SPRFDriving evidence-based policy change. We deliver impactful, non-partisan research across economics, governance, environment & climate change, foreign & defense policy, and human rights & law, focusing on monitoring and evaluating policy progress in crucial areas impacting society. We bridge the gap between research and public policy.
Project Periodica is SPRF India’s school- and community-based intervention aimed at rethinking how menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) is communicated to young adolescents in India. While menstrual health policies and schemes have expanded over the past decade, conversations around menstruation remain limited by stigma, uneven implementation, and an over-reliance on didactic, classroom-based approaches. At its […]
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This project seeks to explore the nuances of the Indian welfare state, and draw comparisons between the welfare approaches taken by different governments at the state and centre. Particularly, the project will involve exploring the political environment during which major welfare regimes and institutions were created, the management of these institutions by the central and state governments and the political economy of welfare in Indian public life.
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Introduction Crimes against women have always been and remain a pressing societal and policy concern in India, cutting across domestic, public, and digital spaces. Despite legislative reforms and institutional mechanisms, women continue to face violence in multiple forms—domestic abuse, sexual assault, trafficking, cyber harassment, and workplace exploitation—shaped by structural inequalities and gaps in enforcement. Recent […]
Introduction In criminal justice systems around the world, the question of “How dangerous is this person?” often shapes the outcome of sentencing and parole decisions. While several countries have turned to structured psychological tools such as the Historical-Clinical-Risk-20 (HCR-20) and Static-99 to bring transparency and consistency to these high-stakes judgments, India continues to rely almost […]
Introduction As India grapples with leveraging its manufacturing prowess to fuel its growth story with challenges emerging on the fronts of international trade, a closing demographic window, concerns of premature deindustrialization, etc., an analysis of what has been called as her de facto Industrial Policy—Production Linked Incentives, announced in 2020—becomes imperative (Dhar, 2024). Launched to […]
Authored by: Anhad Hundal In India, the last decade has seen major legal battles being held in the fight for LGBTQIA rights, ones that have brought these issues to the forefront of public discourse. The fight for self-determination and equality goes beyond framing the legal definitions of inclusiveness and dignity, as it goes on to […]
Introduction The greatest challenge that we face in dealing with the juvenile justice system is to strike a balance by being both fair and just to the child in conflict with the law and the victim. The term ‘child’ is universally defined as any person under 18 years, as established by International law. As per […]
Water Bodies in India face the risk of drying up or being damaged in irreversible ways. Water pollution is a serious environmental problem in India, affecting rivers, lakes, groundwater, and coastal areas. Rapid industrialisation, unplanned urban growth, and population increase have led to the discharge of untreated sewage, industrial waste, agricultural chemicals, and plastic into water bodies. Despite the cultural and economic importance of major rivers such as the Ganga, Yamuna, and Godavari, they remain heavily polluted. Water pollution threatens aquatic life, reduces the availability of safe drinking water, and causes waterborne diseases like cholera and typhoid, especially among low-income communities and urban slums. At SPRF, this month, we take a look at the concerns surrounding water conservation and river disputes, and the need for subsequent policy measures in India.
Abstract For India, a nation grappling with a rapidly growing population, urbanisation and environmental degradation, water conservation is a critical priority. Current data stresses India’s need to strengthen its conservation tactics and policies to tackle the upcoming challenge of water scarcity in the country. This paper looks at the current state of water bodies and […]
International Flow of Virtual Water India is home to nearly 18% of the world’s population but only holds 4% of the global water resources, making it one of the most water-stressed countries in the world. A country is categorised as ‘water-stressed’ when its annual per-person water availability is less than 1,700 cubic metres. Availability below […]
Authored by: Nikhil Varghese Mathew and Riya Singh RathoreEdited by: Priyamvada, Neymat, and Sara This is a companion piece on Srishti Singh’s larger work about Ahar Pynes as part of the Water Seekers’ Fellowship 2020. INTRODUCTION As the population grows, India’s water demand is estimated to rise to 1.5 trillion m³ by 2030. At present, […]
CONTEXT Over the last two censuses, India’s urban population grew to over 31% of the total population registering an annual growth rate of 2.7%. Estimates suggest that while a third of the country’s population currently live in urban areas, by 2050 this number could go up to 814 million, or 50% of the projected total […]
Inter-state water disputes pose complex challenges, intertwining the needs of various stakeholders with ecological imperatives. This article delves into the Mahadayi River dispute, highlighting the perspectives of Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Goa, while probing the perplexing questions surrounding equitable water allocation and environmental preservation.
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The term Shershabadi (original Shershabadia) has direct reference to the community’s place of origin, i.e., the former Jawar-e-Sarsabad, which comprised parts of Murshidabad, Malda in West Bengal, and Sahibganj district in Jharkhand.
Owing to various social, political, and environmental reasons, they migrated from their place of origin, and are now settled in Kishanganj and its neighbouring districts, in Bihar. Originally a community of settled agriculturists, they slowly dispersed along the river banks and tried to make a living through cultivation.
arrow_outwardThe photo story captures the neighbourhood which falls under the administration of Tiruchirappalli City Municipal Corporation and is navigating complex ecological, geographical, and governance problems.
arrow_outwardMalihabad, tehsil and Nagar panchayat in Lucknow district, Uttar Pradesh is famous for its mangoes. The Malihabadi Dussehra, a variety of mango, got its Geographical Indicator [GI] tag in 2009[1]. Even though Mangoes are widely consumed across the subcontinent, a common narrative of all the mango cultivators of the region is: “Everybody loves mangoes, but no one wants to make the lives of mango farmers any better.”
arrow_outwardn the east of Delhi lies Ghazipur. Over the years, Ghazipur has become an essential route and a stop for people looking to purchase flowers for special occasions.
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