YIF Expands Class Size to 200; Opens up Option for Master’s Degree

NEW DELHI, March 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Application Deadline for 2015 Extended to March 31, 2014

Buoyed by an overwhelming response to its flagship programme, the Young India Fellowship, Ashoka University recently announced an increase in class size to 200 for the class of 2015-16. Additionally, starting this year, fellows will have the option of staying on for a second year of post-graduate study at Ashoka with full tuition fee waiver. As part of Ashoka University, YIF will transform into a Post-Graduate Diploma in Liberal Studies & Leadership while students opting for the second year will receive a master's degree upon completion of the programme. Last year, YIF had received 3100 applications, an increase of over 82% from the previous year. As the number of applications swell further this year, the deadline for submitting applications has been extended to March 31, 2014 to accommodate the increased demand and requests from remote parts of the country that lack accessibility. The academic year will commence in July 2014.

YIF was created as a prototype of Ashoka University that seeks to address the unmet aspirations of young leaders and create a new benchmark in Indian higher education. As part of a YIF batch, fellows from all over the country study, work and learn with India's best minds, carefully selected for their passion and leadership potential. The outgoing batch of YIF comprised students from backgrounds as diverse as engineering to fashion designing, film to agriculture, medicine to art and law to journalism. The programme offers its fellows full and partial scholarships and is supported by a network of renowned corporate leaders, social activists, researchers and entrepreneurs. The application fee of Rs. 1000 is waived off for applicants requiring financial assistance.

Dr. Pramath Raj Sinha, Dean, YIF said, "The perceived value of a liberal arts education had declined over the years which had compromised the ideal of all-round learning. YIF, and by extension, Ashoka was an attempt to restore balance in the Indian higher education by offering a truly holistic learning experience. Since its inception, offers from institutes such as Oxford and Wharton along with placements at the World Bank, McKinsey, BCG and WWF add development sector/social sector placements as well here from the list sent to you among others have testified the relevance of YIF and the quality of our fellows. We are confident that the larger class size with help give more deserving students access to world-class learning and add to the pool of future leaders."

Over the course of a rigorous one-year module focused at imparting world-class learning opportunities, YIF fellows gain new insights into some of the most complex global challenges and develop a world-view based on a broad set of core disciplines. In addition to academic instruction, fellows are coached in life skills through leadership workshops, writing and communication classes coupled with training in critical thinking and problem-solving. Through custom-designed Experiential Learning Modules (ELM), they practice varied perspectives and skills on live projects cutting across sectors and geographies to solve real problems on the ground.

Anunaya Chaubey, Deputy Dean and Admissions Head said, "After three successful years, we have begun YIF's fourth year on a high. Having offered admission to an eclectic group of 52 high achievers so far for the class of 2015, we are looking to pick up 150 fellows more. One of the big successes for us has been the all-encompassing nature of YIF with applicants from all over India. The deadline extension will help us identify more deserving students and provide an exciting opportunity to a larger group of fellows."

To register online, prospective students can log on to http://www.youngindiafellowship.com/Apply-Now.aspx?4 and can write to [email protected] for any doubt/clarification.

Last date to submit application is March 31, 2014 for the class of 2014-15.

Eligibility for applying to YIF:
• All Indian citizens*
• No more than 28 years of age on 31st May, 2014
• A recognized undergraduate or postgraduate degree

The fellowship promotes diversity and applicants from all areas of specialization are encouraged to apply. While applicants who have been educated in a vernacular language as their medium of instruction are welcome, it is expected that they will be able to converse, read and write in English.

*Applicants holding PIO/OCI cards are also welcome to apply.

About the Young India Fellowship

The Young India Fellowship programme was launched in 2011 by the International Foundation for Research and Education (IFRE) - a not-for-profit (Section 25) company led by a team of like-minded philanthropists with strong academic and professional track records and a commitment toward improving the quality of higher education and research in India. As a precursor to Ashoka University, YIF is a multidisciplinary post-graduate programme which brings together a group of bright young men and women from across the country, trained in a diverse set of disciplines, with the intention of equipping them to become socially committed change agents for the future. 

The YIF has strategic collaborations with University of Pennsylvania's School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS), the University of Michigan, Carleton College and Sciences Po. This has endowed the programme with greater diversity, depth and relevance, facilitating exchange programmes, collaboration on academic projects and a constant flow of distinguished academics between the institutes. From July 2014, YIF will become the flagship programme of Ashoka University and will offer a Post-Graduate Diploma in Liberal Studies & Leadership to the Fellows after graduation.  Fellows will also have the option to convert this diploma into a Master's Degree over an additional year with full tuition fee waiver.

For more information about YIF, visit www.youngindiafellowship.com.

Media Contact : Mr.Shravan Kumar, [email protected], 9958293745, Manager: Marketing and Admissions, Young India Fellowship Programme