human resource guidelines for mahatma gandhi national

Human Resource Policy for Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship

(MSDE GoI may modify the HR policy at its sole discretion)

Cohort: 2021-2023

Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India, New Delhi

National Instructional Media Institute, Chennai

Nine Indian Institutes of Management

(IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Jammu, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Lucknow, IIM

Nagpur, IIM Ranchi, IIM Visakhapatnam, IIM Udaipur)

Brief Note: This document is meant to guide Mahatma Gandhi National (MGN) Fellows in the execution of

their day-to-day activities during both Academic Module (AM) as well as during the District Immersion Module

(DI). This will encapsulate the baseline norms for all activities. Any departure from these norms shall require

approval in writing. Human Resource Guidelines for Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship (MSDE GoI may

modify the HR policy at its sole discretion)

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Table of Contents

1. MGN Fellowship Programme: Overview ......................................................................................... 3

1.1 Objective ....................................................................................................................................... 4

1.2 Process ........................................................................................................................................... 4

1.3 Duration ........................................................................................................................................ 5

1.4 Expected Outcomes ...................................................................................................................... 5

2. District allotment for MGN Fellows ................................................................................................... 5

3. Roles and responsibilities of the MGN Fellows ................................................................................. 6

4. Implementation Arrangement ............................................................................................................ 7

5. Joining Formalities & Induction ..................................................................................................... 10

6. Fellowship benefit ............................................................................................................................. 11

7. Stipend and Stipend Release Conditions .......................................................................................... 12

8. Working hours, attendance and leave policy ................................................................................... 12

8.1 Working hours ............................................................................................................................ 12

8.2 Methods for Capturing Attendance ......................................................................................... 13

8.3 Leave Policy ................................................................................................................................ 13

8.3.1 Leave Application Procedure .................................................................................................. 15

8.3.2 Leave Cancellation / Modification .......................................................................................... 15

9. Performance Management System .................................................................................................. 15

10. General Guidelines for Conduct .................................................................................................... 16

10.1 Communication Protocol ......................................................................................................... 17

11. IT policy ........................................................................................................................................... 17

12. Confidentiality Policy ..................................................................................................................... 17

13. Exit/Termination Policy .................................................................................................................. 18

13.1 Leaving the Programme .......................................................................................................... 18

13.2 Timelines to Process Resignation ........................................................................................... 18

13.3 Termination ............................................................................................................................... 19

14. Prohibition of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse: ............................................................................ 20

15. Grievance Redressal Process for Fellows .................................................................................... 201

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1. MGN Fellowship Programme: Overview

Mahatma Gandhi National (MGN) Fellowship is a two-year Certificate in Public Policy and

Management offered by the selected 9 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) viz, IIM

Ahmedabad, IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Visakhapatnam, IIM Udaipur, IIM Nagpur, IIM

Ranchi, IIM Jammu and IIM Bangalore. It is a blended academic Programme with both classroom

exposure to key concepts in public policy and management as well as on-ground practical

experience with the district administration. Each selected MGN Fellow is expected to attend all

classroom sessions conducted by host IIM. At the time of admissions, each candidate has been

tested for language proficiency in the official language of the State they are assigned. Based on the

language proficiency, the MGN Fellows are allotted the State. During the two-year Fellowship the

Fellow will assist in the functioning of the local administration.

MGN Fellows will work with the local district administration, and they will receive a stipend while

they continue to meet their academic and administrative requirements. It is important to understand

that MGN Fellows are not employees, contractual or otherwise, of the Central or State Government

or of the participating IIMs. On satisfactorily meeting all course requirements and completing

responsibilities at the district, the MGN Fellow will be awarded the Certificate in Public Policy

and Management by the host IIM.

The key objective of the MGN Fellowship is to create a cadre of individuals who understand and

can contribute to the creation of a district-level ecosystem to support skill development. This will

help in supporting the district administration to improve skill development Programme delivery as

well as develop a cadre of committed and competent development leaders. During the period of

Fellowship, the Fellows shall undertake a blended academic Programme which shall provide both

academic inputs and field immersion at the district level.

MGNF is a certificate Programme offered by the IIM as an academic partner for the Ministry of

Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE). Fellows are expected to bring in fresh thinking

and inputs at the ground level for local planning, execution, community interaction and outcomes

management. They are expected to enrich the respective State Skill Development Missions

(SSDMs) by supporting the districts in institutionalizing the district skill development planning.

Over a two-year horizon, the MGN Fellows are expected to formulate a district-specific plan that

presents a development strategy and an associated skill development plan to achieve requisite

growth. For catering to the logistics and additional academic requirements in the States, the nodal

agency would be the SSDMs. The SSDMs will be responsible for the management and

coordination of the administrative tasks for the MGNF. It will liaise with the critical departments

at the State level, for the necessary support at the districts and align the line-department staff

towards the goals of the MGNF. A separate implementation partner, National Instructional Media

Institute (NIMI)) will handle the HR including travel and other finances of the Fellows.

