As many as 10,820 young people registered for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) newly launched Gen Z Fellowship Programme by the August 31 deadline. From this, 6,879 candidates paid the application fee. However, there are only 50 fellowship positions available, which means nearly 216 candidates are competing for each spot.
The fellowship is being run by the BJP-led Mahayuti-controlled BMC. It was launched to encourage young professionals to gain experience in administration. Applications opened on August 17.
The 12-month programme is modelled on the Maharashtra government’s Chief Minister Fellowship Programme. It will give fellows exposure to project planning, governance and policymaking. Fellows will also get to work with senior public authorities as part of their assignments.
As per a report by FPJ, the programme has attracted applicants from several academic and professional backgrounds. These include law, medicine, engineering, commerce, science and the arts. Applicants include graduates with qualifications such as LLB, LLM, MBBS, BA, MA, MSc, MCom, BE and BTech degrees.
Fellows will receive a monthly stipend of INR 61,500 during the 12-month programme. The BMC has laid down 21 eligibility conditions for applicants. Candidates must have scored at least 60% in their degree. They must also be fluent in Marathi and have proficiency in Hindi and English. Computer literacy is another requirement.
Applicants must have at least one year of full-time work experience. The BMC has also counted relevant apprenticeships, articleships and internships as work experience for eligibility purposes. Applicants were required to be between 21 and 28 years of age. The application fee was INR 500.
The selected fellows will be appointed on a contractual basis and will not become regular BMC employees. They are will be attached to key civic offices, including those of the municipal commissioner, additional municipal commissioners, the mayor, the Standing Committee chairman and heads of various departments.
The civic administration will now review the applications before moving ahead with the selection process. The BMC will complete the selection and appointment of the fellows within the next two months. The fellowship has also drawn a suggestion to expand it. Watchdog Foundation founder Godfrey Pimenta said the 50 positions were limited for a city spread across 25 administrative wards.