Maharashtra govt approves Rs 37 crore for Dr Ambedkar Chair at London School of Economics

A Chair in the name of Dr B.R. Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution, will be established at the prestigious London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), with the Maharashtra cabinet on Wednesday approving a one-time grant of more than Rs 37 crore. The chair will also administer doctoral scholarships in the name of Ambedkar, according to a statement. The objective is to project Ambedkar's work and ideas on social justice, constitutional democracy, economic equality and human rights to the international stage, and to create a world-class research centre on these themes. The chair will promote interdisciplinary research on topics such as constitution and democracy, social equality, economic democracy and redistribution policies, labour rights and social protection, federalism and public finance, and inclusive governance, according to the statement. The chair will support advanced research in Constitutional studies, social justice, and public policy, conduct annual lecture series, dialogues and academic events, encourage academic publications and research on democratic and inclusive development, and expand academic collaboration between Indian and international research institutions. The government stated that several LSE faculty members already work in fields closely linked to Ambedkar's intellectual legacy, including law, governance, international development, philosophy, economics and public policy. For the first ten years, chair-holders will be selected from among these existing faculty, and in the future, an open, competitive, international selection process will be adopted. The chair is expected to cover departments such as philosophy, sociology, international development, governance and public administration, law, and social policy. ''For the establishment of the chair, the state government has approved a one-time grant of thirty lakh pounds (Rs 37,13,82,300). In collaboration with the LSE, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Research and Training Institute (BARTI), ten doctoral (PhD) fellowships will be launched. The PhD programme will be of four-year duration, with the first fellowship starting in the 2027-28 academic year and the second in 2029-30,'' it said. Applications for these fellowships will be screened by a committee at the LSE. Candidates from the Scheduled Caste categories in Maharashtra will be eligible for these scholarships, provided they clearly indicate their interest in applying under this scheme. Their applications will be forwarded to the relevant LSE departments through the Department of Social Justice and Special Assistance and BARTI, the statement said. In another decision, the cabinet approved a substantial enhancement of the post-class 10 scholarship scheme for Divyang students, providing stronger financial support for their higher education. This is the first significant hike in such scholarships in 12 years and is expected to provide considerable relief to these students, according to the statement. Under the revised ''Post Secondary Education Scholarship Scheme for Divyang Students'', the government will now reimburse the education-related compulsory fees that students pay to universities, institutions and education boards. The expenses to be covered include fees for tuition, registration, admission, sports, uniform, library, magazines, and medical examination charges. A decision to allocate two-and-a-half hectares of land for a new Kendriya Vidyalaya in Nachane in Ratnagiri was also cleared. The cabinet also approved the application of the ''Revised Scheme of Assured Career Progression for Non-Teaching Staff'' in aided Ashram schools run by voluntary organisations, on the pattern of regular government schools. This decision will benefit 7,562 non-teaching staff members working across 556 aided Ashram Schools under the Tribal Development Department.

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