Organization : Rajya Sabha Secretariat
Scholarship Name : Dr. S. Radhakrishnan Chair/ Rajya Sabha Fellowships On Parliamentary Studies
Applicable States : All India
Website : https://rajyasabha.nic.in/
Dr. S. Radhakrishnan Chair/ Rajya Sabha Fellowships On Parliamentary Studies:
The Rajya Sabha Secretariat has decided to institute a Chair named after Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, the first Vice-President of India and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, with the objective of promoting an indepth inquiry and research on different aspects of parliamentary democracy, in general, and Indian Parliament and Rajya Sabha, in particular. Two Fellowships to be named ‘Rajya Sabha Fellowships for Parliamentary Studies’ will also be instituted. This, it is felt, would promote better understanding of the functioning of our Parliament; help document the changing nature and role of our parliamentary institutions and enable appreciation of the challenges faced by these institutions in the era of globalisation. This initiative on the part of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat is, thus, intended to create a critical mass of academic research with a body of knowledge on the functioning of our parliamentary democracy.
Part A: Search And Advisory Committee
(i) Composition of Search and Advisory Committee:
2. A Search and Advisory Committee shall assist the Chairman, Rajya Sabha, in the selection of the Chair and the Fellows as well as their management.
3. The Search and Advisory Committee shall consist of five members, namely two members of Rajya Sabha – one each nominated by the Leader of the House and the Leader of the Opposition, Rajya Sabha; two prominent academics to be nominated by the Chairman, Rajya Sabha; and Secretary-General, Rajya Sabha.
4. Secretary-General will function as the Convener of the Search Committee.
(ii) Functions of Search and Advisory Committee:
5. The Search and Advisory Committee shall assist the Chairman in the selection of the Chair and the Fellows. As per the directions of the Chairman, it may be required to draw up a panel of names for the purpose.
6. In addition, the Search and Advisory Committee may be required to perform the following functions:
· Identification of areas of research and study;
· Monitoring and appraisal of the performance of the Chair and the Fellows; and
· Any other matter that may be referred to the Committee by the Chairman, Rajya Sabha from time to time.
(iii) Tenure of Search and Advisory Committee and its Members:
7. The tenure of the Search and Advisory Committee shall be two years. Chairman, Rajya Sabha may extend its tenure at his discretion.
8. An existing member of the Search and Advisory Committee, upon its reconstitution, may be re-nominated on the Search and Advisory Committee.
(iv) Admissibility of TA/DA to the Members of the Committee:
9. Members of the Committee shall be paid TA/ DA for national and local travel, as per the rules applicable to Members of Parliament or the Secretary-General of the Rajya Sabha, as the case may be, as and when they may be required to travel in connection with the work of the Committee. Members, except Members of Parliament during Session days and the Secretary-General, shall also be paid Rs. 1000/- as a token honorarium for each meeting of the Committee.
Part B: Dr. S. Radhakrishnan Chair On Parliamentary Studies
(i) Eligibility:
10. The Chair is open to eminent scholars, who have a proven record of scholarship and publications in the study of the Indian political system and parliamentary institutions/systems and their functioning.
(ii) Duration:
11. The tenure of the Chair will be for two years.
(iii) Responsibilities:
12. The Chair shall be required to provide research output in the form of a book/report in the course of its tenure, in terms of the directions of the Chairman, Rajya Sabha. The Chair shall be required to submit progress report of the research project regularly for the consideration of the Search and Advisory Committee.
13. The Chair would give three/four lectures on the subjects related to the research project during its tenure, which would be organised under the auspices of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat.
(iv) Location of Chair:
14. The Chair will be located at the institution of choice of the individual holding the Chair.
(v) Mode of Selection:
15. The advertisement inviting applications for the Chair shall be published in reputed academic journals and national newspapers. The advertisement will also be placed on the website of Rajya Sabha.
16. The applicant will be required to send in his/her particulars in the prescribed format (ANNEXURE-I) duly filled in, along with the synopsis of his/her proposal.
17. All major Universities and reputed educational research institutions, such as the University Grants Commission (UGC), the Indian Council for Social Science Research (ICSSR), Indian Council of Historical Research, Indian Institute of Public Administration, as well as reputed think tanks from the relevant areas, are requested to forward names of suitable candidates to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat for consideration by the Search and Advisory Committee.
18. The proposals received shall be placed before the Search and Advisory Committee. The Committee shall consider and recommend a panel of the names to the Chairman, Rajya Sabha, for grant of Chair.
19. The applicant shall be required to produce a ‘No Objection Certificate’ from his/her institution for taking up the assignment. After selection of the Chair, a letter of acceptance/MOU from the institution, where the scholar wants to be located, would also be required to be produced.
(vi) Research Grant:
20. The research grant for the Chair shall be Rs. 7 lakhs for the entire period.
The schedule of release of the grant will be as follows:-
(a) 20% of the amount payable at the time of the initial appointment;
(b) 30% of the amount after the submission of the first draft of the book/project report;
(c) 30% of the amount after the submission of the final draft of the book/project report. The final draft shall be submitted not later than three months before the end of the tenure of the Chair; and
(d) the remaining amount shall be paid after approval of book/project report by the Chairman, Rajya Sabha.
21. The entire cost of the research project shall have to be met by the Chair out of Research Grant mentioned above.