Page 126 - DLIS407_INFORMATION AND LITERATURE SURVEY IN SOCIAL SCIENCES

Unit 14: Research Activities

Notes

Caution Social science research will help in finding out causes to problems of illiteracy,
unemployment, poverty, etc., thereby, assisting the government to formulate
legislations and policies, schemes, and programmes for the eradication of illiteracy.

14.1 Identification of Research Institutions in India

According to the report of fourth review committee of ICSSR, Social science research is chiefly driven
by two forces: (a) interest in knowledge about the functioning of society in its diverse social, cultural,
political and economic aspects, and in understanding the factors that shape them; and (b) the practical
needs of policy makers and managers in government, civil society and the private sector for reliable
information and professional analysis.
Broadly speaking, institutions conducting social science research can be classified into the following
four categories:
(i) social science departments in universities and postgraduate colleges under the UGC
(ii) autonomous research institutes specializing in social research
(iii) research institutions set up by government departments
(iv) agricultural universities and institutes of technology, management and the like
Of these, the first two categories and several of those in the third are the most active players in the
field. Table 14.1 provides an indicative picture of the number of institutions engaged in socio-economic
research, classified by category of institution and the main area(s) of research.

Table 14.1: Categories and Scope of Social Science Research Institutions in India
Universities ICSSR Government Others Total
Broad Scope 72 27 2 38 139
Specialized
Agriculture Rural Development 17 37 9 63
SCs, STs, Minorities 14 14
Population 4 4
Education and Manpower 5 2 5
Health and related subjects 9 9
Women 15 15
Urban 3 5
Finance 6 6
Labour 1 3 4
History 7 7
Environment 1 2
Foreign Trade 1 1 2
International Relations 1 6 7
Management Administration 62 13 75
Law 6 6
Engineering & technology 32 32
Others 6 16
Total 190 27 67 133 417
Note: A list of the institutions covered is appended.

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