The Bharti Institute of Public Policy’s AMPPP cohort engages senior policymakers in mastering the craft of policy

HYDERABAD: To gain first-hand experience in policy design and implementation, students of the Advance Management Program in Public Policy (AMPPP) at the Bharti Institute of Public Policy, Indian School of Business, participated in a three-day (June 25-27) annual ‘Policy Walk’ through the corridors of power in New Delhi.

The cohort conducted insightful interactions on a range of policy issues, including social impact and sustainable investing; transformation of the civil service in India; challenges and progress in rural sanitation and portable water supply across the country; bilateral relations between India and Belgium; the intricacies and scale of elections in India; and best practices for effective governance in the country.

Noting similarities with India, during an interaction with the students, Steven De Wilde, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Belgium, said that Belgium’s transition from a centralised state to a federal state mirrors India’s federal system, facilitating governance and international cooperation.

He said: “Belgium’s economic relationship with India is multifaceted, spanning sectors such as renewable energy, technology and trade. Belgian companies are increasingly investing in India, driven by its huge market and growth potential.”

During his interactive session with the cohort, BVR Subrahmanyam, CEO, NITI Aayog, emphasised on the importance of understanding the national average to assess state and district performance. He emphasised that the need of the hour is to use comprehensive data and policy documents to understand performance at various levels.

Dr. R. Balasubramaniam, Member, HR, Capacity Building Commission, shared his insights on the transformation of the Indian Civil Services from a colonial regulatory approach to a modern, results-oriented model after the 1991 reforms. Highlighting the shift from mere regulation to citizen-centric management and adoption of technology, he said, “The focus now is on improving bureaucratic efficiency, ensuring accountability and adapting to emerging technologies.”

The cohort also interacted with Jaya Varma Sinha, Chairman and CEO of the Railway Board. In her address to the students, she highlighted the critical role that Indian Railways plays in our economy, being a major provider of logistics services to both passengers and cargo.

Policy Walk is part of the Advance Management Program in Public Policy (AMPPP), which introduces students to how policy works, design and implementation. Advance Management Program in Public Policy is a one-year hybrid program developed at the Indian School of Business in cooperation with one of the world’s leading public policy schools – The Fletcher School, Tufts University, USA.

Every year the program attracts senior officers from the government as well as the private sector. Out of the 51 students in the current batch, 32 are from the government sector including senior IAS, IPS, Railways, Revenue services, besides others. The average work experience of the current batch is 16 years.

During the visit, the students led by Dr. Aarushi Jain, Director (Policy); Professor Anjal Prakash, Clinical Assistant Professor (Research) and Director (Research), Bharti Institute of Public Policy; Kumar Guru, Senior Director (External Relations, Alumni Engagement, Development), Indian School of Business, had interactive sessions with Steven De Wilde, Deputy Head of Mission and Consul Mika Camps, Embassy of Belgium; Minister of Civil Aviation and Member of Parliament Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu; BVR Subrahmanyam, Director General, NITI Aayog; Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, Election Commissioner of India; Dr. Santhosh Mathew, National Lead for Public Policy and Finance, Bill and Mellinda Gates Foundation (BMGF); Archana Vyas, Director (Program Communications, Development, Opportunities and Empowerment), BMGF; Dr. R. Balasubramaniam, HR, Capacity Building Commission; Vini Mahajan, Secretary, Department of Water and Sanitation; Jaya Varma Sinha, Chairman and CEO, Railway Board, for a period of three days.