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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.

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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 - 

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Seeing the change

Understand the system, identify problems and probe into the deeper realities of politics 

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Being the change

Experience the lives and realities of the people we serve

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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 - 

  • 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

  • The rest of the duration is field time spent in their constituency

  • Field/Constituency Visit by Team
     

  • Online classes every month

  • Residential immersion in the different parts of India 
     

  • Alumni support for 5-10 years 

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Why apply to The Good Politician?

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Practical on-ground live learning

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A rigorous interdisciplinary curriculum

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Focus on bringing change at the local level

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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.

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INTERDISCIPLINARY CURRICULUM

Curriculum that will prepare you to understand and practice principled politics 

  • Knowing self and people
    Building 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
  • Designing political interventions
    Designing surveys & research tools Interpreting constituency data Managing a political budget Planning community projects Fundraising for campaigns Evaluating progress
  • Creating change on the ground
    Building 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
  • Immersing in current reality
    India’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
  • Seeing the whole system
    Constitution 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
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Faculty & Speakers

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Atishi Singh

Former CM Delhi,

Aam Aadmi Party

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Asaduddin Owaisi
MP- Lok Sabha,

AIMIM

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Devaji Tofa

Former Sarpanch Lekha Panchyat

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Dr. Palanivel Thiaga Rajan

Minister of IT and digital services, Tamil Nadu

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Dr. Sanjay Paswan

Former MP,

Bhartiya Janta Party

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Mahua Moitra

Member of Parliament, TMC West Bengal

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Meenakshi Natarajan

Former MP,

Indian National Congress

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Nitin Gadkari

Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India

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P. Sreemathy

Former MP,

Communist Party of India (M)

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Vanathi Srinivasan 

National President - Mahila Morcha, BJP

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S. Phangnon Konyak

Member of Rajya Sabha,

Bharatiya Janata Party

Sachin Rao

Member CWC, Indian National Congress

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Sanjay Singh

Member of Rajya Sabha,

Aam Aadmi Party

T V Rajesh

Former MLA Kerala CPI(M)

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Yogendra Yadav

Swaraj India

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 ... 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 -

  • Are at elected positions at a Panchayat, District or Municipal level
     

  • Are already serving in their field (party workers, student politicians, ex/current elected leaders, political action groups etc.)
     

  • Are planning to contest elections at Panchayat, District, Municipal or Legislative level

  • Are working on an alternative model of politics for more than 3 to 5 years. 

  • Have a strong commitment to serve all
     

  • Have deep local political knowledge

Other Criteria

  • Ages 25 - 45 years (exceptional candidates outside the bracket can be considered)
     

  • Fluency in Hindi or English
     

  • Stable source of financial sustenance

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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 :)

Highlights of TGP 2022, 2023 & 2024

TGP 2022

TGP 2023

TGP 2024

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