The Maharashtra Government's Planning Department has collaborated with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay for the second batch of the Chief Minister Fellowship Programme for 2025-26.
As per the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), IIT Bombay will offer a certificate course in public policy and welfare research to 60 selected fellows. The programme is designed to equip research scholars with analytical tools and methodologies to identify and address challenges in public administration and service delivery.
A total of 60 fellows are selected for the programme through a competitive process that includes a written examination and an interview. The fellowship programme will begin on July 28 at IIT Bombay.
The curriculum includes four weeks of in-person classes at IIT Bombay, followed by weekend online sessions over the course of 12 months. During this period, fellows will be based in 23 district collector and zilla parishad offices in Maharashtra.
They will also engage in directed research under the mentorship of IIT Bombay faculty. The teaching faculty includes Professor Anand B Rao, Professor Bakul Rao, Professor Satish B Agnihotri, Professor Om Damani, Professor Sarthak Gaurav, Professor Aditi Chaubal, Professor Pooja Purang, and Professor Parmeshwar Udmale. The programme will also feature guest lectures from experienced IAS officers and other IIT Bombay faculty members.
Upon successful completion of the coursework and field research, fellows will be awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in Public Policy.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Professor Shireesh Kedare, Director of IIT Bombay, attended the MoU signing ceremony.
Also present at the event were Professor Milind Atrey (Deputy Director, Academics, Research and Translation), Professor Usha Ananthakumar (Dean, Educational Outreach), Professor Vinish Kathuria (Head, Ashank Desai Centre for Policy Studies), and Professor Parmeshwar Udmale (Principal Investigator and Course Coordinator, Centre for Technology for Rural Areas).
