LIST OF PANELS

Panel on New Ideas for Public Policy Governance Reform and Human Development in India
 
Context
India has been a pioneer in the production of HDRs and their follow up – beginning with the Madhya Pradesh HDR 1995, which was the first subnational HDR globally and the very first to directly influence resource allocation (expenditures on social sectors increased from 19 per cent to 42 per cent). Political will has played a key role in not only directing resources towards human development priority sectors but also orienting wider public policy towards growth that is “pro-poor, pro-jobs, pro-nature and pro-women”. 

Relevance 

However, the global and national contexts have changed dramatically since the early 1990s. The earlier focus on structural adjustment, resource allocation, etc. is now subsumed by a wider discussion on inequality, appropriation of natural resources, sustainability, the role of non-state actors, financial crisis, social exclusion and also a fresh look at the conceptual underpinnings of human development. 
Purpose
The production of HDRs and other State level Reports (SDG documents, Viksit Bharat, etc.) in India therefore needs to constantly refresh itself with new ideas and partnerships so that political will can be sustained.
Accordingly, it is proposed to have a panel under the research track to discuss New Ideas for Public Policy and Human Development Reports. Leading researchers and practitioners will engage with experts to identify both technical issues and action points for State level Reports and Public Policy in India.     
 

Research Questions: 

We invite submissions that address the current challenges regarding India's progress on HDI and SDGs, particularly the following

a) role of states and subnational reform, b) the intersection of the concept of human development with current debates regarding SDGs and viksit bharat documents, c) the relevance of new ideas and contexts (such as inequality, climate crisis and AI) for the theory and practice of human development and d) the challenges and opportunities for statistical systems, especially with regard to gender and social inclusion