Made in Humane Club
Research
Indian School of Public Policy (ISPP) envisions creating next-gen policy leaders for a rising India by democratising public policy education and engagement to develop policy capacity across samaaj, sarkaar, and bazaar.
ISPP is dedicated to addressing policy challenges in India and the world using evidence-based research by applying analytical rigour to solve real-world policy problems. These pursuits require us to critically question, inquire into, and understand the principles of sound policy to advance social change.
The resultant research products amplify diverse voices and perspectives to enrich India’s evolving policy discourses. Therefore, ISPP research has a multidisciplinary orientation, is anchored by theory, and is grounded in practice. It is guided by academic luminaries and renowned policy practitioners who contextualise global knowledge to local challenges.
ISPP PB 2025-1 Financing India’s Urban Transformation
Did you know India’s cities need ₹4–4.3 trillion annually for infrastructure? That’s triple of what Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) currently generate.
Presenting Financing India’s Urban Infrastructure, a policy brief authored by Neeraj Sahai and Dr. Arun Singh, and anchored by ISPP and Dun & Bradstreet. It outlines how India must reimagine urban finance to meet a ₹60 trillion infrastructure need by 2036.
Despite constitutional amendments, Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) lack fiscal autonomy, with their own revenues declining from 89% in 1961 to just 51% today. The report highlights critical gaps: weak tax collection efficiency, limited control over revenue streams, and excessive dependence on grants.
ISPP PB 2024-1 The Economic Significance of Urban Areas
The nation’s urban landscape is undergoing a rapid and transformative evolution, driven by a relentless influx of people seeking economic opportunities and a better standard of living. This demographic shift is reshaping India’s economic geography, elevating cities to the forefront of the country’s development trajectory.
This report, “ISPP PB 2024-1 The Economic Significance of Urban Areas,” delves into the multifaceted impact of urbanisation on India’s economy. By analysing key trends and data, we aim to shed light on the economic benefits, challenges, and opportunities associated with this phenomenon.
The following sections will explore the rapid growth of India’s urban population, cities’ significant role in fostering economic development, the challenges posed by infrastructure deficits, and cities’ potential to achieve sustainable and inclusive growth.
Case Study Centre (CSC)
The Case Study Centre (CSC), ISPP’s first research venture, produces case studies on issues in Indian public policy, administration, and governance. By converting the tensions and dilemmas faced by policymakers into teaching material, the centre provides learners with a rich repository of real-life policy problems they can analyse, solve, and learn from.
As its first project, the centre contributed to learning resources on Amrit Gyankosh for the Capacity Building Commission (CBC). These case studies will be used in ISPP’s programmes and central, state, and private training institutes. For the CBC, the centre also designed a Case Teaching Method Primer for teachers and trainers of central and state training institutes. As learning tools, they aim to equip learners with critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.