The Rajya Sabha instituted the Dr. S. Radhakrishnan Chair and two Rajya Sabha Fellowships Scheme in the year 2009 with the objective of promoting research on different aspects of parliamentary democracy in India. At the initiative of the Hon’ble Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu, the existing Scheme has been revamped in order to enhance its effectiveness and utility. The revamped scheme has been renamed as ‘Rajya Sabha Research and Study’ (RSRS) Scheme which has three components, namely
(a) Dr. S. Radhakrishnan Chair;
(b) Rajya Sabha Fellowships and
(c) Rajya Sabha Student Engagement Internships.
The broad objective of the Scheme is ‘to promote research/empirical/comparative study of the functioning of Parliament and other democratic institutions and analyze their contributions to the country’s socio-economic transformation, and to ensure the utility of the research study to the functioning of Parliament’.
General Information
Dr. S Radhakrishnan Chair
- Duration: The duration of the chair is for two years, extendable up to one year.
- Grant: The occupant of the Chair is entitled to a grant of Rs. 20 lakh plus Rs.2.50 lakh as contingency grant.
Rajya Sabha Fellowships
- Duration: The fellowship duration is of 18 months which is extendable up to six months.
- Grant: The fellows are entitled to get a grant of Rs 8 lakh plus Rs 50,000 as a contingency grant.
Rajya Sabha Student Engagement Internships
- Number of Internships: A total of 10 internships will be provided; 5 each for Graduate and Post-Graduate students
- Duration: Duration of two months during summer vacation.
- Stipend: The interns would be paid a consolidated amount of Rs 10,000 per month as a stipend.
Eligibility Criteria
Dr. S Radhakrishnan Chair
- An eminent researcher/academic of repute/expert who has a proven record of research/scholarship and publications in the study of the political system, democratic institutions, and socio-economic challenges.
- Former Members of Parliament/State Legislatures and former officers of Parliament/State Legislature Secretariats.
- The essential qualification of an applicant for the Chair is a Ph.D. in the area relevant to the subject of study.
- An applicant for the Chair shall not exceed 65 years of age at the time of application (to be relaxed by RAC in case of the deserving applicant). Applicant’s academic assignments and other engagements will be taken into consideration at the time of selection so that she/he could devote requisite time and energy for undertaking the research work of the Chair.
Rajya Sabha Fellowships
- Scholars who have relevant educational qualifications/experience for undertaking the study in line with the objective of the scheme.
- Candidates who have worked as former Members of Parliament/State Legislatures and former officers of Parliament/State Legislature Secretariats.
- An applicant for the Fellowship should be between 25-65 years of age at the time of application (to be relaxed by RAC in case of deserving applicants)
- An applicant should have a minimum Master’s degree in social science, law, and other related disciplines relevant to the subject of study. Preference will be given to those who possess higher qualifications of M.Phil. and Ph.D.
Rajya Sabha Student Engagement Internships
Students pursuing graduation and post-graduation courses in any discipline would be eligible for the internship program.
Application Procedure
- For Dr. S Radhakrishnan Chair and Rajya Sabha Fellowships candidates may send relevant documents to [email protected]
- For Rajya Sabha Student Engagement Internships, candidates may send relevant documents to [email protected]
Relevant links
