Founding Cohort · Monsoon 2026

Jan Vishwas Commons

Structured civic-research bounties on real frictions in the Indian state. Your work joins a permanent, citable record under your name. The contribution is the credential.

15
Scoped Problems
100%
Desk-Research
2 wks
Per Bounty
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Problem Statements

15 problems
×
01
The Kirana Compliance Surface
A neighbourhood kirana store in a Tier-2 city must hold 8-14 separate licences. Many overlap. Some are never enforced. Map them all — flag what can be consolidated or removed.
Type VIBeginner20h
What to do
Pick one Tier-2 city. Map every licence required. For each: issuing authority, validity, renewal process, fee, penalty, actual enforcement. Build a compliance inventory table. Flag redundancies and removal candidates.
Deliverable
Compliance inventory table + 2-page analysis memo. Bonus: scan one actual kirana owner's licence folder.
Metric
Distinct licences required. Target: ≤4.
Skills
Regulatory archaeology · Comparative analysis · Practitioner interview · Memo writing
Destination
State EOM reform cell · DPIIT MSME compliance portal
×
02
The Death Certificate Gauntlet
Death certificate issuance requires multiple discrete interactions across hospital, municipal, and crematorium authorities. The family acts as the coordination layer. See Worked Example #1.
Type IIBeginner25h
What to do
Pick your city. Document the as-is process step by step. Talk to one person who went through it recently. Identify coordination failures. Propose a specific consolidation — digital trigger at hospital level or single-window counter.
Deliverable
Process map + 2-page reform memo.
Metric
Declaration-to-certificate time. Target: 48 hours (from 15-30 days).
Skills
Process mapping · Practitioner interview · Memo writing · Visual communication
Destination
Municipal corporation citizen services cell · State urban development department
×
03
The Jan Vishwas Amendment Atomiser
The Jan Vishwas Acts (2023, 2025) and the 2026 Bill together touch 1,000+ provisions across 80+ Acts. Atomise 10-15 citizen-facing provisions into a searchable, tagged inventory.
Type IIIIntermediate30h
What to do
Pick 10-15 provisions from any one Act that affect everyday citizen or small-business interactions. For each: source Act and section, current penalty, proposed change, practical impact, substantive-vs-cosmetic. Tag by sector, Sanyal type, affected party.
Deliverable
Structured analysis table + 2-page summary flagging impactful changes and cosmetic-only provisions.
Metric
Citizen-facing offences reclassified criminal → compoundable (count per provision).
Skills
Legal text reading · Regulatory archaeology · Information design · Memo writing
Destination
JVC repository · DPIIT Jan Vishwas portal · Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy
×
04
The CPGRAMS Closure Quality Audit
CPGRAMS receives millions of grievances annually. Ministries must resolve within 30 days. Data is public. Track resolution quality — substantive vs. template closures.
Type II/VBeginner20h
What to do
Pick 3 high-volume central ministries. Sample grievances. Track filed-to-first-response, filed-to-closure, closure reason codes, and qualitative substance-vs-template assessment. Identify patterns.
Deliverable
Data analysis + 2-page memo recommending grievance quality monitoring.
Metric
% closures rated "substantive" by independent re-review (protocol you propose).
Skills
Public data analysis · Quantitative analysis · Information design · Memo writing
Destination
DARPG (runs CPGRAMS, has active reform mandate)
×
05
The Property Mutation Maze
After buying or inheriting property, updating municipal records varies wildly by city. Map your city's process for sale, inheritance, and gift-deed. Propose a single-window flow.
Type IIBeginner25h
What to do
Map your city's mutation process for (a) sale, (b) inheritance, (c) gift-deed. Identify breakpoints. Propose a standard single-window mutation flow.
