The Prime Minister’s Rural Development Fellows (PMRDFs) was a Fellowship Programme initiated by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), Government of India, in collaboration with State Governments. The scheme was formally launched in September 2011. Its primary purpose was to address the acute scarcity of professional human resources and implementation gaps in backward and underdeveloped regions, specifically the Integrated Action Plan (IAP) districts. The scheme aimed to provide short-term catalytic support to the district administration and simultaneously develop a cadre of committed development leaders.
The mechanism involved deploying young professionals to work closely with the District Collector in IAP districts for a period of two years, which was extendable by one year. Fellows assisted the district administration in improving program delivery, conducting socio-economic analysis, and aiding the implementation of flagship schemes like the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM). The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) served as the knowledge partner, managing the recruitment process and providing academic support. Upon successful completion of the two-year fellowship, a Fellow was required to spend an additional year in public service as a paid employee of the State Rural Livelihood Mission. The scheme was expanded in a second phase launched in November 2013 to include North-Eastern states and offer a Master's degree in rural development practice from TISS. The PMRDF scheme is currently not active.