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Autonomy on Paper, Autonomy in Practice: Examining the Enablers and Barriers to Reproductive Choice in India

Authors : Shruti Nair , Sneha Kohli , Staicy Thomas

Citation :

Shruti Nair, Sneha Kohli, & Staicy Thomas. (2026). Autonomy on Paper, Autonomy in Practice: Examining the Enablers and Barriers to Reproductive Choice in India. Institute For Policy Research and Governance, 1(23). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23369405

Shruti Nair, Sneha Kohli, & Staicy Thomas. (2026). Autonomy on Paper, Autonomy in Practice: Examining the Enablers and Barriers to Reproductive Choice in India. Institute For Policy Research and Governance, 1(23). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23369405

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Abstract

The paper examines the evolution of reproductive autonomy in India and evaluates whether legal and judicial recognition has translated into meaningful access to abortion. It discusses various aspects like theoretical, judicial, legal, socio-economic, and international comparisons, that are needed to evaluate whether India has in fact transitioned towards reproductive autonomy or not. For this analysis, it uses the qualitative method with secondary data evidence. Through this analysis, the paper finds that India has moved towards recognizing reproductive autonomy as an integral implicit component of constitutional rights as interpreted through judicial and legislative reforms. However, this recognition is incomplete in practice. Since a persistent lack of harmony between constitutional principles- articles 14, 15, 21, judicial interpretations- X v. Principal Secretary (2022) and legal frameworks, MTP Act 1971 and its 2021 amendment, POCSO Act, 2012, in India has made it difficult to achieve the objective of reproductive autonomy. Moreover, the paper also finds that the provisions governing abortion of adolescent girls are not in line with the realities of the day and the health systems are also not equipped properly to provide abortion services and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and contraception information. Thus, all these factors together push women and girls towards unsafe options showing that legal recognition must be accompanied by socio-economic realities.

Keywords: Reproductive Autonomy, Pro Choice and Pro Life, Abortion Law Liberalization, Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH), MTP Act, 2021, NFHS-5

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The Role of Climate Finance in Early Warning Systems for Rural and Coastal Populations: A Comparative Analysis of India, Rwanda, and Trinidad and Tobago

Authors : Ruel Fordyce, Shivangi Gedam, Ashutosh Sarkar

Abstract :

Climate change has intensified the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, disproportionately affecting rural and coastal populations in developing countries. Early Warning Systems (EWS) have emerged as critical tools for reducing disaster risks; however, their effectiveness is closely tied to the availability and allocation of climate finance. This paper examines the role of climate finance in strengthening EWS, with a primary focus on India and comparative insights from Trinidad and Tobago and Rwanda. Using a qualitative research approach based on secondary data, the study explores how financial mechanisms such as the Green Climate Fund and Systematic Observations Financing Facility support EWS development. Findings indicate that while India has made significant progress in integrating EWS into national disaster management frameworks, gaps remain in financing distribution, local capacity, and last-mile communication. Rwanda demonstrates effective utilization of targeted climate finance for infrastructure upgrades, while Trinidad and Tobago highlights challenges which are typical of Small Island Developing States, including funding gaps and institutional fragmentation. The study concludes that sustained, equitable, and locally targeted climate finance is essential for enhancing resilience and protecting vulnerable populations.

Keywords

Climate finance; Early warning systems; India; Rwanda; Trinidad and Tobago; Rural
vulnerability; Coastal resilience; Disaster risk reduction

RETHINKING EMPLOYABILITY: IS NEP 2020 RELEVANT FOR INDIA’S AIDRIVEN FUTURE?

Authors : Mannat Siwach , Siddhant Pandey , Priyanshi Jha , Mishka Singh , Tarandeep Kaur , Rajnish Katare

ABSTRACT

Artificial Intelligence, as a disruptive force, is bringing unprecedented changes in the skills and competencies required for a graduate to become employable in today’s day and age; however, India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has come forward as a framework for strengthening higher education through the inclusion of multidisciplinary learning, skill development, practical exposure, and increasing alignment with industry requirements. This paper examines whether these strategies remain sufficiently responsive to an evolving AIdriven labour market. The study employs a mixed-method approach, combining a review of existing literature with primary questionnaire-based research. On the survey responses of students and professionals, the study applies descriptive statistics, frequency distributions, percentages, and mean scores to assess perceptions of implementation, AI readiness, and emerging skill requirements. Further, it uses a thematic analysis to compare the emerging patterns with themes identified in the literature. The findings indicate that although NEP 2020 provides a relevant framework for developing multidisciplinary and future-oriented competencies, gaps remain between its intended provisions and students’ practical exposure to AI-related skills, industry requirements, and employability preparation, suggesting that the policy is conceptually relevant but insufficiently aligned with emerging AI-era requirements. The study recommends increased emphasis on effective policy implementation and a shift in the core framework towards AI literacy, upskilling and greater integration of digital and data capabilities within higher education.

