Category Policy Update

Programme for Accelerated Renewal and Incentivization of Vehicle Assets for Reducing Transport Air Pollution and Network Emissions (PARIVARTAN), 2026.

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

The PARIVARTAN (Programme for Accelerated Renewal and Incentivization of Vehicle Assets for Reducing Transport Air Pollution and Network Emissions) Scheme, 2026 is a Government of India initiative aimed at reducing vehicular pollution in the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR). The scheme addresses emissions from ageing commercial trucks and buses, which are significant contributors to particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and other pollutants in the NCR.

IMPRI Desk
October 28, 2026

Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Amendment Rules, 2026: Enhancing Transparency and Accountability.

Policy Update, Center for Work and Welfare, Economy and Infrastructure

The Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026 strengthen the existing Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 by introducing more specific requirements for transparency and accountability in online marketplaces. Key changes include clearer disclosures of sponsored listings and product rankings, improved pricing transparency, stricter grievance redressal timelines, enhanced seller and product information, and measures to address dark patterns and misleading practices. The amendments also introduce additional requirements concerning consumer consent, imported goods and participation in the National Consumer Helpline convergence process. These provisions aim to strengthen consumer protection and promote fairer online transactions. The amended rules will come into force on 1 January 2027.

IMPRI Desk
October 28, 2026

Financing India’s Net-Zero Transition: Economic Costs, Distributional Choices and Policy Priorities.

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

India’s net-zero transition is increasingly becoming an economic concern alongside its environmental goals. India needs to expand energy access, support industrialisation, meet rising electricity demand and improve living standards while reducing the emissions intensity of economic activity. The challenge is not simply to replace fossil fuels with cleaner alternatives, but to finance this transformation without placing an unsustainable burden on public finances, businesses or households. Future policy frameworks must also account for human development priorities, including health, education and poverty reduction, to ensure that emissions reduction targets remain compatible with improvements in living standards and broader socioeconomic progress.

IMPRI Desk
October 28, 2026

Analyzing K-FON, 2023: Digital Access as a Public Good in Kerala

Policy Update, Center for ICT for Development, Center for the Study for Finance and Economics, Economy and Infrastructure

Kerala's Kerala Fibre Optic Network (K-FON) emerged from a deliberate policy decision to treat internet access as a basic right rather than a market privilege. The state government declared internet access a basic citizen right in 2017, and the project was formally approved by the state cabinet in October 2019 with the explicit goal of bridging the digital divide.

IMPRI Desk
October 28, 2026

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Aawaz Insurance Scheme (2017) : Kerala

Policy Update, Center for Human Dignity and Development, Center for Work and Welfare, Livelihoods, Employment and Well-being, Public Policies, Programs and Schemes

Around 2.35 lakh workers migrate to Kerala from various parts of the country annually. The total number of migrant workers in the state has crossed over 25 lakh (Starhealth). Despite the state’s comparatively developed public healthcare system, migrant workers faced barriers to accessing healthcare arising from precarious living conditions, limited awareness of welfare entitlement and inadequate institutional outreach.

IMPRI Desk
October 28, 2026

India–IBSA Fund Development Projects (2024): Advancing Trilateral South–South Cooperation

Policy Update, Center for Habitat, Urban and Regional Studies, Center for Human Dignity and Development, Center for International Relations and Strategic Studies, Insights, International Relations and Strategic Studies, Livelihoods, Employment and Well-being

The India, Brazil, and South Africa Facility for Poverty and Hunger Alleviation (IBSA Fund) represents one of the most innovative and enduring models of trilateral South–South cooperation in the global international development architecture. Established in 2004 and becoming fully operational in 2006, the Fund was conceptualized by three major developing democracies spanning Asia, Latin America, and Africa to translate shared values of solidarity, equity, and mutual benefit into tangible developmental outcomes for fellow nations in the Global South. Rather than operating as a traditional donor-driven aid mechanism, the IBSA Fund is designed to identify, execute, and disseminate replicable, scalable, and demand-driven projects that combat poverty and hunger in partner developing countries.

IMPRI Desk
October 27, 2026

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Output-Outcome Monitoring Framework (2019): Assessing the Effectiveness of Public Spending in India

Policy Update, Center for Habitat, Urban and Regional Studies, Center for Human Dignity and Development, Economy and Infrastructure, Public Policies, Programs and Schemes

Public expenditure is one of the main ways through which the government aims to improve public welfare, expand access to services and support economic development. However, the amount allocated to a scheme does not necessarily translate into the achievement of its intended objectives.

IMPRI Desk
October 27, 2026