The Bhumi Fellowship is a two-year paid program by Bhumi NGO in India. It aims to build young leaders who can improve education in under-resourced schools.
The Bhumi Fellowship 2025-26 is a powerful opportunity for young people between 20 and 30 years who wish to drive positive change in India’s education sector. With a mix of classroom practice, training, leadership development, and financial support, this program helps transform both its fellows and the schools where they work. If you are passionate, ready for challenge, and want to contribute meaningfully to education reform, this fellowship can be your stepping stone. Apply in time, prepare well, and you might become one of the changemakers shaping the future of learning in India.
Announcement & Key Date
- The 2025-26 cohort application is open.
- The upcoming deadline for applications was 2025.
Who Can Apply? (Eligibility)
To be eligible for Bhumi Fellowship 2025-26:
- Age: Between 20 and 30 years old.
- Education: Graduates or final-year students.
- Passionate about education: You must care deeply about improving education in India.
Read More: NFST Fellowship 2025-26: Application, Eligibility & Benefits Explained
What the Fellowship Offers
1. Transformative Training
You get hands-on training in pedagogy, child development, classroom management, and whole-school transformation. Bhumi has designed the curriculum to combine practice and theory.
2. On-the-Job Experience
You work in real government or low-resource schools such as in Chennai, Trichy, and Coimbatore with students, teachers, and school leaders. This gives first-hand exposure to the education ecosystem.
3. Monthly Grant / Stipend
Fellows receive a monthly grant of ₹25,500 during the fellowship.
4. Seed Fund & Startup Support
There is a seed fund offered for fellows who want to start social initiatives or projects in education.
Locations of Fellowship Work
Bhumi Fellowship works in multiple locations in Tamil Nadu, including:
- Chennai
- Coimbatore
- Trichy (Tiruchirappalli)
What Problems Does Bhumi Fellowship Aim to Solve?
- Quality of Education: Though many children are in school, learning outcomes are often low. For example, many students in Grade V struggle with reading texts meant for earlier grades.
- Teacher & School Support: There is need for better teacher training and support, plus enabling resources in schools.
- Systemic Gaps: Challenges include infrastructure, lack of well-structured community involvement, and low teacher well-being. Bhumi’s approach aims to address these via whole-school transformation.
Selection Process
The process to become a Bhumi Fellow has a few stages:
- Application Form – you fill out the form explaining your education, experience, and motivation.
- Telephonic Interview – a 30-minute call to know you better.
- Final Assessment – includes things like group discussion, problem solving, lesson delivery, sometimes a personal interview.
What Leadership & Skills You’ll Gain
As a fellow, you develop a range of skills:
- Classroom teaching: planning, delivering lessons, adapting methods.
- Teacher well-being & development: working with teachers to improve morale, instructional quality.
- Strategic support to school heads and principals.
- Community engagement: involving parents, local community, understanding their role in education.
- Resource enabling: improving materials, infrastructure, tools schools need.
Benefits Of Fellowship
- Career growth: Many fellows move on to work in NGOs, policy, education startups, or school leadership roles.
- Alumni network: You meet others who care about education. This network can help in finding opportunities.
- Personal growth: You learn about yourself, your strengths, handling challenges, and leadership.
Financial Support & Allowances
- The stipend is ₹25,500 per month for the two years.
- The fellowship may include allowances such as rent and travel depending on location. Specifics may vary by fellow and place.
Challenges & Commitment Required
- Full-time commitment for two years. This means you should be ready to engage fully.
- Relocation may be needed if your home isn’t near one of the fellowship locations.
- Hard work: working in low-resource schools can be tough. Expect challenges in infrastructure, administrative support, and sometimes resistance to change. But that is part of what the fellowship aims to transform.
How to Apply
- Go to the official Bhumi Fellowship website.
- Fill out the application with your details, motivation, and experiences.
- Attend the telephonic interview, then the final assessment.
- Make sure you apply before the deadline, which was April 30, 2025 for the 2025-26 cohort.
Why This Fellowship is Special
- It doesn’t just focus on teaching; it works on transforming whole schools. That means thinking about teacher well-being, community, school leaders, and infrastructure.
- It gives young people a chance to make real impact, not just for short projects but over two years.
- The financial support is solid with stipend and seed fund, which allows fellows to focus on the work without worry.
Useful Tips for Applicants
- Write a strong motivation statement: why you care about education, what changes you want to bring.
- Show any experience you have, even volunteering. It helps.
- Be ready for practical tasks: you may need to demonstrate teaching or problem-solving.
- Be honest about your strengths and weaknesses. Authenticity matters.