16 November 2024 : The Hindu Editorial Analysis

1. India needs a globally recognised public policy school

(Source – The Hindu, International Edition – Page No. – 6)

Topic: GS2 – Governance, GS2 – Social Justice – Education

Context

India, despite being the world’s largest democracy, lacks a globally renowned public policy institution.Centralised executive power and limited legislative influence undermine the policy ecosystem’s vibrancy. An India-centric institution must address local power dynamics and foster non-partisan, empathy-driven governance to create meaningful developmental and policy impacts.

Lack of Influence in Power and Decision-Making

• Public policy institutions thrive when they can influence power and decision-making processes.
• In India, decision-making is centralised within the executive, led by the political elite and bureaucrats, sidelining public policy academics and civil society groups.
• The legislative oversight over the executive is limited, leading to a less deliberative policy ecosystem compared to other democracies.

Comparison with the United States

• In the U.S., Congress independently crafts legislation, creating multiple entry points for public policy schools, think tanks, and advocacy groups to influence policymaking.
• This decentralised process sustains a vibrant ecosystem where funding and influence are linked to analysis, debate, and expertise.
• In contrast, India’s centralised power limits the role of these institutions unless they align with top leadership and political priorities.

Fragility and Dependence on Power

• The influence of policy professionals in India is heavily tied to who is in power, leading to instability when regimes change.
• In institutionalised democracies, think tanks and civil society groups maintain influence regardless of political transitions, ensuring a stable policy ecosystem.

Designing an Institution for India’s Reality

• A world-class public policy institution in India must account for the informal, personalised nature of power.
• The curriculum should include:
  • Traditional policy expertise.
  • Understanding of India’s unique power dynamics, including caste hierarchies, regional elites, and grassroots movements.
  • Pragmatism in navigating opaque and unevenly distributed power structures.
• Empathy for the lived realities of Indian people should be cultivated, moving away from top-down diktats to people-centric governance.

Building Institutional Space for Nation-Building

• Political legitimacy and influence in India are overly tied to the executive, resulting in sycophancy and instability.
• A public policy institution should foster a space where legitimacy is based on the quality of public interventions, not proximity to power.
• Diverse partnerships across political, bureaucratic, and civil society sectors can provide stability and opportunities for influence regardless of regime changes.

Global Impact of an India-Centric Policy Institution

• A public policy school grounded in local realities can influence power effectively and set an example for developing nations.
• Such an institution would demonstrate the importance of adapting policy education to specific political and social contexts, gaining global prominence.

Practice Question:  Examine the challenges faced by public policy institutions in India in influencing governance and policy making. Discuss how an India-centric approach to policy education can address these challenges and strengthen democratic governance. (250 Words /15 marks)