INTRODUCTION  
 
Post-doctoral research is an important enabling step in grooming young researchers for launching an academic/research career. This is a transition phase from a largely supervisor directed student at doctoral level to an independent researcher for leadership position, particularly in academia. A post-doctoral stint also provides an opportunity to acquire new skills, broaden one's horizon and offers a platform for transiting into crossdisciplinary areas. Experience in other parts of the world has shown that university faculty is best inducted from among candidates who had a year or two of post-doctoral training and is generally considered an essential requirement.

Mentoring for independent research is an indispensable element of post-doctoral training. Top rated institutions in our country which value research also follow this practice but it has not permeated widely. Leading research groups around the world usually have a good mix of post-doctoral fellows and a doctoral student with the former bringing in a level of caught on and is practiced only sporadically in a few selected places. However, in our country post-doctoral research culture has not caught on and is practiced only sporadically in a few selected places. Ironically, Ph.D holders from leading institutions in India, particularly in Humanities and Social Sciences prefer seeking post-doctoral positions overseas. Within the country, a PDF position is mistakenly viewed as a mere parking opportunity while scouting for a regular appointment.

With our higher education system poised for rapid and massive expansion in the years ahead and the establishment of many new Universities and institutions on the anvil, requirement of potential faculty with PDF experience will be very substantial. Thus, a 'home grown' PDF program can be expected to partly redeem the expected short fall in trained faculty required for Higher Education Institutes. It is in this context that UGC initiative to launch a prestigious PDF initiative, named after an illustrious educationist and former President of India (1962-67) is important and timely and fills a widely felt void.
   

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