121 fellowships: Bihar govt to rope in experts to improve governance

The Bihar Administrative Reforms Mission, under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Pratyaya Amrit, and the Indian Institute of Management (Bodh Gaya) on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to roll out the fellowship programme

In a pioneering initiative, Bihar government is set to launch a two-year fellowship scheme for 121 selected fellows under the CM Fellowship Scheme with the objective of making governance, policy and decision making more effective and transparent by involving young and experienced subject experts in various fields.

There will be 121 fellowships on offer and the IIM (Bodh Gaya) will work out the modalities, including screening test for enrolment. (HT Photo)

The Bihar Administrative Reforms Mission, under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Pratyaya Amrit, and the Indian Institute of Management (Bodh Gaya) on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to roll out the fellowship programme.

The main objective is to actively contribute to governance, policy formulation, and implementation, thereby enhancing administrative efficiency and accelerating development outcomes across the State. Fellows will be embedded within the governance system for a fixed term of two years.

“There will be 121 fellowships on offer and the IIM (Bodh Gaya) will work out the modalities, including screening test for enrolment and other concerned issues. Bihar domicile is a must for the applicants and state’s reservation policy will apply in the election process. The main idea behind it is to encourage innovation and transparency for capacity building and administrative reforms,” said Pratyaya on Friday.

Describing the signing of MoU as a key step for administrative reforms, he said it would provide a platform to young and experienced subject experts eager in policy and decision making for effective implementation.

“The fellows will join the government’s administrative set up from April 2026 after undergoing structured induction training at the IIM (Bodh Gaya) to give a new boost to the state’s administrative system by becoming a part of the state’s development journey,” he added.

The scheme was approved by the cabinet on September 9, 2025 and it would be implemented through the Bihar Administrative Reforms Mission Society in collaboration with the General Administrative Department (GAD) and IIM (Bodh Gaya).

The monthly fellowship amount will vary for different posts ranging from ₹ 80,000/month to ₹1.5 lakh/month. On successful completion, the fellows will get from the IIM (Bodh Gaya) “Post Graduate Certificate in Public Policy and Good Governance” and work experience letter from the GAD.

“The fellowship scheme will be for three years, but with mutual consent it can be further increased for two years. Under the MoU, experienced experts from various levels of administration and different fields would be roped in for two years and they would be entitled to a fixed stipend,” said the chief secretary.

The selected fellows will work in different departments and offices of the state government, including at the district and division level. The process will start in December 2025.

IIM (Bodh Gaya) director Dr Vinita S Sahay said that the signing of the MoU was a big step, as it would provide the state’s youth opportunity to showcase their skill not just within the state, but across the country through meaningful contribution in improving governance.

“We hope the best Bihar talents from across the country come forward to use the fellowship as a tool to transform governance through public policy, e-governance, and public service delivery reforms with their expertise. It is a very good programme providing rare opportunities. IIM Ahmedabad also has a mentorship programme, Sardar Patel Good Governance Fellowship and I look forward to having the best of talents. The professionals from Bihar are doing great jobs everywhere and this is the time they could contribute for their state by getting directly involved in governance,” she added.

This shortlisting of candidates will be done through screening of applications based on eligibility, written assignments, and a personal interview with a panel of IIM Bodh Gaya faculty. Online applications will be invited in the first week of December and results will be out in the first week of March. The attachment of fellows with government offices, including CM Office, will be done in April after training.