Deliverable
Process map + comparison table + 2-page reform memo.
Metric
Application-to-mutation time. Target: ≤15 days (sale), ≤30 days (inheritance).
Skills
Process mapping · Practitioner interview · Comparative analysis · Memo writing
Destination
Municipal corporation reform cell · State urban development department
×
06
The Hawker Licence Paradox
The Street Vendors Act 2014 created Town Vending Committees. In many cities they never meet or never formed. Vendors remain illegal while the protective law exists on paper.
Type VI/VBeginner20h
What to do
Pick one city. Determine: TVC constituted? Last met? Certificates issued? Estimated vendor population? Gap? If defunct, why?
Deliverable
RTI-based or publicly-sourced report + 2-page diagnostic memo.
Metric
Ratio of certificates issued to estimated vendors operating. Target: ≥0.8 within 24 months.
Skills
RTI filing · Public data analysis · Stakeholder mapping · Memo writing
Destination
State urban development department · Municipal commissioner · NASVI
×
07
The Pension Life Certificate Gap
Jeevan Pramaan (digital life certificate, 2014) replaces paper submission. Adoption is incomplete — pensioners in smaller towns still queue at branches. Map the digital-physical gap.
Type IIBeginner20h
What to do
Pick one pension-disbursing bank or postal circle in one district. Document Jeevan Pramaan vs. physical adoption rates, barriers, and pensioner experience switching.
Deliverable
Process comparison + barrier analysis + 2-page memo.
Metric
Jeevan Pramaan adoption rate in chosen circle (current vs. 12-month target).
Skills
Field observation · Practitioner interview · Process mapping · Memo writing
Destination
Dept of Pension & Pensioners' Welfare · Bank's pension services division
×
08
The Single-Window Reality Check
Most states claim "single-window clearance" for business approvals. Many are digital portals on an unchanged multi-department backend. Reality-check one.
Type IIIntermediate25h
What to do
Pick one state's portal and one business type. Map portal promise vs. actual experience (interview 2-3 business owners). Identify where backend hasn't changed.
Deliverable
Promise-vs-reality comparison + actual-backend diagram + 2-page memo.
Metric
Median clearance time gap (promised vs. actual).
Skills
Practitioner interview · Process mapping · User research · Memo writing
Destination
State industries department · DPIIT EOM reform team
×
09
The BPL Register Lag
Many welfare schemes use eligibility lists frozen in 2011 SECC. Map exclusion/inclusion errors for one scheme. Propose transition to a dynamic register.
Type IIntermediate25h
What to do
Pick one state and one scheme using BPL/SECC data (PDS, Ayushman Bharat, housing). Map last update, beneficiaries added/removed, exclusion error, inclusion error, dynamic update mechanism.
Deliverable
Eligibility analysis + error estimates + 2-page memo on dynamic register transition.
Metric
Combined exclusion + inclusion error rate.
Skills
Public data analysis · Quantitative analysis · Comparative analysis · Memo writing
Destination
State planning department · NITI Aayog
×
10
The College Affiliation Renewal Churn
Colleges renew affiliation annually — submitting the same documents each cycle. The renewal isn't quality assessment; it's paperwork continuity. Almost never denied.
Type VIBeginner18h
What to do
Pick one state university. Document renewal process: documents, fees, timeline, rejection grounds, actual rejection rate over 3 years. Flag redundancies. Propose self-certification with random audit.
Deliverable
Process map + rejection-rate analysis + 2-page reform memo.
Metric
Admin hours per college per renewal cycle.
Skills
Regulatory archaeology · Process mapping · Public data analysis · Memo writing
Destination
State higher education department · UGC · University academic council
×
11
The Crop Insurance Claim Cycle (PMFBY)
PMFBY covers ~6 crore farmers. Claim settlement supposed within ~2 months. Actual delays often 6-18 months. Map where in the chain claims stall.
