Vol 3, Issue 1, 2023

COMMUNIQUÉ

Welcome to yet another issue of Communique! The second quarter of the year 2023 was quite eventful for the Bharti Institute of Public Policy, Indian School of Business. We are delighted to share the highlights of this quarter along with the latest developments in our education and training initiatives, research projects, and new collaborations.



HIGHLIGHTS

Bharti Institute Holds its First Governance Summit on “Data and Technology”
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The Bharti Institute of Public Policy, Indian School of Business, held its first Governance Summit—a unique platform that brought a multitude of stakeholders including policymakers, senior functionaries of the state governments of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, central government agencies, thinktanks, NGOs, academicians from various research education institutions, media, etc., under one roof to deliberate upon governance through the lenses of “ Data &Technology”, at the Mohali campus of the Institute.

Dr Aarushi Jain, Policy Director, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, welcomed the delegates and participants to the inaugural plenary session. Dr Vinay Thakur, Managing Director, National Informatics Centre Services Inc, Government of India, delivered the inaugural speech on the theme of Digital India: Data & Governance.

Professor Ashwini Chhatre, Executive Director, Bharti Institute of Public Policy,commenced his address by highlighting the collaboration between the Bharti Institute of Public Policy and the Government of Himachal Pradesh. Dean ISB Madan Pillutla formally welcomed the Chief Minister and focused on the concept of ‘progressive governance’, in his welcome speech. Two roundtable discussions were also organised: Open Data-based Governance Platform and Digital Financial Inclusion. While panellists in the first roundtable deliberated upon how open data can amplify good governance and highlighted the need for platforms and portals to disseminate data to a cross-section of users and use cases. In the second roundtable discussion, the panellists from various social and financial organisations working in the areas of financial inclusion highlighted issues such as the challenges women from low-income groups face in accessing financial services and the need for tailored solutions; the role of digital technologies in expanding financial inclusion and improving access to credit for micro-entrepreneurs besides others. The closing plenary session on ‘Future Tech & Data in Governance’ was moderated by Professor Ashwini Chhatre and had Dr Rohini Srivastava, National Technology Officer, Microsoft India, and Dr R.S Sharma, former CEO, NHA and UIDAI, as panellists.

Professor Ashwini Chhatre extended a vote of thanks to all the guests and dignitaries, for making the Governance Summit a success by bringing all the stakeholders together under one roof and exchanging meaningful ideas for effective governance by leveraging data and technology.

Launch of State Data Portal of Himachal Pradesh: HIM Data portal
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On the occasion, the honourable Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Shri Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, launched the state data portal of Himachal Pradesh-HIM Data Portal, developed by the Bharti Institute of Public Policy, Indian School of Business, in collaboration with the Department of Information Technology, Government of Himachal Pradesh. The data portal will serve as a one-stop platform to provide easy access to more than 200 datasets with all state-specific information available at the highest spatial granularity including block and village-level information.

Launching the HIM Data Portal, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, expressed appreciation for the impactful collaborations between state governments and institutions such as the Indian School of Business. Expressing his thoughts on the theme of Data, Technology and Governance, the Chief Minister highlighted the need to adopt emerging technologies and shared how the government of Himachal Pradesh was using technology to improve the lives of people by way of portals such as the ‘HIM Parivar’, which would provide a special digital identity to the people of the state. Other senior functionaries of the Government of Himachal Pradesh who were present on the occasion include Raghubir Singh Bali, Chairman and Director on the Board of Directors of HP Tourism Development Corporation Ltd. and vice-chairman of the HP Tourism Development Board in the rank of cabinet minister, Dr Abhishek Jain, Secretary to the Chief Minister and Secretary, Information Technology and Education, Pradesh, and Gokul Butail, Advisor, Information Technology.

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Himachal Pradesh CM’s Campus Tour
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Post the launch of the HIM Data portal, the Chief Minister along with other visiting dignitaries went around the ISB campus for a quick tour. On the occasion, the Chief Minister also signed the visitor’s book and planted a sapling to mark the maiden visit.

