PRS Legislative Research, 3rd Floor, Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, 212, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg, New Delhi – 110002; working with a vision to strengthen India’s democracy by making legislatures more effective and with a mission to make the legislative process better informed, more transparent and participatory; has invited applications for the Legislative Assistants to Members of Parliament (LAMP) Fellowship, that provides a unique and an exciting opportunity for young Indians to learn law-making and public policy. 

LAMP Fellows are mentored by a Member of Parliament (MP) and work full-time with the assigned MP during a given year, for a period of 10-11 months, subject to the Parliamentary calendar, starting from the Monsoon session of Parliament till the end of the Budget session. The primary role of a LAMP Fellow is to provide extensive research support to her/his MP for their parliamentary work. This includes drafting parliamentary questions for the MP, preparing the MP's speeches for zero hour debates, raising matters of public importance, drafting private members' bills etc.

When Parliament is not in session, LAMP Fellows engage with policy makers, experts from various think-tanks, academicians from several leading universities, and leaders from diverse public policy institutions through participation in workshops on important policy and development issues. LAMP Fellows also participate in field visits during the inter-session period for a practical exposure to governance at the ground level.

Role of a LAMP: Fellows will get the opportunity to engage with experts from diverse sectors and understand important policy and development issues of the country. A significant amount of the research a LAMP Fellow will undertake will be Parliament related, such as inputs for bills, parliamentary questions, policy discussions and standing committee meetings. LAMP Fellows are also required to provide background research for the conferences and media events MPs attend in their official capacity. While some MPs may delegate constituency-related work to their LAMP Fellows, taking up such work (including visits to the constituency) is subject to the agreement between the MP and the LAMP Fellow. LAMP Fellows research topics as diverse as defence, food security, environment, economics and foreign affairs. Research tasks may include Legislative research, Data Analysis, Framing parliamentary questions, Background research parliamentary debates, Research for Standing Committee meetings, Drafting Private Member Bills, Media-related work including drafting press releases, preparing interventions for TV appearances, Research for constituency-related issues, Interacting with stakeholders.

LAMP Fellows rarely have a ‘typical’ work day. Requests for research may have varying deadlines - ranging from thirty minutes to a couple of days, depending on the specifications of the MP. When Parliament is in session, the workload is likely to be heavier than the time period between sessions.

Eligibility: Only Indian citizens are eligible for the LAMP Fellowship. LAMP Fellowship is open to those who are 25 years of age or below. Applicant must have at least a Bachelor's degree in any academic discipline. Applicant must have finished Bachelor's degree examinations before the Fellowship begins. 

LAMP Fellows are expected to commit to a full-time engagement with the Fellowship. The Fellows cannot pursue any additional academic or professional assignments during their engagement as a LAMP Fellow. 

The Fellowship starts from the middle of June with a rigorous 1-month long training. The Fellows will be assigned to their respective Member of Parliament during the Monsoon session of Parliament and will continue to work with the MP till the end of the Budget session of the following year.

Application: Applications for LAMP Fellowship 2025-26 can be submitted online at the link provided at https://prsindia.org/ latest by 11.45 pm IST on December 21, 2024. Along with details in the application form, applicants are required to submit two essays. One is a statement of purpose justifying their candidature for the Fellowship. The second is an essay analysing any issue and the related policy implications. 

Those shortlisted based on their application will be required to take a mandatory online evaluation test on 5 January 2025 (Sunday). Candidates who clear the online test will be called for interviews. 

Stipend: LAMP Fellows will receive a stipend of Rs. 23,000/- per month during the course of the Fellowship.

More details are available at https://prsindia.org/