Founded in 1954, Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), a government think tank, has been instrumental in shaping discourse on public administration, policy, and governance in India. Research is indispensable for a government think tank as it reinforces evidence-based policymaking, strengthens problem-solving, encourages innovation, ensures accountability, and facilitates knowledge dissemination.
In a VUCA world, as we experience a rapid societal transformation and increasing policy complexity, rigorous research becomes a necessity for effective governance.
This article is an attempt to explore and describe the vast research landscape, drawing from archival records of completed projects to date and dissertations from its Advanced Professional Program in Public Administration (APPPA).
The analysis is structured around historical developments (past), contemporary engagements (present), and anticipated trajectories (future) in the field of research.
Introduction
Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) has consistently contributed to India's policy ecosystem. Its research encompasses evaluative studies, impact assessments, and thematic explorations, often aligned with national development goals.
Government think tanks, by anchoring their work in high-quality research, ensure that public policies are informed, responsive, and sustainable, ultimately contributing to the well-being of society at large.
This article synthesizes insights from two primary sources: a compilation of completed research projects, detailing over 150 initiatives with information on titles and sponsoring bodies; and a list of APPPA dissertations from 1975-76 onward, showcasing individual scholarly works on diverse policy issues.
Research at IIPA is characterized by practical relevance, with outputs informing schemes such as Namami Gange and Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA). The structure delineates the past (2007–2015), present (2016–2025), and future directions, underscoring IIPA's adaptive evolution.
The Past: Foundations and Formative Years (2007–2015)
In the early years, IIPA research projects predominantly focused on foundational aspects of public administration. Themes included evaluations of government schemes, administrative reforms, consumer affairs, municipal infrastructure, and public service delivery. Early projects assessed the efficiency of flagship programs related to urban governance, the RTI Act, grievance redressal mechanisms, and capacity building in local bodies. Initiatives such as third-party audits of urban development schemes and regulatory impact evaluations demonstrated a clear commitment to enhancing the efficiency and accountability of core public sector operations.
The timeframe from 2007 to 2015 represents a foundational phase for IIPA's research, marked by policy evaluations and social impact studies funded primarily by central ministries. Approximately seventy projects were completed demonstrating the institute's growing prominence in advisory roles.
A prominent focus was on tribal development and marginalized communities, reflecting national commitments to equity. In 2007–2008, several projects under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs assessed primitive tribal groups in states like Gujarat and Jharkhand focusing on health services in tribal areas, and vocational training centers. These involved field surveys to evaluate scheme implementation and propose enhancements for education, health, and skill development.
Consumer affairs constituted another core area, with initiatives evaluating market practices and protection mechanisms. Projects such as assessments of consumer satisfaction in retail settings (2007–2013) and the establishment of knowledge portals for helplines (2011–2014) analyzed grievance systems and product quality, contributing to regulatory reforms.
Urban and rural governance featured extensively. Studies on municipal resource mobilization (2009) and devolution indices for panchayati raj institutions (2009–2010) provided frameworks for fiscal decentralization. Disaster management evaluations, including the National Flood Control Evaluation Project (2007–2008), examined infrastructure resilience. Rural employment schemes like MGNREGA were concurrently evaluated in states such as Rajasthan (2009), offering insights into program efficacy.
The APPPA dissertations from early programs (1975–1981) complement these, addressing topics like tribal welfare, management accounting in defense, and rural electrification. For instance, dissertations explored socio-economic impacts of industrialization on tribal villages and strategies for tribal development, echoing institutional priorities.
Methodologies in this era leaned towards qualitative field assessments, surveys, and secondary data reviews, with limited technological integration. Funding sources were predominantly governmental, ensuring alignment with policy needs but potentially limiting exploratory research. Challenges included varying project scales and administrative hurdles, yet outputs influenced areas like land reforms and public distribution systems.
This period solidified IIPA's expertise in applied research, fostering a legacy of policy-oriented scholarship that addressed India's socio-economic disparities.
The Present: Maturation and Diversification (2016–2025)
From 2016 to 2025, IIPA's research has diversified, incorporating digital innovations, gender equity, and sustainability, amid India's digital transformation and SDGs pursuits. Over 80 projects were documented; indicating expanded scope and interdisciplinary approaches.
Digital governance has emerged as a key domain. Initiatives like the development of web portals for legal literacy monitoring (2021–2024) and impact assessments of supercomputing missions (2023–2024) evaluate technology's role in public services. Evaluations of digital signature training (2024) and land records quality (2024) highlight efforts to enhance e-governance.
Gender and social justice themes have gained power too. Safety audits in cities like Agra, Gurugram, and Agartala (2023–2024), sponsored by the National Commission for Women, assess urban environments for women. Studies on sustainable development for scheduled castes and particularly vulnerable tribal groups in 2023–2024 integrate justice with environmental concerns.
