Recent NSO data exposes an urban paradox: while India's million-plus cities offer superior formal salaried jobs, female labour force participation remains stagnant at 25.5%. Structural barriers like unpaid care burdens, unsafe transit, and housing deficits lock millions out of the workforce.
Click to View MoreThe All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) provides critical, data-driven demographic and spatial insights into India's higher education sector. It tracks enrollment growth, gender parity, and social inclusion, serving as a vital tool for evidence-based policymaking and governance.
Click to View MoreIndia’s urban informal sector employs over 80% of the urban workforce, driving 45% of the national GDP. Formalising this workforce through robust social security, the e-Shram portal, and digital inclusion remains essential for sustainable, equitable, and inclusive economic growth.
Click to View MoreThe Global Skills Challenge prepares India’s youth for the biennial WorldSkills Competition. By participating in these elite platforms, India benchmarks its vocational training against global standards, driving initiatives like PMKVY and the Skill India Mission to harness its massive demographic dividend effectively.
Click to View MoreIndia boasts the world's fastest-growing major economy, yet suffers from a stark growth-well-being paradox defined by jobless growth, extreme wealth concentration, and nutritional deficits. Achieving true development demands abandoning "trickle-down" economics for human-centric, employment-led policies that measure success beyond GDP.
Click to View MoreIndia's family planning programme, anchored by Mission Parivar Vikas, has achieved TFR 2.0 and CPR 69.1% (NFHS-6), yet regional disparities persist. The shift from population control to reproductive rights demands expanded reversible contraceptive access, male participation, and digital health integration for sustainable demographic management.
Click to View MoreThe PCPNDT Act 1994 prohibits sex selection to combat female foeticide and declining child sex ratios in India. Despite census improvements, the Supreme Court demands strict enforcement and meticulous record-keeping to eradicate deep-seated patriarchal biases and protect the girl child.
Click to View MoreIndia targets becoming a developed nation by 2047, requiring a critical shift from aggregate GDP growth to productivity-led economic development. Key strategic priorities include expanding domestic manufacturing, formalizing MSMEs, leveraging Digital Public Infrastructure, and resolving structural bottlenecks like zombie firms.
Click to View MoreThe Indian union requires a comprehensive new compact—political, economic, and cultural—grounded in non-domination rather than majoritarian dominance. This comes amid ongoing tensions over fresh delimitation based on the 2011 Census, fears of a North-South divide, and concerns that increasing the Hindi heartland’s share in Parliament could render non-Hindi states politically marginal.
Click to View MoreIn light of increasing global mobility and the vulnerabilities faced by Indian workers abroad, policy experts are advocating for a fundamental shift in India’s migration management. Instead of focusing solely on the point of departure, there is a growing call for a whole-of-journey approach to migration governance to protect the rights and dignity of millions of overseas Indians.
Click to View MoreThe SANKALP (Skill Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion) scheme, launched in 2018 by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship with assistance from the World Bank, aims to strengthen short-term skill training by improving institutional capacity, ensuring industry relevance, and promoting inclusion of marginalised groups. However, audit findings by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India and observations of the Public Accounts Committee have highlighted concerns such as underutilisation of funds, slow implementation, weak monitoring mechanisms, and lack of preparedness. The issue underscores the need for stronger governance, outcome-based implementation, better industry linkages, and integration of vocational education within the school system to improve employability and effectively harness India’s demographic potential.
Click to View MoreNITI Aayog’s Revitalizing Apprenticeship Ecosystem urges transforming apprenticeships into strategic human capital investment for Viksit Bharat @2047. It recommends merging NAPS and NATS, linking credits with the National Credit Framework, covering gig workers, and adopting tools like an Apprenticeship Engagement Index, inspired by Germany’s Dual VET model.
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