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Alumni Speaks

Effective policy professionals balance both theory and practice.

In this interview, we bring you an inspiring conversation with Pritish, an alumnus who takes us through his journey into the world of public policy. From his motivation to tackle complex societal challenges to the valuable lessons learned along the way, Pritish shares insights that shaped his career and offers practical advice for students aspiring to make an impact.

During the pandemic, I noticed a desire in me to deepen my understanding of complex societal challenges from multiple vantage points, thereby bringing forth insights grounded in both the tangible observations and the nuanced, less visible/invisible factors — both the known and the unknown. Working in the education sector - as a teacher, program designer, and more - taught me that modern-day wicked problems cannot be solved by relying solely on grassroots interventions or on policies devoid of context. I noticed a need to study the dynamic interplay of competing interests, institutional structures, political considerations, and more through a thoughtful problematization of policy issues and a systematic exploration of theory, practice, and the underlying context. My drive to explore these dynamics, alongside my disenchantment with inefficient prescriptive solutions, motivated me to pursue a Master’s programme in public policy and, subsequently, a career in research.

At Kautilya School of Public Policy, I gained exposure to various interdisciplinary approaches to understanding policy problems and crafting policy options. It instilled in me an understanding that policymaking doesn’t operate in a vacuum; rather, it requires a comprehensive insight into institutional frameworks, economic theories, social considerations, legal structures, and more.

Kautilya also pushed me to challenge the deterministic models that portray policymaking as a linear or cyclical sequence of steps (five-step model, seven-step model, etc.). Instead, various real-life case studies and policy scenarios discussed by the esteemed faculty at Kautilya demonstrated that policymaking is rather an ongoing dialectic between structure and agents, embedded with feedback loops that are constantly in motion. This process shapes rules, laws, discourses, institutions, and issues of public interest.

Kautilya enabled me to situate my perspective between theory and practice, thereby bringing both replicability and relevance to my policy practice. Further, Kautilya broadened my skill repertoire through rigorous training in data analysis and communication, two of the most important tools in a policy professional’s arsenal.

a. Foundations are critical: Irrespective of whether you join a nonprofit, corporate house, academia, or think tank, policy work requires a strong grounding in both theory and practice.Do not believe anyone who recommends that you choose practice over theory or vice versa. Many policy challenges arise due to implementing practices lacking a theoretical base or theories being applied out of context. Effective policy professionals balance both theory and practice. For instance, build data skills to sharpen your practice while simultaneously studying Prof. Acemoglu’s work on institutions. Then, ask whether his theory explains economic transformation in some of the authoritarian regimes. If your answer is no, then use your data skills to explore why. If it is yes, again, explore why. Similarly, inquire why many rational and objective solutions fail, yet they continue to be prescribed despite caution from many policy experts. Why do we continue to design those mechanical, ultra-processed, straight-out-of-the-oven solutions that emerge from our deep affinity with “evidence”? Can every aspect of complex policy dynamics be substantiated with evidence? If not, how do we address those gaps in evidence in our policy work? Ultimately, what matters is your hunger for both knowledge and the skills to address these questions. Foundations in both theory and practice are essential, regardless of which post-master’s route you choose in public policy.

b. Not everything will be taught in classrooms: Go beyond the lectures; go to the field . The best times from my Master’s programme were frequently spent in the villages of Sangareddy or during those extensive office hours with faculty discussing my ideas. I owe most of my quantitative skill repertoire to my discussions with Dr. Pandey. I developed my fundamentals of conducting qualitative research on gender through conversations with Dr. Katju. Is time an issue? Then, integrate such learning with your existing academic assignments to address the time constraint. Be intentional about the topics you choose for your projects, where you can integrate multiple aspects of your learning trajectories. Be curious. Before thinking of solutions, spend more time with the problem. Problematize the problems first.

c. Strong communication skills are a very potent tool: I haven’t found any field where communication isn’t a key differentiator that determines which ideas move forward. Of Course, there are other factors, too, but communication is right at the top. Take your writing classes and feedback on your writing, presenting, and speaking seriously. Your ability to frame coherent sentences will take you far in becoming a successful policy professional.

A typical day for me starts with some good breakfast and coffee while thinking about the exciting parts of the day, checking Instagram reels and sharing the good ones with my spouse and friends (honestly, the Instagram part may happen at any point during the day.). It then moves on to attending the lectures for my PhD coursework and engaging in discussions with my peers about anything academic or non-academic. Then, I dedicate some time to my coursework assignments. After lunch, I put on my research hat and focus on my PhD research and various research projects. In the evening, I spend quality time with my spouse. We go out for walks, cook together, visit places in the city, etc. We make sure we have at least one meal together every day. I also set aside time to catch up with my friends, both on campus and virtually. And, of course, calling parents is a priority. I end my day by reading books/research papers and reviewing my plans for the next day/week/month. Reading every day is very important to me. Whether it’s research papers, books, or anything I find relevant to my learning, I make a point to read. At present, the book I am reading is “Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action” by Elinor Ostrom.

How do I balance my professional and personal life? It takes planning, prioritisation of what’s really important, doing small, consistent things every day rather than leaving things until the last minute, and avoiding procrastination. And yes, maintaining good eating and sleeping habits is essential. I practise this routine consistently to balance both personal and professional aspects. I started using the Eisenhower Matrix to manage my time in 2014 (https://www.eisenhower.me/eisenhower-matrix).With time, I became better at it. Also, not every day is the same. Some days are good; some days are bad. As long as there are more good days than bad days, I am happy. Only if the ratio reverses do I feel the need to address it.

