LOK SABHA RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS

LOK SABHA
RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS








LOK SABHA SECRETARIAT
NEW DELHI  2























Guidelines and Rules

relating to

Lok Sabha Research Fellowships
















  3

LOK SABHA RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS


1. Preamble

The Parliament of India is the highest deliberative body and supreme
representative institution of the largest working democracy in the world. It is in its
Chambers that the destiny of a nation of a billion plus people is shaped. Members of
the two Houses of Parliament have many procedural devices to articulate the concerns
and considerations of the people, to keep the Executive accountable at all times and to
closely monitor the policies and programmes for national welfare. The institution of
Parliament, in the last 6 decades since Independence, has carved out a special place for
itself in the hearts and minds of our people.
That being so, there is an increasing need for an in-depth enquiry and research
on subjects of parliamentary interest. This is required with a view to better
understanding the functioning of our Parliament, to identify the changing nature and
role of our parliamentary institutions and to suggest alternatives in the light of the
experiences in other democratic countries. The Lok Sabha Secretariat proposes to
encourage and support such original studies by way of granting Research Fellowships
to interested scholars.
Proposals for research projects may involve writing a Book/Monograph based
on past research experience or analysis and interpretation of primary data/material
collected through the survey method or research based on secondary data.

2. Fellowships for writing Books

 The Lok Sabha Secretariat will grant five Research Fellowships, three in Hindi
and two in English, every year, on any particular aspect in one of the following fields:

 Evolution and Development of Parliamentary Institutions

(i) Parliamentary Institutions/ Systems (including State Legislatures)
 - Evolution and Development.

(ii) Parliamentary Rules, Practices and Procedures.

(iii) Modern Techniques of Service and Support Systems of Parliament.

  4
Role of Parliament:
(i) In Strengthening Democracy and Democratic Institutions.

(ii) Relationship between Parliament and other Organs of State,
including Judiciary.

(iii) Contemporary Challenges to Parliament and its Functioning,
including Frequent Disruptions and Adjournments.

(iv) Speaker’s Role in upholding the authority of Parliament.
(v) In Securing Executive Accountability to the Legislature.
(vi) As Agent of Social Change, Equity and Inclusive Growth.

(vii) In Mitigating Conflict Situations and Facilitating National
Integration.

(viii) In Facilitating Economic Stability, especially in the context of
Economic Liberalization and Globalization.

(ix) In Ensuring Environmental Protection.

(x) Gender Budgeting in India: Comparative Study with other
Parliaments.

(xi) Capacity Building of Legislatures.

(xii) In Taking Initiatives to address the Scourge of Terrorism.

(xiii) In the Protection and Rehabilitation of Vulnerable Groups.
Parliamentary Committees
Role of Parliamentary Committees:

(i) In Strengthening Accountability Mechanisms - Comparative
Studies of Parliament of India with foreign Parliaments.
  5
(ii) In the Legislative Task of Parliament.

Parliamentary Forums
(i) Functioning of Parliamentary Forums: Role in Policy Making and
 Knowledge Sharing.

Parliament and the People
(i) Communication between Parliament and the People.

(ii) Parliament and the People: Reinforcing Democracy through
Accountability.

(iii) Parliament and Women’s Empowerment.

(iv) Parliament and Human Rights.

(v) Parliament and Sustainable Development.

(vi) Parliament and the Media: Facilitating Greater Partnership towards
Strengthening Democracy.

(vii) Parliament and Millennium Development Goals.
(viii) Bringing Parliament closer to the People through creation of better
Information Management System.

Parliamentary and International Affairs
(i) Parliamentary Diplomacy.
(ii) Parliament and Foreign Policy.
(iii) Role of Parliament in the context of WTO.

(iv) Role of Friendship Groups, Lobbies and Interest Congregates in
 Promoting Bilateral Relations and Enduring Peace.
  6
Parliament and its Heritage

(i) History of Indian Parliament.
(ii) Different Aspects of Heritage Nature of Parliament.
(iii) Architect Profile of Indian Parliament.
The above mentioned themes are indicative and the topics are suggestive.

3. Duration

The duration of the Fellowships will be of two years. In very exceptional cases,
the period may be extended by three months, up to a maximum of six months, subject
to the satisfaction and approval of the Fellowship Committee.

4. Eligibility

The Fellowships are open to research scholars, academicians, media persons and
others having suitable experience and aptitude to undertake the study. The applicants
should at least be Graduates (preferably in Social Sciences) from a recognized
University. Selection will be made after giving due consideration to the applicants’
qualifications, their past experience and standing in the profession; published works, if
any, to their credit; knowledge of the working of the political system and parliamentary
institutions, procedures and practices, etc.