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1.1 Objective

MGN Fellowship Programme seeks to respond to the challenge of skill development by:

creating a cadre of committed and competent development leaders with on-the-ground

experience in district administration

identifying district-specific plans for economic growth and framing institutionally linked

district-specific skill development Programmes.

1.2 Process

MGNF Programme will start by the end of October 2021. The Programme will be launched with an

Orientation workshop followed by a 2-week Academic module as a part of Module 1. Table 1

presents a detailed structure of the MGNF Programme over the two-year period. The Programme

has 6 Modules. Modules 1, 2, 3, and 4 have 2-week Academic sessions. When not in Academic

Module, the MGN Fellow would be based at the district headquarters for the District Immersion

Module (DI).

Table 1 Programme Structure

Module Activity Duration Duration

Module 1

Academic Module 1 2 weeks

District Immersion 1 4 months

Module 2



Module 3

Academic Module 3 2 weeks 4 months

District Immersion 3

Module 4



Module 5


Module 6

District Immersion 6

Final Presentation 1 week 4 months

Total Duration 24 months

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1.3 Duration

The duration of the Fellowship is 2 years from the effective IIM launch date which is also

the joining date of the Fellows.

The Fellows shall be required to accept the terms and conditions governing the

Fellowship contract by signing an agreement with host IIM (on behalf of MSDE) and

follow all guidelines during the Fellowship.

1.4 Expected Outcomes

Assist the State Skill Development Missions (SSDMs) and District Skill Committees in

Skill Development Planning.

Improve the skill Programme delivery, monitoring, evaluation, and overall district

development activities.

Develop district-specific economic growth prospects that are anchored in a skill

development strategy for the district to sustainably support economic development.

Create a cadre of capable development facilitators for the country.

2. District allotment for MGN Fellows

i. MGN Fellows shall be allotted districts randomly by IIM Bangalore in consultation with

MSDE at their sole discretion. The allocation of the districts in the respective State shall

not be changed under any circumstance. Fellows must be prepared to work in any district

in their allotted State. In allotting these districts there will be no obligation for IIMB or

MSDE to consult with the MGN Fellows about their choice of district.

ii. All costs related to accommodation except residency during the Academic Module shall be

the Fellow’s own responsibility. The stipend shall be paid only for the number of days

worked as certified by host IIM or the home District Collectorates.

iii. A senior officer of suitable rank will be identified as a mentor to the Fellow to help

understand the local administrative context and assist the Fellow with settling down in the

district. Initial support will be provided to the Fellow in settling down in the district by the

mentor. Details of the mentor in respective Districts will be provided before the end of

Academic Module 1 at host IIM. Fellows are expected to seek necessary guidance from

their respective mentors. However, responsibility of arranging accommodation and other

logistics will be completely on the Fellows.

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3. Roles and responsibilities of the MGN Fellows

The Fellows will work under the close supervision of the Mission Director, State Skill

Development Missions (SSDMs); the District Collector, chairperson of District Skill Committees

(DSCs) and the IIM appointed State Resource Associate who is assigned to oversee the Fellows in

each State. Initially, the Fellows would need to spend time and effort in understanding the skilling

challenges and gaps in the district. The indicative role of Fellows includes the following:

i. Attend each Academic Module and complete all assigned learning activities during

classroom sessions.

ii. Maintain a daily diary, a moment of the week photo log, and a monthly 5000-word essay

on a key activity, institution, or livelihood possibility in the district during the DI.

iii. Work with SSDM and DSC to:

Identify opportunities for implementing skilling initiatives.

Assist in developing district planning framework and address mismatches at the district

level.

Help/advise the DSCs on using the financial resources.

Learn life skills to adjust in a district environment.

Liaison with government departments through SSDMs to develop a plan in sync with

current schemes and the capacity of the government departments to address mismatches.

Coordinate with training partners, NGOs and SHGs in the district to build their capacity.

Facilitate socio-economic and skill gap analysis at district level.

Undertake research and suggest better ways of Programme delivery by the district

administration.

Understand local dynamics and problems and issues related to implementation of skill

development initiatives, and report this (scheme/Programme-wise) analysis/finding on

a periodic basis to the District Collector.

Identify government capacity and schemes that can assist with skills and economic

activities locally.

Identify institutions outside the district ecosystem to assist with bridging local skill

gaps.

Identify and develop markets with locally available opportunities and ways to improve

market linkages.

Identify key district-level players to explore possibilities of expanding economic

activity.

