PUBLIC POLICY ISSUES

Dr. G. Mallikarjun
Om Sri Gurubhyo Namaha
“Democracy cannot function or survive
without a sufficient medium by which
citizens remain informed and engaged
in public policy debates.”
- Nancy Snow
American professor and scholar of
propaganda and public diplomacy
 PUBLIC POLICY
•“Whatever governments
choose to do or not to do”
• Thomas Dye, American Political
scientist and author

•Description and Explanation of

•Causes and Consequences of
• GOVERNMENT ACTIVITY
 PUBLIC POLICY
• Aspects of ‘POLICY’ (dos and don’ts) pertaining to matters which are
‘PUBLIC’ (concerning people at large; involving government)
• Focus areas
• Government – in setting and driving the policy – Political
• Institutional arrangements for administering the policy – Administrative
• Neglected aspects
• The process of formulation of policy
• The content of the policy
• The interlinkages between the institutions and policies
• Public policy specialists focus on
• process of policy formulation, policy content and effectiveness of
implementation of policies
 PUBLIC POLICIES – TYPES
• Distributive policies
• Policies that deal with distribution of resources and welfare measures
• Employment guarantee, Food security, social insurance, old age pensions, free
education, job reservations, infrastructure projects, facilities for disadvantaged sections
• Redistributive policies
• Policies intended to alter the distribution through interventions
• Taxation – Income tax, super tax; Priority sector lending; Refinance; Incentives
• Regulatory policies
• Policies intended to regulate various activities, professions etc.; either directly by
Government or by designated regulatory agencies
• Banking, Insurance, Securities transactions, Forex, Payment systems, telecom, drugs
and pharmaceuticals, airlines, educational institutions etc.
• Constituent policies
• Policies for setting up or reorganization of functions or institutions
• Creating a new Ministry or Organization or Institution
 STUDY IN PUBLIC POLICY INVOLVES
POLICY ANALYSIS
• What Governments do, why they do and what difference
does it make
• Learnings from Policy analysis
• Description of the content of public policy
• Analysis of the impact of social, economic, and political forces on
the content of public policy – Causes of why the policy is made
• Inquiry into the effect of various institutional arrangements and
political processes on public policy;
• Evaluation of the consequences of public policies on society
• Intended and Unintended.
 DESCRIPTION OF WHAT GOVT IS (NOT) DOING IN
• Defence
• Economy – Macroeconomic – Fiscal, Monetary, EXIM, Industrial
• Taxation – Direct, Indirect
• International Trade and Immigration
• Energy and Environment
• Internal Security
• Criminal justice
• Welfare
• Health care
• Education
• Civil rights etc.
 CAUSES
IMPACT OF Social, economic, & political forces on formulation /content
Why a policy is made
• Philosophy of party in power
• Left, Right, Centre
• Approaches to governance
• minimum / maximum government; Private/ Public;
• Lobbying
• Corporate or Citizen or Civil Society
• International Commitments or compulsions
• Treaties, Conventions, Threats or perceptions of threat
• Changing social, economic and cultural scenario
• Values, beliefs, philosophies, business practices, levels of literacy, wealth, etc.
• Changing technology
• Digitization, Mobile, Internet
 PUBLIC POLICY FORMULATION
•Involves one or more of the following
• Rational Planning
• Incrementalism
• Competition among groups
• Elite preferences
• Public choice
• Political processes
• Institutional Influences
 CONSEQUENCES
WHETHER POLICY OBJECTIVE IS REALIZED
• Impact of or Outcomes from Policy implementation
• Impact on the Institutions and processes involved in
implementation
• Social, Political, Economic and Cultural impact
BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE; INTENDED AND UNINTENDED
STUDYING PUBLIC POLICY, CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES
 POLICY SCIENCE
• Pioneered by – HAROLD LASSWEL
• Rational approach to the process of policy making
• New science to deal with societal problems
• Discipline for producing and applying socially relevant knowledge
• His Vision of policy sciences
• Multi-disciplinary
• Integrating different branches
• Contextual and Problem-oriented
• Analysis of policy (better understanding) and analysis for policy (reform)
• Explicitly normative
• How things ought to be / Setting standards
 PUBLIC POLICY COURSES
• Specialized programmes in Public Policy (and Governance) are
being offered by
• Law Colleges
• NLSIU, NALSAR
• Institutions of repute
• IIPA, IIMs, IRMA, ISB,
• Institutions set up exclusively for public policy courses
• Indian School of Public Policy, Kautilya School of Public Policy, The
Thakshashila Institution
• (Re)Connecting academia with policy making
 LAW STUDENTS AND PUBLIC POLICY
• Greatest reformers of the country and in the world
• Persons who have come from the legal profession
• Obvious contribution of legal professionals
• Protecting the rights of people and securing justice to them in the
Courts and Tribunals
• Legal Professionals (can) have significant impact in
• Policy formulation, advocacy and implementation (CSOs)
• Orienting law students early into public policy will help them
• To become aware of the challenges faced by people around them
• To grow into the drivers of change for a better tomorrow
 BENEFITS OF ENGAGING LAW STUDENTS
& FACULTY IN PUBLIC POLICY ISSUES
• To actively involve and engage law students in
• Getting information from official sources – NOT WHATS APP / FACEBOOK
• Studying and Analyzing issues
• Preparing and making presentations
• Proposing reforms and shaping public policy
