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Public Policy Class 9: Stakeholders and Policy Cycle

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Social ScienceCBSE Class 9 · Governance and Public Policy

Public Policy Class 9: Stakeholders, Policy Cycle and Policy versus Scheme

Updated 17 October 2026 · Fact-checked

A public policy is a plan of action chosen by the government to tackle problems of the public and improve welfare. It exists for everyone, is made by government, uses public resources, involves citizens and promotes public welfare. It moves through a cycle of seven stages from identifying the problem to evaluation, with feedback, and involves citizens, representatives, officials, civil society, the private sector and international bodies.

Understand Public Policy, Stakeholders and the Policy Cycle

What is public policy? A plan of action that the government chooses in order to tackle problems facing the public, meet needs and improve welfare. It settles *what* to do, *why*, *who* will do it, *how* it will be implemented and *how success will be measured*, and it improves through a feedback loop. NCERT's school example is a "Plastic-Free Campus Policy" with reusable bottles, segregation bins, awareness and teacher monitoring: a planned course of action to solve a problem.

What makes a policy 'public'. It exists for everyone, is formulated by government, uses public resources (taxes), involves citizen participation and promotes public welfare. Typical areas are education, health, transport, sanitation, environment and safety. A school's phone rule, a company's work-from-home policy or a housing society's parking rule is *not* public policy, because it binds only that organisation.

Who takes part (stakeholders).

  • Citizens: identify problems, vote, suggest, give feedback.
  • Elected representatives: represent people, raise issues, make laws, approve budgets.
  • Officials, departments, ministries: prepare and implement policies, coordinate, deliver services, monitor.
  • Civil society, NGOs, experts, media: study problems, suggest solutions, create awareness, monitor.
  • Private sector: know-how, innovation, resources, often through public-private partnerships.
  • International organisations: experience, technical and financial support.

The hospital-ramp case. Patients, including a 72-year-old woman, a wheelchair user and a visually impaired person, found a hospital inaccessible. A disability rights group used the media; the district administration asked the PWD and Health departments to inspect; doctors, architects, persons with disabilities and residents were consulted; funds were approved for ramps, lifts, handrails, tactile paths, accessible toilets and signboards.

The policy cycle (continuous, not one-off).
1. Policy desirability: identify the problem or need.
2. Prioritising policy: decide which issues come first.
3. Policy formulation: consult stakeholders, draft, check financial feasibility.
4. Policy adoption: frame legislation and rules.
5. Policy implementation: officials, local bodies, civil society, private bodies and citizens put it into action.
6. Policy monitoring: measure progress, ensure accountability, find shortcomings.
7. Policy evaluation: assess results and impact, and give feedback that improves the policy.

NEP 2020 as a case. The previous education policy dated from 1986. The process began in 2015, a committee chaired by Dr K. Kasturirangan was formed in 2017, there was wide consultation (about 2 lakh suggestions) and the Union Cabinet approved the policy in July 2020.

Policy, programme and scheme (National Health Policy 2017). A policy gives direction and goal (universal access to quality healthcare). A programme is a plan or strategy (strengthening the health system, preventive care, digital health). A scheme is a concrete action for target groups, such as Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY, health and wellness centres, Janani Suraksha Yojana and Mission Indradhanush.

Policy coordination. Khelo Bharat Niti 2025 needs the Centre (framework, funding), States, districts, blocks, institutions, private sponsors and families to work together; one level alone cannot deliver.

Public Policy, Stakeholders and the Policy Cycle: key facts

What makes policy public
  • For everyone
  • Made by government
  • Uses public resources
  • Involves citizens
  • Promotes public welfare
Five tests.
Policy cycle
  • Desirability
  • Prioritising
  • Formulation
  • Adoption
  • Implementation
  • Monitoring
  • Evaluation
  • Feedback
Continuous.
Stakeholders
  • Citizens
  • Elected representatives
  • Officials
  • Civil society and media
  • Private sector
  • International organisations
Six groups.
Policy, programme, scheme
  • Policy = direction and goal
  • Programme = plan or strategy
  • Scheme = concrete action for target groups
NHP 2017 example.
NEP 2020 timeline
  • Previous policy 1986
  • Process began 2015
  • Committee 2017, Dr K. Kasturirangan
  • Cabinet approval July 2020
Case to quote.

How to answer Public Policy, Stakeholders and the Policy Cycle questions

Questions ask for the meaning of public policy, features that make it public, the stages of the policy cycle, roles of stakeholders and the difference between policy, programme and scheme. Case questions give a local problem and ask you to map stakeholders and stages.

  1. 1Define public policy in one line and add "for the public good".
  2. 2For "why public", test with the five tests; contrast with a private rule such as a school phone policy.
  3. 3For the cycle, write the seven stages in order and give one action for each.
  4. 4For a case, label each event with its stage and each actor with its stakeholder group.
  5. 5For policy versus programme versus scheme, give an example at each level from NHP 2017.

Public Policy, Stakeholders and the Policy Cycle in real life

The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Tracing a school-gate crossing

Suppose parents complain that children cross a busy road outside a school without a zebra crossing. The local body studies the road, the police suggest a speed limit, residents offer to volunteer as marshals, funds are approved, markings are painted and, after six months, accident reports are reviewed.

Match each event to a stage of the policy cycle.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Complaints and study: policy desirability and prioritising.
  2. Police and residents' suggestions and funds: formulation and adoption.
  3. Painting and marshals: implementation.
  4. Reviewing accident reports: monitoring and evaluation.

Answer: Complaints and the study identify the problem; suggestions and approval of funds are formulation and adoption; painting and marshals are implementation; and the six-month review of accident reports is monitoring and evaluation, which feeds back into any changes.

Memory hook: Spot, plan, do, check, improve.

Policy, programme, scheme in a school

Suppose a school decides: "Every student should have access to a healthy mid-day meal" (aim), plans a kitchen upgrade and nutrition training (plan), and then gives free meals to students from low-income families (action).

Label each level.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. The aim is the policy.
  2. The kitchen upgrade and training is a programme.
  3. Free meals for target students is a scheme.

Answer: The aim is a policy, the kitchen and training plan is a programme and the free meals for a target group is a scheme.

Memory hook: Goal, plan, action.

Tricks to remember Public Policy, Stakeholders and the Policy Cycle

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

  • Cycle: D-P-F-A-I-M-E

    Desirability, Prioritise, Formulate, Adopt, Implement, Monitor, Evaluate.

    Use it when: The seven stages in order.

  • Five tests of "public"

    Everyone, Government, Taxes, Citizens, Welfare.

    Use it when: What makes a policy public.

  • Policy ladder

    Policy = Why; Programme = How; Scheme = Who gets it.

    Use it when: Telling the three apart.

Public Policy, Stakeholders and the Policy Cycle: solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: Which stage? · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

Measuring progress, ensuring accountability and finding shortcomings during a policy's working is called:
(a) Policy formulation
(b) Policy monitoring
(c) Policy adoption
(d) Policy evaluation

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Progress measurement during implementation is monitoring (1 mark).

Answer: (b) Policy monitoring

Example 2: Public policy (2 marks) · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level

Define public policy and give one example of a field it covers. (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. A plan of action chosen by the government to tackle public problems and improve welfare (1 mark).
  2. Example: education, health or transport (1 mark).

Answer: Public policy is a plan of action chosen by the government to tackle problems facing the public and improve welfare. It covers fields such as education, health and transport.

Example 3: Not every policy is public (3 marks) · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

A housing society frames a rule about visitor parking. Is it a public policy? Give three reasons. (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. It applies only to residents of the society, not to everyone (1 mark).
  2. It is made by a society, not by government (1 mark).
  3. It does not use public resources (taxes) or aim at public welfare at large (1 mark).

