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Despite widespread political growth and millions of people competing for government jobs, many Indian states struggle to fill public sector vacancies. Prakhar Misra, Sunil Kumar and Sumati Murli Research Fellow, is researching this paradox through a comparative study of recruitment institutions across India to uncover the institutional bottlenecks that keep key government positions vacant. His work will address the recruitment process and deepen the understanding of how institutional variations shape state capacity and public service delivery.

Meet Maanasi Marathe, a dual-degree MPH/MBA candidate at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Carey Business School, who is passionate about transforming healthcare systems through innovation, equity, and environmental sustainability. With a background in zoology and early fieldwork in wildlife conservation, she brings a unique systems-thinking approach to improving care delivery. “I’m passionate about applying a systems mindset to healthcare—bridging science, operations, and sustainability to improve both human and environmental well-being.”

In this edition, we spotlight Srujan Palkar, a Johns Hopkins SAIS graduate and Global India Fellow at the Atlantic Council, where he works at the intersection of foreign policy, strategic technology, and South Asia’s global role. From founding the South Asia Society at SAIS to shaping new conversations on India at leading policy forums in Washington, D.C., Srujan reflects on his journey, the mentors who guided him, and the foundational skills often overlooked in global policy careers.

In this op-ed published by The Hindu, Dr. Avani Prabhakar, Assistant Professor of Medicine at tJohns Hopkins School of Medicine, and Dr. Naresh Shetty, Project Director at the Niram-RIMH Palliative Care Centre in Tumukur, make the case for prioritizing palliative care within India’s health system. This specialized care remains underfunded and underutilized in India, leaving millions without the support they need.

Speaking to CNBC, Pravin Krishna, Professor of International Economics at Johns Hopkins University, explained that if negotiations fail, tariffs on Indian exports to the US could rise from around 5-7% to nearly 26%. “There’s an extraordinary amount of uncertainty at the moment,” he said. This sharp tariff increase would impact roughly $85 billion worth of Indian exports, leading to an estimated $16 billion in additional costs.

Dr. Nakul Shekhawat and his team recognize the growing need for eye care in the United States due to aging of the population and are also working to deploy a telemedicine platform developed in India to help patients in rural U.S. areas. “Every week at Wilmer, we see patients who travel several hours to receive eye care at Johns Hopkins,” Shekhawat said. “Our hope is that these novel telemedicine technologies can offer patients convenience, cost savings and improved care access while maintaining safety and quality of care.