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The fifth episode of the five-part podcast series on the book, Public Choice – A Primer by Dr Eamonn Butler, explores how constitutions function as the foundational rules that shape governance and public accountability. It examines why societies need constitutions beyond symbolism, and how constitutional frameworks influence political decision-making and limit government excesses. Drawing from the chapters The Role of Constitutions and Achievements and Issues, the episode unpacks the economic logic of constitutional rules, the idea of a fiscal constitution, the role of federalism, and the challenges of ensuring accountability within democratic systems. This podcast series aims to make the ideas of public choice theory more accessible to a wider audience. Speaker: Assistant Professor and Head, Department of Economics, St. Albert's College ( Autonomous), Ernakulam Moderator: Sreelakshmi Harilal, Associate – Research & Projects, Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR), Kerala Tune in for an insightful conversation on the economic and political rationale behind governments, the inherent costs and trade-offs in collective decision-making, and how voter behaviour and political incentives shape policy outcomes.

The fourth episode of the five-part podcast series on the book, "Public Choice – A Primer" by Dr Eamonn Butler, explores brings together key insights from Public Choice: A Primer and reflects on how the theory continues to evolve in response to new governance challenges. Based primarily on Chapter 12 (Current and Future Horizons), the discussion revisits earlier themes, the logic of collective decision-making, voter behaviour, political incentives, and constitutional design to understand how Public Choice theory has expanded from its foundational principles to more complex, interdisciplinary frontiers. This podcast series aims to make the ideas of public choice theory more accessible to a wider audience. Speaker: Emmanuel Thomas, Assistant Professor, Dept of Economics, St. Thomas’ College, Thrissur Moderator: Jofi J Francis, Senior Associate (Project Administration), Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR), Kerala Tune in for an insightful conversation on the economic and political rationale behind governments, the inherent costs and trade-offs in collective decision-making, and how voter behaviour and political incentives shape policy outcomes!

The third episode of the five-part podcast series on the book, "Public Choice – A Primer" by Dr Eamonn Butler, explores how incentives drive political and bureaucratic behaviour, why collective decisions are vulnerable to special interest influence, and how institutional design, as explained by Public Choice Theory, can either mitigate or amplify these distortions. Drawing from Chapters 5 to 9 of the book, this episode explores how collective decision-making processes are frequently shaped by interest groups, political bargaining, and bureaucratic incentives. It highlights the subtle yet influential ways in which concentrated interests and institutional mechanisms shape policy outcomes—often at the expense of broader public welfare.This podcast series aims to make the ideas of public choice theory more accessible to a wider audience. Speaker: Kumar Anand, Economist & Public Policy Professional; Senior Fellow, Academy, Centre for Civil Society (CCS), New Delhi  Moderator: Sreelakshmi Harilal, Associate, Research & Projects, Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR), Kochi, Kerala Tune in for an insightful conversation on Public Choice Theory and its application in understanding power, interest groups, incentives, as well as institutional, political, and public policy decision-making in democratic systems.

As India stands on the brink of the XVI Finance Commission’s recommendations, the debate on fiscal federalism has re-emerged at the centre of public policy discourse. A recent report titled “State Finances in Transition: An Analysis of Revenue Receipts and Fiscal Dynamics in India during the XV Finance Commission Period,” published by the Foundation for Responsive Governance and authored by Sharad Pandey and Avani Kapur from the Foundation for Responsive Governance (ResGov), provides an in-depth examination of the receipts side: the sources, structure, and trends in own revenues, tax devolution, grants-in-aid, and borrowings. India’s fiscal federalism is now at a crossroads—caught between the ideals of fiscal decentralization and the practical realities of centralization.This episode of the podcast discusses the research report by ResGov, aiming to explore whether the constitutional vision of fiscal balance can be reimagined in today’s context. KEY DISCUSSION POINTS India's performance during the XV Finance Commission period, and major trends that emerged across key fiscal indicatorsRealistic ONTR avenues states can explore without undermining the equity or affordability of public servicesKey drivers of actual tax devolution during the XV Finance Commission period, which exceeded the amounts originally recommendedMeasures to be prioritised to strengthen the states’ receipt side of the balance sheet under the 16th Finance Commission, since borrowings continue to constitute a significant share of total state receipts SPEAKERS: Avani Kapur, Founder and Director, Foundation for Responsive Governance (ResGov) Sharad Pandey, Senior Research Consultant, Foundation for Responsive Governance (ResGov) HOST Banisha Begum Shaikh, Senior Associate - Research & Projects, CPPR Tune in for an insightful discussion on revenue receipts and fiscal dynamics in India during the XV Finance Commission period.

