As a discipline, Public Policy is the study of what governments choose to do in response to public concerns, how they arrive at those choices, and how we may improve the tools, processes and institutions involved. In academic terms that translates into a set of very specific skills, from being able to define a policy problem and assess it from legal, political and economic perspectives to imagining and offering solutions within a set of constraints.
Yet it is a relatively young discipline. As such, it is allied to and draws from disciplines that students everywhere have studied for centuries, and in this part of the world, perhaps for millennia. Political Science, Economics, Public Administration and Law are all distinct disciplines with a considerable heritage and unquestionable continued relevance on their own merit. But modern governments and institutions need professionals who are Jacks (and Jills) of all these trades in one, on top of analytical acumen and an eye on contemporary trends. The specialisation sees Policy Analysis foremost as an emerging professional field much like business management and organizes its content as professional training.
Besides traversing disciplines, the prospective Policy Analyst must hence embrace a spectrum of methodologies from the quantitative to the qualitative, with a balanced judgment of when to draw on which. Policy arguments are weighed on the strength and quality of their evidence. Some of the courses will hence pointedly train the class to play with varied sources, forms and quantum of data towards targeted answers. Where relevant, the specialisation emphasizes the ability to see parallels and connects between course material and current affairs. The students will have one finger on the pulse of the news cycle, their focus on what gets covered and how it is variously presented, including the uses and abuses of data.
Over the course of six semesters, the specialisation takes on questions like: why do some problems get on the public agenda over others? How do these problems get variously framed? How does the framing of problems constrain the set of policy options to address them? What are some of the criteria commonly used to analytically select one of those options over others? How must subsequent monitoring and evaluation be designed to assess the policy choices made? Which actors and institutions participate in the Public Policy process? In what roles and in what ways? How may the processes and institutions be improved? How do the political, legal, social and economic contexts and internal and external environments influence the policy choices? What are some of the triggers and drivers behind policy changes at the national and state level? How does the policy cycle work differently in various policy sectors?
The Public Policy major strives to produce well-rounded Policy Analysts who can analyze issues rigorously and communicate the results well. The introductory courses acquaint students with the disciplinary threads mentioned above, from thought and theory to the basic applied aspects in each. Intermediate courses concern practical skills that call for that elementary cross-disciplinary knowledge, such as those on Policy Evaluation and Measurement of Governance. The advanced courses dive into complex fields such as Public Finance and the design of Policy Instruments or into specific sectors such as Rural Development, Environmental Policy and e-Governance. A dedicated hands-on workshop will be held on the highly-valued skill of writing Policy Memos, which distils the learning over the course of the entire specialisation demonstrably into one succinct document.
The Public Policy minor eschews some of the intensive or specialized courses, but retains the broad flavor of Public Policy. Students will thus have the choice to either take it further with continued studies or have the advantage of being among the few who can draw connections to Public Policy in whatever other field they enter.
The specialisation envisages graduates who will either join a coveted Masters in Public Policy (MPP) or make competent interns for government, intergovernmental or non-governmental agencies alike (Government of India, state governments, United Nations, World Bank, government of other countries). Some may pursue careers in the Civil Service. Public Policy graduates are also sought in public and private think tanks, advocacy groups, CSR divisions, EHS divisions, non-profits, media houses and compliance consultancies. This the major to choose if you feel a calling in Public Affairs but refuse to be yet another economist or ‘just’ an activist.
SPECIALISATION AIMS
The Public Policy Major and Minor intends to:
- Introduce the fundamentals of Public Policy as a discipline and Policy Analysis as a profession
- Familiarize students with several disparate Public Affairs disciplines with enough clarity that they can lucidly distinguish between them
- Explain in a hands-on way the difference between seemingly overlapping practical activities such as Policy Research, Policy Analysis, Policy Evaluation, Governance Measurement, and others
- Produce a cohort of competent Policy Analysts with a problem-solving bent, ready to take on public matters in a systematic and manifestly professional manner
- Respond to the contemporary Indian need for domain policy experts in areas like Rural Development, Human Development, Social Policy, Environment, and e-Governance
- Instill research skills with wider applicability and general analytical acumen
- Nurture writing skills and a flair for communication tools such as data visualization
MAJOR OUTCOMES: After successful completion of the Major, the student will be able to:
- Display a sound understanding of the study and practice of Public Policy in the Global South, especially India
- Demonstrate a basic knowledge of economics, law, society, culture, politics and history and the manner in which they shape Public Policies.
- Understand and illustrate the importance of vulnerable groups that have been historically neglected and marginalized in society.
- Apply foundational principles of rights-based discourse in analyzing public policy shortcomings.
- Demonstrate the technical skills (qualitative and quantitative) required for Policy Analysis and Evaluation.
- Exhibit knowledge of macro and microeconomic principles and public finance and their role in Public Policy
- Display a basic understanding of global political economy, and learn to draw connections between current global affairs and their influence on a country’s policies.
- Apply policy frameworks and concepts to appreciate and analyse the challenges and solutions in at least one policy area (such as environment, gender, health or education
- Ability to distill implications for policy development and practice based on learnings from comparative policy analysis and communicate through analytical essays and policy memos.
- Participate in the academic discourse and engage with current debates across aspects of governance and development
MINOR OUTCOMES: After successful completion of the Minor, the student will be able to:
- Display a sound understanding of the study and practice of Public Policy in the Global South, especially India
- Demonstrate a basic knowledge of economics, law, society, culture, politics and history and the manner in which they shape Public Policies.
- Understand and illustrate the importance of vulnerable groups that have been historically neglected and marginalized in society.
- Demonstrate the technical skills (qualitative and quantitative) required for Policy Analysis and Evaluation.
- Exhibit knowledge of macro and microeconomic principles and public finance and their role in Public Policy
- Display a basic understanding of global political economy, and learn to draw connections between current global affairs and their influence on a country’s policies.
