The renowned B-School Indian Institute of Management in Bengaluru (IIM-Bangalore) will impart skills to officials for implementing various government schemes at district, state and national levels, a top official said on Wednesday (9 October).

"We have signed a contract with the Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship to introduce a two-year Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship Programme for skilling the officials to implement the various government schemes," IIM-B Director G Raghuram said in a statement in Bengaluru.

With academic inputs and field experience, the blended programme will enable the fellows train with officials and create a district level skill development ecosystem.

"The programme will identify and train a group of young, committed and dynamic individuals, who will leverage our ecosystem in management, entrepreneurship and public policy," said Raghuram on the occasion.

The programme has been initiated on a pilot basis in 75 districts across Gujarat, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

The programme will also incorporate fresh thinking, execution, community interaction and outcome management through the fellows, who are graduates in the 21-30 years age group.

On completing the two-year programme, the B-School will award a certificate in public policy and management to the fellows.

The programme offers fellows Rs 50,000 stipend in the first year and Rs 60,000 in the second year.

"The fellowship will create a cadre of individuals to train them in a programme that provides academic inputs and field immersion at the district level," said the ministry's secretary KP Krishnan.

The programme was developed under the guidance of Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Mahendra Nath Pandey.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)