IIM Bangalore conducts 17th International Conference on Public Policy & Management

Gopalkrishna Gandhi, former diplomatic and Governor of West Bengal graced the IIM Bangalore international conference as the chief guest.

The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore conducted its 17th international conference on Public Policy and Management titled, ‘Pre-autumnal Reflections – 2022’, on August 22. Gopalkrishna Gandhi, former diplomatic and Governor of West Bengal graced the international conference as the chief guest. Every year, the International Conference on Public Policy and Management at IIM Bangalore draws scholars and showcases the latest developments in policy research and practice.

Professor Arnab Mukherji, from the Centre for Public Policy, moderated the discussion, after delivering the welcome address. The inaugural session saw attendance by students of public policy and management, researchers, IIM Bangalore faculty, alumni and members of the Board, including Vinita Bali.

Gopalkrishna Gandhi, while delivering the inaugural address stated, “We have seen how successful public policy backed by public participation has made a change in India. Immunization, electronic voting, and aadhaar are all results of public policy. The most important change in India is not material, but attitudinal and intellectual. The rise in the age of consent, and the banning of untouchability- these are phenomenal success stories. The change in public perception and public behaviour are important transitions made possible by policy”.

In his address at the conference, Gandhi shared his musings on whether the world is a good or a bad place, saying his pondering stemmed from the question that a young woman had asked him, way back in 2001. He told the audience that he was yet to find a satisfactory answer because it was difficult to define happiness and its pursuit. Quoting from Martin Rees’s book, ‘Our Final Hour’, and from the Russell-Einstein Manifesto, in the context of perils confronting humanity like war and weapons, he said, “Remember your humanity, and forget the rest.”

He explained that the success of the policy is to be judged “not by the quantum of its compliant acceptance, but by the quality of its awakened reception which includes extensive criticism”.

IIMB Director Professor Rishikesha T Krishnan spoke of the Institute’s long history of working on public systems and public policy. “The Centre for Public Policy works on and has impacted, many areas of public policy like health, law, education, agriculture, economic-social-rural-urban development, etc. The Centre has contributed towards policy formulation at several levels and has worked with the Government of Karnataka and the Government of India. I am sure all the participants at this conference will benefit immensely from all the tracks.”

International conference pre-event conducted on August 21

A pre-conference event was held on August 21 where a panel discussion titled, ‘Indian Public Finance’, based on Professor M Govinda Rao’s recent book on the same subject took place.

The discussion was moderated by Professor Rajalaxmi Kamath, from the Centre for Public Policy, and the panellists were Professor NR Bhanumurthy, Vice Chancellor, Babasaheb Ambedkar School of Economics, Vinod Vyasulu, President, CBPS, and M Govinda Rao.

Professor M Govinda Rao spoke about his journey, calling himself a “self-taught economist”. He spoke on what it was to be an academician and an economist; on what he thinks differentiates public finance from the more mainstream classical economics, and on how the research has changed over the last 40 years.

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