What We Do  > Policy and Insights

The path to
evidence-based transformation

Inquiry and investigation are crucial to our work at Janaagraha. They shape our thinking, strengthen our initiatives, and plug existing knowledge gaps in the larger ecosystem.

Through primary and secondary research and data analytics, we build bodies of evidence on municipal, state, and national laws, policies, and missions. This includes research on city finances, infrastructure delivery, and citizenship. Our work also explores climate and health as use cases with the objective of being intentional about equity.

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Annual Survey of
India’s City Systems (ASICS)

ASICS is a diagnostic tool that evaluates the quality of life in cities by assessing the quality of its laws, policies, institutions, and institutional processes. The better a city’s scores, the greater its ability to offer citizens a good quality of life.

ASICS aims to become a common frame of reference for stakeholders across cities and functions to work together towards reforms in governance.

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Research and
Insights

Reforming urban governance begins with examining and understanding it. Our work contributes to a deeper understanding of the critical aspects of policy and decision-making in India’s cities. It offers thought leadership on important issues and fosters discussions with the wider ecosystem.
Our programs and initiatives are also strongly rooted in research and informed by a holistic understanding of the subject matter.

Work

The Janaagraha-Brown Citizenship Index (2012-ongoing)

This initiative aims to construct an index to assess the quality of citizenship and how it is distributed across various socio-economic categories. It also measures the quality of access to services and infrastructure such as water, electricity, sanitation, and roads.

Affordable Housing in India: Market Shaping Indicators (2021-22)

As part of this initiative, we are collecting and synthesising data on the state of the affordable housing market in India across 7 key themes: land and infrastructure, construction and investment, sales and rental, maintenance and management, enabling environment, economic environment, and demand. This initiative is supported by Reall.

City Leaders (2021-22)

City Leaders is a systematic leadership program that empowers elected leaders, particularly women, of India’s cities with the goal of creating a sustainable urban future.

A New Urban Agenda for Haryana (2021)

As part of our engagement with the Sixth Haryana State Finance Commission, we conducted a study of urban governance, municipal finance, and the voice of Haryana’s cities. The study aims to understand the ground reality of urban governance and the provision of basic services in the state.

Annual Survey of India’s City-Systems (2023)

ASICS 2023 recommends 10 instruments of change to strengthen and improve city-systems and thereby, transform urban quality of life.

Work

The Janaagraha-Brown Citizenship Index (2012-ongoing)

Supported by the Ford Foundation, this initiative aims to construct an index to assess the quality of citizenship and how it is distributed across various socio-economic categories. It also measures the quality of access to services and infrastructure such as water, electricity, sanitation, and roads.

Affordable Housing in India: Market Shaping Indicators (2021-22)

As part of this initiative, we are collecting and synthesising data on the state of the affordable housing market in India across 7 key themes: land and infrastructure, construction and investment, sales and rental, maintenance and management, enabling environment, economic environment, and demand. This initiative is supported by Reall.

City Leaders (2021-22)

City Leaders is a systematic leadership program that empowers elected leaders, particularly women, of India’s cities with the goal of creating a sustainable urban future.

A New Urban Agenda for Haryana (2021)

As part of our engagement with the Sixth Haryana State Finance Commission, we conducted a study of urban governance, municipal finance, and the voice of Haryana’s cities. The study aims to understand the ground reality of urban governance and the provision of basic services in the state.

Annual Survey of India’s City-Systems 2023

ASICS 2023 recommends 10 instruments of change to strengthen and improve city-systems and thereby, transform urban quality of life.

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Sectoral Policies

Janaagraha is exploring the areas of public health and the climate through the City-Systems framework.

Collaborations

Brown university

Reall Company, UK

Haryana Public Service Commission

What they are saying about us

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Collaborative Action for Collective Good

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