Sightsavers India recently announced the opening of the application window for the 2025 version of its widely popular India Fellowship Programme aimed at bridging the disparity in access to eye care between rural and urban India. Esteemed 24-month fellowship calls for young ophthalmologists to engage in experiential learning and grassroot delivery of eye care services in underprivileged areas, in turn, reinforcing India’s dedication to equitable and inclusive eye health.

The program comes at a pivotal moment, since India remains afflicted with a severe shortage of trained ophthalmology experts. Although the nation has merely 15 ophthalmologists for every million people in total, their dispersal is miserably uneven: cities have the privilege of one ophthalmologist to treat each 10,000 inhabitants, yet rural areas boast merely one for each 250,000 citizens. This imbalance has dramatic implications for early diagnosis, surgery, and treatment—most notably preventable and curable eye disease such as cataract, a common cause of blindness.

The Sightsavers India Fellowship Programme is particularly designed to not only gain clinical skills but gain long-term leadership in public eye health. Applicants, who will be postgraduate degree- or diploma-holders in the speciality of ophthalmology—MS, DO, or DNB—will begin with a four-month intensive training module in cataract surgery. These initial months will set them up for their next field placements, where the fellows are deployed at high-volume eye-care centers and hospitals in rural and peri-urban areas in eight Indian states, namely Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha.

What sets the Sightsavers Fellowship apart from other clinical training fellowships is its highly immersive, mentor-led program. Following initial training, the fellows undergo district-level rotations under direct supervision by senior mentors. The senior clinicians deliver one-to-one instruction in diagnostic and surgical training, so each fellow is given individual attention and hands-on training tailored to real-world issues.

In addition, the fellowship combines technical training with community service. Fellows actively participate in grass-roots endeavors like door-to-door interviews, eye-care camps, and mobile vision screenings. These tasks not only enhance the availability of care but allow fellows to gain cultural sensitization, public health awareness, and systems-thinking-skills—skills critical to providing eye care in poor, complicated environments.

Along with clinical practice, integrated professional growth is also highlighted through the fellowship. The fellows undergo training in workshops on digital data gathering, impact evaluation, and life skills such as communication, team leadership, stress management, and self-enhancement. The training is designed to enhance the technical as well as emotional skills of the fellows in order to equip them to face the challenges of healthcare provision in rural settings and become change agents in the ophthalmology industry.

RN Mohanty, Chief Executive Officer of Sightsavers India, highlighted the strategic intent behind the programme. “Strengthening human resources remains key to sustaining India’s gains in eye-care access,” he said. “We look forward to nurturing the next generation of ophthalmologists who will deliver quality care where it’s needed most. Through this fellowship, we’re investing not just in doctors, but in future public health leaders.”

Logistically and support-wise, the chosen fellows receive a stipend each month, residential housing within close proximity of the host sites, and ongoing access to professional development resources throughout the two-year program. The support system is designed to eliminate logistical obstacles so the fellows can fully commit to total immersion in their service and learning without being distracted.

Eligibility is available to current and last-year graduates who have finished or are finishing their MS, DO, or DNB in ophthalmology. They should demonstrate not just clinical competency but also strong ethical background, resilience in working under difficult conditions, and unambiguous commitment to serving the underprivileged.

Application deadline for the fellowship batch of 2025 is August 15, 2025. The programme begins in September, giving a chance for young ophthalmologists to actually make a difference on the ground while continuing their career in a positive manner.

Candidates can apply online using the application form available on the specially designed portal: https://indiafellowshipprogram.sightsaversindia.org/. Respecting a tradition of developing competent, community-focused eye care professionals, the Sightsavers India Fellowship remains an exemplar of hope and advancement along the nation’s vision health path.