5. Selection Procedure for granting Research Fellowships

(i) The selection for the grant of Research Fellowships and Fellowships for
 writing Monographs will be made by a Fellowship Committee.

(ii) An advertisement will be issued in major national dailies in Hindi, English and
regional languages announcing the Fellowship. The advertisement will be
uploaded on the Lok Sabha website prominently, mentioning therein detailed
procedure for submission of applications. Major Universities and reputed
Educational Institutions, including the University Grants Commission (UGC);
the Indian Council for Social Science Research (ICSSR); Indian Council of
Historical Research (ICHR); Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA);
Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (IGIDR); Institute of
Constitutional and Parliamentary Studies (ICPS); Centre for Development
Studies; Indian Council for World Affairs (ICWA); National Institute for Rural  7
Development (NIRD); Indian Council for Research on International
Economic Relations (ICRIER); Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses
(IDSA); National Council for Applied Economic Research (NCAER); Media
Organizations and other reputed institutions will be requested to forward
names of suitable candidates to the Lok Sabha Secretariat for consideration by
the Fellowship Committee. The notice regarding the Fellowship Scheme may
also be circulated among the media persons covering the proceedings of
Parliament.

(iii) The Fellowship Committee may also suo motu consider meritorious scholars for
the Fellowship.

(iv) The applicant will be required to send in his/her particulars in the prescribed
format (Annexure), duly filled in, along with a Synopsis of 1000 words of
his/her proposal.

(v) The Fellowship Committee shall consider and recommend the names to the
Hon'ble Speaker, Lok Sabha, for grant of Lok Sabha Fellowships.

(vi) If the Fellowship Committee does not find any applicant suitable for the grant of
the Fellowships, no Fellowship may be granted during that year. The Committee
may, however, consider awarding the Fellowship for that particular year in the
next year, subject to availability of funds.

(vii) A Fellow has to submit quarterly Progress Report of the Fellowship project for
the consideration and satisfaction of the Fellowship Committee. The final Report
shall be submitted in triplicate for the appraisal and perusal of the Fellowship
Committee.

6. Fellowships for writing Monographs

(i) The Fellowship Committee may consider the grant of five Fellowships for
writing Monographs (Three in Hindi and Two in English) on a topical subject
of parliamentary interest. The Monograph should be in a single theme, original
and well-researched and of a minimum of 50000 words. The procedure for
inviting applications for award of Fellowship for Monographs will be the same
as in the case of Books.

(ii) The Fellowship Committee may also consider the grant of Fellowship for
 writing Monographs to those scholars whose proposals were considered for  8
 Research Fellowships, but were found suitable and relevant only for conducting
 a limited study during a short period.

(iii) The Committee may also suo motu consider meritorious scholars for the
 Fellowship.

(iv) The applicant will be required to send in his/her particulars in the prescribed
 format (Annexure), duly filled in along with a Synopsis of 1000 words.

(v) Duration - The duration of the Fellowships for writing Monographs will be six
months. In exceptional cases, the period may be extended by one month up to a
maximum of 3 months subject to the satisfaction and approval of the
Fellowship Committee.

(iv) Final Report - The final report of the project shall be submitted by the Fellow
 in triplicate.

(v) All the other conditions/facilities, etc. as admissible to the Fellows who have
been awarded Lok Sabha Research Fellowships will be applicable to the scholars
who are awarded the Fellowships for writing Monographs unless otherwise
restricted.

7. Guidelines for submission of proposals

(i) While submitting the proposal, the format may broadly be according to the
 following order of points and guidelines given under:

(a) Title of the Project

(b) Statement of the Problem: In the opening paragraphs of the research
proposal, the problem to be investigated should be stated clearly and
briefly. The significance of the problem in the theoretical context of the
discipline concerned should be specified.

(c) Overview of Literature: Summarizing the current status of research in
the area, including major findings, the project proposal should clearly
demonstrate the relevance of the findings or approaches for the
investigation of the problem at hand.

(d) Conceptual Framework: Given the problem and the theoretical
perspective for investigation of the problem, the proposal should clearly  9
indicate the concepts to be used and demonstrate their relevance for the
study. It should further specify the empirical dimension, if any, that needs
to be explored for investigating the problem.

(e) Research Questions/Hypotheses: Given the conceptual framework and
dimensions of the problem, specific questions to be answered and
hypotheses to be tested through the proposed study should be explicitly
formulated, compatible with the research design.
(f) Coverage: In the light of the questions raised or the hypotheses proposed
to be tested, if sampling becomes necessary, full information on the
following points should be given:
(i) Universe of the Study, (ii) Sampling Frame, and (iii) Units of
Observation and Sampling size.

