MSSRF researcher Dr Vipindas P received Chief Minister’s Nava Kerala Postdoctoral Fellowship 2022-23 constituted by Kerala State Higher Education Council to further the sustainable development plan of the State.
The Government of Kerala has introduced this post-doctoral fellowship scheme to meet the innovation and development needs of the state through promoting quality research across 10 domain subjects. This prestigious fellowship call has received overwhelming response from researchers and out of 341 applications, 68 were selected for sanction.
Dr Vipindas P. received PhD in Sociology from the Department of Rural and Tribal Sociology, Kannur University, in the area of Tribal Livelihoods. The research titled “Changing Human-Wildlife Interface and Food Security Nexus of People in the Western Ghats Region of Wayanad, South India” was sanctioned for 2 years with an earmarked budget of 20 lakhs.
This research will be conducted in the Wayanad district by analysing the impact of changing human-wildlife relation on food security of local communities across different agroecological zones. Dr. V. Shakeela, Director, CAbC MSSRF will be the Mentor for the study.
During the formal awarding ceremony of the fellowship at Mascot Hotel Trivandrum on 21st August 2023, Chief Minister Sri Pinarayi Vijayan stated “Brain drain is the major issue faced by the state, we are failing to retain the best brains here, we are not able to provide research environment and infrastructure similar to that of developed nations. However, efforts like CMNPF is an attempt to tap brain drain and is indented to trigger innovation and development solution through proper research.”
Dr. R Bindhu, Minister of Higher Education and Social justice stated that the Higher Education Department has undergone through very tough procedure for selection of candidates, similar to that of national level premier institutes, therefore, each fellow should feel proud as well as responsible to the noble task entrusted by the state.