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M.A Public Policy

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M.A Public Policy

As economic growth propels India towards becoming a middle-income country over the next decade, it is imperative that its structures, processes and ideas of governance keep pace. Closing the governance gap requires talented individuals to be equipped with the right ideas, competencies and networks. The pioneering Master of Arts in Public Policy program is specifically designed to create talented professionals who are well-equipped to engage in the complex arena of public affairs in India. It will provide a firm understanding of the fundamentals in public policy, economic reasoning, and governance to enable participants to apply them in their professional lives.

The program is also designed to help participants become more engaged in the policy making process, as analysts, as public leaders, officials, public relations specialists, or indeed, as active citizens.

Vision

The vision of the department is to provide our students with a strong academic foundation in economic theory and encourage them to apply their knowledge to analyse economic issues and policies.

 

Mission

  • To be a center of excellence by training students in economic applications
  • To keep up with changes and improve course sequencing
  • To promote vibrant economic and social science research
  • To update knowledge and skills in information/communication technology for more effective teaching, learning, and research.
  • To enhance collaborations & industry-interface
  • To provide opportunities to students for the development of leadership skills through activities / programs

GENERAL STRUCTURE

Curriculum overview

Each semester will consist of 16 credits for Core Courses and 8 credits for Allied Courses

Core Courses: There are 14 core courses and a dissertation in the final semester. These courses focus on the fundamentals of public policy in India and draws from different subject areas of Economics, Political Science, Sociology, Psychology, History and Communicative English.

Allied Courses: The Allied Courses focus on the essential skills required to become a successful policy professional. The skills imparted include communicating effectively, quantitative and data analysis techniques, policy analysis, media strategy, and political campaigning.

Dissertation and Internship: The final semester includes a Master’s dissertation thesis and an internship. The dissertation is an academic paper involving in-depth research into a policy topic that the students will work on through the semester.
The internship or attachment is meant to provide students exposure to public policy in practice. Whether they decide to work in a think-tank as analysts or as a campaign manager for a politician, the internship will prove to be an enriching experience.

 

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

The public policy curriculum was developed under the aegis of a distinguished board of studies. This includes Dr. M Govinda Rao, Member of 14th Finance Commission, and former member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India. The board also included Mr. Ravichandar, of Bangalore City Connect and a member of the former BBMP Restructuring Committee, who has played a catalytic role behind many innovations in the city. It also includes faculty from Mount Carmel College, the Takshashila Institution, Janaagraha, Namma Bengaluru Foundation and Bangalore University.

I Semester

II Semester

Title of the PaperTitle of the Paper
Introduction to Public PolicyWriting a Policy Brief & Policy Analysis
MicroeconomicsPublic Administration &Governance
Writing & Communication Skills for Public
Policy		Macroeconomics
State & Political InstitutionsResearch Methodology
Indian Society & Social MovementsUrban Governance
Quantitative Techniques for Public PolicyMedia Strategy for Public Policy
CDP
III SemesterIV Semester
Title of the PaperTitle of the Paper
Law and Public PolicySectoral Policy Analysis Workshop
Development Studies & Public PolicyBehavioral Sciences and Public Policy
Public Finance & Financial AdministrationEthics in Public Policy
Analytical Skills for Public PolicyInternship
Geo PoliticsPP Dissertation
Internship 

TESTING AND EVALUATION

Assessment: Each course will have assignments and examinations to assess the
students’ progress. The assignments will be innovative and suited to the current industry needs. Assessment will range from writing essays, blogging, making a short YouTube video to running a simulated election campaign.

Department Highlights

  • An International Conference on Public Policy Affairs was hosted with Dr. Amitab Kundu (Economist) and Mr. Chintamani Mahapatra (Pro VC JNU) delivering their inaugural address. The conference also witnessed 45 research scholars presenting their papers.
  • Launched the Participatory Democracy Fellowship in association with B.Pac. It is a 150-hour fellowship. In the first semester, the students are linked to Ward Corporators. They study the ward and submit their report and policy suggestions to the Corporator. In the second semester, a constituency is chosen by the students and they work with the MLA to study the constituency and suggest policy measures.
  • As per the job market needs, they launch the GIS mapping software which is a compulsory add-on paper for I Semester students.
  • Launched the modern political campaign as an add-on compulsory paper for the III Semester. The mock assembly elections done are a part of the add-on program which was also covered by major newspapers like Times of India, Mirror and local regional papers.

