CCS wins Atlas Network’s Asia Think Tank Shark Tank Competition 2020

Prashant Narang, Associate Director - Research, Centre for Civil Society (CCS) won the 2020 Asia Think Tank Shark Tank Competition, for CCS’ ‘Lawyers for Liberty’ Project, a legal aid campaign designed to empower street vendors to fight against systemic harassment. Instituted by Atlas Network, the Asia Think Tank Shark Tank Competition celebrates credible projects committed to furthering freedom in the region.

For over a decade CCS has successfully led research and advocacy efforts for the legal protection and recognition of street vendors through the effective implementation of the Street Vendors Act 2014.

A detailed case study on Jeevika, our Law, Liberty and Livelihood Campaign can also be accessed here.

Understanding the Inspection Regime in Private Schools in Delhi

Based on the findings of our research compendium, Anatomy of K-12 Governance in India, our video on Inspector Raj in Private Sector Schools, helps us better understand how the Delhi government conducts inspections for its private schools. We find that it can take up to 919 days to complete an inspection process. Moreover, there is large room to exercise discretion during this process given the lack of clear guidelines for inspections. To ensure due transparency and accountability there is a need to rethink how school inspections are conducted.

Policy in the times of a Pandemic

The SARS-CoV-2 crisis has developed from a global health crisis to a socio-economic and humanitarian crisis with far-reaching implications on health, lives and livelihoods. The loss of livelihoods, financial limitations, lack of access to housing and basic amenities, further exacerbated by a long difficult journey home for India’s migrant workers, has left many dangerously susceptible to the virus. Against this backdrop, we hosted our first virtual conference addressing the theme of ‘Policy in Pandemics’, in collaboration with Students for Liberty South Asia. The conference aimed at building a robust dialogue on sound policy solutions to the challenges thrown up by the pandemic, and the way forward for a post-SARS-CoV-2 world. The two-day conference began with an inaugural address by Dr Parth J. Shah, President, CCS and a keynote address ‘Public Perception of Powers of the State’ by Professor Tyler Cowen, Professor, George Mason University. The conference included panels on the Economy post-Covid-19 in South Asia, Fiscal and Monetary Policy, Health Policy Lessons from Covid-19 and Emergency Powers and the Future of Liberty.

How can vouchers and cash transfers help us tide over the pandemic?

The Indian government’s response to contain the virus focuses primarily on social distancing while tracing, testing and treating selectively. However, we need to drastically increase the number of people being tested for SARS-CoV-2. The health crisis has increasingly led to a socio-economic crisis, disproportionately affecting the informal sector including street vendors, auto drivers, labourers among others. For the lockdown to be successful, there is an urgent need to address these challenges. For our second e-Baithak, Bhuvana Anand, Director-Research, CCS discussed how vouchers and cash transfers can be an effective solution, allowing for the scaling of testing and getting economic assistance to the vulnerable. The e-Baithak serves as a virtual platform for CCS alumni, and young students and professionals to interact with experts and dialogue on contemporary public policy concerns.

Will the Nationalisation of Hospitals help India Tackle Corona?

On 13^th April, the Hon’ble Supreme Court dismissed a plea calling for the nationalisation of all healthcare facilities, including private hospitals, to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. The Court called the plea ‘misconceived’. In an article published on CCS’ blog, Spontaneous Order, Sourya Banerjee, Associate-Academy, CCS, argues that the nationalisation of private hospitals is not likely to solve the healthcare gap, or improve our ability to respond to SARS-CoV-2. He calls for synergy and robust collaborations between the public and private sectors in India’s fight to cope with the pandemic.