AI's Gender Biases + 500+ Organisations to check out in PPI's Databases!
Policy Post #188
Dear Reader,
This week’s Policy Charcha takes you through a fascinating mix of ideas and insights from the world of policy, AI, and urban planning. We start with a bold rethink of India’s economic journey, diving into how China’s decentralised governance—not just national-level reforms—enabled its extraordinary rise.
In our Research Highlight, a powerful new study from the Oxford Internet Institute shows how AI language models are entrenching binary, biologically tied gender biases—with serious risks for trans and non-binary communities, especially in healthcare.
YLAC’s new Policy Collective is our Opportunity Highlight this week—an exciting initiative for college students to build public policy clubs on campus, with mentorship and exclusive access to resources.
Don’t miss our updated Databases & Guides—featuring 500+ scholarships, job opportunities, and policy courses curated for aspiring changemakers.
In the Video Highlight, we tackle a daily urban frustration: traffic. Why are Indian cities still so gridlocked, despite expanding metros? The answer lies in overlooked buses, rising car use, and flawed urban policy.
And in our Climate + Health Corner, we spotlight how India’s west coast beaches are shrinking—traced by researchers using cutting-edge data to uncover the long-term impact of monsoons, climate change, and human activity.
As always, thank you for reading and championing better policy.
Do consider supporting PPI by buying us a coffee ☕ (or two!) if you’ve found our work to be valuable :)
With that, we bring to you: Policy Post #188!
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!
💡 Article Highlight:
Why hasn’t India’s economy soared like China’s? This sharp piece argues that the real difference lies not just in national policies, but in how China empowered its local governments. A must-read rethink of top-down reform logic.
📚 Research Highlight:
New research from the Oxford Internet Institute reveals that AI language models are developing a flawed, binary, and biologically tied understanding of gender; often erasing trans and non-binary identities and reinforcing harmful stereotypes.
These biases could have serious consequences, especially in healthcare settings, where such models risk misdiagnosis and discrimination. The study, set to be published at the ACM FAccT Conference, also finds that larger models often amplify these biases, raising urgent questions about fairness and accountability in AI.
🌟 Opportunity Highlight:
YLAC (Young Leaders for Active Citizenship) has launched the YLAC Policy Collective, a new initiative to build student-led public policy clubs across campuses in India. These clubs aim to foster civic learning, leadership, and vibrant campus dialogue, with YLAC providing curated resources, mentorship, exclusive learning and networking opportunities, and recognition.
The pilot phase is open to colleges in Delhi NCR, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Sonipat, and nearby cities. Priority deadline: 15th June | Final deadline: 6th July.
🔎 Databases and Guides:
Discover your ultimate career resource sheets for everything related to public policy! Our comprehensive mega-lists include over 150 organisations that are always on the lookout for talent, 200+ scholarships for Indian students, and 150+ public policy courses. Dive in and unlock incredible opportunities!
▶️Video Highlight:
👉🏽 Why are Indian cities so choked with traffic despite the rapid growth of metro rail networks? This video unpacks the deep-rooted policy failures and infrastructure gaps; like the neglect of buses, rise of private vehicles, and lack of affordability—that have made daily commutes a nightmare. It’s a compelling breakdown of how India’s car-centric urban planning is sidelining real mobility solutions. A must-watch for anyone curious about fixing our cities.
Climate + Health Corner
In Partnership With Swasti, The Health Catalyst
👉🏽 India’s West Coast is Shrinking
India’s western coastal beaches are shrinking, and a new study explains why. Researchers from CSIR-NIO, AcSIR, and Bharathidasan University examined 27 embayed beaches along a 200-km stretch from Palshet to Shiroda, classifying them based on their exposure to ocean forces. They found that beaches tucked into bays respond differently to wave and storm pressures depending on their shape and openness.
Using field visits and satellite data from 2023 to 2024, the team tracked seasonal changes in beach height and temperature. They discovered a recurring pattern: strong southwest monsoon waves lead to significant sand loss, while calmer months bring partial recovery. The findings raise concerns about long-term coastal erosion in the face of climate change and human activity.
👥 Community Updates:
Our PPI Ahmedabad community, in partnership with the Anant Fellowship, recently came together for an insightful evening! We were joined by Prof. Snehal Nagarsheth, Dean at Anant National University’s School of Architecture, and Mr. Harpal Dave, Additional Chief Town Planner, Government of Gujarat. The discussion centred around urban policy, planning, and building more liveable cities under the theme Cities of Tomorrow: Rewriting Our Future Through Policy.
All our communities are free to join, open to everyone and are continuously growing and evolving to maximise the opportunities and awareness about policy and careers in this broader space that we can create in cities across India’s 20 most vibrant cities.
The aim is to organise regular in-person meet-ups, workshops, and career activities throughout the year to support your growth and learning. Most knowledge in public policy and social impact resides with individuals, not institutions, and knowledge transfer happens most effectively when we meet and exchange ideas. Join us and help spread the word so we can grow this space together in your city and across India. :)
Join our absolutely free pan-India communities on WhatsApp and be a part of the next in-person meet-up!
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!
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!