April 2-3: The authors’ workshop for the “Climate Action and Justice” volume was held at the ISB Mohali campus. Professor Anjal Prakash, Clinical Associate Professor (Research) and Research Director, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, commenced the workshop by delving into the concept of climate action and justice in Indian context. He underscored the significance of understanding how India's context contributes to the broader human development narrative. Furthermore, he addressed key questions regarding climate justice in international negotiations and the intersection of grassroots actions with these issues.  Amarjeet Sinha, IAS (Retd), Member of the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB), provided the background for the workshop, outlining the ambition to capture experiential learning through micro-studies subjected to rigorous academic scrutiny, aimed at building knowledge in public policy. Dr. Marcella D'Souza, Director, WOTR Centre for Resilience Studies (W-CReS), emphasised the importance of interdisciplinary knowledge to effectively inform grassroots initiatives. This approach ensures that insights from various disciplines can be integrated into the work of communities, practitioners, programme designers, and policymakers. The resulting outcome-oriented approach contributes to a deeper understanding of complex issues. Professor Anjal outlined the workshop format for the first day, which included knowledge café sessions designed to foster interactive discussions and knowledge sharing among authors, leading to a peer review process. These sessions were followed by the editors' session facilitated by Dr. Marcella, focusing on the domains of knowledge, practice, and policy. On the second day, the workshop commenced with a presentation by Professor Anjal centred on paper writing, followed by authors refining their research drafts.

April 28-29: Delving into the realm of nutrition, the authors’ workshop on “Improved Nutritional Outcomes,” brought together diverse voices and expertise to explore strategies for enhanced nutritional outcomes. The deliberations at the workshop centred on multiple approaches to tackling challenges in nutritional outcomes. By emphasising community engagement and the dissemination of replicable success stories, the workshop aimed to enriching public policy narratives and stimulating comprehensive dialogue on nutrition enhancements. Dr. Aarushi Jain, Policy Director at the Bharti Institute of Public Policy, Indian School of Business, welcomed the authors to the workshop and initiated the discussions. The authors were invited to present their work for the volume. Amarjeet Sinha, IAS (Retd), Member of the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB), emphasised the need for a holistic approach to development, particularly focusing on human capital. In his presentation, he elaborated on the essential components and challenges of implementing inclusive development strategies. Highlighting the need for a holistic approach to address challenges in sectors like education, health, nutrition, and climate action, he said that through meticulous micro-studies, the interconnectedness of these sectors and the importance of experiential learning can be emphasised. He underscored the collaborative effort of 127 individuals, including activists, policymakers, and academics, in contributing 113 papers over six months. Sinha's presentation resonated with the call for community action to tackle the complexities of human development, urging participants to break silos and foster interdisciplinary dialogue. Dr. Vandana Prasad, Founding Secretary and Technical Advisor, Public Health Resource Society, and the editor of the volume, provided a detailed overview of the papers, emphasising the importance of community-based work and its impact on informing public policies and programmes. The co-editor of the volume, Arti Ahuja, IAS (Retd.), Former Secretary, Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India, highlighted the importance of the public policy series, focusing on community action and its relevance beyond India. Emphasising the value of replicable success stories, she discussed the narrative arc of how public policy in India has been influenced by and engaged with communities. She encouraged collaborative discussions to address identified gaps and enrich the volume further.

May 7-8: The authors’ workshop on “Improving Learning Outcomes in Schools” was held at the Mohali campus of the Indian School of Business. Dr. Aarushi Jain introduced the Knowledge Café format for discussions. Amarjeet Sinha, IAS (Retd), Member of the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB), emphasised the interconnectedness of social and economic issues across six volumes, advocating for investment in education, healthcare, and community-led initiatives. Dr. N.V. Varghese, Vice-Chancellor, National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration, expressed gratitude for the detailed volume representation, stressing the need for deeper analysis and contextualisation. Vrinda Sarup, IAS (Retd.) and Former Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, noted the rich collection of papers, highlighting the importance of offering concrete recommendations for change. Suggestions were made to integrate conceptual issues, broaden learning conceptions, provide clear author guidelines, and advocate for systemic change. The workshop agenda included presentations by key speakers, discussions led by volume editors, and continued paper presentations. Attendees were encouraged to leverage resources such as the ISB Data Hub and the research support extended by the team of researchers of the Bharti Institute of Public Policy. The workshop served as a platform for interdisciplinary dialogue and collective efforts toward addressing pressing societal challenges to affect learning outcomes in schools positively.

