Page 127 - DLIS407_INFORMATION AND LITERATURE SURVEY IN SOCIAL SCIENCES

Information and Literature Survey in Social Sciences

Notes The University-System

There are currently 72 universities with over 500 social science departments. Their discipline-wise
distribution is given in Table 14.1 below. These are expected to be centres that demonstrate high
levels of scholarship, and creative theoretical and empirical research that expands the frontiers of
knowledge. In addition, a few deemed universities specialize in postgraduate teaching and research
in one or more social sciences. Some research is done by faculty in colleges, especially those with
post graduate social science departments.

Specialised Universities

The large majority of the other universities are specialized institutions. They include agricultural
universities (15) management institutes (62) and institutes of engineering and technology (32). They
have departments of social sciences and humanities; but these are relatively small and have only a
sprinkling of social scientists, mainly economists. Agricultural universities conduct extensive empirical
studies on land and water use, economics of crops and livestock and rural development. Management
schools and to a much smaller extent, institutes of technology also do some applied research on
developmental issues. But in general, consultancy seems to be far more common than research.

Autonomous Research Institutions

These include 27 institutes set up and fostered by the ICSSR in partnership with the state governments.
They vary m size and scope. Research is their main activity but several have teaching-cum-research
programmes at the PhD. level. A very few offer M.A. M. Phil, courses. Their permanent faculty is
currently close to 500. Including research and research support staff working on contract basis the
number would be considerably larger. A distinctive feature of these institutions is that their faculty is
drawn from different social science disciplines though with a distinct plurality of economists. Some of
the institutes work in specialized areas such as women’s studies, history, education, policy research;
others cover a wider range of social and developmental issues.

Government Research Institutes

Ministries and departments of the Central and some state governments have set up institutes for
specialized training and research in different sectors. These include research institutes wider the Indian
Council of Agricultural Research; institutes for rural and urban development: public administration;
environment and forest management: education, population research: and foreign trade. Several of
these have deemed university status.

NGOs and Private Institutions

It is impossible to know even the number of freelance consultants or of consultancy firms in this field.
Their work is largely determined by their clients needs for reviews of the current state of information
and knowledge on particular topics, assessment of status and prospects for specific sectors and
industries; and studies relevant for the formulation and appraisal of specific projects and policy
decisions. Their agenda is thus substantially client-driven. The data they collect, and the reports
they prepare, are meant exclusively for their sponsors (including public agencies) generally use their
output selectively, and do not make it public. The material is often used in internal discussions on
public policy but is not available for scrutiny by others. This is also the case with in-house research
of private enterprises and their associations.
Source: ICSSR Review Committee Report

122 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY