The Centre for Public Policy, Habitat and Human Development has been striving continiously to engage with critical perspectives on the role of State and Democracy, poverty, inequality and human development issues both nationally and globally. The pursuit involved collaborative research, membership in Taskforces and active participation numerous national and international conferences.

Dr. Sandhya S. Iyer, Chairperson of the Centre in Task Force member on “Globalisation, Societal Cohesion” commisioned by the T20 in the German Presidency. The areas are: Global Poverty Reduction,Middle Income Countries and Role of G20, Gender equality in the labour market, Capability and Diversity in a Global Society, Labour, informal Sector and Social Security, Public policies and social sector expenditures on Human Development, Inequalities and Sustainability.

Professor Ashwani Kumar, in a career spanning over two and half decades teaching political science, governance, development and public policy. The privilege of engaging with students, academicians, diplomats, parliamentarians, development professionals, multilateral agencies and governments, across countries (UK, Germany, Korea, China, South Africa, USA) and at various levels (as professor, researcher, member of central government committees, global consortiums, multilateral projects), helping build not only rich learning and scholarship, but also a diversity of perspectives with blending of literary traditions; which he believes has helped him to achieve excellence in social sciences and policy action. In recognition of his potential to excel further in academics, the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) has recently awarded him the prestigious ‘Senior Fellowship’ (2016-18).

The unique initiative of the Centre - the M.S. Gore Policy Research Group - entered its fourth this year, which has helped to nurture students and young minds in the school was bolstered by a series of Colloquims, lectures and field visits.

There were two colloquims:

• Jointly with Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan (Mumbai)-Shramik and M.S. Gore PRG (Policy, Research Group) where Prof. Dr. Aladin El-Mafaalani, a Professor of Political Science and Political Sociology at the Münster University of Applied Sciences "Migration and Integration: A look at the situation in Germany and the EU Today" on 7th September 2016. and
• Jointly with Paperwall Media organised colloquium entitled, 'Politics of Poetry”: The Missing Rib” by K. Sachidanandan, & Book release of “Light the Temptation’ by Zingonia Zingone. M.S. Gore Policy Research Group dedicated a series of lecture Prof. Rajni Kothari Memorial Lecture Series involved Amb. Neelam Deo (Director, Gateway House), Prof. Pradeep Chibber (Indo-German Chair for Political Science, University of California, Berkeley); Prof. Ashutosh Varshney (Sol. Goldman Prof for Political Science, Brown University), Prof. Shiv Vishwanathan, Professor and (Director, Centre for Study of Knowledge Systems, Jindal Global Law School), Prof. Suhas Palshikar (Co-Director, Lokniti, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies) and Loraine Kennedy (SciencesPo, Paris School of International Affairs & is a CNRS research director at the Centre for South Asian Studies (Centre d’Etudes de l’Inde et de l’Asie du Sud, CNRS-EHESS, Paris)