 Skills

Through the program, students will be able to:

  • Forge effective relationships with policy actors and policy networks.
  • Identify and understand India’s policy environment
  • Situate India’s role as an emerging geopolitical and geo-economic power within the context of its developmental challenges
  • Apply economic reasoning in analysing public policy challenges
  • Engage, negotiate with and partner with government, public and non-governmental
    organisations
  • Acquire the necessary skill set to communicate, persuade, and implement policy ideas

TOWARDS:

  • Excellence
  • Employing interdisciplinary approaches
  • Research and Corporate interactions

TO GENERATE AND ENHANCE:

  • Knowledge / information
  • Appropriate skills
  • Sensitize and empower: socio-economic issues – facilitate tomorrow’s effective policy/decision makers
  • Value-based quality education

Outcomes:

The M.A. in Public Policy equips students with the knowledge of the policy making process in India and the factors that influence it. Participants will acquire a range of skills that will help them to actively participate and influence the Government and Policy Makers in formulating and implementing the right policies for India.

Learning from the best:

The faculty is drawn from Mount Carmel College’s experienced set of faculty members from different disciplines and also academic experts, practitioners and experienced professionals from influential think tanks such as Takshashila Institution, Janaagraha, Namma Bengaluru Foundation.

Who should attend?

The M.A. in Public Policy, a 2-year, full-time program that is inter-disciplinary in nature and is an applied program. The program is designed for fresh graduates and professionals with 1-2 years of work experience – from any background – including humanities, sciences, engineering, journalism, law, finance and others. The program meets the needs of those engaging in, or seeking to engage in a broad range of professions ranging from the media, civil service, non-government organisations, law, advocacy, regulatory affairs and international business.

 

Course Coordinator:

Ms. Kavya Shree Kumar Assistant Professor
Department of Economics

Course Faculty:

Dr. Suma Singh Associate Professor & Dean Humanities
Ms. Alice Mathew Associate Professor, Department of Political Science
Ms. Juliana Lazarus Associate Professor, Department of Journalism

Course Fee

A special introductory offer of Rs 1,15,000 per candidate per year.

 

Contact Us

mapp@mccblr.edu.in/ kavyak@mccblr.edu.in

Placement Policy & Guidelines for Students

The Placement Policy is applicable to all students registered with the Placement Cell of Mount Carmel College, Autonomous, and is to be followed during their entire tenure at the college.

