NCAER

Across India, conversations around Artificial Intelligence (AI) are steadily moving beyond innovation labs and corporate boardrooms into the domain of governance. The larger question is no longer whether governments will adopt AI, but whether these systems can genuinely improve public services in ways that are accessible, accountable, and inclusive. It is within the broader shift that Madhya Pradesh recently announced its phased AI Mission across government departments, becoming significant.

In O. Henry’s The Last Leaf, ailing Johnsy clings to life because one painted leaf refuses to fall. Such is the power of optimism; it does not need to be certain to be effective. But for Bengal, the question is whether the leaf will hold long enough for a real spring to arrive.

2 July, 2026 Computable General Equilibrium Modelling and Policy Analysis Published in: Artha 2026 - Shri Ram Economics Journal A nation’s efficient participation in global supply chains and accelerated economic growth are driven by trade facilitation. Paperless trade has been a significant reform under the WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement. Quantifying its potential efficiency in global trade dynamics is essential for informed policy.

1 July, 2026 Should social registries be used to decide who receives cash transfers for women? The answer depends on the purpose of the transfer. If the scheme is income support, a registry can help identify eligible households. If the transfer is meant to recognise unpaid domestic and care work, or strengthen women’s control over money, household poverty filters weaken the case for the scheme.

While India has a large institutional network for vocational education and training (VET), there are systemic issues such as poor perception, weak industry linkages, inadequate quality, and low public investment. Studying VET systems of Germany, Canada, and Singapore – with diverse features that shape worker productivity and employment outcomes – Afridi and Chandna draw policy lessons for overhauling India’s vocational education system.

30 June, 2026 A well-designed social registry, containing comprehensive household information, can address the ever-changing state of poverty and simultaneously drive critical human development goals. Should social registries be mixed with cash transfers to women? The answer depends on the policy objectives. But first, what are social registries?

Joining the CPTPP could integrate India into global supply chains, boost exports and support its Viksit Bharat 2047 ambitions before tougher entry conditions emerge. India means to be a developed country by 2047. The slogan, Viksit Bharat, is everywhere but the arithmetic is quite daunting. No large economy has travelled from being poor to prosperous in a couple of generations without accessing world markets and the supply chains that run through them.

India’s digital transformation has expanded internet access at an unprecedented pace, but a new divide is emerging between digital access and meaningful digital use. Affordable smartphones, low-cost data packages and expanding connectivity have brought millions online, extending digital access to households that were earlier excluded from the digital ecosystem. Yet access alone does not ensure digital inclusion.

Reducing dependence on China through ‘friend shoring’ easier said than done. Sheer economics dictates otherwise Inside a sterile fabrication plant coming up in Dholera, robots will soon move silicon wafers with nanometre precision. But before that first chip is etched, tons of gallium, germanium and rare earths must arrive from one country: China.

Addressing water stress requires moving beyond emergency responses and investing in resilient, equitable, and climate-ready water systems The Centre’s recent decision to activate contingency plans across 315 districts following a 43 per cent rainfall deficit serves as a stark reminder of India’s continuing dependence on the monsoon.