The online certificate course offered by the Center of Policy Research and Governance (CPRG) focuses on equipping learners with a comprehensive understanding of the basics of public policy and governance in India. The course is designed to cater to a diverse audience including students, academics, professionals, and policy enthusiasts. Led by accomplished scholars, bureaucrats, and seasoned practitioners across diverse policy domains, this course seamlessly blends cutting-edge research, theoretical insights, and real-world scenarios to equip learners with tools to understand and evaluate the public policy systems and processes.
Empowering the ‘public’ in public policy
By bringing distinguished academicians and policy practitioners within our cohort, we nurture an engaging and empowering learning opportunity for the Indian public.
Powerful conversations create powerful ideas
Our strategy involves designing conversation-based sessions that go beyond the traditional pedagogical model. Learners actively engage, critically question, and test the ideas they encounter during the sessions with domain leaders. These vibrant exchanges foster personalized and profound learning encounters, fostering the growth of fresh ideas.
Schedule
Stretched over 12 weekends, the course offers learners the flexibility to balance their commitments, be it college or work-related engagements. Typically conducted on Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings, the sessions are designed to accommodate diverse schedules. The course entails a weekly commitment of 3-4 hours.
Over 24 interactive sessions, learners will actively explore the fundamental debates and questions of public policy and governance in India. Moreover, they will have an exceptional opportunity to engage with the practical applications of public policy and develop skills to navigate their own paths in this dynamic space.
Our sessions are intentionally divided into three key areas of study, which are as follows:
The course assessment serves as a valuable juncture for learners to pause, reflect, and enhance their grasp of the concepts explored during the sessions. Our mentors will diligently review submitted assignments, offering practical feedback to aid learners on their path.
Mentors
Vice-President
Samagra
Assistant Professor
Ashoka University
Member of the Central Electricity
Regulatory Commision, IAS’85 Batch
Director
G.B. Pant Social Science Institute
MPA Candidate
Harvard University Ex-Government of India
Air Pollution Expert
UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
Professor
National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), New Delhi
Postdoctoral Researcher
University of Zurich
Officer on Special Duty
Prasar Bharati
External Faculty Affiliate
Maryland Population Research Center, University of Maryland
Ph.D. Candidate
University of California at Berkeley
Associate Professor
IIMC, New Delhi
Founder & Promoter
Live Media & Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
Fellow
Centre for Policy Research
Professor
Jawaharlal Nehru University
Founder & CEO
Dexterity Global
Senior Training Manager
J-PAL
Cohort Profile
Our most recent cohort is a diverse group of individuals with varied life experiences and academic backgrounds. The cohort comes from several top institutions such as the University of Delhi, Jawaharlal Nehru University, IIT Kanpur, O.P. Jindal Global University, Indian Institute for Human Settlements, and IIM Raipur. They serve in different organizations and institutions, including Sattva Consulting, Piramal Foundation, Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (IIT Delhi), Sri Venkateswara College (University of Delhi), Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (Government of India), and Reliance Retail.
Eligibility
We welcome learners from diverse academic backgrounds and aim to provide a comprehensive learning experience that caters to individuals with varying levels of prior knowledge and expertise. We expect our candidates to have either completed or are currently pursuing an undergraduate degree.
"A rigorous understanding of the basics of public policy offered by the course enabled me to acknowledge, understand and analyze the most mundanely talked about issues of our country such as representation, accountability, and stakeholders’ consensus through a very context-sensitive lens. The sessions encouraged exponential learning and triggered minds to analyze, furthering efficient interactions during the course."
"Choosing “Fundamentals of Public Policy” by CPRG has been the best choice for me. (For) Someone like me who is completely new to the field of Public Policy, this course helped me get first-hand experience of how various government functionaries work via direct conversation with stakeholders working in these departments. It has indeed been a wonderful learning experience for me."
"It was a comprehensive and informative program that delved into the intricacies of policy-making at various levels of government. The coursework covered various topics, including policy analysis, implementation, evaluation, and the political and social factors that influence policy decisions. The instructors were experts in their respective fields and provided engaging lectures, practical examples, and constructive feedback on assignments. The course also provided networking and collaboration opportunities with fellow students from diverse backgrounds who had different perspectives on policy issues."
"The course was very well organized and covered an extensive area regarding public policies. The interactions were great and the team was very helpful as well."
"It was extremely enlightening, I managed to gain insight into a field that I hadn't had much previous understanding of before. It helped me understand how public policy professionals tend to view the issues in our country, and how they try to identify and work around the same. It also helped me realize how accessible public policy can be to the layman."
Yes, the course is conducted entirely online.
The recorded sessions will be shared with the cohort to provide easy access to the content throughout the course.
Learners are not required to have any specific prerequisite knowledge, except for having completed or currently pursuing an undergraduate degree.
Yes, with an estimated commitment of around 3 - 4 hours per week, including live sessions, learners can seamlessly integrate their course responsibilities into their existing routines.
No, prior knowledge of public policy is not necessary. The sessions are designed to equip learners with a foundational understanding of public policy, enabling individuals with diverse levels of familiarity with the subject to actively participate in the sessions.
The current cohort's application deadline is 11:59 PM, Sunday, September 20, 2023. However, we strongly advise you to apply at your earliest convenience to ensure successful enrollment. Our application process operates on a rolling basis, accepting submissions until the deadline or until all spots are filled. Applications are reviewed in the order they are received.
No, a prior rejection will not influence your prospects for future cohorts. Each application is evaluated independently, and past rejections will not adversely affect your eligibility or consideration for upcoming cohorts. We encourage you to reapply.
We do not offer placement or internship support as part of the course. While we don't facilitate placements, a dedicated session on careers and advanced education in public policy will acquaint learners with various potential paths to explore.
Yes, your certificate will be issued to you upon successful completion of the course.
The language of delivery of the sessions and all communication would be English.
This programme features 6 Months of free Premium Access to Emeritus Insights—a mobile app with 5,000+ bite-sized, business-focused videos to help you meet your daily learning goals on the go.