Saxena Center for Contemporary South Asia

Yamini Aiyar is currently Senior Visiting Fellow, Saxena Center for Contemporary South Asia and Watson Institute, Brown University. She was the President and Chief Executive of the Centre for Policy Research, a leading multidisciplinary think tank in New Delhi from 2017-2024. Yamini's work sits at the intersection of research and policy practice. During her tenure she spearheaded the establishment of two important new research initiatives within CPR on State capacity and Politics. Prior to becoming President she set up the Accountability Initiative at CPR known for its work on governance, social accountability and expenditure tracking in social Policy. Yamini's research interests span the fields of contemporary politics, state capacity, welfare policy, federalism and India's political economy. Yamini sits on a number of boards and advisory committees of research centers and non-profits. Her recent policy commitments include:  Advisory Committee, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University; Member, United Nations Committee of the Experts on Public Administration; Council Member, United Nations University, Member; Chief Minister’s Rajasthan Economic Transformation Advisory Council (2022-2023); Member, Expert Group to Recommend Medium - Long Term Post Covid Strategy for Punjab, Government of Punjab (2021-22);  General Body Member, Delhi Board of School Education, Government of Delhi; Advisory Board, Ashank Desai Centre for Policy Studies, Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai.  Yamini has published widely both in academic and current affairs journals and newspapers including the Economist, Foreign Affairs, Journal of Democracy, Indian Express, The Hindu. She has a regular column in the Hindustan Times and Deccan Herald, two leading mainstream newspapers in India. Her forthcoming book, "Lessons in State Capacity from Delhi Schools" will be published in October 2024 by Oxford University Press.