(7 i) Public Policy as a Career

Public Policy refers to the laws, regulations, guidelines and other actions employed by the government to address public problems. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Ayushman Bharath, Make in India, are some of the examples. The term in itself is alien to many people. But the term ‘IAS’ is rarely unrecognized, if not for what it stands for - Indian Administrative Service. IAS is one of the central government policymaking positions alongside Indian Foreign Service, Indian Police Service, Indian Revenue Service, among others.       

Public Policy education is relatively new in India, established merely about 25 years ago. Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) training has been the primary education for policymakers since its inception under the British colonial rule in 1926. With the rise in the popularity of liberal arts, that of public policy education is also increasing. The awareness of the wide range of career opportunities available to them is essential to Indian students. A survey conducted by Mindler, showed that 93% of students in India between the ages of 14-21 are aware of only seven career options out of the approximated 250 options available in India. While medicine and engineering schools have been the most trodden careers by Indian students, a change can be expected in the Gen Z. 

Besides, the UPSC and other government services, policymakers are also employed in think tanks. Think tanks are autonomous organizations mostly non-governmental, which involve experts in various fields of public policy researching, analyzing and finding policy solutions for various public issues. India has the world’s third largest number of think tanks following the US and China. There are growing opportunities for young policy professionals in think tanks. The Government of India hires think tanks for advisory and recommendations on different policies. 

The economic viability of working in think tanks is not lucrative yet, due to their low funding. This pushes many young students to eliminate this as a career opportunity. But there is a promising future in public policymaking as corporate giants like Google, Uber and other MNCs are hiring policy and legal advisors to engage with the government and use its policies profitably. Thereby opening high salaried and attractive career opportunities for policymakers. The acceptance rate of UPSC at 0.2% is another barrier to the growth of interest in policy making among students in India. However, increasing globalization has created a need for better and efficient policymakers. GenZ is expected to likely choose non-conventional avenues of career like policy making.