CCS Impact - A Monthly Update on CCS Initiatives

LAUNCH OF THE 2^ND EDITION OF THE REPORT ON BUDGET PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN INDIA

We launched the second edition of our annual Report on Budget Private Schools in India in New Delhi this March. Titled ‘Faces of Budget Private Schools’, the report brings critical data and insights via interviews and conversations with over 50 stakeholders from ten states across the country.The launch was followed by a panel discussion with Jairaj Bhattacharya, Managing Director, ConveGenius; Geeta Gandhi Kingdon, University College London, Kulbhushan Sharma, President, NISA; Vikas Jhunjhunwala, Founder and CEO, Sunshine Schools; and was chaired by Seetha, Senior Journalist.

You can read the report here.

LAUNCH OF THE MAHARASHTRA REPEAL LAW COMPENDIUM

As part of its Repeal of Laws Project, CCS launched the Maharashtra Repeal Law Compendium in partnership with the Maharashtra National Law University in Mumbai. The compendium presents a rigorously researched repository of obsolete or inconsistent and ineffective laws in the state of Maharashtra. The event was marked by a panel discussion on good governance and need for the institutionalisation of periodic judicial audits.

A SPONTANEOUS DIALOGUE ON LOOKING BEYOND THE BINARIES OF AADHAAR

Spontaneous Order, our digital publication of liberal commentaries, hosted its second 'Spontaneous Dialogue' on 'Looking Beyond the Binaries of Aadhaar'. This edition of the web-series featured eminent speakers Smriti Parsheera (Consultant, NIPFP) and Ronald Abraham (Partner, IDinsight), and was chaired by Parth Shah (President, Centre for Civil Society). The panelists analysed the Aadhaar system's merits and demerits, and explored policy mechanisms for bettering the present framework for the dissemination of subsidies.

Watch the Full Dialogue

POLICY ROUNDTABLE ON THE SEPARATION OF ROLES IN EDUCATION

This March, we hosted a Policy Roundtable on Separation of Roles in Education to build a dialogue on the need for systemic reforms, separating the government's role as a policy-maker, provider and regulator of education. Premised on our recent publication Separation of Roles in Education- A Policy Blueprint, the roundtable was chaired by Shri Anil Swarup, Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy, MHRD, and brought together key stakeholders in education, including prominent educationists, practitioners, investors and policy experts.

To get a copy of the policy blueprint write to alston@ccs.in

PRINCIPLES, PEOPLE, POLITICS:
THE SWATANTRA CONFERENCE

This February, Indian Liberals, our online archive of libertarian thought histories in India, brought together academics, thought leaders and scholars, for a conference on the relevance of the Swatantra Party and the future of liberal politics in India. The day-long conference drew over 350 participants and marked the launch of 27,000 previously unpublished papers of the Swatantra Party that had been procured by CCS.

To know more about Indian Liberals, write to us at arushi@ccs.in

2^ND ANNUAL ALUMNI RETREAT :
RECONNECTING WITH OUR CHAMPIONS

This February we organised our second annual Alumni Retreat with our alumni and supporters from the last two decades. The two-day event was packed with interactive activities and a keynote address by Luis Miranda, Chairman, CCS. The late-night discussions revolved around the learnings of CCS over the years and the way forward for our programs and ideas.

FORGING CHAMPIONS OF LIBERTY: iPOLICY FOR DEVELOPMENT LEADERS

We partnered with Christ University, Bangalore and Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi to conduct our flagship certificate course on public policy, reaching out to 63 young leaders. Our esteemed faculty included domain-experts, public policy analysts, and academics, including Mohit Satyanand, Chairman, Teamwork Arts, and Shreekant Gupta, Professor, Delhi School of Economics.

Want to participate in our upcoming iPolicy? Sign-up for CCS Connect!

CCS ON CAMPUS

Through our ‘CCS on Campus’ initiative, we reach out to young students across the country by way of policy dialogues conducted by our eminent faculty. Our speakers Christopher Lingle (Visiting Professor, Universidad Francisco Marroquín), Shantanu Gupta (Political Analyst), and Avinash Chandra (Editor, Azadi.me) engaged 495 students across seven campuses in four cities.

Want CCS on your Campus? Connect with us at shefali@ccs.in

INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC POLICY: CREDIT COURSE WITH VEDICA SCHOLARS

In collaboration with the Vedica Scholars Programme for Women, we began a 35-hour intensive program on 'Introduction to Public Policy' with a cohort of 70 young leaders.

The course elaborates on public policy in India and its linkages with various disciplines of study, such as law, business, economics, and media.

Jaithirth Rao, author and Founder and former CEO, Mphasis, published an article titled ‘When Maharajas, business tycoons and peasant leaders joined the mundu-clad Rajaji to form the Swatantra Party’, discussing the birth and impact of the Swatantra Party. Published in The Print, the article refers to the Swatantra Conference organised by CCS.
‘27,000 Never-Seen Papers Shed Light on India’s only Liberal Party’, an editorial by Arushi Vats (Assistant Manager, CCS, Academy) published in the Quint, narrates a brief history of the Swatantra Party and elaborates on the historical value of the 27,000 party papers that were provided by CCS to the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library.
The Swatantra Conference also received coverage in six national and regional dailies including Dainik Jagran, Deccan Chronicle, Rashtriya Sahara, and This Week India.
Avinash Chandra’s (Editor of Azadi.me) commentary on the 2018-19 Union Budget on quality education was published in Rashtriya Sahara. The article discussed the limitations of the current system and the way forward for improving the access to and quality of education in the country.
Seetha, Senior Journalist, published ‘The Idea of Aadhaar’ in Swarajya. The article elaborates on the flaws and merits of Aadhaar presenting also, CCS’ argument for Aadhaar as a tool to provide quality education to students through DBT in Education.
Parth Shah (President, CCS) was interviewed by Anjuli Bhargava (Business Standard) on the challenges faced by low-fee private schools in India. Read the full interview here.
Condemning the regulatory barriers to education that relate to unaided private schools and the abrupt orders for closure of schools in the NCR, the National Independent Schools Alliance has announced a mass rally on 7 April 2018 at Ramlila Maidan as part of the ‘Shiksha Bachao Andolan’. The call for the rally has received 52 media citations in several regional and national dailies including Times of India, Dainik Jagran, and Aaj Tak.
Launch of the second edition of the annual report on budget private schools in India titled ‘Faces of Budget Private Schools’ 2018 received coverage in the India Education Diary and TEN News.
An editorial titled A future privacy law can learn from RTI by Parth Shah was published in Live Mint. The article makes policy recommendations for a law on data and privacy.
An editorial titled As Narendra Modi champions rickshaw puller for opening 9 schools, RTE Act is killing willpower of budget schools by senior journalist Seetha was published in the First Post. The article analyses the government’s move towards school closure of budget-private schools, affecting the education of thousands of students.