  1. The Placement Officer & the Placement Coordinator are the facilitators and counsellors for placement related activities and will be responsible for all concerned activities & functioning of the Placement Cell.
  2. The Student Placement Committee will be assisting the Placement Officer & the Placement Coordinator in all activities related to placements.
  3. Neither the College nor the Placement Cell guarantees a job. The Placement Cell will facilitate and coordinate the placement activities on campus including bringing in companies, coordinating the recruitment drives, organizing recruitment training and other related activities leading to the successful placements of the deserving students.
  4. Applying for a company, getting recruited, joining a company is entirely the responsibility/decision of the student concerned.
  5. Opting to register for placements is completely the choice of the students. As some would want to pursue higher studies or other opportunities, such students can refrain from registering with the Placement Cell.
  6. Students are required to check the ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA for registering with the Placement Cell before registering.
  7. All final year students with an aggregate score of 60% and above and with NO ACTIVE BACKLOGS are eligible to register for placements.
  8. All registered students are required to MANDATORILY attend the recruitment training conducted by the Placement Cell and meet the necessary threshold of 75% attendance and 80% completion of the practice tests & assessments to qualify for applying to the cos. Failing to qualify may result in re-training of the student at an additional cost which is to be borne at actuals by the concerned student.
  9. The Placement Cell will notify all the registered students about the upcoming recruitment drives through mails and Whatsapp group notifications and not individually. The students are to be alert and keep a track of the notifications and apply as per their interest and eligibility.
  10. Once a student registers/enrolls for a particular company, she is expected to complete the entire recruitment process as relevant and required. Failing to do so, will result in the student being debarred from sitting for further recruitment drives. Exceptions will be made at the sole discretion of the Placement Cell only in genuine cases. Such cases/reasons to be formally communicated to the Placement Office over mail at least one day prior to the drive.
  11. The student has a choice not to participate in the recruitment process of a company after attending the Pre-Placement Talk. If she decides to continue, then she will be bound by the College Placement Policy to attend the rest of the recruitment process of the company as stated above.
  12. Students will not be allowed to participate in the selection process of a company for which she has missed the PPT.
  13. While the Placement Cell will do its due diligence and bring in the right companies, it is the responsibility of every student to check the company profile, eligibility, Job Profile and the Job Role before applying. The same will also be mailed and/or updated on the Notice Boards or social media groups.
    a. Ex 1- If a company requires the applicant to have an average of 70%, be well assured that you meet the criteria before applying to that company.
    b. Ex 2- If the company requires you to have NO standing arrears/backlogs at the time of attending the placement process, kindly DO NOT APPLY to the company if you do not meet this criterion.
  14. If, after being selected by a company, for some reason the student is not satisfied either with the pay, the timings, work allotted, etc during onboarding, she will need to take it up with the concerned within the company. The Placement Cell will not be able to intervene in internal matters. However, it is important that the students reach out to us in case there are major deviations from the terms mentioned by the company at the time of recruitment.
  15. A student can apply to as many companies as she wants and appear for interviews until the first job is secured. A student will be considered to have secured a job if her name appears in the final select list of a company.
  16. The Placement Office of MCC follows a strict “ONE OFFER PER STUDENT” Policy. However, if a student has been offered a job with a CTC less than or equal to INR 2 lakhs PA, she can opt to apply for ONE more company, subject to prior formal approval by the Placement Office.
  17. Once a student’s name appears in the final selects of a company, it is obligatory for the student to accept the offer. Rejecting offers is strictly not allowed. Defaulters will be required to submit a letter to the Principal along with a penalty fee which could be equivalent to one month’s salary being offered by the said company.
  18. Recruitment Process: All companies generally follow the following procedure (however they could be exceptions) –
    a. Presentation about the company & Job Profile (Pre-Placement Talk)
    b. Written Exam (Aptitude / Technical Test)
    c. Group Discussion and/or Task (Assignments)
    d. Interview (Technical/HR/Others)
    e. Verification of Documents
    f. Offer Letter
  19. Students are to strictly ensure the following for all recruitment drives:
    a. Must report on time as mentioned in the schedules
    b. Wear Business Formals for every recruitment process. Students wearing casuals during recruitment process will be sent back
    c. Always carry one folder containing resumes (2-3 copies), passport size photos, copies of mark sheets, certificates & stationery
    d. Compulsorily carry College & Govt. ID Cards
  20. Most companies require applicants to have Govt. ID – Aadhar & PAN. Hence it is advised for all students to apply for these before registering for placements.
    Students are not allowed to contact the Company / HR team directly for any reason through the recruitment process. In case of any issues or concerns, they are advised to contact their Placement Office and discuss their problems.
  21. Strict action will be taken against students found to be engaged in maligning the College or the Placement Office with the companies. Any grievances you may have, are to be brought to the notice of the of the Placement Officer for resolution.
  22. If a student makes any false claims in the Resume/Student Registration Form, her registration will be cancelled immediately and job offer if any, will be revoked.
  23. All companies conduct a thorough background check/verification. If the company finds that you have manipulated your marks / documents in any manner/or mis-represented any information, your job offer will be terminated, and your name will be blacklisted.
  24. Strict discipline needs to be followed by every student during the recruitment process. Any sort of indecent behavior/misbehavior which affects the decorum of the Placement Cell or the reputation of the College or the Company, will attract severe penalty and disqualification.
  25. Unless explicitly permitted by the companies, use of mobile phones is strictly prohibited during the recruitment process.
  26. Malpractice in all forms or marking proxies during the selection process and beyond, is strictly prohibited and those caught indulging in such activities would be debarred from the placement process. Also, note that no concessions in any form shall be made in such cases.
  27. It may happen that the campus recruitment process can stretch till late evenings. Students are required and prepared to be available accordingly. In case of off-line drives, students are to inform their parents and should arrange their own transportation.
  28. In case of virtual (online) recruitment drives, it is the responsibility of the students to ensure they have the necessary equipment (laptop/PC with functional webcam and mic) and sufficient internet bandwidth for seamless conduction of the process.
  29. Students are required to provide correct email IDs and contact numbers at the time of registration. These will be used for all communication from the Placement Cell and the recruiting companies. The onus is on the students to ensure the contact details provided are correct and up to date.
  30. Students are advised to check their mails regularly as all communication related to placements will be sent through mails.
  31. It is mandatory that once you receive an Intent Letter/Offer Letter from the Company, a copy must be submitted to the Placement Office. Failing which, the end semester examination Hall Ticket/results will be withheld.
  32. All students registered for placements will be bounded by the Attendance Policy of the College. Any exception to the above is permitted only through formal approval of the Placement Office and the respective Department Heads.

WE EXPECT OUR STUDENTS TO BE PROFESSIONAL AND UPHOLD THE VALUES OF THE COLLEGE AT ALL TIMES.

For all matters not covered in the above policy, the Placement Office will use its discretion to take appropriate decisions as and when required.

The above guidelines are to ensure a smooth process in the best interest of our students and the participating companies.