Mumbai Policy Circle, India’s Urban Future, Welfare Design and Rethinking Development Finance
Policy Post #231
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?
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.
📌 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.
🔎 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!
🌍Climate + Health Corner
In Partnership With Swasti, The Health Catalyst
Debt-for-Nature Swaps
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?
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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