UPIASI was established as a research arm of the Center For The Advanced Study of India (CAS) at University of Pennsylvania and acts as a support system for All Penn activities in India. Our mission is to facilitate critical Research that fosters a greater understanding of problems facing contemporary India especially in areas of International Relations, Governance and Economic Development. This year we celebrate 20 years of our continued dedication to advancing, applying and facilitating social science research for a wide variety of audiences by combining expertise and capabilities of multiple institutions and Scholars. UPIAS|thus acts as a catalyst to stimulate exchange of knowledge and methodologies of mutual benefit to American and Indian scholars.