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4. Implementation Arrangement

Clear division of roles and responsibilities (indicative) of various stakeholders in the

implementation of the Programme:

Stakeholder Role Description

MSDE, GoI

MSDE will be the apex body for overall management, facilitation and

engagement with the State Skill Development Missions (Nodal partner

at State level), Partner Academic Institution (IIMs), Implementation

Partner (NIMI), and other stakeholders to oversee the smooth execution

of MGNF Programme.

i. Establish forward and backward linkages between identified

stakeholders.

ii. Formulate and revise guidelines and roles of the MGNF Fellows.

iii. Engage with the State Governments for any matter related to

the Programme.

iv. Liaise with stakeholders and support towards meeting the

objectives of the MGNF Programme.

v. Monitor the performance of the Programme against its

objectives, and the ability of the Fellows to create

developmental impact in the skilling ecosystem.

vi. Provide necessary funding for the implementation of the

Programme.

IIM Bangalore (anchor

Institution for

Common admission

process and

coordination with other

IIMs)

i. Manage Admissions and Selection Process for batch of 600+

Fellows:

a. Build awareness and publicity

b. Develop software portal and solicit applications

c. Devise eligibility criteria

d. Define documents of applicants to be sought

e. Develop selection criteria

f. Develop and implement selection process including

standardized testing and interviews

g. Final selection of candidates

ii. Perform coordination/anchoring with other IIMs for entire batch

of Fellows in MGNF Phase-II:

a. Communicate with other IIMs during the various phases

of the selection process

b. Develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for other

IIMs

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Host IIM The host Indian Institute of Management (IIM) will be the academic

partner for the Fellowship Programme on behalf of the Ministry of

Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Government of

India. A project management unit will be recruited by the IIM

comprising a Programme Manager placed at the IIM and State

Resource Associates (SRAs) who will be placed at the State level to

do the following.

i. Signing contract with the Fellows on behalf of the MSDE, GoI

sharing the soft version of the same during the AM1 with NIMI

for mapping Fellows’ details for release of stipend and other

purposes.

ii. Providing knowledge and advisory support to the Fellows

through the Faculty Panel and State Resource Associate.

iii. Involve in the process of performance appraisal of the Fellows

iv. Arrange logistics during their AM at the IIM campus.

a. Detail design and delivery of Curriculum for Academic

Module (in short, AM)

b. Framework for monitoring and tracking Fellows during

their District Immersion Module (in short, DIM)

c. Integrated participant evaluation framework for the two-

year period.

d. Create an active administrative team with members at

IIM, and in State capitals of the MGNF active States to

capture routine activities of the Fellows and identify the

kind of support that would be most useful to him or her.

Apart from the routine management of the MGNF, this

team will also generate a number of reports to document

the functioning of the Programme that will be shared

with MSDE. It will also work with the MGNF

implementation partner NIMI as it shall have a

significant role when the Fellows are on the field during

DI.

e. Recruit project team to manage DI.

f. Identify Faculty for Fellow’s mentorship.

g. Manage Academic Resource Persons.

h. Identify Resource Persons for on-campus session

i. Comprehensive documentation of the project which

includes processes, best practices, case studies,

suggestions and recommendations, etc.

j. Evaluation of the project.

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NIMI, Chennai

NIMI will handle the HR and other finances of the Fellows for proper

implementation of Fellowship Programme in consultation with MSDE

and academic partner, administer the payments to the Fellows’ basis the

monthly attendance, travel arrangements to the academic institution, and

facilitate the provision of logistical and administrative support and any

other tasks/functions necessary for the implementation of the

Fellowship.

MGNF Counselling Cell shall handle grievances of Fellows and

provide counselling on any issue faced by the Fellows during the

Fellowship.

A Call Centre with a toll-free number shall provide support to the

Fellows.

District Collector

The District Collector is the supervisor of the Fellows in their work to

attain developmental outcomes as envisaged under MGNF during their

district immersion component for two years. The District Collector being

the Chairperson of the District Skill Committee is the nodal person to

reap the benefits of the Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship in the

district skilling ecosystem. The quality of interaction between the Fellow

and the District Collectors in the local ecosystem is of utmost

importance. The Office of District Collector shall: -

i. Provide working space to the Fellow in the Office of the District

Collectorate.

ii. Involve the Fellow in planning, implementation and monitoring

of skill development initiatives in the district.

iii. Look after the well-being of the Fellow and ensure that the

Fellow is provided support to access all necessary resources

including accommodation, transport, security, information,

government functionaries, etc.

iv. Facilitate/mentor the Fellow (by designating an Officer of the

Collectorate for the purpose) in her/his travel for local meetings

and discussions, etc.

