Public policy as a career: what the work is, the degrees that lead to it, and how to try it at school

What does policy work involve, day to day?

One plain official account of the job is GOV.UK’s page for the UK civil service’s policy profession. It describes the UK’s own staff, not India’s rules, but it names the tasks clearly. Policy professionals there work across government to understand problems, develop practical solutions and advise ministers. By that page, they typically:

• understand complex issues using evidence and insight;
• develop and assess options, including costs, risks and impacts;
• work with ministers and others to shape decisions;
• support delivery, so that the policy can work in practice;
• learn and improve from feedback and evaluation.

The same page says policy covers areas from public services such as education and health to national challenges such as economic growth, climate change and security. A UK policy role usually includes one or more specialisms: advising and briefing, policy design, policy delivery and implementation, strategy, and legislation development.

In India, one window on the same kind of work is legislative research. PRS Legislative Research, which describes itself as an independent, not-for-profit group, runs the LAMP Fellowship. It gives a Fellow the chance to be mentored by a Member of Parliament for 10 to 11 months, subject to the Parliamentary calendar. The Fellow’s main task is research support to the MP they are assigned to.

PRS says the tasks may include legislative research, data analysis, framing parliamentary questions, research for standing committee meetings and drafting Private Member Bills, on topics as varied as defence, food security, environment, economics and foreign affairs. On both pages, the policy worker supports someone else with research. On the UK page, that is a minister; for a LAMP Fellow, it is the Member of Parliament.

What is a public policy course, and what does it teach?

A public policy course teaches how to study a public problem and weigh what a government could do about it, drawing on several subjects at once. National Law School of India University’s page for its Master’s Programme in Public Policy says the field requires understanding administrative procedures, constitutional norms and a case-based understanding of how governments think and act.

That programme draws on the social sciences, the humanities and multi-method research, with field projects and internships. Jagran Lakecity University’s BA (Hons) Public Policy combines political science, economics, public administration, law, data analysis and development studies; its core subjects include the Indian Constitution, public finance, digital governance, urban policy and climate policy.

The Kautilya School of Public Policy’s minor begins with Fundamentals of Public Policy, Data for Public Policy and Economics for Public Policy. O.P. Jindal Global University’s M.A. Public Policy combines economics, law, political theory and data analysis with field exposure and research training. Abroad, the core courses of Duke University’s BA in Public Policy include Introduction to Policy Analysis, Policy Choice as Value Conflict and Applied Statistics for Public Policy.

The Australian National University says its Bachelor of Public Policy is designed to develop the skills to gather and analyse economic, demographic and social data, to evaluate public policies and programmes, and to take part in policy design, advocacy and communication. Data work appears on most of these course lists, beside law and government, so a student who avoids numbers should know that before choosing a policy degree.

Which degrees lead to policy work, in India and abroad?

The pages read offer three kinds of route: a bachelor’s degree in public policy, a minor taken beside another degree, and a master’s after a first degree. None of these degrees is a requirement for policy work, and none is a promise of it.

Some of the same schools teach neighbouring subjects. The Jindal School of Government and Public Policy lists a B.A. (Hons.) in Philosophy, Politics & Economics and a B.Sc. / B.A. Economics (Hons.), each of four years, beside its M.A. Public Policy.

Degrees and one minor with public policy in their name, from the university’s own page read on 13 November 2026: one to three per route, to show how the routes differ. Not a ranking and not a full list; rows alphabetical within each route; no fees, which change each intake.

Does a student need humanities, or a policy degree, first?

No, on the pages read. Jagran Lakecity University’s BA (Hons) Public Policy takes 10+2 in any stream: Arts, Commerce or Science. At master’s level, NLSIU’s MPP is open to students and professionals with any graduate degree. O.P. Jindal Global University asks for a bachelor’s degree from a UGC-recognised university, and Oxford’s Blavatnik School welcomes applications from all academic disciplines.

GOV.UK’s page says people come into policy from many different backgrounds, and that the UK’s Government Policy Fast Stream is open to degree holders in any subject. No master’s page read here asks for a first degree in public policy.

The civil services show a spread of fields too. The Press Information Bureau (PIB), in its highlights of the 2025 Civil Services Examination result, says the educational qualifications of the top 25 successful candidates range across graduation in engineering, humanities, science, commerce, law, medical science and mass media. That is a range of fields, not advice on which degree to pick.

So the stream in Class 11 can follow what the student does well and enjoys. A school counsellor can help weigh that against the student’s other plans.

Where do policy jobs and internships come from in India?

In government, the Union Public Service Commission’s Civil Services Examination recommends candidates for appointment to the Indian Administrative Service, the Indian Foreign Service, the Indian Police Service and the Central Services, Group A and Group B. PIB’s release of the 2025 final result, dated 6 March 2026, lists these services.

The examination’s age and degree rules are not quoted here; a family should read them in the Commission’s own notice for the year.

For students already at university, there is the NITI Internship Scheme of NITI Aayog, India’s policy think tank. According to the Government of India’s myScheme page for the scheme, it takes students working towards undergraduate, graduate or postgraduate degrees, as well as research scholars, at a recognised university or institution in India or abroad.

An undergraduate becomes eligible after completing or appearing in the second-year, or fourth-semester, exams, with not less than 85% or equivalent marks in Class 12. Applications are taken online only, from the 1st to the 10th of each month.

Interns, the page says, have an opportunity to contribute to policy formulation with inputs such as empirical analysis, briefing reports and policy papers, in domains that include agriculture, economics, governance and water resources. The internship is unpaid and lasts at least six weeks and not more than six months.

One Young India runs a simulation of this body. Model NITI Aayog is an independent educational programme. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or associated with NITI Aayog or any government body. Our explainer covers what NITI Aayog does.

After a degree, PRS’s LAMP Fellowship, with its research for a Member of Parliament, is open to candidates aged 25 or below with at least a bachelor’s degree in any academic discipline; only Indian citizens are eligible.

Outside central government, the UK civil service’s page names academics, local government, think tanks and charities among the people its policy staff work with. The only lists of Indian employers on the pages read are universities’ own alumni and placement claims, so none is offered here.

How can a school student test the interest before choosing?

Three ways follow. They are our suggestions, not any institution’s rule, and each shows which part of the work holds the student: reading the documents, arguing a case, or writing for someone who has to decide.

1. Follow one live question through its documents

The student chooses a question in the news that has left a paper trail: a bill, the report of a parliamentary committee on it, or the page where a scheme sets out its rules. The task is to read those documents, not only the coverage of them, and to note who proposed what, what the committee asked, and what the rules say.

Our explainers on how a bill becomes law in India, and on how Parliament’s committees work, show where each document sits. A parent can help by asking one question at dinner: what does the document itself say?

2. Argue the side the student did not pick

Many policy questions have people for and against, each citing evidence. The student picks a side, then switches: finds sources that back the other side, argues it aloud, and then answers the strongest point from the side first picked. A school debate is the simplest stage for it.

A youth parliament gives the same practice with Parliament’s procedure. On the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs’ NYPS portal, the Kishore Sabha is the tier for school students from Class VI to XII, who take part with their principal’s approval.

3. Write one page for a named reader

Briefing is one of the specialisms on the UK civil service’s list, and a brief is written for someone who has to decide. The student writes a one-page policy brief for a named reader, such as the principal on a school rule or a ward councillor on a road outside the school: the problem, the evidence, the options with their costs, and one recommendation.

A teacher or a parent then reads it as that reader would and asks what is missing. Our guide to public policy programmes and competitions for school students describes competitions that ask for such briefs.

What to notice afterwards

Which part held the student matters more than how well it went. A student drawn to the documents may look harder at the courses heavy on law, data and research methods. One drawn to the argument may look for debate and communication in a syllabus. One drawn to the brief is already doing what the UK page calls advising and briefing.

If none of the three held the student, that is worth knowing too, before choosing a degree built on this work.

Where One Young India fits

We run programmes in this area, so weigh this section with that in mind.

The programme we run in this field is One Young India’s Model NITI Aayog, a simulation of NITI Aayog, India’s policy think tank, built around policy analysis and evidence-based research. Model NITI Aayog is an independent educational programme. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or associated with NITI Aayog or any government body. It is for students in Grades 8 to 12 interested in policy, economics and politics.

It is a 16-hour online certificate bootcamp over four days on Zoom, fully live and interactive, not recorded. The dates and fee are on the programme page.

One Young India’s programme includes the self-paced course, 41 chapters in four parts, about 18 hours at the student’s own pace, and a year of Learnacy Essential. Learnacy Essential pays for the tools, the courses and the feedback. It never buys acceptance. The course comes with the live Model NITI Aayog programme, not with Learnacy Essential. Read the first chapter free.

Every participant writes an original white paper, a Model Policy Document, submitted within a month of the bootcamp. Select papers are published by One Young India. Publication depends on review and is not guaranteed.

The page’s scholarship answer: “Yes. Scholarships are awarded on merit: use ‘Request a scholarship’ below, tick ‘Apply for a merit scholarship’, and write one white paper on our brief.” It adds: “We never ask about family finances.”

Refunds follow our Refunds & Cancellations page.