- Participate in the academic discourse and engage with current debates across aspects of governance and development
COURSES (CORE AND ELECTIVE) **
37 MAJOR COURSES
| Introduction to Public Policy | Research Methods | Policy Analysis Project |
| Principles of Economics or Thinking like an Economist | Introduction to Demography | Education Policy |
| Quantitative Methods in Economics | Policy Formulation and Implementation | Gender and Development |
| Indian Society and Culture | Social Stratification | Special Topics in Public Policy |
| Social Welfare and Legislation | Contemporary Sociological Discourses | Environmental Economics |
| Microeconomics I/Managerial Economics | Indian Government and Politics | Policy Evaluation and Impact Assessment |
| Macroeconomics I | Law and Jurisprudence | Indian Politics and Policymaking |
| Fundamentals of Statistical Data Analysis | Poverty, Inequality and Social Policy | Economics Perspectives for Public Policy |
| Planning and Policymaking in India | Environmental Policy | Comparative Social Policy |
| Political Thought | Urban Governance and Development | Health Policy |
| Sociological Theory | Environmental Impact Assessment | Policy in Indian Context |
| Environmental Law and Governance | Public Economics | Special Topics in Public Policy |
| Graduation Project / Dissertation |
Introduction to Public Policy
This course is premised on the academic opinion that graduates across all areas would do well to appreciate at least the basics of what a government does and what it is for. Governments are the superstructure that society and social living are built on. No walk of life is untouched by some government’s jurisdiction or unworthy of a government’s attention – not psychology, not dance, certainly not gaming. And yet, an average student knows far more about the basics of what businesses do than about governments. Businesses make and sell things. Can the student put equally simply what a government does? At the end of this course, s/he will. As a discipline, Public Policy is the study of what governments chooses to do in response to public concerns, how they arrive at those choices, and how we may improve the tools, processes and institutions involved. A key undertaking in the course is to chart its relationships with older established disciplines such as Economics, Law, Political Science and Public Administration so that students across subject areas use the broad Public Affairs vocabulary confidently and unambiguously and do not use disparate terms interchangeably. The course also includes a focused introduction to public administration. It introduces students to the meaning, nature, scope and importance of public administration, both as an academic field and as a profession. In this context, it explains the workings of the Indian and US governments. Additionally, it traces the new and emerging trends in the study as well as the practice of public administration.
Principles of Economics
This course is designed to expose the students to the basic principles of
microeconomic and macroeconomic theory. The course will use examples from day-to-day activities and illustrate how microeconomic and macroeconomic concepts can be applied to analyze real life situations. . This course also aims to develop the broad conceptual frameworks which will enable students to understand and comment upon real economic issues like GDP ,inflation, money supply, and their interlinkages.
Thinking like an Economist
To explain the inner workings of an economist's brain would seem an impossible and thankless task. The stereotypical economist, after all, is more enamored of theory than reality, unable to reach conclusions and boring beyond all words.
This exciting course is taught in a non-technical way and will provide the students with a sound knowledge of the key principles of Economics. Economics is the issue of our times and influences almost every aspect of our lives. By drawing on real-world applications, students will learn to use the tools of economic analysis to offer an insight into every day events, answer simple and highly complex questions on a range of topics and explain the seemingly inexplicable behaviour of individuals, firms and governments.
Quantitative Methods in Economics
This course is designed to provide introduction to the basics concepts of mathematics to study economics. It will deal with fundamental concepts required to model, analyse and solve problems arising in economics. Students learn how to use and apply mathematics by working with several examples and exercises. Although not required but a formal training in mathematics at higher secondary level mathematics is helpful. This course sets the foundations for the higher level mathematics courses in economics.
Indian Society and Culture
This course is aimed at presenting an integrated understanding of the Indian society and its diverse cultures. It explores the pluralistic composition of Indian society focusing on tribal, rural and urban societies; enabling students to comprehend the diverse nature of Indian society and its culture. By understanding the social structures and cultural patterns embedded within it, the course will also facilitate an intercultural and multicultural understanding of the society. Students will also engage in reflecting on issues of national integration and identity. Students will critically examine the processes of social change and continuity in contemporary India
Social Welfare and Legislation
This course introduces students to the basic concepts and foundations of social welfare, welfare state and development. The course exposes students to the making of the Indian Constitution and welfare provisions of it. The course engages with the interface between the state and society within the ambit of social welfare and development. The course discusses functioning and role of various institutions and stakeholders in the process of designing, formulating and execution of various social welfare schemes and legislations from historical as well as contemporary perspectives through sociological lens.
Microeconomics I
This course offers a basic introduction to the microeconomics. It aims to provide students with basic theories and models that help in analysing different market forms by understanding the behaviour of consumers and firms, demand and supply of goods, and services and resources in the economy. Several complex processes in the world can be well understood with the help of the fundamental models in microeconomic theory. It will give them an insight into how humans and firms take decisions and how their decisions in turn affect each other. A good command over microeconomics is necessary for critically appraising public policy and other economic functions.
Managerial Economics
This course provides a foundation of economic theories and models for use in managerial decision-making. The course provides students with an overview of theories of demand, supply, production and competition and equips them with the tools and techniques to make effective economic decisions under different business environments.
Macroeconomics I
This is the first module in a two-module sequence that introduces students to the basic concepts of Macroeconomics. Macroeconomics deals with the aggregate economy. This course provides an overview of the basic concepts, measurements and institutions assisting in the functioning of an economic system. The course familiarizes students with macroeconomic tools, theory and policies. It will facilitate the students to understand economic problems at macro level and correlate theories to everyday economic scenarios. It also introduces students to various micro-founded theories of macro behaviour, e.g., consumption, investment behaviour of the households and firms and the demand for money.
Fundamentals of Statistical Data Analysis
This course introduces the rudiments of data analysis for students of social science. It will incorporate elementary but important methods for gathering and analysing data for answering questions of social, economic, cultural, political, and policy interest. By taking a models approach to understand data mainly from a practitioner’s perspective, this course will give students skills and knowledge to readily understand and analyse quantitative data.
Planning and Policymaking in India
This course introduces the students to the key constitutional structures and mechanisms that contribute to realization of policy goals and in turn influence the policies in India. The course will explore Indian political and administrative systems, and discuss the role and contributions of various policy tools and mechanisms employed for Planning and Policy making in India. It will discuss the role of stakeholders like Judiciary, executive, non-governmental organizations, and civil society in public policy planning and implementation in India. The varied facets of Indian government and politics are discussed to understand how various political, socio-economic, cultural, infrastructural, technological and global factors determine institutional change and its evolution, and how this has impacted its performance over time. Budgets, Five Year Plans and NITI Aayog are important institutional mechanisms that are central to the implementation of the policy goals. In addition, the structures established through the process of decentralization allow for effective implementation of policies at the local level. In recent times, programmes run in a mission mode have been the channel to translate policies into action. This course will enable the student to critically examine these institutional mechanisms and structures, their characteristics, dynamics and delivery in India.
This course will focus on the different facets of human development: education, health, gender, the family, land relations, risk, informal and formal norms and institutions. While studying each of these topics, it will ask: What determines the decisions of poor households in developing countries? What constraints are they subject to? Is there a scope for policy (by government, international organizations, or NGOs)? What policies have been tried out? Have they been successful?
Political Thought
This course introduces students to the political thought of key Western social and political philosophers. The selection offers an opportunity to understand the philosophical underpinnings that underlie the liberal-democratic systems of governance in the contemporary era. After tracing the development of political concepts through Western political thinking and practice since ancient Greece to modern times, students are encouraged to extrapolate from such experience and search for the best ways in which the concepts may be constructively applied to non-Western contexts.
Sociological Theory
This course will take an extensive look at different theoretical frameworks in classical sociology. It will focus on the contributions of leading sociologists representing different schools of thought. It will expose students to the central tenets and arguments ranging from the "classics" to contemporary formulations with a focus on their strengths and weaknesses. This will enable students comprehend the social world by exploring distinct trajectories with intersections, critiquing the same and developing a perspective/orientation of their own.
Environmental Law and Governance
Since the middle of the twentieth century, several advances have been made in understanding the nature of environmental dangers and degradations. Nonetheless, several issues remain unsettled and many dilemmas unresolved. This course raises questions pertaining to the responsibility, accountability, extent, and reasons behind environmental issues like deforestation, malnutrition, extinction, loss of biodiversity, climate change and many others to observe and construct associations and/or causal relations between environmental phenomena that transcend “conventional wisdom” or categories. This course also explores the role of laws and policies in various environmental issues. The main focus is on the application of policy, laws, and regulations through case studies of landmark judgements in the history of environmental law in India. In addition, the course examines and critically analyses the challenge of global environmental awareness and governance within an evolving international system and the implications of a country like India within that frame of reference.
Research Methods
The course covers the full cycle of conducting a research study in social sciences including design of a research study, data collection, analysis, and reporting. It aims to equip students with the conceptual understanding of current academic debates regarding different qualitative and quantiative research methods pertaining to social science research, and the practical skills to put those methods into practice in a research study. The course is organised in two parts - qualitative and quantitative research methods.
For the qualitative methods, the course covers the principal methods of collecting and analysing qualitative data: interviews, focus groups and participant observation. It analyses the various debates and challenges in qualitative research design with regards to research rigor and meeting the criteria of repeatablity, reliabilty and validity. It also addresses the challenges and opportunities of using new media, including visual images, social media and Internet research, in social science research and more specifically, in qualitatitive design. Three widely-used data analysis methods will be taught to students: thematic analysis, content analysis and discourse analysis. In addition, issues pertaining to literature review, research bias, data privacy and protection and ethics in a research study will also be addressed. Students will learn do basis data analysis using NVivo - a tool for analysing qualitative data.
The focus of quantitative section is on the use of statistical thinking to understand the social world. This section will familiarize students with basic tools of quantitative research methods that are adopted in social and political sciences. Topics include data as theory building, measurement validity and reliability, descriptive statistics (measures of central tendency and dispersion), bivariate analysis (correlation, contingency tables,), statistical inference (sampling, hypothesis testing) and introduction to statistical modeling (regression analysis). Additionally, students will learn to do some basic statistical analysis using Stata®, the software commonly used among social scientists.
This course is a combination of lectures, in-class lab sessions and individual or group classwork. Student performance will be evaluated by their class participation, weekly homework/classwork, a quiz and the final exam.
Introduction to Demography
This is an Introductory course on Demography, which focuses on measures of population, theories of population change and various social and economic processes which influence population change. The formal demography part will introduce measures of mortality, fertility, and migration, and the associated change in population and its composition. Students will learn to construct life tables and calculate measures of public health such as infant mortality and life expectancy. Forces of migration, models of migration and urbanization will be studied. Measuring fertility, and the social and economic theories of fertility change will be discussed. In the hands-on exercises, student will learn to project the population and its age and sex composition. In the social demography part, classical theories of population, demographic transition theories, and politics of population will be discussed. Debates on population growth and development, its impact on labor markets and education will also be studied in the course.
Policy Formulation and Implementation
This is an introductory course in public policy analysis. It begins with the basics and concisely describes government institutions, identifies principal policy actors, and examines the context in which public policies are made. In this sense, together with internal organizational factors, external factors such as the political, legal, social, and economic environments of public policy making are discussed. The course then provides students with the conceptual frameworks and the analytical models necessary for analyzing the process of public policy making. It discusses the nature of policy analysis and its practice, and illustrates how to employ evaluative criteria in substantive policy areas.
In sum, this course introduces students to the politics of policy making and equips them with the analytic tools necessary to understand how the interests and motivations of policy actors--both within and outside of government--impact an intricate, yet understandable, policy agenda. It exposes students to public policy and policy research and helps them comprehend the processes of policy analysis, program evaluation, and policy recommendation/advocacy.
Social Stratification
The course focuses on understanding stratification from a sociological perspective. It involves the study of social units, institutions, social formations and processes involving social stratification. This course will engage students in identifying and learning about the theoretical perspectives on social stratification and role played by various factors and institutions such as caste, class, race, gender and culture. The students will be exposed to the understanding and examining of concepts such as social status, role, power, social and natural inequality, poverty, hierarchies and differentiation. The course also focuses on processes of socialisation, networking, occupational mobility and change in the contemporary Indian society.
Contemporary Sociological Discourses
This course focuses on the sociological theories and discourses emerged during and after the mid-twentieth century. The course engages with the sociological discourses that continue to shape the contemporary debates and the empirical research in the area. The course carries forward the classical legacy of critical methods of sociological thoughts and brings in comparatively more contemporary developments and advances. The course exposes students to some of these major developments and their outcomes which are critical for understanding the contemporary world. The course highlights important developments, debates and discourses related to modernism, media, world-order, globalization and the ever changing socio-cultural dynamics at global and national level.
Indian Government and Politics
This course explores the theory and praxis of Indian government and politics, introducing students to the concepts of the state, constitutionalism, the parliamentary system, federalism, local governance, the supreme court, the election commission, and the party system. Furthermore, students will study how class, caste, gender, identity, tribe and religion interact with politics in contemporary India. Students will critically examine majoritarianism, social movements, nationalism, regionalism, secessionism, civil society and ideology in the Indian context. The course will equip students to question dominant narratives on Indian politics and develop their own ideas and opinions.
Law and Jurisprudence
This course is premised on the academic opinion that graduates across all areas would do well to appreciate at least the basics of what a government does and what it is for. Governments are the superstructure that society and social living are built on. The course will cover the main nuts and bolts of the legal system and the role that the legal system plays in shaping policy. Along with the structural features of different aspects of the legal system, different philosophical approaches to understanding law will also be explored.
Poverty, Inequality and Social Policy
A thorough understanding of poverty and inequality, both key aspects of current development policy discourse is germane for students of Public Policy. The course will examine definitions and indicators of poverty, multiple dimensions of poverty, inequality and development, causes of poverty and inequality and poverty reduction strategies globally as well as in India. It will also consider the relationship between poverty and inequality and why some countries (and regions within countries) have achieved poverty reduction and development and others have not. The course will also cover debates about welfare, distribution and social justice by drawing upon literature in politics, philosophy and economics.
During the lectures, students will be introduced to key themes, concepts and ideologies in social policy as well as the key pillars of the welfare state, namely social security, employment, health care, education, housing and food security. The lectures will draw upon both empirical data and broader theoretical literature to examine the goals, delivery mechanisms, success and failures of each of these policy areas in an international and comparative perspective and put current Indian social policies into this context. It will help students make connections between theoretical debates and ‘real-life’ policy issues in a changing social, political and economic context.
