The Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) has launched a new research fellowship programme, offering grants of ₹3 lakh each for 600 projects over eight months to promote an Indian-centric approach to knowledge and challenge Eurocentric frameworks.
The programme invites fourth-year undergraduate students to undertake research on themes ranging from revisiting Indo-Aryan migration theories and re-examining governance and political thought through thinkers such as Kautilya, Mahatma Gandhi, and VD Savarkar.
The programme, launched under the Yuva Shodh Pratibha Scheme (YSPS), is open to students in seventh and eighth semesters of the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) introduced under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
ICSSR officials said the initiative seeks to strengthen research capabilities among undergraduate students in line with the NEP 2020's emphasis on creativity, critical thinking, and cognitive development.
Each project will be undertaken under the supervision of a regular faculty member of the students' institution, with applicants required to submit a detailed research proposal.
At the end of the eight-month period, participants will submit research reports that will be evaluated by ICSSR.