 If the study requires any control groups, they should be specifically
mentioned. An explanation of the determination of size and type of the sample shall
also be necessary. Proposals not requiring a sample selection should specify
their strategy appropriately and describe the rationale.

(ii) Methodology: A suitable description of the methods of research for the study
 may be given.

(iii) Data Collection: The different types of data that are proposed to be gathered
 should be specifically mentioned. The sources for each type and the tools and
 techniques that will be used for collecting different types of data should also be
 specified.

(iv) Time Budgeting: The project should be broken up in suitable stages and the
 time required for the completion of each stage of work should be specified.

(v) Bibliography
8. MoU

An applicant selected for the Fellowship will have to sign a Memorandum of
Undertaking and Conditions attached thereto separately. He/she will also have to hand
over all the data/material collected on the topic of the Fellowship to the Lok Sabha
Secretariat.
  10

9. Amount of Fellowship

(i) The total amount of each Fellowship for writing Books will be maximum
Rs. 4,50,000/-, plus Rs. 50,000/- towards Publication Assistance. The amount
sanctioned to a Fellow will be disbursed in nine equal installments of
Rs. 50,000/- each. However, each installment of the Fellowship amount will
be released, subject to the satisfactory progress of the project and
recommendation of the Fellowship Committee to that effect.

(ii) The total amount of Fellowship for writing Monographs will be upto Rs. 2 lakh
(all inclusive) depending upon the proposal and the approval of the Fellowship
Committee. The amount sanctioned to a Fellow will be disbursed in four/five
installments, subject to the satisfaction and recommendation of the Committee
on the Fellow's monthly progress report.

 In case a Fellow after joining the Lok Sabha Fellowship ceases to work on the
Fellowship for a time, either because of ill health or for any other reason, he/she shall
have to refund whole of the Fellowship amount granted to him/her, along with
applicable interest thereon.

10. Library facility

The Research Fellow may be provided access to Parliament Library for
consultation of documents available therein.

10. Publication Assistance in respect of Books

(i) After the final report of the Fellowship is recommended by the Fellowship
 Committee for publication and subsequently approved by the Hon'ble Speaker,
 Lok Sabha, the Fellow shall be required to enter into an agreement with a
 reputed publisher for the publication of the Book and a copy of the agreement
 may be provided to the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

(ii) The following text shall be prominently printed on the back of the inner title
 page of the Book for which publication grant has been provided by the
 Secretariat:

 ‘The publication of the Book has been financially supported by the Lok
 Sabha Secretariat. The responsibility for the facts stated or opinions
 expressed is entirely of the author and not of the Lok Sabha Secretariat’.  11

(iii) In case publication assistance is granted by the Lok Sabha Secretariat, the
Fellow shall supply 50 copies of the publication on complimentary basis to
the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

(iv) In case publication assistance is not granted by the Lok Sabha Secretariat or the
Fellow does not seek any assistance and intends to publish it on his/her own,
the Secretariat may invoke the 'Disclaimer Clause’, i.e. ‘The responsibility
for the facts stated or opinions expressed is entirely of the author and not of the
Lok Sabha Secretariat’, and grant permission for the same. In that case,
he/she will supply 10 copies of the publication to the Lok Sabha Secretariat on
complimentary basis.

11. Accommodation
Fellows selected for writing Books will be provided free single room
accommodation in Western Court, New Delhi, subject to availability, for a
maximum period of 30 days in a year and not exceeding 10 days at a stretch. this
facility will not be available to scholars selected for writing Monographs.
12. General

The decision of the Hon’ble Speaker, Lok Sabha, will be final in all matters
relating to the Fellowships.
  12
CONDITIONS

1. That the research project shall be completed and the final manuscript of the
Book/Monograph may be submitted to the Lok Sabha Secretariat within the
stipulated time as mentioned in the Rules and Guidelines.

2. That the quarterly/monthly progress report of the work shall be submitted to
the Lok Sabha Secretariat as scheduled.

3. That non-submission of reports at specified schedules may lead to
suspension/cancellation of the grant without notice.

4. That the Lok Sabha Secretariat has the right to terminate the award at any
time, without intimation, if the progress is found to be unsatisfactory, by any
reasons whatsoever, by the Fellowship Committee.

