The Policy Post

Building businesses, technology, and the middle class

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 01:30:24 GMT

Dear reader,

The Policy Post this week brings to you

Rwanda’s use of drones to bypass mountains and roads for blood delivery
The structural crisis facing the Indian middle class
Building businesses: how to build and how to verify growth

As always, we wrap up with a curated list of opportunities.

If you want regular access to similar updates and opportunities in your city and local policy ecosystem, you can join our City Chapters: here!

Reading time: 3 minutes. Let’s get into it!

⁉️PPI’s Policy or Parody?

💬Policy Charcha - one thing to learn this week

The middle class is the fastest-growing major segment of the Indian population in both percentage and absolute terms, rising at 6.3% per year. It now represents 31% of the population and is expected to be 60% in 2047.

This video discusses the structural crisis the Indian middle class faces. It examines collapsing job prospects, falling real wages, and the shift from corporate careers towards entrepreneurial thinking in India today.

👀What caught our eye

Rwanda tripled its blood donation rates between 2000 and 2018 using drones.

One of the country’s major challenges in providing blood to those in need, especially in rural and remote areas, is the country’s terrain - including impassable mountains and damaged roads.

Rwanda uses a drone technology called ‘Zipline’ which cuts blood delivery times down from four hours to just 15 minutes in some cases. It avoided the cost of stable road networks and electrical grids by leapfrogging to drone deliveries.

⚡The Catalyst Corner

In Partnership With Swasti, The Health Catalyst

How do we know a business is thriving?

Increased turnover, reduced costs, improved supply chains, and secure livelihoods for the workers.

What are some ways an organisation can help a business thrive?

By providing

Marketing assistance: Onboarding support to small and large businesses on major B2B and B2C e-commerce platforms to amplify profits.
Financing Services: Easy access to unsecured term loans for small and large businesses.
Digital services: Providing automation software to help increase productivity and reduce the cost of doing business.

These are a few strategies used by the Business Catalyst program to assist 500+ factories, 5000+ women-owned businesses, and 50,000+ MSMEs.

Read how Business Catalyst works!

💼Careers Corner: 100s of opportunities across the policy and impact space every week!

A curated list of some of the best jobs and internship opportunities this week from the world of public policy, the development sector, impact consulting and communications at large.

📩 Best bit - if you know of a job/internship opening that’s not listed here, kindly just add that as a comment on the sheet: giving 20,000+ people immediate access to it!

Jobs/Internships Master Database

⁉️Policy or Parody?

🌷PPI Referral Program: Help us grow our community

Thank you for taking the time to read The Policy Post this week. If you find what we do at PPI to be of value, please spread the word.

The Policy Post delivers new career opportunities, interesting policy ideas, and useful policy giveaways every Friday!
Know a friend who might find this useful?

Refer the newsletter to them and earn fun rewards!

5 successful referrals - get access to the Policy Organisations database that lists over 650 organisations working in different policy domains across India!
10 successful referrals - have a 30-minute policy and careers chat with Yash Agarwal (Founder, PPI and STRIDE)!

Refer a friend

Make sure to use the above link while referring for automatic rewards upon referrals! :D

See you next week!

Scholarship giveaway, sustainable livelihoods built on plastic, and a wellbeing budget

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 01:30:50 GMT

Dear reader,

The Policy Post this week brings to you

Scholarship Giveaway for MA in Public Policy and E-Governance program at RV University: up to 50% scholarship
Generating employment through repurposing and recycling plastic
DPI from a socio-technical lens
New Zealand’s wellbeing budget

As always, we wrap up with a curated list of opportunities.

If you want regular access to similar updates and opportunities in your city and local policy ecosystem, you can join our City Chapters: here!

Reading time: 3 minutes. Let’s get into it!

⁉️PPI’s Policy or Parody?

💬Policy Charcha - one thing to learn this week

Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) is often positioned as puzzle pieces that seamlessly slot into existing infrastructure in the Global South. It is not.

This essay discusses how to frame DPI in a way that keeps social and political questions front and centre, instead of treating them as afterthoughts to implementation.

Read the full article here!

🎓 Scholarship giveaway: up to 50% of tuition fee

In partnership with RV University.

The MA in Public Policy and E-Governance program at RV University is:

🟣 Open to graduates from all academic and professional backgrounds

🟣 Two years

🟣 Has interdisciplinary curriculum (digital innovation, sustainability, development, and public policy) backed by hands-on fieldwork exposure

🟣 The UPSC Advantage: The school supports civil services aspirants, offering collaborations with leading coaching institutes to assist in preparation.

🟣 It expands students’ reach through international collaborations and exchange programs.

Apply now!!

📌 If you apply via PPI, be sure to mention us as your reference to be considered for the waiver.

👀What caught our eye

New Zealand’s Wellbeing Budget

The Wellbeing Budget is founded on the idea that financial prosperity alone is not a sufficient measure of the quality of a nation’s life.

New Zealand, hence, prepared a budget for five priority areas:

Taking mental health seriously, improving child wellbeing, supporting Māori and Pasifika aspirations, building a productive nation, and transforming the economy.

⚡The Catalyst Corner

In Partnership With Swasti, The Health Catalyst

Plastic pollution is a serious problem. So is unemployment.

Noble Plastics works on solving both. It creates jobs and sustainable livelihoods, by employing local communities to reduce plastic use, plant trees, and repurpose and recycle plastic.

Doing so, it has generated over INR 90 lakh in wages for marginalised groups, planted 20,500 trees, and kept away 600+ tonnes of plastic from landfills and waterways.

Read on Noble Plastics!

💼Careers Corner: 100s of opportunities across the policy and impact space every week!

A curated list of some of the best jobs and internship opportunities this week from the world of public policy, the development sector, impact consulting and communications at large.

📩 Best bit - if you know of a job/internship opening that’s not listed here, kindly just add that as a comment on the sheet: giving 20,000+ people immediate access to it!

Jobs/Internships Master Database

⁉️Policy or Parody?

🌷PPI Referral Program: Help us grow our community

Thank you for taking the time to read The Policy Post this week. If you find what we do at PPI to be of value, please spread the word.

The Policy Post delivers new career opportunities, interesting policy ideas, and useful policy giveaways every Friday!
Know a friend who might find this useful?

Refer the newsletter to them and earn fun rewards!!

5 successful referrals - get access to the Policy Organisations database that lists over 650 organisations working in different policy domains across India!
10 successful referrals - have a 30 minute policy and careers chat with Yash Agarwal (Founder, PPI and STRIDE)!

Refer a friend

Make sure to use the above link while referring for automatic rewards upon referrals! :D

See you next week!

Scholarship giveaway, reducing homelessness, and betting on nuclear

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 01:30:14 GMT

Dear reader,

The Policy Post this week brings to you

Scholarship Giveaway for MA in Public Policy and E-Governance program at RV University: up to 50% scholarship
Finland’s ‘Housing First’ Policy
Fair compensation for farmers - an alternative to FPCs
Why India is betting big on nuclear when countries like Germany are shutting theirs down?

As always, we wrap up with a curated list of opportunities.

If you want regular access to similar updates and opportunities in your city and local policy ecosystem, you can join our City Chapters: here!

Reading time: 4 minutes. Let’s get into it!

⁉️PPI’s Policy or Parody?

💬Policy Charcha - one thing to learn this week

India's Union Budget 2025 announced a ₹20,000 crore Nuclear Energy Mission with a target of 100 GW by 2047. That's 12x where we are today.

This video discusses why India is betting big on nuclear when countries like Germany are shutting theirs down.

🎓Scholarship giveaway: up to 50% of tuition fee

In partnership with RV University.

The MA in Public Policy and E-Governance program at RV University is:

🟣 Open to Graduates from all academic and professional backgrounds

🟣 Two years

🟣 Has interdisciplinary curriculum (digital innovation, sustainability, development, and public policy) backed by hands-on fieldwork exposure

🟣 The UPSC Advantage: The school supports civil services aspirants, offering collaborations with leading coaching institutes to assist in preparation.

🟣 It expands students’ reach through international collaborations and exchange programs.

Apply now!!

📌 If you apply via PPI, be sure to mention us as your reference to be considered for the scholarship.

👀What caught our eye

Finland’s ‘Housing First’ Policy!

Unlike traditional homelessness models that many countries use - which often require people to address their problems with substance abuse or mental illness before being assigned housing - stable housing comes first in Finland's initiative. Once participants in the program have a place to stay, they receive other support services to help them deal with substance abuse or other challenges.

By providing shelter without preconditions, Finland reduced homelessness by 76% from 2008 to 2017.

⚡The Catalyst Corner

In Partnership With Swasti, The Health Catalyst

With confidence in Farmer Producer Companies decreasing, smallholder farmers often find themselves indebted to traders and are compelled to sell their produce at unfavourable margins.

Catalyst Livelihood Ventures (CLV) Farm is an agri-marketing initiative that works with smallholder farmers to improve produce quality and procure their commodities, facilitated by the FPC. CLV sells these commodities to large buyers and brands at a premium generated through value-added activities, ensuring the farmers receive fair compensation for their risk and effort.

💼Careers Corner: 30+ new listings this week

A curated list of some of the best jobs and internship opportunities this week from the world of public policy, the development sector, impact consulting and communications at large.

📩 Best bit - if you know of a job/internship opening that’s not listed here, kindly just add that as a comment on the sheet: giving 20,000+ people immediate access to it!

Jobs/Internships Master Database

⁉️Policy or Parody?

🌷PPI Referral Program: Help us grow our community

Thank you for taking the time to the read The Policy Post this week. If you find what we do at PPI to be of value, please spread the word.

The Policy Post delivers new career opportunities, interesting policy ideas, and useful policy giveaways every Friday!
Know a friend who might find this useful?

Refer the newsletter to them and earn fun rewards!!

5 successful referrals - get access to the Policy Organisations database that lists over 650 organisations working in different policy domains across India!
10 successful referrals - have a 30 minute policy and careers chat with Yash Agarwal (Founder, PPI and STRIDE)!

Refer a friend

Make sure to use the above link while referring for automatic rewards upon referrals! :D

See you next week!

State Of Policy In India, 2026 Report, Crows As Clean-up Crew, And Participatory Budgets

Fri, 24 Jul 2026 01:31:14 GMT

Dear fellow policy enthusiasts,

The Policy Post this week brings to you

Reimagining City Budgets Through Citizen Participation
State Of Policy In India, 2026 Report
Crows used to pick up litter - a cost-cutting drive

As always, we wrap up with a curated list of opportunities.

If you want regular access to similar updates and opportunities in your city and local policy ecosystem, you can join our City Chapters: here!

Reading time: 3 minutes. Let’s get into it!

⁉️PPI’s Policy or Parody?

💬Policy Charcha - one thing to learn this week

Municipal budgets, collectively handle between ₹1.5 and ₹1.8 lakh crore annually.

This essay discusses how municipal budgets are perhaps the most neglected documents in Indian democracy.

Read on participatory budget here!

👀What caught our eye

Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published

We can teach crows to pick up cigarette butts but we can’t teach people not to throw them on the ground.

New Caledonian crows, a member of the corvid family of birds, are as good at reasoning as a human seven-year-old. The Corvid Cleaning Company has now recruited these crows to pick up discarded cigarette butts from the streets and squares of a Swedish city as part of a cost-cutting drive.

🏙️State Of Policy In India, 2026 Report

What does it actually take to build a career in Indian policy right now? Nobody’s put that on record yet.

We’re building the first honest record of what it’s actually like to work in Indian policy, the entry points nobody warns you about, the pay nobody talks about, why you’re still here or thinking about leaving.

Your answers become ‘State of Policy in India’ 2026, STRIDE’s first flagship report.

10 minutes. Fully anonymous. Due July 25, 2026.

Everyone who responds gets a curated, exclusive list of career opportunities and resources from PPI, sent to your inbox.

Beyond that:

🟣 10 respondents get 1 on 1 chat on all things policy and careers with our Founder, Yash Agarwal

🟣 3 respondents get invited to the launch event with travel/stay covered by PPI

🟣 The most insightful respondent gets invited to join PPI for a paid, remote, fixed term fellowship role

🟣 PPI merch for some of the best respondents

And so much more!!!

Take the survey here!

⚡The Catalyst Corner

In Partnership With Swasti, The Health Catalyst

Unless we address how the health system is experienced, a life of well-being may remain a distant dream for the marginalised. This is the foundational understanding behind Swasti’s flagship program, Invest4Wellness (i4We), as well as, their incubation of the CPHC Alliance.

i4We is a system innovation in primary healthcare. It combines health and wealth interventions, and focuses on well-being for the poor and marginalised communities. It is intentionally designed to be affordable, quality-assured, and scalable.

It is currently delivered in four settings: urban, rural, factories, and sex workers’ collectives, and is adapted to each of these contexts.

💼Careers Corner: 50+ new listings this week

A curated list of some of the best jobs and internship opportunities this week from the world of public policy, the development sector, impact consulting and communications at large.

📩 Best bit - if you know of a job/internship opening that’s not listed here, kindly just add that as a comment on the sheet: giving 20,000+ people immediate access to it!

Jobs/Internships Master Database

⁉️Policy or Parody?

Thank you for taking the time to the read The Policy Post this week. If you find what we do at PPI to be of value, please spread the word.

You can also check out our City Chapters: here where we share career opportunities, events happening, and other policy-related information.

See you next week with more opportunities! :)

FREE advice by 'policy ka Rancho', drop in homicides in India and musical stairs

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 01:31:26 GMT

Dear reader,

The Policy Post this week brings to you

Musical stairs in Kochi metro
Homicide trends in India
Founder Hours - ask your questions to Yash
Assisting smallholder farmers

As always, we wrap up with a curated list of opportunities.

