Applications invited for Prime Minister’s RDF Scheme 2011

PMRDF is an excellent opportunity for committed young people to contribute to enhancing development and welfare of the people in rural and tribal areas of the country.  It is envisaged that the selection and training process and intensive development facilitation work at the village, block and district level as PMRDF will provide an exceptional growth potential.

To be Eligible:

• Must be 25-30 years old
• Must be a postgraduate in Social Science/ Science/ Management or a graduate in Law/ Engineering/ Medicine
• Knowledge of Hindi and a local language used in an IAP district is desirable.
• Work experience is preferred

Last date for Submitting Applications: Dec 4th 2011

Shortlisted candidates will be announced: Dec 23rd

The Ministry of Home Affairs has identified 60 districts of the country as Left Wing Extremism (LWE) districts. The Government of India has launched a special programme in these districts called Integrated Action Plan (IAP). On 13th of september, Union Minister of Rural Development Mr. Jairam Ramesh announced a scheme of PM’s Rural Development Fellows. for deploying young professionals in each of the IAP districts to assist the District Collector.

Application Procedure
The aim is to create a resource pool of high quality development professionals ready to be deployed as Prime Minister Rural Development Fellows (PMRDFs) in the IAP districts.

Number of Positions: The final number of PMRDFs to be posted in the IAP districts will be 180. The recruitment of PMRDFs will be done in two phases. In each phase, 90 candidates will be finally selected after the training programme. This will assist in ascertaining the efficacy of the placement of the batch.

Method of Selection
Selection will be through an open advertisement process. Respondents will be asked to submit an application in a pre-designed form with supporting documents on academic and extra-curricular activities, particularly in social work and relevant fields. They would need to provide three recommendations, one of which should be from an academic institution.

Candidates will be shortlisted on the basis of their qualifications and experience. Selection will be on the basis of the written synopsis; group discussions and interviews will be used to test the candidateʼs motivation, leadership, social and negotiating skills.

Fill the application and submit it online. The applicant will receive an acknowledgement of its receipt. All information asked for must be provided. Incomplete applications will be rejected.

Assessment of the applicant’s intention to apply for the position will be based on the write up they submit with the application

Candidates will be shortlisted on the basis of their qualifications and experience. Selection will be on the basis of the written synopsis; group discussions and interviews will be used to test the candidate’s motivation, leadership, social and negotiating skills.

Training & Placement
The selected candidates will go through a three-month intensive training course including a 4 week internship in the preferred district.

Duration of Posting:
The fellows will be appointed for a period of two years on a fixed contract, extendable for one more year based on performance. The PMRDF will be offered an attractive salary that would include HRA, health insurance and other support.

It is envisaged that the selection and training process and intensive development facilitation work at the village, block and district level as PMRDF will provide an exceptional growth potential.

Activities

• Conduct socio-economic and political situation analysis of the district and ascertain the felt needs of the people
• Promote micro-planning (at ward and panchayat levels) in the district
• Provide critical inputs in preparation of district plans and outcome budgets
• Conduct data crunching relating to budget outlays and utilisation of funds
• Identify critical gaps in development programmes
• Create a network for voluntary cooperation in the local area
• Assist district collectors in carrying out any assignment desired by the collector.
• The job requires PMRDF to have a strong commitment to the values of equity and social justice and a passion for making a difference in the lives of the people.

For more details : http://pmrdfs.tiss.edu/