Themed ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’, the deadline for paper submissions is 31 May 2026

15 December, 2025, Bengaluru: The Centre for Public Policy (CPP), a public interest-oriented policy think tank housed at IIM Bangalore, announces the Call for Papers for the XXI International Conference on Public Policy & Management to be held from September 2 to 4, 2026, at the institute campus. The upcoming edition of the conference is themed, ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’.

The interdisciplinary conference draws scholars representing diverse perspectives on public policy issues and provides a forum for showcasing the latest developments in policy research and practice. The annual conference hosts pre-conference activities, academic sessions, topical policy debates, workshops, panel discussions and practitioner-oriented discussions on contemporary topics in public policy and management.

The conference is ideal for academicians, students, research scholars, policy practitioners, lawyers, NGO professionals and anyone with an interest in public policy.

Key dates:

• Complete paper submission: May 31, 2026
• Announcement of acceptance results: June 30, 2026

To submit your Research Paper/ Practitioner Case Study, visit: https://www.iimb.ac.in/cpp-xxi-2026/register1.php

Conference theme: Atma Nirbhar Bharat

This year, under the broad theme of ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’, the conference will explore a range of interconnected sub-themes that focus on strengthening domestic capabilities – across institutions, industries, technologies and human capital – so that India’s development is driven by resilience and innovation. Advancing this vision requires rethinking regulatory, administrative and policy frameworks, furthering ease of doing business, enhancing human capabilities, and addressing implementation challenges ex-ante. Evidence from India and abroad on development policies, technological adoption, supply chain resilience, and governance innovations including AI tools, provides valuable insights, as do learnings from ongoing schemes, missions and programs aimed at manufacturing, digital empowerment, livelihoods, and public service delivery.

From building stronger primary healthcare systems and reducing dependence on external medical supply chains to empowering MSMEs, enhancing agricultural value chains, deepening digital public infrastructure, improving labour markets, and enabling climate-resilient development, the pursuit of ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’ spans diverse and critical themes. The call for papers invites theoretical, empirical, and case-study-based research addressing these issues and others, contributing to a growing body of knowledge that explores how self-reliance can be advanced across India’s economic and social landscape. Advancing this vision requires rethinking regulatory, administrative and policy frameworks, and addressing implementation challenges ex-ante. Evidence from India and abroad on industrial policy, technological adoption including AI tools, supply chain resilience, and governance innovations provides valuable insights, as do learnings from ongoing schemes, missions and programs aimed at manufacturing, digital empowerment, livelihoods, and public service delivery. Submissions not falling within these themes, but otherwise related to public policy topics, are also welcome.

For more details on the conference theme, event details, etc., click HERE.

Call for Research Papers and Practitioner Case Studies

Authors are invited to submit their original research findings and case studies relating to the above-mentioned themes and other public policy topics under any one of the following two avenues:

A. Research Paper

The full paper should adhere to the following guidelines:

• The topic of the paper should be directly related to public policy.
• The word limit of the paper is 5000-8000 words, and the abstract is 250 words.
• Please use British English.
• Please send the paper using MS Word format, Times New Roman font, 12 font size, 1.5 line spacing.
• Please send author/co-author’s biography (2-3 lines) indicating affiliation, designation, and contact details.
• Please check for plagiarism, grammar, punctuation, and spelling before submitting the paper.
• During Signup/Login, please indicate, in case your paper is not selected for full paper presentation, whether you are willing to include it as a poster presentation. 

B. Practitioner Case Studies

Policy practitioners from both the public and private sector and researchers are invited to submit case studies from their successful experiences in the field, challenges faced in policy implementation, and learnings that could drive policy recommendations.

• The word limit of the case study is 5000 words.
• Please use British English.
• Please send the paper using MS Word format, Times New Roman font, 12 font size, 1.5 line spacing.
• Please send practitioner’s biography (2-3 lines) indicating affiliation, designation, and contact details.

The organizing committee of this year’s conference comprises Prof. Gopal Naik, Senior Fellow, Chairperson and Jal Jeevan Mission Chair Professor at the Centre for Public Policy, IIM Bangalore; Prof. Arnab Mukherji, Chairperson, Master of Management Studies (Public Policy) – PGPPM and faculty of Public Policy at IIMB; Prof. Soham Sahoo, Chairperson of the Public Policy area of IIMB; Prof. Rajalaxmi Kamath, Chairperson, Internal Committee and faculty of the Public Policy area of IIMB, and Dr. Anjana Dube, Chief Policy Officer at CPP.

Contact Information:

Email: cppconference@iimb.ac.in 
Phone: +91 80 26993051/3323