Munish Sharma

GRAMA | Working with @sharanidli | Local Governance and Policy Analysis | Dharamshala, HP

[Munish Sharma @Muneesh94]

Governance is not only the govt’s responsibility, but it is also shaped by citizens, communities, and collective action.

At GRAMA, we are trying to contribute through research, systems thinking, and grassroots engagement.

Check this out -

[M.R. Sharan @sharanidli]

(1/N) Much of India still lives in its villages. Yet, everyday Indian policy rarely incorporates the voices of those who live in them.

We've spent the last few years trying to do something about that. Today, we want to introduce GRAMA. 🧵

https://t.co/xliWFGb8JT

[Munish Sharma @Muneesh94]

JEEViKA version of women empowerment in Bihar. Must read!

[Vijayendra Rao @bijurao]

Announcing a new book (Open Access), Revolution By Stealth: How Women’s Groups Catalyzed a Cultural Transformation in Bihar, Cambridge University Press, 2026 with @shrutimajumdar8 & @SanyalParomita, https://t.co/WiT2kWumk1. See this substack : https://t.co/I36xYpAiE1

[Munish Sharma @Muneesh94]

Come work with us on exciting research questions, learn from excellent mentors, and build things that matter.

Also, low-key: we are young researchers by day, and foodies + board-game lovers by night. 🎲🍜

If that sounds like your kind of team, come join us.

[GRAMA @gramagov]

📢 Now Hiring: Research Associate 📢

Come work with us across multiple projects in local governance research.

More details: https://t.co/NxuYe8S530

Last date: 21st September

@sharanidli @nandinigupta88 @siddyg88

[GRAMA @gramagov]

📢 Now Hiring: Research Associate 📢

Come work with us across multiple projects in local governance research.

More details: https://t.co/NxuYe8S530

Last date: 21st September

@sharanidli @nandinigupta88 @siddyg88

[Pranay Kotasthane @pranaykotas]

Yesterday, I was searching for the notification of a government scheme. As usual, eGazette website sucked. But then I remembered some kind soul had posted a Gazette Tracker on the AIPublicPolicy directory. Went there and instantly got it. #AIDiffusion
https://t.co/U46KmdeY7F

[Munish Sharma @Muneesh94]

Take a look if you are interested to understand local governance and decentralisation in India.

[GRAMA @gramagov]

Hey! Introducing GRAMA - a research and policy initiative working to make governance in India listen better to citizens, frontline workers, and local officials.

We do this through research and by helping government rebuild how it sees citizens.

https://t.co/NxuYe8S530

[Munish Sharma @Muneesh94]

Interesting, funny, and incredibly relevant as linguistics and technology continue to evolve.

[Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस 🌐 Public Linguist @avtansa]

Tirri, Toto, battery... I have been hearing these words for some time on Indian roads. Took a deep dive on how and where they originated.

[Abhishek Avtans अभिषेक अवतंस 🌐 Public Linguist @avtansa]

Tirri, Toto, battery... I have been hearing these words for some time on Indian roads. Took a deep dive on how and where they originated.

[Munish Sharma @Muneesh94]

@Pvsindhu1 is a legend of Indian badminton, regardless of what the results are now or in the future. It’s astonishing to see a player of her stature facing early-round exits, yet continuing to show up, compete, and fight again and again. More power to her.

[Vinayakk @vinayakkm]

Hello, hello! 👋🏻

I am starting off something new (hopefully daily, but let's see) on Substack.

What we Watched Today – with the first piece on PV Sindhu vs An Seyoung. (Of course it had to be badminton 🏸😃)

A quick note on what the idea behind it is👇🏽

[Munish Sharma @Muneesh94]

@ProjectBihar @Bihar_Museum Trust me, no second thoughts - it is one of the best.

[Munish Sharma @Muneesh94]

Once the poster boy of Hindutva in 2002, he now refuses to even be identified as a Hindu. What began as a fight for identity now stands completely hollow.

[Nargis Bano @Nargis_Bano78]

गुजरात 2002 दंगे में पोस्टर बॉय अशोक मोची ने भावुक होते हुए कहा ,

" राम भक्तो के लिये मैंने जो उस समय आक्रोश दिखाया था उसके बाद हिंदू धर्म के ठेकेदारो ने कभी मेरी मदद नहीं की , में फुटपाथ पर कमाता हूं , ऑटो रिक्शा मे सोता हूं , रहने को घर नहीं है , में उस समय अपने आपको हिंदू मानता था लेकिन अब में अपने को हिंदू नहीं मानता " ,

[Munish Sharma @Muneesh94]

People living near the mountains are witnessing a stark transformation - peaks that were once snow-covered year-round are mostly now bare sometimes in winters as well.
It is deeply unsettling.
I have seen this change unfold firsthand.
STATE and PEOPLE both are responsible.

