The Gandhi Fellowship - Frequently Asked Questions

Below is a list of FAQs to help you answer any questions you have about Gandhi Fellowship.
We have tried to make this list as comprehensive as possible, but it will not be exhaustive!
If your question is not answered here, then please get in touch with us at
gandhifellowship@gmail.com.

Thank you for your interest in the Gandhi Fellowship.

1. What is Gandhi Fellowship?

2. Why is it called Gandhi Fellowship?
3. Isnt a Fellowship an academic scholarship?
4. Is this like any other job?
5. What does the 2-year programme involve?
6. Can I join the Fellowship for just 1 year?
7. What does supporting Headmasters mean?
8. What does causing disproportionate change for the better in society mean?
9. How are Gandhi Fellows supported during their 2 years?
10. What leadership skills do Gandhi Fellows develop?
11. Are Gandhi Fellows expected to enter the development sector after 2 years?
12. How are Fellows helped to start their career after the Gandhi Fellowship?
13. Who established the Gandhi Fellowship?
14. Who funds the Gandhi Fellowship?
15. Who does the Gandhi Fellowship work with?
16. Are Gandhi Fellows paid a salary?
17. What costs are Gandhi Fellows expected to cover?
18. What costs are borne by the organization?
19. Do Gandhi Fellows get holidays?
20. Does the Gandhi Fellowship involve out-station travel?
21. Who should apply to the Gandhi Fellowship?
22. What is the selection process for the Gandhi Fellowship?

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1. What is the Gandhi Fellowship?
The Gandhi Fellowship is an intensive 2-year programme that helps talented young people
develop the leadership skills to cause disproportionate positive change in society. The
Fellowship challenges these young people to support primary school headmasters to turn
around their failing schools, thus improving the quality of education provided in Indias
government schools. By taking on real challenges and solving live problems that exist today in
schools across India, Fellows learn the generic skills that will allow them to lead change on a
wide range of issues in other sectors. In the process Fellows are themselves supported to
discover what they are passionate about, what they want to do with their lives and how to go
about converting their dreams into reality. This intense personal change process is needed for
Fellows to become the nations next generation of leaders.

2. Why is it called the Gandhi Fellowship?

The Gandhi Fellowship is named after Mahatma Gandhi, because he believed that in order to
change the world you first have to change yourself; as he put it, Be the change you wish to see
in the world. This belief is the foundation for the Fellowship. Gandhi Fellows will cause
disproportionate change in society only by first changing and developing themselves during the
2-year programme. In the supportive environment of the Fellowship young people are
encouraged to understand themselves better, recognize and overcome any unhelpful mindsets
or socially conditioning that commonly determines how we live our lives. This is achieved
through a continual cycle of action and reflection undertaken by the Fellows while they go about
their daily activities.

Does be the change you want to see in the world mean be the highest choice and then from
this place, others will be inspired to follow or does it mean, be the highest choice then you can
demand that from others?

3. Isnt a Fellowship an academic scholarship?

Usually, yes. But this Fellowship is different. While Gandhi Fellows are expected to show rigour
and demonstrate analytical skills, they are not scholars. The 2-year programme consists of
hands-on field work undertaken in small government schools, rural villages or slum
communities. There will be case studies, book chapters and articles to read, but not much time
for pondering theory in-between meeting community elders, catching up with Headmasters and
reflecting on the days activities. The Gandhi Fellowships philosophy is that although theory has
value it should not be seen as the only source of knowledge in the world, as is often the case.
Instead theory should be balanced by a process of learning by doing, whereby knowledge is
built up through the process of going out into the world, taking on responsibility, facing
challenges and working for change.

4. Is this like any other job?

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No. And this is not a job in the normal sense of 9 to 5 working. Gandhi Fellows rarely work from
9 to 5, instead putting in 14 hour days when necessary and always being highly flexible about
what they do each day. Although the Fellowship is well structured and Fellows have clearly
defined responsibilities, a degree of uncertainty and instability not found in other roles is
inherent to the 2-year programme. Moreover, while Fellows have a job to do supporting
Headmasters, they are not expected to focus exclusively on that task as they would be in other
organizations. Instead Fellows also have to focus on their own self-development. For most
employers self-development means you become better at your job, but in the Gandhi Fellowship
it means much more. Here the process is about building leaders who can bring about change in
a variety of sectors and in society at large.

5. What does the 2-year programme involve?

The 2 year Gandhi Fellowship are split into 6 trimesters of 4 months each. This structure has
been designed in partnership with specialists in leadership development to create an intense
24-month process, involving:

A 6-week Induction and Field Orientation that exposes Fellows to the new environment
in which they will be working; familiarizes them with the Gandhi Fellow role and
responsibilities; raises key issues in the education sector and wider development field;
introduces the structure and activities of the next 23 months,
A 6-week Learning Quality Induction that introduces Fellows to the concept of learning
quality and how it can be achieved in the classroom. After training from Jodo Gyan,
Fellows take regular classes in primary schools and gain a first hand experience of what
teaching and learning involves,
A Personal Reflection Week once every 3 months, where Fellows are helped to
understand themselves better, clearly articulate their dreams and gain clarity on what
brings meaning to their lives,
A Learning Journey once every 6 months, where Fellows have the opportunity to visit
different organizations and interact with experts who can provide insights into a wide
variety of fields. This helps Fellows broaden their world view, develop more informed
opinions and gain insights to improve their decision-making.

On a weekly basis Fellows support Headmasters, take part in capacity building sessions, read
case studies and articles, and manage to squeeze in some time for fun too. A typical week for
each Gandhi Fellow consists of:

4 days of field work providing support to 8 Headmasters,

1 day of team review and planning,
1 day of capacity building with either working sessions or guest lectures given by
specialists from the corporate, academic or development sectors,
1 day of relaxation, group activities and fun.

6. Can I join the Gandhi Fellowship for just 1 year?

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No. The Gandhi Fellowship is a 2 year process because unwinding your conditioning and
developing effective leadership skills takes time and cant be compressed into 12 months. If you
are considering joining the Fellowship, we would urge you to do so only if you are 100% sure
you can commit to the full 2 years and are very unlikely to drop out prematurely because of
marriage plans, family pressure or the allure of your friends corporate pay packages! Your
commitment to the programme is very important to us and for that reason we dont ask for a
bond to ensure you stay. Instead we trust you to join only if you are fully able to. Of course, if
you do join, we understand that unforeseen circumstances can upset the best laid plans. If you
are forced to leave before the end of the programme for reasons beyond your control you will be
issued with a certificate of attendance to acknowledge your participation up to that point.

7. What does supporting Headmasters mean?

A key aspect of the Gandhi Fellowship is the support Fellows provide to Headmasters of
government primary schools. These Headmasters are themselves undergoing a process of
personal and professional development while being trained in school leadership by Kaivalya
Education Foundation. Over 3 years they are being trained to lead a variety of initiatives in their
schools to improve learning quality, including implementing a project every 3 months to
overcome a specific barrier to improved student learning. The role of the Gandhi Fellow is to
help each of their 8 Headmasters successfully implement these projects and tackle all other
challenges related to improving learning quality in their schools. In particular this means
supporting their capacity building, so that once Fellows have moved on Headmasters are able
to continue to work effectively to improve their schools. This is vital if the impact that Fellows
have in their schools is to last. On any one day it will mean being a resource person, a
facilitator, a change-agent, a co-creator, a mentor or a constant listener!

8. What does causing disproportionate change for the better in society mean?
India is a big country with some big problems that remain unsolved. These exist across the
fields of education, healthcare and livelihoods, and encompass wider issues such as social
justice and individual responsibility. The Gandhi Fellowships philosophy is that only with a new
generation of leaders who are committed and equipped to lead change in a variety of sectors
can we start to find effective and innovative solutions to these problems. The Fellowship exists
to create that new generation of leaders.

9. How are Gandhi Fellows supported during their 2 years?

Gandhi Fellows will find themselves in a supporting environment from the first day of the
Fellowship through to the last. Each Fellow is mentored by one of Kaivalya Education
Foundations Programme Leaders. All the PLs have significant academic and professional
experience, having completed postgraduate studies and worked in a variety of roles in the
corporate, social and education sectors. They share accommodation with the Gandhi Fellows
for much of the 2-year process and are usually on hand to listen, explore problems and give
advice. The PLs facilitate ongoing reflection sessions and the Personal Reflection Week.
Gandhi Fellows are also exposed to a number of external mentors and coaching experts during

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the course of the programme, as well as being able to draw on the experience of previous
batches of Fellows through the alumni network.

Of course this is not an environment which requires Gandhi Fellows to take no responsibility for
their own needs and interests. On the contrary each Fellows development is their own
responsibility as well as the Fellowships, and Fellows have to take the initiative in accessing
and making the best of the people, resources and experiences made available to them.

10. What leadership skills do Gandhi Fellows develop?

Gandhi Fellows are helped to develop the leadership skills they need to cause disproportionate
change for the better in society. Through capacity building sessions and by helping primary
school Headmasters improve the quality of education in their schools, Gandhi Fellows gradually
improve their ability to lead change on any issue. This means developing influencing and
negotiation skills, the capacity for managing stakeholders, creative problem-solving abilities and
execution excellence. As well as acquiring these technical skills, by meeting experts from
various fields Gandhi Fellows gain an understanding of what it takes to bring about change and
the realities of leadership in different sectors.

11. Are Gandhi Fellows expected to enter the development sector after 2 years?
No. During their 2 years each Gandhi Fellow is encouraged and supported to find out what they
as an individual want to do with their lives. At the end of the programme the Fellows have a
clearer understanding of what they are passionate about and are equipped with the skills to start
doing it. This could be in any sector, from the corporate world to government administration, and
in any role, from journalist to policymaker, NGO head or teacher. What is important to the
Fellowship is that each Fellow takes into their future roles what they have learnt and understood
about themselves during their 2 years.

12. How are Fellows helped to start their career after the Gandhi Fellowship?
Gandhi Fellows do not have a guaranteed job at the end of the Fellowship. But the programme
is designed to prepare them for a successful career after their 2 years are up. This means
ongoing help with making contacts in the corporate, education and social sectors, and exposure
to individuals with expertise in these fields. With support from Programme Leaders and external
mentors Fellows weigh up the range of career options open to them and plot their career path.
As the PLs have themselves been through the same process of making career and life choices,
they are able to help Fellows consider the merits of different options and challenge their
assumptions.

Once Fellows leave they also become part of an alumni network that will be mutually supportive
and facilitate collaboration by ex-Fellows for joint ventures and new projects. Moreover, having
interacted with officials at the cluster, block and district levels, or in urban areas, over a period of
2 years, ex-Fellows will have an understanding of government systems valued by employers. At
the end of the programme Fellows are issued with a completion certificate acknowledging their
achievements and the skills they have developed.
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13. Who established the Gandhi Fellowship?
The Gandhi Fellowship is an initiative of Kaivalya Education Foundation (KEF), a not-for-profit
organization that designs and runs innovative leadership development programmes in
partnership with respected organizations from the education and professional development
fields. KEF currently has a formal agreement with the Government of Rajasthan to deliver
leadership training in the Jhunjhunu and Churu districts of the state and is pursuing a similar
agreement with Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. KEF is led by a professional and
experienced management team and given strategic direction by an eminent management
board, whose members are:
Mr Ajay G. Piramal, Chairman of Piramal Healthcare,
Mr Narayanan Vaghul, Chairman of ICICI Bank,
Mr Ujwal Thakar, CEO of GiveIndia.org,
Mr Chittaranjan Kaul, an Education Advisor and previously the Principal of Sahyadri
School in Pune (a unit of Krishnamurti Foundation),
Mr Aditya Natraj, Founder Director of KEF and previously a corporate finance
consultant with KPMG.

14. Who funds the Gandhi Fellowship?

The Gandhi Fellowship is funded by the Ajay G. Piramal Foundation. The Foundation also
supports the Gandhi Fellowship by providing access to the organizational development and
marketing experts that work with Piramal Healthcare and by giving invaluable input on strategic
issues. The Piramal Foundation was established to find replicable solutions to Indias most
pressing development problems. As an organization it believes that challenging talented young
people to address these problems will generate innovative solutions that are relevant, cost-
effective and applicable to the nation at large. The Foundations support for the Gandhi
Fellowship flows from this belief.

