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| Edited By: Rajeev Gowda |Source: DNA |Updated: Feb 01, 2014, 06:16 PM IST
As the world marked the 50th anniversary of President John F Kennedy’s assassination, I pondered over his legacy. For me, an enduring contribution is the establishment of the Peace Corps, which immerses motivated American graduates for a couple of years in social and educational development activities.
I came across a number of Peace Corps fellows when I was in graduate school in America. I was practically envious of the transformative experiences they had, the level of empathy and understanding they developed of their host societies, their enhanced confidence and capability, thanks to this unique opportunity created by JFK.
Today, India has its own version of the Peace Corps. The Prime Minister’s Rural Development Fellowship (PMRDF), launched in 2012 is the brainchild of rural development minister Jairam Ramesh. It is a joint venture of the ministry of rural development and state governments in partnership with Tata Institute of Social Sciences. While the Peace Corps placed American students in different countries, PMRD Fellows get to experience two different worlds: the conflict-affected districts of rural India and the world of government institutions.
Historically, the first generation of educated Indians went to work for the government and looked for stability and security. Their children came to study at the institutes of management and technology to become professionals and entrepreneurs. Today’s generation is secure and not just looking for jobs. They are looking for meaningful experiences which will help them to enhance their personal capabilities while making an impact on society.
Today’s youngsters also aspire to break into the top universities around the world. To do so they need to distinguish themselves from their peers through the uniqueness of their life experiences. The PMRDF enables them to gain a comparative advantage while making a difference. Many of them will go on to become social entrepreneurs so the PMRDF can be seen as incubating India’s future change makers.
In the past, to work with an NGO meant making a permanent lifestyle and career choice. Today, this fellowship offers youngsters an opportunity to immerse themselves in another world but to also come back to the mainstream. PMRDF fellows are in the 21-30 age group and selected from law, engineering and social science fields. With a healthy stipend of Rs75,000 per month, the highly selective programme has managed to motivate hundreds of youth to come in with fresh energy, talent and ideas and harness them for socio-economic development in India’s most backward areas.
A couple of years with the PMRDF programme can be transformative for an individual’s growth, educational and career possibilities. Over time, Fellows will surely give back to society in transformational ways. Thus PMRDF is a win-win. For those who aspire to join this cadre of change agents, it turns out that November 30 is the deadline for applying for next year’s batch. Act now!
MV Rajeev Gowda is a professor at Indian Institute of Management Bangalore and a spokesperson for the Indian National Congress. These views are personal.
