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Systematic Review of Government-Led Education Reforms in India: Policy, Implementation and Outcome.

Authors : Darpan Kumari ,Varshita Saxena, Sayf Ali

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Abstract :

In this paper, government-led education reforms in India were reviewed while focusing on policy design, legal foundations, implementation, and outcomes. It examines landmark reforms, including the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA, 2001), the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE Act, 2009), the National Education Policy (NEP 2020), and other education schemes such as the Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDMS). The study situates these reforms within India’s constitutional framework, particularly Article 21A of the Constitution, and evaluates the persistent gap between policy design and implementation. A comparative analysis with Nigeria’s education policies and laws, particularly the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act of 2004 and the National Policy on Education (NPE), reveals both parallels and differences in how two developing nations have pursued universal access to quality education. The paper finds that while India has achieved commendable progress in enrolment and school infrastructure, learning outcomes, equity, and implementation remain deficient. The policy implementation gap, caused by financial constraints, bureaucratic issues, and inadequate implementation plans and execution, continues to undermine reform potential. The paper concludes with lessons for public policy design and reform implementation applicable to India, Nigeria, and comparable developing-country contexts.

Keywords : Education reform, India National Education Policy, Right to Education, Access vs Quality Divide, Policy to implementation gap, Comparative Education, State Capacity, Federalism

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BRICS Plus and Contested Multilateralism: Policy Coordination, Internal Tensions, and the Role of Emerging Middle Powers in Global Governance Reform

Authors: Kamatchi Devi S; Revanth Udutha; Vanshita Baid

Abstract

Academic research has increased its focus on BRICS Plus expansion which occurred during the early 2020s because researchers want to determine whether this alliance serves as a counterforce against the Western-dominated liberal international order or operates mainly as a national interest-driven platform. The research investigates how BRICS Plus members coordinate their policies while assessing their global governance reform efforts and studying how the group handles internal conflicts which arise from the ongoing competition between India and China. The study uses qualitative research methods to analyze secondary data from BRICS summit declarations and institutional documents and existing academic literature. BRICS Plus shows increasing rhetorical unity and institutional governance reform collaboration but actual governance reform partnerships remain limited because of power imbalances and different national objectives and clashing leadership goals. Indian, Brazilian, and South African emerging middle powers use BRICS to improve their strategic independence and international recognition instead of establishing a unified movement against existing power structures. The research demonstrates that BRICS Plus functions as a contested multilateral system which permits international governance changes to proceed through minor
adjustments that avoid major transformations of the current global system.

Key words :
BRICS Plus Expansion, Contested Multilateralism, Global
Governance Reform, Emerging Middle Powers, Policy Coordination and Power
Asymmetries

Impact of the Smart Cities Mission on Household Cost of Living, Access to Urban Services, and Economic Well-Being: A Field Study of Selected Indian Cities

Authors : Anjana Tripathi ; Divya Natarajan ; Gautam Kumar Mishra ; Soumili Rakshit

Abstract

India’s Smart Cities Mission (SCM), launched in 2015, aims to improve urban livability through targeted investments in infrastructure, service delivery, and digital governance. However, empirical evidence on the household-level economic implications of these interventions remains limited. This study examines the impact of the Smart Cities Mission on household cost of living, access to urban services, and economic well-being in selected Indian cities using a comprehensive secondary data approach.

The analysis integrates unit-level data from the National Sample Survey (NSS) Consumer Expenditure and Housing Conditions rounds to assess changes in household consumption patterns, housing affordability, and expenditure on utilities and transportation. Employment outcomes and income-related proxies are examined using the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), while demographic characteristics, housing quality, and access to basic amenities are drawn from the Census of India. City-level information on project type, investment size, and sectoral focus is sourced from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) Smart Cities Mission dashboards and official reports. A comparative framework is employed to analyze trends across Smart Cities and non-Smart Cities, as well as pre- and post-SCM implementation periods.

By triangulating multiple nationally representative datasets with administrative project data, the study evaluates whether Smart City investments have translated into measurable improvements in household welfare or have contributed to rising costs and uneven access to services. The findings aim to provide evidence-based insights for strengthening the inclusiveness, affordability, and effectiveness of urban development policies under the Smart Cities Mission.

Keywords :
Smart Cities Mission; Secondary Data Analysis; National Sample Survey; Periodic Labour Force Survey; Census of India; Urban Services Access; Household Cost of Living; Economic Well- Being; Urban Policy; Indian Cities

Gendered Human Capital Misallocation in India: Education, Labour Market Barriers, and Policy Failure

Authors: Simran Sinha; Beaulah Anton; Priyansi; Rezaa Sharma

Abstract:

India has made significant progress in expanding female education, yet women’s labour market outcomes remain disproportionately poor. This study reframes this paradox as an issue of gendered human capital misallocation, rather than a deficit in skill formation. It examines how the gendered labour market constraints impede the educated women from productive employment, leading to underutilisation of skills and decreased economic efficiency.