Environmental Policy
Only the seriously disillusioned would deny that the planet and its inhabitants are in trouble. The delicate balance of the various cyclic biogeochemical processes is under threat and human economic activity has left its mark on the home planet to an extent that the current geological age is now known as the Anthropocene. Governments around the world have long recognised the gravity of environmental concerns and their effects on welfare, and the area emerged as an important sector of policymaking activity in the 1970s.
Since then, though, both environmental problems and policy responses have grown in complexity. Rising awareness of environmental challenges has gone hand in hand with increasing intractability and widening political polarisation regarding the balance of key values at stake. In that backdrop, the study of the range of policy responses at the disposal of governments assumes critical importance.
This is among the broadest policy areas, and the course attempts to cover that breadth, from pollution and conservation to energy and recycling. Also, it covers contexts across the range of policy maturity in terms of policy principles. Besides learning about the policy sector, the course also serves as a broad overview of the elements of public policy in an applied manner.
Urban Governance and Development
This course will engage with 'Urban; from a conceptual and empirical lens. It will begin with a conceptual framework for understanding definitions of rural and urban in India and countries across the world. Course will discuss the global urban transition with a focus on Asian countries and India. It will give an insight into structure and functioning of urban local bodies in India, and challenges faced in urban governance. Contemporary challenges of urbanization in India such as urban congestion, housing, water and sanitation, waste management, pollution, and public health will be dealt with in class discussions. Course will have significant practical component with visits to the ULBs and interaction with officials.
At the end of the course, the students will be familiar with contemporary debates and discursive shifts in urban development paradigms, as well as appreciate the developmental challenges and policies addressing them.
Environmental Impact Assessment
The course is designed to highlight the application value of the theory and practice of EIA as operated nationally and internationally. It helps in dealing with the development and implementation of projects modulating development. This course introduces the field of integrated environmental management focusing on procedures, tools and techniques for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) with a special emphasis on impacts caused by human interventions on the multiple dimensions of environment and means of regulating and managing them.
Public Economics
The course on public economics basically studies the government policy in terms of economic efficiency and equity. The course also discusses the role and nature of government intervention and its implications for distribution, allocation, and stabilisation. Through the extensive use of micro theoretic tools, the course examines the relationship between an individual’s response to incentives and how government policies help to enhance social welfare. The course also discusses the application of these theories to the Indian economy. The topics covered in this course include: Theory of Social Goods and Role of the State, Public Expenditure, Public Revenue and Taxation, and Public Debt and Fiscal Federalism.
Policy Analysis Project
Among the primary aims of studying Public Policy is to get a grasp of well-rounded policy analysis – to develop the ability to produce such analysis and to professionally assess such products. The best way to demonstrate that is to produce a solid piece of analysis of a policy proposal or a policy instrument already in place. Unless otherwise directed by the instructor, the country, scope or context is no bar. Preferably though, it will be a contemporary problem.
Education Policy
Understanding education policy processes is a complex exercise since it requires understanding the historical legacy, contemporary political and social dynamics, existing theoretical knowledge base, interpretation of problems, comparative perspectives, framing of solutions and also appreciating policies as they are mediated through various institutional structures in practice. This course intends to help students analyse educational policies and their outcomes as embedded in three contexts: the perceived problems, the ideas and assumptions that underlie policy choices and the institutional structures and processes that mediate these policies. The purpose of the course is to enable students to critically reflect upon the policy context, processes, institutions and outcomes, and frame relevant and appropriate questions when presented with a policy proposal or an existing policy instrument. Given the complex and ever-changing education policy landscape in India, the course encourages students to examine the most critical, dominant policy choices vis-à-vis elementary education in India, analyse why certain policies have been formulated at certain points of time, explore the historical, political, social, and conceptual roots of these policy choices and the reasons for their continuities or shifts.
Gender and Development
It is now widely recognized that pervasive pre-existing gender inequalities mean that development processes have differential effects on women and men. Early feminist work highlighted the marginal position of women in development and advocated their integration. More recently, critiques have argued that women's marginality reflects the systematic gender bias in official statistics and development planning in general, and that women are already affected by and involved in development, although in locally variable and class specific ways. This course aims to explore key theoretical work in the area of gender and development, looking at different approaches that have shaped policy and practice in the global south. I cover issues ranging from the effect of globalization on women's employment to the meaning and significance of women's political representation. Using case studies from India and other developing nations, the course will also acquaint students with issues of women's role in production and reproduction, debates around care work and policy, gender, justice and violence, the role of microfinance initiatives in women's lives and the issues surrounding women's right to property. An important aim of the course is to familiarize students with local interventions in different settings aimed at empowering women from marginalized communities. Lastly, we will also explore the debates surrounding men's role and participation in women's development initiatives.
Environmental Economics
Economics is often defined as the study of allocation of scarce resources. Environmental Economics then might be somewhat provocatively be said to be economics par excellence – the discipline looks primarily at ‘resources’ in the literal sense. (A section of environmental thought argues for the conservation of the environment for its inherent intrinsic value, not for its economic uses for humans, which is what the word resource implies.) This is an intermediate course in environmental economics and some basic knowledge of microeconomics and mathematics in needed.
Policy Evaluation and Impact Assessment
Government Policies and Programs are designed to have particular outcomes in society and the economy. Public discourse typically focuses on policy-making and an assessment of policy intent. In many countries across the world, including India, the discourse is shifting from ideology-based policymaking to evidence-based policymaking. Policy evaluation and impact assessment are central to evidence-based policymaking.
This course is designed to provide an introduction to policy and program evaluation, and impact assessment. Students will get a thorough introduction to evidence-based policymaking. Students will get an understanding of the theoretical frameworks used in policy evaluation and impact assessment. Different quantitative and qualitative methods used for evaluation will be studied. Many examples of evaluation studies from South Asia, Africa and Europe will be discussed in class. Special emphasis will be laid on Indian Evaluations conducted by agencies such as JPAL, 3ie, and Pratham. Students will be exposed to different career options in Policy and Program Evaluation. Case studies, hands-on learning, and real-world problem-solving exercises will be included in the pedagogy to assist students obtain the skills needed for employment.
Indian Politics and Policymaking
This course will provide a sound introduction to India's political structure, constitution, and politics in policymaking. It will introduce fundamental concepts in political science and how theseimpact public policy. The course will provide an overview of the formation of the Indian state from colonial to postcolonial society in India and the institutional structures inherited and recreated by the onstitution and the Indian State. It will introduce the students to the key constitutional structures and echanisms that contribute to policymaking and implementation in India. It will sensitize students to the discourses on India's Federal structure, Union-State relations, Decentralisation and devolution of power to local bodies. With the background and the framework provided in the course, students will be encouraged to critically analyse policymaking in contemporary India. The approach will involve case studies, hands-on learning, and real-world problem-solving exercises to assist students acquire the skills necessary for the profession.
Economics Perspectives for Public Policy
The course will debate certain fundamental questions on what makes certain countries and societies richer or poorer? It traces the key ideas on Wealth of Nations and Welfare of people and theories in economics and Wealth of Nations from Adam Smith, Karl Marx, Keynes, Hayak, and Amartya Sen. Students will be introduced to economic thinking in the allocation of scarce resources, the role of incentives, and opportunity costs in decision making. It will incorporate debates and insights from
microeconomics and macroeconomics in policy decisions. At the end of the course, students should be able to apply general ideas in economics, economic theories and models, to policies such as the impact of taxation and wages, minimum support price on agriculture production and farmers income, unemployment and inflation, gender wage gap, policy incentives and industrial growth. The approach will involve case studies, hands-on learning, and real-world problem-solving exercises to assist students acquire the skills necessary for the profession.
Comparative Social Policy
Why do social policies differ from country to country? How can we explain these differences? Why are some governments more successful than others in solving particular social problems? These are the key questions that will be explored in this course that explores welfare systems and policy developments across a range of countries. The comparative element is a key part of the course, and is meant to help students engage with social policies from around the globe, and the role of international agendas and organisations in international and national social policy. It aims to equip them with the theoretical, conceptual and analytical tools to examine contemporary social policies in both national and international contexts. It will enable them to draw on theories and concepts and interpret a range of forms of evidence in analysing policy developments and their social impacts. Some of the topics that will be covered include: the emergence of the welfare state; the mixed economy of welfare; the scale of welfare provision; examination of specific policy domains e.g. Social security; criminal justice; housing; education; children and families; employment and migration. The pedagogy will include case-studies, hands-on learning, and real-world problem-solving activities that helps in equipping the student with the skills required in the workforce.
Health Policy
This course aims to acquaint students with health care systems and health policies across the globe, focusing on developing countries like India. The course will discuss various institutions and actors that are involved in health policy formulation as well as implementation, and explore the interplay between these. It will discuss the issues of right to health, and equitable access of health care. A critical comparison of health care systems and policies across the globe will provide an understanding of diverse facets of health systems. A few significant health care plans and policies will be evaluated to explore the effects of social determinants of health among citizens of the global south and elsewhere.
Policy in Indian Context
Why do we pass absurd policies in India?
This is the central question around which the course is woven. All of us can list down several laws and policies that have glaringly apparent issues. This is not the question of politics (politicians are not fools, nor are they interested in antagonizing people because they need votes). We will investigate these so-called absurdities and judge them, theoretically (analytically) and empirically (experientially).
Said differently, we will view public policy through the context of India, and not through its universalized, theoretical understanding. The exploration is not about comparative view of public policies in India and other countries (which is a given), but making sense of the difference. Questions of culture, ethics, religion, value systems, social psychology and colonial history will become important in this exploration.
We will invite students to grapple with issues surrounding morality and context in India and locate these findings to explore the relationship between individual and the society, and how in India, it may inform policymaking. We will be more interested in asking questions, rather than offer answers, and much of this will be done through self-exporation. This will help students appreciate the nuances in public policy frameworks in India. The pedagogy will include case-studies, hands-on learning, and real-world problem-solving activities that helps in equipping the student with the skills required in the workforce.
36 MINOR COURSES
| Introduction to Public Policy | Research Methods | Policy Analysis Project |
| Principles of Economics or Thinking like an Economist | Introduction to Demography | Education Policy |
| Quantitative Methods in Economics | Policy Formulation and Implementation | Gender and Development |
| Indian Society and Culture | Social Stratification | Special Topics in Public Policy |
| Social Welfare and Legislation | Contemporary Sociological Discourses | Environmental Economics |
| Microeconomics I/Managerial Economics | Indian Government and Politics | Policy Evaluation and Impact Assessment |
| Macroeconomics I | Law and Jurisprudence | Indian Politics and Policymaking |
| Fundamentals of Statistical Data Analysis | Poverty, Inequality and Social Policy | Economics Perspectives for Public Policy |
| Planning and Policymaking in India | Environmental Policy | Comparative Social Policy |
| Political Thought | Urban Governance and Development | Health Policy |
| Sociological Theory | Environmental Impact Assessment | Policy in Indian Context |
| Environmental Law and Governance | Public Economics | Special Topics in Public Policy |
Introduction to Public Policy
This course is premised on the academic opinion that graduates across all areas would do well to appreciate at least the basics of what a government does and what it is for. Governments are the superstructure that society and social living are built on. No walk of life is untouched by some government’s jurisdiction or unworthy of a government’s attention – not psychology, not dance, certainly not gaming. And yet, an average student knows far more about the basics of what businesses do than about governments. Businesses make and sell things. Can the student put equally simply what a government does? At the end of this course, s/he will. As a discipline, Public Policy is the study of what governments chooses to do in response to public concerns, how they arrive at those choices, and how we may improve the tools, processes and institutions involved. A key undertaking in the course is to chart its relationships with older established disciplines such as Economics, Law, Political Science and Public Administration so that students across subject areas use the broad Public Affairs vocabulary confidently and unambiguously and do not use disparate terms interchangeably. The course also includes a focused introduction to public administration. It introduces students to the meaning, nature, scope and importance of public administration, both as an academic field and as a profession. In this context, it explains the workings of the Indian and US governments. Additionally, it traces the new and emerging trends in the study as well as the practice of public administration.
Principles of Economics
This course is designed to expose the students to the basic principles of microeconomic and macroeconomic theory. The course will use examples from day-to-day activities and illustrate how microeconomic and macroeconomic concepts can be applied to analyze real life situations. This course also aims to develop the broad conceptual frameworks which will enable students to understand and comment upon real economic issues like GDP, inflation, money supply, and their interlinkages.
Thinking like an Economist
To explain the inner workings of an economist's brain would seem an impossible and thankless task. The stereotypical economist, after all, is more enamored of theory than reality, unable to reach conclusions and boring beyond all words.
This exciting course is taught in a non-technical way and will provide the students with a sound knowledge of the key principles of Economics. Economics is the issue of our times and influences almost every aspect of our lives. By drawing on real-world applications, students will learn to use the tools of economic analysis to offer an insight into every day events, answer simple and highly complex questions on a range of topics and explain the seemingly inexplicable behaviour of individuals, firms and governments.
Quantitative Methods in Economics
This course is designed to provide introduction to the basics concepts of mathematics to study economics. It will deal with fundamental concepts required to model, analyse and solve problems arising in economics. Students learn how to use and apply mathematics by working with several examples and exercises. Although not required but a formal training in mathematics at higher secondary level mathematics is helpful. This course sets the foundations for the higher level mathematics courses in economics.
