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FAQs

Timeline 

  1. When will applications open and when will applications close? 
    • Applications will open on September 12, 2023, and the last date to apply will be October 12, 2023. This deadline is now extended to 11AM on October 23, 2023.
  2. When will shortlisted candidates be informed? 
    • The first round of interviews will begin from September 20 and will be done on a rolling basis until October 30. Candidates will be informed of their selection status within 7 working days of applying. Details regarding all further rounds of interviews will be communicated to shortlisted candidates. 
  3. When and where will the Induction Workshop be held? 
    • The Induction Workshop is scheduled to take place around the first week of January 2024. It will be a four-day residential workshop and will be held in either Delhi or Bengaluru.  
  4. Does the Fellowship offer deferrals for accepted applicants? 
    • We do not offer a deferral option as of now.  

Eligibility 

  1. Who can apply for the Fellowship? 
    • You should apply for the Fellowship if you are a woman with:
      • Any post-graduate degree in the field of public policy, urban governance, economics, finance, business or other relevant fields. 
      • A minimum of 2 years of work experience in any field along with a willingness and ability to transition to work in public finance. 
  2. Is it mandatory to have experience in public finance management to apply for the Fellowship? 
    • No, it is not restricted to Public Finance. We encourage interested candidates with academic backgrounds in social sciences, business, finance, planning and design, or any other relevant field to apply. We would like to build a cohort with diverse backgrounds, so a minimum of 2 years’ experience is preferred to ensure the Fellows are positioned for success. 
  3. What are the qualities of an ideal candidate? 
    • Creative problem-solving skills 
    • Project planning skills 
    • Detail-orientedness  
    • Stakeholder management 
    • Communication, documentation and presentation skills
    • Team-working skills 
    • Ability to thrive in a culture of diversity, complexity and ambiguity 
    • Willingness to take ownership for defined outputs 
  4. Can I apply if I am scheduled to graduate from an ongoing academic program in 2024? 
    • The Fellowship will begin in late November or early early January 2024. You should only apply if you will be able to attend the in-person interviews and the 3-4 day Induction Workshop wherever they may be held, relocate to your project location, and work full-time for two years beginning in January 2024. 

Application 

  1. What documents do I need to submit for my application? 
    • Your latest résumé in PDF format 
    • A 500-word statement of purpose 
    • Official contact details of 2 professional references 
    • Your analysis of any of the case prompts given on the website

Interviews 

  1. How will the interviews be conducted? 
    • There will be one round of virtual interviews conducted online, and the round after this will be conducted in-person. Selected candidates will be given further details of each round. 
  2. What can I expect in the interview rounds? 
    • The virtual screening interviews will be one-on-one conversations with the Programme Team where they will gauge your fitment for the Fellowship as well as for the projects you have selected. 
    • The third round of interviews will be in-person, with three components. 
      • Presentation of the case analysis that you submitted during online applications
      • Group discussion 
      • Individual interviews with the Programme Team 
    • The final round of interviews will be with government officers in charge of the projects you apply for. These may be done online or in-person. Selected candidates will be given further details. 
  3. What are the locations for the in-person interviews? 
    • The in-person interviews with the Programme Team will be held in Bangalore and/or Delhi. Further details will be shared with the selected candidates closer to the interview dates. 
  4. Would the travel cost for the interviews be reimbursed? 
    • No. The Fellowship would not be able to reimburse any travel costs incurred for the interviews. It must be borne by the candidates.

Locations and Projects

  1. Is the Fellowship only for candidates based in India? 
    • Candidates are welcome to apply from all over the world as long as they are willing and able to relocate to the site of their Field Immersion Projects under this Fellowship for the next 2 years.
  2. Does the Fellowship require me to relocate? 
    • You will be working from the capital city of the government whose project you are selected for. Unless you already live in the appropriate city, you will need to move to the location of the project. 
  3. Will the Fellows be working on specific projects during the Fellowship? 
    • Yes, the Fellows will be working on any one of the projects that are detailed on the Fellowship webpage.  
  4. Will there be rotations or transfers from one project to another during the Fellowship?
    • Rotations are not scheduled to be a part of the Fellowship. Once on-boarded for a specific project, a Fellow will be expected to remain on that project until graduation. Changes may be made to this on a case-to-case basis, should the requirement arise. 
  5. Will accommodation be provided by Janaagraha for Fellows who need to relocate for the Fellowship? 
    • No. The Programme Team will assist Fellows in finding suitable accommodation, but the Fellows will be expected to take care of the expenses for their own accommodation during the Fellowship.

Future Prospects 

  1. What do Fellows do after they have completed the Fellowship? 
    • Upon completing the Fellowship, Fellows are free to take up jobs in the fields of their choice.  
  2. Does the Fellowship provide placements? 
    • The Fellowship Programme Team, Mentors, and Janaagraha will offer active support and guidance to the Fellows towards the end of the Fellowship to find jobs related to public finance.