Utilising a qualitative-descriptive approach and secondary data from multiple databases, this paper examines unemployment, occupational segregation, unpaid care work, and wage disparities between educated women and their male counterparts. The findings show a persistent education-employment paradox: increased female education correlates with high unemployment, informalisation, and labour force withdrawal. These patterns are driven by demand-side discrimination, inflexible work arrangements, safety and challenges in mobility, and unequal distribution of care responsibilities. The analysis argues that government policies have largely prioritised educational expansion without addressing labour market absorption, therefore sustaining gendered inefficiencies. Addressing this inefficient allocation is what makes it important for optimal human capital utilisation and for inclusive economic growth.

Keywords:
Human Capital, Female labour, Labour market segmentation, Gender wage gap, public policy, employment, Human capital misallocation

ENHANCING RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE CHANGE TO SUPPORT FOOD SECURITY IN VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES ACROSS CENTRAL AFRICA

Authors : Adeleye Joshua Adeyemi, Nontobeko Zakhona Andiswa Ngubane, Mushe Khomola

Abstract :

Climate change remains to cripple food security across Central Africa, where a large proportion of the population depends on rain-fed agriculture survival. This study evaluated the environmental, economic, energy and agricultural factors shaping climate resilience and food security in vulnerable communities, using secondary time-series data spanning 2000 to 2025 across 14 variables, including 2 climate resilience variables (mean annual temperature and annual rainfall). Descriptive statistics, pre- and post-2013 period comparisons, Pearson correlation analysis, detrended correlation and multiple regression analysis were applied using SPSS. Findings show that undernourishment averaged 30% over the period, with persistently low cereal yields and minimal electricity access. Rising mean annual temperature (r = -0.610, p = 0.002) was significantly correlated with declining cereal yields (r = -0.880, p < 0.001). In the multiple regression model (R² = 0.907), electricity access and GDP per capita are the two strongest independent predictors of undernourishment, while political stability remained a significant bivariate correlate. These results suggest that energy infrastructure and governance, above agricultural land use or GDP, are central to food security outcomes defining how resilience-building efforts should be concentrated. Keywords:
Climate resilience, Food security, Agricultural productivity, Governance, Policy, Central Africa.

AI Governance and Institutional Readiness in Public Sector Systems: A Comparative Study Between India and Nigeria

Authors : Linda John Obiorah, Banavath Ananditha, Mrinalini Menon, Paridhi Passi, B. R. Sanjeev Naick

Abstract :

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is proving to be a crucial technology to enhance public service and governance. This paper examines how governance frameworks and institutional capacities shape AI adoption and management within government systems. By adopting a qualitative comparative case study analysis, using India and Nigeria as primary cases and South Korea as a benchmark for successful AI governance implementation, this paper examines the governance and institutional preparedness of AI in the public sector and identifies practical lessons on building governance structures and institutional foundations for responsible AI adoption. The analysis suggests that India possesses a more evolved framework for AI governance, enforced by the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence (2018), and the India AI Mission (2024), a well-developed digital public infrastructure, and a strong focus on the development of skills and training. The National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (2024) indicates Nigeria’s growing institutional commitment to AI, as well as notable strides towards preparedness. South Korea is introduced as a benchmark, representing a more advanced AI governance model that offers concrete lessons for developing economies. Despite these disparities, the common concerns include the disconnect between policy aspirations and policy implementation, difficulty in developing specific AI laws, and concerns about accountability, transparency, bias, privacy and digital inclusion. The study calls for specific AI legislation, autonomous regulatory bodies, and more effective data governance between developing countries. It contends that institutional building and the institutionalization process are key to having responsible, sustainable and adaptive AI governance in the Global South, and that governance progress must be measured against concrete indicators like enforcement action, institutional capacity, digital literacy rates, public accountability and operationalization of independent bodies rather than policy adoption alone.

Keywords:
Artificial Intelligence Governance, Institutional Readiness, Public Sector AI, Digital Governance, AI Regulation.

Systematic Review of Government-Led Education Reforms in India: Policy, Implementation and Outcome.

Authors : Darpan Kumari ,Varshita Saxena, Sayf Ali

Abstract :

Keywords :
Education reform, India National Education Policy, Right to Education, Access vs Quality Divide, Policy to implementation gap, Comparative Education, State Capacity, Federalism

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Systematic Review of Government-Led Education Reforms in India: Policy, Implementation and Outcome.

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Related Publications

BRICS Plus and Contested Multilateralism: Policy Coordination, Internal Tensions, and the Role of Emerging Middle Powers in Global Governance Reform

Impact of the Smart Cities Mission on Household Cost of Living, Access to Urban Services, and Economic Well-Being: A Field Study of Selected Indian Cities

Gendered Human Capital Misallocation in India: Education, Labour Market Barriers, and Policy Failure

ENHANCING RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE CHANGE TO SUPPORT FOOD SECURITY IN VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES ACROSS CENTRAL AFRICA

AI Governance and Institutional Readiness in Public Sector Systems: A Comparative Study Between India and Nigeria

Systematic Review of Government-Led Education Reforms in India: Policy, Implementation and Outcome.