Indian Society and Culture
This course is aimed at presenting an integrated understanding of the Indian society and its diverse cultures. It explores the pluralistic composition of Indian society focusing on tribal, rural and urban societies; enabling students to comprehend the diverse nature of Indian society and its culture. By understanding the social structures and cultural patterns embedded within it, the course will also facilitate an intercultural and multicultural understanding of the society. Students will also engage in reflecting on issues of national integration and identity. Students will critically examine the processes of social change and continuity in contemporary India
Social Welfare and Legislation
This course introduces students to the basic concepts and foundations of social welfare, welfare state and development. The course exposes students to the making of the Indian Constitution and welfare provisions of it. The course engages with the interface between the state and society within the ambit of social welfare and development. The course discusses functioning and role of various institutions and stakeholders in the process of designing, formulating and execution of various social welfare schemes and legislations from historical as well as contemporary perspectives through sociological lens.
Microeconomics I
This course offers a basic introduction to the microeconomics. It aims to provide students with basic theories and models that help in analysing different market forms by understanding the behaviour of consumers and firms, demand and supply of goods, and services and resources in the economy. Several complex processes in the world can be well understood with the help of the fundamental models in microeconomic theory. It will give them an insight into how humans and firms take decisions and how their decisions in turn affect each other. A good command over microeconomics is necessary for critically appraising public policy and other economic functions.
Managerial Economics
This course provides a foundation of economic theories and models for use in managerial decision-making. The course provides students with an overview of theories of demand, supply, production and competition and equips them with the tools and techniques to make effective economic decisions under different business environments.
Macroeconomics I
This is the first module in a two-module sequence that introduces students to the basic concepts of Macroeconomics. Macroeconomics deals with the aggregate economy. This course provides an overview of the basic concepts, measurements and institutions assisting in the functioning of an economic system. The course familiarizes students with macroeconomic tools, theory and policies. It will facilitate the students to understand economic problems at macro level and correlate theories to everyday economic scenarios. It also introduces students to various micro-founded theories of macro behaviour, e.g., consumption, investment behaviour of the households and firms and the demand for money.
Fundamentals of Statistical Data Analysis
This course introduces the rudiments of data analysis for students of social science. It will incorporate elementary but important methods for gathering and analysing data for answering questions of social, economic, cultural, political, and policy interest. By taking a models approach to understand data mainly from a practitioner’s perspective, this course will give students skills and knowledge to readily understand and analyse quantitative data.
Planning and Policymaking in India
This course introduces the students to the key constitutional structures and mechanisms that contribute to realization of policy goals and in turn influence the policies in India. The course will explore Indian political and administrative systems, and discuss the role and contributions of various policy tools and mechanisms employed for Planning and Policy making in India. It will discuss the role of stakeholders like Judiciary, executive, non-governmental organizations, and civil society in public policy planning and implementation in India. The varied facets of Indian government and politics are discussed to understand how various political, socio-economic, cultural, infrastructural, technological and global factors determine institutional change and its evolution, and how this has impacted its performance over time. Budgets, Five Year Plans and NITI Aayog are important institutional mechanisms that are central to the implementation of the policy goals. In addition, the structures established through the process of decentralization allow for effective implementation of policies at the local level. In recent times, programmes run in a mission mode have been the channel to translate policies into action. This course will enable the student to critically examine these institutional mechanisms and structures, their characteristics, dynamics and delivery in India.
This course will focus on the different facets of human development: education, health, gender, the family, land relations, risk, informal and formal norms and institutions. While studying each of these topics, it will ask: What determines the decisions of poor households in developing countries? What constraints are they subject to? Is there a scope for policy (by government, international organizations, or NGOs)? What policies have been tried out? Have they been successful?
Political Thought
This course introduces students to the political thought of key Western social and political philosophers. The selection offers an opportunity to understand the philosophical underpinnings that underlie the liberal-democratic systems of governance in the contemporary era. After tracing the development of political concepts through Western political thinking and practice since ancient Greece to modern times, students are encouraged to extrapolate from such experience and search for the best ways in which the concepts may be constructively applied to non-Western contexts.
Sociological Theory
This course will take an extensive look at different theoretical frameworks in classical sociology. It will focus on the contributions of leading sociologists representing different schools of thought. It will expose students to the central tenets and arguments ranging from the "classics" to contemporary formulations with a focus on their strengths and weaknesses. This will enable students comprehend the social world by exploring distinct trajectories with intersections, critiquing the same and developing a perspective/orientation of their own.
Environmental Law and Governance
Since the middle of the twentieth century, several advances have been made in understanding the nature of environmental dangers and degradations. Nonetheless, several issues remain unsettled and many dilemmas unresolved. This course raises questions pertaining to the responsibility, accountability, extent, and reasons behind environmental issues like deforestation, malnutrition, extinction, loss of biodiversity, climate change and many others to observe and construct associations and/or causal relations between environmental phenomena that transcend “conventional wisdom” or categories. This course also explores the role of laws and policies in various environmental issues. The main focus is on the application of policy, laws, and regulations through case studies of landmark judgements in the history of environmental law in India. In addition, the course examines and critically analyses the challenge of global environmental awareness and governance within an evolving international system and the implications of a country like India within that frame of reference.
Research Methods
The course covers the full cycle of conducting a research study in social sciences including design of a research study, data collection, analysis, and reporting. It aims to equip students with the conceptual understanding of current academic debates regarding different qualitative and quantiative research methods pertaining to social science research, and the practical skills to put those methods into practice in a research study. The course is organised in two parts - qualitative and quantitative research methods.
For the qualitative methods, the course covers the principal methods of collecting and analysing qualitative data: interviews, focus groups and participant observation. It analyses the various debates and challenges in qualitative research design with regards to research rigor and meeting the criteria of repeatablity, reliabilty and validity. It also addresses the challenges and opportunities of using new media, including visual images, social media and Internet research, in social science research and more specifically, in qualitatitive design. Three widely-used data analysis methods will be taught to students: thematic analysis, content analysis and discourse analysis. In addition, issues pertaining to literature review, research bias, data privacy and protection and ethics in a research study will also be addressed. Students will learn do basis data analysis using NVivo - a tool for analysing qualitative data.
The focus of quantitative section is on the use of statistical thinking to understand the social world. This section will familiarize students with basic tools of quantitative research methods that are adopted in social and political sciences. Topics include data as theory building, measurement validity and reliability, descriptive statistics (measures of central tendency and dispersion), bivariate analysis (correlation, contingency tables,), statistical inference (sampling, hypothesis testing) and introduction to statistical modeling (regression analysis). Additionally, students will learn to do some basic statistical analysis using Stata®, the software commonly used among social scientists.
This course is a combination of lectures, in-class lab sessions and individual or group classwork. Student performance will be evaluated by their class participation, weekly homework/classwork, a quiz and the final exam.
Introduction to Demography
This is an Introductory course on Demography, which focuses on measures of population, theories of population change and various social and economic processes which influence population change. The formal demography part will introduce measures of mortality, fertility, and migration, and the associated change in population and its composition. Students will learn to construct life tables and calculate measures of public health such as infant mortality and life expectancy. Forces of migration, models of migration and urbanization will be studied. Measuring fertility, and the social and economic theories of fertility change will be discussed. In the hands-on exercises, student will learn to project the population and its age and sex composition. In the social demography part, classical theories of population, demographic transition theories, and politics of population will be discussed. Debates on population growth and development, its impact on labor markets and education will also be studied in the course.
