About us

Policy Advisory and Network for Joint Progress (PANJ) Foundation is a non-partisan independent research think-tank based out of Punjab, India. PANJ was established in February 2024 and is registered as a not-for-profit under Section 8 of the Companies Act and has a provisional 80G/12AA certification.

We provide research-based inputs and consultations to ensure socio-economic growth of Punjab. By working as a collaborative front for initiating institutional and policy reform in the state of Punjab, we use our connection and familiarity with the lands of Punjab to inform reforms that ensure greatest benefits for its citizens. Through research, we aim at informing policy and institutional reform recommendations. 

Our approach involves thorough examination, analysis, and elaboration of political, economic, and legal considerations. Our analysis is rooted in a well-rounded understanding of the state-context. Our public policy outputs are research and evidence driven, providing pragmatic and innovative solutions. Currently, we have limited our focus to identifying policy and regulatory roadblocks to growth in three areas—sustainable resource management, development, and governance. 

Our core activities 

To the end of ensuring a better Punjab, we generate insights on issues pertinent to Punjab. We are focused  particularly in the areas of sustainable resource management, governance, and development, and use the insights from research and analysis to influence policy decisions. At present PANJ operates across three verticals namely: 

1. Policy Research: Under this initiative we are involved in researching issues and themes specific to Punjab which are critical in shaping policy discourse of the state. Further, we envision providing advisory & consultancy services to the state government to arrive at better suited reforms for the people. As a part of this idea, we intend to take up a project on the Agro-processing sector in Punjab over the next three years.

2. Legislative Support: Research support and legislative aid are essential instruments that enable legislators to function efficiently. An analysis of the 16th Punjab Legislative Assembly from 2022 – till present, reveals a stark difference in the legislative performance of Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs)  from Punjab compared to the other states. Per data, the average number of questions asked by Punjab’s MLAs since 2021 is only 18 during each session of the house, against a total of 117 members. PANJ foundation is creating a P-LAB (Punjab Legislative Assistance Bank), which would comprise young researchers, who will provide legislative and policy aid to MLAs. P-LAB Fellows will primarily aim to fill this void in order to address the research vacuum that an MLA faces in their day to day functioning. 

3. Policy Advocacy: As a youth-led organisation, we aim to advance a network of young professionals and youth organisations to develop a forum for discussing the challenges faced by Punjab through different mediums like podcasts, young researcher symposium, and stakeholder consultations.