Advanced Study Institute of Asia at SGT University

MediaNama recently featured Shivani Singh in an in-depth interview titled “NHRC issues notice to #MeitY over lapses in children’s data protection on major online platforms.” The conversation situates the recent intervention by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) within the broader discourse on accountability and safeguards for children’s data in India’s digital ecosystem. Shivani’s insights draw from ASIA’s DPDP report, which follows a pre-enforcement gap assessment approach. The methodology enables early identification of gaps, offering both regulators and stakeholders clarity on areas that require preparedness ahead of full enforcement. The report specifically evaluates publicly available information and disclosures related to children’s data privacy, highlighting critical areas for policy and compliance attention. https://lnkd.in/gQpdJtjg Shivani Singh Sonal Lalwani

Pleased to share that ASIA Deputy Director Abhilasha Semwal has published an important piece in The Hindu: “From ASHA to AI: Who Pays the Price of India’s Digital Health Push?” At a time when India is rapidly advancing its digital health infrastructure, the article raises a critical question—who bears the cost of this transformation? It powerfully highlights how frontline workers, particularly ASHA and Anganwadi workers, remain central to the system, yet increasingly burdened by “dashboard governance,” where data entry and performance metrics risk overtaking care and community engagement. The piece underscores a key insight: technology itself is not the issue—the design, incentives, and accountability structures around it are. I encourage you to read the full article and share your thoughts. https://lnkd.in/g4yySgdZ The Hindu Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW)

ASIA’s latest policy report on DPDP Compliance in Respect to Children’s Data (2026) arrives at a critical juncture, as governments and courts across the world converge on a common concern: the impact of digital platforms on children. Read our report here https://lnkd.in/gGP-xGHK On March 25, two significant developments underscored this shift. A California jury verdict established that algorithmic features—such as infinite scroll, autoplay, and notification engineering—can amount to negligent product design when targeted at children. On the same day, India’s NHRC issued notices raising similar concerns, reflecting parallel anxieties within distinct legal frameworks. This aligns closely with the ASIA report’s interpretation of Section 9(3) of the DPDP framework: that behavioural tracking and engagement-driven personalisation directed at children are not merely to be regulated—but fundamentally restricted. At the same time, new guidance from the UK Government on screen time for young children reinforces a growing global consensus on early digital exposure. What is particularly striking is the emerging gap between platform disclosures and internal knowledge—highlighted in U.S. litigation involving companies like Meta Platforms. Imp links to follow: https://lnkd.in/gv8iqi-r https://lnkd.in/gs4pugXY Shivani Singh Sonal Lalwani

Something I contributed to recently was just published, and it matters. The Advanced Study Institute of Asia at SGT University released a compliance report assessing 14 AI platforms widely used by minors in India and evaluating them against the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023. I was brought in as a reviewer, specifically on the Trust and Safety compliance lens. The findings are difficult to ignore. 71% of all assessments across 14 platforms and 14 DPDP criteria were found to be outright non-compliant. Only 13% achieved even relative compliance. Instagram, Canva, and xAI Grok scored 100% non-compliance across all criteria assessed. ChatGPT and Perplexity were not far behind. The most pervasive failure is something deceptively simple: the DPDP Act defines a child as anyone under 18. All platforms reviewed set 13 as the minimum age. That five-year gap is not a technicality. It affects millions of Indian teenagers who are using these tools daily in schools, for homework, and for learning, with essentially no meaningful data protection in place. Parental consent mechanisms are either absent or rely on self-declaration, which anyone can bypass in seconds. Behavioural tracking continues unchecked. Grievance redressal is inaccessible or non-functional for most platforms. India has a compliance deadline approaching. Platforms have time to fix this, but the window is not open indefinitely. The full report is published by the Centre for Law and Critical Emerging Technologies at ASIA. Authored by Shivani Singh and Sonal Lalwani, reviewed by Neeti Goutam and me. If you work in Trust and Safety, policy, EdTech, or data governance, it is worth a read. https://lnkd.in/g-TYc6TS

