Developing Mentoring Approaches for Transformative Education: Context and Challenges
This paper documents the difficult contexts and challenges of implementing a mentoring model in Bihar, one of the most backwards states, both educationally and economically, in India. The purpose of the mentoring model is to develop critical thinking skills among socially disadvantaged children and to provide them with tools and resources so that they are […]
Teachers and Teaching Profession in South Asia
This working paper provides a historical analysis of education systems in the South Asian countries and tries to contextualise the development of the education system, with a special focus on teaching profession, within this framework. It looks at present system of education and teacher management (pre-service training, recruitment, transfers, in-service professional development, grievance redressal procedures) […]
Bridging Old Gaps, Building New Barriers: A Study of Online Admissions Under the Right to Education Act in Bangalore Urban Private Unaided Schools
India continues to face the challenge of ensuring free and equitable access to school education. In the last decade, technology has been increasingly utilised in education to enhance access to it, improve its quality and ensure better management of the education system. In this paper, we examine the role of technology in education and whether […]
Mahila Samakhya: A Reflection
Mahila Samakhya (MS), established by the Government of India in 1987, was a pioneering women’s education and empowerment programme that redefined education as a vehicle for both literacy and empowerment. Unlike typical government initiatives, MS placed rural women’s needs at its core, aiming to cultivate critical thinking and understanding of societal structures rather than merely […]
Working Paper: Researchers as Policy Activists: An Experience-Based Framework for Responsive Policy Engagement
This paper is both an analytical and reflective piece on the process of public policy advocacy in global South contexts. It documents the author’s experience advocating with state governments in India to continue funding for the Mahila Samakhya women’s empowerment program. While reflecting on the dilemmas, processes and outcomes of this engagement, the author also […]
Report 3 – Perspectives of Key Stakeholders on the Crop Cutting Experiment (CCE) Protocol Developed by the Government of Karnataka
The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) is a multi-peril national level crop insurance scheme that was launched by the Government of India on 13th January 2016. It was subsequently rolled out in June 2016. PMFBY is a successor to earlier schemes such as the National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (NAIS) and the more recent Modified […]
Working Paper: Uneasy tenants in the Master’s house: Reflections on Mahila Samakhya
The working paperUneasy tenants in the Master’s house: Reflections on Mahila Samakhya published in 2018 focuses on Mahila Samakhya’s growth and the possible circumstances that led to the downfall. The Mahila Samakhya (MS) programme, initiated in 1988 under the National Policy on Education, sought to empower marginalised rural women in India through education and collective […]
Skills Education and Workforce Preparation: Examining the Disconnects between Policy Intentions and Outcomes in India
Investments in education and training have been considered critical to human capital formation and economic productivity of nations (Ashton et al., 1999). However, globally the nature of investments in education have been changing, with ‘skills formation’ having come to be accepted as one of the key drivers of the economy (Keep and Mayhew, 2010; Nikson, […]
Schooling for Education or Mere Certification: Examining the Experiences of Open and Distance Learning at Secondary Level in India
In India, Open and Distance Learning (ODL) for secondary and higher secondary level is mainly provided by the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). The results from a telephonic survey of 1000 learners who were enrolled with NIOS and completed secondary and higher secondary education during 2008-2012 in selected Indian states showed that two different […]
Challenges in Implementing the Right to Education: The Karnataka Case
The Right to Education Act (RTE) 2009 made education a fundamental right of every child, establishing norms to be made for physical and human capital schooling entitlements as well as the responsibilities of the school to the child. A large majority of schools did not fulfill these norms, with most of these schools being central […]
Benefit Incidence of Public Expenditure in Health: A Study of Karnataka
Affordable and quality healthcare is indispensable for a decent quality of life. It has been observed that healthcare is expensive and more or less inaccessible for the poorer section of society. In that case, government should take the onus of providing affordable and quality healthcare to masses. However, whether the public health services are reaching […]
Implementing the Right to Education Act 2009: The Real Challenges
The Right to Education Act (RTE) 2009 made education a fundamental right of every child, establishing norms to be made for physical and human capital schooling entitlements as well as the responsibilities of the school to the child. A large majority of schools did not fulfill these norms, with most of these schools being central […]
Review of Processes and Institutional Mechanisms of Program Implementation and Service Delivery
Government systems and processes in India have been under constant scrutiny for efficiency and effectiveness by citizens, civil society groups, the legislature, etc. There is a common perception that governments are inefficient, corrupt, and full of leakages due to which intended beneficiaries remain under served and neglected. The Karnataka Administrative Reforms Commission report of 2001 […]
Local Self-Government in Colonial India: Self-Government by the Natives and the Development of Municipal Institutions
This paper by Arkaja Singh looks to examine the evolution of local self-government and municipal institutions in colonial India, exploring the dynamics of colonial governance and native political aspirations. It emphasizes the limited suffrage that characterized municipal participation, where property owners primarily influenced governance, reflecting both ethnic and social divisions. The study emphasizes the tension […]
Towards a New Architecture of Local Government with a Special Reference to Uttarakhand
This paper by BK Joshi, in collaboration with the Centre for Budget and Policy Studies, argues for a reformation of the local governance structure in Uttarakhand, using this as a reference to illustrate a framework for the conception of a new form of local governance. This paper is divided into three sections. Section I provides […]
The Economy of Thiruvananthapuram
This report, published in 2010, details the results of a study on the economy of Thiruvananthapuram (henceforth refered to as TVM), a district in Kerala known for housing its capital city. The study looks to locate the district in the economic map of the state, as well as to document the structural and sectoral transformation […]
Reproductive and Child Health Services in Karnataka: How Much Do They Cost?
In 1997, the Karnataka government launched the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) programme, having modified it to focus on more contemporary concerns, such as improved ante natal care and sexual health education. This was provided as a continuation of its existing Maternal and Child Health (MCH) schemes. This paper conducts a budget analysis of the […]