Policy Beyond Politics

Centre for Public Policy Research
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Discussions and interviews with guests who are eminent policy researchers and practitioners on contemporary public policy issues (widely debated or conveniently missed), curated by the Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR). CPPR, based in Kochi (Kerala, India), is an independent, public policy think-tank dedicated to in-depth research and scientific analysis with the objective of delivering actionable ideas to transform society.

  1. 1 OCT

    EP 65 | Public Choice Theory - An Introduction

    Public policy shapes our lives, but how these decisions are made is often misunderstood. This CPPR podcast—the first of our five-part series on the book, "Public Choice – A Primer" by Dr Eamonn Butler—introduces our audience to Public Choice Theory. Public Choice applies economics to politics, showing how voters, politicians, and bureaucrats act in self-interest—just like in markets. In this five-part series, we explore democracy, voting, bureaucracy, and governance through this lens. Episode 1 unpacks the origins and relevance of Public Choice for citizens, students, and policymakers in India and beyond. Speakers: Rahul V Kumar, Research Fellow (Market Economics), Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR), Kochi Moderator: Jofi J Francis, Senior Associate (Project Administration), Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR), Kerala Tune in for an insightful conversation that unpacks the hidden mechanics of power, incentives, and decision-making that quietly shape our everyday lives.

    26 min

  2. 22 SEPT

    EP 64 | Prospects and Pressures of Low-Fee Private Schools in India

    Private schools educate nearly one-third of India’s students, with Low-Fee Private Schools (LFPS) serving the majority from low and middle-income families. Despite their vital role, LFPS struggle under rigid regulations—land and infrastructure mandates, fee caps, and burdensome recognition processes—that prioritize compliance over learning. This podcast explores why parents choose LFPS, how state regulations shape their sustainability, and the systemic barriers holding back learning outcomes. It also examines reforms needed to make recognition and governance more transparent, efficient, and learning-focused. Speakers: S R Thomas Antony, Senior Manager – Education Policy Reforms, Centre for Civil Society (CCS), New Delhi Dr J S Paranjyothi, National Vice President, National Independent Schools Alliance (NISA); Founder & Chairman, Oasis Moderator: Nissy Solomon, Hon. Trustee & Project Lead, Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR), Kerala Tune in for an insightful conversation that unpacks the everyday realities of LFPS—parental choices, regulatory roadblocks, and the bold reforms needed to put learning, not paperwork, at the heart of education.

    50 min

  3. 28 AUG

    EP 63 | The Hidden Side of Manufacturing: Inside India’s Strategy of Multi-Plants

    India’s manufacturing sector, despite liberalization and decades of economic reforms, continues to underperform relative to its potential. A recent study, “Multiplying Multi-Plants: A New and Consequential Phenomenon” by Arvind Subramanian, Abhishek Anand, and Dr Naveen Joseph Thomas, sheds light on a critical yet overlooked factor influencing this stagnation—the rise of multi-plants. These are multiple small production facilities established by firms within a state, rather than expanding existing plants. Contrary to previous assumptions, large plants in India have not scaled up; instead, they remain fragmented and small by international standards. This has profound implications for productivity, competitiveness, and policy. KEY DISCUSSION POINTS What exactly are “multi-plants,” and why have they become so prevalent in India’s manufacturing sector?How has the aggregation of multi-plant data led to the misinterpretation of plant size distribution in India, and what are its implications for policy and economic research?Why are multi-plant firms less productive compared to single-plant firms of similar size, and to what extent has this affected India’s global manufacturing competitiveness, especially compared to countries like Bangladesh?How do labour regulations and political risks influence the proliferation of multi-plants? Is the use of multi-plants a substitute for contract labour, or do they complement each other in different contexts?What policy reforms could encourage firms to scale up plants rather than proliferate smaller ones?How can India create an industrial environment that balances labour protections with growth incentives? Speakers: Dr Naveen Joseph Thomas, Vice Dean, Jindal School of Government and Public Policy (JSGP), O. P. Jindal Global University, Haryana Abhishek Anand, Managing Director, Insignia Policy Research, Kerala Moderator: Banisha Begum Shaikh, Senior Associate (Research & Projects), Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR), Kerala Tune in for an insightful conversation about why firms prefer the multi-plant approach, how it affects jobs and exports, and what changes in policy might help India build stronger and larger manufacturing units in the future.

