Category Center for Work and Welfare

Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme: Strengthening India’s Innovation Ecosystem

Center for Human Dignity and Development, Center for ICT for Development, Center for Work and Welfare, Economy and Infrastructure, Entrepreneurship, ICT and Innovation, Policy Update

Innovation has become a major driver of economic growth and global competitiveness. Countries investing heavily in research and development (R&D), such as the United States, China, South Korea, and Germany, have established leadership in advanced technologies. However, India's Gross Expenditure on Research and Development (GERD) remains significantly below the global average, with limited private-sector participation.

IMPRI Desk
August 10, 2026

The Smart City Mission in Srinagar and Jammu 2017: A Comparative Assessment of Urban Transformation.

Center for Human Dignity and Development, Center for Work and Welfare, IMPRI Research, Policy Briefs, Policy Update, Research, Urbanization, Habitat, Transportation and Regional Development

The Smart City Mission (SCM) was initiated by the Government of India in 2015 as a transformative urban renewal programme to develop 100 cities across the country into inclusive, sustainable, and technologically advanced hubs. The mission’s core objective is to provide citizens with high-quality core infrastructure, a clean environment, and "smart" solutions that optimize urban functions, such as data-driven resource management and enhanced service delivery.

IMPRI Desk
August 8, 2026

Insurance Amendment Act: Decoding the 2025 Reform

Policy Update, Center for the Study for Finance and Economics, Center for Work and Welfare

The Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (Amendment of Insurance Laws) Act, 2025 represents the most sweeping overhaul of India's insurance regulatory architecture since the sector was opened to private participation in 2000. Introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 16, 2025, passed by both Houses of Parliament within two days, and granted Presidential assent on December 20, 2025,

IMPRI Desk
August 7, 2026

National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS): Bridging India’s Skills and Employment Gap

Policy Update, Center for Work and Welfare

Policy UpdateSairaj Patil Background: The Government of India, under the Apprentices Act, 1961, implements the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) as one of two flagship Central Sector schemes supporting apprenticeship engagement in the country. Launched in August 2016 and continued…

IMPRI Desk
August 4, 2026

Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) 5.0: Strengthening MSME Resilience Amid Geopolitical Uncertainty

Policy Update, Center for Work and Welfare, Public Finances and Macroeconomics

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) occupy a central place in India's economy, contributing substantially to GDP, exports, employment generation, and balanced regional development. Yet their heavy reliance on working capital finance, combined with limited financial reserves, leaves them particularly exposed to external economic shocks. A disruption in global supply chains, a spike in input costs, or a bout of geopolitical instability can quickly translate into liquidity shortfalls that threaten production, employment, and business continuity.

IMPRI Desk
August 2, 2026

Recognizing Unpaid Domestic Work in India: Supreme Court’s 2026 Homemarkers Judgement

Center for Work and Welfare, Livelihoods, Employment and Well-being, Policy Update

Unpaid domestic work has long been the invisible backbone of Indian households, sustaining families and enabling the formal economy to function smoothly. Yet, despite its undeniable importance, the contributions of homemakers have historically been undervalued, often dismissed as “non-economic” activity.

IMPRI Desk
July 31, 2026

Pradhan Mantri Cha Shramik Protsahan Yojana (2024): Assessing a Targeted Welfare Scheme for India’s Tea Garden Workers

Policy Update, Agriculture, Food, Nutrition Security and Rural Development, Center for Work and Welfare

India's tea industry occupies a distinctive place in the country's rural economy. It is the world's largest producer and consumer of black tea, and in 2024 it ranked as the third-largest tea exporter globally, with exports touching ₹7,817.58 crore in FY 2024-25 (Press Information Bureau [PIB], 2026). Yet the sector's economic significance sits alongside a long-standing social burden: tea is a highly labour-intensive plantation crop, employing 11.56 lakh workers in the organised sector alone, with women comprising nearly 58 per cent of this workforce (PIB, 2026). Worker welfare in tea gardens — housing, healthcare, education and social security — has historically been the statutory responsibility of estate managements under the Plantation Labour Act, 1951, with implementation resting largely with state governments.

IMPRI Desk
July 30, 2026