Public Policy Workshop for Legislators of Meghalaya
  • Bharti Institute of Public Policy organised a three-day policy workshop for the legislators of Meghalaya at the Mohali campus, Indian School of Business. The workshop aimed at strengthening the legislative institution by exploring leadership challenges and solutions for the policymakers, was attended by 28 legislators of Meghalaya, including the Minister of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences. The workshop facilitated Meghalaya legislators with insights into research-oriented policy formulation and implementation through case studies, group assignments and team-building activities. Besides legislators, the workshop also saw the participation of the Meghalaya Institute of Governance officials, senior functionaries of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly, and fellows of the Meghalaya Legislative Research Fellowship.
  • The inaugural session with Dr Aarushi Jain and Professor Anjal Prakash, Associate Professor and Research Director, began with ice-breaking and team-building activities. Other sessions include 'Climate Change and its Effects on India's Northeast' by Professor Anjal Prakash; ‘Inclusive Economic Growth: Public Policy Perspective’ by Professor A K Shiva Kumar; 'Contemporary Context of Leadership', 'Motivation and Sustainable Leadership', 'IROP Impact and Case Studies on Leadership’ by R Rajeshwar Upadhyay, Dean, Academy of Applied Emotional Intelligence (AAEI) and Director at Par Excellence Leadership Solutions Pvt Ltd., and ‘Legislative Governance & Capacity Building’ by Gudey Srinivas, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Government of India.
  • The legislators also had an opportunity to meet and interact with the Hon'ble Governor of Punjab, Shri Banwarilal Purohit at a special high tea organised at his residence.
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  • The cohort of legislators visited Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha in Shimla as part of the excursion in the last leg of the workshop. They interacted with the Speaker of Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, Shri Kuldeep Singh Pathania and MLA from Gagret, Shri Chaitanya Sharma, along with several other key functionaries of the Government of Himachal Pradesh. This workshop was organised in furtherance of Bharti Institute's multi-point collaboration with the Government of Meghalaya. Read more: Public Policy Workshop, Meghalaya
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EDUCATION

Advanced Management Programme in Public Policy

The fourth and final residency of the Advanced Management Programme in Public Policy (AMPPP) for Cohort’ 2023 (Batch 7), was held at the Mohali campus of the Indian School of Business.

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A gala dinner was also organised by the Bharti Institute of Public Policy, for the students of the ‘Advanced Management in Public Policy’ programme at the Indian School of Business, Mohali campus. It was an opportunity for AMPPP Cohort 2023 to spend some light moments, with their batchmates, from their busy course schedule and interact in a more casual setting.

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Expert Sessions during Residency

The residency included three expert talks:

  • Dr Kartik Hegadekatti (IRTS), Deputy Secretary, Department of Personnel Training, Government of India, held a session on the world of ‘blockchain technology’, providing insights about the structure of blockchain, its method of working/functionality and its role in providing one of the few ways of quantum-resistant cryptography.
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  • Dr Abhishek Jain (IAS), Secretary to the Chief Minister and Secretary, Information Technology, Education & Technical Education, Government of Himachal Pradesh, delivered a special lecture on the theme ‘Implementation: The Cornerstone of Public Policy.’ The session delved into numerous factors that can cause even the most effective public policies to fail.
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  • Arun Goyal, Member, Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) and former Principal Secretary, Ministry of Power, Government of India delivered a lecture on the theme of ‘Indian Power Sector: Challenges and Public Policy Implications’ and gave a comprehensive view of the power sector in India, delving into a wide range of topics.
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Capstone Poster Presentation

The Capstone poster presentations, one of the most exciting activities of the Advanced Management Programme in Public Policy (AMPPP), was held during the last leg of the residency. The Cohort’2023 (Batch 7) showcased their Capstone topics as research posters. A three-member jury consisting of Professor O P Agarwal, Professor A K Shiva Kumar, Indian School of Business and D N V Kumara Guru, Senior Director, External Relations, Alumni Engagement, Advancement, M&C, Indian School of Business presided over the session which was moderated by Professor Anjal Prakash. Participants made presentations to all panel members on topics within the scope of policymaking such as Climate Regulation & Decarbonisation Act, the Taxation System in India, and the Analysis of Current Legislations, to name a few. The posters were also displayed during the Governance Summit.

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  • The Cohort 2024(Batch 8) of the flagship programme of the Bharti Institute of Public Policy is all set to be inducted and will commence its first residency in August 2023.

