Hyderabad: The All India Professionals’ Congress (AIPC) has doubled the Manmohan Singh Fellows intake from 50 to 100 professionals. The second batch will include working professionals from across the country.
The AIPC announced the second batch on Saturday in New Delhi. The announcement coincided with the 94th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.
AIPC Chairman and former MP Madhu Yashki Goud, Rajya Sabha MP Praveen Chakravarty and Hyderabad District Congress Committee President Syed Khalid Saifullah addressed the press conference.
The AIPC said the second batch will build on the first cohort’s experience. Selected professionals will receive intensive training and work with different departments.
They will also gain practical exposure to political and organisational activities. In addition, the programme combines training with assignments instead of classroom sessions alone.
Manmohan Singh Fellows programme expands its pathway
The fellowship began in 2025 with the consent of Dr. Manmohan Singh’s family. The AIPC launched it as a tribute to the former Prime Minister.
According to the AIPC, the programme offers working professionals a structured route into public service and political activity. It targets people who want to understand political work and consider a transition into public life.
The organisation said many professionals interested in public affairs lack a structured route into political organisations. Therefore, the fellowship allows them to contribute their expertise while gaining practical experience.
The first batch comprised 50 professionals from diverse professional and social backgrounds across more than 16 States. During the programme, fellows worked with Communications, Training, Research, Data Analytics, Foreign Affairs and Organisation departments.
The first cohort later completed the programme through a concluding interaction chaired by Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. According to the AIPC, Gandhi interacted with the fellows and suggested expanding the initiative.
Based on that experience, the organisation has now increased the second cohort to 100 professionals. The expansion comes within a year of the fellowship’s launch.
Training and practical assignments
The second batch will work across different departments and functions. Participants will undergo intensive training in political organisation, policy issues, research, communications and public engagement.
They will also work on important assignments. As a result, the AIPC said participants will gain practical experience alongside formal training.
The fellowship aims to bring professionals from different sectors into the political process. It also seeks to create a pool of professionals who can contribute specialised knowledge to political organisation and policymaking.
The first batch attracted more than 1,300 applications before the AIPC selected 50 fellows, according to the Congress. The organisation originally announced 50 positions in April 2025.
At the time, the AIPC described the programme as a bridge for professionals seeking a structured transition into politics. The programme formally commenced later in 2025, with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge welcoming the first cohort.
Manmohan Singh Fellows programme follows AIPC leadership change
Saturday’s announcement followed a recent change in AIPC leadership. Madhu Yashki Goud became AIPC Chairman earlier this month, succeeding Praveen Chakravarty after his election to the Rajya Sabha from Tamil Nadu.
Syed Khalid Saifullah, who heads the Hyderabad DCC, has also been associated with the AIPC and the Congress organisation’s technology and data initiatives. His appointment as Hyderabad DCC President formed part of the Congress’s district-level organisational restructuring in Telangana.
The AIPC said the fellowship seeks to connect professional expertise with political participation. The organisation also said the programme remains anchored in what it described as secular, constitutional and progressive politics.
The AIPC cited Dr. Manmohan Singh’s observation that “politics is an instrument of purposeful social change”. It said the second batch would continue the effort to enable professionals to apply their knowledge and experience in public life.
Applications and further details for the second batch are available through the fellowship portal at mmsfellows.profcongress.in.
