Eligibility and duration: Candidates who have either received a Ph. D degree or submitted their Ph. D thesis are eligible to apply. When selected, those holding the Ph. D degree will be directly awarded the named pdf Those who have submitted their Ph. D thesis may be awarded a `bridging fellowship' (with marginally reduced stipend) until they are formally awarded the Ph. D degree. The fellowship will be awarded on a yearly basis with renewal/termination clause on the basis of pdf mentor/peer group appraisal. However, the maximum duration of the pdf award would be 3 yrs. Candidates should give an undertaking while availing the award, along with the endorsement of the research mentor, that they would stay in place for a minimum of six months. Stipend: The stipend for these awards should be Rs.18.000-22,000 pm with annual increase of Rs.1000 pm. The `bridging fellowship' stipend should be Rs. 16, 000 pm. The pdf award should carry a contingency grant of Rs .50, 000 pa.