Updates on State Engagements

UPDATES ON EXISTING PROJECTS

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

  • Prof. Ashwini Chhatre, Executive Director, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, Apurva N S Duddu, Research Associate, and Sukanya Chakravorty, Enterprise Lead, attended the IASC Conference 2023 Kenya on the theme of "Commons we want”.
  • Jayanti Buruda, Cluster Coordinator, Malkangiri, and Sandip Chowdhury, Governance Specialist, attended the Asia Regional Learning Exchange on Social Inclusiveness and Youth organised in Bali, Indonesia. The Exchange brought together partners, coalition members and allies in Southeast Asia region, working to strengthen the protection of people's land rights. This was followed by three days of deliberations and breakout sessions in Bali on the topics of land governance, women and youth leadership in land-related struggles.
  • Prof. Anjal Prakash Research Director, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, ISB participated in the ‘National Climate Conclave 2023’, jointly organised by the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change, Government of India and the Department of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow.
  • Bharti Institute of Public Policy, ISB (BIPP) in collaboration with A J K Mass Communication Research Centre (AJKMCRC) at the Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi, organised a weeklong workshop on ‘Initiative on the Forest Economy (IoFE)’ for the MA Development Communication (DC) students. The workshop provided the participants with a detailed background on IoFE and the path taken to design this initiative. The sessions included detailed discussions from historical perspective of the forest economy, Forest Rights Act (FRA), local governance, gender roles, success stories from the communities and ways to tackle potential challenges ahead. The sessions were delivered by prominent figures from the fields of academics, politics, and film activism and leaders from communities including Professor Manoj Kumar Jha, Rajya Sabha MP and Professor at Delhi School of Social Work; Professor Nandini Sundar, Delhi School of Economics; Dr. S.Y. Quraishi, Former Chief Election Commissioner of India; and Amar Kanwar, Filmmaker.
  • Anjal Prakash, Associate Professor and Research Director, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, presented a paper at the ‘Urban Inhabitation in the Anthropocene Conference,’ which took place at the Urban Institute, The University of Sheffield, United Kingdom. Prof Prakash participated in the session titled "The Plural Meanings of Climate Justice.
  • Anjal Prakash participated as the main speaker in the webinar "Decoding IPCC Report for a Climate-Resilient West Bengal" organised by Asar Social Impact Advisors Pvt Ltd. and the Department of Environment, Government of West Bengal.

Policy Outreach

In this episode of Policy Talks (S1, Ep 8), In conversation with Dr Aarushi Jain, Policy Director, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, Dr KP Krishnan, former Secretary to the Government of India, discusses India's public policy landscape. Watch here:

In this episode of Policy Talks (S1, Ep 9), In conversation with Dr Aarushi Jain, Policy Director, Bharti Institute of Public, Dr KP Krishnan, former Secretary, Government of India, highlights the importance of financial reforms in achieving economic empowerment. He also discusses the role of digital financial inclusion, income inequality and critical policy initiatives. Watch here:

In this episode of Policy Talks, (S1, Ep 10) Shipra Singhal and Saubhagya Samal, both participants of the Advanced Management Programme in Public Policy, ISB, dive deep into India's skilling and entrepreneurship landscape. Watch here:

In this episode of Policy Talks (S1, Ep 11), In conversation with Dr Aarushi Jain, Policy Director, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, Aiban Swer of the Meghalaya Institute of Governance talks about Meghalaya’s distinct demography, matrilineal society, and the challenges of applying national policies to this region. Watch here:

In this episode of Policy Talks (S1, Ep 12), In conversation with Dr Aarushi Jain, Policy Director, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, in conversation with Motika Rymbai and Collen Diengdoh, fellows of the Meghalaya Legislative Research Fellowship, shed light on their transformative work in governance reform. Learn how the Meghalaya Institute of Governance and the Legislative Research Fellowship synergise knowledge, technology, and people to enhance governance and policy-making in Meghalaya. Watch here:

Research Publication & Blogs

  • In a paper titled ‘An analysis of intra-SAARC trade relations,’ Nikhat Khalid, Teaching Assisstant-cum-Analyst, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, examines intra-regional trade among SAARC countries through their bilateral trade intensity index, intra-regional trade intensity index and intra-regional trade share.
  • In a paper titled, ‘Financial inclusion helps rural households address climate risk’, Prof. Ashwini Chhatre, author of the study and Executive Director, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, highlights that access to formal financial institutions empowers rural households in vulnerable communities to navigate the challenges posed by climate change.
  • In a paper titled ‘Climate resilience of dry season cereals in India’ Prof. Ashwini Chhatre, co-author of the study and Executive Director, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, states that the traditionally grown Sorghum or Jowar emerges as a game-changer, offering resilience to projected climate changes and requiring significantly less water than Wheat.
  • In a paper titled ‘Wild foods contribute to women’s higher dietary diversity in India’, Prof. Ashwini Chhatre, co-author of the study and Executive Director, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, says that wild foods are known as delicacies that only rich people can afford, truffles and morels being cases in point. But we know very little about how much poor people depend on them, and how critical these wild foods are to the nutrition security of forest-dwelling communities.
  • Bharti Institute of Public Policy has published over 50 research blogs on its platform. These blogs have been contributed by researchers, policymakers, practitioners, research staff of Bharti Institute besides current participants and the alumni of AMPPP.

BHARTI INSTITUTE IN NEWS

  • Bharti Institute held its first Governance Summit and launched the state Data portal of Himachal Pradesh. Read more in The Tribune|The Daily Guardian|The Hindu|Economic Times
  • The Himachal Pradesh government signed an MoU with ISB to integrate data of all government departments under a common platform, “Him Data Portal”. The MoU was signed by IT Secretary Abhishek Jain and Professor Ashwini Chhatre in the presence of Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. Read the news in  PTI| The News Himachal | The Week |  ThePrint
  • Bharti Institute organised a Policy Workshop for 28 legislators of Meghalaya. Read here
  • Bharti Institute signed an MoU with Jamia Milia Islamia to work together to exchange information on research and educational programmes, teaching, learning material and other literature relevant to their educational and research programmes. Read here
  • Bharti Institute jointly organised a workshop with the Ministry of Agriculture for Advancing Agriculture-Nutrition Convergence In India. Read here
  • Bharti Institute signed an MoU with the Government of Odisha to improve nutrition outcomes among low-income households from increased availability, accessibility and affordability of nutrient-dense foods. Read in The New Indian Express|Odisha News Times
Team in News

Prof. Ashwini Chhatre

  • Ashwini Chhatre was part of a study titled- ‘Wild foods contribute to women’s higher dietary diversity in India’. Results of the study revealed that women who consumed wild foods had higher average dietary diversity scores (13% and 9% higher in June and July, respectively) and were more likely to consume nutrient-dense, dark green leafy vegetables than those who did not collect wild foods. Read the news in The Pioneer | Deccan Chronicle | The Hindu |  UNI | Babushahi | Namaste Telangana |
  • In the story ‘Financial inclusion enables rural households to respond better to known climate risks, says ISB study,’ Professor Ashwini Chhatre, Executive Director, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, at the Indian School of Business states that financial inclusion reduces the need for rural households to keep assets in a form that can be liquidated and converted quickly into cash in case of unpredictable climate shocks. Read here in The Hindu
  • In the story titled ‘Access to financial services can help rural India cope with climate risks: Study,’ Professor Ashwini Chhatre, says, “Almost all rural households have limited access to liquidity. The way to improve liquidity is through financial inclusion.” The story in Down to Earth, highlights the study ‘Financial inclusion helps rural households address climate risk’.

