Fellowship Programme

SRUTI’s central focus is the Fellowship Programme; the objective is to provide support to a dedicated individual – or a group of individuals – who have initiated community development work at the grassroots level, in the remotest of locations. However, in the absence of sustained financial support, they are often compelled to revert to their previous occupations or take up part-time work. The SRUTI Fellowship Programme is designed to identify and assist such individuals (known as SRUTI Fellows) and groups (sangathans), so they can continue on their chosen path with reduced concerns about supporting themselves and their families.

The uniqueness of SRUTI’s Fellowship Program is that its outreach is widespread yet deep-rooted, because it works towards social change through individuals and communities directly at the grassroots. The change is therefore organic and relevant to the ground. A consistent endeavour of SRUTI has been to raise independent funds to supplement resources mobilized by the sangathans.

Collective action, led ably by committed individuals who have the expertise to objectively analyze the ground situation and recognize the factors at play, is critical for effective solutions at the grassroots. This importance of collective social action is the crux of the SRUTI Fellowship Programme; at its heart is the idea of ‘People for Change’.

Some key issues dealt with are Ownership of Natural Resources – Jal, Jangal, Zameen; Land and Forest Conservation; Small Holder Agriculture; Right to Food; Right to Work and Livelihood; Panchayati Raj Institution and Governance; Rights to the City; Education; Right to Information; Caste and Gender.

The Fellowship Programme supports individual action and people’s movements; encouraging local leadership and active participation of karyakartas at all levels within the sangathan, to sustainably carry forward relevant social change at the grass root.