Alumni Profiles

ADITYA JINGHAN

ADITYA JINGHAN

KARNATAKA

Socratus Foundation for Collective Wisdom & How Institute, Fellow

AISHWARYA SRINIVASAN

AISHWARYA SRINIVASAN

TAMIL NADU

GNITS, Lead- Policy and Strategy

AKSHAT JOSHI

AKSHAT JOSHI

UTTARAKHAND

Dhwani RIS, Project Lead

ANIKET RAJ

ANIKET RAJ

NEW DELHI

Quality Council of India, Analyst

ANJALI SREERAM

ANJALI SREERAM

MAHARASHTRA

AuctusESG, Assistant Manager

ANJANA DEVI BALIJEPALLI

ANJANA DEVI BALIJEPALLI

ANDHRA PRADESH

ANURAG PRABHAKAR

ANURAG PRABHAKAR

New Delhi

JHARKHAND – IORA Ecological Solutions – Business Development Associate – Carbon Investments

AUDUMBAR CHAVAN

AUDUMBAR CHAVAN

MAHARASHTRA

RBIH, Associate

DHARMESH BANSAL

DHARMESH BANSAL

ANDHRA PRADESH

GITAM (Deemed to be University) – Senior Policy Analyst

HABEEBULLAH MOHAMMED

HABEEBULLAH MOHAMMED

ANDHRA PRADESH

Nehru Fellowship, Fellow

HARSHA KAVI

HARSHA KAVI

TELANGANA

NIUM – Hyderabad, Knowledge Manager

HIMANSHU TRIVEDI

HIMANSHU TRIVEDI

NEW DELHI

Quality Council of India, Analyst

JASMEET SINGH MINOCHA

JASMEET SINGH MINOCHA

NEW DELHI

Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co., Associate

MOHAMMAD JUNED SHAHIL

MOHAMMAD JUNED SHAHIL

TELANGANA

Inclusive Minds – Fellow

KOWSHIK THOTA

KOWSHIK THOTA

TELANGANA

NIUM – Hyderabad, Knowledge Manager

MANOGNA ATKURU

MANOGNA ATKURU

KARNATAKA

RBIH, Associate

MAYANK GUPTA

MAYANK GUPTA

NEW DELHI

Infrastructure Professionals Enterprise -Global, Consultant

MRUNAL KULKARNI

MRUNAL KULKARNI

MAHARASHTRA

Bharat Biotech International Ltd., Management Corporate Trainee Communication

MEHEK KAUR

MEHEK KAUR

HARYANA

NIKHITHA JAGADEESH

NIKHITHA JAGADEESH

NEW DELHI

CEEW – Research Analyst – Sustainable Food Systems

OSHIN SAHARE

OSHIN SAHARE

ANDHRA PRADESH

GITAM (Deemed to be University) – Policy Analys

PARESH YADAV

PARESH YADAV

MAHARASHTRA

Paytm, Junior Manager

PRASHANT RATHOD

PRASHANT RATHOD

MAHARASHTRA

Aadarsh Foundation, Project Lead

PRITISH ANAND

PRITISH ANAND

TELANGANA

Kautilya School of Public Policy, Academic Associate

PRIYAM AWASTHI

PRIYAM AWASTHI

NEW DELHI

Centre for Social and Economic Progress Consultant- Energy, Natural Resources, and Sustainability

RAISA LORRAINE PALATTYA

RAISA LORRAINE PALATTYA

KARNATAKA

E&Y, Project Consultant

RAWSON GONSALVES

RAWSON GONSALVES

MAHARASHTRA

Climate Bonds Initiative – Deputy Head, India Programme

REHET KAUR

REHET KAUR

NEW DELHI

Ernst & Young – Associate Consultant

RITUPARN MISHRA

RITUPARN MISHRA

NEW DELHI

Quality Council of India, Associate Manager

SABIR MONTRY

SABIR MONTRY

ODISHA

Insight Development Consulting Group (P) Ltd (PWC), Investment Promotion Advisor

SANDIP PANDEY

SANDIP PANDEY

UTTAR PRADESH

SANJANA KAPOOR

SANJANA KAPOOR

NEW DELHI

Climate Bonds Initiative – Associate Research Analyst

SANYOGITA DILIP SATUPUTE

SANYOGITA DILIP SATUPUTE

NEW DELHI

CEEW, Research Analyst

SHANKAR MM

SHANKAR MM

KARNATAKA

SHANKAR NARAYAN

SHANKAR NARAYAN

NEW DELHI

Quality Council of India, Associate Manager

SHUBHAM SHINDE

SHUBHAM SHINDE

PUNJAB

Govt. of Punjab – Governance Fellow

SNIGDHA TIWARY

SNIGDHA TIWARY

KARNATAKA

Ather, Associate Manager

SOWMYA KOLLA

SOWMYA KOLLA

RAJASTHAN

Indicc, Consultant-Green Economy

SWATI BOTHRA

SWATI BOTHRA

New Delhi

Just Jobs Network, Consultant

TANUSHKA TIWARI

TANUSHKA TIWARI

UNITED STATES

Yale School of Public Health, Scholar

THERES THOMAS

THERES THOMAS

NEW DELHI

CEEW, Consultant

TRILOK KOTHAPALLI

TRILOK KOTHAPALLI

NEW DELHI

Paytm, Junior Manager

VINAYA BHARAM

VINAYA BHARAM

MAHARASHTRA

Indian School of Leadership, Program Manager

WASEEM AHMAD

WASEEM AHMAD

ANDHRA PRADESH

Mythos Labs, Associate

KAUTILYA SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY
GITAM (Deemed to be University)
Rudraram, Patancheru Mandal
Hyderabad, Telangana 502329