Prof. Anjal Prakash

  • Anjal Prakash explores the sensitivity of wheat and sorghum yields to historical temperature changes, their water and climate needs. Read here
  • On the occasion of World Environment Day 2023, Anjal Prakash wrote a thought-provoking opinion piece on India's Pivotal Role In Combating Plastic Pollution India can beat plastic pollution by investing in recycling infrastructure, raising awareness and promoting sustainable practices. Read here
  • Anjal Prakash wrote an opinion piece titled, “A Deep Dive: Uncovering India’s Water Wealth Through First-Ever Census”. Read here
  • Anjal Prakash co-authored a write-up in Forbes on India’s needs to shift towards sustainable energy sources. Read here
  • Anjal Prakash wrote an opinion piece on the occasion of World Earth Day in Times of India. Read here
  • Anjal Prakash wrote an opinion piece titled, “India's Weather Woes: Navigating Through Climate Change and El Niño”. Read here
  • In a story titled, “India braces for hotter days ahead, Anjal Prakash said that with increasing global warming, incidents of heatwaves are expected to increase in the future”. Read the full story in Business Standard
  • Anjal Prakash in an opinion piece underlined that the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) cryosphere, which includes glaciers, snow, and permafrost, is undergoing unprecedented and largely irreversible changes due to climate change. Read his insights in The Quint
  • Anjal Prakash was quoted in a story that talked about how environmental and social experts from across Asia have called on Japan to refrain from contaminating the sea with radioactive wastewater. Read his views and the full story in China Daily
  • Professor Anjal Prakash shared his thoughts at the Delta Summit held in Kolkata. He emphasised the criticality of saving the Sundarbans Delta to safeguard the city from the adverse effects of climate change. Read the full story in The Times of India
  • Anjal Prakash in an opinion piece highlighted that over the years, the Arabian Sea has experienced changes that have impacted the formation and intensity of cyclones in the region. Read his opinion piece in The Quint
  • Anjal Prakash in an opinion piece shared his thoughts on- unlocking the potential of Telangana’s water bodies. Read his opinion piece in The Times of India
  • Anjal Prakash shared his thoughts in a story that discussed how India contributes to climate change, and what may happen by 2030 if appropriate steps are not taken to control climate change. He underlined the need to implement stringent regulations, promote sustainable alternatives, enhance waste management infrastructure, and raise awareness among the population. Read the full story in ABP
  • In an article titled 'Measuring climate change anxiety,' Professor Anjal Prakash, states that developing countries must discuss climate anxiety as they face additional stress factors such as displacement from their homes, loss of livelihoods, and increased conflict over resources. Read more at Nature
  • In an article titled ‘Impact of population growth poses threat to India's water security: Experts,’ Anjal Prakash, stresses that both climate change and population growth pose significant challenges to water resources in India. Read here
  • In an article titled ‘Heatwaves have increased in frequency and intensity in India: Experts,’ Anjal Prakash, states that every fraction of warming has implications for the way seasons are organised. Read here
  • In an article titled ‘5 ways in which climate change affects women's sexual and reproductive health,’ Anjal Prakash, gets quoted, saying that climate change poses significant risks to reproductive health, as extreme weather events, rising temperatures, and changing ecosystems can disrupt access to healthcare, including reproductive services. Read here

Dr Sridhar Kundu

  • In article titled ‘Meghalaya Data Portal: Towards an accelerated and inclusive growth,’ Dr Sridhar Kundu, Senior Research Analyst, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, ISB writes that the Meghalaya Data Portal (MDP) is an effort of the state government to provide a platform for accessing the scattered information available in the public domain in various formats across different sectors of the economy. Read here
  • In article titled ‘Efforts to create an environment of decent job,’ Dr Sridhar Kundu, writes that a regular or salaried job provides a relatively better standard of living than self-employment in both agriculture and non-agriculture sector in rural areas though the difference in average monthly consumption expenditure (MCE) is not significantly large. Read here
  • Sridhar Kundu in an opinion piece in ‘The Financial World’ explained whether the present economic and fiscal position in the state of Punjab can help to eliminate poverty in its every form by 2030. Read here
About Bharti Institute of Public Policy

The Bharti Institute of Public Policy at the Indian School of Business is a policy research education institute. Through its numerous research projects and collaborations, it engages with policy makers by providing them with critical, evidence-based analysis of public policy rooted in data. The institute works on policy challenges across diverse domains, with a special focus on Agriculture & Food, Environment, Education, Financial Policy, Data & Evidence, and Governance.

Call for Working Papers & Research Blogs

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It is for the relentless dedication of our amazing team that Bharti Institute keeps on scaling new heights and flourishing even when times get tough. We thank our researchers, associates, managers, writers, and coordinators for their contributions and noteworthy efforts to Bharti Institute’s innovative programmes, change-oriented collaborations, and dynamic pursuits. Miles to go, together!

Compiled by: Smriti Sharma