Public Policy

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

The Policy Process Natural sciences
Values

Social Sciences
Identification of Integrated sciences
NITI Ayog
objectives
Specification of
Restructuring of Alternatives
Goal Declared
objectives

Elaborate with the

example of Ujjawala & Evaluating Policy
Evaluation alternatives
General Category
reservation Authority for Legislature
decision making
Policy selection/
Policy outcomes Public recommendation
Administration Course of action

Judiciary/
Judicial
Monitoring Implementation
scrutiny
Finance Commissio
Executive
Implementation

Policies Programmes Projects

Policy Implementation approaches
Examples from centre

• Top down: Ujjawala

• Bottom up: Doubling farmers’ income by
2022 (compared to 2014)
National Action Plan on Climate Change

• NABARD Adaptation fund:

https://www.nabard.org/content.aspx?id=5
85
Examples from the state
• Bihar’s Hariyali Mission
Tools for tracking the implementation of
Bihar’s Hariyali Mission
https://forestonline.bih.nic.in/ePublicPlantati
on/Home.aspx

2011 2015
Naya Raipur
• Naya Raipur:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UXli2
oy2I8
Local level governance
• https://rural.nic.in/sites/default/files/DO_lett
erfromSPR_toChiefSecretary_with_revise
dAnnexure_English_06042018.pdf (Village
Panchayat)
Are 100% EV (new sale) feasible/
implementable by 2030?
• Price difference (7 Lakh INR ~ 5 Lakh
INR)
• Subsidy of about 1.4 Lakh
• Operating cost (0.6 INR/Km to 5.6
INR/Km)

CC, Air-Pollution, Forex reserves, a buyer sector for India’s surplus

electricity supply,
Source: The Anthropocene Magazine, 2018

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus
Battery constitutes 40% of the total cost
 Status of Project Programme
implementation in India/ Data sources
• http://mospi.nic.in/about-ministry-0
• http://mospi.nic.in/result-framework-documents
• State-wise project summaries:
http://www.cspm.gov.in/english/project.html
• http://mospi.nic.in/sites/default/files/publication_reports/mospi
_monthly_major_achievement_may18.pdf
• Statistical Year book: http://www.mospi.nic.in/statistical-year-
book-india/2015
Public Policy

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

New Chapter on Role of Judiciary
Structure of
Judiciary in
India

- Law Commission
- Tribunals (NGT)
High courts
• In the original Constitution the High Courts
were given powers of judging the validity
of the Central and the State laws. But the
42nd Amendment of the Constitution took
away the powers of the High Courts to
determine the validity of the central laws
and put various conditions on their powers
of judging the validity of the State laws.
However, the 43rd Constitutional
(Amendment) Act, 1978 has restored
these powers to the High Courts.
 Judicial Review (Article 13)
• All laws in force in the territory of India immediately before the
commencement of this Constitution, in so far as they are
inconsistent with the provisions of this Part, shall, to the extent of
such inconsistency, be void.
• The State shall not make any law which takes away or abridges the
rights conferred by this Part and any law made in contravention of
this clause shall, to the extent of the contravention, be void.

Very good article on Judicial Review:

http://www.mondaq.com/india/x/20649/Constitutional+Administrative+Law/Judicial+Rev
iew+in+India
Judicial Review (Article 13)
• In this article, unless the context otherwise required, -
– "law" includes any Ordinance, order, bye-law, rule,
regulation, notification, custom or usage having in the
territory of India the force of law;
– "laws in force" includes laws passed or made by a
Legislature or other competent authority in the territory of
India before the commencement of this Constitution and
not previously repealed, notwithstanding that any such law
or any part thereof may not be then in operation either at
all or in particular areas.
• Nothing in this article shall apply to any amendment of
this Constitution made under article 368.
- Article 31B created Ninth Schedule to the
constitution, items inserted in this
schedule could not be challenged in court
for being inconsistent with the
Fundamental Rights
- Distinction between ordinary law and
constituent law, the net result was that
constitutional amendments can not be
questioned in the courts
• Golaknath and State of Punjab: U-turn, no
distinction beween ordinary law and
constitutent law;
• The courts ruled that Fundamental Rights
are so sacrosanct and transcendental that
even an unamimour vote of all MPs is not
sufficient to weaken or undermine them,
• But landlords got to respite, right to
property no longer fundamental right, this
will apply in prospective
• Then came 24th amendment, insertion of
Art 13 (4) – again made sure that courts
can not touch constitutional amendments
• Keshavanand –all amendments enacted
after Keshavanand has to pass through
the filter of ‘basic structure filter’ created
by the SC
 Can legislation/ executive still nullify
judicial judgement
• Government of the day can modify any
judgment of the Supreme Court by enacting
a Law/Ordinance by exercising the powers
under Article 368of the Constitution.
However, the exception to this power is that
Parliament or Legislature cannot alter
the ‘Basic Structure’ of the Constitution.
Any issue or controversy falling outside the
purview of Basic Structure Doctrine can
be modified and amended by the
Parliament.
Judicial Review
Judicial Review in its most widely accepted
meaning is the power of the courts to
consider the constitutionality of acts of
organs of Government (the executive and
legislature) and declare it unconstitutional or
null and void if it violates or is inconsistent
with the basic principles of the Constitution
Golden Triangle of Fundamental Rights

• 14 (Equality before law),

• 19 (Protection of certain rights regarding
freedom of speech, etc),
• 21 (Life & Liberty)
 Presentation topics
• First Greenfield city Naya Raipur/ Sustainable
cities – future of India
• India’s policy on Electric Vehicles
• Second and Third generation fundamental
rights and courts’ dilemma
• Ujjawala scheme
• Demonstrate an application and critique of
IESS 2047 tool of NITI AYOG
• Implementation of Sustainable Development
goals
• Elaborate key Centre Vs State Public policy
• NITI Ayog Vs Planning Commission
• Role and Responsibilities of Finance
Commission of India
• Doubling of Farmer’s income by 2022
• Installing 175 GW of Renewables by 2022
– is this feasible?
Olga Tellus – second generation
fundamental rights
Second generation of human rights

• Secondary rights would include a right to

be employed in just and favorable
condition, rights
to food, housing and health care, as well
as social security and unemployment
benefits.
2002 insert of Right to Education as a
Fundamental Right
• Right to Information
• Right to Education
• Right to Privacy
Rulings on Right to Privacy Vs Right to
Information
Third generation of human rights
• Group and collective rights
• Right to self-determination
• Right to economic and social development
• Right to a healthy environment
• Right to natural resources
• Right to communicate and communication
rights
• Right to participation in cultural heritage
• Rights to intergenerational
equity and sustainability
Third generation fundamental rights
• The grant or withdrawal of permanent or
temporary licenses to sell firecrackers is
actually an executive act but owing to it
coming in the way of realising what the
Supreme Court says the ‘human right to
breathe clean air’ the court gets the
authority to intervene

• NGT
NGT – 3rd generation fundamental right

• National Green Tribunal Act, 2010:

(NGT) is an Act of the Parliament of
India which enables creation of a special
tribunal to handle the expeditious disposal
of the cases pertaining to environmental
issues. It draws inspiration from the India's
constitutional provision of Article 21, which
assures the citizens of India the right to a
healthy environment.
NGT
• This court can rightly be called ‘special’
because India is the third country following
Australia and New Zealand to have such a
system.
• This is the first body of its kind that is
required by its parent statute to apply the
"polluter pays" principle and the principle
of sustainable development.
 Lanmark NGT verdicts
• Save Mon Region Federation and Ors. vs.
Union of India and Ors: Victory for Birds,
Massive Hydro Power Project Loses
(Arunachal)
• Samit Mehta vs. Union of India and Ors: In this
case ‘Polluter Pays’ principle invoked (Mumbai
Oil spill)
• Almitra H. Patel & Ors. vs. Union of India and
Ors: Complete prohibition on open burning of
waste on lands (2014)
Some of the examples of how Judiciary
positioned itself in relation to public
policy
• Generally did not interfere unless
absolutely necessary
In Narmada Bachao Andolan v. Union of India, there
was a challenge to the validity of the establishment
of a large dam
It was held by the majority that:
It is now well settled that the courts, in the exercise of
their jurisdiction, will not transgress into the field of policy
decision. Whether to have an infrastructural project or
not and what is the type of project to be undertaken and
how it has to be executed, are part of policy-making
process and the courts are ill-equipped to adjudicate on
a policy decision so undertaken. The court, no doubt,
has a duty to see that in the undertaking of a decision,
no law is violated and people’s fundamental rights are
not transgressed upon except to the extent permissible
under the Constitution…
Case of Demonitization
• Is the due process followed?
• Is there any better way to doing it?
• What are the reliefs required for general
public?
Case of Subrahmaniam Swamy – 2G and
Sethusamudram – yes SC took decision on
economic policy
In 2G Spectrum Allocation case, it took brilliant
economist and litigant par excellence Dr.
Subramanian Swamy to get all of them cancelled
as that policy decision was arbitrary and then get
it done by the better policy and that policy was -
auction. It was in more public interest to auction
the spectrum and SC had taken the clock as
back as 1991 to ensure that. He was successful
in doing the same with the Setu Samudram
Project too.
Sethusamudram project
• The court by an interim order in 2007 had
stayed dredging of Ram Sethu or Adam’s
Bridge on petitioners’ (Swamy) plea that it
had immense religious value for Hindus
Court constituted rules in Vishakha
case
• Read about Vishakha case and Vishakha
guidelines framed by court and later
adopted by Parliament

Vishakha Guidelines, 1997

POSH Act, 2013

Law commission
Public Policy

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

Pillars of governance

- Legislature
- Executive
- Bureucracy
- Judiciary

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

Legislative powers of centre
and states

Centre list ~ 100 subjects – ex- UN bodies, international, defence etc

State list ~ 60 subjects – Sanitation, agriculture, fisheries etc
Concurrent list ~ 50 items – forests, wildlife, family planning etc

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

Parliament and state
assemblies
- Bicarmel system in the parliament
- Upper house, Lower house
- Rule book for constitution, officials and operations for
Parliament are provided in the Article 79 – 122

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

Are there other institutions in
India that could legislate?
Who else have the legislative powers, and under what
conditions?

President - Ordinance

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

Is the Bicameral system relevant for today’s
India? Examine the demand to remove Rajya
Sabha over its continued delay in passing bills.

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

Does legislatures take input from
scientists, and social scientists?

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

Decision making - Choices

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

Rational method of decision
making
The rational decision-making process involves careful,
methodical steps. The more carefully and strictly these
steps are followed, the more rational the process is
Rational choice
in Economics
and sociology

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

Decision making - Choices

- Decision making under certainty (ex-Linear

Programming) – focus on optimality
- Decision making under uncertainty (Robust
Decision making (RDM) – focus on robustness
than optimality

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

 Linear Programming as a decision tool
• Linear Programming is a technique for making
decisions under certainty; when all the options
available are known and objectives and its
constraints are quantified.
• That course of action is chosen out of all possible
alternatives which yields the optimal results.
• Linear Programming can also be used as a
verification and checking mechanism to ascertain
the accuracy and the reliability of the decisions
which are taken solely on the basis of decision-
maker's experience- without the aid of a
mathematical model

Test- Examine the limitations of Linear Progamming in Public Policy Applications

A Robust Decision making Framework
for Climate Change Risk Management

IPCC, 2014
Meghalaya govt. has limited
resources and which forest areas
require resource allocation on priority
basis so as to maximize resilience to
climate change

Robust or no regret policy recommendations for the Meghalaya Govt.

Steps for the vulnerability assessment

& Collect Indicator Data

Collection of Indicator Data
1. Current: Satellite Data (MODIS) – 2000-2016
2. Current: Field Study – 182 plots across
Meghalaya at 84 locations
3. Future: Climate Impact Modeling
Field Study locations
Inherent Vulnerability Index for the
forests of Meghalaya
 Limitation of Purely Rational Decision
making Approach
- The process can be time-consuming and
costly.
- Lack of adequate data and tools and many
instances

The decision maker takes the analysis as a guide but

makes his own decisions

Human factors, emotions, values etc; Ex-situation of projects

in some specific areas, own constituency
Simon’s Bounded Rationality
This concept revolves on a recognition that human
knowledge and capabilities are limited and imperfect.
Three specific limitations are generally enumerated:
1. Decision makers do not have access to all possible
information relevant to the decision, and the information
they do have is often flawed and imperfect (DATA).
2. Decision makers have limited analytical and
computational abilities. They are not capable of judging
their information and alternatives perfectly. They will
inevitably make misjudgments in the evaluation process
(TOOLS).
3. Decision makers do not have unlimited time to make
decisions. Real-life situations provide time constraints in
which decisions must be made (TIME).

