Bharti Institute of Public Policy is delighted to share with you the latest developments in its education, training and research programmes, and the new collaborative undertakings by the Institute during the first quarter of the year 2022. All this, amid some special high-profile engagements and promising initiatives to set the tone for the year!
Highlights of the Quarter
Bharti Institute - Fletcher School renew partnership on Public Policy
Prof Madan Pillutla, Dean, Indian School of Business, and Ms Rachel Kyte, Dean, The Fletcher School, exchange the agreement of cooperation in the presence of Mr Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Chairperson, Advisory Council, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, and Mr Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary, Departments of Industries and Commerce, and Information Technology, Government of Telangana, at ISB Campus, Hyderabad.
Bharti Institute of Public Policy has renewed its partnership with The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, situated in Medford, Massachusetts, USA. Professor Madan Pillutla, Dean, Indian School of Business, and Rachel Kyte, Dean, The Fletcher School, exchanged the agreement of cooperation on April 12 at ISB campus, Hyderabad, in the presence of Mr Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Chairperson, Advisory Council, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, and Mr Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary of the Industries & Commerce (I&C) and Information Technology (IT) Departments, Government of Telangana. Through the five-year renewed agreement, the institutions will continue to build upon their collaboration on public policy, till year 2027.
The cooperation is aimed at promoting interest in the teaching and research activities of the respective institutions; to deepen understanding at each institution of the economic, cultural and social issues relating to its counterpart; and to impact and impart knowledge and training on public policy to the private sector, non-profit sector, government, and civil society. The potential activities to meet these goals include the exchange of faculty and students; organisation of joint conferences and public events; creation and delivery of training programmes, and the pursuit of joint research by faculty and students at both institutions.
“The Fletcher School’s partnership with the Bharti Institute of Public Policy at the Indian School of Business is among Fletcher’s oldest and most important connections to India. I look forward to Bharti and Fletcher expanding its cooperative programming at a time when India is vital to creating solutions that address many of the world’s most pressing problems,” said Dean Rachel Kyte. Read more about the renewed collaboration here.
Dr Suman Bery is new Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog
Bharti Institute of Public Policy congratulates Dr Suman Bery on being appointed as the Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog, New Delhi. Dr Bery’s valuable insights as Member, Advisory Council, Bharti Institute, have always been a guiding light for the Institute’s journey. His worthy leadership, at the helm of national policy planning, will immensely benefit the nation, and as a public policy institute, this is a matter of great pride for us. Team Bharti Institute wishes him success for the new assignment!
EDUCATION
Advanced Management Programme in Public Policy
The third residency of the Cohort 22 of the Advanced Management Programme in Public Policy was conducted from 3rd March to 13th March, at Chandigarh. Seven courses covering various aspects of public policy, including Design and Implementation of India’s Foreign Policy; Big Data for Public Policy; Indian Economic Transformation; Theory and Practice of Negotiation; Technology and Society, Communication Skills and Writing Case Studies, were covered in this term. The residency concluded with a gala dinner evening which saw participants transcending beyond the usual routine of lectures and classroom discussions, and indulging in cultural activities and light conversations, at the residency venue.
Visit to Census Gallery and Information Kiosk, Chandigarh
Participants visited the Census Gallery and Information Kiosk at the Directorate of Census Operations, Punjab and Chandigarh. The first-of-its-kind gallery in India highlights the processes and methodologies of census activity, maps and diverse census data; displays information about Census 2021 (the first digital census of India), and houses vintage census mapping instruments, rare books and stamps. The participants were taken through the gallery and also informed about digital resources relating to census data, along with a formal presentation by Dr Abhishek Jain, Director, Census Operations, Punjab, creator of the gallery and also a student of the AMPPP Cohort 22.
Residency Expert Talk
The expert session in progress during the residency, at Chandigarh
Mr Ravi Capoor, CEO, Sansad TV, and Former Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, delivered a guest lecture on issues and challenges faced by the country during its journey to become self-sufficient in the production of personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, in the unusual times of the pandemic. He explained how a rigorous and multi-fold collaboration between the small-scale industry throughout the country and various government departments, coordinated by the Ministry, helped manage the unprecedented crisis, and made the country fulfil the extraordinary demand for PPE kits. Documenting the operation, the Institute has also developed a case study on PPE distribution and manufacturing (details under ‘Case Study’ section).
POLICY WALK
The Policy Walk was conducted for the Cohort 22 of the Advanced Management Programme in Public Policy from 14th March to 17th March, at New Delhi. The three-day trail through high-profile corridors of the Capital hosted a multitude of interactions with practitioners, formulators, and influencers of public policy. The participants got an opportunity to interact with Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu, the Hon’ble Vice President of India, who shared important policy concerns with them, followed by modest interactions over tea at the Vice President House, New Delhi! In addition to a special panel discussion-cum-dinner session (see details in the following section), participants also had in-depth interactions with:
- Dr Praveen Gedam, IAS, Additional CEO, National Health Authority (NHA) and MD, National Digital Health Mission (NDHM);
- Mr Dammu Ravi, Secretary, Economic Relations, Ministry of External Affairs, India, who also hosted a special lunch for the cohort at MEA Headquarters;
- Ambassador Naor Gilon, Ambassador of Israel to India;
- Dr Bibek Debroy, Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India;
- Mr V Srinivas, IAS, Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, Ministry of Personnel Public Grievances and Pensions;
- General VK Singh, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways and Civil Aviation, Government of India;
- Ambassador André Aranha Corrêa do Lago, Ambassador of Brazil to India, and
- IPS Atul Karwal, Director General, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and Director, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy.
Read more on the Policy Walk here.
Graduation Ceremony
The in-person graduation ceremony for the Cohort 20 (Batch 4) and Cohort 21 (Batch 5) of the Advanced Management Programme in Public Policy was organised on 1st April at the Mohali campus. Mr Dushyant Chautala, Deputy Chief Minister, Government of Haryana, along with Mr Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Chairman, Mohali Campus Advisory Board and Professor Madan Pillutla, Dean, ISB, felicitated sixty graduates of AMPPP. The ceremony was followed by the ISB’s exclusive reunion mega event, Equinox 2022, organised by the Department of Alumni Engagement, which provided an opportunity for all ISB alumni and their families to engage and enjoy through various activities organised by the School over three days, which included panel discussions, live theatre performances, music concerts, DJ nights, children’s workshops, celebrity interactions and much more.
ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT
A special webinar was conducted in January 2022, where Dr Aarushi Jain held interesting conversations with some members of the vast alumni community to know about their journey with the Indian School of Business through the Advanced Management Programme in Public Policy. In an open live session, alums Nitu Bhattacharya, Deputy Inspector General, CRPF; Koeyli Jaluka, Head, Public Affairs, Corporate Communications and CSR, Roche India; Punit Pandey, Senior Consultant, Delhi Skill and Entrepreneurship University, and Kartik Upadhyay, Consultant, Public Affairs and Communications, shared their experiences and memories of the AMP in Public Policy at Bharti Institute, and how the course benefitted their career trajectories or policy practice.
The AMPPP alumni were also invited to the panel discussion organised during the Policy Walk of Cohort 2021-22. The session on 'Building Capacity for New India' entailed elaborated dialogue on defining the priority areas for capacity enhancement, training and development of individuals, institutions, and systems, as well as bridging the gaps through effective public-private collaborations. Panelists Prof Madan Pillutla, Dean, ISB; Mr Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Vice Chairman, Bharti Enterprises, and Chairman, Advisory Board, Mohali Campus; Ms Vrinda Sarup, IAS (Retd.), Former Secretary, Ministry of Human Resource Development; Mr KP Krishnan, IAS (Retd), Former Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and Mr Hemang Jani, Secretary, Capacity Building Commission of India, shared holistic insights on the theme. The session was followed by a special dinner hosted by Mr Rakesh Bharti Mittal for the participants which gave way to lighter conversations between the cohort and the experts.
ALUMNI SPEAK
“A well-devised flexible design; comprehensive curriculum, and a diversified cohort makes AMPPP a great course, as it helps lay a good foundation of policymaking discipline in India.”
Chandra Mohan, IAS, Principal Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu, (AMPPP 2019-20)
FACULTY SPEAK
“The course offers a balanced mix of in-person and offline engagements, and with pre-sessions, guest lectures, classroom activities and team projects, it prepares the students quite well in limited time.”
