Reimagining Institutions: Collaborative Pathways to Social Development in India

This book unpacks the complexities of social development in India, focusing on the institutional bottlenecks that hinder effective policy implementation.
While governments and organizations design ambitious policies for economic growth, human capital development, education, agriculture and social welfare, their impact is often diluted due to governance inefficiencies, bureaucratic inertia, and weak last-mile service delivery. Through a blend of empirical and evidence-based research, policy analysis, and real-world case studies, it provides a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms that drive--or obstruct--sustainable development in India. It explores pressing socio-economic issues, such as demographic shifts, sustainable futures, workforce dynamics, digital governance, e-markets, bureaucracy and gender-based violence. The book serves as a vital resource for those seeking to understand governance challenges and the institutional reforms necessary for meaningful change. By highlighting both the problems and potential solutions, it fosters a dialogue on creating resilient and inclusive institutions that can effectively deliver on their promise of social progress.
Part of the Innovations, Practice and the Future of Public Policy in India series, this volume will be of interest for policymakers, policy practitioners, researchers, development practitioners, and engaged citizens, particularly as we move towards a tech savvy public sector. It will be an essential resource for students and researchers of development studies, sociology, public policy and governance, economics, and South Asian studies.

Pushpinder Puniha, Chairman of the Tax Policy Consultative Group at NITI Aayog, has over 3 decades of experience as public finance policy administrator, analyst, and articulator. He pioneered India’s faceless tax system and holds a PhD from USC, Los Angeles with research spanning collaborative governance, development finance, and women’s economic empowerment.
Aarushi Jain is Policy Director at the Bharti Institute of Public Policy, ISB, and a Harvard Kennedy School graduate, where she was an Edward S. Mason Fellow and John F. Kennedy Scholar. With over two decades of experience, she has led transformative work in governance, digital policy, and public leadership. She is the series editor of the ISB-Routledge Public Policy book series.