Policy Walk

The Policy Walk was conducted for the Cohort 2021-22 of the Advanced Management Programme in Public Policy from March 14-17, at New Delhi. The three-day trail through high-profile corridors of the Capital hosted a multitude of interactions with practitioners, formulators, and influencers of public policy. The participants also got an opportunity to interact with Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu, the Hon’ble Vice President of India, who shared important policy concerns with students, followed by modest interactions over tea at the Vice President House, New Delhi! The day-wise details of engagements are as follows:


Day 1

Interacting with AMPPP participants, ISB staff and Dean Madan Pillutla, Vice President Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu emphasised upon the significance of public-private partnerships to drive transformations in various sectors, and the need of dynamic and evidence-based policymaking for catering to evolving challenges and opportunities in the country. He also called for innovative business models to address everyday problems faced by common man. Read more about the session here.

The participants were further led to a Panel Discussion organised at The Claridges, New Delhi. The panel discussion on 'Building Capacity for New India' entailed elaborated dialogue on defining the priority areas for capacity enhancement, training and development of individuals, institutions, and systems, as well as bridging the gaps through effective public-private collaborations. Panellists Prof Madan Pillutla, Dean, ISB; Mr Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Vice Chairman, Bharti Enterprises, and Chairman, Advisory Board, Mohali Campus; Ms Vrinda Sarup, IAS (Retd.), Former Secretary, Ministry of Human Resource Development; Mr KP Krishnan, IAS (Retd), Former Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and Mr Hemang Jani, Secretary, Capacity Building Commission of India, shared holistic insights on the theme. The session was followed by a special dinner hosted by Mr Rakesh Bharti Mittal for the participants so the cohort could fetch some non-formal conversations with the experts.


Day 2

Dr Praveen Gedam, IAS, Additional CEO, National Health Authority (NHA) and MD, National Digital Health Mission (NDHM), along with Mr Vikram Pagaria, IRS, Joint Director, NDHM, shared insights into the policy framework governing India’s ambitious programmes for the integration of digital health infrastructure in the country, and the significance and pursuits of NHA in this regard. The AMPPP participants, drawing largely on their diverse experiences spanning over elemental public services to key corporate areas and social development sectors, also shared their concerns and ideas about the execution of such programmes and raised questions over some pertinent challenges related to health, technology and administration, making the interaction enriching and thoughtful.

Mr Dammu Ravi, Secretary, Economic Relations, Ministry of External Affairs, India, focussed his insightful session on crucial aspects of economic diplomacy, India’s bilateral relations with key partners in current geo-political landscape and the impact on trade policies. He also shared important viewpoints on policy dimensions for FDIs in the country. The enlightening discussion was followed by a special lunch hosted by Mr Ravi at the Ministry of External Affairs for AMPPP students. The students also got an opportunity to interact with a few representatives from other countries during the lunch, and explore the MEA headquarters.

From the quality of macro-statistics in the country to limitations of GDP as an indicator; the issues of North-East connectivity to the need of agricultural innovations throughout country; state of Covid pandemic preparedness to challenges in the implementation of Universal Basic Income, Dr Bibek Debroy, Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India, discussed numerous aspects of economic growth and development, sharing his wisdom for deepening the understanding of key economic policies. The session, filled with witty humour and immense information by Dr Debroy, brought up some interesting perspectives on Indian economy to ponder upon. It was conducted at the Niti Aayog office, New Delhi.


Day 3

Ambassador Naor Gilon, Ambassador of Israel to India, talked about the strengths of Indo-Israel relations, the shared cultural values of both countries, and Israel's contribution to enhancing technology innovations in India through collaboration with state governments. He also elaborated on the Government of Israel’s endeavours for clean energy and water recycling in India, and in areas of agriculture and education. Answering various questions of AMPPP participants, the Ambassador shared interesting details about life in Israel, historical relations with India, and scope of future collaborations.

Mr V Srinivas, IAS, Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, Ministry of Personnel Public Grievances and Pensions, discussed about significant reforms in progress to enhance the efficiency of delivery of public services, through rapid digital transformation of administrative framework in the country. He shared his vision in this regard and called for increased focus on leadership development, while answering questions on progress and challenges about different steps being undertaken by the Ministry for digitalisation, revamping administrative training, and strengthening the reach of better services to grassroots.

General VK Singh, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways and Civil Aviation, Government of India, reminisced upon his experiences from his diverse roles in the Indian Army and the Central Government, focussing on different facets of policymaking. He also discussed pertinent issues in infrastructure and transportation development, and stressed upon the need for innovations and new approaches in existing ways of formulating policies. The session took place at the cohort’s venue of stay, The Taj Palace, New Delhi.

Over some delicious South-Indian coffee prepared in Brazilian way, Ambassador André Aranha Corrêa do Lago, Ambassador of Brazil to India, talked about harnessing the best of the Indo-Brazilian ties in aspects of trade, culture, tourism and technology. The interaction took place at the Embassy of Brazil, and was followed by a refreshing tour of the place with the Ambassador.

At the headquarters of the National Disaster Response Force, IPS Atul Karwal, Director General, National Disaster Response Force, and Director, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy, brought attention to the working mechanisms of and challenges faced by the disaster management force of the country, while saving lives during natural calamities and other crisis situations. Interacting with the AMPPP cohort, Mr Karwal also emphasised on the importance of optimistic and resilient mindset to carve ways out of tough life situations, while awe-inspiring tales from his Mount Everest expedition made the session all the more fascinating.