"Reimagining Public Policy in Bharat: A Dharma-Based Governance Framework for Postcolonial States"

This DPhil thesis presents an innovative, ethical, and civilizational framework for public policy in postcolonial Bharat rooted in Dharma-based governance models. Synthesizing ancient philosophical traditions—Dharma, Ṛta, Rajadharma, and Dandanīti—with modern policy imperatives, it seeks to construct a hybrid policy architecture that transcends colonial-legislative legacies. Through empirical case studies (Bhutan, Nalanda, Aravalli Pact), comparative matrices (Indic–Western–Confucian–Ubuntu), and a 5-step IPCM (Indic Policy Cycle Model), this work delivers not only theoretical insights but also practical templates for implementation, decolonization, and ethical regeneration of governance. It argues that Dharma, when institutionalized with measurable indicators, can provide a universal, future-facing, and ethical framework for postcolonial governance in Bharat and beyond. Keywords Dharma, Public Policy, Rajadharma, Decolonial Governance, Indic Political Thought, Civilizational Ethics, Bharat, Comparative Political Philosophy