    28 min

  4. 09/10/2024

    EP 62 | Sports Beyond Medals - Part 1 | Policy Beyond Politics

    India’s sports industry is booming, with leagues like the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Indian Super League (ISL) contributing billions to the economy. The IPL alone is valued at $16.4 billion in 2024, with other leagues following suit. However, despite this growth, sports participation at the grassroots level remains limited, especially outside of cricket. Moreover, sports in India is often viewed as a competitive pursuit reserved for the select few who aspire to become professional athletes, with a societal emphasis on winning medals. In contrast, the broader benefits of sports on physical health, mental well-being, and community engagement are often overlooked. The State of Sports and Physical Activity (SAPA) report by Dalberg Advisors highlights alarming figures: 155 million Indian adults and 45 million adolescents do not meet the World Health Organization's physical activity guidelines. At the grassroots level, the country’s sports culture faces significant challenges in terms of accessibility and inclusivity. This episode, the first in our new series 'Sports Beyond Medals', dives into the critical challenges that hinder widespread participation in sports across India. We explore how sports can become a part of everyday life for everyone, not just athletes, and how India can learn from other countries where sports are a vital part of the culture. Key Discussion Points What are the main barriers to sports participation at the grassroots level in India? How can India address the lack of accessible sports facilities, such as parks and playgrounds, in both urban and rural areas? Why do adults in India disengage from sports, and how can we create a culture of lifelong sports participation? What cultural and policy changes are needed to encourage more women and girls to engage in sports? Speaker - Leslie Xavier, Senior Fellow (Sports Policies), Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR), and a seasoned Sports Journalist Moderator - Dr. D Dhanuraj, Chairman, Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR) Tune in for an insightful conversation about reshaping India’s sports culture beyond the pursuit of medals.

    1h 3m

  5. 08/08/2024

    EP 61 | Building a Senior Citizen Friendly Kerala: Challenges and Innovations | Policy Beyond Politics

    Kerala has a rapidly ageing population, with the proportion of senior citizens (aged 60 and above) projected to reach 22.8% by 2036, significantly higher than the national average of 15%. This demographic shift poses challenges for the state in terms of providing adequate care and support for its elderly population. As Kerala grapples with the challenges of a rapidly ageing population, a comprehensive and multifaceted approach involving the government, civil society, and senior citizen organisations is necessary to ensure the well-being and dignity of its senior citizens. The episode aims to understand the challenges and explore innovative solutions emphasising the importance of a multi-faceted approach to address the increasing ageing population of the state. The episode discusses the increasing ageing population of the state with special focus on Kerala’s senior citizen policy, this will be featured as part of the “health”, “economy”,and “governance and law” research areas of CPPR. Speaker: Chandana Rajashekaran- Research Officer at the Center for Management Development, Trivandrum, leading a team that provides research support for policy development. Moderator: Anu Anna Jo, Senior Research Associate, CPPR. KEY DISCUSSION POINTS Understanding and major learnings with regard to the State’s policy of 2013. Importance of promoting social security net at a very young age. Tackling the twin problem of migration and care economy. Data availability and use of data in framing the policies.