v. Hold frequent discussions, at least on a monthly basis and pick

up or reformulate innovative ideas postulated by the Fellow for

skill development planning of the district.

vi. Ensure that the Fellow participates in meetings relevant to

quality and market-relevance of skilling and employment

generation in the Collectorate or at the Subdivision level.

vii. Nominate at least two officials who would validate the

Fellow's attendance and upload the attendance sheet on the

IT portal designed by implementation partner for MGNF by

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the end of every month without fail as the Fellow’s stipend

will be released only after the attendance is uploaded and

emailed to the implementation partner. Ensure marking of

attendance on the MGNF portal on each working day, enable

uploading & submission of Fellow's attendance every month on

time as stipulated in the HR Policy under clause 7.i. viz. last

working day of every month or latest by 12 noon of the first

working day of the next month.

viii. Provide monthly written feedback to the Fellow and counsel

the Fellows in case of any inadequacies or shortcomings. A copy

of the feedback shall be sent to the State Skill Development

Mission and Ministry of Skill Development and

Entrepreneurship.

ix. Make an annual detailed assessment of the Fellow’s work based

on the monthly feedback reports on the MGNF portal and share

the same to Ministry of Skill Development and

Entrepreneurship and Mission Director, State Skill

Development Mission.

District Collectors shall participate along with the respective SSDMS

in the monthly/ fortnightly meetings organized by the respective IIM

with NIMI during DIM to resolve issues and to get status updates.

5. Joining Formalities & Induction

i. All Fellows selected for MGNF in a batch shall join on the day designated in the offer letter

for the inauguration and orientation Programme at the academic institution. Fellows shall

submit a joining letter in the prescribed format.

ii. Fellows shall sign the contract with the academic institution (on behalf of MSDE, GoI)

after reading the terms and conditions on the day of the orientation Programme at host IIM.

iii. The academic institution shall upload the joining letter and contract on the IT portal developed

by NIMI, email it to the designated HR personnel in NIMI.

iv. The orientation Programme will be immediately followed by the Academic Module for 2

weeks which will be followed by the first District Immersion (DI). Hence, Fellows must

reach the academic institution mentioned in the offer letter with all their necessary baggage

as they will not be permitted to leave the programme once they have joined the Fellowship.

v. The first day of orientation will throw light on the process that the Fellowship entails along

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with the timelines. It will also induct the Fellows in the Programme with an overview of

the tasks that they need to accomplish, their roles and responsibilities, etc.

6. Fellowship benefit

i. Stipend and Local Travel: Fellows shall draw a stipend of Rs 50,000 (Rs, 45,000 plus Rs.

5000 towards local travel allowance) per month during the first year of the Fellowship

(subject to regularity in attendance and performance). Fellows shall draw a stipend of Rs

60,000 (Rs, 55,000 plus Rs. 5000 towards local travel allowance) per month during the

second year of the Fellowship (subject to regularity in attendance and performance).

Note: Local travel - Travel to and fro from residence to the office location. The Fellow may

use public transport for local meetings.

ii. Outstation Travel: NIMI will make travel arrangements for the Fellows – academic

institution to the district and district to the academic institution according to the eligibility

of the Fellow as decided by MSDE, GoI. Fellows shall strictly adhere to GFR-compliant

travel guidelines recommended by NIMI and submit original bills with GST/tickets, flight

boarding passes as applicable within the timeframe stipulated by NIMI duly authorized by

SRA/District designated officer in the prescribed format. Submissions beyond the deadline

shall be summarily rejected.

iii. Travel guidelines for travel outside their allotted district: The respective stakeholder

(MSDE, NIMI, host IIM, States) shall reimburse (both TA/DA) to Fellows for meetings

called by them. Fellows are allowed to get reimbursement for public transport for intra-

State travel. In case public transport is not available, reimbursement will be done for non-

AC cab for the journey undertaken by the Fellow.

iv. Accommodation during Academic Module (AM) & District Immersion Module (DI):

Arrangements for stay during the AM, and workshops shall be made by the academic

institution which includes the costs for boarding and lodging. During the DI, the costs shall

be met by the Fellow.

v. Health Insurance: Fellows shall be provided personal health insurance for the period of

Fellowship by the implementation partner.

vi. DA: Fellows shall be paid an amount of Rs 500/ per day during the AMs in the academic

institution as Daily Allowance by the implementation partner.

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7. Stipend and Stipend Release Conditions

i. On the last working day of each month, the attendance shall be uploaded on the website by

the academic institution or District Collectorates as the case may be. In addition, the copy

of the attendance must be emailed to the respective SSDM and the two designated HR

personnel in NIMI on the last working day of the month. In case the academic institution

or the District Collectorates are unable to upload it on the last working day of the month,

it has to be compulsorily uploaded and mailed by 12:00 noon on the first day of the new

month and emailed to the respective SSDM and the two designated HR personnel in NIMI.

ii. NIMI will process the release of stipend for the Fellows ONLY if the above clause is strictly

adhered to by the academic institution and the District Collectorates.

iii. NIMI will release the stipend latest by the 7th of every month @ Rs. 50,000 (Rs 45,000 +

Rs 5,000 (for local travel)) during the first year and @Rs. 60,000 (Rs 55,000 + Rs 5,000

(for local travel)) during the second year of the Fellowship to the MGN Fellows in tune

with the number of working days attended, completion of assigned tasks/duties, etc., as

evinced in the attendance submitted by the academic institution and District Collectorates

and performance reports, uploaded and emailed. In the event of extraordinary situations

where there is a need to counsel the Fellow on regularity or to improve performance, the

issue shall be referred to MSDE.

iv. Filling in details in the Daily Diary and Timesheet on the MGNF portal is mandatory. In

case the details in daily diary and timesheet are not filled consistently for a week, a financial

penalty for Fellows shall be levied in consultation with the host IIM with the necessary

approvals by the competent authority in MSDE. However, filling in Daily Dairy for all

working days during DI is mandatory.

8. Working hours, attendance and leave policy

The Fellows shall strictly follow the below mentioned rules and regulations during their Fellowship.

The Fellow’s working hours will be the working hours followed in the respective District in the

State.

8.1 Working hours

i. Attendance on all days for all AMs in the academic institution is mandatory. Fellows must

attend the DI on all days except for gazetted and public holidays in the respective State in

which the district is situated. Attendance during the AM and DI is essential. Attendance shall

be marked during the AM and submitted to NIMI. During the DIs, the District Collectorates

shall monitor attendance and punctuality and report to NIMI. Discipline, punctuality, and

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attendance submitted by the academic institution and District Collectorates are the basis on

which stipends shall be released by NIMI.

ii. Fellows shall be bound by the respective State’s calendar with respect to the working days.

In case, there is a local holiday declared in the respective district or State and it is

compensated on a public holiday (for example, Saturday), the Fellow is bound by it. The

working hours will be fixed by the respective district collectorate/academic institution

depending on whether it is DI/AM and Fellows always need to strictly follow the working

hours.

iii. Punctual turn out to sessions and attending all sessions is compulsory for the successful

completion of the respective AM and DI to earn the credits for the module(s).

8.2 Methods for Capturing Attendance

An attendance register shall be maintained by the academic institution during the AMs and by

the District Collectorates for the DIs. Fellows need to sign the register in blue or black ink on

all working days in the morning. Not more than 15 minutes’ delay from the start of the working

hours shall be entertained by the controlling authority concerned in the AM and DI. Late coming

shall be marked by the controlling authority in the register in red ink. Marking attendance in the

MGNF IT Portal during AM & DI is mandatory.

8.3 Leave Policy

For AMs

i. Attending all AM sessions is mandatory. Fellows are not eligible for leaves during AMs.

For DIs

i. Types of Leave and Leave Rules: MGN Fellows are eligible for a maximum leave of 10

days per academic year (includes casual leave of maximum 8 days and 2 days of restricted

holidays per academic year (not exceeding 2 days of CL per DI). The leave will not be

carried forward next year.

ii. The Fellows may avail unpaid leave (i.e. days for which stipend shall not be paid) which

is restricted to 2 days per DI. It means that the Fellow is entitled to maximum 8 days of

unpaid leave during the two-year period.

iii. A woman Fellow shall be entitled 12 weeks (3 months) of unpaid leave on maternity

grounds. The tenure of Fellowship may not be increased for those Fellows by the duration

for which they remain on unpaid leave as MGNF is a two-year Programme akin to any

academic course and is offered in specific States in pre-defined timeslots and duration with

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the active engagement of SSDMs and DSCs. The Fellowship is a tightly packed one and

the absence of Fellows for days more than permitted may affect the outcomes of the

Fellowship. Hence, exceeding the permitted number of days in the prescribed timeframes

shall not be entertained at any cost.

iv. All leave shall be sanctioned and reported by the academic institution or District

Collectorates during the AM and DI respectively.

v. In extraordinary cases where a Fellow is sick with a contagious or serious illness, the

Fellow must apply for medical leave with a proper medical certificate issued by a

competent authority. While the leave may be approved by the academic institution or the

District Collectorates, it will be unpaid leave and no stipend shall be paid for the days of

absence from the AM and DI. Exceptional cases, where such ‘serious illness’ period

extends more than 30 days, the matter would be raised to MSDE, GoI for decision on the

continuation of the Fellow in the MGNF Programme. Fellows may take good care of their

health to prevent serious illnesses as all days of the AM and DI are very important and

absence may not help to get the desired outcomes. If it is prolonged sick leave, the final

decisions in such scenarios will be taken by the MSDE, Government of India.

vi. In the event of an unexpected incident happening in the immediate family, viz., death of an

immediate family member, the Fellow may avail unpaid leave. Travel costs to hometown

and back to AM or DI as applicable during such times shall be borne by the Fellow ONLY.