May 9-10: The authors’ workshop on “Healthcare for All” was held at the ISB Mohali campus. Dr. Aarushi Jain, Policy Director, Bharti Institute of Public Policy and series editor for the volume expressed her gratitude to the diverse range of experienced authors, practitioners, and academics involved in the project. She highlighted the collaborative process, including author contributions, roundtables, and workshops, resulting in substantial progress with draft papers. Amarjeet Sinha, editor of the volumes “Healthcare for All” and “Learning Outcomes in School,” emphasised the need for holistic development, highlighting the interconnectedness of sectors such as education, health, and nutritional outcomes. His presentation resonated with the call for community action, stressing the importance of breaking down silos to create a more inclusive future. Dr. Srinath Reddy, Honorary Distinguished Professor, Public Health Foundation of India, and co-editor of the volume, emphasised the importance of collective contributions from public health stakeholders and the need for evidence-based recommendations to address disparities in health indicators. Dr. Reddy underscored the significance of micro-studies and emphasised the necessity for a post-COVID health system that is efficient, equitable, and community engaged. Dr. Girija Vaidyanathan, IAS(Retd.) and Professor of Practice, Humanities and Social Sciences Department, IIT (M), Former Chief Secy., Govt. of Tamil Nadu, expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to contribute to this collective effort. Dr. Vaidyanathan, the second co-editor of the volume “Healthcare for All,” acknowledged the significance of deadlines in driving progress and expressed her commitment in shaping the paper to be both relevant and impactful.

May 14-15: Dr. Aarushi Jain, Policy Director, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, provided insights into the journey leading to the creation of the "Institutional Challenges in Social Development,” volume, which was discussed at length at the authors’ workshop at ISB Mohali campus. Amarjeet Sinha, IAS (Retd), Member of the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB), emphasised the aim of the project in conducting more micro studies in public policy, and building a link where academics, practitioners, and policymakers converge, crafting rigorous publications that catalyse fresh perspectives. He highlighted that all the six volumes are not standalone works and are interconnected narratives primed to fuel ongoing debates, steering towards addressing devolution, fostering inclusive societies, and nurturing human capital growth. Dr. Pushpinder Singh Puniha, Financial Advisor, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), emphasised the collaborative and constructive nature of the Knowledge Cafe platform, highlighting its aim to foster friendly feedback rather than a critical academic review. He stressed the importance of thematic unity across volumes and papers, focusing on decentralisation, community participation, and a woman-centric approach to public policy. He suggested incorporating narratives into policy recommendations to enhance implementation effectiveness, drawing parallels with successful policy implementations such as faceless tax assessments and the Green Revolution. He also advocated for referencing academic and international evidence to bolster policy recommendations and underscored the importance of concise policy summaries to engage policymakers effectively.

May 20-21: The authors’ workshop on “Livelihood Diversification and Skills” was held at the ISB Hyderabad campus. The workshop commenced with the opening remarks from Prof. Ashwini Chhatre, Executive Director, Bharati Institute of Public Policy, and Ved Arya, Founding Director, The Buddha Institute, who are also the editors spearheading this volume. Prof. Chhatre shed light on the significance of synergies between practitioners and academics, merging their expertise to develop knowledge resources that support livelihood diversification. Ved Arya spoke about the critical need for the volume's findings to guide and influence key stakeholders, shaping a valuable resource that contributes to societal progress. A key highlight of the day was the unique knowledge café sessions, facilitated by Prof. Anjal Prakash.  The second day of the workshop started with an engaging session on research and policy-oriented writing by Prof. Anjal Prakash. He shared principles and best practices for academic writing, underscoring originality and clarity as essential elements for impactful contributions. The workshop concluded with closing remarks from the editors, Prof. Ashwini; Dr. Nivedita, CEO, Onestage and Senior Research Advisor, TRIF and Adjunct Faculty Member, School of Public Policy, IIT Delhi; and Ved Arya.