PANJ Foundation

PANJ Foundation Policy research organisation

Read the latest write-up on our website. Sukhmanpreet Kaur writes on ‘Punjab’s Waste Crisis: The Case for Systematic Ref...
22/05/2026

Read the latest write-up on our website. Sukhmanpreet Kaur writes on ‘Punjab’s Waste Crisis: The Case for Systematic Reform’.

Read the full piece on our website: https://lnkd.in/gYiAQxCZ

Anmol Rattan Singh (Co-founder, PANJ Foundation) was part of a roundtable on ‘EU-India FTA and State Finances: Risks, Op...
15/05/2026

Anmol Rattan Singh (Co-founder, PANJ Foundation) was part of a roundtable on ‘EU-India FTA and State Finances: Risks, Opportunities, and Trade-offs’ co-organised by Hanns Seidel Foundation, Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi, and Neecop at Kirori Mal College, Delhi.

He highlighted the impact of the FTA on Punjab and the opportunities that lie ahead. The discussion also pointed on what state-level reforms can Punjab make to ensure the true gains of this FTA.

Thank you to the organisers for having PANJ Foundation as part of the roundtable!

We are pleased to share Dr Deepratan Singh Khara’s latest research (Research Lead, PANJ Foundation) along with Prof Lakh...
10/05/2026

We are pleased to share Dr Deepratan Singh Khara’s latest research (Research Lead, PANJ Foundation) along with Prof Lakhwinder Singh and Prof R.S.Sidhu was cited in

The article highlights a crucial and often under-discussed aspect of Punjab’s black economy: the role of the narcotics trade in shaping illegal economic networks, governance challenges, and wider social consequences.

Read the full piece: https://lnkd.in/gTBD7UGF

the fifteenth edition of our newsletter, with a latest piece on female gig workers, review seminal literature on state...
29/04/2026

the fifteenth edition of our newsletter, with a latest piece on female gig workers, review seminal literature on state capacity, and some reading recommendations.

In this edition of the newsletter, we are honoured to interview Mr Vikram R Singh (Founder and CEO, Antier Solutions) on the topic of emerging technologies in Punjab. Visit our website to read more of our research: www.panj.org.in.

| Book Talk | The Entrepreneurial Scholar by Dr Ilana HorwitzPANJ Foundation hosted an intellectually rigorous session...
27/04/2026

| Book Talk | The Entrepreneurial Scholar by Dr Ilana Horwitz

PANJ Foundation hosted an intellectually rigorous session with Dr Ilana Horwitz (Assistant Professor, Tulane University; PhD, Stanford University), exploring the concept of entrepreneurial scholar based on her book published in the Princeton University Press.

Dr Horwitz led an engaging session discussing elements from her book on the exploration of ideas, building up the intellectual, social, and human capital in one’s academic journey, and realising the true power of collaborations as ideas travel farther when they travel together!

Thank you to Nmims Chandigarh for their partnership!

“Scholarship today demands more than insight—it requires initiative. To be entrepreneurial is to not only generate ideas...
03/04/2026

“Scholarship today demands more than insight—it requires initiative. To be entrepreneurial is to not only generate ideas, but to actively shape the conditions under which those ideas can matter.”

We are excited to present our next session as part of . Join us for a book discussion on ‘The Entrepreneurial Scholar’ (published by Princeton University Press) with Dr Ilana Horwitz , as we explore what it means to produce knowledge in today’s evolving academic landscape.

Dr. Ilana Horwitz is an award-winning sociologist and an assistant professor at Tulane University. She is the author of God, Grades, and Graduation, The Entrepreneurial Scholar, and the forthcoming Boys Alone, Girls Exhausted. She is a PhD from Stanford University.

🗓 27 April 2026
⏰ 7:30–8:30 PM IST
🌐 Google Meet

Register here: https://lnkd.in/dYFC7GqV

AcademicResearch

| Understanding State Taxation by Matheus CossoPANJ Foundation hosted an intellectually rigorous session with Matheus ...
30/03/2026

| Understanding State Taxation by Matheus Cosso

PANJ Foundation hosted an intellectually rigorous session with Matheus Cosso (Hoover Institution, Stanford University), exploring as a deeply embedded institutional and economic design problem.

Moving beyond surface-level debates, the discussion situated taxation within the dual frameworks of the theory of allocation and the theory of markets, emphasising that fiscal systems are not merely technical instruments, but reflections of underlying economic philosophy. A key insight underscored the limits of inference in policy design, especially the impossibility of deriving normative “oughts” purely from descriptive “is” thereby foregrounding the tension between efficiency, equity, and political feasibility.