Reading time: 2 minutes. Let’s get into it!

⁉️PPI’s Policy or Parody?

🏙️Founder Hours

Do you have a policy question but don’t know who to ask?

Yash Agarwal, the founder of Public Policy India, is an educator, community builder, and a professional in tech-policy. With 8+ years of experience across Parliament, Twitter India and South Asia, consulting, and ICANN, Yash has extensive experience in different areas of the policy space.

And you can ask him all your policy-related questions!

We are hosting Founder Hours on the 3rd Friday of every month from 5.30pm to 7pm on YouTube live.

Follow the steps to chat with Yash:

🟣 Watch this YouTube video that answers FAQs on the policy space:

🟣Fill this form with your questions: click here

🟣Join the YouTube live on the 3rd Friday at 5.30pm

Ask your questions now!

👀What caught our eye

Musical stairs at Kochi Metro Station

How can stairs be more fun? Add music to it!

Kochi Metro Rail Ltd, in its effort to attract footfalls and promote its motto “Health with enjoyment”, did just that!

It added laser beam lights and music to the stairs to make it into a functional, large-scale keyboard.

💬Policy Charcha - one thing to learn this week

The number of female victims of murder has remained virtually unchanged over the last 25 years, even as the number of male victims of murder fell by over 30% over the same time period.

This essay discusses trends in homicides in India.

Read the article here!

⚡The Catalyst Corner

In Partnership With Swasti, The Health Catalyst

Smallholder farmers often lack integrated services, have limited access to diversified income opportunities, and operate without the institutional support needed to reduce risks. 3Fold addresses these gaps by creating a sustainable ecosystem at the cluster level that provides integrated solutions, diversified livelihood options and strong market and institutional linkages.
How Vrutti Impact Catalysts Covers 42,500 Farming Families?
3Fold starts with each farmer developing a personal growth plan and a business plan for farm, allied and non-farm enterprises. Based on this plan, farmers receive advisory support, mentoring, capacity building and access to the integrated 6C Services.
Read more about Vrutti's work here!

💼Careers Corner: 30+ new openings this week!

A curated list of some of the best jobs and internship opportunities this week from the world of public policy, the development sector, impact consulting and communications at large.

📩 Best bit - if you know of a job/internship opening that’s not listed here, kindly just add that as a comment on the sheet: giving 20,000+ people immediate access to it!

Jobs/Internships Master Database

⁉️Policy or Parody?

A survey on the State of Policy in India, YLAC Policy Collective, and communities developed through women

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 01:30:17 GMT

Dear reader,

The Policy Post this week brings to you

A survey for you to contribute to the State of Policy in India, 2026 Report
Sameer Shetty and Neelkanth Mishra’s discussion on Indian economy
How communities can be developed by investing on women
YLAC Policy Collective - Applications open now

As always, we wrap up with a curated list of opportunities.

Let’s get into it!

🏙️PPI’s State of Policy in India, 2026 Report

What does it actually take to build a career in Indian policy right now? Nobody’s put that on record yet.

Your answers become State of Policy in India 2026, STRIDE’s first flagship report.

10 minutes. Fully anonymous. Due July 15, 2026.

Everyone who responds gets a curated list of free tools from PPI, sent to your inbox.

Beyond that:

🟣 10 respondents get 1 on 1 chat on all things policy and careers with our Founder, Yash Agarwal

🟣 3 respondents get invited to the launch event with travel/stay covered by PPI

🟣 The most insightful respondent gets invited to join PPI for a paid, remote, fixed term fellowship role

🟣 PPI merch for some of the best respondents

And so much more!!!

Take the survey here!

📍 Keep an eye on your chapter’s WhatsApp group for all updates

Not in a chapter yet? Find and join your city chapter here →

🎥 Video of the Week

India remains among the fastest-growing major economies in the world, with its growth projected at 6.6% in FY27.

In this video, Sameer Shetty speaks with Neelkanth Mishra to explore the evolving state of India’s economy and what lies ahead. Together, they examine what slowed growth in 2025 and why those headwinds are now easing.

📈What Does 25 Years of Community-Led Development Look Like?

For 25 years, Cohesion Foundation Trust has worked with a simple belief: when you invest in women, entire communities thrive.

As it marked its silver jubilee this June, the organisation reflected on stories of resilience, leadership, and locally led change - from women farmers and community leaders to stronger Anganwadi systems built in partnership with HCL Foundation.

Looking ahead, Cohesion has set an ambitious vision for 2030:

building climate-resilient communities,
strengthening women’s leadership,
improving youth wellbeing,
influencing policy, and
reaching one million lives through community-owned development.
Read more on Cohesion's work here!

🎓 YLAC Policy Collective - Apply now!

What if your campus became one of the most vibrant spaces in India for debate, dialogue, and democratic leadership?

That’s what the YLAC Policy Collective is building. And YLAC wants you to lead it.

Last year, in their pilot, YLAC had 16 chapters, across 4 cities with 400+ members, and engaged 3,500+ students.

These students reached out to Members of Parliament, ran debates and policy discussions, led research projects, and turned their campuses into real spaces for civic engagement.

This year, YLAC is going national and are on the look out for the next generation of founders.

Eligibility: Any UG/PG student in India, with 9+ months left before graduation. No prior policy experience needed. (Applying with a founding team of 3–6 strengthens your shot, but solo applications are welcome too!)

Apply by: 2nd August 2026

Decisions by: 21st August 2026

Apply now!

Will your campus be next?

🏙️Want to become a leader in the policy ecosystem from your home city?

Public Policy India has built 40+ chapters across India’s 25 largest cities. And if you’re an individual enthusiastic about policy and impact, you have the opportunity to build the policy ecosystem in your city, emerging as a leader!

PPI is looking for City Policy Chapter Leaders. We are looking for persons who would commit a couple of hours every week to build our policy community.

Being a CPCL gives you the opportunity to build a community in your city, build your communication and leadership skills, and emerge as a leader recognised in the policy ecosystem of your region and across India.

Apply now!

Deadline: 12th July, 2026.

🔎 Databases and Guides:

Discover your ultimate career resource sheets for everything related to public policy! Our comprehensive mega-lists include 150+ hiring organisations, 200+ scholarships, and 150+ courses, podcasts and a lot more. Dive in and unlock your next big opportunity!

100s of resources

🌍Climate + Health Corner

In Partnership With Swasti, The Health Catalyst

Enhanced flash flood Risks in Hindu Kush Himalaya due to erratic monsoon and high temperatures: ICIMOD

The communities in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region could face enhanced risks from flash floods due to bursts of extreme rainfall and cloudbursts during the southwest monsoon season along with high temperatures which could lead to accelerated glacier and snow melting, according to scientists from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).

Read the full article here!

💼Careers Corner

A curated list of some of the best jobs and internship opportunities this week from the world of public policy, the development sector, impact consulting and communications at large.

📩 Best bit - if you know of a job/internship opening that’s not listed here, kindly just add that as a comment on the sheet: giving 20,000+ people immediate access to it!

Jobs/Internships Master Database

A "fine" lottery, think like a policymaker in 7 days, and marine litter

Fri, 03 Jul 2026 01:31:15 GMT

Dear reader,

The Policy Post this week brings to you

What Can a Glass of Milk Teach You About Policy?
How Volkswagen made a lottery out of speeding tickets
What plastic is doing to the ocean

As always, we wrap up with a curated list of opportunities.

Let’s get into it!

⁉️The PPI Policy Question: Policy or Parody?

A government is developing new offices in the middle of the jungle for digital nomads who are tired of sitting back at home.

Is this a real policy or a total parody?

👉 Answer at the bottom of the newsletter.

👀What caught our eye

The Speed Camera Lottery

Volkswagen conducted an experiment that saw the average speed drop from 32kmph before the experiment to 25 kmph during the experiment.

If you are someone who enjoys an innovative take on daily civic issues, this video is for you!

📝Policymaking Challenge By India House:

A glass of milk is never just a glass of milk. Behind almost everything that shapes our everyday lives lies a web of policies and systems most of us never notice. Policy thinking helps you see them.

The Start Thinking in Policy Challenge (STIP-C) by India House is a 7-day online challenge that helps you develop a policymaker’s lens: one real-world challenge at a time.

What to expect: 7 days | 60 minutes a day | Online | Certificate upon completion

As the Community Partner for this cohort, Public Policy India (PPI) members are also eligible for exclusive India House goodies, with rewards for the top-performing participants.

It started with a glass of milk. Soon, you’ll start seeing policy everywhere.

🗓️ Applications close: 12 July.

🔎 Databases and Guides:

100s of resources

🌍Climate + Health Corner

In Partnership With Swasti, The Health Catalyst

Plastic as marine litter

Plastics are the largest component of human-generated solid waste entering the seas and oceans. This essay discusses the dump of plastic, its consequences, and the lack of action taken.

Read the full article here!

💼Careers Corner

A curated list of some of the best jobs and internship opportunities this week from the world of public policy, the development sector, impact consulting and communications at large.

📩 Best bit - if you know of a job/internship opening that’s not listed here, kindly just add that as a comment on the sheet: giving 20,000+ people immediate access to it!

Jobs/Internships Master Database

⁉️Policy or Parody?

Answer: It is a real policy. Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board is working to develop new offices in the middle of the jungle for digital nomads who are tired of sitting back at home.

Trash bins with sound effects, heat and its many effects, and a wrap on PPI's Policy Circles

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 01:30:14 GMT

Dear reader,

The Policy Post this week brings to you

How Volkswagen made trash bins fun (and effective)
The increasing heat, its effects on India’s agriculture and Europe’s economy
A wrap of PPI’s Policy Circles

As always, we wrap up with a curated list of opportunities.

Let’s get into it!

⁉️The PPI Policy Question: Policy or Parody?

A. Citizens directly voted on how portions of local budgets should be spent.

B. Citizens directly voted on ministerial salaries each year.

👉 Answer at the bottom of the newsletter.

👀What caught our eye

Volkswagen made using the trash bin fun!

A regular trash can wired with motion-activated depth sound effects - made dropping the litter into the trash bin feel fun, different, and exciting.

The result: Volkswagen collected 72 kilograms of trash in one day.

🏙️PPI’s Policy Circles - a wrap

PPI hosted 25 policy circles across India’s 20 largest cities!

In the past 6 months, we hosted in-person meetups for our community in back-to-back weekends. And each circle was truly a pleasure to host!

We are so grateful to everyone who took the time to attend the circle, join the conversation, and make the community more vibrant and meaningful. It was a joy to host in-person meetups across India and see policy enthusiasts come together!

If you couldn’t make it, no worries! We plan to host many more meetups in the future. 📍 Keep an eye on your chapter’s WhatsApp group for all updates

Not in a chapter yet? Find and join your city chapter here →

Find your photos here!

📝Essay of the Week

Combined heat-and-drought events have already reduced average household incomes by almost 3 per cent across Europe.

This essay discusses the drying and heating up of Europe causing deepening poverty and inequality.

Read the full article here!

🔎 Databases and Guides:

100s of resources

🌍Climate + Health Corner

In Partnership With Swasti, The Health Catalyst

India among countries most exposed as El Niño threatens rainfed crops, FAO says

El Niño has arrived, with forecasts warning of a growing chance of a “super” El Niño later this year. FAO says India is among the countries most exposed to agricultural drought, with rainfed crops such as rice and maize at risk during the kharif season.

Read the full article here!

💼Careers Corner

A curated list of some of the best jobs and internship opportunities this week from the world of public policy, the development sector, impact consulting and communications at large.

📩 Best bit - if you know of a job/internship opening that’s not listed here, kindly just add that as a comment on the sheet: giving 20,000+ people immediate access to it!

Jobs/Internships Master Database

⁉️Policy or Parody?

Answer: A. Citizens directly voted on how portions of local budgets should be spent.

Participatory budgeting is widely used.

Policy Penalty at the World Cup, PPI's Policy Circle in Bengaluru, and a Bonn Climate Conference Warning on Earth's Deterioration

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 01:31:20 GMT

Dear reader,

The Policy Post this week brings to you

The ban imposed by the Government of Argentina on attending the World Cup
Climate-fuelled landslides leading to the death of 58 of world’s rarest great apes in 4 days
PPI’s latest policy circle in Bengaluru
Paper at Bonn Climate Conference 2026 warns that Earth’s vital signs are deteriorating at an unprecedented pace since the last UN climate assessment.

As always, we wrap up with a curated list of opportunities.

Let’s get into it!

⁉️The PPI Policy Question: Policy or Parody?

A. A government taxed sugary beverages to reduce consumption.

B. A government capped the number of sugar-sweetened beverages an adult can purchase in a week.

👉 Answer at the bottom of the newsletter.

👀Spotlight of the week/What caught our eye

Argentina’s Ban on Attending the World Cup

The Government of Argentina has provided U.S. authorities with a list of approximately 13,000 parents who have defaulted on child support payments. The aim is to prevent these individuals from attending the 2026 World Cup.

The mayor of Buenos Aires has been unequivocal: “If they don’t provide for their children, they will not be allowed into the stadium.”

This measure stems from a national government program called ‘Safe Stands’. Known locally as Tribuna Segura, ‘Safe Stands’ is a national security initiative that uses state databases to enforce bans from sporting events.

🏙️PPI’s Policy Circle in Bengaluru

PPI came to Bengaluru again - last Saturday (June 13)!

The highlight was our speaker for the session!

Ravi Sreedharan, co-founder and President of ISDM, talked to us about his transition to the social sector after a 24-year career in the corporate world, the experiences that shaped him, and how ISDM was founded to better manage the unprecedented developments happening in India.