5. In the event of discontinuation of the project for the above-mentioned reasons
or for any other reason whatsoever (including personal reasons) by the
scholar, he/she will be required to pay back to the Lok Sabha Secretariat the
entire amount already paid to him/her along with applicable interest and shall
also hand over all the data/material collected in connection with the
Fellowship project to the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

6. After the completion of the study, a declaration to the effect that “The project
being basically the work of the author, the Lok Sabha Secretariat is not
responsible for factual errors, inaccuracies and inferences, if any”, shall be
suitably incorporated in the manuscript by the Fellow.

7. The Fellow, who has been granted the research project, would be required to
acknowledge the assistance from the Lok Sabha Secretariat in such terms as
may be specified by the Secretariat under the authority of the Fellowship
Committee.

8. Copyright of the publication shall vest with the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

9. The decision of the Hon’ble Speaker, Lok Sabha, shall be final in all matters.

Signature of the Fellow
Place:
Date: 13
UNDERTAKING

1. I hereby accept the Research Fellowship for writing Book/ Monograph
offered by the Lok Sabha Secretariat amounting to Rs.
_________(Rupees_______________________________________) to be
disbursed in nine installments in case of Research Fellowships/ four to
five installments in case of Monographs on the subject entitled,
“_____________________________________________
________________________________________________________”
and agree to fulfill all the requirements and conditions attached to the
grant and abide by the existing Rules as well as those likely to be framed
in future.

2. I agree to refund the amount of expenditure incurred along with applicable
interest thereon in connection with the above project granted by the Lok
Sabha Secretariat, if the work for which the grant has been awarded is
either not carried out or is discontinued by me or the quarterly/monthly
progress reports submitted by me are not up the satisfaction of the
Fellowship Committee.

3. I will not accept financial assistance from any other source for
undertaking research on the same subject/project.

4. I agree that the Lok Sabha Secretariat has the right to suspend the award if
I violate/modify/ignore any of the conditions attached to it.

5. I do agree that any recovery from me as provided under Para 2 above may
be effected either from me under The Public Debt Act, 1944 (as amended
from time to time) or through my institution at the discretion of the Lok
Sabha Secretariat.


 Signature of the Fellow


 Signature of the Head of the Department/Institution
(Wherever applicable)

Place:
Date:  14


ANNEXURE-I

*APPLICATION FORM FOR GRANT OF LOK SABHA FELLOWSHIPS
FOR WRITING BOOKS/MONOGRAPHS ON PARLIAMENTARY
SUBJECTS








1. Name_________________________________________________________________________
 (In block letters)

2. Parents’ Name ___________________________________________________________________
 (In block letters)

3. Date of Birth ____________________________________________________________________

4. Address for Correspondence ________________________________________________________
 _________________________________________________________________________________
 _________________________________________________________________________________
 Tel.________________Mobile:___________________E-mail_______________________________

5. Permanent Address _______________________________________________________________
 _________________________________________________________________________________
 _________________________________________________________________________________
 Tel.________________Mobile:___________________E-mail_______________________________

6. Institution with which currently working (with address) (wherever applicable)
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Tel.__________________________________Fax_________________________________________

7. Educational Qualifications: (Please specify only three major degrees)
 (Start with the most advanced degree)

Sl. No. Degree/Certificate Institution Year (From - To)









Affix recent
Passport size
Photograph  15




8. Professional Training Experience, if any (Attach a separate sheet, where necessary)

Sl. No. Title Institution Year (From - To)










9. Relevant Research Experience/Publications: (Attach a separate sheet, where necessary)

Sl. No. Title Institution Year (From - To)










10. Publications if any: (Attach a separate sheet, where necessary)
________________________________________________________________________________

11. Experience in the field of Parliamentary Studies, if any (Attach a separate sheet, if necessary)




12. Whether applying for (i) Fellowship for writing Books (2) Fellowship for writing Monographs, or
Both**. Please give names, addresses, phone nos. of three referees who are conversant with
applicant’s research/professional experience.

Research Proposal
 Please attach with this application a Synopsis of the proposed research project in 1000 words.
The research proposal should inter alia cover the following:
• Abstract • Title, Background and Statement of the Research problem • Overview of Literature
• Conceptual Framework • Research Questions/Hypotheses • Coverage of Hypotheses • Sampling •
Methodology • Data Collection • Time Budgeting • Bibliography • Tentative outline of final report.

CERTIFICATE

 I certify that the statements made in this application are true to the best of my knowledge.

Place: Applicant’s Signature ____________________  16

Date:
*The application may be forwarded through the Head of the Department/Organization where the
applicant is working (wherever applicable).
**Separate research proposals should be provided in case application is for both writing Books and
Monographs. However, only one proposal, either for Book or Monograph, will be accepted for grant
of fellowship.