From 2011, the Ministry of Education (MoE), Government of India, has launched the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE), which has become a pillar of data governance in higher education. AISHE was envisaged with the objective of resolving the age-old gaps between systematic, genuine, and comprehensive data needed for strategic planning and policy-making in higher education.
Policy Update Fatima Firdaus OVERVIEW: In-Situ Slum Rehabilitation (ISSR) is a housing policy where the existing slum areas are redeveloped into a formal residential area on the same land currently occupied by the slum dwellers. The words “In-Situ” means “in…
The National Panchayat Awards are a yearly initiative by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR). Government of India , to recognize and give praises and incentivize the outstanding capabilities and approach of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). These awards aim to improve and encourage transparency, accountability, innovation and effective governance at the grassroots level which in turn will strengthen democracy.
In consideration of its strategic importance, India launched its Semiconductor Mission (ISM) in December 2021 within the broader Semicon India Programme. With a budget allocation of more than ₹76,000 crore, this mission seeks to build a sustainable semiconductor design ecosystem within the nation. One of the key pillars of this is the Design Linked Incentive scheme, which is intended to promote indigenous capabilities, reduce import dependencies and make India technologically self sufficient.
After India joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) framework in 1995, the country's strategic response to the changing global intellectual property landscape was the Patent Facilitation Programme (PFP). Established by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), the program operates through the Patent Facilitation Centre (PFC) at the Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC), marking a pivotal shift in India's approach to intellectual property rights (IPR) protection.
The Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) was launched on October 11, 2014, as a flagship rural development initiative to translate Mahatma Gandhi's vision of an ideal Indian village into contemporary reality. Each Member of Parliament adopts a Gram Panchayat under this program to direct its overall development, emphasizing social and infrastructure growth equally.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, enacted by the Indian Parliament on April 3, 2025, has emerged as a lightning rod for controversy, encapsulating the tensions between governance reform and minority rights in India’s diverse democracy. With waqf properties—valued at over ₹100,000 crore and spanning 940,000 acres—representing the third-largest landholding entity after Indian Railways and the Armed Forces, the bill’s stated aim is to enhance transparency and efficiency in their management.