Governance, Growth & the Gaps We Don’t Talk About
Policy Post #210
Dear Reader,
This week, we’re looking at the quiet cracks inside India’s governance story — the ones shaping everything from our cities and climate responses to the future of work. From how leadership pipelines are shifting in an age of disappearing entry-level jobs to what toxic air tells us about political priorities, our selections this week explore the systems behind the symptoms.
As always, thank you for reading and championing better policy.
With that, we bring to you: Policy Post #210!
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!
💡 Essay Highlight:
Toxic Air, Political Choices & the Costs We Normalise
India’s air pollution crisis doesn’t come from a shortage of evidence — it comes from a shortage of political urgency. This piece explains why clean air rarely becomes a winning electoral issue and what that means for the millions who breathe hazardous air each winter.
📲 Post Highlight
Are India’s lawmakers ready for the laws they debate?
This short LinkedIn post by Natasha Singh breaks down a new Parliamentary Readiness Review examining how MPs prepare for debates, questions, and legislative scrutiny. A clear look at the everyday machinery of lawmaking — and the gaps that deserve more attention.
📷 Video Highlight
The Future of Work Without Entry-Level Roles
Entry-level jobs are shrinking, middle management is thinning out, and AI is reshaping the bottom of the labour market. This video explores what career pathways could look like in a world where traditional “starting points” disappear.
🔎 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!
📚 Research Spotlight
Understanding Fiscal Deviations in India
Fiscal responsibility laws expect discipline; political cycles often produce the opposite. This XKDR paper explains how states deviate from mandated fiscal targets, why enforcement remains weak, and what credible fiscal reform would require.
✨ Spotlight of the Week
Our newest initiative at Public Policy India!
Each week, we’ll bring forward stories of people and organisations shaping India’s public policy and social impact landscape in their own unique ways. There’s thoughtful work happening across the country, and this series is simply a space to recognise it and learn from it together.
We’re kicking things off with Vaishu Rai, who works at the intersection of youth engagement, diplomacy and governance. From leading Global Youth India to contributing to parliamentary work, her journey reflects the kind of grounded, community-first leadership emerging across the policy ecosystem.
🌟 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.
🌍Climate + Health Corner
In Partnership With Swasti, The Health Catalyst
Not next decade, NOW.
A new Germanwatch assessment released at COP30 puts numbers to a reality many communities already live with: climate-linked disasters have claimed 832,000 lives and caused $4.5 trillion in losses globally over the last 30 years.
India is among the most affected, with nearly 80,000 deaths and $170 billion in economic losses. The findings underline an increasingly clear truth: rebuilding the same way after every flood, cyclone, or heatwave won’t be enough. India’s next phase of climate action will need to focus on reducing loss, not just responding to it.
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!
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