Policy Watch: Special Issue – December 2021

This special issue presents a collection of articles across five key themes, offering insights into governance, development, and sustainability in India.  Under Constitutional Values and Democratic Institutions, an article by Dr. Shashidharan highlights the importance of decentralized governance, drawing from an RGICS study on high-performing Gram Panchayats. The piece features a case study of Kukma Gram Panchayat (Kutch, Gujarat), showcasing how effective local governance delivers essential services to villagers.

The Governance and Development section includes an analysis of Chhattisgarh’s state finances by RGICS Director Vijay Mahajan, who also serves on the Chhattisgarh State Planning Commission.

For Growth with Employment, an RGICS study by Yuvraj Kalia examines Punjab’s MSME sector, with a focus on Jalandhar’s hand tools cluster, supplemented by SME case studies.

Under Environment, Natural Resources, and Sustainability, two pieces stand out:

• A study on the Forest Rights Act (FRA) implementation in Jammu & Kashmir, featuring ground-level case studies by Raja Muzaffar Bhatt and Dr. Rouf of Koshish NGO.

• A Hindi article on Van Panchayats in Uttarakhand, discussing their management and socio-environmental challenges.

The India’s Place in the World theme revisits Prof. Krishna Chikukuri’s decade-old but still-relevant book, alongside contemporary perspectives:

• The PM’s COP26 speech outlining India’s climate commitments.

• A BBC counterpoint assessing global reactions to India’s COP26 stance.

This issue aims to inform policymakers and readers alike, bridging research and grassroots realities to encourage participatory policy design.