I am not looking for the sharpest needle, but a needle sharp enough to
sew clothes; optimal vs adequate
Heuristics in decision-making
- Simple, efficient rules which people often
use to form judgments and make
decisions
- These rules work well under most
circumstances,
- but may lead to systematic deviations from
logic, and rational choice theory.
- The resulting errors are called "cognitive
biases” (subjective social reality) –
concept of mental maps. Development Vs
Sustainability?
Policy Briefs: As a tool for policy
advocacy or objectively informing
policy makers
A policy brief is a concise summary of a
particular issue, the policy options to deal
with it, and some recommendations on the
best option.
What should a policy brief comprise of?

Headline summary in 3-4 bullet points

- Identification of problem/(s)
- Identification of objectives
- Specification of Alternatives
- Identification of optimal/ robust (under
uncertainty) alternative
- Policy recommendation (novel)
Links:
https://www.res
earchgate.net/
publication/324
861034_Co-
benefits_of_po
wer_sector_de
carbonisation_f
or_air_quality_
and_human_h
ealth_in_India
Political Context (which is often silent)

• Tug of war on deployment of renewables

 Problem identification
• Among air-pollutants, PM2.5 is most harmful
to human health. Mean annual PM2.5
concentration in India has increased by 54%
in the previous two decades, from 30 μg/m3
in 1990 to 47 μg/m3 in 2013 (World Bank and
HME, 2016), forcing a large disease and
mortality burden on Indians
• While all other major economies have been
able to reverse air pollution, In India it is still
rapidly rising
• Power sector contributes to 15%, 30% and
50% of PM, NOx and SOx emissions in India
Objectives
• To identify a robust strategy to mitigate air
pollution and health risks from the Indian
power sector
Specification of Alternatives

Chaturvedi et al 2018
Specification of Alternatives
Identification of optimal/ robust (under
uncertainty) alternative
Recommendations
• We conclude that implementation and
compliance of stringent pollution control
norms is vital for reducing pollution and
associated health risks. However, while full
emission control and suitable
implementation and compliance
mechanisms evolve, decarbonisation and
a shift to renewables could play a
significant role in reducing air pollution and
associated health risks in India in the next
decade.
The executive: Its role in policy
formulation and implementation
• The President (Art. 52-72, Election,
impeachment, powers)
• Council of Ministers (Cabinet [Cabinet
Secretariat], State and Deputy Ministers),
headed by PM (PM’s Secretariat, renamed
as PMO) – Art 75-76 (centre); Art 163-164
States
• Bureaucracy: Implementers but have
growing power in policy formulation as well
The executive
The Executive is the branch of Government accountable for the
implementation of laws and policies legislated by the legislature
The Union Govt.

The President

The Council of Ministers The PMO/ PM’s

The PM
Secretariat

Cabinet Other Ministers

The Cabinet Secretariat

Public Policy –
Finance
Commission

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

Centre-State relations and revenues
sharing
Source of Centre’s income; and its
expenditure
https://www.indiabudget.gov.in
Source of State’s income
• https://prsindia.org/files/budget/budget_sta
te/maharashtra/2023/State_Budget_Analy
sis_2023-24_Maharashtra.pdf
• https://prsindia.org/budgets/states/goa-
budget-analysis-2023-
24#:~:text=Total%20expenditure%20(excl
uding%20debt%20repayment,borrowings
%20of%20Rs%203%2C652%20crore.
• Transfer of centre’s revenue to states:
https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/ub2018-
19/bag/bag3.pdf
Source of income for local bodies
(Village and Urban bodies)
• Centre’s Total Expenditure:
https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/ub2018-
19/bag/bag6.pdf
• Plus urban bodies have their own revenue
streams
Finance Commission
http://fincomindia.nic.in/ShowContentOne.as
px?id=17&Section=1
Source: Finance Commission
Vertical Distribution & Horizontal
Distribution
Finance Commission
XIII FC

XIV FC
15th Finance Commission Report
• https://fincomindia.nic.in/ShowContent.asp
x?uid1=3&uid2=0&uid3=0&uid4=0
XIII FC XIV FC
Details of the 14th Finance Commission

• http://fincomindia.nic.in/ShowPDFContent.
aspx
Terms of Reference for the 15th Finance
Commission
• http://fincomindia.nic.in/ShowPDFContent.
aspx
Controversies:
Commission –
1) mention of 2011 population level
2) Population replacement level
3) Trying to bring back the 42% to 32%

