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The scheme “Scheme for Award of Senior/Junior Fellowships to Outstanding Persons in the Fields of Culture” was launched by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.

The “Scheme for Award of Senior/Junior Fellowships to Outstanding Persons in the Fields of Culture” was launched by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India to support artists in creative fields. Earlier, while academicians and scientists had opportunities for independent work through fellowships by institutions like the University Grants Commission and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, similar support was lacking in the field of creative arts. There was also a gap in schemes providing financial assistance for advanced training or independent creative work, especially beyond the age groups already covered. This scheme aims to fill that gap by offering financial support and a creative environment, including for artists in rural and tribal areas. The fellowships are awarded for research-oriented projects, and applicants must demonstrate their capability to undertake such work. However, the fellowships are not meant for training programs, workshops, seminars, or for writing memoirs, autobiographies, fiction, or similar works.

Fields/Area:

• Senior/Junior Fellowships in the Field of Performing, Literary and Plastic Arts.
• Performing Arts ( Music/Dance/Theatre/Folk Traditional & Indigenous Arts including Puppetry)
• Literary Arts (Travelogue/History & Theory of Literature)
• Plastic Arts (Graphics/Sculpture/Painting including Folk Paintings and Research Work on Traditional Paintings/Creative Photography)
• Senior/Junior Fellowships in the New Areas related to Culture: In the ‘New Areas related to culture’, projects are sought in the following fields :
• Indology
• Epigraphy
• Sociology of Culture
• Cultural Economics
• Structural and Engineering Aspects of Monuments
• Numismatics
• Scientific and Technical aspects of Conservation
• Management aspects of Art and Heritage
• Studies relating to application of Science and technology in areas related to culture and creativity.

The objective is to encourage analytical application of new research techniques, technological and management principles to contemporary issues in areas related to art and culture. General and theoretical macro-studies will not be considered. The proposal should be innovative and application-oriented and preferably interdisciplinary in nature.

• The age of the applicant should be above 40 years for applying under senior fellowships.
• The age of the applicant should be between 25-40 years for applying under junior fellowships.
• Graduation is the minimum educational qualification for applicants in the fields/areas mentioned in the scheme guideline.
• Applicants for senior fellowship should not be the recipient of pension from the Ministry of Culture under the scheme for grant of financial assistance to artists in indigent circumstances.
• An applicant should not have availed of the same fellowship earlier. However, an applicant who had been awarded a Junior Fellowship can apply for a Senior Fellowship, provided 5 years have elapsed after the closure of the earlier project.

Note 01: The age of the applicant will be reckoned as of 1st April of the year.

Note 02: Under the Senior and Junior Fellowships, the awardees will submit a six-monthly progress report. In cases where such reports are not received timely, the Ministry may withhold further releases of the Fellowship amount.

Note 03: The selected candidates will have to undertake academic or application-oriented research work on projects for which they have been awarded the Fellowship. They will complete their Projects within two years and submit the same to the Ministry. Extension of time by a maximum of three months will be permissible without any additional financial liability to the Government.

Note 04: A mid-term review/assessment of performance in each case will be carried out after one year and further continuance of Fellowship will depend on such review/assessment.

> The number of fellowships will be up to 400 each year. These are of two types, namely, senior and junior fellowships.

Senior Fellowship:

• Number of fellowships: 200
• Monthly amount: ₹20,000
• Age group: Above 40 years

Junior Fellowship:

• Number of fellowships: 200
• Monthly amount: ₹10,000
• Age group: 25–40 years
• Age is calculated as on 1st April of the given year

Publishing Grant

In addition, there could be a one time grant up to maximum of ₹20,000/- or 50% of the cost of the publication, whichever is less, for publication of selected Project documents. This will be restricted to 20% of the awardees.

The fellowships are not intended for providing training, conducting workshops, seminars, documenting memoirs/or writing autobiographies, fiction, etc.