Convocation ceremony held for 581 Mahatma Gandhi National Fellows across 9 IIMs

The convocation ceremony was held for Mahatma Gandhi National Fellows (MGNF) on October 31, 2023, across nine Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). During the convocation ceremonies for MGNFs, the Honorable Union Minister for Education, Skill Development, and Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, made announced that 581 fellows would receive credits for their two years of education at IIMs, including district immersion. These credits would be officially recorded in their Academic Bank of Credit, marking a significant milestone in the realization of the National Credit Framework outlined in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

The Hon’ble Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan virtually addressed the convocation ceremony of the Mahatma Gandhi National Fellows Program, a collaborative initiative of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and the nine prestigious IIMs. This day marked a significant milestone in the lives of these fellows who have completed this rigorous and transformative program.

Shri Dharmendra Pradhan extended his heartfelt appreciation to MSDE and all nine IIMs for organizing the convocation on ‘National Unity Day.’ He congratulated all fellows in Public Policy and Management from the IIMs after completing their two-year fellowship program. He said that the MGNFs are the modern-day Vishwakarmas, holding the potential to shape the 21st century. “I have high expectations and an unwavering belief that my young friends will embrace skills as their mission to contribute to the realization of a developed India,” Shri Dharmendra Pradhan said.

“To achieve the ambitious goal of a developed India by 2047, it is imperative that we expand, skill, re-skill, and up-skill our workforce. Our aim is to position India as a global hub for skilled manpower. I firmly believe that the young talents emerging from the MGNF program will become ambassadors of the Skill India Digital Portal”, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan added.

The physical convocation ceremony of the fellows was conducted at the respective locations. Chairperson, NCVET, Dr. Nirmaljeet Singh Kalsi, Secretary, Department of Higher Education; Shri K Sanjay Murthy, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship; Shri Atul Kumar Tiwari, Senior Economic Advisor; Shri Nilambuj Sharan, Chairman, AICTE; Prof. T G Sitharam, Directors and Program Directors of respective IIMs; along with the fellows from the IIMs, joined in for the virtual address.

For the first time, nine IIMs (Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Lucknow, Jammu, Kozhikode, Nagpur, Ranchi, Udaipur, and Visakhapatnam) have collaboratively implemented a program for the Government of India. This initiative ensures a consistent learning experience and active participation from State and UT governments in coordination with the Central government, fostering a unified approach.

The unique design of the program has provided fellows with the right academic insights across thematic areas like Economics, Management, Public Policy, Research, Finance and learnings from these were applied to strategizing and implementing some of the unique programs at district levels during their district immersion. The Fellows are also given a monthly stipend both in the first and second years by the Government of India. The program is a testament to the power of education and skill development coming together in a synergistic manner. This is also an integration between the vocational streams of education as envisaged under National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Launched in October 2021, phase 2 of the MGNF Program deployed 657 fellows in districts across 33 states and UTs of India in collaboration with nine IIMs as academic partners. Conceptualized under the World Bank-Funded Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP) Program, the objective of MGNF was to identify and train a group of young, committed, and dynamic individuals who would work with the district administration to strengthen the process of skilling and help create a vibrant local district economy. Its unique design allowed the Fellows to assimilate academic learning at IIM and use it in the field under faculty mentorship to understand the challenges and identify barriers that the district ecosystem faces in raising employment and economic output to foster growth and development.

During their fellowship, the fellows made great progress in implementing innovative projects in the districts they were deployed in and also contributed to events of national and international relevance, such as the Rozgar Melas and G20 Working Group meetings. To showcase their achievements, a report on the achievements of the Fellows named ‘Stories of Change’ was also released during the virtual ceremony.

Also read: MGNF (IIM Udaipur): Strengthening Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in Telangana

The fellows actively implemented initiatives and programs aimed at offering training and upskilling opportunities for those who may have limited access to formal education. This outreach extended to marginalized communities, rural regions, and underprivileged individuals who encounter obstacles in embracing technology.