Dear IMPRI Well-wishers,

Greetings!

As we stand on the eve of two momentous occasions, Dussehra and Gandhi Jayanti, we are reminded of the timeless values that guide us. Dussehra symbolizes the triumph of good over evil and the victory of light over darkness, while Gandhi Jayanti honours the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi, who showed the world that truth and nonviolence can be the most powerful instruments of change. Together, these celebrations inspire us to strive for justice, compassion, and dignity in our collective journey.

In this spirit, we are delighted to invite you to the Urban Policy & Local Governance Youth Fellowship (UPLGYF) Cohort 2.0 on Gender Just Transition. This three-month online immersive certificate program, running from October to December 2025, will bring together students, young professionals, researchers, and practitioners to engage with critical questions of how urban transformations can be inclusive, equitable, and gender-responsive. With expert lectures, interactive sessions, creative projects, and the opportunity to publish, the fellowship promises to be a unique learning and leadership experience.

We welcome you to join us in this initiative and carry forward the spirit of courage, truth, and justice that both Dussehra and Gandhi Jayanti so powerfully embody.

Stay tuned and scroll below to read our publications on tariffs and policies that having real world impact.

Dr Simi Mehta, CEO & Editorial Director, IMPRI

From Bridges to Bureaucracy: Policy Failure and the Crisis of Accountability in India

How many stampedes need to occur, bridges need to collapse, fires need to devastate public places, cities need to get flooded for the nation to act to reform the crippled and crippling systems? Adverse events occur with such regularity that the public accepts them with resignation and cynicism. Many suffer silently, believing that it is God ordained fate. And, the well-off accept that they cannot insulate themselves from these uncivilised living conditions in spite of their wealth.

by Arun Kumar

GST 2.0 – A step today, uniformity tomorrow

India’s proposed GST 2.0 is being framed as the biggest reform to the indirect tax system since 2017: India’s upcoming GST 2.0 announcement, slated for implementation by Diwali, is being widely promoted in the media as a “Diwali gift”—a measure to reduce burdens on everyday consumers. Prime Minister Modi’s Independence Day speech has already prompted headlines calling it “a brighter gift of simpler taxes” and a “gamechanger” for GST.

by Nilanjan Banik

Featured insights

Urban Inequalities Threaten India’s Road to Sustainable Development by Soumyadip Chattopadhyay
Global South’s leadership: Complicit silence or powerless witness to imperialism? by TK Arun
Shaping a Multipolar Agenda: India’s Strategic Role at the 25th SCO Summit by Sirkanth Kondapalli
Democratic and Inclusive Universities: A Sign of Progress by Aditi Narayani Paswan
The surgical turn in childbirth: India’s cesarean surge by Manorama Bakshi
India-China Relations in 2025: Thaw, Tactical Pause, or Managed Rivalry? by Swaran Singh
Turkiye’s Green Leap: Policy Lessons for India’s Sustainable Transition by Anil Trigunayat
The Hollow Reality of ‘Digital Cities’ by Tikender Singh Panwar
GST 2.0 Reforms 2025: Fundamentals Reforms Postponed by TK Arun
Perceptions of Power, Narratives of Trust: India’s Public Diplomacy Challenges by Wakhare Hrishikesh Chandrashekhar

Policy Update