The P.A Sangma Fellowship for Legal and Policy Research named after the former chief minister of Meghalaya and speaker of Lok Sabha, Shri. Purno A. Sangma, is a one of a kind fellowship which allows NLSIU graduates to undertake legal and policy research activities in the state of Meghalaya.
The Fellowship aims to provide great learning experience for the qualifying candidates as the transition from the classroom environment to the ground realities of law and policy in implementation, will provide invaluable knowledge to understand the challenges that a sixth Schedule State faces everyday and work on solutions toward the same. The experience of the insider view of governance will allow the fellows to understand the process of achieving social goals.
Likewise, the first cohort was selected from National Law School of India University, Bangalore and the fellowship commenced from 1 st July 2022. Orientation to the first cohort was conducted on 12th July 2022 in the presence of Hon’ble Chief Minister, Shri Conrad Sangma, Hon’ble Law Minister Shri James Sangma, Chief Secretary, R V Suchiang, and Secretary to Law, Shri C.V.D Diengdoh and NLSIU representative Prof Sony Pellissery.
The Hon’ble Chief Minister in his speech said that the concept of having the fellowship and research-based policymaking was something that has been missing for a very long time. He also mentioned that in research-based policymaking there will be a better framework to ensure that the system as a whole works and to do that there is a need to build a capacity for everyone.
The fellowship has made it possible for the research scholars to delve into the governance through various ways which includes undertaking research for identifying gaps in policies and legal frameworks of the state and suggest interventions after assessing relevant stakeholders. Also, providing research support to officers in their day-to-day functioning for strengthening the policy structure of the state by identifying reforms in areas the legal and policy areas and any other advisory support as requested by Government of Meghalaya from time to time.