Category Public Policies, Programs and Schemes

Rashtriya Gokul Mission (2014): Revitalising India’s Indigenous Cattle Economy

Policy Update, Agriculture, Food, Nutrition Security and Rural Development, Center for Habitat, Urban and Regional Studies, Public Policies, Programs and Schemes

India's livestock sector is central to rural livelihoods, nutritional security and agricultural incomes. However, the country historically faced a paradox: it possessed a large indigenous bovine population, but the productivity of many animals remained low because of inadequate genetic improvement, limited access to quality breeding services and insufficient propagation of genetically superior indigenous animals. Against this backdrop, the Government of India launched the Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM) in December 2014 to develop and conserve indigenous bovine breeds, genetically upgrade the bovine population and improve milk productivity. More than 80% of low-producing indigenous animals are reportedly owned by small and marginal farmers and landless labourers, making genetic improvement particularly relevant for rural livelihoods. The mission has an outlay of Rs 500 crore during the 12th Five Year Plan. During 2014-15 Rs 150.00 crores was allocated for development, preservation and conservation of indigenous breeds

IMPRI Desk
August 29, 2026

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India Innovation Centre for Graphene: Kerala’s 2022 Push Toward a Knowledge Economy

Policy Update, Center for Habitat, Urban and Regional Studies, Public Policies, Programs and Schemes

Graphene is an extremely thin material made from carbon, just one atom thick, yet around a hundred times stronger than steel. It is also flexible, transparent, and an excellent conductor of electricity and heat. Because of these properties, scientists often call it a “wonder material,” expected to shape future electronics, batteries, medical devices, and smart sensors. Countries that build graphene research and manufacturing capacity early are likely to gain an advantage as these technologies mature over the next decade.

IMPRI Desk
August 29, 2026

Community Health: A Responsive Action for Koylanchal Initiative (CHARAK)

Policy Update, Center for Human Dignity and Development, Center for Work and Welfare, Public Policies, Programs and Schemes

The CHARAK initiative is a targeted corporate social responsibility intervention designed to address specialised healthcare challenges in India’s coal-mining regions. Unlike national health schemes such as Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY which identify beneficiaries primarily through socio-economic deprivation criteria CHARAK covers households with an annual income of up to ₹8 lakh, protecting the vulnerable "missing middle" who often fall outside standard welfare safety nets. Additionally, rather than operating purely as an insurance payout, CHARAK serves as an institutional bridge by using Northern Coalfields Limited’s (NCL) Nehru Shatabdi Chikitsalaya (NSC) to coordinate direct referrals to empanelled super-speciality hospitals nationwide.

IMPRI Desk
August 29, 2026

SHe-Box 2.0 Policy Update

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

Sexual Harassment at the workplace remains one of the most underreported and neglected dimensions of gender-based violence in India.

IMPRI Desk
August 29, 2026

Ecomark Rules, 2024: Strengthening India’s Framework for Sustainable Consumption

Policy Update, Center for Environment, Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Environment, Energy, Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Public Policies, Programs and Schemes

Policy UpdateSaachi Saxena Background Environmental policy is moving beyond regulating factories and emissions towards influencing what consumers buy and what firms produce. The Ecomark Rules, 2024, represent this shift in India by attempting to use product information and certification as…

IMPRI Desk
August 28, 2026

Shared River, Stalled Promise: The Mahakali Treaty Revisited (1996)

Policy Update, Center for Environment, Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Environment, Energy, Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Public Policies, Programs and Schemes

The Mahakali Treaty of 1996, formally the “Treaty between His Majesty's Government of Nepal and the Government of India Concerning the Integrated Development of the Mahakali River including Sarada Barrage, Tanakpur Barrage and Pancheshwar Project”, was signed in New Delhi on 12 February 1996 and entered into force on 5 June 1997. It runs for 75 years, with a review mandated every ten years or earlier if either side requests it. The treaty also established a joint Mahakali River Commission to oversee implementation and resolve disputes (Government of India [GoI] and Government of Nepal [GoN], 1996).

IMPRI Desk
August 28, 2026

Code on Social Security, 2020: Towards Inclusive Social Security for India’s Workforce

Policy Update, Center for Human Dignity and Development, Public Policies, Programs and Schemes

The global labour market has undergone a fundamental transformation since the 2008 global financial crisis. Traditional employment relationships have increasingly given way to flexible platform-mediated forms of work collectively referred to as the gig economy. In India, this transition has been driven by rapid urbanisation, widespread smartphone adoption and the expansion of the digital economy. Gig work refers to income-generating activities performed outside conventional employer-employee relationships. It includes platform-based work facilitated through digital applications such as Swiggy, Zomato and Uber as well as non-platform gig work, including casual wage labour and freelance services.

IMPRI Desk
August 27, 2026