The second episode of the five-part podcast series on the book, "Public Choice – A Primer" by Dr Eamonn Butler, explores how and why governments exist, how collective decisions are made, and how electoral behaviour shapes policy outcomes. Drawing from the chapters “Who Needs Government?” and “How to Win Elections,” the episode attempts to unpack the mechanisms of governance, the trade-offs inherent in collective decision-making, and the paradoxes of democratic participation. This podcast series aims to make the ideas of public choice theory more accessible to a wider audience. Speaker: Dr Pradeep Kumar B, Professor of Economics, Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam, Kerala Moderator: Jofi J Francis, Senior Associate (Project Administration), Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR), Kerala Tune in for an insightful conversation on the economic and political rationale behind governments, the inherent costs and trade-offs in collective decision-making, and how voter behaviour and political incentives shape policy outcomes.

Public policy shapes our lives, but how these decisions are made is often misunderstood. This CPPR podcast—the first of our five-part series on the book, "Public Choice – A Primer" by Dr Eamonn Butler—introduces our audience to Public Choice Theory. Public Choice applies economics to politics, showing how voters, politicians, and bureaucrats act in self-interest—just like in markets. In this five-part series, we explore democracy, voting, bureaucracy, and governance through this lens. Episode 1 unpacks the origins and relevance of Public Choice for citizens, students, and policymakers in India and beyond. Speaker: Rahul V Kumar, Research Fellow (Market Economics), Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR), Kochi Moderator: Jofi J Francis, Senior Associate (Project Administration), Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR), Kerala Tune in for an insightful conversation that unpacks the hidden mechanics of power, incentives, and decision-making that quietly shape our everyday lives.

Private schools educate nearly one-third of India’s students, with Low-Fee Private Schools (LFPS) serving the majority from low and middle-income families. Despite their vital role, LFPS struggle under rigid regulations—land and infrastructure mandates, fee caps, and burdensome recognition processes—that prioritize compliance over learning. This podcast explores why parents choose LFPS, how state regulations shape their sustainability, and the systemic barriers holding back learning outcomes. It also examines reforms needed to make recognition and governance more transparent, efficient, and learning-focused. Speakers: S R Thomas Antony, Senior Manager – Education Policy Reforms, Centre for Civil Society (CCS), New Delhi Dr J S Paranjyothi, National Vice President, National Independent Schools Alliance (NISA); Founder & Chairman, Oasis Moderator: Nissy Solomon, Hon. Trustee & Project Lead, Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR), Kerala Tune in for an insightful conversation that unpacks the everyday realities of LFPS—parental choices, regulatory roadblocks, and the bold reforms needed to put learning, not paperwork, at the heart of education.

India’s manufacturing sector, despite liberalization and decades of economic reforms, continues to underperform relative to its potential. A recent study, “Multiplying Multi-Plants: A New and Consequential Phenomenon” by Arvind Subramanian, Abhishek Anand, and Dr Naveen Joseph Thomas, sheds light on a critical yet overlooked factor influencing this stagnation—the rise of multi-plants. These are multiple small production facilities established by firms within a state, rather than expanding existing plants. Contrary to previous assumptions, large plants in India have not scaled up; instead, they remain fragmented and small by international standards. This has profound implications for productivity, competitiveness, and policy. KEY DISCUSSION POINTS What exactly are “multi-plants,” and why have they become so prevalent in India’s manufacturing sector?How has the aggregation of multi-plant data led to the misinterpretation of plant size distribution in India, and what are its implications for policy and economic research?Why are multi-plant firms less productive compared to single-plant firms of similar size, and to what extent has this affected India’s global manufacturing competitiveness, especially compared to countries like Bangladesh?How do labour regulations and political risks influence the proliferation of multi-plants? Is the use of multi-plants a substitute for contract labour, or do they complement each other in different contexts?What policy reforms could encourage firms to scale up plants rather than proliferate smaller ones?How can India create an industrial environment that balances labour protections with growth incentives? SPEAKERS: Dr Naveen Joseph Thomas, Vice Dean, Jindal School of Government and Public Policy (JSGP), O. P. Jindal Global University, Haryana Abhishek Anand, Managing Director, Insignia Policy Research, Kerala Moderator: Banisha Begum Shaikh, Senior Associate (Research & Projects), Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR), Kerala Tune in for an insightful conversation about why firms prefer the multi-plant approach, how it affects jobs and exports, and what changes in policy might help India build stronger and larger manufacturing units in the future.

India’s sports industry is booming, with leagues like the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Indian Super League (ISL) contributing billions to the economy. The IPL alone is valued at $16.4 billion in 2024, with other leagues following suit. However, despite this growth, sports participation at the grassroots level remains limited, especially outside of cricket. Moreover, sports in India is often viewed as a competitive pursuit reserved for the select few who aspire to become professional athletes, with a societal emphasis on winning medals. In contrast, the broader benefits of sports on physical health, mental well-being, and community engagement are often overlooked. The State of Sports and Physical Activity (SAPA) report by Dalberg Advisors highlights alarming figures: 155 million Indian adults and 45 million adolescents do not meet the World Health Organization's physical activity guidelines. At the grassroots level, the country’s sports culture faces significant challenges in terms of accessibility and inclusivity. This episode, the first in our new series 'Sports Beyond Medals', dives into the critical challenges that hinder widespread participation in sports across India. We explore how sports can become a part of everyday life for everyone, not just athletes, and how India can learn from other countries where sports are a vital part of the culture. Key Discussion Points What are the main barriers to sports participation at the grassroots level in India? How can India address the lack of accessible sports facilities, such as parks and playgrounds, in both urban and rural areas? Why do adults in India disengage from sports, and how can we create a culture of lifelong sports participation? What cultural and policy changes are needed to encourage more women and girls to engage in sports? Speaker - Leslie Xavier, Senior Fellow (Sports Policies), Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR), and a seasoned Sports Journalist Moderator - Dr. D Dhanuraj, Chairman, Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR) Tune in for an insightful conversation about reshaping India’s sports culture beyond the pursuit of medals.

Kerala has a rapidly ageing population, with the proportion of senior citizens (aged 60 and above) projected to reach 22.8% by 2036, significantly higher than the national average of 15%. This demographic shift poses challenges for the state in terms of providing adequate care and support for its elderly population. As Kerala grapples with the challenges of a rapidly ageing population, a comprehensive and multifaceted approach involving the government, civil society, and senior citizen organisations is necessary to ensure the well-being and dignity of its senior citizens. The episode aims to understand the challenges and explore innovative solutions emphasising the importance of a multi-faceted approach to address the increasing ageing population of the state. The episode discusses the increasing ageing population of the state with special focus on Kerala’s senior citizen policy, this will be featured as part of the “health”, “economy”,and “governance and law” research areas of CPPR. Speaker: Chandana Rajashekaran- Research Officer at the Center for Management Development, Trivandrum, leading a team that provides research support for policy development. Moderator: Anu Anna Jo, Senior Research Associate, CPPR. KEY DISCUSSION POINTS Understanding and major learnings with regard to the State’s policy of 2013. Importance of promoting social security net at a very young age. Tackling the twin problem of migration and care economy. Data availability and use of data in framing the policies.

In this episode, we explore the need for decriminalisation, simplification, and digitisation in business regulations. We dissect the implications of the Jan Vishwas Act and proposed amendments and delve into the progress of decriminalisation across the nation, identifying states leading the charge in reform efforts. Join us as we unravel the complexities and envision the future of business regulations. Speaker: Rishi Agrawal, Co-founder & CEO at Teamlease Regtech. Rishi is the co-founder & CEO at Teamlease Regtech. Rishi firmly believes in the power of technology to transform the way Compliance is managed in India. Over the last several years, Rishi has helped over 1,000 companies in India digitally transform their Compliance program. In addition, he has been working closely with different central ministries, think tanks, and industry associations to highlight India's regulatory complexity and make a case for rationalisation, simplification, and digitisation. He is also the co-author of the report “Jailed for Doing Business”.

In the 2023 annual Gender Gap Report by the World Economic Forum (WEF), India saw an advancement in its ranking, now positioned at 127 out of 146 countries, marking an improvement of eight places compared to the previous year. However, the report emphasised that India’s attainment of only 36.7% parity in economic participation and opportunity underscores the ongoing challenge of addressing gender disparities, particularly concerning women’s access to economic opportunities. The involvement of women in the workforce serves as a significant gauge of a country’s economic advancement. Recent Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data indicates a positive trend in female labour force participation rates in recent years. Nevertheless, concerns arise regarding the quality of employment opportunities and the persistence of wage disparities. In this context, Yamini Atmavilas, President of Strategy, Data & Applied Research at The Udaiti Foundation, joins Anu Maria Francis, Senior Associate – Research & Project Management at CPPR, in this podcast and explores the recent trends in India’s female labour force participation. Key Discussion Points 1) Changes in the methodology or sampling framework in the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO) of MoSPI, which replaced the nationwide Employment and Unemployment (E&U) surveys in 2017-18, and the effect of such changes. 2) Changes in the concept of labour in light of the significant change in women’s workforce distribution in recent years, with self-employment increasing by 10 percentage points between 2017-18 and 2021-22. 3) The trend of increasing labour force participation among rural women as compared to urban women. 4) Major policy changes that are required to improve the FLFPR to a 50 percent level.