The session was preceded by 40+ people having multiple simultaneous conversations over iced tea, and followed by people writing the policy gaps they feel passionate about in our policy nook, discussing careers, aspirations, and policy, and not wanting to leave the room (honestly, same)!

📍 Keep an eye on your chapter’s WhatsApp group for all updates

Not in a chapter yet? Find and join your city chapter here →

📝Essay of the Week

Global greenhouse gas emissions have reached an all-time high of 56.8 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, mainly from fossil fuel use.

This essay discusses how Earth’s vital signs have deteriorated at an unprecedented pace since the last UN climate assessment (as per a new paper released at Bonn Climate Conference 2026.)

Read the essay here!

🔎 Databases and Guides:

100s of resources

🌍Climate + Health Corner

In Partnership With Swasti, The Health Catalyst

Climate-fuelled landslides may have killed 58 of world’s rarest great apes in 4 days

Climate change intensified rainfall from Cyclone Senyar may have killed 58 Tapanuli orangutans, the world’s rarest great ape, a new study says. The suspected deaths represent about 7% of the species’ total wild population, which is estimated at fewer than 800 individuals.

Read the article here!

💼Careers Corner

A curated list of some of the best jobs and internship opportunities this week from the world of public policy, the development sector, impact consulting and communications at large.

📩 Best bit - if you know of a job/internship opening that’s not listed here, kindly just add that as a comment on the sheet: giving 20,000+ people immediate access to it!

Jobs/Internships Master Database

⁉️Policy or Parody?

Answer: A - Governments impose sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes to increase retail prices, thereby reducing consumption, curbing obesity and type 2 diabetes, and generating revenue for public health programmes. Many countries, including India with its flat 40% GST on aerated and sugar-sweetened beverages, levy heavy excise or “sin” taxes.

New York City famously attempted a “Sugary Drinks Portion Cap Rule” in 2013 that would have capped sugary drink sizes at 16 ounces, but it was repealed by the courts.

Free Policy Workshop in Delhi + 2 giveaways, DIY community building, Effect of Climate Change on Chikungunya

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 01:30:23 GMT

Dear reader,

The Policy Post this week brings you

Two Giveaways!
Upcoming Policy Circle in Delhi (20th June)
A DIY guide to build a community
A study on how Climate change may expand chikungunya risk in North America, Europe and Asia

As always, we wrap up with a curated list of opportunities.

Let’s get into it!

⁉️The PPI Policy Question: Policy or Parody?

A. A Government-certified professional queue standers.

B. A country created “Happiness Ministers” in the government.

👉 Answer at the bottom of the newsletter.

🏙️PPI’s Policy Circle in Delhi

PPI, in partnership with MIT-WPU, is coming to Delhi on 20th June!

And you walk away with:

🟣 A policy careers workshop on nuances of policymaking, and many career options to pursue

🟣 A speaker session on “Why Public Policy needs Politics?”

🟣 An evening with Delhi’s policy community, open + free

📍 Keep an eye on your chapter’s WhatsApp group for all updates

Not in a chapter yet? Find and join your city chapter here →

🎓 Nītividhāna giveaway

Public policy today must be civilizationally informed, culturally rooted, and contextually relevant.
To transform policy, we must first understand the ideas that shape governance itself.

Bṛhat is now accepting applications for an Advanced Certificate Course in Governance and Statecraft: Nītividhāna, with joint certification from ŚIKṢĀ – IITK Centre for Indian Knowledge Systems, Sri Sri University, and Bṛhat.

Designed for policy enthusiasts, researchers, practitioners, civil services aspirants, and governance professionals, Nītividhāna explores how Indian Knowledge Systems can enrich contemporary policy analysis, governance thinking, and institutional design.

Why join the Cohort?

🟣Strengthen your policy analysis through civilizationally informed and contextually relevant frameworks

🟣Explore Indian perspectives on governance, leadership, administration, and statecraft

🟣 Develop the ability to think critically about policy design, implementation, and transformation

🟣 Learn from distinguished scholars, practitioners, and policy experts

🟣 Join a multidisciplinary cohort of professionals, researchers, students, and changemakers

Learn more about the course!

Apply now, mention “PPI” under “Referral Details,” and avail a minimum 50% scholarship.

Apply now!

📌 If you apply via PPI, be sure to mention us as your reference to be considered for the scholarship.

👀Spotlight of the week

Janaagraha

Why do some cities thrive while others struggle with the same challenges year after year?

Everyday urban problems are rarely just about roads, water, waste, or housing. More often, they are symptoms of something deeper: weak systems, limited institutional capacity, and fragmented governance.

Which is why this week’s spotlight features Janaagraha, an organisation working to build better cities!

🏙️Giveaway: PPI’s City Chapter Coordinator position

PPI has built 35+ chapters across India’s 25 largest cities. If you’re an individual enthusiastic about policy and impact, you have the opportunity to participate in and build the policy ecosystem in your city, and emerge as a leader!

What you’ll get:

🟣 Open, direct access to the PPI team including the founder, Yash

🟣 Priority given for internship, fellowship and consulting projects done with PPI

🟣 Official PPI title - add a credible leadership role to your LinkedIn and CV

🟣 Co-lead events and build your profile as a policy leader in your city

🟣 Connect with think tanks, universities and government stakeholders nationwide

Participate in the Giveaway now!

🎥 Video of the Week

Research reveals that strong community and social connections can lower the odds of premature death by up to 50%. In fact, social isolation poses a mortality risk comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

This video discusses the three Rs needed to build a community: Rituals, Rhythm, Rules.

🔎 Databases and Guides:

100s of resources

🌍Climate + Health Corner

In Partnership With Swasti, The Health Catalyst

Climate change may expand chikungunya risk in North America, Europe and Asia, study says

The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, identified north-eastern North America, central Europe and East Asia as emerging risk zones. At present, chikungunya is not endemic to Europe or North America.

Read the essay here!

💼Careers Corner

A curated list of some of the best jobs and internship opportunities this week from the world of public policy, the development sector, impact consulting and communications at large.

📩 Best bit - if you know of a job/internship opening that’s not listed here, kindly just add that as a comment on the sheet: giving 20,000+ people immediate access to it!

Jobs/Internships Master Database

⁉️Policy or Parody?

Answer: B - The United Arab Emirates established the position of Minister of State for Happiness (later titled Minister of State for Happiness and Wellbeing) in 2016. The role focuses on aligning government policies with citizen satisfaction and social good.

Free Policy Workshop in Bengaluru, SOE report on Heat, and PPI Executive

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 01:30:57 GMT

Dear reader,

The Policy Post this week brings to you

Upcoming Policy Circle in Bengaluru
“State of India’s Environment: In figures” Report
PPI Executive - a focussed community for policy professionals with 5+ years of experience

As always, we wrap up with a curated list of opportunities.

Let’s get into it!

Policy Circle in Pune, population decline, and Minerva Impact

Fri, 29 May 2026 01:30:32 GMT

Dear reader,

“Population” has always been a dynamic and multidimensional subject of study. Population decline is an issue, but so is population explosion. Replacement migration is viewed as a solution, but also as an issue of its own.

The Policy Post this week brings to you

The vanishing of the youth - an essay on decline of birth rates
The upcoming Polic…

4 new PPI Chapters, navigating careers in Policy, in Dehradun, How is India Trying to Address Air Pollution?

Fri, 22 May 2026 01:30:21 GMT

Dear reader,

Policy is an emerging space in India. Nonetheless, there are 600+ think tanks in India that are looking for policy professionals. With only 2,000 policy graduates produced annually, there is plenty of policy careers open and waiting to be explored. This week’s edition focusses on empowering you with the data, tools, and information needed t…

Launching PPI Executive, Policy Bootcamp giveaway, and discussing common career mistakes

Fri, 15 May 2026 01:30:08 GMT

Dear reader,

The Policy Post this week brings to you

PPI Executive
Giveaway for the community!
Common Mid-Career Mistakes That Limit Advancement And Growth
Chronic indoor heat exposure: an under-recognised climate threat

As always, we wrap up with a curated list of opportunities.

Let’s get into it!

Policy workshop in Guwahati, India's Transportation, and Weakening Of The Amazon

Public Policy India — Fri, 08 May 2026 01:30:53 GMT

Dear reader,

Policy is vast, interdisciplinary and all-encompassing. An action in a single domain can have ripple effects across several others, all of them unitedly affecting the end user - the people.

This week’s edition brings to you an in-person Policy Careers workshop in Guwahati curated by PPI, in partnership with ISDM. It also investigates how Ahm…

Policy Circles Across Cities, Financial Inclusion and Food Policy in Practice

Fri, 01 May 2026 01:31:08 GMT

Dear Reader,

Across cities and sectors, policy conversations are increasingly being shaped by lived experiences, how people engage with systems, access opportunities, and navigate constraints in real time.

This week’s edition reflects that ground-up perspective. From Policy Circles in Bhopal and Chandigarh and upcoming ones in Kochi and Bhubaneswar to research on digital financial inclusion among women street vendors in Pune, the focus is on how policy plays out in everyday contexts.

We also spotlight Aditi Chugh, a practitioner whose work sits at the intersection of food systems, research, and policy implementation, alongside a piece on Bhutan’s climate burden raising broader questions around responsibility, capacity, and regional coordination.

As always, we wrap up with a curated list of opportunities.

Let’s get into it!

Policy Charcha 💬

The best of Podcasts, Videos, Essays, Fellowships and other Career resources from the world of Policy and Governance from the week gone by!

🏙️ PPI Policy Circle: Bhopal and Chandigarh

Last week, Policy Circles were hosted in Bhopal (24th April) and Chandigarh (25th April), bringing together individuals exploring careers in public policy for an evening of conversations, peer exchange, and shared learning.

Designed as an in-person policy workshop, these circles focused on building community, creating room for participants to engage with each other, reflect on their journeys, and navigate questions around policy careers in a grounded way.

The conversations continue this week, with Policy Circles coming to Kochi (1st May) and Bhubaneswar (2nd May).

We’re bringing Policy Circles to more cities, with more conversations ahead!

📍 Keep an eye on your chapter’s WhatsApp group for all updates

Not in a chapter yet? Find and join your city chapter here →

🎓 Thinking About Structured Learning in Policy?

Policy Circles are a great starting point — but if you’re ready to go deeper, the Master’s Programme in Public Policy (MPP) at the Kautilya School of Public Policy is currently accepting applications.

This two-year residential programme focuses on understanding how policies are designed, implemented, and shaped by political and institutional realities.

KSPP offers scholarships for eligible candidates, and applicants applying through PPI may be considered for fee waivers depending on the school’s evaluation, including academics, interview performance, and financial background.

Apply Now!

📌 If you apply via PPI, be sure to mention us as your reference to be considered for the waiver.

Spotlight of the Week

Bridging research and real-world impact is often at the heart of effective policymaking. In this week’s Spotlight of the Week, we feature Aditi Chugh, an agriculture policy practitioner and researcher at the International Food Policy Research Institute.

Her work focuses on the practical implementation of food policies across global contexts, with particular attention to input subsidies, food fortification, and agricultural commercialization. Having previously worked with the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare on MSP systems and data frameworks, she brings a unique perspective that connects policy design with on-ground realities.

Her journey reflects the value of interdisciplinary thinking combining economics, politics, and data to better understand how institutions and incentives shape outcomes, and to build more effective, sustainable policy solutions.

Read the full spotlight on LinkedIn!

📝 Essay of the Week

Empowering Women Street Vendors: UPI and Financial Inclusion

Financial inclusion, a critical component of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), has emerged as a cornerstone of economic development. This study examines the potential of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) as a cost-effective and scalable FinTech solution to enhance financial inclusion among women street vendors in Pune, one of the most financially excluded segments of the informal economy.

Using a mixed-methods approach combining surveys, interviews, and triangulation, the research finds that while UPI adoption contributes to social empowerment, seamless access remains a privilege. Statistically significant links between education, income, and adoption indicate that lower literacy and income reduce the likelihood of usage. The study identifies social exclusion as a major barrier to financial inclusion, underscoring the need for governments and regulators to make UPI more inclusive and ensure a more equitable distribution of its benefits.

Read the full paper here

🔎 Databases and Guides:

100s of Resources!

🌍Climate + Health Corner

In Partnership With Swasti, The Health Catalyst

Bhutan’s Climate Debt: A Regional Challenge

Bhutan, a carbon-negative country, is facing severe climate impacts—from drying water sources to glacial risks despite contributing little to global emissions.

The piece highlights a key tension: the costs of adaptation are high and underfunded, making Bhutan’s “climate debt” not just a national issue, but a shared regional concern for South Asia especially given its interconnected river systems and economic linkages.

Read the article here!

Careers Corner 💼

A curated list of some of the best jobs and internship opportunities this week from the world of public policy, the development sector, impact consulting and communications at large.

📩 Best bit - if you know of a job/internship opening that’s not listed here, kindly just add that as a comment on the sheet: giving 20,000+ people immediate access to it!

Jobs/Internships Master Database!

You won’t believe it, but it’s cheaper than a cup of coffee to support our work ☕

We're a community-driven platform dedicated to delivering fresh policy insights, creating career opportunities, and helping thousands thrive in India's policy space. To keep all our work free and accessible, we need your support. A small contribution of just Rs. 80 can help sustain and grow our mission. Please consider buying us a coffee and powering our work. Thank you!

Buy us a coffee

Mumbai Policy Circle, India’s Urban Future, Welfare Design and Rethinking Development Finance

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 02:01:25 GMT

Dear Reader,

Policy today is increasingly being shaped at the intersection of governance, public finance, and institutional capacity.

