Public Policy – NICKELED AND DIMED

Governing Equality – Article 15 and Constitutional Morality

By – Vansh Aggarwal Abstract: This article reads Article 15 as a critique of the gap between constitutional equality and everyday governance in India. It examines how policing, development, and public policy continue to perpetuate caste-based inequality despite formal legal guarantees. The film highlights institutional apathy, selective governance, and societal silence as key factors contributing…
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Automated Credit Scoring and Its Implications for Financial Inclusion

By — Akshara Gupta Abstract In banking, many forces work silently behind the curtains that the layman is not aware of. The credit system plays a major role in the financial system of a country. It acts as a direct catalyst for promoting Economic Growth as it enables individuals to fulfill their long-term prosperity goals.…
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Managed by Metrics: How Rating Systems Govern Gig Workers

By — Hritika Mishra Abstract Digital labour platforms are increasingly governing gig work through rating algorithms, shaping workers’ income, working hours, and continued access to jobs. This article examines how platforms such as Uber, Swiggy, and Zomato use customer ratings and performance metrics as tools for algorithmic management, thereby exerting employer-like control without the corresponding…
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Aadhar and Algorithmic Exclusion from Welfare: Case Study from Jharkhand

By: Ayushmaan Abstract: In the recent decade, most public service delivery systems have been linked through Aadhar identification. The system brought the necessity of timely public service delivery to a greater extent; however, it placed more reliance upon the three-level algorithmic identification system, which relies on a poor quality of data, especially for the Below…
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Decolonising Compliance: How Global South States Reimagine Accountability Beyond Northern Blueprints

By – Vansh Aggarwal Abstract This article examines how the Global North’s fixation on formal compliance frameworks, from human rights monitoring to anti-corruption laws, often misreads the Global South’s contextually rooted mechanisms of accountability. It argues that these Northern paradigms, built on institutional transparency and quantifiable governance indices, fail to capture informal, community-driven, and restorative…
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Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the way to fight Global Poverty (Chapter IV: Top of the class)

By — Ayushmaan Abstract: Chapter IV of Poor Economics: A Radical Thinking of the Way to fight Global Poverty challenges the practice of “One size fits all” education polices that were prominent in Asian Countries. Despite receiving huge budgets and awareness, it remained poor at ensuring learning outcomes and had no significant effect on poor…
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From the Empire to IMF: How loans replace colonies in the Global South

By – Hritika Mishra Abstract: This article looks at how the legacy of colonialism endures in the contemporary world economy through debt-based control exerted by international organizations like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. Although the mid-twentieth century saw the termination of direct colonial authority throughout Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, economic sovereignty…
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India’s Agriculture AI Policy and Data Governance: Lessons from Kenya

By — Ayushmaan Abstract: This piece examines India’s ambitious efforts to advance Artificial Intelligence, aiming to make it scalable across nations while integrating it into various sectors to enhance public service delivery. Notable policy initiatives have been implemented in the agricultural sector, aiming to reduce risk, increase yield bonuses, and prevent weather-related crop damage through…
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Chains of Credit: Neo-Colonialism and the Politics of China’s Belt and Road

By – Vansh Aggarwal Abstract: This article examines how China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), framed as development financing, has evolved into a mechanism of debt-driven dependency and geopolitical leverage. Through cases from Asia and Africa, it explores whether BRI represents genuine growth or a neo-colonial chain of credit that undermines sovereignty. Introduction: ‘The borrower…
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Behind The Artistic: The Tussle Between the AI & Creative Works

By – Anubhi Srivastava Abstract The rise of AI in creative domains challenges traditional notions of authorship, originality, and cultural production. From Studio Ghibli-style animations to AI-generated music and scripts, machine learning blurs the line between imitation and innovation. This article examines the ethical, legal, and philosophical debates surrounding “AI art,” including copyright, authenticity, and…
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Madras Cafe and India’s Refugee Dilemma

By – Hritika Mishra Introduction Refugee crises are not new to South Asia. From the 1947 partition of India and Pakistan to the Rohingya today, every conflict has left behind displaced people. India, despite no formal refugee law, has hosted refugees from many countries, such as Tibet, Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka. Shoojit Sircar’s Madras…
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Welfare in the Age of Algorithms: AI and the Future of Public Policy in India

By -Vansh Aggarwal Abstract: This article explores how AI is reshaping public policy in India, focusing on welfare schemes like MGNREGA and PM-JAY. Drawing lessons from DigiYatra, FASTag, and CoWIN, it examines both the efficiency gains and the risks of privacy loss and bias. The article also proposes integrating AI with Aadhaar to build smarter,…
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