Drawing on the Hoover Institution’s work on wealth taxation, the session examined how tax systems evolve in response to state capacity, legal authority, and political constraints, raising a central question for modern economies: how can governments mobilise revenue without undermining the very engines of growth they seek to sustain?

As navigates complex fiscal transitions, such dialogues are vital in cultivating a generation of thinkers capable of engaging with taxation not as a static tool, but as a dynamic interplay of economics, law, and governance.

collaboration

Rattan Singh and Kaur write in today’s edition of The Tribune on ‘Let’s talk local governance in Punjab’. Their piece...
27/03/2026

Rattan Singh and Kaur write in today’s edition of The Tribune on ‘Let’s talk local governance in Punjab’. Their piece addresses the question ‘This claim, although rhetoric, raises a deeper fundamental question on whether local bodies in the state today lack power or funds/ resources?’ They highlight that Punjab’s local bodies collectively manage between Rs 6,000 crore and Rs 10,000 crore annually. Even a modest improvement in efficiency on the order of 15 to 20 percent could unlock substantial fiscal space and significantly improve developmental outcomes.

Read full piece here: https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/lets-talk-local-governance-in-punjab/

local governance, policy, finances

Read our latest on Punjab’s budget for FY 2026-27. This edition presents insights into the fiscal health of the state,...
24/03/2026

Read our latest on Punjab’s budget for FY 2026-27. This edition presents insights into the fiscal health of the state, sectoral overview, key schemes and initiatives, and comparison with other states.

Head to our website to read more of our research: www.panj.org.in

21/03/2026

Panel 3 at The Punjab Plan 2026 turned the focus toward one of the most critical yet overlooked questions: how do we build leadership that actually delivers public value? Featuring Dr Ajay Shah , Mr suresh kumar IAS, and Dr. Amit Kapoor, the discussion moved beyond intent to interrogate the design of institutions themselves. Dr. Shah emphasized that innovation in governance is impossible without reducing arbitrary power, arguing for stronger checks and balances and a sharper, more limited scope of the state. Mr. Suresh Kumar countered prevailing narratives by highlighting Punjab’s legacy of innovation, while stressing that the real crisis lies in the absence of authentic, accountable leadership, evident in persistent gaps like millions of households still lacking basic property registration. Dr. Kapoor added that the first step to reform is honest problem recognition, pointing to structural inefficiencies and the dangerous mix of high capability without accountability in bureaucratic systems.

The panel also explored how discretion and institutional design shape outcomes. Looking ahead, the panel cautioned against misplaced faith in technological or policy quick fixes. Together, the panel underscored a central message: Punjab does not lack ideas or talent, but without institutional reform, accountability, and focused leadership, even the best policies will fail at the point of delivery.

Panel 2 at The Punjab Plan 2026 shifted the conversation to the hard realities of sustaining Punjab’s finances and build...
19/03/2026

Panel 2 at The Punjab Plan 2026 shifted the conversation to the hard realities of sustaining Punjab’s finances and building its human capital. Featuring Prof Upinder Sawhney and Prof. Lakhwinder Singh, the discussion unpacked the structural roots of Punjab’s economic slowdown, ranging from a dangerously high debt burden and shrinking fiscal space to deeper institutional and human development challenges. Prof. Sawhney highlighted that nearly three-fourths of the state’s receipts are locked into committed expenditure, leaving little room for growth-oriented investment, and stressed the urgent need for fiscal discipline, subsidy rationalization, and power sector reforms.

She also outlined a dual responsibility framework. While the Central Government must step up through special status grants, timely fiscal devolution, and investments in agricultural modernization, the Government of Punjab must lead internal reforms. These include plugging revenue leakages through technology, digitizing land and property systems, restructuring loss-making public enterprises, and moving away from regressive subsidies toward targeted support.

Prof. Lakhwinder Singh complemented this with a deeper structural diagnosis, identifying five key constraints: weak sectoral linkages, dysfunctional fiscal policy, geopolitical pressures, human capital deficits, and institutional breakdown. Calling for a transition to a knowledge-driven economy, he stressed investments in education, health, gender equity, and skills aligned with future sectors like AI, alongside the need for social harmony and institutional renewal. Together, the panel made it clear that Punjab’s revival will depend not just on managing debt, but on rebuilding the very foundations of its economic and human potential.

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