Takshashila Defence Fellowship
Applications to the 2024 cohort are now open.
As India navigates a complex strategic landscape, it needs a nucleus of exemplary scholars from the profession of arms to provide counsel on pressing questions of national security.
Programme Overview
The Takshashila Defence Fellowship (TDF) is designed to produce forward-looking, timely and relevant research on emerging policy issues related to India’s national security.
The programme is intended to create a network of serving officers of the Armed Forces of India who can offer timely and relevant analysis while maintaining the highest standards of academic excellence and integrity.
Areas of Research
The key areas of research are as follows:
The utility and role of the varied instruments of power in the practice of statecraft in the 21st century.
The nature of war and the character of warfare in the information age.
The impact of advanced military technologies: These include but are not limited to the strategic and diplomatic effects of autonomous and remotely piloted vehicles, artificial intelligence, counter-space capabilities, quantum computing and communications, biological weapons, and nuclear propulsion, all from an Indian national interest perspective.
Issues in the emerging strategic geographies of outer space, the undersea environment, and the polar regions: These will include understanding governance mechanisms for these geographies (treaties and multilateral organisations), analysis of Indian strategic interests, and proposals for increasing Indian capabilities to use these environments effectively.
Leadership and human resources management in the military.
India’s military modernisation including jointness, doctrine, strategy, operations, tactics, organisation and budget.
Indigenous knowledge systems.
Any other issues related to the improvement of military effectiveness.
The Takshashila Defence Fellowship
The Takshashila Defence Fellowship (TDF) 2024 will have vacancies for serving officers from the Armed Forces of India. The fellowship will last a maximum of two years.
Selected officers will spend the entire period of their fellowships at Takshashila Institution. Each fellow will be assigned a mentor who will guide them through their research topic. To conclude their fellowship, officers must satisfactorily complete their research projects as agreed upon with mentors. Fellows will also produce quarterly progress reports for discussion with their mentors.
These research projects include but are not limited to peer-reviewed academic papers, book chapters, and Takshashila research documents.
Who Should Apply
The TDF is only open to serving officers of the Armed Forces of India. Selected officers must obtain study leave (or equivalent) for the entire period of the fellowship.
Officers may apply prior to the sanction of study leave. However, applicants doing so must intimate the fellowship by emailing a copy of the study leave sanction letter here.
Our Process
Applicants must fill up the form linked below. Final selection of the officers and their research topics will be done by a Takshashila Council (TC) that will include relevant domain experts drawn both from within the Takshashila Institution and its extended network. The selection will be finalised after an online interview with the applying officer.
Administration
Office facilities will be provided by Takshashila Institution. All other requirements will be the responsibility of the officer concerned.