Omission -
1) Forest criteria missing!
Nature of controversy: Is it a South Vs North controversy.. Clearly No
 Controversy around the ToR of Finance
Commission 15
• Reverting back unconditional (not earmarked
to any set expense) devolution to 32% from
the current 42% (which was done in the FC 14)
• Several CMs wanted this to increase to 50%
• Basing allocation revenue based on 2011
census, instead of so far prevalent 1971 census
(UPA too did it in case of FC 14 ToR) – there is
no south-north divide on this
Total Fertility Rate in the 15th FC
The ToR asks 15th FC to look at ways to
incentivise states for “efforts and progress
made in moving towards replacement rate of
population growth”. Replacement level
needs a total fertility rate (TFR) of 2.1. As
many as 18 of 29 states have TFR of 2.1 or
below, with two more states likely to join this
list soon. Most states, therefore, will be
ineligible for incentives as they have passed
the point of “progress”.
All India average = 2.4
Missing Forest Sector in 15th FC
Forest cover in
different states
of India
 Policy Brief - Missing Forest Sector in
the FC 15!
• FC 14 provided 7% weight to existing forest on he
basis of the consideration of opportunity cost
• Even FC 13 sanctioned forest Grants of Rs. 5000
Crores five years starting from the year 2010-11
• There is no mention of forests in the FC ToR
• Proposal – Link to additional area brought under
tree or forest cover; in addition to forest cover
• Context: Paris Goal (INDC); BONN Challenge
India’s international obligations under
the forest sector
• Goal 1: Additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3
billion tonnes of CO2 by 2030 from forests
and trees (NDC) (Unconditional)
• Goal 2: As part of Bonn Challenge India
committed to 21 million hectare of land
restoration (by 2030 compared to 2014)
Forest Conservation Act, 1980

Management 1990
Joint Forest
Chaturvedi et al 2010, in Carbon Management

Baseline 1.1 Mha

Areas undergoing desertification in India; find Desertification ATLAS here:
https://www.sac.gov.in/SACSITE/Desertification_Atlas_2016_SAC_ISRO.pdf
Full paper could be found here: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/51065/
Chaturvedi et al 2012
Public Policy
Chapter - 2

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

Specification of Alternatives
The Policy Process – Forecasting
different alternatives
• Systems analysis – (Ex-IESS tool 2047)
• Economic Forecasting
• Modelling and Simulations (Equilibrium/
Dynamics)
• Information and Data Management
System (Ex-GIS), Meghalaya State Case-
Study, an Experimental drought monitor
(advanced application of satellite data)
Systems analysis tool
Economic modelling
General Equilibrium
models
Economic modelling
Partial Equilibrium
models

Econometric Analysis and Forecasting

• Simple Linear Regression
• Multiple Linear Regression
Architecture of a simple General
Equilibrium model
Partial Equilibrium Economic Model
NDVI analysis (2000-2016) of Disturbed
and Intact Forests
Figure 1. Map showing the distribution of National parks (NP), Wildlife sanctuaries (WLS)
and Reserved forests (RF) in Meghalaya (1. Dribru hills RF, 2. Tura peak RF, 3. Chima
Bangshi RF, 4.Dhima RF, 5. Rajasimla RF, 6. Iidek RF, 7. Songsak RF, 8. Darugiri RF, 9.
Dambu RF, 10. Rongrengiri RF, 11. Siju WLS/RF, 12. Emanggiri RF, 13. Angratoli RF, 14.
Baghmara WLS/RF, 15. Rait Khawn RF, 16. Shyrwat RF, 17. Upper Shillong RF, 18. Rait
Laban RF, 19. Nongkhyllem WLS/ RF, 20. Umsaw RF, 21. Saipung RF, 22. Saipung RF, 23
 Road network – with 100 ft buffer
around the line