Prof Rajeev Malhotra, Visiting Faculty, Indian School of Business
STUDENT SPEAK
“For corporate professionals, AMPPP gives an interesting opportunity to pause, learn and articulate in a better manner about policy functions and their impact on various sectors.”
Rajiv Banerjee, Group Head - Corporate Communications at Piramal Enterprises Ltd (AMPPP 2021-22)
EVENTS IN FOCUS
The Institute organised two panel discussions during the Equinox 2022 in which the experts and alumni shared insights about the following topics of importance:
Industry-Academia Collaboration: Opportunities and Challenges
Mr Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Vice Chairman, Bharti Enterprises; ISB Dean Madan Pillutla; Ms Anita Kapur, Former Chairperson, Central Board of Direct Taxes; Prof Rajeev Ahuja, Director, Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar, and Prof Manish Gangwar, Executive Director, IIDS, ISB, (as moderator) discussed pragmatic facets of industry-academia collaboration to enhance the quality of research, education and practice. In a special session, the panelists talked about how a balance between autonomy and accountability for academic institutions, and the industry's support to basic research can help strengthen the collaborations which rest on understanding the challenges faced by the industry and the academia alike. The government's role in funding the research, importance of CSR and its impact, and the need for structural innovations to stimulate effective results were also deliberated upon.
Building Sustainable Forest-Based Economies
In a panel discussion conducted by Bharti Institute and Sustainability SIG, experts focussed on the need to regularise forest economies in India for uplifting lives, and enhancing sustainable forest management through technological interventions, grassroots entrepreneurship, curtailing shadow economies and building & strengthening industrial value chains. This, the experts emphasised, must start with changing the mindsets about forests and its people, inculcating a sense of nurturing and dignity. The intriguing panel discussion by Prof Ashwini Chhatre, Executive Director, Bharti Institute; Ms Lakshmi Venkatesan, Founding and Managing Trustee, Bharatiya Yuva Shakti Trust; Srini Pappula, Chief Scientist and Global Head, Digital Farming Initiatives Group, TCS, was moderated by Sankha Som, Sustainability SIG, Chief Innovation Evangelist, TCS, during the Equinox 2022.
COLLABORATION IN FOCUS
Census Data Research Workstation at Bharti Institute
The Directorate of Census Operations (DCO), Punjab, Ministry of Home Affairs collaborated with the Bharti Institute to set up a Census Data Research Workstation on the Institute’s premises at ISB, Mohali campus. The workstation will provide a consolidated platform for researchers, academicians, and data-enthusiasts to analyse (anonymised) record-level Census data at micro and macro level. Prof Ramabhadran Thirumalai, Deputy Dean, Academic Programmes, ISB, formalised the collaboration with Dr Abhishek Jain, IAS, Director, Census Operations, Punjab, on February 18.
The pioneering project will allow greater and efficient utilisation of Census data by quality researchers from various disciplines to yield valuable insights on relevant socio-economic dimensions of the country. The study will potentially contribute towards improving the methodology of data collection during the Census activity, and in identifying strengths and weaknesses of the micro data.
The workstation will be fully equipped with relevant infrastructural and technical facilities, and specialised software for research on anonymised aggregate data at various administrative levels (country, state, district, sub-district, town and village) from Census 2001, Census 2011 and onwards, and will be setup and maintained by Bharti Institute. As part of the project, a steering committee has been appointed, and the findings and studies published using Census data from this workstation would be shared with the government.
ENGAGEMENT IN FOCUS
Opportunity Landscape of Climate Technology in India
The Environmental Defense Fund, USA, has collaborated with Bharti Institute, to explore the opportunity landscape for climate technology in India. As part of the synergy, the Institute will conduct a landscape review of the state of investments and adoption of climate technology in India. The research seeks to explore the current opportunities in climate tech, identify emerging sectors and financing trends, and document the experiences of businesses in the country which have leveraged opportunities from investments in climate-tech, particularly across hard-to-abate sectors, such as cement, agriculture, food, waste management, and mobility. The Institute will also help EDF analyse industry-academia linkages for co-creating scalable solutions for climate technology. The one-year project will assimilate and corroborate insights from four broad verticals, namely, climate finance, climate technology, climate policy, and nature-based solutions.
UPDATES ON ENGAGEMENTS
Government of Jharkhand
Initiative on Forest Economy
Under a recent collaboration with the Government of Jharkhand, Bharti Institute is working towards developing an institutional design to facilitate sustainable forest management, value addition and industrial procurement of seasonal forest products. The team had piloted the project in Gumla district in December 2021, collecting data across 1736 sites in Gumla, with the help of local communities, and, the government has now shifted the pilot to Simdega district of Jharkhand.
In February 2022, a report of preliminary findings which was released by the Institute as part of the collaboration, estimates the number of Sal trees across the state and includes a map of Sal tree distribution throughout Jharkhand. A team of researchers also conducted meetings in Simdega with the District Collector and members from the district administration, Forest Department, Jharkhand State Livelihoods Promotion Society, and Tribal Development Authority to discuss the action plan for implementing activities, and analyse potential clusters based on the distribution and volume of SFPs in the area.
Safe and Responsible Migration Initiative (SRMI)
The Consortium comprising of Bharti Institute of Public Policy; Policy & Development Advisory Group; Partnering Hope Into Action (PHIA), and Center for Migration and Inclusive Development (CMID) under SRMI is working on designing a revalidation exercise for migrant workers of Jharkhand to understand their mobility, schematic mapping and employment patterns. The Safe and Responsible Migration Centres (SRMCs) will be operationalised by the end of April 2022 in Dumla, Gumla and West Singhbhum. The consortium will also begin IEC campaigns in these districts along with on-spot registration of migrant workers. Bharti Institute is providing technical assistance and working on the ‘Skill Mapping Database’ of half a million migrant workers from Jharkhand. In the coming months, the Institute plans to develop methods for early detection of distress migration from the state.
Government of Meghalaya
The first set of training workshop for mentoring fellows under the Meghalaya Legislative Research Fellowship (MLRF) programme, was successfully conducted by Prof Anjal Prakash, Dr Aarushi Jain and Hemanth Guthala at Meghalaya Administrative Training Institute, Shillong, from Jan 11-15, 2022. The five-day workshop focussed on understanding public policy and governance issues in general; and legislative, legal, socio-economic and implementation issues in Meghalaya, particularly. As knowledge partner, Bharti Institute will train the fellows through a structured two-year programme.
Mr Sampath Kumar, IAS, Principal Secretary to Government of Meghalaya and Director General, Meghalaya Institute of Governance, had inaugurated the induction training which concluded with a virtual interaction of fellows with Mr Conrad Sangma, Chief Minister, Government of Meghalaya. The Chief Minister congratulated the fellows and acknowledged MLRF as a promising initiative. The fellows also interacted with Mr Metbah Lyngdoh, Hon. Speaker of Meghalaya Legislative Assembly, at the Assembly premises, Khyndailad. The Hon. Speaker also presided over the concluding ceremony and gave away certificates to the fellows.
Under MLRF, the Institute conducts regular virtual and in-person training sessions for mentoring the fellows. In the preceding months, online guest lectures were delivered by Mr Bishwajit Dubey, Partner, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, for discussing procedures involved in the drafting of bills and pre-legislative consultation process, and Prof OP Aggarwal, CEO, World Resources Institute, on concepts of smart cities and programmes for urban governance in the country. Through in-person interactions, Sridhar Kundu, Senior Research Analyst at Bharti Institute, helped fellows understand the nuances of public finance, and analyse budget documents and other economic reports during the State Budget Session from 4th March to 17th March in Meghalaya. Know more here.
Government of Punjab
The Institute has completed the report on Educational Reforms in Punjab which is a comprehensive document on reforms undertaken by the Department of School Education, Punjab, that have helped the State significantly improve its quality of education. These include, Online Teacher Transfer Policy; utilisation of Building as a Learning Aid (BALA) Scheme funds for transforming school infrastructure into inclusive learning aids for children; Punjab Smart Connect Scheme to leverage the advances in ICT for improving the quality of education in Government schools; success of proactive enrolment drives and lastly, reforms during the COVID phase.
Bharti Institute’s unique asynchronous self-paced training course on ‘Leadership & Motivation for Effective School Management’, launched in collaboration with the Department of School Education, Government of Punjab, in July last year, has been completed by more than 4800 Principals, Heads and Lecturers in State Government Schools till March 2022.
