The P. A. Sangma Fellowship for Legal and Policy Research is a research fellowship offered by the Government of Meghalaya. The Fellowship aims to provide students with an in-depth understanding of the intricate social and economic challenges faced by Meghalaya, a Sixth Schedule State. Through collaborative analysis of legal and policy frameworks with senior policymakers, the Fellowship seeks to generate innovative interventions that address these challenges.
On April 4, 2022, the Department of Law of the Government of Meghalaya entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Law School of India University, Bangalore (NLSIU). NLSIU is a premier law school in India, established in 1988. The purpose of this MoU is to collaborate on the joint offering of a Fellowship for legal and policy research in Meghalaya. The Fellowship is named in honor of the former Chief Minister of Meghalaya and Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Mr. (L) P. A. Sangma.
The fellowship is established in honor of the former Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Mr. Purno Agitok Sangma.
Mr. Purno Agitok Sangma was born 1 September, 1947 in village Chapahati in West Garo Hills District of Meghalaya. Mr. Sangma was educated at St. Anthony’s College and Dibrugarh University. Prior to his political career, he worked as a lecturer, lawyer, and journalist.
Mr. Sangma served in several important positions in government, including as the Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Cabinet Minister in the Union Government, and Leader of Opposition in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly. As Speaker of the Lok Sabha, he guided the formation of a Standing Joint Parliamentary Committee on Empowerment of Women, and the Joint Parliamentary Committee for considering the Constitution (Eighty-first Amendment) Bill, 1996 which sought to provide 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and in State Legislative Assemblies.
Mr. Sangma passed away on 4 March 2016. He was posthumously awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2017 by the Government of India for his immense contribution to the field of public affairs.
The comprehensive scope of Fellows’ responsibilities encompasses:
Conducting research to identify gaps in state policies and legal frameworks, and proposing policy interventions to address these gaps through consultation with relevant stakeholders.
Conducting primary and/or secondary research to support anticipated or ongoing projects and policies of the state.
Providing research support to officers in their daily operations to enhance the policy framework of the state by identifying areas for improvement, including but not limited to civil laws and procedures, banking and financial laws, information technology and cyber laws, property laws, labor laws, industrial and commercial laws, environmental laws, revenue laws, administration of justice, regulatory compliance, and penal provisions.
Additional advisory support as requested by the Government of Meghalaya on a periodic basis.