Rukmini Rao, Shiv Vishvanathan, Walter, Ramachandrudu, Chitra, Sridhar,

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Group 4

• Rukmini Rao, Shiv Vishvanathan, Walter,
  Ramachandrudu, Chitra, Sridhar,
• Jyothi, Sujana (both Pol Sc HCU Students)

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1. What drives policy as of now?

• crisis
• policy stereotypes (eg large dams, population
  control)
• bilateral projects ( watershed DFID )
• motivated bureaucrats taking initiative (bonded
  labour policy)
• election triggered (NTRs rice for a rupee)
• external pressure (1991 gold reserves low)
• civil society groups (RTI, Employment guarantee)
• marginalisation ( )

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(Q.2) What constitutes knowledge or expertise as
input?

• knowledge needs to be codified/ branded by state
  or corporate recognized experts
• Politically processed knowledge
• Input centric (easy to implement) rather than
  process centered
• Widespread creation of a demand (RTI, social
  forestry)
• Sometimes by accident (Green courts)

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(Q. 3) How were community experiences showcased?

• Very visible mass mobilisation
• Dramatising opportunities and problems
• Gross generalisation (i.e. reductionism)

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(Q. 45)How community representaties and formal
specialists influenced policy

• Creating a common platform (middle site) for
  GOs, community reps. NGOs
• Making alternative formulations anchored in
  technical or traditional knowledge
• Large scale mobilisation not one voice, but
  many voices in many ways around one message
• Presence of experts working with people to
  amplify the community reps. voices (Mathura case)
• Large role of experts in RTI, gender etc

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(Q. 6)Policy influencingtools that were
successful

• Focused anger, protest, lobbying, story-telling
  which is supplemented by research which
  reformulates the issue in terms that Govt.
  understands
• Judicious use of PIL
• Monitoring large scale Govt programmes
• Working groups (self-appointed)
• Traditional and modern media
• Individual whimsy VP Singh and Mandal or MGRs
  mid-day meal scheme

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(Q.6)Policy influencingtools that were not
successful

• Working groups constituted by Govt. dont work
  unless the NGO members in it make special efforts
• Fasting, hartals etc (apologies to Medha)
• Number politics dont work anymore
• Proven experiences are rejected (requires too
  much structural change)