Cambodia's Education Ministry Delegation visits CCS Centre for Civil Society hosted an 11-member delegation of the Ministry of Education, Youth & Sports (MoEYS), Cambodia, on 08 April 2024. The delegation visited two budget private schools, namely Muni International School and Oxford Angels Public School in New Delhi. Afterwards, a roundtable meeting was organized on Blue Curriculum for Life, developed in partnership with Friedrich Naumann Foundation South Asia. An understanding was reached to introduce this curriculum in select schools in Cambodia to promote the idea of Blue Economy education. The delegation also called for closer association on many other education policy interventions, citing the cultural similarities between the two nations and the exemplary work of CCS.

The CCS team interacted and expanded on the core values that drive the organisation forward, while using this opportunity to connect these with the annual goals and plans for the upcoming year. Over the three days, through a series of participatory activities, the team committed to developing a thriving culture of excellence, and keeping trust and relationships as the foundation of it. This leaderding and development workshop, facilitated by CCS Alumni Manali Shah helped in generating insights and ideas and integrating these into our annual goals around thematics as well as a coordination roadmap for converting ideas to impact at individual, departmental and organisational levels. CCS Values Passion for Work & Making a Difference | Intellectual Curiosity & Learning | Personal Responsibility & Effectiveness | Excellence in Execution | Honest & Open Communication | Respect for Individual Identity & Voice

CCS engaged the P&G Shiksha Betiyan scholars in mentoring activities starting with 4-days workshops at the select Industrial Technical Institutes, ITI Nalagarh and ITI Shimla. The mentoring workshops empowered female STEM students by offering soft-skill training, interview preparation activities and personalized mentorship to enhance their skills like communication and leadership. Mock interviews and resume writing sessions were delivered to boost their confidence for future job opportunities. Our Betiyan scholars are receiving mentorship through in-person workshops, online mentoring sessions and multiple one-on-one telephonic mentoring by experts and professionals. Through this, we aim to guide scholars toward realistic STEM career goals, motivating them to actively pursue their aspirations. With the goal of building an inclusive and diverse STEM workforce for future, the mentoring month is pivotal in shaping an empowered generation of female STEM professionals and role-models.

On 24 January 2024, our team organised a successful event commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Street Vendors Act 2014 in collaboration with NASVI. The occasion gathered over 120 experts, policymakers, street vendor leaders, and stakeholders for insightful discussions on the Act's achievements, challenges, and future directions. Highlights included keynote address by Vipin Pal Singh, Director, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, special addresses and panel discussion by other distinguished experts. The event also featured the exclusive premiere of 'Error 404: Justice Denied,' a short film shedding light on the lives of street vendors, as well as presentations on impactful initiatives like the Jeevika Mobile App. The success of 'The Street Vendors Act @10' is a testament to the need for fostering meaningful discussions and uniting diverse perspectives for a comprehensive exploration of the Act's various dimensions

Our team, in partnership with FNF South Asia, had the honour of hosting representatives for an exclusive round-table on "Blue Curriculum for Modern Education: India & BIMSTEC". Distinguished delegates, including marine specialists, educators, scholars, leaders, and policy analysts, underscored the imperative for an immediate focus on integrating a blue curriculum. Subsequently, we organised a competition at Hari Vidya Bhawan, a budget private school to raise awareness among young minds. The participants, comprised of young learners, conveyed their understanding through diverse artistic mediums.

Centre for Civil Society unveiled the 2023 edition of the Researching Reality Compendium, titled "Beyond Legalese: Aam Aadmi in Conversation with the Constitution," on 14 October 2023, at the Indian School of Public Policy. The event was graced by Hon’ble Justice J. Chelameswar, Former Judge, Supreme Court of India, as a keynote speaker and featured a lineup of distinguished speakers and experts in the realm of law and policy. This year's RR Compendium is a pioneering exploration into the Constitution of India, offering a unique perspective from the lens of an ‘Aam Aadmi’. Breaking down intricate legal jargons, the compendium strives to decode the Constitution, rendering it more accessible and comprehensible to a broader audience.

As a part of P&G Shikshas prominent CSR initiative - the Betiyan Scholarship, we identified and awarded 63 girl students pursuing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with financial aid and mentorship. The program has already supported hundreds of women, breaking down barriers and paving the way for skilled women professionals to excel in manufacturing, technology, engineering, and various other STEM-related roles.

This year, the Centre for Civil Society celebrates the completion of 2️5️ years of translating policy into practice in education, livelihood, and governance. We invite you to join us in commemorating our journey! 4 Sept 2023 (Monday) 3:30 PM Onwards CD Deshmukh Auditorium, IIC, New Delhi Kindly confirm your presence at the event ­

On the 17th of June, Arjun Krishnan, Nimai Mehta, and Diya Uday participated in a panel discussion at the Indian School of Public Policy (ISPP), New Delhi to prived comprehensive view of the current state of land laws across 20 Indian states. Prashant Narang moderated the discussion while discussants Namita Wahi, Anirudh Burman, and B.K. Agarwal provided valuable feedback on their work.

The Policy Training & Outreach Department of the Centre for Civil Society is delighted to announce its partnership with La Politique - the Research Cell of the Political Science Department of Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi. Centre of Civil Society will be engaging in policy training and research projects in collaboration with the students of Political Science to enhance active stakeholder engagement in policy making.

CCS has collaborated with Civil20 Gender Equality (GE) Working Group over the last few months. Lakshmi Sampath Goyal, CEO of Centre for Civil Society, recently attended the G20 joint Working Group meeting on ‘Women-led Development’ in Goa, bringing together four engagement groups- Think20, G20 Empower, Women20 and Civil20. We also collaborated with Civil20 GE and Education & Digital Transformation Working Groups and the Azim Premji Foundation to host a policy dialogue on ‘Inclusive Education and Skill Development: Opportunities and Challenges in the Digital World ’ in Bangalore.

We hosted the visiting delegates from Liberal International and Friedrich Naumann Foundation For Freedom South Asia team on 20th March 2023. Dr Geeta Gandhi Kingdon, Professor of Education and International Development at the Institute of Education, London University, addressed the gathering about her research on Indian Schooling System.

Supported by the P&G Shiksha initiative, 'Women in STEM Caravan' was kick started with a powerful round table conference in New Delhi on 11th February and is going around several locations in India with the view to bring key stakeholders together to advance Women’s participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). We are delighted to collaborate on this Caravan with the Civil 20 Working Group on Gender Equality and Disability under India’s G20 Presidency.

Centre for Civil Society hosted Dr Uttam Kumar Sinha (Senior Fellow, Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses) and Mr Sanjay Gupta (Strategy & Policy Advisor) for a Baithak on 03 January 2023. The discussion included our guests engaging in an insightful discussion on India's stance in current geopolitics, its G20 presidency, and the Global South's future.

Lakshmi Sampath Goyal and Prashant Narang from Centre for Civil Society were invited to speak at the Asia Liberty Forum 2022 in Manila, Philippines. This year, the theme was “Accelerate” - focusing on the worldwide freedom movement to shift into top gear. Atlas Network’s annual Regional Liberty Forums bring together partners from the region to discuss challenges facing the region and barriers to individual freedom and prosperity. Dr. Prashant Narang (Senior Fellow) spoke about the Atlantic Council Freedom and Prosperity Indexes Report 2021. The presentation entailed an overview of Asia's performance across the Freedom Index and its bearing on the Prosperity Index.