Leveraging data for educational equity: Evidence uptake for increased administrative resource allocation in the most deprived division of Karnataka (India)

• In Event: Evidence on evidence uptake across the education ecosystem: Parents, teachers, nongovernmental organisations and policymakers

Proposal

Kalaburagi is the least developed division in the Indian state of Karnataka, with the lowest literacy rates, income levels, and life expectancy. It also has the fewest middle-tier officers despite being the poorest – a critical capacity gap for implementing government foundational education programmes. This paper examines how a data-driven advocacy project addressed this gap and secured increased administrative resources for the division after an initial request was denied. The division’s Additional Commissioner of Public Instructions led a data-driven advocacy project that developed a comprehensive Deprivation Index to demonstrate Kalaburagi’s deprivation relative to other divisions in the state. This included systematic data collection across multiple deprivation indicators, technical validation with experts, stakeholder engagement to incorporate contextually relevant parameters, and sustained advocacy through multiple presentations to senior decision-makers. Later in the process, collaborators from a university came alongside the Additional Commissioner as critical friends who provided technical input and contributed to ongoing reflection and iteration. Four success factors emerged as being key to supporting evidence uptake. First, the Index made abstract deprivation tangible and urgent, building consensus where general acknowledgment had failed. Second, data alone was insufficient; mobilising diverse stakeholders including politicians, the regional development board, and other members of the bureaucracy was essential for translating evidence into policy change. Third, sustained advocacy through repeated engagements proved necessary; once-off presentations to senior officials are often insufficient. Finally, technical rigor and academic backing of the Index established its credibility ahead of presenting it to senior officials. This evidence-driven advocacy approach demonstrates that systematic data presentation combined with targeted stakeholder engagement and sustained advocacy can overcome entrenched resource allocation patterns, offering a template for evidence-based policy advocacy.

Author

• Akash Shankar, Government of India