15. Who does the Gandhi Fellowship work with?

Four organizations provide direct input to the Gandhi Fellowship: CoCoon Consulting, Indicorps,
Bodh Shiksha Samiti and Jodo Gyan. CoCoon is a specialist in talent development and
leadership building, and developed the Fellowships 24-month process. Indicorps runs a
successful fellowship programme in India for NRIs and has provided the Gandhi Fellowship with
valuable insights on strategy. Bodh is Indias leading alternative education specialist and
supports the Fellowship by training Gandhi Fellows on understanding learning quality and
alternative education. Jodo Gyan is a Maths teaching specialist and provides material and
training on Maths teaching for the Learning Quality Induction.

Gandhi Fellows will interact with at least another three partners: Government, IIM-A and Mercer.
Fellows often communicate with government officials on a daily basis and establish close
contacts with key individuals, such as cluster and block officers. The Ravi J. Matthai Centre for
Educational Innovation at IIM-A has been closely involved in developing KEFs school

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leadership training for Headmasters and Fellows have the opportunity to interact with the
Centres Professors. Mercer has also played an integral part in developing the school leadership
training and Fellows are able to meet with its consultants in the course of the programme.

16. Are Gandhi Fellows paid a salary?

No. Instead, Gandhi Fellows are given a grant of Rs.14,000 a month throughout their 2-years,
from which applicable government taxes are deductable.

17. What costs are Gandhi Fellows expected to cover?

Gandhi Fellows must cover their basic living costs with their grant. These are primarily laundry
and food costs, and any other expenses incurred over and above those covered by the
organization.

18. What costs are borne by the organization?

Water and electricity charges,
Rent,
A cook in each office,
Purchase of motorbikes and public transport for official purposes,
Mobile phone bills up to Rs.600 per month,
Laptop purchase and maintenance (1 between 2 Fellows).

19. Do Gandhi Fellows get holidays?

Yes. Holidays for the entire Fellowship batch are scheduled to fit in with the school calendar.
Thus there is a break of approximately 1 week scheduled to coincide with Diwali and another 1
week break during the school summer holidays. Because almost all activities during the 2-year
programme are group activities Fellows are discouraged from taking breaks apart from those
which are scheduled for the group as a whole. However, sometimes individual Fellows do need
to take extra time off for one reason or another, including for family emergencies. At the
discretion of the PL Team this is allowed for a maximum of 8 days a year. Time-off for non-
emergencies should be planned with the PL Team in advance, in order to minimize the affect of
such breaks on Fellows work.

20. Does the Gandhi Fellowship involve out-station travel?

Yes. Although Gandhi Fellows spend a majority of their time carrying out their responsibilities in-
station, on occasion they will travel out of station, in particular for week-long Learning Journeys
every 6 months. At other times out-of-station travel may be within the state or involve working in
Delhi or Mumbai for short periods.

21. Who should apply to the Gandhi Fellowship?

The Gandhi Fellowship is an intense 24-month process that challenges Fellows to change
themselves in order to develop the capacity to change society for the better. It is a demanding
programme and therefore not suited to everyone. We encourage you to think seriously about

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whether the Gandhi Fellowship is right for you before you apply. In particular you must be able
to commit to the full 2 years of the programme. In order to help you make your decision, the
criteria used to select potential Gandhi Fellows are listed below. The 24-month process will be
right for you if you:

Are self-driven and have intrinsic motivation,

Approach any task with rigour,
Are empathetic in dealings with others,
Can manage stakeholders,
Are solution-oriented,
Are analytical.

22. What is the selection process for the Gandhi Fellowship?

Start by completing the Gandhi Fellowship application form, making sure you answer all
questions as fully as you can,
Take part in a Group Discussion with other applicants.

If you are successful at this stage:

You will be asked to sit for a personal interview with a Kaivalya Education Foundation
Programme Leader.

If you are successful at this stage:

You will be invited to a 2-day selection process that will involve group assessment
exercises.

A final shortlist of candidates will be interviewed by the Director of Kaivalya Education

Foundation and other senior interviewees.