– Ronita Torcato

The Maharashtra government will establish a Chair and provide scholarships at the London School of Economics and Political Science in the name of the architect of the Indian Constitution, Bharat Ratna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in this regard will be signed by the Babasaheb Ambedkar Research and Training Institute (BARTI ) and the London School of Economics and Political Science, commonly known as LSE, to implement the scholarship programme.

A sum of £3 million (Rs. 37 crore 13 lakh 82,300 ) has been earmarked to establish the Chair. The first ten scholarships will be funded in a 50:50 ratio between the Maharashtra government, BARTI and LSE.

This was announced at a meeting chaired in Mumbai by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to discuss the establishment of a world-class research centre for the study of social justice, constitutional democracy, economic equality and human rights based on Ambedkar’s ideas.

He said the objectives of the Centre will be to conduct advanced research in constitutional studies, social justice and public policy, to organise an annual lecture series, seminars and educational programs, to promote academic publications and research on democracy and inclusive development, and enhance academic cooperation between researchers from Indian and international institutions.

The London School of Economics is home to a distinguished faculty of law , governance, international development, philosophy, economics and public policy.

For the first ten years, the Chair will be drawn from existing faculty members. Thereafter, recruitment will be through an open international selection process, according to an official  statement.

Possible departments for the Chair include philosophy , sociology , international development , public administration, law and social policy.

As of now, ten PhD scholarships have been approved. The duration of the PhD will be four years. The first scholarship will be started from the academic year 2027-28 and the second scholarship will be started from 2029-30.

Applications received for the scholarships will be scrutinised by a committee from the LSE.

Requisite details of candidates applying through the Maharashtra government’s Department of Social Justice and Special Assistance and the Babasaheb Ambedkar Research and Training Institute will be communicated to the London School of Economics.

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