Such travel must be undertaken after being approved by the academic institution or District

Collectorates through a formal leave application with proper reasons which will be

uploaded on the website, emailed to the respective SSDM and the two designated HR

personnel in NIMI. On return, the approved joining letter must be uploaded on the website,

emailed to the respective SSDM and the two designated HR personnel in NIMI.

vii. In extraordinary cases, if the Fellow meets with an accident, unpaid leave with proper

approval and relevant medical certificate from the competent authority must be uploaded

on the website, emailed to the respective SSDM and the two designated HR personnel in

NIMI. Such leave shall also be unpaid. Fellows may take good care of themselves and

avoid accidents and injuries during the Fellowship.

viii. NIMI should manage cases wherein the Fellow has taken leave/or is absent for less than 30

days. For exceptional cases, where the Fellow is on leave/absent for more than 30 days,

MSDE will take the final decision.

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8.3.1 Leave Application Procedure

i. Leave application during the AM shall be submitted to the academic institution or District

Collectorates during the DI who will, in turn, upload it on the designated IT portal and

email the same to the two designated HR personnel in NIMI and respective SSDM.

ii. If the leave is taken while in the academic institution, the approved letter may be uploaded

and then mailed to the two designated HR personnel in NIMI and two designated personnel

in the District Collectorates.

iii. If the leave is taken while in the districts, the approved letter must be uploaded, then

emailed to the designated personnel in the academic institution, SSDM, and the two

designated HR personnel in NIMI.

8.3.2 Leave Cancellation / Modification

i. Leave cancellation or modification shall be submitted to the academic institution during

the AM or District Collectorates during the DI who will, in turn, upload it on the IT portal

developed by NIMI and email the same to the two designated HR personnel in NIMI and

respective SSDM.

ii. If the leave is applied and canceled/modified while in the academic institution, the

approved letter may be uploaded and then mailed to the two designated HR personnel in

NIMI and two designated personnel in the District Collectorates.

iii. If the leave is applied and canceled/modified while in the districts, the approved letter must

be uploaded, then emailed to the designated personnel in the academic institution, SSDM,

and the two designated HR personnel in NIMI.

9 Performance Management System

i. Work Reporting: Fellows shall report to designated personnel during the AM in the

academic institution and be in touch with them during the DI too through email/phone/tasks

assigned to be done in the DI by the academic institution. While in the districts, the Fellows

will report to the District Collector primarily. The DC may allocate one designated official

(mentor) of the district administration for monitoring the daily activities of the Fellow.

ii. Performance Management and Rating: Fellows shall be assessed/evaluated by the

academic institution and their performance shall be closely monitored. The credits that the

Fellow shall have to earn for the modules designed by the academic institution during the

AM and DI will depend on their successful and effective accomplishment of tasks assigned

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to them. Timely completion of the tasks, attendance, punctuality, proper behavior and

quality of the performance shall be equally important. Hence, Fellows shall follow all

guidelines and demonstrate qualitative performance in adherence to the rules and

regulations. Important inputs from the District Collector shall be received regarding the

performance of the Fellows within the district on a quarterly basis and shared with the

Project Management Team at host IIM. The SRA, host IIM will consolidate the report and

send it to the Project Management Team at the host IIM.

iii. Managing Unsatisfactory Work Performance: Absenteeism, irresponsible behavior, late

coming, delay in completion of tasks assigned shall be closely monitored. Strict warning

and action shall follow by IIMs if a violation of the rules and regulations are identified

during the Fellowship.

10 General Guidelines for Conduct

i. MGN Fellows shall strictly adhere to the rules and regulations laid down by the academic

institution and district administration. Fellows shall be disciplined and regular in

discharging the duties and tasks assigned to them during both the Academic and District

Immersion Modules. Fellows shall follow a formal dress code and ensure that they respect

and follow hierarchy. Fellows shall adopt secular values, be sensitive to gender issues and

work effectively in teams both during the AM and DI. Fellows shall ensure to maintain

harmony to uphold secular values and behavior during the entire period of the Fellowship.

ii. Classification of Offenses: Fellows shall ensure to abstain from all kinds of discrimination

like that of caste, class, creed, religion, gender, sexual preference, etc. Fellows shall adhere

to rules prescribed by the academic institution during the AM and by the respective State

and district administration during the DI. Fellows shall abstain from harassment, ragging,

sexual discrimination, and sexual harassment. Anti-ragging rules and Prevention of Sexual

