Kautilya Colloquy 2026

Policy Pathways: From Roots to Routes

About the Event

Kautilya Colloquy is the flagship academic conference of the Kautilya School of Public Policy, designed to convene scholars, researchers, policymakers and practitioners in a discourse on critical questions of governance and public policy.

The 2026 edition focuses on how policy evolves across time, shaped by inherited decisions, present-day choices and paths not taken. Under the theme Policy Pathways : From Roots to Routes, this year's conference invites participants to trace the historical logic embedded in contemporary governance and imagine alternative policy futures.

Experience

Conference Highlights

📄

Paper Presentations

Selected participants submit full-length research papers and present their work before scholars, practitioners and peers, followed by interactive discussions and Q&A sessions.

Academic Research

🧩

Niti-In-Quest

A fast-paced policy quiz challenging participants to crack clues, connect ideas and think on their feet through current affairs, pop culture and public policy.

Quiz Competition

🎥

Policy Play

A national vlog competition that brings storytelling into the world of public policy, connecting local realities with larger policy conversations.

Storytelling & Creativity

Join Kautilya Colloquy 2026

Why Participate?

Intellectual Exchange

Engage with scholars, researchers and policymakers in rigorous debates on governance and public policy.

Dynamic Experiences

Participate in events that recognize analytical depth and innovative thinking.

Build Your Network

Connect with peers and experts across disciplines and foster meaningful collaborations.

Present & Publish

Showcase your work on a national platform and explore publication opportunities.

Call For Participation

Open to Students, Researchers and Professionals

Share your vision, showcase your work and engage with ideas that matter most in governance today.

All Participants will receive:

✓ Certificate of Participation

✓ Policy Networking Sessions

adas27@kspp.edu.in achoudhu27@kspp.edu.in

Academic Track

Paper Presentations

Download Call for Papers

Paper presentations are a central component of Colloquy, where selected participants submit a full-length research paper and present their work during the conference. Each research presentation is delivered, followed by a Q&A session, allowing for academic discussion, feedback and engagement with scholars, practitioners and peers.

The theme Policy Pathways: From Roots to Routes encourages research that traces these trajectories to understand how certain futures become possible while others are foreclosed. Colloquy seeks submissions that critically engage with the past, interrogate the present, and imagine alternative policy futures.

Approaches to the Theme

Yesterday

Inherited Futures

The Weight of Yesterday

Examines how early policy choices and institutional legacies continue to shape modern governance and constrain present possibilities.

Today

Scrying Futures

The Lock-Ins of Today

Explores how current policy decisions create long-term trajectories and self-reinforcing systems that may limit future freedoms.

Future

Looking Glass

The Spectre of Untaken Paths

Revisits moments where alternative policy pathways were possible, challenging the inevitability of history and opening new futures.

Publication & Recognition

Kautilya Working Paper Series

Selected best papers will be considered for publication in the Kautilya Working Paper Series subject to revisions.

Cash Prizes

The top two papers will receive cash prizes and special recognition.

Niti-In-Quest

Concept Note

A QR code. A pothole. A ration card. A protest slogan. A meme. Everyday India is full of clues. Niti-In-Quest asks one question: Can you spot the policy hiding in plain sight?

From politics to pop culture, from courtrooms to classrooms, from cinema to civic life, this event transforms everyday India into a puzzle. It combines the excitement of a quiz with the intelligence of public policy.

Event Format

Live Qualifier

All registered teams will participate in a fast-paced qualifying round. Participants will be tested on:

Quick Recall
Observation Skills
Current Affairs
Policy Basics
Connecting Ideas

Finale

Shortlisted teams move to the main stage where they encounter:

Rapid Questions
Visual Clues
Audio Clues
Policy Puzzles
Audience Engagement

Debate-Based Final Rounds

The final two rounds are designed to test how teams think through policy dilemmas, understand trade-offs, represent stakeholder concerns and respond to real-world crisis situations.

What To Expect

Quick Questions

Image-based Clues

Sound-based Clues

Pop Culture References

Current Affairs

Real World Situations

This is not just about knowing the right answer. It is about speed, instinct, teamwork, judgement and the ability to think on your feet.

Registration Details

Registration Fee

₹250

Per Participant

Team Size

2 Members

Date

26 Sept 2026

Rules

Each team must have 2 members.

Use of phones or internet during quiz rounds will not be allowed.

Quizmaster's decision will be final.

Judged rounds will evaluate clarity, reasoning, teamwork and policy judgement.

Any malpractice may lead to disqualification.

Contact

rbhaskar27@kspp.edu.in

Policy Play

Concept Note

Every policy creates a story. A village adapting to water scarcity. A small business navigating regulation. A community responding to climate change. A citizen experiencing the effects of digital governance.

Public policy is not only written in documents and debates. It is lived through people, places, decisions and experiences.

The Policy Play is a national vlog competition that brings storytelling into the world of public policy and invites participants to explore how policies are understood, implemented, experienced and challenged in everyday life.

This is not just about making a video. It is about finding stories that matter, asking meaningful questions and bringing public policy to life through storytelling.

Storylines

Leadership, Governance and Institutions

Stories shaped by leadership, governance systems, public administration, institutions, civic participation, accountability and decision-making.

Economy, Markets and Development

Stories shaped by economic policy, trade, entrepreneurship, markets and development.

Sustainability and Environmental Futures

Stories shaped by climate action, sustainability, SDGs and environmental governance.

Geopolitics, Security and Global Affairs

Stories shaped by diplomacy, strategy, security, culture and identity.

Technology and Digital Society

Stories shaped by AI, cybersecurity, digital governance and innovation.

Event Format

Single-Round Online Competition

Participants will submit completed vlogs through the designated portal. Entries will be evaluated by a panel of judges assigned to the relevant storyline categories.