Keywords
National Education Policy 2020, Employability, AI Literacy, Multidisciplinary Learning, Higher Education, Future-ready Skills

The Implementation Gap in Youth Entrepreneurship Policy: A Comparative Study of Nigeria and India

Authors : Rachael Osioyemi Olaiya, Shreeya Gupta, Arya Rani, Nithin Reddy

Abstract :

India and Nigeria are two of the world’s largest developing economies, both marked by young, fast-growing populations and fundamental youth unemployment, prompting governments to create entrepreneurship programmes. Despite these programmes, most businesses remain informal. Roughly 80% of Nigerian SMEs fail within five years, and nearly 90% of India’s youth workforce is informally employed. Output-focused evaluations fail to capture the implementation gap between formal policy and its on-the-ground effectiveness. This paper evaluates why youth entrepreneurship policies in India and Nigeria consistently fail to produce sustainable outcomes, and what both countries can learn from economies that have successfully closed this gap. Adopting a qualitative-comparative case study approach, the paper examines India and Nigeria as primary cases benchmarked against South Korea and Rwanda. Drawing on national MSME surveys, ILOSTAT, World Bank Enterprise Survey, GEM India, and government program evaluations, the paper applies Stam’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Framework as the analytical lens across all four countries. The analysis reveals that India and Nigeria’s ecosystems remain weak across formal institutions, finance, infrastructure, and intermediate organisations, reflecting a governance approach that controls outcomes rather than building conditions required by businesses to grow and formalise. South Korea’s unified SME Ministry, collateral-free policy funds, alongside Rwanda’s regulatory reforms, demonstrate that closing this gap requires deliberate ecosystem governance rather than direct financial interjection. The paper concludes that high failure rates reflect design flaws in ecosystems built for the formalized urban minority, not low entrepreneurial ambition, and calls for development policy to measure success by accessible infrastructure rather than loan disbursement volume.

Keywords:
Youth Entrepreneurship, Implementation Gap, Entrepreneurial Ecosystems, Informality, Ecosystem Governance, India, Nigeria

The Educated Unemployed: Evaluating the Effect of PMKVY on Employment Outcomes for India’s Educated Youth

Authors : Aditi Tiwari , Aditi Thakur , Upama Paul

Abstract

India’s unemployment sector showcases an unusual trend. Unemployment rises with education rather than falling. This study is being conducted to find whether the source of this issue lies in the demand side or the supply side of the sector. The supply side predicts that the issue lies with the lack of skills within the youth. Whereas the demand side of the issue states the problem lies in the volume of formal wage jobs present in the economy. We find through our research that available evidence is stronger in support of the demand side explanation of the problem. This evidence is presented through the administrative and audit reports of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas yojana, the periodic labour force data and the CAG’s 2025 report. The analysis relies on aggregate secondary data rather than individual level data, therefore these findings are presented as associations and not established causal effects. The study showcases how while upskilling is important, it is not enough to solve the problem of educated unemployment within the country.

Keywords:
Educated unemployment, Periodic Labour Force Survey, skill development, PMKVY, labour demand

Trending but Not Transforming: Generation Z’s Social Media Activism and Its Diplomatic Impact in International Relations

Authors : Gayatri Gaikwad , Mehak Bhutani , Amina Dossa, Shalini Sarkar, Zainab Amjad

Abstract :

Generation Z the cohort born between approximately 1997 and 2012 has emerged as the most digitally mobilised generation in political history, leveraging platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, X and Discord to organise transnational advocacy and challenge entrenched governance structures. Yet a critical paradox persists ,the generation that trends globally rarely transforms diplomatically. This paper examines the relationship between Generation Z’s social media activism and its tangible impact on international relations, arguing that while digital activism has democratised political expression and produced measurable domestic disruptions, its structural conversion into lasting diplomatic outcomes remains limited and uneven. Drawing on comparative case studies alongside empirical evidence from quantitative platform studies and theoretical frameworks of soft power, generational theory, and networked social movements, this paper identifies the conditions under which digital youth activism does and does not translate into diplomatic recalibration. It further interrogates platform architecture, disinformation dynamics, and the mobilisation-distraction paradox as structural constraints on Gen Z’s diplomatic agency. The findings suggest that while Generation Z constitutes a genuinely novel geopolitical force, the efficacy of their digital activism in reshaping international relations depends critically on context, institutional responsiveness, and the capacity to bridge online momentum with sustained offline institutional engagement.

Keywords –
Gen z, Diplomacy , Social Media ,Digitalisation

De-platforming and Free Speech: Regulating Private Content Moderation Under Constitutional Law

Authors : Katelyn Elisabeth Waller

Abstract

As digital communication platforms have supplanted traditional public forums, private technology corporations exercise unprecedented governance over global speech. This paper examines the point at which constitutional principles should logically constrain private platforms, asking how constitutional democracies can regulate private content moderation without undermining either free speech or private autonomy. Drawing on comparative regulatory analysis, constitutional doctrine, and institutional case studies, this paper synthesizes perspectives from the United States, the European Union, India, and Ghana to examine three interlocking dimensions of the problem. This includes the design of regulatory frameworks that balance state intervention against platform independence, the doctrinal question of whether constitutional free-speech norms can or should apply horizontally to private, non-state actors, and the practical mechanisms (notice, appeal, and reasoned decision-making) through which transparency and accountability can be operationalised inside private platform governance. This paper argues that no single jurisdiction has produced a regime that is both speech-protective and respectful of platform autonomy, and that meaningful accountability requires state intervention to constrain process rather than dictate outcome. This is supported by institutional separation between content-flagging bodies and the government whose conduct is in question.

Keywords:
Content moderation, private platforms, free-speech, accountability, unprecedented governance