Policy Formulation and Implementation
This is an introductory course in public policy analysis. It begins with the basics and concisely describes government institutions, identifies principal policy actors, and examines the context in which public policies are made. In this sense, together with internal organizational factors, external factors such as the political, legal, social, and economic environments of public policy making are discussed. The course then provides students with the conceptual frameworks and the analytical models necessary for analyzing the process of public policy making. It discusses the nature of policy analysis and its practice, and illustrates how to employ evaluative criteria in substantive policy areas.
In sum, this course introduces students to the politics of policy making and equips them with the analytic tools necessary to understand how the interests and motivations of policy actors--both within and outside of government--impact an intricate, yet understandable, policy agenda. It exposes students to public policy and policy research and helps them comprehend the processes of policy analysis, program evaluation, and policy recommendation/advocacy.
Social Stratification
The course focuses on understanding stratification from a sociological perspective. It involves the study of social units, institutions, social formations and processes involving social stratification. This course will engage students in identifying and learning about the theoretical perspectives on social stratification and role played by various factors and institutions such as caste, class, race, gender and culture. The students will be exposed to the understanding and examining of concepts such as social status, role, power, social and natural inequality, poverty, hierarchies and differentiation. The course also focuses on processes of socialisation, networking, occupational mobility and change in the contemporary Indian society.
Contemporary Sociological Discourses
This course focuses on the sociological theories and discourses emerged during and after the mid-twentieth century. The course engages with the sociological discourses that continue to shape the contemporary debates and the empirical research in the area. The course carries forward the classical legacy of critical methods of sociological thoughts and brings in comparatively more contemporary developments and advances. The course exposes students to some of these major developments and their outcomes which are critical for understanding the contemporary world. The course highlights important developments, debates and discourses related to modernism, media, world-order, globalization and the ever changing socio-cultural dynamics at global and national level.
Indian Government and Politics
This course explores the theory and praxis of Indian government and politics, introducing students to the concepts of the state, constitutionalism, the parliamentary system, federalism, local governance, the supreme court, the election commission, and the party system. Furthermore, students will study how class, caste, gender, identity, tribe and religion interact with politics in contemporary India. Students will critically examine majoritarianism, social movements, nationalism, regionalism, secessionism, civil society and ideology in the Indian context. The course will equip students to question dominant narratives on Indian politics and develop their own ideas and opinions.
Law and Jurisprudence
This course is premised on the academic opinion that graduates across all areas would do well to appreciate at least the basics of what a government does and what it is for. Governments are the superstructure that society and social living are built on. The course will cover the main nuts and bolts of the legal system and the role that the legal system plays in shaping policy. Along with the structural features of different aspects of the legal system, different philosophical approaches to understanding law will also be explored.
Poverty, Inequality and Social Policy
A thorough understanding of poverty and inequality, both key aspects of current development policy discourse is germane for students of Public Policy. The course will examine definitions and indicators of poverty, multiple dimensions of poverty, inequality and development, causes of poverty and inequality and poverty reduction strategies globally as well as in India. It will also consider the relationship between poverty and inequality and why some countries (and regions within countries) have achieved poverty reduction and development and others have not. The course will also cover debates about welfare, distribution and social justice by drawing upon literature in politics, philosophy and economics.
During the lectures, students will be introduced to key themes, concepts and ideologies in social policy as well as the key pillars of the welfare state, namely social security, employment, health care, education, housing and food security. The lectures will draw upon both empirical data and broader theoretical literature to examine the goals, delivery mechanisms, success and failures of each of these policy areas in an international and comparative perspective and put current Indian social policies into this context. It will help students make connections between theoretical debates and ‘real-life’ policy issues in a changing social, political and economic context.
Environmental Policy
Only the seriously disillusioned would deny that the planet and its inhabitants are in trouble. The delicate balance of the various cyclic biogeochemical processes is under threat and human economic activity has left its mark on the home planet to an extent that the current geological age is now known as the Anthropocene. Governments around the world have long recognised the gravity of environmental concerns and their effects on welfare, and the area emerged as an important sector of policymaking activity in the 1970s.
Since then, though, both environmental problems and policy responses have grown in complexity. Rising awareness of environmental challenges has gone hand in hand with increasing intractability and widening political polarisation regarding the balance of key values at stake. In that backdrop, the study of the range of policy responses at the disposal of governments assumes critical importance.
This is among the broadest policy areas, and the course attempts to cover that breadth, from pollution and conservation to energy and recycling. Also, it covers contexts across the range of policy maturity in terms of policy principles. Besides learning about the policy sector, the course also serves as a broad overview of the elements of public policy in an applied manner.
Urban Governance and Development
This course will engage with 'Urban; from a conceptual and empirical lens. It will begin with a conceptual framework for understanding definitions of rural and urban in India and countries across the world. Course will discuss the global urban transition with a focus on Asian countries and India. It will give an insight into structure and functioning of urban local bodies in India, and challenges faced in urban governance. Contemporary challenges of urbanization in India such as urban congestion, housing, water and sanitation, waste management, pollution, and public health will be dealt with in class discussions. Course will have significant practical component with visits to the ULBs and interaction with officials.
At the end of the course, the students will be familiar with contemporary debates and discursive shifts in urban development paradigms, as well as appreciate the developmental challenges and policies addressing them.
Environmental Impact Assessment
The course is designed to highlight the application value of the theory and practice of EIA as operated nationally and internationally. It helps in dealing with the development and implementation of projects modulating development. This course introduces the field of integrated environmental management focusing on procedures, tools and techniques for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) with a special emphasis on impacts caused by human interventions on the multiple dimensions of environment and means of regulating and managing them.
Public Economics
The course on public economics basically studies the government policy in terms of economic efficiency and equity. The course also discusses the role and nature of government intervention and its implications for distribution, allocation, and stabilisation. Through the extensive use of micro theoretic tools, the course examines the relationship between an individual’s response to incentives and how government policies help to enhance social welfare. The course also discusses the application of these theories to the Indian economy. The topics covered in this course include: Theory of Social Goods and Role of the State, Public Expenditure, Public Revenue and Taxation, and Public Debt and Fiscal Federalism.
Policy Analysis Project
Among the primary aims of studying Public Policy is to get a grasp of well-rounded policy analysis – to develop the ability to produce such analysis and to professionally assess such products. The best way to demonstrate that is to produce a solid piece of analysis of a policy proposal or a policy instrument already in place. Unless otherwise directed by the instructor, the country, scope or context is no bar. Preferably though, it will be a contemporary problem.
