Category Centres

Digital Development Compass 2026: Reading India’s Digital Governance

Policy Update, Center for ICT for Development, Centres, Economy and Infrastructure, Entrepreneurship, ICT and Innovation, Generation Alpha Data Centre, Governance and Law, Insights, Thematic Areas

1. Background: What Is the Digital Development Compass?

Governments across the world routinely describe themselves as pursuing 'digital transformation,' yet few possess a comparative, evidence-based way of establishing where they actually stand. The Digital Development Compass (DDC), developed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), was built to close this gap. Rather than functioning as one more competitive ranking, the Compass is designed as a diagnostic: a visualisation of a country's digital indicators, drawn entirely from publicly available datasets, that allows a government to identify its own strengths and weaknesses and locate itself within a five-stage digital maturity scale.

IMPRI Desk
September 14, 2026

Coal Gasification Financial Incentive Scheme (CGFIS): Promoting Clean Energy and Self-Reliance

Policy Update, Center for Environment, Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Environment, Energy, Climate Change and Sustainable Development

India faces a critical trilemma in its energy transition: balancing rapid decarbonization targets with soaring industrial power demand, grid reliability constraints, and a heavy economic reliance on conventional fossil fuels. While expanding renewables and reducing emissions are priorities, coal remains essential for industrial and energy needs. The key issue is how to use domestic coal resources more efficiently and strategically.

IMPRI Desk
September 13, 2026

From Climate Plan to Climate Action: Assessing Kerala’s State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC 2.0) 2022

Policy Update, Center for Environment, Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Environment, Energy, Climate Change and Sustainable Development

Kerala’s first State Action Plan on Climate Change came out in 2014, but by the time a decade had passed, it no longer felt like it matched the reality on the ground. The state had watched Cyclone Ockhi swirl in from the sea, endured the devastating floods of 2018 and 2019, grappled with Nipah outbreaks, and seen landslides become alarmingly routine in the Western Ghats. With monsoon patterns turning erratic and temperatures creeping up, the old plan simply could not keep up.

IMPRI Desk
September 13, 2026

Diplomacy in the Making: BRICS Young Diplomats Forum, New Delhi, May 2026

Policy Update, Center for International Relations and Strategic Studies, International Relations and Strategic Studies

In May 2026, the Ministry of External Affairs of India (MEA), through the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service (SSIFS), hosted the BRICS Young Diplomats Forum (BYDF) in New Delhi. The forum took place between 18–23 May, bringing together sixteen mid-career diplomats from eight BRICS countries and Heads of Diplomatic Academies from nine BRICS countries (SSIFS, 2026). Convened under India's 2026 BRICS Chairship theme, "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability", formally unveiled by External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr. S. Jaishankar on 13 January 2026 (Prasar Bharati News Services Division, 2026), the Forum combined experiential learning, simulation exercises, and institutional dialogue to prepare the next generation of BRICS diplomats ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit scheduled for New Delhi later in the year.

IMPRI Desk
September 13, 2026

BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting New Delhi, May, 2026: Strengthening Global Governance and the Voice of the Global South

Policy Update, Center for International Relations and Strategic Studies, International Relations and Strategic Studies

Policy UpdatePragya Raghav Abstract India hosted the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on 14-15 May 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, marking the first ministerial meeting of its 2026 chairship (MEA, 2026). Chaired by External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar,…

IMPRI Desk
September 13, 2026

Madhya Pradesh Department wise Schemes Update 2026

Policy Update, Center for the Study for Finance and Economics, Public Finances and Macroeconomics, Public Policies, Programs and Schemes

Madhya Pradesh, located in central India, has Bhopal as its capital and is the second-largest state in India by area and the fifth-largest by population, with more than 72 million residents. The state has a diversified economy driven by agriculture, mining, manufacturing, tourism and services. It is one of India’s leading agricultural producers, particularly in pulses, oilseeds and soybean, and has significant mineral resources, including large reserves of diamonds and copper. Madhya Pradesh has a projected GSDP of ₹18.48 lakh crore for 2026–27, representing a nominal growth rate of 11% over the revised 2025-26 estimate(PRS Legislative Research).

IMPRI Desk
September 13, 2026

Karnataka’s Gruha Lakshmi Yojana (2023)

Policy Update, Center for the Study for Finance and Economics, Center for Work and Welfare, Public Finances and Macroeconomics, Public Policies, Programs and Schemes, Social Sector

Women’s economic insecurity is shaped by more than the absence of a regular wage. Many women manage food purchases, children’s schooling, health care, care work and household budgeting, often without independent control over income. This is particularly important in households dependent on informal work, seasonal employment, small farming or irregular daily earnings. State governments have increasingly responded to this gap through direct benefit transfer programmes that credit cash directly into women’s bank accounts.

IMPRI Desk
September 13, 2026