This week’s newsletter explores these themes through the lens of systems and scale, from a Policy Careers Workshop in Mumbai centered on exploring pathways into the policy space to reflections on India’s urban governance and the need for stronger local institutions.

Also in this edition: a closer look at direct cash transfers and their role in welfare delivery, alongside a piece examining whether tools like debt-for-nature swaps can address broader questions of inequality and development finance.

As always, we wrap up with a curated list of opportunities.

Let’s get into it!

Policy Charcha 💬

The best of Podcasts, Videos, Essays, Fellowships and other Career resources from the world of Policy and Governance from the week gone by!

🏙️ PPI Policy Circle: Mumbai

We hosted an engaging in-person Policy Careers Workshop and Community Meetup in Mumbai on 17th April, in collaboration with Kautilya School of Public Policy, bringing together a vibrant group of aspiring policy professionals and practitioners.

From meaningful conversations to actionable insights, the meetup created a space for learning, exchange, and community building.

We’re bringing Policy Circles to more cities, with more conversations ahead.

📍 Keep an eye on your chapter’s WhatsApp group for all updates

Not in a chapter yet? Find and join your city chapter here →

🎓 Thinking About Structured Learning in Policy?

This two-year residential programme focuses on understanding how policies are designed, implemented, and shaped by political and institutional realities.

Apply Now!

📌 If you apply via PPI, be sure to mention us as your reference to be considered for the waiver.

🎥 Video of the Week

India’s Urban Governance – Past and Future

Featuring insights from Vijay Kelkar in a fireside chat hosted by Indian Institute for Human Settlements, the discussion reflects on the evolution of India’s urban governance framework and the challenges shaping its future. The conversation offers a sharp policy perspective on the need for empowered local governments, stronger financial autonomy, and institutional innovation to make Indian cities more resilient, accountable, and growth-oriented.

📝 Essay of the Week

Direct Cash Transfers: Evidence & Caveats

Published by The Nudge Institute, this report examines the growing role of direct cash transfers as a tool for poverty alleviation in India. Drawing on global and Indian evidence, it highlights how cash transfers can improve income stability, asset creation, and human development outcomes such as education, nutrition, and well-being. At the same time, the report cautions against viewing them as a silver bullet.

The piece makes a nuanced case for treating cash transfers as a complement not a substitute for public services and infrastructure, arguing that their effectiveness ultimately depends on context, institutional capacity, and careful policy design.

Read the Report Here

🔎 Databases and Guides:

100s of Resources!

🌍Climate + Health Corner

In Partnership With Swasti, The Health Catalyst

Debt-for-Nature Swaps

source: UNESCO World Heritage Convention

Debt-for-nature swaps aim to ease sovereign debt while funding environmental protection, but their impact remains small and uneven.

The piece raises a key question: can such instruments scale to address global inequality and climate finance needs, or are they ultimately a limited, niche solution?

Read the Full Article Here!

Careers Corner 💼

Jobs/Internships Master Database!

You won’t believe it, but it’s cheaper than a cup of coffee to support our work ☕

Buy us a coffee

Bhopal Policy Circle, Urban Biodiversity and India's Economic Outlook amidst Uncertainty

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 09:13:58 GMT

Dear Reader,

Climate Change is redefining the way policies are shaped from housing and infrastructure to health and labour.

This week’s newsletter explores cities as interconnected systems, linking planning, environment, and everyday life. From a Policy Circle in Bhopal, designed to offer direction and help navigate pathways in the policy space, to questions around urban biodiversity and whether our cities are truly equipped to handle these challenges.

Also in here: a video that breaks down how global economic shifts are shaping India’s outlook, from currency pressures to broader macroeconomic uncertainty, and a piece on how cities may heat up faster than their rural surroundings, raising urgent questions for urban planning and climate adaptation. As always, there’s a curated list of opportunities at the end.

Let’s get into it!

Policy Charcha 💬

The best of Podcasts, Videos, Essays, Fellowships and other Career resources from the world of Policy and Governance from the week gone by!

🏙️ PPI Policy Circle: Bhopal

PPI, in collaboration with the Anant Fellowship in Sustainability and Built Environment, is hosting a free, in-person policy careers workshop in Bhopal for those exploring careers in public policy.

The evening will feature a careers workshop led by Yash Agarwal, along with a speaker session featuring Sourabh Popli, an Associate Professor at the School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal, whose work engages with landscape phenomenology, ecological resilience, and the relationship between people and environments, and Hardika DayalanI, Director of the Anant Fellowship in Sustainability and Built Environment.

Beyond the sessions, the event is also designed to foster meaningful, grounded conversations among peers navigating similar questions around policy careers.

📅 Friday, 24th April

⏰ 6–8 PM

📍 Oneworx Co-working Space

The session is free to attend and coffee’s on us!!

We’re bringing Policy Circles to more cities, with more conversations ahead.

📍 Keep an eye on your chapter’s WhatsApp group for all updates

Not in a chapter yet? Find and join your city chapter here →

🎓 Thinking About Structured Learning in Policy?

This two-year residential programme focuses on understanding how policies are designed, implemented, and shaped by political and institutional realities.

Apply Now!

📌 If you apply via PPI, be sure to mention us as your reference to be considered for the waiver.

🎥 Video of the Week

How is India’s Economy Positioned in 2026

Featuring insights from V. Anantha Nageswaran, the Chief Economic Advisor of India, the video unpacks how global economic turbulence is influencing India’s macroeconomic stability. From currency pressures to external vulnerabilities. It offers a concise policy perspective on navigating uncertainty while sustaining growth.

📝 Essay of the Week

Urban Biodiversity: Leveraging Natural Capital and Social Innovation

Urbanisation is putting increasing pressure on biodiversity, often isolating and degrading natural ecosystems within cities. Using Delhi as a case, the piece argues that integrating “natural capital” (like green spaces, water bodies, and urban forests) into city planning is essential for improving quality of life and ensuring long-term sustainability.

This piece makes a strong case for positioning urban biodiversity not as an afterthought, but as central to resilient and livable cities.

Read full essay here

🔎 Databases and Guides:

100s of Resources!

🌟 Avenues for Upskilling

Public Policy Puzzle

Public Policy Puzzle (PPP) is a platform on a mission to make public policy accessible, engaging, and useful for students, young professionals, and curious citizens. Through courses, resources, and interactive formats.

Check out their website!

🌍Climate + Health Corner

In Partnership With Swasti, The Health Catalyst

Uneven Heat Burden

Indian cities may heat up far more than expected, even under a 2°C global warming scenario. New research shows that urban areas could experience up to 45% higher temperature increases than surrounding rural regions, meaning the actual heat people feel in cities could be significantly underestimated.

The finding raises a key policy question: are urban climate plans accounting for the true scale of heat risk, or relying on projections that miss how cities actually warm?

