The CSC is delighted to present the next case study in our ongoing series demonstrating the impact of Commonwealth Alumni.
This case study features Abhishek Jain, a Commonwealth Shared Scholar and development policy specialist, whose work has contributed to the transformation of India’s Public Distribution System (PDS) — the world’s largest food‑based social protection programme, reaching over 800 million people each month. 
Abhishek was awarded the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship in 2017 to study for an MSc in International Development at the University of Bath. During his studies, he developed a strong foundation in policy analysis, evaluation, and systems thinking, alongside exposure to global development perspectives and professional networks. Reflecting on his experience, Abhishek notes that the Scholarship equipped him with the analytical skills, confidence, and credibility needed to engage effectively with senior government stakeholders and contribute to evidence‑based policymaking.
I believe, through the scholarship, the opportunities and the learnings I got, shaped my career. I think it gave me a better exposure, and the learning that I had at Bath, the connections that I made. So, I think it has an impact on what I’m doing.
Since returning to India, Abhishek’s work across government, consulting, and donor‑funded initiatives has supported major national reforms. His contributions span the fortification of rice distributed through welfare schemes, the inclusion of climate‑resilient millets in public nutrition programmes, the evaluation of digital portability reforms for internal migrant populations, and the piloting of Fair Price Shops as community‑level ‘nutrition hubs’. 
Together, these initiatives have helped shift India’s food‑security agenda from a focus on calorie provision towards improved nutrition, transparency, and resilience.
Abhishek reflects that the most significant change from his Commonwealth Scholarship has been his ability to contribute to reforms that improved nutritional outcomes for millions of people.
I think the food security programme has been very impactful because of the large number of people it is impacting, 800 million. I think that is one of the programmes that has the largest impact in terms of numbers, and also the financial implication in terms of the subsidy that the government is giving.
Abhishek’s work contributes to two of the CSC’s development themes: Science and technology for development; Strengthening health systems and capacity. Abhishek is also working to address multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals. These include SDG 2 – Zero Hunger, SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-being, and SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production.
Read Abhishek Jain’s case study here.
