Question : RURAL DEVELOPMENT FELLOWS PROGRAMME

(a) whether the Government has announced rural fellowship in collaboration with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences to implement the Prime Minister`s Rural Development Fellows Programme, which aims to support welfare initiatives;

(b) if so, the details and objectives thereof and manner in which it would be useful to the poor people especially belonging to SCs, STs, OBCs and other minority sections in the society in the Twelfth Plan period in each State;and

(c) the funds allocated by the Government for the aforesaid project during the last three years and the current year, year-wise?

MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI JAIRAM RAMESH)

(a): Yes, Sir.

(b): On 13th September, 2011, Hon`ble Union Minister of Rural Development announced a scheme of Rural Development Fellows referred as Prime Minister`s Rural Development Fellows (PMRDFs) for deploying young professionals under the district administration in each of the Integrated Action Plan (IAP) districts spread over the States of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. The main objective of the scheme is to provide an opportunity for capacity building of young professionals who may come forward to work in Left Wing Extremists (LWE) affected areas which have low development indicators and a high proportion of tribal and SC population. In the course of the Fellowship, the PMRD Fellows may be called upon to provide managerial support to the District Administration in the IAP districts and to act as development facilitators particularly in implementation and monitoring of the flagship schemes in the Rural Development Sector.

(c): The funds allocated by the Government for the PMRDF scheme during the financial year 2011-12 and current financial year are as under:

Financial year	Funds allocated under the budget head of `Assistance to CAPART`

2011-12	Rs. 07.50 crores

2012-13	Rs. 23.00 Crores