Answer: No. A parking rule of a housing society applies only to its residents and not to everyone. It is made by a society, not by the government, and it does not use public resources or serve public welfare in general, so it fails the tests of a public policy.

Example 4: Assertion-reason: the cycle · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder board level

Assertion (A): The policy cycle does not end with evaluation.
Reason (R): The results of evaluation give feedback that is used to improve the policy.
(a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) A is true, but R is false.
(d) A is false, but R is true.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Evaluation gives feedback, so the cycle continues. Both are true and R explains A (1 mark).

Answer: (a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.

Example 5: Policy cycle for accessible bus stops (5 marks) · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

A city wants all its bus stops to be usable by wheelchair users. Show what would happen at each of the seven stages of the policy cycle, and say which stakeholder is most useful at the formulation stage. (5 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Desirability and prioritising: complaints and surveys identify inaccessible stops and decide which routes come first (1 mark).
  2. Formulation: consult wheelchair users, engineers and transport staff; draft design and cost (1 mark).
  3. Adoption: the council passes rules and approves the budget (1 mark).
  4. Implementation, monitoring and evaluation: build ramps, check progress, assess results and use feedback (1 mark).
  5. Stakeholder: persons with disabilities and their groups, as they know the real barriers (1 mark).

Answer: First, complaints and surveys reveal the problem (policy desirability), and the city decides which routes to take up first (prioritising). In formulation, wheelchair users, engineers and transport staff are consulted, a design is drafted and its cost is checked. In adoption, the council approves rules and the budget. Implementation follows, with officials and contractors building ramps, then monitoring of progress and evaluation of how many stops are now usable, with feedback used to improve the policy. Persons with disabilities and their groups are the most useful stakeholders at formulation because they know the real barriers.

Example 6: Case: the hospital ramp · 4 marks · Case-basedHOTS / competency

Read the case and answer the questions.

Patients find a district hospital inaccessible for wheelchair users and visually impaired persons. A disability rights group raises the matter through the media. The district administration asks the PWD and Health departments to inspect. After consulting doctors, architects and residents, funds are approved for ramps, lifts and tactile paths.

(i) Name two stakeholders from civil society or media. (1)
(ii) Which stage is the inspection by the PWD and Health departments closest to? (1)
(iii) Why is this a public policy and not a private matter? (2)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. (i) The disability rights group and the media (1 mark).
  2. (ii) Policy desirability (identifying the problem), supported by prioritising (1 mark).
  3. (iii) It benefits everyone who uses the hospital, is decided by government, uses public funds and promotes public welfare (2 marks).

Answer: (i) The disability rights group and the media. (ii) The inspection is closest to policy desirability, where the problem is identified. (iii) It is a public policy because the ramps and lifts benefit everyone using the hospital, the decision is made by government, public funds are used and the aim is public welfare.

Where students lose marks in Public Policy, Stakeholders and the Policy Cycle

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

  • Mistake: Stages out of order

    Memorised loosely.

    Wrong working

    Adoption comes before formulation.

    Right working

    Formulation is followed by adoption.

    Do this: Use D-P-F-A-I-M-E.

    Usually costs: 1-2 marks.

  • Mistake: Calling private rules public policy

    Missing "for everyone".

    Wrong working

    A company's work-from-home rule is a public policy.

    Right working

    It applies to one organisation, so it is not public.

    Do this: Apply the five tests.

    Usually costs: 1 mark.

  • Mistake: Mixing policy and scheme

    Equating them.

    Wrong working

    Janani Suraksha Yojana is a policy.

    Right working

    It is a scheme; the policy is NHP 2017.

    Do this: Policy = aim; scheme = action.

    Usually costs: 1 mark.

  • Mistake: Stopping at implementation

    Forgetting feedback.

    Wrong working

    The cycle ends when the policy is implemented.

    Right working

    Monitoring and evaluation follow and give feedback.

    Do this: Always add stages 6-7.