Harassment (POSH) related policies must be strictly followed.

iii. Offenses Related to Indiscipline or disorderly behavior: All kinds of offenses related to

indiscipline, irregularity during the AM and DI, coming late, availing leave without notice,

disorderly/disrespectful behavior, violation of prescribed rules, ragging, misbehaving with

women and harassment of any kind including sexual harassment of women shall be very

severely dealt with. Fellows are expected to behave properly, attend academic sessions and

perform tasks during DI as laid down in the module regulations.

iv. Classification of Penalties: Fellows are bound by the laws prescribed by the MGN

Fellowship Programme (HR Policy), academic institution’s rules, regulations and policies,

laws of the respective State in which the Fellow is placed.

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10.1 Communication Protocol

i. All Fellows must use SANKALP MGNF Portal for their grievance redressal

(Refer 15). All academic issues should be directed to host IIM, all HR related or

logistics issues should be directed to NIMI. The system will forward mails to host IIM

in case of Academic issues. For any issues beyond the scope of the Portal, MGNF should

direct those to the respective SRA.

ii. All SRAs should direct administrative or logistics issue directly to NIMI and any

Academic issue related to MGNF Fellows should be directed to host IIM only.

iii. All issues that are directed to NIMI by the SRAs should be resolved within NIMI

and all academic issues should be resolved within IIM.

iv. Only queries/issues that are not resolved by NIMI and IIM within a reasonable

time, may be referred to SANKALP, MSDE.

11 IT policy

i. Fellows shall be bringing their own laptop for use during the Fellowship. An allowance of

Rs 600/- per month shall be paid along with the stipend.

ii. Fellows are expected .to be responsible for the safety and safe handling of their laptop.

iii. The laptop shall be used with a secure login and password as the Fellows shall be dealing

with confidential information during the Fellowship. The use and access to IT services and

databases during the AM shall be subject to the host IIMs policies.

iv. Allowance for internet data at Rs 350/month shall be paid to the Fellow along with the

stipend.

12 Confidentiality Policy

The Fellows shall maintain confidentially with respect to all information and refrain from sharing

data and information with anyone. Information security is the responsibility of the Fellows. Hence,

sharing of confidential information or data in social media in the form of Facebook posts, through

emails, tweets on Twitter, posts on Instagram and the like is strictly prohibited. In the eventuality

of any Data being shared or misused by any of the Fellow, the same shall constitute a violation of

the terms of the Fellowship and an offense under the relevant laws including the penal laws.

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13 Exit/Termination Policy

13.1 Leaving the Programme

i. Fellows cannot leave the Fellowship midway. Fellows must complete the Fellowship of

two-year duration to qualify for the award of Certificate in Public Policy and Management

from the academic institution.

ii. Fellows are not permitted to enroll for master’s Programmes abroad or anywhere in India

for the two years of Fellowship which is on a contract agreement by the Fellow.

iii. In case the Fellow intends to leave the Fellowship, it must be brought to the notice of the

designated personnel in the academic institution during the AM or the two designated

personnel in the District Collectorates during the DI. The notice period shall be ONE

MONTH. The designated personnel in the academic institution or the District Collectorates

and SRA must bring it to the attention of the respective SSDM and the two designated HR

personnel in NIMI immediately (on the same day). The report shall be uploaded on the

website and emailed to the respective SSDM, the two HR personnel in NIMI and shared

with MSDE.

iv. If MSDE accepts the Fellow’s intent to leave the Fellowship and the Fellow serves a one-

month notice period, 50% of the stipend given to the Fellow till the date of getting relieved

will be recovered from the Fellow. Any resource provided to the Fellow like ID cards must

be returned. Fellow shall be relieved only after issuance of the No Dues Certificate by the

Academic Institution, District Collector and the SSDM.

v. In case the Fellow wants to get relieved immediately without one-month notice, subject to

MSDE accepting the Fellow’s intent to leave the Fellowship, 50% of the stipend given to

the Fellow till the date of getting relieved will be recovered from the Fellow. Any resource

provided to the Fellow like ID cards must be returned. Fellow shall be relieved only after

issuance of the No Dues Certificate by the Academic Institution, District Collector and the

SSDM.

13.2 Timelines to Process Resignation

Once IIM approves the resignation, NIMI should directly process such requests within 30 days of

resignation. Additionally, in case IIM doesn’t approve the resignation request within 7 days, it

shall be deemed to be approved. NIMI should send the notice to the Fellows immediately post

resignation.