ASIA’s latest policy report, “#DPDP Compliance in Respect to Children’s Data 2026,” examines how widely used #AItools by minors in India align with the DPDP Act, 2023 and DPDP Rules, 2025. The findings are stark—across 196 assessments of 14 platforms, 71% are non-compliant, 16% partially compliant, and only 13% relatively compliant, revealing a serious structural gap. Key concerns include weak parental consent, ongoing behavioural tracking, and limited safeguards for children. As AI adoption accelerates, compliance is falling behind. The report has received wide media coverage, with NHRC taking cognisance under the DPDP framework. As India moves toward full implementation by 2027, strengthening compliance is critical to protect children’s data and well-being. Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/gGP-xGHK Shivani Singh Sonal Lalwani NHRC #DataProtection #ChildrensData #AIGovernance #DigitalPolicy

This week on #Decypher, we unpack how China is navigating a rapidly shifting global landscape. From strategic lessons drawn from the Iran war—without direct involvement—to a new ethnic unity law reshaping minority governance, Beijing’s approach reflects a deeper push toward control and cohesion. At the same time, China is accelerating its hydrogen transition amid global energy disruptions, signalling long-term economic recalibration. Beyond China, we track rising geopolitical tensions—from the South China Sea dispute with the Philippines to escalating Pakistan–Afghanistan clashes, where China is positioning itself as a diplomatic actor. We also examine how disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz are triggering ripple effects across Africa’s food and fertilizer systems. A comprehensive look at power, policy, and risk across Asia and beyond. #Decypher #China #Geopolitics #EnergyTransition #SouthChinaSea #GlobalRisk https://lnkd.in/g-96QFRr

#Documentary #YouTube In #Mashhad—the place of martyrdom—a boy named Ali Khamenei was born in 1939. He would go on to rule a nation, and to build a system where grief became power. This #documentary traces how the memory of #Karbala— long central to #Shia thought—was transformed into #politicalform: from lament to state, from faith to revolution. Under #Khamenei, institutions like the #IRGC evolved into a parallel order, projecting influence across the Middle East through what he termed the “#AxisofResistance.” Yet, as protests like #Zan, #Zendegi, #Azadi revealed, this architecture faced profound internal rupture even before its external unravelling. Because in Iran, grief does not end with the man—it becomes something else. The Advanced Study Institute of Asia presents: The Last Revolutionary | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Link: https://lnkd.in/gRKCGwUy Asia House Middle East Institute The Washington Institute For Near East Policy Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center Chatham House Centre for Geopolitical Studies on the Middle East European Centre for Middle East Studies Royal United Services Institute RAND IISS, THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES Abhishek G Bhaya Ali Bilgic Joe Adam George Loqman Kurdistani (Rad) Hatem Maher Nick Edwards Andrew Mills Babak Dehghanpisheh Susannah George David Ignatius Rania Abouzeid Scroll.in ThePrint

We are pleased to share that insights from Shivani Singh, who participated as a panelist in the AgroSpectrum India webinar “#ExportBans to #BrandPower: Building Policy Stability in Basmati Trade,” have been featured in the March 2026 edition of AgroSpectrum Magazine. The webinar brought together experts from the rice export, policy, and research ecosystem to discuss how policy stability, stronger branding, and international cooperation can strengthen #Basmati’s position as a premium global export and a product rooted in India’s cultural and agricultural heritage. During the discussion, Shivani highlighted that Basmati’s value is inseparable from its geography and ecology, and that #Geographical Indication (#GI) protection should function as strategic #infrastructure rather than merely a legal label. This includes introducing a mandatory and standardised GI logo to reinforce authenticity and strengthen global recognition. Securing Basmati’s future is ultimately about livelihoods, #heritage, and strengthening India’s agricultural brand globally. Read the magazine here: https://lnkd.in/dC8pW3RV  

We are pleased to share that article, co-authored by Priyank Kanoongo, Member, National Human Rights Commission of India, and Shivani Singh, “खाद्य टोकरी पर पुनर्विचार: पीडीएस में ‘श्री अन्न’ को शामिल करने की आवश्यकता”, has been published in आयुध Update Magazine.   The article reflects on the need to rethink India’s food basket under the Public Distribution System (PDS). While the #PDS has been central to ensuring food access for millions, the current grain-heavy model raises an important policy question: Should food security frameworks move beyond calorie provision toward nutritional security? The piece argues that integrating millets (श्री अन्न) into the PDS could help strengthen nutritional outcomes, support climate-resilient agriculture, and diversify India’s food systems.   #FoodSecurity #Millets #PublicPolicy #Nutrition #India  Aayudh Media .