    Usually costs: 1 mark.

Exam tips

  • Write the seven stages in order and add one verb to each stage (identify, rank, draft, enact, execute, track, assess).
  • Use the hospital-ramp case to show stakeholders and stages working together.
  • For the NEP 2020 case, use only the dates and figures the chapter gives: 1986, 2015, 2017, July 2020.
  • Tie policy versus programme versus scheme to the National Health Policy 2017 example.

Practice questions on Public Policy, Stakeholders and the Policy Cycle

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

  1. Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

    Which of the following is a scheme under the National Health Policy 2017 as described in the chapter?
    (a) Universal access to quality healthcare
    (b) Strengthening the health system
    (c) Janani Suraksha Yojana
    (d) The policy cycle

    Hint

    A concrete action for a target group.

    Answer

    (c) Janani Suraksha Yojana

  2. Q2 · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level

    Name two groups of stakeholders in public policy and state one role of each. (2 marks)

    Hint

    Citizens, representatives, officials.

    Answer

    Citizens identify problems, vote and give feedback; elected representatives raise issues, make laws and approve budgets.

  3. Q3 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

    Distinguish between a policy, a programme and a scheme using an example. (3 marks)

    Hint

    Direction, plan, action.

    Answer

    A policy gives direction and goal, for example universal access to quality healthcare. A programme is a plan or strategy to reach it, for example strengthening the health system. A scheme is a concrete action for target groups, for example Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY or Janani Suraksha Yojana.

  4. Q4 · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder board level

    Assertion (A): Citizens have no role in public policy once a government is elected.
    Reason (R): Citizens identify problems and give feedback during the policy cycle.
    (a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
    (b) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
    (c) A is true, but R is false.
    (d) A is false, but R is true.

    Hint

    Look at the stakeholder table.

    Answer

    (d) A is false, but R is true.

  5. Q5 · 5 marks · Long answerHarder board level

    Describe the role of the private sector and international organisations in policy-making, with an example of each. (5 marks)

    Hint

    PPP; technical and financial support.

    Answer

    The private sector brings technical know-how, innovation and resources, often through public-private partnerships; for example, a company may install solar panels in schools. International organisations share experience and give technical and financial support; for example, WHO helps control infectious diseases. Neither replaces the government, which formulates and adopts the policy, but they widen its resources and expertise. Their contributions improve implementation and the quality of evaluation.

  6. Q6 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

    Suppose a city plans a new bus-lane policy and wants it to work better than earlier ones. Identify which two stages of the policy cycle matter most for avoiding failure and justify your choice. (3 marks)

    Hint

    Feedback and consultation.

    Answer

    Formulation matters because consulting stakeholders such as commuters, bus workers and traffic police and checking financial feasibility produce a practical design. Monitoring and evaluation matter because measuring progress and results gives feedback so shortcomings can be corrected, and the policy keeps improving.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

  1. 1.What is the first stage of the policy cycle?Show answer

    Policy desirability (identifying the problem).

  2. 2.Who chaired the NEP 2020 committee?Show answer

    Dr K. Kasturirangan.

  3. 3.Name one health scheme from the chapter.Show answer

    Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY, Janani Suraksha Yojana or Mission Indradhanush.

  4. 4.What does monitoring do?Show answer

    Measures progress, ensures accountability and finds shortcomings.

  5. 5.What do public-private partnerships bring?Show answer

    Technical know-how, innovation and resources from the private sector.

Public Policy, Stakeholders and the Policy Cycle: frequently asked questions

What is public policy?

A plan of action the government chooses to tackle public problems, meet needs and improve welfare.

What are the stages of the policy cycle?

Policy desirability, prioritising, formulation, adoption, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, with feedback.

Who takes part in making public policy?

Citizens, elected representatives, officials, civil society and media, the private sector and international organisations.

What is the difference between policy, programme and scheme?

A policy sets direction, a programme is a plan, a scheme is a concrete action for target groups.