The Modi Government is embarking on an ambitious economic and social policy reform agenda, including the planned introduction of a GST, a move towards cash transfers and a roll out of bank accounts to improve the social welfare system, a ‘rethink’ of federal-state relations, and the improvement of public sanitation and major waterways.
This Public Forum will bring together a number of key policy practitioners and experts from India and Australia to share and exchange views on these policy conversations, as well as ways to manage the policy environment, assess and analyse government and non-government stakeholders, and effect good policy. Australia’s own reforms are associated with the country having been one of the better performing OECD economies, although it can also be said that its reform process has stalled and requires revitalisation. The discussion will draw on both Australia’s and India’s reform experiences, and will aim to highlight how key policy challenges can be more effectively addressed in both countries. Designing and implementing effective policy reform in multi-tiered complex democracies is difficult and challenging, especially where there are vocal and entrenched interests and stakeholders involved.
The Forum will be opened by Ms Harinder Sidhu, Australia’s High Commissioner-designate to India
Panellists:
Dr Bibek Debroy, Member of NITI Aayog, the think tank of the Government of India. He has worked in Presidency College, Kolkata (1979-83), Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune (1983-87); Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Delhi (1987-93); as the Director of a Ministry of Finance/UNDP project on legal reforms (1993-98); Department of Economic Affairs (1994-95); National Council of Applied Economic Research (1995-96); as Director of the Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Contemporary Studies (1997-2005); as Secretary-General of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (2005-06); and Centre for Policy Research (2007-2015). He has authored/edited several books, papers and popular articles and has also been a Consulting/Contributing Editor with several newspapers.
Professor John Hewson AM, Chair of the ANU Tax and Transfer Policy Institute and former leader of the Liberal Party of Australia (1990-1994). He is an economic and financial expert with experience in academia, business, government, media and the financial system, and has previously worked as an economist for the Australian Treasury, the Reserve Bank of Australia, the International Monetary Fund and as an advisor to two Federal Treasurers and the Prime Minister.
Dr Pratap Bhanu Mehta, President and Chief Executive of the Centre for Policy Research (CPR). He is a political scientist who has taught at Harvard University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and the New York University School of Law. His areas of research include political theory, constitutional law, society and politics in India, governance and political economy, and international affairs. He has served on many central government committees, including India’s National Security Advisory Board, the Prime Minister of India’s National Knowledge Commission, and a Supreme Court-appointed committee on elections in Indian universities. (Chair)
Professor Andrew Podger AO, Professor of Public Policy at the ANU. He is a former senior public servant, having worked as Public Service Commissioner (2002-04), Secretary of the Department of Health and Aged Care (1996-2002), Secretary of the Department of Housing and Regional Development (1994-96) and Secretary of the Department of Administrative Services (1993-94).
Professor Glenn Withers AO, President of Australia’s Academy of Social Sciences and former Founding CEO of Universities Australia. He previously worked as a Professor of Public Policy at the ANU and the Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG), and helped establish some pivotal policy institutions and agencies in Australia including the Productivity Commission, Crawford School, ANZSOG, and Universities Australia. He headed the Economic Planning Advisory Commission and the National Population Council.
Registrations from 4:30 p.m.- 5:00 p.m.
Please rsvp at president.cpr@cprindia.org
