Category Policy Briefs

STARS

STARS: Scheme for Transformational and Advanced Research in Sciences

The Scheme for Transformational and Advanced Research in Sciences is an initiative of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) and the Department of Higher Education, established in February 2019.  It operates with the main aim of promoting translational, India-centric research in sciences, to be implemented and managed by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore. The scheme functions to support socially relevant research in the following six basic thrust areas – Physics, Chemistry, Biological Sciences, Nanosciences, Data Sciences & Mathematics, and Earth Sciences.

Karnataka's Yuva Nidhi Scheme 2024

Karnataka’s Yuva Nidhi Scheme 2024

India has the largest youth population in the world, with approximately forty percent of the global youth present in the country. This is often referred to as a ‘youth bulge’,  which helps a country foster economic growth and innovation through the efforts of a young workforce. However, it also leads to high competition for resources and opportunities.

Bharat Vandana Park: Integrating Ecology, Infrastructure, and Cultural Nationalism in Urban India

Bharat Vandana Park: Integrating Ecology, Infrastructure, and Cultural Nationalism in Urban India

Bharat Vandana Park is a flagship initiative by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), introduced as a national integration and ecological park with the objectives of creating a space for human health and wellbeing, social cohesion, tourism, protection of biodiversity and ecological and environmental benefits.

EPA 2024

India-Sri Lanka Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) 2024: Strengthening Economic and Strategic Partnership

The EPA signed in 2024 emerged from the context not merely as a recovery mechanism for Sri Lanka, but as a test case for India’s evolving regional economic diplomacy. As someone seeking to understand how bilateral cooperation is shaped by mutual dependency, geopolitical calculations and economic leverage. This agreement offers a timely lens in  which to explore the political economy of regional integration. Hence, this article attempts to examine the EPA not just as a policy document, but as a strategic narrative. Critics question  whether it reflects a shift toward mutualism or masks deeper asymmetries beneath an ambitious framework.

Policy Update 3

India’s Updated Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy (2024)

India is going through an exciting transformation in how we think about transportation. With rising fuel prices, oil imports, diesel prices, pollution, climate change, and the need to reduce carbon emissions, electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming a sustainable alternative. India is also ahead in supporting this change by introducing policies, incentives, and initiatives. 

Policy Update 5 1 1

Soil Health Card Scheme (2015)

The Soil Health Card Scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 19 February, 2015 at Suratgarh, Rajasthan. On the occasion, the Prime Minister gave the slogan: “Swasth Dharaa, Khet Haraa.” - Healthy Earth, Green Farm. Referring to the song “ Vande Mataram”, he said that to achieve a land that is truly” Sujalam, Suphalam,” it is necessary to nurture the soil.

India’s Aviation Climate Agenda 2025: Status and Strategy

India’s Aviation Climate Agenda 2025: Status and Strategy

The aviation sector in India is surging; it is determined, sometimes unpredictable, and a dawning responsibility. The specter of carbon emissions shadows every triumphant data point on air connectivity, every new airport or new aircraft order.

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