India's Cleanliness Challenge + PPI's Mumbai Meet-up!
Policy Post #174
Dear Reader, Hope you're doing well! This week in Policy Charcha, we delve into a crucial question: Why does the world’s largest democracy still lack a globally recognised public policy school? Despite immense talent, decision-making remains centralised—so what would it take to build an institution that truly shapes policy and governance in India?
We’re also excited to announce PPI’s in-person policy community meet-up in Mumbai in partnership with Kautilya School of Public Policy! Join us on Saturday, 8th March. More details will be shared on our communities—stay tuned!
For our video highlight, we investigate why India’s cities remain unclean despite ambitious policies. While India aims for global leadership, local governments still struggle to provide basic sanitation. What’s holding them back?
In Climate + Health Corner, we spotlight a UNICEF brief (2000-2022) on how climate change is worsening access to water, sanitation, and hygiene for adolescent girls—70% of whom bear the burden of water collection in off-premises households.
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 #174!
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:
India, the world’s largest democracy, lacks a globally recognised public policy school—not for lack of talent, but because power and decision-making are tightly centralised. What would it take to build an institution that truly shapes policy and governance in India?
⁉️ What are we at PPI up to?
PPI Mumbai Meet-up!
Public Policy India (PPI), in partnership with Kautilya School of Public Policy, is excited to host our in-person policy community meet-up and workshop engagement in Mumbai! Join us on Saturday, 8th March, for an engaging discussion on policy-making, higher education in the field, and career opportunities in this space.
More details on the same will be shared on the communities!
This event is open to all! To stay updated and join the conversation, simply join Public Policy India’s Mumbai city chapter.
👥 In case you missed it
Hundreds of opportunities—internships, jobs, fellowships, courses, and more—are shared daily in our city chapters. Stay updated and find them all in one place. Join your city chapter today!
🔎 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 our cities so unclean? The blame often falls on municipal bodies and systemic corruption. While headlines boast about India’s rise as a Vishwaguru, local governments still struggle to deliver basic services like door-to-door garbage collection.
Despite numerous promises and schemes, waste continues to pile up, leaving citizens frustrated. What’s really going wrong? This video dives into the challenges local bodies face and why achieving universal cleanliness remains an unfulfilled goal in India.
Climate + Health Corner
In Partnership With Swasti, The Health Catalyst
👉🏽
Despite progress, millions of adolescent girls still lack access to basic water, sanitation, and hygiene; challenges that climate change is making worse. Drawing on data from 2000-2022, this UNICEF brief highlights their unique struggles, with women and girls responsible for water collection in 70% of off-premises households, and explores why climate action must prioritise them. Dive into the findings and solutions.
👥 Community Updates:
Our PPI Delhi community, in partnership with Kautilya School of Public Policy, recently came together for an engaging evening! We were joined by Mr. Dilip Cherian, founder of Perfect Relations and someone with 3 decades of experience in Policy Advocacy.
Admissions are now open for the Master's Program in Public Policy (MPP) at Kautilya School of Public Policy. This 2-year, full-time residential program offers a comprehensive curriculum designed to expand your knowledge and skills, while engaging with the real challenges of India. Apply now—last date is February 28th, 2025!
PS: KSPP offers up to 100% scholarships, with over two-thirds of applicants receiving aid. The vast majority are awarded scholarships covering more than 50% of their fees.
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!
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