Impact assessments remain central, covering land acquisitions in Delhi (2023–2025), CSR projects in education and health (2024), and Environmental projects, such as capacity building for Ganga stakeholders in 2020–2023 address river conservation. Transparency audits under the RTI Act ensure accountability across departments.
Organizational restructuring studies, like those for police research bureaus (2024) and defense HR processes (2023–2024), optimize public institutions. Disaster management evaluations, including city plans in Bihar (2021–2023), reflect resilience-building efforts.
The APPPA dissertations (2016–2024) align with these, covering digital education, defense indigenization, and climate change. Topics like AI governance and post-COVID health impacts demonstrate responsiveness to current issues. Figure 1 summarizes the theme of APPPA dissertations.
This phase underscores IIPA's maturation, with research informing initiatives like Atmanirbhar Bharat now includes mixed approaches, with GIS and data analytics in audits. Collaborations extend to private sectors (e.g., Amazon for e-commerce sensitization, 2023–2024). Post-pandemic adaptations are evident in evaluations of khadi industries (2021–2022).
Around mid-2010s, the scope of research had broadened considerably. IIPA began addressing sectoral complexities and intergovernmental dynamics. Key projects in this phase analyzed gender mainstreaming in policy, conducted social audits and evaluations of health and education welfare programs, and assessed the impact of decentralization and local self-governance. Environmental sustainability, disaster management, and tribal welfare emerged as significant areas of focus, reflecting national priorities and global development discourse. Collaborative social audits and participatory approaches gained traction, indicating a shift towards more empirical and stakeholder-engaged methodologies. Figure 2 presents a schematic diagram of the major impact areas of the research being conducted at IIPA.
Figure 1 Summary of APPPA Dissertation Themes Over the Years (compiled by the author)
Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the research impact areas
Many of the high valued projects were commissioned for nationwide program evaluations, such as the Khadi & Village Industries evaluation, Integrated Consumer Grievance Redressal System (National Consumer Helpline), State Consumer Helpline Knowledge Resource Portal, Study on Panchayat Elections , Bhoomi Samman Districts Land Resources Impact Assessment etc.
These high-value projects collectively demonstrate government commitment to evidence-driven policy, sector reform, and stakeholder empowerment, underlining their critical role in building institutional knowledge and informing large-scale program improvement.
In the period 2018–2025, there is a clear shift towards addressing challenges arising from technological change, rapid urbanization, and emerging paradigms of social inclusion. Recent projects have focused on the effectiveness of e-governance platforms, strategies for digital inclusion, and technology-enabled monitoring systems. Social justice, safety, and urban infrastructure assessments, including impact evaluations of land acquisition, police reforms, and public security audits have become central. There has also been a surge in projects addressing consumer protection in the digital economy, legal literacy, marginalized communities, and smart city governance.
Throughout this period, IIPA’s research agenda shifted from foundational governance reforms and scheme audits, to a sophisticated multidisciplinary focus encompassing digital transformation, social equity, urban futures, and sustainability. There is more frequent engagement with cross-sectoral issues, vulnerable groups, and integrated impact assessments. Methodological rigor has deepened, with growing use of technology, big data, social audits, and participatory research. The institution has evolved into a responsive, future-facing center capable of informing policy across a spectrum of contemporary national priorities.
The increasing complexity of urbanization, environmental management, and the digital divide is reflected in the project portfolio, which now systematically integrates quantitative, qualitative, and AI/digital-enabled methodologies.
The Future: Prospects and Strategic Directions
Projecting forward, IIPA's research is likely to embrace emerging paradigms such as AI ethics, climate adaptation, and global partnerships, aligning with India's 2047 vision and international agendas. Building on current trends, future projects may scale in complexity.
Sustainability will be paramount, extending from Ganga programs to broader climate assessments. Anticipated research could evaluate green infrastructure or renewable energy policies, integrating SDGs. Digital domains may focus on AI regulations and cybersecurity, expanding from supercomputing evaluations.
Social inclusion efforts will likely incorporate intersectional lenses, addressing gender, caste, and migration in urban planning. Safety audits could evolve with predictive tools, while tribal studies emphasize cultural preservation amid development.
Methodological advancements may include AI-driven analytics and virtual reality for simulations. Collaborations with international organizations could diversify funding and enable comparative analyses.
The APPPA program may foster research publications on futuristic topics like space policy and biotech governance, etc.
Conclusion
IIPA's research trajectory from evaluative foundations to diversified assessments; mirrors India's progress. By focusing on institutional outputs, this analysis highlights its contributions. As it advances, IIPA remains vital for informed governance.
References
• Completed Research Projects from April 2007 to March 2025. Source: The Research Unit, Indian Institute of Public Administration Archives.
• Dissertation List of APPPA. Source: The Library archives, Indian Institute of Public Administration.
