The Young India Fellowship (YIF) is a one-year multidisciplinary postgraduate diploma programme in Liberal Studies. The Fellowship brings together a group of bright young men and women who show exceptional intellectual ability and leadership potential from across the country, and trains them to become socially committed agents of change. YIF exposes them to a diverse set of subjects and perspectives, delivered by some of the finest teachers from India and around the world. The aim is to help Fellows become well-rounded individuals who are able to think critically about issues from multiple perspectives, communicate effectively and go on to become self-aware leaders with a commitment to public service.

YIF commenced its first academic session in June 2011 with 57 Fellows selected from among 2,000 applicants. By its fifth year, the number of registered applicants was almost four times that and now the Class of 2015-16 has 198 Fellows attending the programme at the Ashoka University campus. Spanning a spectrum of backgrounds from engineering to fashion design, filmmaking to agriculture, medicine to fine arts, and law to journalism, the Fellows reflect India’s intellectual and geographical diversity. They undergo a highly selective admissions process and are finally chosen both for their academic potential and for their passion for creating social impact. The Young India Fellowship maintains high academic standards, and selection to the programme is decided purely on merit; yet care is also taken to ensure that affordability does not become a deterrent for aspiring students. Almost everyone is supported through scholarships and other forms of financial aid in full or part.

Organization: The Young India Fellowship at Ashoka University is delivered in collaboration with University of Pennsylvania’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS); Carleton College; University of California, Berkeley; University of Michigan; King’s College, London; Trinity College, Dublin and Sciences Po, Paris.

Profile

Given the unique nature of the programme there is no “one” kind of profile for a Young India Fellow. However, the following points are being presented to give a broad idea of what we look for. A Young India Fellow could be someone who has:

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