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13.3 Termination

i. If a Fellow is found violating the rules and regulations, the Fellow shall be terminated from

the Fellowship Programme immediately. Any resource provided to the Fellow like ID cards

must be returned. Fellow shall be relieved only after issuance of the No Dues Certificate by

the Academic Institution, District Collector and the SSDM.

ii. In the event of the Fellow’s death during the Fellowship, it will be communicated to the

respective SSDM, designated personnel in the District Collectorates, academic institution,

and NIMI. The Fellow’s body will be handed over to his/her family after appropriate

measures are taken – police compliant by the respective HR personnel in the academic

institution or the RA and the District Collectorates, post-mortem, ascertaining the cause of

the death, etc.

The Fellowship of the deceased Fellow will be terminated and any resource provided to

the Fellow like ID card will be taken back before handing over the belongings of the Fellow

to the family members. The deceased’s body and belongings shall be handed over to the

immediate family members ONLY after taking a copy of the death report given after the

post mortem which shall be uploaded on the website, emailed to the academic institution,

respective SSDM, and designated HR personnel in NIMI.

iii. In the event of the Fellow disappearing without notice, legal action will be taken on the

Fellow. The local police station may be informed by the respective HR personnel

depending on the disappearance of the Fellow during the AM or DI to ascertain whether

the Fellow went missing voluntarily or was abducted/kidnapped.

The Fellow shall have to return the ID card and other resources if the Fellow has

disappeared voluntarily. The designated personnel in the academic institution and District

Collectorates shall inform the designated HR personnel in NIMI and the SSDM. The

Fellow’s family will be contacted for further action. The Fellowship shall be terminated by

MSDE.

iv. Depending on the reason for the termination, the Fellow shall face disciplinary action if

he/she does not cooperate during the termination. For example, if the Fellow is terminated

for misbehaving with or harassing women, the disciplinary action taken will be relevant and

in accordance to the POSH policy. The matter shall be referred to MSDE, GoI for further

action.

v. The host IIM reserves all the rights to terminate the Fellowship at any point of time without

giving any prior notice on the basis of Fellow’s performance that cannot be remedied or due

to any violation of applicable policies and codes of conduct at the host IIM during the AM

or due to any other unforeseen circumstances.

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vi. If for whatever reason the Fellow does not complete the tenure of the Programme, he/she

shall not be issued any certification.

vii. These conditions may be waived off by MSDE, GoI under exceptional circumstances.

14. Prohibition of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse:

14.1 In the performance of the Contract, the Fellow shall comply with the "Sexual Harassment of

Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013". The Fellow acknowledges

and agrees that any breach of any of the provisions hereof shall constitute a breach of an essential term

of the Contract, and, in addition to any other legal rights or remedies available to any person, shall give

rise to grounds for termination of the Contract. In addition, nothing herein shall limit the right of MSDE

to refer any alleged breach of the foregoing standards of conduct to the relevant national authorities for

appropriate legal action.

14.2 Any cases of sexual harassment related issues raised by the Fellow will be addressed by

Grievance Redressal Committee constituted by NIMI/MSDE and decision will be made in compliance

to the guidelines issued by the Honourable Supreme Court of India read with the scheme of the Act and

the Rules of Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) at Workplace for the women Fellows.

14.3 In circumstances where the victim has a reasonable apprehension in relation to his/her

employment where the working conditions are unsuitable, the Fellow shall make an application to the

Host IIM with the copy of the same to the District Collector. The Fellow shall follow the Grievance

Redressal Process as mentioned in section 15.

15. Grievance Redressal Process for Fellows

i. Any grievance reported by the Fellow should be resolved within 30 days.

ii. In circumstances of any grievance faced by the Fellow, it should be reported to the Mentor

immediately.

iii. In case the issue is not resolved by the Mentor within 3 days, the same should be reported to the

District Collector which requires to be addressed within next 5 days.

iv. In circumstances where the grievance is not resolved by District Collector within the stipulated

time specified above, the same will be taken up by the SRA (Host IIM), will be required to be

resolved within next 3 days.

v. If the grievance is still not resolved by the SRA (Host IIM), same shall be reported to the Mission

Director, SSDM for addressal within next 7 days and in case of failure to address the grievance,

it shall be reported to Host IIM to be addressed within next 5 days.

vi. In case the issue is not resolved by host IIM within 5 days, it shall be reported to NIMI for

addressing within next 7 days.

vii. In situations where the issue is not resolved by any of the stakeholders mentioned above. For

unresolved cases, NIMI should write to MSDE for necessary action.

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Grievance Redressal Process:

Mentor

District Collector

SRA (Host IIM)

Mission Director (State)

Host IIM

NIMI

NIMI to send letter to MSDE for special cases

Fellow

human resource guidelines for mahatma gandhi national

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