• Publishing reports and papers
• To enable Faculty Members in
• Guiding and mentoring students into researchers and responsible citizens
• Improving depth of knowledge and building global perspective
• Contributing to reforms
• Inviting and Interacting with Specialists
• Building publication profile
 PUBLIC POLICY –
INDICATIVE LIST OF
ISSUES FOR STUDY
Dr. G. Mallikarjun
Om Sri Gurubhyo Namaha
 HEALTH CARE
• COVID and its aftermath exposed the vulnerability
• Issues in health care and Role of State
• Planning
• Patronizing treatment
• Allopathic, AYUSH, QUACK???
• Health Infrastructure
• Hospitals, health centres; Small-big; Private-State-owned;
Rural-Urban;
• Standardizing treatment protocols
• Standardizing cost
• Insurance – public, private, cooperative/mutual
• Institutional framework of linkages
• Oxygen, drugs and pharmaceuticals
• Vaccines
• Free or priced
PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY
• PEGASUS episode
• Possibility of blatant abuse by State
• Dangerous consequences of misuse on
other rights
• Issues involved
• Right to privacy and security of State
• Security and Confidentiality of information
with various authorities – public / private
• Sharing of information
• Cross-selling of information
• Cyber-security
• Legal protection
• Courts’ approach
 FINTECH
• Technology in financial products and services
• Issues involved
• Scope for financial inclusion
• Risks involved including financial stability concerns
• Regulation of entities
• Consumer protection
• Data protection and confidentiality
• Potential disruptive effect on
• Employment; existing financial intermediaries
• Inter-linkages among segments of financial system
• Role of Government and financial sector regulators
DEMOCRATIC DISSENT
• Dissent in focus
• Anti-CAA protest
• Farmers’ protest
• Issues involved
• Right to protest
• Handling of protest by State and Police
• Damage to property, life
• Compensation of victims (of police
action)
• Role of civil society
 DISASTER MANAGEMENT
• Disasters
• Cyclones, floods, waterlogging
• Industrial disasters – Vizag gas
• Terrorism
• COVID
• Issues involved
• Urban planning and expansion
• Role of local bodies
• Industrial safety and protection
• Security and Surveillance
• Authority and management
• Coordination
• Relief and rehabilitation including insurance
FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS
• Aspects in focus
• Electoral Bonds
• Criminalization of politics
• Exodus of MLAs/MPs after elections
• Issues involved
• Funding of political parties
• Spending in elections
• Election Commission – role and impartiality
• EVM vs ballot – Credibility of process
• Criminals in politics
• Enforcement agencies and elections
• Hate speeches
• Defection
 RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE / SECULARISM
• Focus
• Intolerance and growing friction
• Friday Gurugram, MP school stoning
• Failure of police to act impartially
• Delhi riots, Shaheen Bagh protests
• Issues involved
• Food habits
• Love jihad
• Conversion – Ghar wapsi
• Threats to religious structures
• Hate and incendiary speeches
• Sedition
• Preventive action – Banning, Cancelling events, festivals
CRYPTOCURRENCIES
• Aspects in focus
• Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies – Volatility,
safety
• Ad campaigns targeting public for investment
• Issues involved
• Block-chain technology – Safety, utility
• Cryptocurrency
• Role as money, investment, payment system
• Misuse
• Funding terrorism, drugs, arms etc.
• Approach to Crypto
• Regulation or Ban
• Central Bank Digital Currency
• Utility, Impact
 INDEPENDENCE OF JUDICIARY
• Focus
• Approach of Judges
• Cases not taken up; allotment of matters
• Contempt case of Shri Prashant Bhushan
• Post-retirement appointments
• Rajya Sabha, Commissions / Tribunals
• Issues involved
• Appointment of Judges - NJAC
• Transfer of judges
• Post-retirement appointments
• Handling roster
• Contempt of Court
CASTE DISCRIMINATION - VIOLENCE
• Aspects in focus
• Honour Killing
• Cow Protection Bill - Assam
• Lynching and Anti Lynching Bills
• Issues involved
• Constitutional Protections and effectiveness
• Effectiveness of Commissions for SC/ST/BC
• Cow protection laws
• Anti-lynching laws
• Effectiveness of Prevention of Atrocities Act
• Steps for preventing honour killings
 EASE OF DOING BUSINESS
• CRITICAL AREAS – Enforcing contracts; Registering property;
Starting a Business; and Paying taxes
 OTHER ASPECTS
• Federalism / Centre-State relations
• Independence of Constitutional Authorities / Regulatory
Authorities
• Infrastructure Development and Big projects
• Land acquisition, Displacement, Environmental protection, etc.
• Economic Inequality
• Taxation, Poverty alleviation, Welfare
• Migrant Labour
• Housing, Protection, Law and Order issues, Exploitation
• Crony Capitalism and Competition
 OTHER ASPECTS
• Dispute resolution
• Ombudsman
• Tribunals
• ADR and dispute resolution
• Access to justice
• Legal aid
• Disposal and Pendency
• Special Courts
• Court hearings
• Video conferencing, telecasting / reporting of proceedings
 OTHER ASPECTS
• Women safety, protection and welfare
• Women Safety
• Sexual harassment in work places
• Domestic violence
• Surrogacy
• Reservation
• Child safety, protection and welfare
• Child labour
• Juvenile delinquency
• Compulsory education
• Health and Nutrition
“Obviously these are some exceptional young
people, but what they have in common is that
they were ordinary people who cared.
They wanted to act, to do something, to make
life better for other people—and they have.”

Morgan Carroll
An American Politician and author of “Take back your
Government: A citizen’s Guide to grassroots Change”