Postgraduates invited to undergo research fellowship: Chezhiaan

CHENNAI: Higher Education Minister Govi Chezhiaan on Monday announced that Tamil Nadu Council of Historical Research has invited post graduate degree students to undergo one-year research fellowship with financial assistance of Rs 50,000 per month to promote historical research.

Accordingly, detailed guidelines were issued in this regard. In a statement, the minister said that applications will be accepted from postgraduate degree holders or individual researchers starting from November 17 and the last date for the submission of the application by online at -- www.tamilnaduarchives.tn.gov.in -- will be on or before November 28 up to 5 pm.

He said the aim of granting a research fellowship is to ensure in-depth and exhaustive research in the archival records, which will bring more authentic information and throw light on the glorious history of Tamil Nadu.

The minister said that ‘Madras Record Office’ was operating in the government archives building since 1909, has been preserving Tamil historical treasures including the first manuscripts from 1633 and the oldest Tamil documents from 1670.

"As part of efforts to revive and promote Tamil historical research, the Tamil Nadu Historical Research Institute, established in 1973, will also be revived with government support and will annually award 10 to 15 research fellowships," he added.

The guidelines further said that the council will offer a maximum of 20 fellowships every year and the areas of research, for which the fellowship is created will be ordinarily confined to the past three centuries of the history of Tamil Nadu.

It further said that the selection of the candidates will be based on the evaluation of the project proposals of the applicants. The council will first determine, based on a candidate's written project, whether they have a clear perception of the problem he/she wishes to study.