    33 min

  6. 22/04/2024

    EP 60 | Business Regulations: Decriminalisation, Simplification and Digitisation | Policy Beyond Politics

    In this episode, we explore the need for decriminalisation, simplification, and digitisation in business regulations. We dissect the implications of the Jan Vishwas Act and proposed amendments and delve into the progress of decriminalisation across the nation, identifying states leading the charge in reform efforts. Join us as we unravel the complexities and envision the future of business regulations. Speaker: Rishi Agrawal, Co-founder & CEO at Teamlease Regtech. Rishi is the co-founder & CEO at Teamlease Regtech. Rishi firmly believes in the power of technology to transform the way Compliance is managed in India. Over the last several years, Rishi has helped over 1,000 companies in India digitally transform their Compliance program. In addition, he has been working closely with different central ministries, think tanks, and industry associations to highlight India's regulatory complexity and make a case for rationalisation, simplification, and digitisation. He is also the co-author of the report “Jailed for Doing Business”.

    33 min

  7. 08/04/2024

    EP 59 | Insights into Change: Recent Trends in India’s Female Labour Force Participation | Policy Beyond Politics

    In the 2023 annual Gender Gap Report by the World Economic Forum (WEF), India saw an advancement in its ranking, now positioned at 127 out of 146 countries, marking an improvement of eight places compared to the previous year. However, the report emphasised that India’s attainment of only 36.7% parity in economic participation and opportunity underscores the ongoing challenge of addressing gender disparities, particularly concerning women’s access to economic opportunities. The involvement of women in the workforce serves as a significant gauge of a country’s economic advancement. Recent Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data indicates a positive trend in female labour force participation rates in recent years. Nevertheless, concerns arise regarding the quality of employment opportunities and the persistence of wage disparities. In this context, Yamini Atmavilas, President of Strategy, Data & Applied Research at The Udaiti Foundation, joins Anu Maria Francis, Senior Associate – Research & Project Management at CPPR, in this podcast and explores the recent trends in India’s female labour force participation. Key Discussion Points 1) Changes in the methodology or sampling framework in the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO) of MoSPI, which replaced the nationwide Employment and Unemployment (E&U) surveys in 2017-18, and the effect of such changes. 2) Changes in the concept of labour in light of the significant change in women’s workforce distribution in recent years, with self-employment increasing by 10 percentage points between 2017-18 and 2021-22. 3) The trend of increasing labour force participation among rural women as compared to urban women. 4) Major policy changes that are required to improve the FLFPR to a 50 percent level.

    37 min

  8. 14/02/2024

    EP 58 | What do ChatGPT and AI look like in India today? | Polict Beyond Politics

    Generative AI is projected to increase annual global GDP to the amount of trillions if implemented properly, according to analysts. What is India’s stake in this new global phenomenon? In today's podcast, we look at generative AI and LLMs, the issues they pose, the effect they have on Indian society and industry, and how we can look forward to regulating AI while allowing it to grow and provide value to the greatest extent.  Our guest, Nidhi Singh, is a Programme Officer, with CCG Delhi. She is an expert in AI, privacy, internet governance, and emerging technologies. She is hosted by Varsha Radhakrishnan, a Fellow at the Centre for Public Policy Research. Varsha is an expert in emerging technologies and AI, having industrial expertise in this sector.  The training data used in AI is heavily open sourced, and based on data from the open internet. This poses problems both in terms of the accuracy of the data as well as privacy, as the data scraped off might not be consented to by parties. There is a lot of interest in India to build LLMs that are usable for citizens. Language poses an issue, as there may not be a vast tract of trainable data in particular languages. There is a global north-south divide in the implementation of these technologies, as many new technologies are being created in the global north and implemented in the global south, leading to a large number of problems. While it is true that policy catches up slower to new technologies, it is important to remember that the problems caused by the implementation and usage of these technologies are fundamental issues of access, equality, and privacy and can be looked at from a constitutional lens. Key Takeaways:

    39 min
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Discussions and interviews with guests who are eminent policy researchers and practitioners on contemporary public policy issues (widely debated or conveniently missed), curated by the Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR). CPPR, based in Kochi (Kerala, India), is an independent, public policy think-tank dedicated to in-depth research and scientific analysis with the objective of delivering actionable ideas to transform society.

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  • Creator
    Centre for Public Policy Research
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2025
  • Episodes
    65
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Centre for Public Policy Research
  • Show Website
    Policy Beyond Politics