Q: What is the timeline for the Programme?

● September 16, 2025 – applications for the fellowship programme open● September 30, 2025 – deadline to apply for the fellowship programme● October 6, 2025 – release of the final results for selected fellows.● October 10, 2025 – launch of the fellowship programme● March – April, 2026 – an in-person conference for 2-3 days will tentatively be held during this period, where fellows will present their capstone projects● April 10, 2026 – Conclusion of the fellowship programme

Q: What are the benefits of participating in this Fellowship Programme?

The NIST Fellowship offers a range of benefits including:● Stipend: A monthly stipend of INR 50,000 to support fellows during the programme.● Mentorship and Guidance: Monthly mentoring calls with experts to fine-tune research and discuss capstone projects.● Access to DAKSH’s Network of Experts: Opportunities to tap into DAKSH’s network for guidance and support.● Training and Skill-Building: Training on data analysis, policy analysis, and report writing to enhance fellows’ skills.● Community Membership: Membership to the DAKSH Community, with priority access to events and networking opportunities for the duration of the Fellowship.● Fully-Funded In-Person Conference: Funding assistance to attend a conference to present your capstone projects and network with leaders and peers in the space.● Opportunity to Produce Actionable Research Outputs: Contribution to actionable research and policy analysis through blogs and podcasts● Publication Opportunity: All the capstone projects would be published by DAKSH in a compendium after the conclusion of the Fellowship Programme. You may also get the opportunity to co-author the abovementioned work with members from the DAKSH team and the expert mentors (depending on the quality of the outputs).● Certificate: A certificate acknowledging participation in the fellowship programme upon successful completion.● Letter of Recommendation: Exceptional fellows may secure a Letter of Recommendation from the DAKSH team and their mentors.● Financial Assistance: Financial assistance to cover certain miscellaneous expenses for carrying out fieldwork.

Q: How to apply?

● Click on the following link – https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdbaNs47-ALo2I40CMhUD0g05jlWZ5rsh6oitmKy-lnlU1bvg/viewform?usp=header● Last date to apply – September 30, 2025.

Question 1

What is the Network for Institutional and Systems Transformation (NIST) Fellowship Programme?

Accepted Answer

The NIST Fellowship is a pioneering initiative designed to nurture the next generation of legal leaders and policymakers and foster a community of practice.

This full-time, hybrid, and funded opportunity empowers researchers to challenge themselves and develop innovative regulatory and policy proposals to transform our public institutions. The programme will give the fellows a chance to join and collaborate with our network and community of like-minded doers. The programme aims to inspire problem solvers to work on solving some of India’s biggest institutional and systems challenges.

Question 2

What is the focus area for the pioneering cohort?

Accepted Answer

DAKSH has over the years done pioneering work on reimagining courts and tribunals. One of our recent focus areas has been commercial tribunals, as part of the ‘Transforming Tribunals’ initiative, where we see them not merely as forums for resolving disputes, but as engines of economic justice and powerful drivers of growth. Delays, uncertainty, and inefficiencies in justice delivery by regulators, commercial tribunals and appellate courts erode investor confidence and affect India’s global competitiveness and overall ease of doing business.

To this end, the inaugural cohort will be focusing on the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT), and the Debt Recovery Appellate Tribunal (DRAT), and the relevant regulators (IBBI, CCI, RoC, NFRA, etc) and appellate courts for these domains. Our ultimate goal is to spark system-level reforms, focusing on both the functioning of tribunals and underlying commercial laws, to ensure that our commercial policy is aligned with the needs of the evolving commercial landscape.

Question 3

What will be the resulting impact from your participation in this Fellowship Programme?

Accepted Answer

The Fellowship will help bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, and help facilitate you to think more deeply about institutional and system level issues plaguing our law and justice system. You will become part of a community of practice that will enable you to work with like-minded peers and experts to drive meaningful and impactful reforms to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of India’s institutions and systems both during and after the Fellowship.

Any institutional and system-level transformation towards improving and strengthening our law and justice system invariably affects our society, public institutions, and economy. Consequently, through this Fellowship, you will get the distinct opportunity to ideate, develop and present proposals that can drive cross-systems impact at the intersection of our society, public institutions and economy, ranging from driving ease of doing business through streamlined legal processes, building investor confidence, driving increased foreign investment and making the judicial system more accessible and sustainable.