Type II/VIntermediate25h
What to do
Pick one state's recent kharif or rabi cycle. Using yield data, scheme dashboards, and farmer accounts, map official timeline vs. actual. Identify where delays concentrate — insurer assessment, state validation, or central transfer.
Deliverable
Process map + delay diagnosis + 2-page reform memo.
Metric
Median days from loss notification to claim settlement. Target: 90 days (current 180-540).
Skills
Process mapping · Practitioner interview · Public data analysis · Regulatory archaeology · Memo writing
Destination
Dept of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (PMFBY cell) · State agriculture dept · NABARD
×
12
The Disability Certificate Maze (UDID)
The Unique Disability ID was meant to be a single-card replacement for patchwork certificates. Reality: multiple medical board visits, expiry issues, scheme non-recognition.
Type II/VBeginner25h
What to do
Pick one district. Map UDID issuance: where application enters, who certifies, visits required, turnaround, rejection/error rate, which schemes the UDID actually unlocks. Talk to one PwD or disability-rights org. Identify binding constraint.
Deliverable
Process map + scheme-acceptance matrix + 2-page memo.
Metric
Median application-to-card time. % of relevant schemes accepting UDID without separate certificate.
Skills
Process mapping · Practitioner interview · Stakeholder mapping · Memo writing
Destination
DEPwD · State social welfare department · NCPEDP
×
13
The PAN-Aadhaar Linkage Cascade
PAN-Aadhaar linkage with name mismatches triggered cascading deactivations — frozen mutual funds, blocked bank ops, EPFO freezes. Map the friction chain and propose a fix.
Type I/VIBeginner20h
What to do
Document the as-is friction for a name-mismatch case. Map the official correction process vs. what it actually requires. Interview 2-3 affected people. Identify root cause — matching algorithm, database schema, or operational protocol.
Deliverable
Friction chain map + root-cause analysis + 2-page memo.
Metric
% of PAN deactivations triggered by name-mismatch (vs. genuine non-linkage).
Skills
User research · Practitioner interview · Process documentation · Data-flow analysis · Memo writing
Destination
CBDT · UIDAI · Ministry of Finance
×
14
The Trademark Examination Backlog
Indian Trademarks Registry receives ~4L applications/year. Examination backlog historically 1-3 years. Benchmark against USPTO/EUIPO. Identify capacity constraint.
Type VIntermediate25h
What to do
Using Trademarks Registry Journal data and CGPDTM annual reports, compile applications filed, examined, examiner strength, pendency trend over 5 years. Benchmark against USPTO/EUIPO. Identify capacity bottleneck.
Deliverable
Capacity-pendency dashboard + benchmark comparison + 2-page memo.
Metric
Median days from filing to first examination report. Target: 90 days (current ~400+).
Skills
Public data analysis · Comparative international research · Visual communication · Capacity modelling · Memo writing
Destination
CGPDTM (Trademarks Registry) · DPIIT · National IPR Policy team
×
15
The Driving Licence Renewal at the RTO
Renewing a driving licence — even via Sarathi portal — typically requires 2-4 in-person visits. The "online" portal is a front-end for an unchanged offline backend.
Type IIBeginner18h
What to do
Pick your local RTO. Compare official renewal process vs. actual experience (your own or interview 2-3 recent renewers). Map visits, time, document touchpoints, agent presence, friction-tax. Identify steps to eliminate or parallelize.
Deliverable
Process comparison (claimed vs. actual) + friction-tax estimate + 2-page reform memo.
Metric
Total visits required for routine renewal. Target: 1 (current 2-4).
Skills
User research · Field observation · Process mapping · Comparative analysis · Memo writing
Destination
State Transport Department · Ministry of Road Transport & Highways · State e-governance authority

