THE ANATOMY OF K-12 GOVERNANCE IN INDIA

Did you know? There is no publically available detailed or accurate description of responsibilities including job descriptions, vacancy notices, or tasks to be performed by functionaries within the states' Departments of Education.

To address this gap in information for sound policy-making, and implementation of the National Education Policy 2019, we recently published a compendium on the Anatomy of K-12 Education in India. An outcome of our flagship Researching Reality internship program – the compendium presents a blueprint of the extant governance structures in K-12 education Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.

The report was launched in New Delhi on 21^st October. Engaging an audience of 74 people, the launch of the Compendium was followed by a panel discussion on ‘Reforming the Regulatory Framework for Private Schools: Promises and Challenges in the Draft National Education Policy’. Our eminent panelists included Bikrama Daulet Singh, Managing Director, Central Square Foundation; Bhanuchander Nagarajan, Former Advisor to HRD Minister, Shri Prakash Javadekar; Premila Nazareth, Non-resident Senior Fellow, National Council of Applied Economic Research; Rohan Joshi, Education Sector Expert and Bhuvana Anand, Director - Research, Centre for Civil Society.

Challan Loge ya Jaan!

In light of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019 a truck driver was recently fined INR 2 lakh for breaking traffic rules - one of the highest amounts imposed for traffic violations!

The recent amendment to the Motors Vehicles Act, 1988 has increased penalties and fines, as a way to deter individuals from violating traffic rules; for speeding, the fine has increased from ₹500 to ₹5,000 and for drunken driving from ₹2,000 to ₹10,000. In our latest episode of SO Basically, we discuss if such exorbitant fines for traffic offences are justifiable? We ask if traffic laws should be decided differently proposing reasonable fines decided by the local government with proper enforcement.

Watch more SO BASICALLY episodes here

Unease of Opening Restaurants in India

To open a restaurant in Delhi, one needs 57 documents, 13 licences and approximately 8 months to process, costing somewhere between INR 18,000 and INR 2,00,000. 

Aastha Narang of CCS discusses the difficulty of opening a restaurant in Delhi - in light of all the permissions and coordination with different government departments required - in Spontaneous Order, CCS' digital blog.

To know more about the licensing and regulatory barriers to doing buiness in Delhi, read our comprehensive research report here

Do street vendors have a right to the city?

Approximately 2.5% of India’s urban population is engaged in street vending. Five years since the enactment of the Street Vendors Act 2014, India’s street vendors continue to be labelled as encroachers, facing arbitrary evictions since State Governments have not fully implemented the law. Moreover, by evicting the vendors and creating no-vending zones before enumeration, state authorities and local administrations have been in conflict with the law.

Our Associates Sanjana Anand and Vidushi Sabharwal, discuss one such example of the Delhi Daryaganj book market in The Policy Times.

Since 2009, we have successfully led research and advocacy efforts for the legitimisation and protection of street vendors through the effective implementation of the Street Vendors Act 2014.  The Innovative Governance of Large Urban Systems (IGLUS) and Education about Asia Journal have both published our work on street vendors rights. Vidushi Sabharwal spoke to Gurgaon ki Awaaz radio show live on 18^th October 2019 to discuss the challenges of street vendors in Gurugram.

Know more about our work for the rights of street vendors here.