Source: NESAC, via MBDA

 Settlements – with 500 m buffer around the
points

Source: NESAC, via MBDA

 Area under shifting cultivation

Source: NESAC, via MBDA

Combined disturbed area – under roads,
settlements and shifting cultivation
Satellite data based Experimental
Drought monitor

https://sites.google.com/a/iitgn.ac.in/india_drought_monitor/home

Access this website to learn about the India Drought Monitor

Planning Commission & NITI AYOG
 Role of Planning Commission
• Make an assessment of the material capital and human resources
of the country and to suggest ways of augmenting them;
• Formulate a plan for the most effective and balanced utilization of
the country’s resources;
• Determine priorities of the plan and to allocate resources to
different sectors of the plan;
• Remove factors retarding economic growth in the current socio-
political scenario of the country;
• Build up machinery for the successful implementation of the plan ;
• Appraise progress achieved in the execution of plan from time to
time and to bring about necessary adjustment in policy and thrusts
of the plan;
• Make necessary changes in both policy and implementation of the
plan in accordance with the advice or recommendation received
from the central or the State Governments.
 NDC
The Planning Commission as originally constituted was but an arm
of government of India. The state governments had no participation
in it or had no role to play in the planning process. To remove these
defects The National Development Council ( NDC) was created in
1952. The National Development Council was to consist of the
Prime Minister as its chairman, the Chief Ministers of all the states
and union territories and the members of the commission. The
National Development Council was conceived as a super planning
body. It acts as a forum in which the Prime Minister. Union Ministers,
the Chief Ministers of states and members of the Planning
Commission interact at all stages of planning. Plans are formulated
by the Planning Commission and approved the National
Development Council before they are presented to the Parliament
and the state legislatures. In this way plans formulated by the
planning commission received a national character.
• Structure of Planning Commission
• Structure of NITI Ayog
• Functions, powers of PC and Functions
and powers of NITI
• Legacy of PC – most important
achievements
• Most important achievements of NITI
• Future prospects of NITI Ayog
Differences/ Similarities between NITI Ayog and
Planning Commission
•Genesis - Cabinet resolution (what is the basic
idea, need for separate body to focus on Public
Policy, instead of Pub Admin)
•Structure - Planning Commission + NDC < NITI
Ayog (NDC integrated)
•Five year plans Vs three year Action Agenda
(from 2017 onwards/ seven year strategy/ 15
year vision document
•Powers to allocate resources- NITI will be
aligned to Finance Commission
recommendations
Planning Commission
 Factors that led to decline of Planning
Commission
• Collision with Finance Commission (Gadgil formula)
• Collision with Finance Ministry
• Lack of consititutional and legal sanctity
• Globalization, Liberalization and Privatization
• Focus on theoretical tools, which were wrong on ground
• Faulty budgeting
• Collision with annual budget
• Plan-non plan distinction
• Inconvenience to states
How is Planning Commission doing in
other countries?
• Russia’s Gosplan sacked in 1991
• China’s Planning Commission gave way to
NDRC in 1998
• Problems with NDRC
 Question?

Neoliberalism has
conned us into
fighting climate
change as
individuals –
Critically
examine this
statement

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

Can Planning Commission bounce back
again in India?
Key features of 12th FY Plan
NITI Ayog’s 3 year Action Agenda
 Doubling Farmer’s income by 2022
• land-leasing agreements (NITI Ayog land leasing law)
• Agricultural Insurance interventions
• 10 pilot projects in NITI (Aayog) to try to demonstrate
that doubling of farmer’s income by 2022 is possible
(“precision agriculture” using AI in 10 districts to be
selected from seven states: Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand,
Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Uttar
Pradesh)
• NITI Aayog signed an agreement with software firm
IBM to develop a model for crop-yield predictions
using AI so that farmers can be provided real-time
advisories in these states.
Employment generation
• NITI Aayog is also planning to release the
first household survey-based employment
data
• Payroll data unit in NITI Aayog, and we will
create a big data analytics unit
 Niti Ayog’s first three year action agenda
• Broad Macro-economics aligned to FC
recommendations (expediture/ receipts), plus
forecasts for next three years, 7 years, 15
years
• Example of recommendations: Forest sector
– suggestions in wood products; land-
leasing agreements (NITI Ayog land leasing
law); GIS based tracking of assets created
under MGNREGA; Updating of SECC
database; suggestion on afforestation app
 NITI Ayog’s role in policy
implementation and monitoring

“I am hoping that on the 9th of this month, a document will

be placed in Parliament which will be the most detailed
performance-based outcome Budget document that you
would ever see. NITI Aayog has been working on it for six
months and we have created a 740 items, line-by-line
outcome-based document which every ministry will have to
follow. Each line has an outcome target mentioned there,”
said Kumar at the Express Adda on Tuesday.
NITI Ayog: Source of Statistics
- http://niti.gov.in/state-statistics (States)
- http://niti.gov.in/best-practices/district-
wise-statistics (District)
- National Level
(http://niti.gov.in/content/national-statistics)
NITI Ayog’s role in implementation of
SDGs

http://niti.gov.in/writereaddata/files/SDGs%20V22-Mapping_August%202017.pdf
NITI Ayog’s Draft Energy Policy
NITI Ayog’s Health Policy document
Public Policy

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

Nature, Scope and Significance of
Public Policy
R K Sapru (2012) could be used as a reference material for this chapter
What is Public?

