The programme involves setting up a Centre for Research in Urban Public Finance (CeRUPF) to carry out research and create a repository of innovations in urban financing and service delivery in India. As part of the programme, the work that is currently being carried out is: 1) Analysis of accounts: A base study to provide a snapshot of the trends in revenues and expenditures of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).Currently, preparation of a database of the finances of more than 4,000 ULBs is under way. 2) Status paper on bond issuances by ULBs: Working on a paper on the status of Municipal Bond issuance by ULBs. The paper documents the legislative and regulatory framework for bond issuances and the financial status of ULBs that have issued municipal bonds. 3) Fiscal implications of GST on ULBs: A paper is being prepared on the fiscal impact of the introduction of GST on ULBs. In the backdrop of local-body related taxes subsuming into GST, the paper presents issues related to the taxation powers of ULBs, GST compensation and the overall revenues of ULBs.

There is considerable heterogeneity among Indian states in terms of economic growth and human development. This study attempts to identify the class of factors explaining this heterogeneity such as initial condition, capital stock, physical infrastructure, quality and level of social infrastructure and quality of governance.

The project involves preparing training modules on public financial management and local government finances.

Section 4(1) of the RTI Act 2005 requires every public authority to make suo moto disclosure of information of the nature listed under sub-section (1)(b). The Departments are also required to analyse information sought most often by the RTI applicants and provide it on their website as suo moto public disclosure. In pursuance of this provision, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has further directed that each Ministry/Public Authority should get its proactive disclosure package audited by a third party every year from the respective training institutes under each Ministry/Department/Public Authority and submit the findings to the Chief Information Commission (CIC). The Revenue Secretary has assigned NIPFP to conduct third-party audits of 78 public authorities under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, and Government of India. NIPFP has taken up the work as an autonomous Institute of the Department of Revenue.