Delhi, India
India runs some of the world's most ambitious public programmes. And still outcomes are contrasting across states, districts and institutions even when budgets and policies are comparable. That gap between what governments promise and what citizens receive is the problem I have spent several years trying to understand. The answer is not in the policy. It is in the institution behind it. I know this not just from research but from working inside it. For two years I served as Policy Advisor to a sitting MLA in Behraich, a NITI Aayog designated Aspirational District, coordinating between the legislative office, district administration, block level functionaries and the communities that government schemes are supposed to reach. That experience is the foundation of everything I have built since. I founded Development Policy Lab INDIA (DPLI) to examine the governance gap systematically. DPLI’s Flagship Report 2026 covers all 28 states and 8 union territories using official data from NITI Aayog, DARPG, MoHFW and the World Bank. I also maintain the India State Governance Data Monitor, a live database tracking health, education, fiscal capacity and welfare delivery at the state level. The DISER Methodology, developed through this work, is a five stage framework for moving from evidence to implementation-ready policy recommendations. My academic and research background spans both domestic governance and international affairs. I hold an MA in Political Science with a specialisation in International Relations from the University of Lucknow and am UGC-NET qualified. I hold a Social Impact and Public Policy Specialisation from the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and have completed courses on Global Diplomacy and the UN System (SOAS University of London), International Security Management (Erasmus University Rotterdam), Behavioral Science in Public Policy (World Bank), Anticipatory Governance (UNITAR/UN DESA) and International Anti-Corruption Frameworks (UN DESA). My research interests cover governance reform, state capacity, institutional effectiveness, international development frameworks and the political economy of public service delivery in South Asia and comparable emerging economies. If you work on any of these questions, I would be glad to connect. Website: https://developmentlab-india.github.io Email: [email protected]
DPLI is an independent governance and development policy research initiative producing open access analytical work on state capacity, institutional effectiveness and development outcomes across India and South Asia. Produced the DPLI Flagship Report 2026 : a seven chapter governance analysis across all 28 states and 8 union territories using official data from NITI Aayog SDG India Index, DARPG, MoHFW and World Bank governance indicators. Findings aligned to Viksit Bharat 2047 targets and SDG 16 institutional effectiveness framework. Produced policy briefs and analytical frameworks examining international governance frameworks across World Bank Governance Indicators, UNDP Human Development Index, and UN DESA SDG monitoring architecture — published open-access for an international policy audience. Published Two peer reviewed research papers on Digital Inclusion and Efficient Judiciary as an Economic Multiplier. Designed the DISER Methodology : a five stage structured analytical framework for converting institutional evidence into implementation ready policy recommendations. Built the India State Governance Data Monitor tracking health, education, fiscal capacity and welfare delivery across all Indian states using official government and international institutional data. Conducting comparative cross country research on judicial reform and institutional convergence across India, Brazil and Kenya: mapping bilateral legal reform pathways and institutional divergences.
Policy research and ground level implementation work at a civil society organisation focused on governance and social development in Uttar Pradesh. Conducted field level programme monitoring across welfare scheme implementation in rural Uttar Pradesh, tracking last mile delivery gaps in health, education, and social protection at block and gram panchayat level. Facilitated stakeholder engagements between beneficiary communities, gram panchayat functionaries and district administration. Documented service delivery bottlenecks for institutional reporting and policy feedback loops. Produced analytical briefs and structured field reports tracking implementation gaps between centrally sponsored schemes (PM-KISAN, PMGSY, PM-JAY) and district level outcomes. Conducted policy research on administrative effectiveness and institutional reform, reviewing government scheme guidelines, ministry circulars and published reports to generate evidence based recommendations. Assisted in inter-institutional coordination between field units and state level administrative machinery across governance, health, education and social protection mandates.
Legislative advisory and policy analysis for a sitting Member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly in Behraich: a NITI Aayog designated Aspirational District under the Prime Minister's Aspirational Districts Programme, directly monitored on 49 KPIs across health, education, financial inclusion and infrastructure. Worked inside the administrative and legislative machinery of an Aspirational District, engaging with ground level implementation of centrally sponsored programmes including PM-JAY, PM-KISAN, PMGSY, and Jal Jeevan Mission. Monitored welfare scheme penetration and implementation gaps at the district and block level. Produced structured briefs mapping the gap between policy design and citizen-level outcomes for the MLA's use in Assembly proceedings. Drafted speaking points, policy briefs and analytical reports for legislative engagements, committee proceedings, and inter-departmental coordination. Organised and oversaw constituency outreach meetings, Jan Sunwai events and public awareness campaigns on government schemes among marginalised communities. Facilitated coordination between the MLA's office, district administration (Behraich), block level functionaries and state departments on welfare delivery and public service matters. Analysed media reporting, government notifications and committee proceedings to provide timely inputs on legislative and scheme performance developments.