Generative AI is projected to increase annual global GDP to the amount of trillions if implemented properly, according to analysts. What is India’s stake in this new global phenomenon? In today's podcast, we look at generative AI and LLMs, the issues they pose, the effect they have on Indian society and industry, and how we can look forward to regulating AI while allowing it to grow and provide value to the greatest extent.  Our guest, Nidhi Singh, is a Programme Officer, with CCG Delhi. She is an expert in AI, privacy, internet governance, and emerging technologies. She is hosted by Varsha Radhakrishnan, a Fellow at the Centre for Public Policy Research. Varsha is an expert in emerging technologies and AI, having industrial expertise in this sector.  The training data used in AI is heavily open sourced, and based on data from the open internet. This poses problems both in terms of the accuracy of the data as well as privacy, as the data scraped off might not be consented to by parties. There is a lot of interest in India to build LLMs that are usable for citizens. Language poses an issue, as there may not be a vast tract of trainable data in particular languages. There is a global north-south divide in the implementation of these technologies, as many new technologies are being created in the global north and implemented in the global south, leading to a large number of problems. While it is true that policy catches up slower to new technologies, it is important to remember that the problems caused by the implementation and usage of these technologies are fundamental issues of access, equality, and privacy and can be looked at from a constitutional lens. Key Takeaways:

In this podcast, we will be diving into the topic 'Decriminalisation of business laws in the state of Kerala'. Kerala, with a Gross State Domestic Product of 7.8 lakh crore, has shown promising growth potential. However, it currently ranks 15th in the Ease of Doing Business ranking within the country, indicating room for improvement in terms of business friendliness. Establishing a favorable legal environment is crucial for enhancing the ease of doing business. The presence of numerous laws governing business activities prompts us to question whether these laws facilitate or hinder the growth of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. In this podcast, we will be exploring the impact of these laws and their potential to encourage or deter investment in Kerala.Our podcast will be building upon the ongoing CPPR study on the decriminalization of business laws in Kerala. Join us as former IAS Officer T Nandakumar delves into the complexities of the business environment in Kerala and focuses on the decriminalization of business laws.Speaker: T Nandkumar IAS(retd)Adviser to IFPRI and WRI (Washington)Moderator: Anu Anna JoSenior Associate, Research, CPPR Key Takeaways: 1. In many business laws minor offenses are criminalised. In the modern-day business environment, it is regressive and restrictive.  2. Decriminalisation does not mean that it removes violations, it means that any violation which is civil in nature should be punished accordingly.  3. Kerala needs to critically look into what it wants to do with its investments and then make the laws and procedures simple for investors. 4. Kerala's growth will come from the large number of small and medium enterprises which probably can be plugged in to the global market. 5. Laws that have historical baggage can be substantially reduced by repealing them.

To achieve the sustainability goals of the transport sector, it is necessary to promote the use of NMT. In this podcast, Mr Shrinivas Deshmukh, Co-founder & Director, Urban Research Foundation, talks about policy-level and implementation-level challenges in the integration of NMT with the public transport sector. Non-motorised transport systems have been proposed to be seamlessly integrated with public transport networks, serving as last-mile connectors, but the integration poses significant challenges. The development of NMT infrastructure should be closely aligned with pedestrian safety measures, prioritising the creation of an inclusive environment that caters to the needs of differently abled individuals and other vulnerable groups. The predominant components of NMT, encompassing walking, cycling, and rickshaws, represent environmentally friendly modes of transportation that could substantially contribute to reducing carbon footprints and achieving zero emissions. Although cities and states have initiated formulation for policies to promote non-motorised forms of transport, the ground level implementation is still challenging. Street designs have the potential to be the brand style of cities, attracting more people to use street facilities. A real time analysis of the NMT feasibility is required to ensure people switch to NMT, thereby ensuring decarbonisation in the transport sector.The podcast would look into: The need for incentivising plans for opting for NMT modes of transport. The need to come up with city-specific street designs to facilitate NMT Ways to ensure accessible and inclusive planning for NMT Infrastructure Impact of integration of NMT into the public transport system. Policy level challenges in implementing NMT in cities