Dispatch #93:The rise & challenges of public policy education in India
This dispatch traces the growth of public policy education in India, examining its historical roots, curriculum challenges, and career opportunities.
Public policy education in India has undergone a significant transformation, especially over the past decade. The field, which once revolved around public administration training for civil servants, has expanded into a dynamic area catering to diverse governance, policymaking, and consultancy roles. This shift reflects not just the changing governance needs of India but also the broader evolution of public policy education in the Global South.
This dispatch explores the historical context, growth trajectory, curriculum challenges, and career opportunities that define public policy education in India today. The anchor research paper for this post is the latest, ‘Evolution of public policy education in the global South: The case of India’, written by Prof Ajit Phadnis, Sugandh Aggarwal from IIM Indore, and Kumar Naveen from IIM Bangalore.
A historical overview: From public administration to public policy
Public policy education in India finds its roots in public administration training during the colonial era, with the Indian Civil Service (ICS) forming the backbone of governance. Post-independence, the ICS evolved into the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), retaining its central role in policymaking.
However, public policy as an independent field gained momentum only after the 1990s, driven by liberalization, privatization, and globalization. The Planning Commission, think tanks and civil society organizations became active players in policy discourse. Yet, formal education in public policy remained limited until the 2010s.
The authors add:
The disconnect between scholarship and the practice of policy by the civil service contributed to the stunting of policy studies in India. Chaudhuri (2016) highlighted that, due to the “insularity of operation and apathy to external knowledge long being a hallmark of Indian governance, the market for policy analysis simply failed to develop”. Two policy education programs took some shape, namely the training of in-service public administrators (Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration and state administrative staff colleges) and academic programs on public administration to help students prepare for the civil service examination. Manoharan et al. (2020) highlighted that “public administration as an academic discipline remains indistinct” when seen as “independent of the civil services”. However, there were notable exceptions to the general trend of stagnancy. Between the 1960s and 1980s, public funding through the Indian Council of Social Science Research helped establish new research centers and think tanks, such as the Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis (1965), the Centre for Policy Research (1973), and Research and Information System for Developing Countries (1983). This broad framework of policy studies and training persisted until the 1990s. Over the last two decades, policy studies in India have shifted gears. This shift has been facilitated by the Indian government’s adoption of the “globalization—liberalization” policy paradigm after the 1990s. Alongside this change, public policy as an emerging academic field has grown significantly. This has been accompanied by an increase in the number of policy education schools and programs offered in the country, varying from three-year undergraduate education (usually resulting in a Bachelor of Arts degree) to postgraduate programs lasting between one and two years. There are also a variety of diploma and certificate offerings that do not award academic degrees in public policy. These range from short three-month courses to year-long programs. Despite the rapid growth of policy education over the last decade, systematic data on its growth and explanations for the factors that led to the growth are lacking.
Expansion of policy schools post-2010
The number of public policy schools in India grew exponentially in the past decade, from 10 in 2016 to 56 by 2023. This expansion has been fueled by several factors:
Legislative drivers: Policies like the Right to Education Act and the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) law created the demand for professionals to design and implement large-scale social programs.
Changing governance needs: Economic liberalization brought a focus on efficiency, accountability, and evidence-based decision-making, increasing the need for trained policy professionals.
Private sector leadership: Private universities played a pivotal role in establishing public policy schools, and adopting global models while catering to Indian contexts.
Bangalore, Hyderabad, and smaller cities like Bhopal and Shillong have emerged as key hubs for policy education, reflecting its geographic diversification.
A deep analysis of public policy education in India is necessary for two reasons as argued by the authors in the paper:
First, India has one of the largest government establishments in the Global South, consisting of more than one million government employees, as well as a growing number of lateral recruits, policy consultants, and professionals. This makes knowledge of the emerging education opportunities for training the diverse profiles of policy roles essential for understanding the emerging landscape of the field outside the West. Second, the trajectory of policy education in India is unique and instructive. For nearly six decades after the country’s independence in 1947, universities in India offered public administration courses that were primarily aimed at preparing candidates for government services. However, the scenario changed remarkably after 2010 with the emergence of new public policy schools, which not only offer refresher courses for government officers but also train policy professionals who engage with the government. By 2023, the number of policy schools in the country grew from only 10 in 2016 to 56. In this area, identifying the drivers for this growth, the patterns of growth, and the challenges of promoting a nascent field are interesting research directions. An investigation on policy education in India is relevant not only to understanding the Indian case but also to providing insights that can inform other countries in the Global South in their efforts to promote policy education.