[Hridayesh Joshi @hridayeshjoshi]

100 Smart Cities or 100 Heat Islands? 🏙️🔥

In 2015, India dreamt of a tech-led urban revolution. In 2026, we are trapped in concrete "Hotspots."

I talk to activist Anil Sood @anil0420 about the massive failure of the Smart City Mission and our faulty urban planning.

Link in Comment

[Munish Sharma @Muneesh94]

One of the greats of the game.
Perfection in style!

[Devyanshi Bihani @devyanshibihani]

Axelson the Great: a reign without unfinished business

https://t.co/TZ0oXmzZOJ

[Munish Sharma @Muneesh94]

Splitting of panchayats under delimitation is in the hands of the ruling party! 🙄

[Supriya Sharma @sharmasupriya]

Heard of a panchayat that's represented by three MLAs and two MPs?

It exists in Assam.

One of the many absurd outcomes of the 2023 delimitation.

[Munish Sharma @Muneesh94]

Concerning!

[Piyush Rai @Benarasiyaa]

Himalayan snow cover has fallen to 27.8% below normal in 2026, the lowest in over 2 decades, raising concerns about water security for nearly two billion people.

[Gill Clark aka Oma Gill @OmaGillClark]

Champions don’t train to fit in; they train to stand out.

And there’s absolutely no doubt Viktor Axelsen stood out. Not just by his results, but also both physically and professionally he was head and shoulders above the rest. Physically he’s a giant of a man at 1.94m (6’ 4”) but he also raised the bar and redefined what professionalism means in the sport of #badminton.

Never had anyone explored every avenue so thoroughly in their pursuit of personal excellence. Every tiny detail was considered with no stone left unturned in his endless desire to be the best he could possibly be.

Like most athletes, success didn’t come easily. But after winning his first Superseries (SS) title while contesting his 7th SS final, the floodgates opened as confidence grew and belief blossomed. He played another 38 SS or #WorldTour finals winning a staggering 31 of them.

But it was perhaps his ability to turn setbacks into opportunities and find solutions to problems which also made him stand out. A trait exemplified during the global pandemic. He used the enforced lockdown to his advantage, working on his physical conditioning. When tournaments resumed many players struggled, but Viktor emerged leaner, fitter, faster and even more hungry for success. For the next 4 years he dominated the discipline.

With the realisation and acceptance his back injury has forced his career to come to an end, his retirement post epitomised his thoughtful professionalism. Apart from the acknowledgements of support, it was reflective, honest and moving.

I suspect there are very few athletes who can retire content in the knowledge they honestly did everything possible to achieve their goals, that they could not have done more. That they really did fulfil their potential. It appears Axelsen is at peace, because he did precisely that.

He’s said he felt grateful and privileged for his career, that he “gave everything and got more back than he could ever have imagined”.

Viktor Axelsen wasn’t content to fit in. He wanted to stand out. He had the courage to do things differently, to do what he believed in. And the result, one of the greatest champions the sport has ever seen.

📷@badmintonphoto

[Munish Sharma @Muneesh94]

Exciting opportunity for those passionate about understanding local governance and environment issues in South Asia!

Ideal for someone with a Master's in Economics and strong quantitative skills.

[M.R. Sharan @sharanidli]

📢We’re hiring!!📢

Apply to work with Sid George (NUS), Martin Mattson (NUS) and me (UMD) on exciting new research work!

🧪 Data + fieldwork
📍 India and/or Singapore
📅 Start: Mar–Jun 2026

Details: https://t.co/L0HUO6WTdx

Form: https://t.co/FAIolXyEuZ

@siddyg88

[M.R. Sharan @sharanidli]

Anyone here who could put me in touch with someone in the Department of Panchayats and Rural Development in West Bengal? Looking to connect on a research question for an excellent grad student.

[Munish Sharma @Muneesh94]

MGNREGA increases both efficiency and equity. This itself shows how important and relevant this policy is.

[M.R. Sharan @sharanidli]

What did the MNREGA achieve over two decades and how does the VB - G RAM G “reform” change what an employment guarantee is?

I spoke with the excellent Suman Joshi for All Things Policy about why this matters, for rural work, welfare, social movements and local democracy.

[M.R. Sharan @sharanidli]

What did the MNREGA achieve over two decades and how does the VB - G RAM G “reform” change what an employment guarantee is?

I spoke with the excellent Suman Joshi for All Things Policy about why this matters, for rural work, welfare, social movements and local democracy.