PMs rural development fellowship launched

HYDERABAD: The Union ministry of rural development, in collaboration with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, on Saturday announced the launch of the Prime Minister’s Rural Development Fellows (PMRDF) programme which aims to support welfare initiatives.“TISS has been an integral part of the selection and capacity-building of the Fellows who will be placed in 78 Integrated Action Plan districts in nine states. They will support and anchor developmental programmes by bridging the gap between the system and the grass roots,” Union minister for rural development Jairam Ramesh said.TISS director S Parasuraman said 156 graduates were selected from across the country with diverse disciplinary backgrounds for the first phase of the PMRDF programme.The Fellows will have two to three years to work with the respective district administration and assess the implementation of governmental schemes.Union minister for tribal affairs and panchayat raj Kishore Chandra Deo and Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia  attended the function.