Government of Himachal Pradesh
In multi-fold interactions with public agencies at state, district and local levels, the team of researchers from the Institute has been continually engaging with the Forest Department, State Rural Livelihoods Mission, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department, Tribal Development Department, State and District Administrations, Women and Child Development Department, Revenue Department, and the Department of Environment, Science and Technology, in Himachal Pradesh to implement the Initiative on Forest Economy. The MoU with the Government of Himachal Pradesh is currently under review. In addition, active conversations are underway with multiple medium and large MNCs and organisations towards enabling the buying of Seasonal Forest Products (SFPs) from local communities and women-led enterprises in the pilot region of Pangi Valley, Himachal Pradesh. The team recently visited Majitha Mandi, Amritsar, to establish market linkages for SFPs collected in Himachal Pradesh. The executive committee of Chhota Banghal Maha Gram Sabha is working closely with the Institute in this regard.
WRI-NUIA collaboration
Bharti Institute is collaborating with World Resources Institute and the National Institute of Urban Affairs for the programme - Leaders in Climate Change Management Programme – that seeks to build a pool of 4000 – 5000 climate leaders across India, over a period of five years. The Institute will be handholding six core modules of the programme in the form of asynchronous courses. Presently, the team is in the process of finalising the content. The programme is expected to be launched in June 2022.
World Economic Forum
The grant agreement with WEF has been signed under which Bharti Institute will host the WEF Food Innovation Hub in India which will facilitate multi-stakeholder and inclusive partnerships to explore challenges and opportunities for promoting sustainable agriculture, and also the patterns and drivers of malnutrition in India. The research will be led by Prof Ashwini Chhatre in collaboration with ISB Faculty and supported by a Post-doctoral Fellow through the Andrew Hoffman Fellowship. The Institute has received more than 40 applications for the fellowship, while the team is in discussion with WEF for further steps.
UPDATES ON GRANTS
India Data Portal
The team has worked on downscaling the datasets on the lowest possible spatial granularity. Mission Antyodaya is now available at panchayat level while MGNREGA Agricultural Investment and Employment datasets are in the pipeline. In the IndiaPulse@ISB section, Money Stock and Mutual Funds have been newly added. The datasets on Union Budget and Elections are now also live on the portal.
Team India Data Portal has prepared exclusive reports using ‘Nightlights’ as the indicator of growth and frequency in economic activity in election bound states. The data helps in analysing the economic development over the past six years (2015-2020) in all Assembly constituencies in Goa, Uttarakhand, UP, Punjab and Manipur.
For expansion of training and outreach programmes, the team has also organised 32 virtual workshops in six languages for nearly 1000 journalists across India from January to April this year, where team members explain the portal, datasets and then pick up news articles to demonstrate how they can be enhanced using the IDP. There have been four in-person workshops in collaboration with regional Press Clubs in different cities across Delhi NCR, UP, Uttarakhand and North-East. In February 2022, a three-day workshop was organised in collaboration with Sansad TV at the Parliament Library, New Delhi, which was attended by over 100 accredited journalists.
Institutional Networks and Self Organised Adaptation: Tracing the Democratic Architectures of Climate Response (SLU):
The INSA project is funded by the Swedish University of Life Sciences (SLU) and has made significant progress as it continues to build on research to improve the understanding of how multiple actors, institutions and different forms of state support shape the local response to the shocks of the pandemic and climate change. To further build on the qualitative research and understand the development trajectories of the field sites, and also the role of institutional networks in facilitating response and livelihood action, the research team visited and conducted focus group discussions and key informant interviews with some households and stakeholders of Chapakhori and Pharpu village in Nepal. Additionally, the progress on quantitative data has been substantial with the completion of data entry. The researchers are currently working upon cleaning and streamlining the data from India and Nepal, and running analysis for a better understanding of the collected data.
Upscaling Community Forest Resource (CFR) Rights Recognition and Governance in India:
Bharti Institute and Centre for Responsible Business entered into an agreement in January 2022 to work towards creating a multi-stakeholder working committee by the end of the year for taking the initiative forward on scale and enabling a space for the eco-system to grow and evolve. The formalisation of service agreement defined CRB to be the strategic partner for TF Phase-II. The collaboration would also enable conversations around the initiative throughout the year and help in undertaking research on the opportunity landscape.
Along with this, the team has successfully devised a Gender Equity Strategy, and Knowledge Management and Communication Strategy which needs to be implemented in the areas of operation. The team is also working on generating a high-quality case study with BILT, Ballarpur Industries Limited, and engaging with MSMEs for research on mechanical upgradation and research institutes for long-term collaborations. New engagements with Governments of Orissa and Maharashtra are also in progress for establishing market linkages to regulate forest economies in these states. Thus, along with district administration, researchers are also engaging in conversations with MNCs and business organisations to channelise market for SFPs.
Also, the new website on the Initiative on Forest Governance is under the final stages of completion and can be viewed at https://forestgovernance.in/
E-commerce Policy in India:
The researchers are currently working on the second report under the project, which will map global retail business models; comparative analysis of international regulations for marketing and promotions; pricing and FDI regulations in leading retail business nations, followed by an analysis of emerging trends in the regulatory and business model aspects, to deliver the policy insights into the matter. The first e-commerce report on ‘Policy Recommendations on Customer Centric e-commerce in India’ had analysed the scope and challenges of e-commerce industry and recommended policy changes for the sector’s growth and development, starting with the norms for FDI. Also, two in-person roundtables on Retail Business Models have been planned for May 2022 at ISB, Hyderabad.
Policy Support Research Facility:
In a Planning Grant received from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for a Policy Support Research Facility (PSRF) to ‘Improve Indian Diets Through Market Systems’, researchers from Bharti Institute, University of Sheffield, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, are working together to identify and address governance challenges in creating and maintaining mutually synergistic collaborations for market-led solutions to improve fruit and vegetable access in low-income households. The teams recently had stakeholder consultations (with policy makers, technical professionals and thought leaders) at national and select state levels (Bihar, UP, and Odisha) to develop a shared understanding of objectives of the project and assess the relevance, feasibility and potential for the range of intervention opportunities. In the past months, the teams had researched upon few interventions which included digital markets & e-trading platforms; farmer market schemes; cold storage technologies, and transportation schemes.
BrightSpots of Climate Smart Agriculture:
The project - Bright Spots of Climate Smart Agriculture -- has been approved by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), the Government of India and the Dutch Research Council (NWO). This five-year study will use an innovative solutions-oriented multi-scale nested study design to identify and learn from bright spots of climate-smart agriculture while capturing both large-scale patterns and interactions, as well as local particularities and the high context-dependency of socio-ecological systems. From January 2022, the DISR\SIRO certification documentation has been completed and initial discussions have taken place between the project partners. The field surveys and engagements under the project will begin as soon as the certification documents are approved by the public agencies concerned. The study will focus on the Netherlands and the state of Punjab in India – two regions that represent similar agricultural systems with export-oriented intensive high-input agriculture with high yields, high food surpluses, and stark tensions between environmental and socio-economic goals.
Books in Progress
CASE STUDY IN FOCUS
Production and Distribution of PPE Kits in India during the Pandemic
In the initial months of 2020 when the pandemic gripped the world, catapulting the country into unprecedented times of health crisis and uncertainty, India found itself confronting with zero manufacturing capacity in terms of the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). With disrupted supply chains, the Government of India had to kick start PPE manufacturing in the country, amid the national lockdown. The Ministry of Health approached the Ministry of Textiles (MoT) to fulfil the initial demand of 50,000 PPE, for which the MoT turned to fabric and apparel manufacturers in India for meeting the urgent requirement. The government and the industry together started to figure out what PPE manufacturing needed in terms of material, machinery and labour. All the while, the demand for PPE increased and reached over two crores.
The challenges of inadequate testing facilities and logistical issues owing to the lockdown were overcome through intra-department and inter-department coordination by the authorities. The noteworthy facilitation by the Ministry of Textiles and Indian entrepreneurs led to the demand for PPE being met by August 2020, just a few months into the pandemic.
The case of India's self-sufficiency of PPE is a blueprint for crisis management and collaboration between the government and the industry. The Ministry of Textiles approached the Institute for writing a report and developing case studies on the subject. Bharti Institute, thus, documented the case on ‘PPE kits Production and Distribution in India during the Pandemic’, which is now under the process of publication.
RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS
- As a lead author of the ‘Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability: Contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’, released on February 28, 2022, Dr Anjal Prakash has contributed to the Technical Summary, Chapter on ‘Cities, Settlements and Key Infrastructure’; Cross-Chapter Paper 5 on ‘Mountains’ and Cross-Chapter box on ‘Gender’ in Chapter 18.
- Dr Anjal Prakash was a co-author in the paper titled ‘Survey of Gender Bias in the IPCC,’ which was published in the Nature journal in January 2022.
BHARTI INSTITUTE IN NEWS
TEAM IN NEWS
Prof Anjal Prakash writes on the key points of IPCC report and stresses on better adaptation policies for a sustainable future. The Indian Express. He also writes about climate crisis in the Himalayas, in The Third Pole.
In his co-authored article Prof Avik Sarkar says in the years to come, exports will play a crucial role in India’s economic growth. The Times of India.
Dr Sridhar Kundu, Senior Research Analyst, analyses major aspects of Punjab economy and the state's interim budget, in a write-up for The Punjab Times. He had also given significant opinion on Union Budget in Business Economics.
‘If we want women to be successful at workplaces, we must build a culture of diversity, inclusion and equity,’ says Dr Aarushi Jain, in her interview. The Plunge Daily
In a detailed write-up for The Shillong Times, Dr Sridhar Kundu analyses the policies and priorities laid out in Meghalaya State Budget. He had also expressed his views about the Meghalayan economy and expectations from budget.
Prof Ashwini Chhatre explains the IDP Nightlights report in a conversation with The Federal.
Dr Anjal Prakash shares the highlights of the IPCC report, explains the extreme weather events and emphasises the need for better mitigation efforts and policymaking, in various interviews, podcasts and dialogue with The Quint, UN News, Mirror Now, Gaon Connection, Hindustan Times, The New York Times, The Economic Times, The Guardian and The Hindu BusinessLine.
EVENTS IN NEWS
Bharti Institute starts five-day training workshop for legislative fellows:
The Shillong Times
Read MoreMeghalaya Media Provider
Read MoreSP News Agency
Read MoreIndia Education Diary
Read MoreSouth Asia Views
Read MoreVice President marks importance of evidence-based policymaking:
Business Standard
Read MoreANI
Read MoreThe Print
Read MoreLokmat Times
Read MoreThe Statesman
Read MoreBharti Institute renews its partnership on public policy with Fletcher School, Tufts University:
The Financial Express
Read MoreThe Hindu
Read MoreTelangana Today
Read MoreThe Hindu BusinessLine
Read MoreHans India
Read MoreRESEARCH STUDIES IN NEWS
ISB's- India Data Portal released a report on ‘Nightlights data of Uttar Pradesh’, showing growth in economic activity at the assembly constituency level.
India Today The Times of BengalEco activities significantly affected in Goa during pandemic.
The Times of India The Week Goan News WireTHOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Anjal Prakash: In a podcast for Centre on US-China Relations, recorded in February, Prof Anjal Prakash talked about the impact of melting glaciers in the Himalayas on the lives and livelihoods of people. He also explained key points of analysis and action for India from the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report in an event was organised by UNEP; Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation; WRI; Climate Trends; CEEW, and Bihar State Pollution Control Board. Prof Prakash also moderated a panel discussion on ‘Women’s representation and the Role of Civil Society’ at the 66th Commission on the Status of Women, in an event co-hosted by the Governments of Belgium, Maldives, and Costa Rica.
Avik Sarkar: In a panel discussion on ‘FTP priorities for the MSME sector in light of the Budget’, organised by Plunge Daily, stressed on the importance of common retail policy for offline and online sellers. He also shared his insights about how India can harness and optimise the benefits of data science and analytics, in a virtual event organised by Hero Vired.
Know more about the thought leadership activities of the faculty and team members here.
It is for the relentless dedication of our amazing team that Bharti Institute keeps on scaling new heights, and flourishing even when times get pandemically tough. We thank our researchers, associates, managers, writers, and coordinators for their contribution and noteworthy effort to Bharti Institute’s innovative programmes, change-oriented collaborations, and dynamic pursuits. Miles to go, together!