Before paying, a parent can use “Questions first? Register your interest”: “No payment is taken here, this just starts a conversation.” Our team usually replies within a working day.

PolicyForHer, which One Young India also runs, is a case-study policy-making competition for girls in Grades 9 to 12, anywhere in the world, held fully online and free to enter. Its page asks girls to register their interest (“Register your interest”).

None of this is a promise of a degree place, an internship or a job. The table sets the three ways beside the programme’s own page.

Way to test the interest	What the programme’s own page says (One Young India)
1. Follow one live question through its documents	“Evidence-based research” is among the activities, and Research and Analysis is the second of the four sessions. On how India makes policy, the course runs from the policy cycle and writing a white paper to the economy, the Union Budget and governance. Which documents does the student read, and how does the white paper cite them? The page does not state this; ask before paying.
2. Argue the side the student did not pick	The page lists moderated debate among the activities, and debates and a crisis simulation across the four days. Does the student argue both sides, each from its own sources? The page does not state this; ask before paying.
3. Write one page for a named reader	An original white paper, a Model Policy Document, submitted within a month of the bootcamp, and a panel for the student’s pitch. Publication depends on review and is not guaranteed. Who marks the white paper, and does feedback on it come in writing? The page does not state this; ask before paying.
The name	Model NITI Aayog is an independent educational programme. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or associated with NITI Aayog or any government body.

Common questions

Is public policy a good career?

This guide gives no verdict and no pay figures, only what the work asks. GOV.UK’s page for the UK civil service lists understanding complex issues using evidence, assessing options with their costs, risks and impacts, and working with others to shape decisions. PRS’s tasks for LAMP Fellows may include data analysis and drafting Private Member Bills. The three ways above can help show whether that suits the student.

Which public policy courses are there in Delhi?

Among the pages read, IIT Delhi’s School of Public Policy runs a Master’s in Public Policy (MPP) in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) and Development, launched in June 2021, with admissions once a year before the summer break, and a PhD in Public Policy. O.P. Jindal Global University, in the table, gives its campus address in Sonipat, Haryana. IIT Delhi’s is the only Delhi page read for this guide.

Can a student study public policy straight after Class 12?

Yes, on some of the pages read. Jagran Lakecity University’s BA (Hons) Public Policy takes 10+2 in any stream, and the Kautilya School of Public Policy’s minor adds eight policy courses to a GITAM undergraduate’s degree. Otherwise any first degree can come first: NLSIU’s MPP takes students and professionals with any graduate degree.

How does someone become a policy maker in India?

This guide covers routes into policy work, not elected office. In government, the Union Public Service Commission’s Civil Services Examination recommends candidates for appointment to services that include the Indian Administrative Service. In research, PRS’s LAMP Fellowship takes Indian citizens aged 25 or below with at least a bachelor’s degree, and the internship scheme described above takes students already pursuing a degree.

What is an MPP?

A Master of Public Policy, a graduate degree in the field. On the pages read, NLSIU’s runs two years and takes any graduate degree. Oxford’s Blavatnik School runs an intensive one-year MPP, for applicants usually with at least two years of professional experience. O.P. Jindal Global University’s one-year M.A. Public Policy sets no work experience requirement.

Sources

Every outside page below was read on 13 November 2026.

1. GOV.UK, Policy Profession (UK Civil Service), About us.
2. PRS Legislative Research, Role of a LAMP and LAMP Fellowship, Eligibility.
3. National Law School of India University, Master’s Programme in Public Policy.
4. IIT Delhi, School of Public Policy, Academics.
5. O.P. Jindal Global University, Jindal School of Government and Public Policy, Courses and M.A. Public Policy.
6. Jagran Lakecity University, BA (Hons) Public Policy.
7. Kautilya School of Public Policy, Minor in Public Policy.
8. Duke University, Sanford School of Public Policy, BA in Public Policy.
9. The Australian National University, Bachelor of Public Policy.
10. University of Oxford, Blavatnik School of Government, Master of Public Policy and How to apply to the MPP.
11. Government of India, myScheme, NITI Internship Scheme.
12. Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, NYPS portal, Guidelines for Institution Participation.
13. Press Information Bureau, Union Public Service Commission, Civil Services Examination, 2025 (final result, 6 March 2026) and Civil Services Examination (CSE), 2025 Result Highlights (6 March 2026).
14. One Young India, the policy programme’s page, the self-paced course’s first chapter, PolicyForHer and Refunds & Cancellations.

Related

• Public policy programmes and competitions for Indian high school students
• How to write a policy brief
• Youth parliament at school: how it works in India and how to prepare
• How a bill becomes law in India
• How Parliament’s committees work
• Political science and governance, in our hub
• More on policy and civic literacy
• More for parents