Policymaking must take panoramic view: Expert

The Indian School of Business (ISB) organised the second edition of Public Policy Dialogues on Wednesday. The theme of the three-day conclave is human development and its importance.
The keynote speaker, Padma Bhushan awardee and a Professor at the Public Health Foundation of India, Dr K Srinath Reddy used the analogy of a digital camera to stress that policymakers need to zoom into the ground level while also keeping a panoramic view of the overall goals for development of a country.
He said, “Public policy has to be both multi-disciplinary and grounded. Its essence lies in the welfare and happiness of those who depend on the practitioners of public policy.” Stressing upon the diverse aspects of human development, he said that these require attention equally and are not isolated entities. Taking the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as an example, he highlighted their bidirectional nature – how they are interrelated and affect each other, such as climate change and food security, or even biology and social development.
The conclave has six sub-themes: Improving Learning Outcomes in School, Institutional Challenges in Social Development, Healthcare for All, Climate Action and Justice; Livelihood Diversifi cation and Skills; and Improved Nutritional Outcomes.
Experts from the social development sector, policy-making, academia, media and civil society, will participate in expert panel discussions and roundtables, among other events. The annual congregation is a platform to delve into multiple public policy issues, addressing challenges and discussing innovations. Opening the plenary session, Dr Aarushi Jain, Policy Director, Bharti Institute of Public Policy and Convenor, Public Policy Dialogues, introduced the panellists of the inaugural session.
Amarjeet Sinha, retired IAS Officer and Member of the Public Enterprises Selection Board, underscored the importance of public policy dialogues. He said, “There is a disconnect, sort of a gap, between the micro and the macro. We need to bridge that. How do we repair the broken ladder of aspirations even for those students from ramshackle government schools? That is a key question, for instance. Moreover, in regards to nutrition, stunting etc among students, some of the states have successfully lowered the stunting rates, especially Bihar which lowers by 8.5 per cent. Such kind of measures or programmes need to be implemented in other states thereby developing the society.”