Question 4

What are we at DAKSH solving?

Accepted Answer

DAKSH Society (DAKSH) is India’s leading think-tank and research institution focused on law and justice system reforms and access to justice. We are committed to driving meaningful institutional and system transformation to make the judicial system more efficient and effective. To this end, as thought leaders in the space, we have launched this fellowship programme to empower the next generation of legal leaders to transform India&#8217;s commercial justice system through experiential learning, innovative research, and collaborative problem-solving

Question 5

What is the timeline for the Programme?

Accepted Answer

● September 16, 2025 &#8211; applications for the fellowship programme open● September 30, 2025 &#8211; deadline to apply for the fellowship programme● October 6, 2025 &#8211; release of the final results for selected fellows.● October 10, 2025 &#8211; launch of the fellowship programme● March &#8211; April, 2026 &#8211; an in-person conference for 2-3 days will tentatively be held during this period, where fellows will present their capstone projects● April 10, 2026 &#8211; Conclusion of the fellowship programme

Question 6

Who is an NIST fellow?

Accepted Answer

An NIST Fellow is someone who:● Is passionate about driving meaningful institutional and system-level transformation in India&#8217;s judicial system, particularly in the commercial law and policy landscape.● Holds a bachelor&#8217;s degree (preferably in Law, Economics, Public Policy, Data Science) with a maximum of 2 years of post-qualification experience.● Can commit to a full-time engagement of 40 hours/week for the next 6 months, demonstrating dedication and enthusiasm for the fellowship programme.● Has previous experience in academic or policy writing, showcasing their ability to analyse complex issues and develop well-structured arguments.

Question 7

What are the expectations for the fellows?

Accepted Answer

● You will be required to publish at least 6 blogs through the course of the fellowship which will be published on the DAKSH website.

● You will have to attend regular mentoring/check-in calls with the DAKSH team and the mentors.

● You will be working on a dedicated capstone project, which would be in the form of a white paper, report or policy proposal which will be published by DAKSH as part of a compendium.

● You will be required to assist on DAKSH’s ongoing programmes and research projects (this could include developing proposals, concept/background notes for workshops/sessions, and cultivating research collaborations).

● You will be required to mandatorily present your capstone project in a 2-3 day in-person conference that will be held in Bangalore/ Delhi in the last 4 weeks of the fellowship.

● You will maintain a high level of professionalism and ownership in all deliverables and interactions.

● You will proactively and transparently share regular updates and progress reports on your work.

Question 8

What are the benefits of participating in this Fellowship Programme?

Accepted Answer

The NIST Fellowship offers a range of benefits including:

● Stipend: A monthly stipend of INR 50,000 to support fellows during the programme.

● Mentorship and Guidance: Monthly mentoring calls with experts to fine-tune research and discuss capstone projects.

● Access to DAKSH’s Network of Experts: Opportunities to tap into DAKSH’s network for guidance and support.

● Training and Skill-Building: Training on data analysis, policy analysis, and report writing to enhance fellows’ skills.

● Community Membership: Membership to the DAKSH Community, with priority access to events and networking opportunities for the duration of the Fellowship.

● Fully-Funded In-Person Conference: Funding assistance to attend a conference to present your capstone projects and network with leaders and peers in the space.

● Opportunity to Produce Actionable Research Outputs: Contribution to actionable research and policy analysis through blogs and podcasts

● Publication Opportunity: All the capstone projects would be published by DAKSH in a compendium after the conclusion of the Fellowship Programme. You may also get the opportunity to co-author the abovementioned work with members from the DAKSH team and the expert mentors (depending on the quality of the outputs).

● Certificate: A certificate acknowledging participation in the fellowship programme upon successful completion.

● Letter of Recommendation: Exceptional fellows may secure a Letter of Recommendation from the DAKSH team and their mentors.

● Financial Assistance: Financial assistance to cover certain miscellaneous expenses for carrying out fieldwork.

Question 9

How to apply?

Accepted Answer

● Click on the following link &#8211; https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdbaNs47-ALo2I40CMhUD0g05jlWZ5rsh6oitmKy-lnlU1bvg/viewform?usp=header● Last date to apply &#8211; September 30, 2025.