Centre for Social and Behaviour Change

15/03/2026

Can artificial intelligence become a laboratory for understanding human decision-making?

Join us for “Synthetic Minds: Building AI Agents for Market Prediction and Experimental Research” with Raymond Duch, a leading experimental social scientist at the University of Oxford. Duch co-leads the Talking to Machines, an international initiative exploring how AI agents can be integrated into social science experiments to better understand markets, behaviour, and public policy.

A co-founder of the Centre for Experimental Social Sciences, Duch has helped build global research labs across Chile, China, and India, enabling large-scale field experiments that inform evidence-based policymaking. His work has been published in leading journals including Nature Medicine, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and the American Political Science Review.

🕝 2:30 PM
📍 Indian School of Public Policy (ISPP)

Register now before the seats run out! Link in bio.

30/08/2025

08/08/2025

𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗹𝗴𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗺𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁-𝗪𝗼𝗸𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱

𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 “𝘯𝘦𝘶𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘭”? 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯? 

Our BCC Summit 2025 Spotlight Session tackled pressing questions at the intersection of ethics, AI, and governance:

Pavan Mamidi (CSBC) reflected on the tension between individual and community rights, posing a critical question: 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘰𝘧𝘧? He also noted how our understanding of biases often exists at the point of consumption: whether we believe a piece of data often depends on our own priorities.

Nirat Bhatnagar (The Atlas of Behavior Change in Development) pointed out the presence of heterogeneous bias even within communities, emphasising the need for mechanisms that can govern and deliver services equitably. 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘈𝘐 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴, 𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘪𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳–𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘢 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴.

This dialogue, moderated by Gopikrishnan Nair, left us with a core challenge: how do we build systems that match the pace of AI without losing sight of accountability, or the trust of those they serve?

08/08/2025

When behaviour science meets sports transformation, extraordinary conversations happen.

On 4th August, the Centre for Social and Behaviour Change (CSBC) hosted a closed-door convening at Ashoka University to explore how behavioural insights can reshape India’s sports ecosystem. From grassroots development to elite performance, from policy innovation to athlete development—we dove deep into the science of what makes nations truly competitive.

A powerful insight from Mr. Pullela Gopichand: “Physical literacy is fundamentally lacking in our country. Movement vocabulary is key to successful nation building—not just in sports, but for our overall development as a society.”

The conversations were rich and actionable: How do we bridge the gap between grassroots potential and elite performance? What role can behavioural design play in transforming sporting culture? How do we create systems that nurture both participation and excellence?

Grateful to incredible thought leaders who shared their expertise: Karthik Yanamandra on building thriving sports ecosystems, Ankit Kedia on reimagining Indian sports through innovation, Kanthi D Suresh on navigating the evolving sports industry, Anand Mallipudi on leveraging movement for economic transformation, and Pralhadrao Wayal on the Khelo India vision.

Thank you Ashoka University for hosting this vital conversation. The future of Indian sports lies not just in better infrastructure, but in better understanding of human behaviour.

06/08/2025

Panel Spotlight: BCC 2.0: Reimagining Behaviour Change in the Digital Age

The digital revolution has fundamentally altered how we consume information and make decisions. In an era where algorithms curate reality and fleeting moments compete for fractured attention, traditional behaviour change communication faces new challenges: how to create meaningful engagement that transcends the scroll and translates into sustained action.

At , our fourth panel, moderated by Samyak Chakrabarty, examined how practitioners can harness digital dynamics while preserving the authenticity that drives real transformation.

Pooja Sehgal (Gates Foundation India) said that while core messaging principles like simplicity remain unchanged, platforms and attention spans have evolved. Effective BCC must adapt across mediums and meet people where they are.

Dia Mirza (UNEP Goodwill Ambassador) emphasised the power of repetition and consistent, visual cues to shift mindsets from seeing something as inconvenient to viewing it as a worthwhile change.

Charu Pragya (National Spokesperson, BJP) built on this, sharing how, in her hometown in western UP, campaigns like “Selfie With Daughter” helped shift deep-rooted norms. She emphasised that lasting change happens when communities witness authentic behaviour that they can emulate.

Dr. Sharon Barnhardt (CSBC) noted that unlike the private sector’s clear metrics, social sector campaigns face complex intent–action gaps. She cited the Bano Iron Nari campaign and how it measured intention and not just reach to reflect behaviour change.

Digital transformation requires authentic voices, consistent messaging, and meaningful metrics beyond reach.

How are you showing up–online and offline–to lead change that lasts?

06/08/2025

Panel spotlight: Ripple Effect: Driving Sustainable Water Habits

Water flows through every aspect of human life, yet paradoxically becomes less visible and valued as access improves. At the , our third panel, moderated by Nilanjana Bargotra, brought together diverse voices to explore how we can restore water’s visibility and significance across emotional, cultural, and behavioral dimensions, transforming it from a taken-for-granted resource into a catalyst for collective action.

Key insights included:

Shri Anand Shekhar (ADM, NITI Aayog) emphasised that water must become everyone’s business: from planning to implementation. He shared how decentralisation, community ownership, and collective platforms are making water governance more participatory and effective.

Soma Katiyar (BBC) warned that as access to water grows, our connection with it fades. Personal, resonant stories (instead of facts) are key to rebuilding responsibility.

VK Madhavan (WaterAid India) noted the challenge of making water quality visible. Tools like field test kits help build trust and engagement by making the invisible tangible.

Shagata Mukherjee (CSBC) shared how systems thinking can strengthen water testing practices, drawing from CSBC’s work with the Jal Jeevan Mission.

Nirat Bhatnagar (Dalberg) highlighted how the most effective initiatives optimised their messaging for what people value.

The path forward: community ownership and compelling narratives drive lasting water stewardship.

23/07/2025

𝗣𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 | 𝗜𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝘂𝘁 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗮: 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗡𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

How do we move from “knowing what” to “knowing how” in public health and nutrition? What does it take to design communication that not only informs, but transforms behaviour?

At the , our first panel tackled these persistent questions. Here are some key insights:

Shreya Ralli emphasised the importance of trusted messengers, local influencers, and culturally relevant, gamified tools to make interventions stick.

Poonam Muttreja highlighted that gender norms are among the hardest to shift–and shared how humour, storytelling, and AI-powered tools like chatbots can drive inclusive, youth-friendly public health engagement.

Dr. Sanjiv Kumar pointed out the importance of creating strong communication partnership forums to reach those often left behind by traditional systems.

Aastha Bhakhri stressed the power of deep field research, ongoing diagnostics, and working in sync with government priorities to co-create solutions that endure.

Moderated by Jocelyn Joseph, this panel reminded us: lasting nutrition gains require trust, relevance, and co-ownership at every level.

What approaches have helped you bridge the gap between awareness and action in your work? Do share your thoughts in the comments!

14/07/2025

We’re honoured to announce that the closing keynote at will be delivered virtually by Dr. Cass Sunstein — one of the world’s leading thinkers on behavioural science, public policy, and the ethics of influence.

Co-author of Nudge and Noise, Dr. Sunstein’s work has profoundly shaped how governments and institutions around the world think about decision-making, autonomy, and the design of public programmes.

In this special address, he will reflect on the ethics of behaviour change, exploring when nudges empower, when they overreach, and how we can use communication more responsibly in the pursuit of impact.

This is a rare opportunity for India’s BCC and development community to hear directly from a pioneer whose ideas continue to influence policy and practice across the globe.

30/06/2025

Delhi’s air quality isn’t just shaped by vehicles and industry—cremation rituals alone consume up to 60 million trees across India each year, driving pollution and carbon emissions.

Yet despite eco-friendly alternatives, most families still choose traditional wood pyres—out of tradition, emotion, and social expectations.

Our new behavioural study with A-PAG reveals:
- Why these choices persist, even among environmentally conscious families
- Where we can encourage change: from last wishes and open conversations to better signage and trusted voices
- Four actionable pathways to help eco-pyres become more acceptabl and emotionally resonant

🔗 Read the full report on our website.

20/06/2025

Aastha Bhakhri represented the Behavioural Insights Unit at the Centre for Social and Behaviour Change at the Behavioural Public Policy Collaboratory — a national convening of BIUs from six UNICEF-supported states, government departments, and academia.

As part of a panel on scale and sustainability, she shared key reflections on institutionalising behavioural insights within government systems.

This collaborative platform marks an important step in shaping the future of BIUs in India and strengthening the use of evidence-based policy design. 💡🇮🇳

10/06/2025

We’re excited to announce the successful completion of our week-long training and pilot workshop with enumerators for the Complementary Feeding Study in Muzaffarpur, Bihar—part of CSBC’s ongoing commitment to strengthening child nutrition in the state.

This study, the third component of our broader nutrition initiatives, uses a randomized experiment to support mothers of children aged 6–23 months. By distributing nutrition kits designed with evidence-based, behaviourally-informed interventions, we aim to encourage healthy complementary feeding practices at scale.

Careful planning and coordination have gone into building a robust field strategy. With the baseline survey and kit distribution now underway, we’re set to reach 1,800 mothers across 300 Anganwadi Centres in Muzaffarpur over the coming month.

A big thank you to our dedicated field team, partners, and everyone working tirelessly to make this possible!