Curriculum challenges: Balancing global and local contexts
Designing a curriculum for public policy education in India presents unique challenges, given the need to balance global frameworks with local realities.
Global influence: Indian public policy schools often draw inspiration from Western models, such as those from the U.S., emphasizing economics, quantitative analysis, and policy evaluation. These frameworks are valuable but risk being overly technocratic for India’s socio-political context.
Contextualization: Many schools have sought to indigenize their curricula. Examples include courses on Arthashastra, the integration of local case studies, emphasis on the Indic knowledge systems, regional governance models and fieldwork in rural India.
Skill development: Schools are increasingly emphasizing practical skills through internships, practitioner-led courses, and projects, preparing graduates for real-world policymaking.
Career opportunities: A growing but nascent sector
Public policy education is carving a niche in India’s job market, with graduates finding roles in the private, nonprofit, and government sectors. However, challenges remain in establishing well-defined career pathways.
Key sectors for graduates
Government fellowships and Consultancy: Programs like the Chief Minister Fellowships and lateral entry schemes have created new opportunities. Government agencies now frequently collaborate with consulting firms like McKinsey and KPMG, which hire policy professionals for advisory roles.
Nonprofit sector: Think tanks, corporate foundations, and NGOs have expanded their hiring for policy graduates, offering diverse roles in research, advocacy, and program implementation.
Private sector: Public affairs roles are emerging, especially in industries like technology and finance, where companies need expertise in navigating policy landscapes
Challenges
Despite these developments, graduates often face mid-career stagnation due to a lack of structured career growth. The field is also overshadowed by the allure of the IAS, with many students treating policy education as a backup for civil service preparation.
India in the Global South context
India’s trajectory in public policy education reflects broader patterns in the Global South while showcasing unique characteristics:
Private-led growth: Unlike many countries where governments drive policy education, private institutions dominate India.
National focus: Most schools prioritize national governance challenges, contrasting with the regional focus prevalent in some Global South countries.
Indigenous approaches: The emphasis on integrating local knowledge and traditions distinguishes India’s public policy education landscape.
Future directions: Challenges and opportunities
The rapid growth of public policy education in India is promising but brings several challenges that need to be addressed:
Faculty shortages: A lack of experienced faculty with policy expertise limits the depth of programs.
Recognition of policy degrees: Policy degrees need greater acceptance among employers, particularly in the government and private sectors.
Structured career pathways: Clearer pathways and increased lateral entry opportunities in government could enhance the field’s appeal.
Localized research and resources: Developing Indian teaching cases, research materials, and frameworks will be crucial for making curricula more relevant.
For me, the most interesting piece of analysis was on the program objectives of these policy education programs, something which is a notable gap in India’s policy education. The authors claim that:
The vision and mission of the 48 (of the 56) public policy schools, whose vision and mission could be located, showed the following pattern: 63% of schools had the national level as their focus area. In contrast, only 1% of schools suggested a regional focus, 10% mentioned only a global focus, and 25% mentioned both a national and global focus. Less than 1% of schools have a sub-national focus.
Conclusion
Public policy education in India represents a sunrise industry poised to transform governance and development. Its rapid growth, driven by private-sector innovation and increasing demand for professionalized governance, highlights its potential. However, for the field to realize its promise, stakeholders must address resource constraints, enhance career prospects, and foster deeper ties between academia and governance.
As a leader in the Global South, India’s experience offers valuable lessons for countries looking to bridge the gap between policy education and practice. With continued innovation and collaboration, public policy education can play a transformative role in shaping India’s governance landscape and beyond.
Fantastic post, learned a lot from it.