The Good Politician
The Good Politician is a unique 9-month experiential program that invites 50 emerging grassroots leaders to embark on a political journey together. This experience will build their political skills and the moral courage and imagination to lead political change across India, as well as create a community of future politicians.
The Good Politician is a 9-month-long executive program that is held across different locations and online, along with visits to participants in their context. The program will be held from September 2025 to April 2026.
Applications for TGP 2025-26 are now open.
Leadership development at ISD
The Good Politician is designed to nurture principled politicians who will become servant leaders. This learning journey identifies three key stages of leadership development -
Seeing the change
Understand the system, identify problems and probe into the deeper realities of politics
Being the change
Experience the lives and realities of the people we serve
Leading the change
Prepare for their future political paths, moving forward with their learning and their projects
The program is designed for active practitioners with -
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Three in-person residentials for 4 weeks in total
Three in-person residentials for 4 weeks in total
10 Days - September 2025
10 days - Nov- Dec 2025
10 Days - April 2026
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The rest of the duration is field time spent in their constituency
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Field/Constituency Visit by Team
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Online classes every month
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Residential immersion in the different parts of India
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Alumni support for 5-10 years
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Why apply to The Good Politician?
Practical on-ground live learning
A rigorous interdisciplinary curriculum
Focus on bringing change at the local level
Network with leaders across states & party lines
POLITICAL READINESS
Interdisciplinary curriculum
to build political readiness
We believe political leaders need 6 different types of capitals for success in politics. Through the program, our participants will build and leverage these capital to create meaningful change on the ground, and accelerate their political aspirations.
INTERDISCIPLINARY CURRICULUM
Curriculum that will prepare you to understand and practice principled politics
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Knowing self and peopleBuilding public narrative Forming grassroots team Social Mediation Mobilising masses Decision making and managing conflict Ethics and values Leadership Challenges and Ways Exploring biases and perceived notions around identities
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Designing political interventionsDesigning surveys & research tools Interpreting constituency data Managing a political budget Planning community projects Fundraising for campaigns Evaluating progress
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Creating change on the groundBuilding low-cost election campaigns Social media and image management Speech, argumentation, and negotiation skills Building partnerships and networks Persuasion and Mobilisation of Stakeholders Being a political worker on the ground
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Immersing in current realityIndia’s cultural and political context Understanding state and national parties Exploring the political history of India Caste, religion, and gender in politics Seeing the cultural and political conflicts Examples and models of hope
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Seeing the whole systemConstitution State and national parties Panchayati Raj system Municipal corporation/council system Working with local bureaucracy Identities like Caste, Gender, and Religion in Politics Important policies and laws for governance
Faculty & Speakers
Atishi Singh
Former CM Delhi,
Aam Aadmi Party
Asaduddin Owaisi
MP- Lok Sabha,
AIMIM
Devaji Tofa
Former Sarpanch Lekha Panchyat
Dr. Palanivel Thiaga Rajan
Minister of IT and digital services, Tamil Nadu
Dr. Sanjay Paswan
Former MP,
Bhartiya Janta Party
Mahua Moitra
Member of Parliament, TMC West Bengal
Meenakshi Natarajan
Former MP,
Indian National Congress
Nitin Gadkari
Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India
P. Sreemathy
Former MP,
Communist Party of India (M)
Vanathi Srinivasan
National President - Mahila Morcha, BJP
S. Phangnon Konyak
Member of Rajya Sabha,
Bharatiya Janata Party
Sachin Rao
Member CWC, Indian National Congress
Sanjay Singh
Member of Rajya Sabha,
Aam Aadmi Party
T V Rajesh
Former MLA Kerala CPI(M)
Yogendra Yadav
Swaraj India
... and many more political practitioners
Who are we looking for?
We are looking to find the seeds of political leadership from across the country in young leaders who -
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Are at elected positions at a Panchayat, District or Municipal level
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Are already serving in their field (party workers, student politicians, ex/current elected leaders, political action groups etc.)
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Are planning to contest elections at Panchayat, District, Municipal or Legislative level
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Are working on an alternative model of politics for more than 3 to 5 years.
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Have a strong commitment to serve all
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Have deep local political knowledge
Other Criteria
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Ages 25 - 45 years (exceptional candidates outside the bracket can be considered)
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Fluency in Hindi or English
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Stable source of financial sustenance
Fees & Contribution
Our selection process is completely merit-based. We will collectively find a way for all deserving candidates to be a part of the cohort even if they cannot pay for it.
No one will be excluded from being part of the program because of financial constraints,
We sincerely intend to make this valuable program accessible to everyone, irrespective of socio-economic status.
For those who can afford it, we invite them to consider it as an investment in yourself and your political future.
To include and support varying paying capacities we provide generous need and merit-based scholarships from 50% up to 100%. (The actual base cost incurred by ISD per participant for The Good Politician is 2 lakhs INR).
Don’t hesitate to apply now. We look forward to having you with us :)