Applications Closed for 2026
Shortlisted applicants will be invited for the final interview by last week of Feb 2026.
The Inlaks Fellowship For Social Engagement
The Fellowship gives young people the opportunity to build a diverse worldview and establish long-lasting connections to issues of public importance. It encourages them to challenge the status quo while building confidence and security to explore alternatives and make independent choices about their lives.
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The Inlaks Fellows for Social Engagement at the annual fellowship workshop 2025The norm in India is for young graduates to join the workforce immediately, which inhibits sufficient self-exploration and often leaves young people with little space to develop critical thinking and a broader view of the world. This impedes many talented individuals from engaging with society in a meaningful way. The Fellowship creates one such space and possibility for such an engagement.
Application Status
About
The fellowship project pursued may take many forms, including action-oriented research, cause lawyering, grassroots journalism, ecological efforts, community rights, public health, archiving, reviving, or reporting on dying arts, culture, language etc. (Applicants proposing to work on art installations, photo books etc. are not eligible to apply for this fellowship. They are encouraged to apply for the Inlaks Fine Arts Award for which more details can be found HERE).
The fellowship is committed to supporting equality of opportunity, social inclusion, freedom of expression, and respect for individual and constitutional rights.
The fellowship is only to support individual learning and not for any organizational work. In pursuance towards this learning, fellows must attend three workshops hosted by the foundation at regular intervals.
Duration and Value
The Fellowship is for two years, subject to the satisfactory completion of a probation period and a quarterly and annual review of the Fellow’s work. The probation period will be for the first six months of the Fellowship.
Depending on the geographical location of the fellow, the Fellowship stipend* will be as follows:
INR 45,000 per month if the fellow is living and working in a “X” category area.
INR 35,000 per month if the fellow is living and working in a “Y” category area.
INR 25,000 per month if the fellow is living and working in a “Z” category area.
*Please note that the final stipend amount is at the Foundation’s discretion. The definition of the categories is available here.
Eligibility Criteria
The applicant must be an Indian citizen currently residing in India.
The applicant must be born on or after 1st January 1990.
The applicant must be a graduate (hold a Bachelor's degree) from a recognised institute/university in India.
In the absence of a Bachelor's degree, they must carry at least three years of relevant work experience.
Exclusions
Those enrolled in academic studies/PhD for the duration of the fellowship are not eligible to apply.
How To Apply
Click on "Apply Now" at the top of the page that will lead you to the detailed application instructions and the application form.
You may also refer to the video to guide you through the application process.
Contact Us
For any further questions, please reach out to fellowships@inlaksfoundation.org
Please note that we will be unable to respond to individual queries regarding the status of your application.
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