Education Policy
Understanding education policy processes is a complex exercise since it requires understanding the historical legacy, contemporary political and social dynamics, existing theoretical knowledge base, interpretation of problems, comparative perspectives, framing of solutions and also appreciating policies as they are mediated through various institutional structures in practice. This course intends to help students analyse educational policies and their outcomes as embedded in three contexts: the perceived problems, the ideas and assumptions that underlie policy choices and the institutional structures and processes that mediate these policies. The purpose of the course is to enable students to critically reflect upon the policy context, processes, institutions and outcomes, and frame relevant and appropriate questions when presented with a policy proposal or an existing policy instrument. Given the complex and ever-changing education policy landscape in India, the course encourages students to examine the most critical, dominant policy choices vis-à-vis elementary education in India, analyse why certain policies have been formulated at certain points of time, explore the historical, political, social, and conceptual roots of these policy choices and the reasons for their continuities or shifts.
Gender and Development
It is now widely recognized that pervasive pre-existing gender inequalities mean that development processes have differential effects on women and men. Early feminist work highlighted the marginal position of women in development and advocated their integration. More recently, critiques have argued that women's marginality reflects the systematic gender bias in official statistics and development planning in general, and that women are already affected by and involved in development, although in locally variable and class specific ways. This course aims to explore key theoretical work in the area of gender and development, looking at different approaches that have shaped policy and practice in the global south. I cover issues ranging from the effect of globalization on women's employment to the meaning and significance of women's political representation. Using case studies from India and other developing nations, the course will also acquaint students with issues of women's role in production and reproduction, debates around care work and policy, gender, justice and violence, the role of microfinance initiatives in women's lives and the issues surrounding women's right to property. An important aim of the course is to familiarize students with local interventions in different settings aimed at empowering women from marginalized communities. Lastly, we will also explore the debates surrounding men's role and participation in women's development initiatives.
Environmental Economics
Economics is often defined as the study of allocation of scarce resources. Environmental Economics then might be somewhat provocatively be said to be economics par excellence – the discipline looks primarily at ‘resources’ in the literal sense. (A section of environmental thought argues for the conservation of the environment for its inherent intrinsic value, not for its economic uses for humans, which is what the word resource implies.) This is an intermediate course in environmental economics and some basic knowledge of microeconomics and mathematics in needed.
Policy Evaluation and Impact Assessment
Government Policies and Programs are designed to have particular outcomes in society and the economy. Public discourse typically focuses on policy-making and an assessment of policy intent. In many countries across the world, including India, the discourse is shifting from ideology-based policymaking to evidence-based policymaking. Policy evaluation and impact assessment are central to evidence-based policymaking.
This course is designed to provide an introduction to policy and program evaluation, and impact assessment. Students will get a thorough introduction to evidence-based policymaking. Students will get an understanding of the theoretical frameworks used in policy evaluation and impact assessment. Different quantitative and qualitative methods used for evaluation will be studied. Many examples of evaluation studies from South Asia, Africa and Europe will be discussed in class. Special emphasis will be laid on Indian Evaluations conducted by agencies such as JPAL, 3ie, and Pratham. Students will be exposed to different career options in Policy and Program Evaluation. Case studies, hands-on learning, and real-world problem-solving exercises will be included in the pedagogy to assist students obtain the skills needed for employment.
Indian Politics and Policymaking
This course will provide a sound introduction to India's political structure, constitution, and politics in policymaking. It will introduce fundamental concepts in political science and how these impact public policy. The course will provide an overview of the formation of the Indian state from colonial to postcolonial society in India and the institutional structures inherited and recreated by the onstitution and the Indian State. It will introduce the students to the key constitutional structures and echanisms that contribute to policymaking and implementation in India. It will sensitize students to the discourses on India's Federal structure, Union-State relations, Decentralisation and devolution of power to local bodies. With the background and the framework provided in the course, students will be encouraged to critically analyse policymaking in contemporary India. The approach will involve case studies, hands-on learning, and real-world problem-solving exercises to assist students acquire the skills necessary for the profession.
Economics Perspectives for Public Policy
The course will debate certain fundamental questions on what makes certain countries and societies richer or poorer? It traces the key ideas on Wealth of Nations and Welfare of people and theories in economics and Wealth of Nations from Adam Smith, Karl Marx, Keynes, Hayak, and Amartya Sen. Students will be introduced to economic thinking in the allocation of scarce resources, the role of incentives, and opportunity costs in decision making. It will incorporate debates and insights from microeconomics and macroeconomics in policy decisions. At the end of the course, students should be able to apply general ideas in economics, economic theories and models, to policies such as the impact of taxation and wages, minimum support price on agriculture production and farmers income, unemployment and inflation, gender wage gap, policy incentives and industrial growth. The approach will involve case studies, hands-on learning, and real-world problem-solving exercises to assist students acquire the skills necessary for the profession.
Comparative Social Policy
Why do social policies differ from country to country? How can we explain these differences? Why are some governments more successful than others in solving particular social problems? These are the key questions that will be explored in this course that explores welfare systems and policy developments across a range of countries. The comparative element is a key part of the course, and is meant to help students engage with social policies from around the globe, and the role of international agendas and organisations in international and national social policy. It aims to equip them with the theoretical, conceptual and analytical tools to examine contemporary social policies in both national and international contexts. It will enable them to draw on theories and concepts and interpret a range of forms of evidence in analysing policy developments and their social impacts. Some of the topics that will be covered include: the emergence of the welfare state; the mixed economy of welfare; the scale of welfare provision; examination of specific policy domains e.g. Social security; criminal justice; housing; education; children and families; employment and migration. The pedagogy will include case-studies, hands-on learning, and real-world problem-solving activities that helps in equipping the student with the skills required in the workforce.
Health Policy
This course aims to acquaint students with health care systems and health policies across the globe, focusing on developing countries like India. The course will discuss various institutions and actors that are involved in health policy formulation as well as implementation, and explore the interplay between these. It will discuss the issues of right to health, and equitable access of health care. A critical comparison of health care systems and policies across the globe will provide an understanding of diverse facets of health systems. A few significant health care plans and policies will be evaluated to explore the effects of social determinants of health among citizens of the global south and elsewhere.
Policy in Indian Context
Why do we pass absurd policies in India?
This is the central question around which the course is woven. All of us can list down several laws and policies that have glaringly apparent issues. This is not the question of politics (politicians are not fools, nor are they interested in antagonizing people because they need votes). We will investigate these so-called absurdities and judge them, theoretically (analytically) and empirically (experientially).
Said differently, we will view public policy through the context of India, and not through its universalized, theoretical understanding. The exploration is not about comparative view of public policies in India and other countries (which is a given), but making sense of the difference. Questions of culture, ethics, religion, value systems, social psychology and colonial history will become important in this exploration.
We will invite students to grapple with issues surrounding morality and context in India and locate these findings to explore the relationship between individual and the society, and how in India, it may inform policymaking. We will be more interested in asking questions, rather than offer answers, and much of this will be done through self-exporation. This will help students appreciate the nuances in public policy frameworks in India. The pedagogy will include case-studies, hands-on learning, and real-world problem-solving activities that helps in equipping the student with the skills required in the workforce.