Policy Watch: Special Issue – June 2023

This Special Issue of Policy Watch includes one or two articles across five key themes. On Constitutional Values and Democratic Institutions, two articles focus on the Uniform Civil Code. The first summarizes Constituent Assembly debates by CLPR, Bangalore, showing the issue’s historic contentiousness. The second, by Prof. Yogendra Yadav, critiques the political timing of the UCC’s introduction ahead of the general elections.

Under Governance and Development, Priya Ranjan and Prasant K. Panda analyze development spending in low-income states (LIS). Their data shows positive impacts on Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), though links to HDI remain inconclusive. Sector-specific spending, especially in health and education, does improve outcomes over time.

For Growth with Employment, an interview with economist Dr. Santosh Mehrotra discusses India’s demographic dividend and the shift of labor from agriculture to industry and services, which stalled post-COVID due to reverse migration.

On Environment, Natural Resources and Sustainability, RGICS Fellow Jeet Singh reviews two national studies on groundwater—highlighting how India’s master plan for artificial recharge and the first Census of Water Bodies could together help address the country’s water crisis.

Lastly, under India’s Place in the World, Amit Ranjan summarizes a roundtable on Indian foreign policy’s evolving strategies, including remarks by External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar.