Unmute with Prof. Navdeep Mathur: Civil Society, Public Policy & Shifting Spaces | Part 1

Episodes Summary

In this episode of Unmute, hosts Gagan and Minar are joined by Professor Navdeep Mathur to explore the intersection of civil society, public policy, and markets in India today. From public–private partnerships to displacement, campus politics to feminist evaluation, the episode examines how power and policy shape citizens’ lives and what civil society can do to reclaim space.

Key Highlights

• Public–Private Partnerships & Collaborative Governance – how the state outsourced public services and the accountability questions this raises

• Shift from Planning Commission to NITI Aayog – what it signals about policy capture and transparency

• Urban Development & Displacement – Ahmedabad riverfront, resettlement, and lessons for civic groups

• Competitive Federalism – performance over need and its consequences

• Inequality & Poverty Reduction Claims – why GDP growth is not equal to equity

• Civil Society’s Tripod – service delivery, innovation, protest and how it’s tilting

• Citizenship & Nationalism – restrictive definitions and shrinking civic spaces

• Feminist Discourses & Corporate Sector – DEI, patriarchal structures, and limited progress

• CSR in India – public purpose or public relations?

• Discursive & Interpretive Policy Analysis – a tool for civil society to unpack government narratives

• Education, Technology & Workers’ Rights – key battlegrounds for civil society in the future

References & Resources

• Public–Private Partnerships in India (PPPs) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public%E2%80%93private_partnership

• Collaborative Governance https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collaborative_governance

• Planning Commission https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planning_Commission_(India

• NITI Aayog https://www.niti.gov.in/

• POSH Act (Prevention of Sexual Harassment at Workplace) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_Harassment_of_Women_at_Workplace_(Prevention,_Prohibition_and_Redressal)_Act,_2013

• DEI https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diversity,_equity,_and_inclusion

• Discursive Policy Analysishttps://ecpr.eu/Events/Event/PanelDetails/278

Hosts

• Gagan Sethi – Development practitioner with 40+ years of experience in organisational development, policy advocacy, and minority rights. 

• Minar Pimple – Founder of YUVA (Youth for Unity and Voluntary Action), and former senior Director at Amnesty International, Regional Director- Asia Pacific (UN Millennium Campaign) and Founding Chair, Oxfam India.

Guest 

• Prof. Navdeep Mathur - Associate Professor of Public Systems Group, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad