About the Webinar
Public policies are often designed with the intention of addressing pressing social and economic challenges. From improving access to essential services to creating opportunities for inclusive growth, these policies aim to bring meaningful change to people’s lives. Yet, even well-intentioned policies do not always deliver the outcomes they set out to achieve.
Why does this happen? Is it a question of policy design, implementation, institutional capacity, or the realities of the communities these policies seek to serve?
The gap between policy intent and on-ground outcomes is one of the most important questions in public policy. A policy that appears effective on paper must also account for the complexities of implementation, competing priorities, available resources, and the people and institutions responsible for translating it into action.
Through “Why Do Good Policies Fail? The Gap Between Policy & Reality,” the Indian School of Public Policy invites students, young professionals and aspiring policy practitioners to explore what makes public policy work in practice. The webinar will examine why policies sometimes fall short of their intended goals, how different stakeholders influence implementation, and what it takes to bridge the gap between policy design and real-world impact.
Who Should Attend?
The webinar is particularly relevant for individuals interested in public policy, governance and social impact, including:
Undergraduate Students
Recent Graduates
UPSC Aspirants
Early-Career Professionals
What Will You Take Away?
1
Understand why well-intentioned policies do not always deliver the desired outcomes.
2
Explore how government, society and markets influence policy implementation.
3
Discover how young people can engage with public policy and contribute to meaningful change.
Speakers
Ms. Neelkamal Darbari
Former IAS Officer | Former Secretary, Government of India
Ms. Neelkamal Darbari is a former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer with more than 36 years of distinguished experience in public administration and policymaking. She has held senior leadership positions in the Government of India and the Government of Rajasthan, including Secretary to the Government of India and Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Rajasthan.
Her work spans several major national initiatives, including the promotion of 10,000 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and the implementation of the electronic National Agriculture Market (eNAM).
Dr. Lekha S. Chakraborty
Professor and Chair, NIPFP NET | National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP)
Dr. Lekha S. Chakraborty is an economist, author and academic specialising in public finance and development economics. She is a Professor and Chair at NIPFP NET at the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP), New Delhi.
She serves as a Governing Board Member of the International Institute of Public Finance, Munich, and is associated with the Levy Economics Institute, New York. Her work focuses on public finance and economic policy.
Watch the Webinar
A good policy is something which would take into account, first and foremost, the identification of a problem. What is it that you want to correct? What is it that you want to improve? What is it that you want to change for the people?