Development is a modern mantra that makes or mars the lives of governments in India. Every political group swears by development to draw people's attention and to ensure their favour at the polls. This is perhaps for the reason that even the man in the street is aware of the significance of development in bettering his life.
Any study on development is interdisciplinary in nature. Our current discussion focusses on research in sociology. But research in economics is a close ally. We, therefore, take up the Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Thiruvananthapuram (www.cds.edu), which blends economics and sociology in its studies and research.
The premier centre was born in 1970 as an autonomous social science research institute. It has a fine tradition of addressing emerging problems that confront society; such emergence is normal in a milieu of ongoing changes.
The CDS has grown as a prestigious centre of research with a wealth of laurels to its credit. Health and education which form a significant part of the social sector receive good attention in its studies. The centre is financed substantially by the Indian Council of Social Science Research. The other sources for funds include the Kerala government and endowments instituted by bodies such as the Reserve Bank of India and the Planning Commission.
Academic programmes
The CDS has teaching programmes, affiliated to Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi: the two-year M.Phil. programme in Applied Economics and the four-year Ph.D. programme in economics.
The University of Kerala has recognised CDS as a centre for its doctoral studies.
Thrust areas
The thrust of research is in themes such as agriculture and natural resources, gender, migration and population, health and education, poverty, vulnerability, and social security, industry, trade, and technology.
Studies are also made in analysing the impact of globalisation on each of these themes. Most of the research projects are evidence-based but theoretically informed. They are mostly need-based and on current topics. Comparisons of economies in different countries or groupings such as BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) get importance. There is a rich infrastructure for research. A noted asset is its library with over 1.25 lakh titles in economics and allied disciplines and nearly 400 professional journals. Let us now take a peep at the different research themes and topics studied at the centre.
Agriculture
The topics covered include the following:
Studies of livelihood dynamics where resource-use conflicts are pronounced.
Lease farming.
Rural households and prices of agricultural produce.
Indebtedness in farm households.
Changes in the modes of governance.
Impact of trade liberalisation on the coconut economy.
Changing pattern of water use.
Agricultural development and environmental degradation.
Role of price and non-price factors in agricultural growth.
Suicides among farmers.
Impact of government ban on trawling during the monsoon on the living conditions of fishermen.
Deforestation and tribal inhabitants.
Productivity of livestock.
Gender
Gender equality and development.
Effects of globalisation, new information technologies, the spread of HIV/AIDS, and population ageing from a gender perspective.
Dimensions of the status of women in terms of indicators such as education, employment, income, autonomy, voice, and domestic violence.
Women's empowerment.
Gender-specific constraints and barriers.
Gender, development, and participation in the public sphere.
Spatial and horizontal inequalities in human development.
Impact of expanding global market on employment and livelihoods.
Gender characteristic of studies on labour.
Relative levels of educated unemployment among men and women.
Differences in the quality of old age lives among men and women.
Women's writings and gender power and public space.
Gender, governance, and politicisation of women.
The studies conducted have a special thrust on Kerala.
Industry
Most of the research projects have a national perspective.
Relationship between economic liberalisation and domestic competition among firms.
Impact of mobility on the size structure of industries.
Increasing tendency for manufacturing firms to take over and merge with other firms from within and across the border, and their impact on firm strategies, collusive behaviour, and changing nature of competition (automobiles, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, and financial services.)
Growth of international trade as part of global value chains, including design, production, marketing, distribution of the product, and support to the final consumer.
Implications of a global value chain for employment and livelihoods.
Distinguishing features of new technology-based industries — information technology and biotechnology industries.
Patterns of innovation, their sources and extent of their diffusion, their role in the changing nature of competition.
India's patent regime and innovations in the pharmaceutical industry.
Challenges posed and opportunities offered by the “new economy” relating to growth, competitiveness, employment, productivity and redistribution.
Penetration of the Internet and mobile phones and its effect in India, compared to that in Brazil, China, and Korea.
Migration
Linkages between migration, economic growth, income distribution, and social change.
Implication of internal migration for livelihood.
International migration.
Return emigrants.
Population
Shifting age structure of the population consequent on demographic transition and its implications for human capital, savings, and economic growth.
Socio-economic inequalities in health, nutrition, and education in the era of globalisation.
Social, economic, and health security issues for the elderly.
Access and inequities in health, nutrition, and education.
Educated unemployment; lack of employability.
Poverty
Multiple dimensions of poverty and well-being in the capability approach framework.
Vulnerability, coping mechanisms, and livelihood strategies in the context of risk and uncertainties owing to natural disasters and the changing economic and social policies.
A design for universal social security in combating poverty.
Concept and practice of development from a human rights perspective.
Linkages of social security in its universal coverage, human development, and economic growth.
Problems of social security are studied in detail, covering international comparisons as well. New perceptions in tune with changing circumstances and character of the economy form the basis of research.
The theme of globalisation and development cuts across all themes. Social dimensions of globalisation, with focus on national and regional issues are studied. How WTO agreements influence our national and regional economies is another area of study. Some of the other areas in focus include international capital flows and sustainable development under globalisation.
