Category Special Initiatives

Fostering Inclusivity in Technical Education: Saksham Scholarship Scheme (2014)

Policy Update, Center for Human Dignity and Development, Center for ICT for Development, Center for Work and Welfare, Economy and Infrastructure, Entrepreneurship, ICT and Innovation, Gender Impact Studies Center, Gender, Pluralism and Social Inclusion, Insights, Livelihoods, Employment and Well-being, Public Policies, Programs and Schemes, Science and Technology, Social Sector, Special Initiatives

The Saksham Scholarship Scheme is a significant initiative by the Government of India, aimed at providing financial support and encouragement to specially-abled students to pursue technical education. The scheme was officially launched in the academic year 2014-15. It was introduced under the then Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), which has since been renamed the Ministry of Education. The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the statutory body for technical education in the country, was tasked with implementing and managing the scheme.

IMPRI Desk
January 17, 2026

India–Israel Agri-Tech Innovations and Start-up Exchange: A Partnership for Sustainable Growth (2025)

Policy Update, Agriculture, Food, Nutrition Security and Rural Development, Center for Environment, Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Center for International Relations and Strategic Studies, Center for Work and Welfare, Economy and Infrastructure, Entrepreneurship, ICT and Innovation, Environment, Energy, Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Insights, International Relations and Strategic Studies, Livelihoods, Employment and Well-being, Public Finances and Macroeconomics, Public Policies, Programs and Schemes, Science and Technology, Special Initiatives

The economic relationship between India and Israel has evolved strategically, moving beyond the traditional defence-centric ties to encompass high-technology sectors like cyber, water management, and most significantly, Agri-Tech. This partnership leverages Israel's cutting-edge agricultural innovation and India's massive scale, diverse market, and vast talent pool, creating a powerful synergy for sustainable and inclusive growth.

IMPRI Desk
January 12, 2026

India’s Renewable Push: The Perils of Taking Shortcuts

Insights, Center for Environment, Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Center for Habitat, Urban and Regional Studies, Center for Human Dignity and Development, Governance and Law, Special Initiatives

The Adani group is entering the battery energy storage system business, with an initial planned capacity of 1.126GW of power, capable of delivering that power for around three hours. This solves two kinds of problems, but creates two larger ones, of supply-chain dependence on China and significant indirect emissions of the kind green energy is supposed to avoid.

TK Arun and TK Arun
December 30, 2025

Macaulay and English Education: Where PM Modi’s Account Falls Short

Insights, Economy and Infrastructure, Governance and Law, Livelihoods, Employment and Well-being, Public Finances and Macroeconomics, Public Policies, Programs and Schemes, Special Initiatives

Prime Minister Narendra Modi gets it wrong on Macaulay. Give the devil his due. His introduction of English language education in India is one of the good things colonialism did for India. It paved the way for Indians to enter the world of modern knowledge, to savour the fruits of the scientific revolution that swept across Europe and turned the world of scholarship upside down in the 16th and 17th centuries, and for the oppressed castes of India to enter the world of learning, from which Indian tradition had excluded them, and for the enrichment and growth of India’s regional languages and cultures. English education introduced Indians to the concepts of liberty, equality and fraternity, totally alien to monarchy and the caste system.

TK Arun and TK Arun
December 30, 2025

It’s Time for Unions to Work the Talk

Insights, Center for Habitat, Urban and Regional Studies, Center for Human Dignity and Development, Center for Work and Welfare, Governance and Law, Public Finances and Macroeconomics, Public Policies, Programs and Schemes, Social Sector, Special Initiatives

The four labour codes long in the making have finally been notified. The good thing is that a legal framework now exists for a company inclined to provide social security for the gig workers it employs to actually provide it. Uber, for example, says it has been waiting for such a legal framework. Any labour law is only as good as its enforcement. Where workers and their unions are strong enough to compel enforcement, laws are complied with.

TK Arun and TK Arun
December 30, 2025

Co-Creating Care: India’s PCOS Discourse, Policy Neglect, and a Roadmap to Participatory Solutions

Insights, Gender Impact Studies Center, Gender, Pluralism and Social Inclusion, Governance and Law, IMPRI Research, Livelihoods, Employment and Well-being, Policy Briefs, Research, Special Initiatives, Working Papers

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) impacts countless women in India, yet our understanding often remains trapped in clinical jargon. This is more than just a medical condition; it is a socially constructed illness and lived experience deeply intertwined with our deep-rooted societal expectations, structural inequalities shaped by caste, class, and gender, and policy shortcomings. Despite its prevalence, existing research predominantly emphasizes biomedical and clinical dimensions, neglecting subjective narratives and sociocultural contexts.

IMPRI Desk
November 1, 2025

One District One Product – 2018

Policy Update, Center for Habitat, Urban and Regional Studies, Center for Human Dignity and Development, Insights, Social Sector, Special Initiatives

Central Government initiated ODOP in all states/UTs as a transformational step to realise the potential of a district, fuel economic growth, generate employment and rural entrepreneurship and move towards the goal of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'. The need for ODOP arose from the uneven development across districts, where potential-rich traditional industries lacked branding, scale, and access to formal finance.

IMPRI Desk
October 29, 2025