RAAH Policy Fellowship 2026
The RAAH Policy Fellowship is an intensive, highly selective fellowship designed to build analytical rigour and institutional understanding in public policy.
The programme engages fellows with the realities of policymaking in India, where decisions are shaped by evidence, institutional constraints, and administrative capacity. Through structured learning and applied policy engagement, fellows develop the ability to move from analysis to actionable policy advice.
Applications for the inaugural 2026 cohort are now closed.
To be notified about future cohorts, please contact: fellowship@raahpolicy.org
Fellowship Overview
Duration & Format
Duration: 6 Weeks
Total Sessions: 12
Mode: Remote
The fellowship is structured as an intensive, cohort-based programme combining expert-led sessions, practitioner engagements, mentorship discussions, and a final policy advisory simulation.
Each session is designed to build analytical depth, institutional understanding, and the ability to engage with real-world policy challenges in a structured manner.
What Fellows Do
Throughout the programme, fellows engage with public policy as it operates in practice. They:
1) Analyse policy problems using structured analytical frameworks
2) Engage with scholars, policymakers, and governance practitioners
3) Evaluate evidence, incentives, and institutional constraints shaping policy outcomes
4) Develop policy arguments and advisory perspectives
5) Participate in a simulated policy advisory exercise, presenting recommendations before practitioners.
The programme emphasises clarity of reasoning, depth of analysis, and the ability to translate insight into actionable policy thinking.
Who Should Apply
The fellowship is open to graduates from any academic background with a demonstrated interest in public policy, governance, or public systems.
We welcome applicants from diverse fields, including economics, law, political science, engineering, and the social sciences, as well as individuals with experience in research, development, or related domains.
The programme is best suited for individuals who are:
1) Interested in understanding how policy decisions are shaped within institutions
2) Willing to engage rigorously with analytical frameworks and complex public problems
3) Motivated to develop structured thinking and policy reasoning skills.
No prior policy experience is required. What matters is intellectual curiosity, seriousness of engagement, and a commitment to analytical rigour.
About the Fellowship
The RAAH Policy Fellowship is designed as an intensive engagement with how public policy is actually analysed, debated, and operationalised within institutional contexts.
Rather than focusing solely on outputs, the programme emphasises the development of structured policy thinking, how to define problems, evaluate evidence, understand institutional constraints, and design interventions that are both analytically sound and practically viable.
Fellows engage with public policy not as an abstract discipline, but as a field shaped by incentives, administrative processes, and political economy dynamics.
Engaging with Real Policy Problems
Throughout the programme, fellows work on real-world policy questions, applying analytical frameworks to examine how and why policies succeed or fail.
This includes:
- Identifying and defining policy problems with clarity and precision
- Distinguishing between symptoms and underlying structural causes
- Evaluating evidence, causality, and competing policy approaches
- Analysing how institutional design and incentives shape outcomes
- Developing structured policy arguments grounded in feasibility and context
The emphasis is not on arriving at quick answers, but on building disciplined, rigorous approaches to policy reasoning.
From Analysis to Advisory
A core focus of the fellowship is the ability to translate analysis into actionable policy advice.
Fellows are trained to:
- Structure policy briefs and advisory notes for decision-makers
- Communicate complex ideas with clarity and precision
- Anticipate trade-offs, unintended consequences, and implementation constraints
- Present recommendations in a manner aligned with real-world decision-making processes
This culminates in a simulated policy advisory exercise, where fellows present their recommendations before practitioners and respond to critique in a high-pressure, decision-oriented setting.
Learning Through Structured Engagement
The fellowship is built around sustained, small-cohort engagement, enabling depth rather than breadth.
Fellows participate in:
- Expert-led sessions introducing analytical frameworks and approaches to policy
- Practitioner interactions offering insight into real administrative and governance processes
- Mentorship discussions focused on refining reasoning, argumentation, and analytical clarity
The small cohort format allows for close engagement, iterative feedback, and rigorous intellectual exchange.
