Our Research

Policy Briefs & Publications

Long-form writing, research papers and briefs from our members — the arguments we are making about how India governs itself.

11 publications

Policy Brief

The Boy Who Cried 'AI': Why Instagram Flags Real Videos as AI (and Lets the Real Deepfakes Slip By)

31 Aug 2026 · 9 min read

A conscious digital society begins with understanding what we scroll past. This article explores the invisible mechanisms behind Instagram’s ‘AI info’ labels, revealing how blunt regulatory compliance often flags authentic creator content while letting genuine deepfakes slip through. It highlights the critical gap between global technology regulation, from the EU AI Act to India's recent IT Rules amendments, and everyday digital reality. Read the full piece to unlock insights on content provenance, metadata, and the hidden costs of algorithmic labeling.

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Policy Brief

GST in India: Transforming Taxation and Shaping the Economy

22 Aug 2026 · 9 min read

The Public Policy Club, Rishihood University is proud to present our latest analysis, examining the transformative impact of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in India. Launched in 2017, GST marked a historic shift toward “One Nation, One Tax,” aiming to unify India’s fragmented indirect tax system. But has this ambitious reform truly streamlined taxation, boosted economic growth, and simplified compliance for businesses? This article delves into the successes, challenges, and ongoing adjustments of GST, exploring how it has reshaped commerce, government revenue, and the broader economy. We unpack the benefits, the unintended consequences, and the road ahead in India’s evolving tax landscape. Read our full analysis here:

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Policy Brief

Liberalisation’s Long Shadow: Why India Still Struggles to Become a Developed Nation

22 Aug 2026 · 6 min read

The Public Policy Club, Rishihood University presents an analysis of India’s 1991 Liberalisation, Privatisation, and Globalisation (LPG) reforms. Amid a severe balance-of-payments crisis and decades of industrial stagnation, India took bold steps to liberalise its economy, privatise state enterprises, and integrate with global markets. This article examines how these reforms rescued the economy, spurred GDP growth, and created a burgeoning services sector, while also highlighting the unfinished agenda of manufacturing, employment, and inclusive development.

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Policy Brief

India's Third Way: Crafting Digital Sovereignty in the Global AI Race

22 Aug 2026 · 3 min read

The Public Policy Club is pleased to share our analysis of the IndiaAI Mission. In an era of increasing geopolitical volatility, a nation's digital sovereignty is paramount. This article explores how India is forging a "Third Way" in the global AI race, moving strategically towards technological self-reliance.

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Policy Brief

Global Technology Policy 2026

30 Jul 2026 · 5 min read

🌍 The world's most important policy debates are increasingly technology debates. As governments race to govern AI, protect data, secure supply chains, and maintain competitiveness, technology policy is becoming economic policy, industrial policy, and national security policy all at once.

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Policy Brief

Civil Disobedience as a Governance Mechanism

28 Jul 2026 · 4 min read

🇮🇳 Democracy is often self-sustaining. This edition of Rishilekh explores how civil disobedience functions as a governance mechanism, signaling gaps between policy design and societal acceptance.

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Policy Brief

Fragmentation of Globalization

14 Jul 2026 · 4 min read

💰Global trade has never been larger. Yet governments are building new barriers, redesigning supply chains, and prioritizing economic security over efficiency. The question is no longer whether globalization is changing, but what its next chapter will look like.

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Policy Brief

Strategic Autonomy in a Multipolar World

7 Jul 2026 · 4 min read

🌐 The world is no longer unipolar. The rules are changing. From semiconductors to energy and critical minerals, strategic autonomy is increasingly shaping how countries balance economic openness, national security, and sovereign decision-making in a multipolar world.

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Policy Brief

Degrees Without Jobs - Why India’s Skill Policy Needs Reforms.

24 Apr 2026 · 4 min read

You hold a shiny new degree. The company down the street just rejected your application. Here's what happens after the graduation photos get taken: India churns out 6.3 crore young graduates. But exactly 67 percent of them sit at home without formal jobs. We don't actually have a job shortage. We're facing a massive skill crisis.

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Policy Brief

Delhi's EV Policy

11 Oct 2023 · 4 min read

Delhi made a whopping ₹3,954 crore mandate on EVs. The capital might just be trading one massive crisis for another.

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Content Ecosystem

What We Publish

Ten named products on a fixed calendar. Each one has a defined length, a defined standard, and a named person accountable for shipping it — because a publication schedule only means something if it survives a busy week.

Written & Research

Weekly · min. 52/year

Rishilekh

Our flagship long-form policy analysis — 800–1,500 words as standard, up to 2,500 for a deep analysis. APA citations, minimum two credible sources, published to LinkedIn and Substack.

Workflow

  1. Pitch
  2. Draft
  3. Peer Review
  4. Editorial Review
  5. Publish
Min. 3 per year

Whitepapers

Rigorous research on national and international policy issues, carried through three to four weeks of dedicated study before anything is written for publication.

Workflow

  1. Topic Discussion
  2. 3–4 Weeks Research
  3. Internal Review
  4. Faculty Review
  5. Publication
Monthly · 12 per year

Policy Briefs

800–1,200 words of evidence-grounded argument, released as a designed PDF built for someone who has ten minutes and needs the recommendation.

Workflow

  1. Issue
  2. Background
  3. Analysis
  4. Recommendations
  5. Designed PDF
Monthly

Stance

Argued position papers on live policy debates. Where the briefs stay neutral, Stance takes a side and shows the reasoning that got us there.

Digital & Video

Every Sunday

The Brief

A weekly Instagram carousel breaking down the top three to five policy developments of the week.

Weekly reel

Policy in 60"

A current policy issue explained in under ninety seconds — built for reach and shareability, with subtitles mandatory on every cut.

Original series

Bharat ki Baat

Our flagship interview and produced video discussion series on the questions India's policy landscape keeps returning to.

Twice a week

Did You Know?

Quick, striking policy fact cards drawn from the club's shared content bank.

Bi-weekly

The Podcast

Long-form audio policy discussions hosted by club members, released with full show notes.

After every session

In Conversation With

A three-to-five minute highlight cut from each guest session, out within five days of the session itself.