Policymaking is nothing if not about trade-offs: CEA V Anantha Nageswaran | Economy & Policy News

During his speech on policymaking at the launch of the Isaac Centre for Public Policy (ICPP) by Ashoka University in Bengaluru, Nageswaran emphasised the role of researchers in effectively highlighting trade-offs to capture policymakers’ attention.

“One instance where trade-offs were ignored globally was within the court. Academic researchers, with a few exceptions, fell short. The Great Barrington Declaration was an honourable exception. Public policy had to be made by policymakers, not epidemiologists,” Nageswaran added.

The Centre will introduce public policy programmes and commission advanced interdisciplinary research, contributing towards accelerated, inclusive, and sustainable growth, enabling India to become a $10 trillion economy by 2035.

The ICPP has been established through a grant from the Ajit Isaac Foundation (AIF), an organisation created by Ajit Isaac, founder and chairman of Quess. Ajit Isaac and his wife, who serve as founders and trustees of Ashoka University, have made significant contributions exceeding Rs 100 crore.

The CEA stressed the importance of stronger collaboration between academia and policymakers, advocating for its formal integration into the policymaking process. He also proposed several key recommendations to address critical gaps in current policymaking efforts.

“We often lack the time to read long documents with detailed backgrounds on technical and contextual information. Highlights and summary pages that avoid academic and disciplinary jargon but focus on the meaning and implications of the research can go a long way in capturing a policymaker’s attention,” Nageswaran said.

Nageswaran further emphasised the importance of understanding one’s audience or potential consumers, stressing the need to study policy readers with whom communication is intended. Additionally, “the goal of the ICPP has to be to make a positive difference to the public, as public policy is about public affairs. To make a difference, one has to be taken seriously by those who are directly involved in public policy.”

“ICPP aims to create a research environment where experts across domains will help find scalable solutions to pressing and complex policy challenges in areas such as economic development, labour and employment, healthcare, gender, and fiscal policy, to name a few. AIF looks forward to this partnership with Ashoka University in creating an exemplary Centre for Public Policy,” added Ajit Isaac.

In a statement, Ashoka University further said that the Centre will collaborate with public, private, and non-profit stakeholders to identify research gaps in policymaking and implementation. The Centre will offer undergraduate programmes in Economics and Public Policy, alongside graduate and executive-level courses targeting professionals from both sectors. Initial research efforts will focus on agriculture, the rural economy, employment, labour, Indian regulators, and public finance.

“Ashoka University has the distinct advantage of being home to leading faculty in the country, experts in fields such as economics, social development, behavioural science, biosciences, artificial intelligence, and data science. The Centre will utilise this strength and engage with public policy experts to become a hub for research-based interventions that contribute to socio-economic development,” said Prachi Mishra, Director and Head of the Isaac Centre for Public Policy.