Read the full article here!

Careers Corner 💼

Jobs/Internships Master Database!

You won’t believe it, but it’s cheaper than a cup of coffee to support our work ☕

Buy us a coffee

Kolkata Policy Circle, Careers in Policy & India’s Demographic Reality

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 01:31:04 GMT

Dear Reader,

There’s a difference between knowing about policy and actually sitting with the questions it raises.

This week’s newsletter sits right at that intersection — from a Policy Circle in Kolkata that looks at cities through arts and culture, to a closer look at India’s demographic window and what it really demands from policy today.

Also in here: a video that unpacks how policy thinking plays out beyond textbooks, and a climate transition story that’s as much about equity and health as it is about energy. And as always you will find a list of opportunities at the end.

Let’s get into it.

Policy Charcha 💬

The best of Podcasts, Videos, Essays, Fellowships and other Career resources from the world of Policy and Governance from the week gone by!

🏙️ PPI Policy Circle: Kolkata

In collaboration with Anant National University, this is a free, in-person careers workshop + panel discussion on a slightly different way of thinking about cities.

We have with us Dr. Jenia Mukherjee — urban water researcher at IIT Kharagpur and Coordinator at the Global Centre of Spatial Methods for Urban Sustainability, TU Berlin — someone who approaches cities in ways that stay with you long after the conversation ends.

Come for the workshop, stay for the conversation, leave with people you actually want to stay in touch with ☕

🟣 Free entry + careers workshop
🟣 Networking ice breaker
🟣 Panel: Arts, Crafts and Cities — why the humanities matter in urban policy

📅 Saturday, 18th April
⏰ 6:00 – 8:00 PM
📍 Collab Deck, Russel Street, Park Street area, Kolkata

More cities, more conversations, and more Policy Circles coming up soon.
📍 Keep an eye on your chapter’s WhatsApp group.

Not in a chapter yet? Find and join your city chapter here →

🎓 Thinking About Structured Learning in Policy?

This two-year residential programme focuses on understanding how policies are designed, implemented, and shaped by political and institutional realities.

Apply Now!

📌 If you apply via PPI, be sure to mention us as your reference to be considered for the waiver.

🎥 Video of the Week

How policy thinking actually plays out

A useful watch if you’ve ever wondered how policy decisions move from theory to practice — and what gets lost (or negotiated) along the way.

📝 Essay of the Week

India’s demographic dividend — opportunity or ticking clock?

India’s much-discussed demographic dividend isn’t automatic — it depends on whether jobs, skills, and policy can keep pace with a rapidly shifting population.

This piece breaks down what’s at stake, and why the window may be narrower than we think.

Read the full essay here!

🔎 Databases and Guides:

100s of Resources!

🌟 Avenues for Upskilling

Public Policy Puzzle

Check out their website!

🌍Climate + Health Corner

In Partnership With Swasti, The Health Catalyst

India’s green transition — fast, but uneven

India is electrifying faster than many expected, driven by cheaper renewable technologies and policy push. But transitions like these are never just about speed — they’re about who benefits, who gets left out, and how systems adapt.

What’s interesting here is not just the scale of change, but the trade-offs: grid stability, affordability, and access — all of which directly shape health outcomes, especially for vulnerable communities.

A useful read if you’re thinking about climate not just as environment, but as infrastructure, equity, and public health.

Read the full article here!

Careers Corner 💼

Jobs/Internships Master Database!

You won’t believe it, but it’s cheaper than a cup of coffee to support our work ☕

Buy us a coffee

Ahmedabad Policy Workshop, A Master Class on Cracking Policy Job Market & India’s global strategy

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 01:30:28 GMT

Dear Reader,

Policy can feel abstract, until you’re in a room where people are actually trying to figure it out.

That’s what Policy Circles have been about. And this week, we’re bringing that room to Ahmedabad.

Alongside that: a free masterclass on breaking into the policy job market, and a sharp look at how India is positioning itself globally. And as always you will find a list of opportunities at the end.

Let’s get into it.

Policy Charcha 💬

The best of Podcasts, Videos, Essays, Fellowships and other Career resources from the world of Policy and Governance from the week gone by!

🏙️ PPI Policy Circle: Ahmedabad

In collaboration with Anant National University, this is a free, in-person careers workshop + panel discussion on urban policy — designed for anyone trying to figure out where they fit in this space.

Come for the workshop, stay for the conversation, leave with people you actually want to stay in touch with ☕

🟣 Free entry + careers workshop
🟣 Networking ice breaker
🟣 A room of people who are genuinely curious, not just credentialing

📅 Saturday, 11th April
⏰ 6:00 – 8:00 PM
📍 Uncubate Co-working Space, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad

More cities, more conversations, and more Policy Circles coming up soon.

📍 Keep an eye on your chapter’s WhatsApp group for more such meet-ups

Not in a chapter yet? Find and join your city chapter here →

🎓 Thinking About Structured Learning in Policy?

This two-year residential programme focuses on understanding how policies are designed, implemented, and shaped by political and institutional realities.

Apply Now!

📌 If you apply via PPI, be sure to mention us as your reference to be considered for the waiver.

Community Highlight

Thousands of you write to us every month with the same struggle- great profiles, but applications that don’t convert. So we decided to do something about it. PPI has collaborated with TSL Careers, a one stop Public Policy careers platform, to bring you a completely FREE masterclass designed to fix exactly that.

Speaker: Akshat Agarwal (Public Policy Veteran | 15+ years across PwC, Pratham, EIU, Accenture & HSBC)

Topic: From Application to Offer- Cracking the Public Policy Job Market
Date: Saturday, 11th April
Time: 7:00 – 8:30 PM
Platform: Zoom

(Only 100 seats. First come, first served.) If cracking a top public policy role is on your list, this is the session you shouldn’t miss.

🎥 Video of the Week

India’s Foreign Policy: Playing All Sides?

India today is balancing relationships with the US, Russia, and China — while trying to hold on to strategic autonomy.

In this conversation, Samir Saran and Leslie Vinjamuri unpack what that actually looks like in practice — and what it signals about India’s long-term positioning.

It’s less about diplomacy optics, more about how power is negotiated in real time.

🔎 Databases and Guides:

100s of Resources!

🌟 Avenues for Upskilling

Public Policy Puzzle

Check out their website!

🌍Climate + Health Corner

In Partnership With Swasti, The Health Catalyst

Climate, Law & Accountability

For a long time, climate action has largely depended on political will — negotiations, commitments, and voluntary targets that often fall short of urgency. But a new push led by Vanuatu, supported by an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice, is beginning to shift that conversation.

This is worth your time if you’re interested in where climate governance is headed — especially how international law might start shaping real accountability, particularly for countries in the Global South already facing the worst impacts.

Read Here!

Careers Corner 💼

Jobs/Internships Master Database!

You won’t believe it, but it’s cheaper than a cup of coffee to support our work ☕

Buy us a coffee