
Step 01: An Expert-Committee comprising experts in different fields will be constituted by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, which would in the first stage examine all applications and shortlist the most meritorious among them for eventual selection of the required number of Fellows in different fields/areas.
Step 02: Short-listed Junior Fellowship candidates will be called for an interview/talk by the Expert Committee who will then select the most meritorious candidates up to the required number of Junior Fellowships in different fields/areas. No such interview/talk would be necessary in the case of Senior Fellowships.
Note 01: If the applicants are employed in Central/State Government Departments/ Institutions/ Undertaking/Universities etc., they will have to take leave for a period of 2 years for the period of the Fellowship. They should submit their fellowship applications through the head of the Department/Institution/ Undertaking/University etc. with the written assurance that in case the fellowship is sanctioned, the candidate will be granted leave for the duration of the Fellowship. The first installment of the Fellowship will be released on production of proof of leave sanctioned, in addition to other conditions as applicable.
Contact Details:
a) Section Officer, (S & F) Section at Ph. No. 011-24642133 or through e-mail: scholar-culture[at]nic[dot]in in the Ministry.
b) Director, Centre for Cultural Resources and Training, 15-A, Sector-7, Dwarka, New Delhi-110075 at Phone Number: 011- 25309300; 011-25074256, 011-25309394 or through e-mail: dir[dot]ccrt[at]nic[dot]in