More Problem Ideas

6 ideas

Lighter entries — not fully scoped. If one grips you, run it through the heuristics in the appendix.

Tender Qualification Lock-In
Type I/III · ~25h — Government tenders often have criteria so specific they name the winner. Map one dept's tenders over 2 years against winners. Destination: CVC, CAG.
e-Office Adoption Gap
Type II · ~20h — Files printed, moved, marked up, re-scanned — despite e-Office. Pick one dept, map digital-vs-paper touchpoints. Destination: DARPG e-Office team.
Government Circular Archaeology
Type I · ~25h — Find 3-5 circulars that contradict each other or newer policy. The contradiction IS the friction. Destination: dept legal/reform cell.
Electricity Connection Timeline
Type II · ~20h — DISCOM promised vs. actual timeline for a new commercial connection. Every business owner relates. Destination: state electricity regulatory commission.
FIR Registration Friction
Type II · ~20h — Section 173 BNSS mandates zero-FIR. Ground reality: stations still refuse non-jurisdiction FIRs. Map mandated vs. actual in one district. Destination: state police complaints authority.
Scholarship Disbursement Lag
Type II/V · ~20h — Post-matric scholarships sanctioned but disbursed months late. Map the chain: sanction→treasury→dept→district→student. Destination: state social welfare dept.
💡 Worked Examples ▼

Two different shapes of bounty work. Pick whichever feels closer to your style.

Process Streamlining (Type II)
Document Archaeology (Type VI)
Worked Example #1

The Death Certificate Gauntlet

What's broken. Obtaining a death certificate requires 4-7 discrete interactions across municipal, health, and crematorium authorities. The process often takes 15-30 days. Digital systems exist but don't talk to each other. The family acts as coordination layer.

STEP 1: HOSPITAL STEP 2: PMC BIRTH & DEATH OFFICE ↓ ↓ Medical Cause of Death (MCD) Submit MCD + Cremation Permit from attending physician + ID proofs of deceased & applicant ↓ ↓ Time: Same day Time: 1 visit, 2-4 hrs wait ↓ STEP 3: CREMATORIUM → Submit Permit, last rites ↓ STEP 4: PMC BIRTH & DEATH OFFICE STEP 5: ZONE OFFICE (if >21 days) ↓ ↓ Return with cremation cert + MCD Late-registration: extra fee + + affidavit (if late) affidavit + multiple visits ↓ ↓ Time: 1 visit, 2-6 hrs Time: 1-3 visits, 3-10 days ↓ STEP 6: CERTIFICATE ISSUED Total: 4-5 visits, 15-30 days

Proposed reform. Single-window triggered at hospital: MCD upload → registry auto-notifies municipal office → crematorium digital confirmation → certificate auto-generated within 48h. Zero legislative change — the Registration of Births and Deaths Act already mandates hospital reporting. The change is digital reporting with API. Metric: 48 hours (from 15-30 days).

Worked Example #2

The Notarised Affidavit Stack

What's broken. Government forms still demand notarised affidavits — costing ₹100-500 per affidavit, requiring a separate trip, producing paper no one verifies. DARPG has instructed departments since 2014 to accept self-attestation instead. Most departments ignore the instruction. The OMs are public. The non-compliance is observable.

Regulatory archaeology. DARPG OM No. K-12011/2/2013-AR (30 May 2014) and DARPG OM No. K-13011/13/2019-AR (19 Nov 2019) — both public on darpg.gov.in. Cross-reference dates, departments addressed, scope.

Proposed reform. Replace "notarised affidavit declaring [X]" with "self-declaration of [X], with applicant's signature and Aadhaar" + penalty clause under BNS 2023 §199 for false declaration. Cross-cutting: annual DARPG audit of all scheme forms for clause-level violations of its own OMs. Metric: zero forms demanding notarised affidavits within 18 months. ~15h from a desk. Pure document archaeology.

📖 Method Primer & Sanyal's Framework ▼

The Core Move: Friction → Analysis → Unfreeze

1. Friction — name a specific thing that doesn't work. 2. Analysis — understand why. 3. Unfreeze — propose a specific fix, with a metric.

Sanyal's 7 Types of Process Reform

From Sanjeev Sanyal's IISER Pune lecture. Every friction fits one or more types.

