Call for Applications

Research Training Workshop
Digitalising Welfare: Policy Architecture, Governance Patterns, and Social Transformation in India

16–22 March 2026
Institute of Economic Growth, University of Delhi Campus, Delhi

The Institute of Economic Growth, in collaboration with the Institute for Human Development, invites applications for a Research Training Workshop on Digitalising Welfare: Policy Architecture, Governance Patterns, and Social Transformation in India.

India is undergoing a significant transformation in welfare governance through digital platforms, Aadhaar-linked authentication, ration portability, health insurance claims systems, labour databases, and real-time monitoring infrastructures. This workshop examines platform-based welfare governance as an analytical object in its own right, with attention to institutional design, fiscal federalism, labour markets, and citizenship in the platform era.

Workshop Structure
The workshop combines lectures, panel discussions, policy document analysis, comparative state exercises, research design sessions, and guided engagement with administrative dashboards and data portals.

Participants will examine:

Digital welfare infrastructures in food security (ONORC, IM-PDS) and health insurance (PM-JAY, NHA)
Labour markets, platform work, and welfare access
Fiscal federalism and territorial governance dynamics
Measurement politics, administrative visibility, and social protection architecture
Daily sessions will run from 09:30 to 17:30 hrs.

Eligibility

Applicants must be below 36 years of age as on 25 February 2026.

The workshop is open to:

PhD students (any stage)
Early-career faculty
Research professionals in think tanks, civil society organisations, or government research units

Relevant disciplines include sociology, economics, political science, law, public health, public policy, development studies, labour studies, urban studies, anthropology, and science and technology studies.

Support Provided

No participation fees
Accommodation and partial travel support for outstation participants
Lunch and refreshments for all participants

Application Requirements

Please submit:

CV (maximum 2 pages)
Statement of Interest (500–750 words)
Brief institutional affiliation

 Application deadline: 25 February 2026
 Notification of selection: 5 March 2026

Applications and queries: workshopdigitalwelfare@gmail.com