Public as opposed to Private

What is Policy?
• An authoritative decision
• A declaration of goal
• A declaration of course of action

Some examples of Public Policies from India

A policy is devised generally to solve people’s problem, its an

authoratative decision with declaration of goal and a declaration of course
of action
Nature of Public Policy
• In this course we focus on the Policy
Sciences perspective on Public Policy
• And view Public Policy Science as a tool
to mitigate people’s problems
Key Elements of Policy Sciences
• Focus on problem ‘Problem Orientation’
• Explicitly normative (concerns with ethics
and values)
• Multi-disciplinary
 Production of Knowledge in Natural
Sciences (Positive)

The scientific method has four key basic

steps:
- Observe
- Hypothesize (Null
hypothesis)
- Test
- Repeat step 1
Basic Science Policy Relevant Science
Case-study 1 – Queen wasp Case-study 2 – Water contamination
due to fertilizer application
Production of Knowledge in Social
Sciences
Production of knowledge in social
sciences involve the following steps:
- Observe
- Hypothesize (Null Hypothesis)
- Collect data
- Test the Null hypothesis
- Repeat step 1 (increases the
observed data)
Larger uncertainty
Production of knowledge in complex
(Nature-Human) systems

Source: IPCC, 2013; Physical Science Basis

The Art and Science of Public Policy
(Positive and Normative)
- Contexual and Problem orientation
- Value
- Ideology
- Interests
The problem orientation
• What is problem
• Public policy a tool to solve the problems
of Politics
• Example of problem identification – Indian
context
What is Value? In context of Public
Policy
• Refers to the questions of how things
should be?
• Largely centres around ‘Democratic
Values’ and ‘Human Dignity’
• Examples of Value and how these are
indispensable to public policy
• Values of the Indian state – Constitution
(esp in the Preamble and the directive
principles)
Preamble
We, the People of India having solemnly
resolved to constitute India into a Sovereign,
Socialist, Secular, Democratic, Republic and
to secure to all its citizens; Justice, social,
economic, political; Liberty of thought,
expression, belief, faith and
worship; Equality of status and opportunity;
and to promote among them all; Fraternity,
assuring the dignity of the individual and the
unity and integrity of the nation.
Directive Principles as listed in the
constitution
Ideology
• Ideology refers to ‘a set of beliefs or
principles, especially one on which a
political system, or organization is based’.
Ex- capitalists and socialist ideology
• How is Ideology different from Values
Indira Gandhi as the pioneer of
environmental policies in the world

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

India forests – 100 years

95 Mha
90
85
80
75
70
65
60
55
50
45
1880 1950 1970 2005 2010

Source: Tian et al 2014, Reddy et al 2018

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus
On Environment and Climate Change all
major political institutions are at one page

One value but different ideologies

BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus

 Source: Chaturvedi, 2018
BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus
Interests & Interest groups
• Benfits/losses
• Who is at risk?
• Who gains?
• What is at stake
The Policy Process
• Identification of objectives Value
• Learnings from Natural, Social Ideology
and Complex sciences
• Specification of alternatives
• Recommending policy actions
• Implementation of the policy Interests
• Monitoring policy outcomes (who is at
risk?/
• Evaluating policy Performance what is on
stake?)
Example: Climate Policy; Ozone hole
The Policy Process Natural sciences
Values

Social Sciences
Identification of Integrated sciences
NITI Ayog
objectives
Specification of
Restructuring of Alternatives
Goal Declared
objectives

Elaborate with the

example of Ujjawala & Evaluating Policy
Evaluation alternatives
General Category
reservation Authority for Legislature
decision making
Policy selection/
Policy outcomes Public recommendation
Administration Course of action

Judiciary/
Judicial
Monitoring Implementation
scrutiny
Finance Commissio
Executive