IRevisiting default lists & precedents — stale registries, frozen eligibility lists
IIStreamlining administrative processes — fewer steps, counters, signatures
IIIChanges in regulations within the given law
IVChanges in legislation — the law itself needs amending
VAdding capacity to remove bottlenecks
VIRemoving a requirement or state-mandated activity
VIIMerge/close/restructure outdated government agencies

For first cohort, target Types I, II, and VI. Desk-feasible, observable from public sources.

Sanyal's 4-Step Method

1. Document the "As-Is" — what actually happens, not what the rulebook says.
2. Analyse — bottleneck? Redundancy? Missing capacity?
3. Design the reform — what specifically changes?
4. Propose a metric — what single number moves?

🛠 Skills Tree & CV Translation ▼
Process mapping / BPMN / Flowcharting
2, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 15
Practitioner / Stakeholder interviews
1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 15
Field observation / Ethnography
7, 15
User research
8, 13, 15
Regulatory archaeology
1, 3, 10, 11
Public data analysis
4, 6, 9, 10, 11, 14
Comparative analysis (states / time / sectors)
1, 5, 9, 14, 15
Legal text reading
3
Quantitative analysis / Capacity modelling
4, 9, 14
Visual communication / Information design
2, 3, 4, 14
RTI filing
6, 11
Stakeholder mapping
6, 12
Memo writing / Executive communication
All

CV line format: "Performed [skill] analysis on [friction] in [domain], producing [deliverable] routed to [destination]. Available at [JVC URL]."

🚀 Stretch Problems (Earn These) ▼
RTI Appellate Backlog Map — Type V · ~25h — SIC caseload, commissioner-to-pendency ratios.
Defunct Board Audit — Type VII · ~30h — Statutory bodies with budgets but no output for 3+ years.
Court Vacation Throughput Cost — Type II/V · ~30h — Sanyal-named. HC-by-HC vacation-period throughput analysis.
Commercial Courts Act §12A Mediation — Type III/VI · ~30h — Empirical failure rate of pre-litigation mediation.
Customs Detention at Ports — Type II/VI · ~25h — Small importer experience; notification gaps.
eCourts Predictability Gap — Type II/V · ~25h — Cases listed but not heard; adjournment patterns.

Don't start with these. Earn them.

🧭 Find Your Own Banger (Appendix) ▼

Eight heuristics for finding a friction no one else is touching. Plus a 2-hour walkthrough from zero to bounty.

1. Personal Friction Hunt
What process have YOU been through in the last 12 months that took too long or demanded redundant documents?
2. Frozen List Hunt
What government list is frozen in time and gating something important? → Type I bounty.
3. Two-States Hunt
Where do two states do the same thing very differently? The delta is the bounty.
4. Rule Nobody Enforces
Non-enforcement is proof the rule should be retired. → Type VI bounty.
5. Single-Window Reality Hunt
Anywhere government claims "instant approval" or "paperless" — reality-check it.
6. Consultation Window Hunt
Scan PRS India, SEBI/RBI/MCA portals. Find an open call. Your bounty IS the submission.
7. Annual Report Hunt
Compare any regulator's mandate with its output. Gap = bounty. → Type V/VII.
8. Sanyal Lecture Hunt
Watch the IISER Pune lecture with a notebook. Pick one friction. Apply locally.

Saturday morning walkthrough: Hour 1 — list government interactions, find 3-5 candidate frictions. Hour 2 — search for consultation windows or Sanyal-named frictions that map. End of Saturday: problem + destination + rough scope. Ship in two weeks.

📋 Logistics & Reading ▼

Recommended: Sanjeev Sanyal's IISER Pune lecture (90 min) · Karthik Muralidharan's Accelerating India's Development (Penguin, 2024) — read the chapter closest to your bounty.

Submission: Fork the JVC repo → bounties/[your-slug]/ → PR. Reviewer within 48-96h. On merge, permanent and citable under your name. If routed to an external destination, note it in your README.

Founding cohort note: You're among the first. Tag conventions, review patterns, commons rhythm — all forming now. Your work shapes how it's done. Pick one. Ship in two weeks. Your name on it. The contribution is the credential.