The gap between research and policy priorities has always presented an enormous challenge both for academics and policymakers. With a scarcity of rigorous evidence in certain areas, this gap is particularly large in the state of Bihar. To address this, International Growth Centre (IGC) India, in collaboration with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), is working to identify the current state of research and evidence in Bihar for a core set of priority sectors – Health, Agriculture, Financial Inclusion, and Gender. This exercise will enable policy stakeholders to demand more research in crucial areas and understand where new programming and investments can have the greatest impact.

The key findings are summarised in a scoping paper. The draft version can be accessed here:

www.ideasforindia.in/images/pdf/Scoping-paper-KDas-23-04-2018.pdf