Our History

Policy Change initiative(PCI) is the brainchild of Ajay Kumar Gautam. Though practically, it all began during the summer of 2014 when he, enrolled as a PhD Candidate at the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) after completing his Masters in public administration from Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi. The vibrant discussions at University and the exchange of cultures and ideas with diverse people in the campus, thought-provoking social and political discussions, and more importantly, the policy debates at JNU consolidate his interest in governance and policy and all contributed massively in conceptualizing the reverent idea of establishing a public policy think tank.

Founder Background

But Actually, the genesis to change was already founded in his background. He was born in the destitute family and lived an indigent life. Both of his parents were uneducated and was pushing hard to come out of poverty and bearing four children. Each and every member of the family was engaged in some sort of work to earn bread and butter daily and eat daily. Hence, the condition was, if one would not work daily, one can not eat daily. Throughout his childhood, he helped his parents, like selling vegetables, tea, shoe, spices in the weekly markets of Ghaziabad, he even, used to pull rickshaw full of stuff every day from the age of eight. His en route to Policy Change Initiative (PCI) has been of struggles and sacrifice. An ardent lover of education Ajay always believed that education should not be mean to become qualified degree holder to apply for a job only. This process does not do justice to what mandates a true education.

How tough was the education to him?

Though education has been an important part of his journey but to acquire education has been quite tough. Owing to lack of money, he struggles to get a regular primary education and often had to leave school for not paying his fees. But, once a child in the market selling shoe and trying to speak in English to his client to persuade him to buy a shoe fetched the attention of missionaries father, who was roaming around. Father asked him, Do you go to school, he said, yes I used to but not these days. Father asked him to join his small poor children classes. He said, he will but his own father did not give him permission to join. His father told him if you will go to school, who will do your work. As he was always interested in books, he used to read books in his free time in the market only.

Role of JRD TATA and Missionary in his Life?

Once, when he was around 12 or 13, he first picked a book on JRD’s life. He didn’t even know who JRD was but he got so involved in his life stories that he red all the books available with the book vendor. He wanted to read more on JRD Tata’s life but when he asked the book vendor he replied, I have just a few books in Hindi but if you can read there are lot many in English, if you want, I can bring it for you. The 12-year-old curious child asks him to bring more.

Though he could read English with a little difficulty but was quite weak in comprehending the language. Which reminded him missionary,  He approached the sister and the father of a missionary school to understand the meanings of the book. They used to help him to comprehend the language succinctly.  Off late, he started going regularly to learn the meaning of the books he was reading and started his formal education from class ninth. After a period of time, he realized he is much better than other children of his locality in terms of reading and speaking English and with the help of the father, he could complete his senior secondary education with paying the minimum amount of fees.

To him, the real purpose of education is to give back to humanity whatever knowledge you have acquired and learned. This platitude is greatly influenced by JRD Tata’s vision of giving back to society, whom Ajay considers change maker of his life. 

The most important thing in his life has been his avid admiration in the philosophy of JRD Tata. JRD Tata’s vision has governed and guided him all through his life. Even the mandate to established The Change Foundation is greatly influenced in the words of JRD Tata when he said, “I do not want India to be an economic superpower, I want India to be a happy country.” This is what the organization wants to do, i.e., giving people the right to better lives. This can only be imagined when we have sound and efficient public policy.

He says,  only one who experienced can explain better and life has versed me to bring change and give the solution.

The Policy Change Initiative – India started in 2016 as a network of research scholar working in the field of public policy and governance and was formally institutionalized under The Change Foundation (A registered trust in New Delhi) in 2018. Why change the foundation? Why not any other name? As an organization, we believe that “By changing policies, we can change lives and subsequently change society”.