Programme Outcomes
Fellows complete the programme with:
- A structured policy advisory developed through iterative analysis and feedback
- Experience presenting policy recommendations in a simulated decision-making setting
- The ability to apply analytical frameworks to real-world policy problems
- Strengthened capacity in policy writing, argumentation, and evidence-based reasoning
The programme is grounded in the belief that effective policymaking requires more than knowledge, it requires discipline in thinking. Across all components of the fellowship, emphasis is placed on clarity of reasoning, precision in problem definition, structured use of evidence, awareness of institutional and administrative realities, and the ability to move from insight to strategy.
Inaugural Cohort — 2026
Bhaskar Agarwal
Incoming MSc in Economics for Development at the University of Oxford (full scholarship), and University Topper in B.A. (Hons) Economics from Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi University.
Nikita Singh
Principal at Mott MacDonald, serving as Deputy Country Lead for the Indonesia FCDO Green Cities Programme, with experience in international development, infrastructure financing, and gender-responsive policy design. She holds a Master’s in Public Policy from the London School of Economics.
Priyal Jain
Former Indian Air Force cadet at the National Defence Academy and an economics graduate from the University of Delhi, with a focus on the intersection of public policy and national security.
Ashmit Mishra
Undergraduate student at University College London pursuing Economics, with an emerging interest in public policy and economic analysis. Previously completed the International Baccalaureate at Le Bocage International School, Mauritius.
Parul Gupta
Economics Professor at Dhirubhai Ambani University, with a Ph.D. in Economics from IIT Delhi and academic training at Johns Hopkins University, with a focus on economic analysis and policy research.
Simin Sanil
MSc Public Policy candidate at University College London, with a background in philosophy from St. Stephen’s College, and a focus on AI governance and institutional analysis.
Neharika Gupta
LL.M. candidate at the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi, with an interest in legal frameworks and public policy.
Radhika Jain
MSc Economics graduate from the University of York, with a focus on economic policy and public systems.
Divyansh Shah
History graduate from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University, with a focus on public policy and institutional analysis.
Ruchi Payal
Doctoral researcher at the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), with a focus on education policy and institutional systems.
Sri Nikitha Reddy Tummuru
Advanced Master’s in European Policies and Public Administration from KU Leuven, and a Master’s in European Affairs from Lund University, with a focus on comparative public policy and governance.
Mentors and Practitioners
Mentors and practitioners who contributed to the Inaugural cohort of the RAAH Policy Fellowship (2026).
Parneet Kaur
Founder, RAAH. Public policy professional working at the intersection of research, governance, and institutional analysis, with experience in legislative research and public systems, including with the Rajya Sabha Secretariat.
Shri J.K. Dadoo, IAS (Retd.)
Former Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Led a practitioner session on “Statecraft in Practice: Why Good Policies Fail” and served as Lead Evaluator for the Fellowship’s Policy Advisory Simulation.
Shri Subhash Garg, IAS (Retd.)
Former Finance Secretary, Government of India. Led a practitioner session on “Economic Reasoning in Public Policy: Incentives, Trade-offs, and Outcomes.”
Shri Suresh Kumar, IAS (Retd.)
Former Chief Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Government of Punjab. Led a practitioner session on “State Capacity and Implementation: Why Policies Break Down.”
Sukhdeep Brar, IAS (Retd.)
Former Senior Education Specialist at the World Bank. Led a practitioner session on “Writing for Decision-Makers: Policy Briefs and Advisory Notes.”
Mr. Nitin Saluja
Public Policy and Government Affairs Leader, and author of The Policy Self. Led a practitioner session on “Public Policy in India: Institutions, Actors, and Decision Chains.”
Shri Nivrutti Avhad, IAS
Chief Executive Officer, Zila Parishad, Dholpur, Rajasthan. Led a practitioner session on “Inside Government: Bureaucratic Processes, File Movement, and Decision-Making.”
Shri Partha Sarathi Mishra, IAS
Director-cum-Additional Secretary, Public Enterprises Department, Government of Odisha. Led practitioner sessions on “Diagnosing Policy Problems: Evidence, Causality, and Failure Analysis” and “Sectoral Policy and Regulatory Reforms: Lessons from Practice.”