Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research

Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (IGIDR) is an advanced research and educational institution in Mumbai. India.[1] The Institute's mission is to carry out research on developmental issues from a multi-disciplinary point of view. This includes economics, energy and environmental policy.[2]

Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research
TypeAutonomous
Parent institution
Reserve Bank of India
ChairmanGovernor of Reserve Bank of India
DirectorProf. S. Mahendra Dev
Academic staff
~30
Postgraduates~25
~60 per year
Location
Mumbai
,
Maharashtra
,
India
CampusUrban
Websitehttp://www.igidr.ac.in/

The institute offers Master of Philosophy and Ph.D. programmes in Development Studies and also a Master of Science programme in Economics. The institute has one of the largest Social Sciences libraries in Asia.

History

The institute was the brainchild of Prof. Jyoti Parikh and Prof. Kirit Parikh and was funded by the Reserve Bank of India.[3] It was formally opened upon the occasion of the bank's golden jubilee in 1987.[4]

After its registration as an autonomous society on 14 November 1986 and as a public trust on 15 January 1987, then Prime Minister Shri Rajiv Gandhi inaugurated the campus at Goregaon, Mumbai on 28 December 1987. Subsequently, the Institute was recognized as a deemed university under Section 3 of the UGC Act.

Starting as a purely research-oriented institution, the Institute quickly developed into a full-fledged teaching cum research organisation when in 1990 it launched a Ph.D. programme in the field of development studies under agreement with Bombay University.[1] The objective of the Ph.D. programme is to produce analysts with diverse disciplinary background who can address developmental issues of policy. In 1995, accreditation for its own Ph.D. programme was obtained and a Masters programme was started to help meet the growing need of the country for more development economists.[1] The mission to address development issues has been the driving force and motivation behind the growth of the Institute.

IGIDR also has a full-fledged Masters of Science programme which draws applicants from all over India. This programme is limited to twenty-five participants at a time.

Management

Dr. Kirit S. Parikh was the first director of the Institute.[5]

Dr. Mahendra Dev is the current director of the Institute. As of 2016, the Institute had about 150 employees of which 30 were full-time faculty members, 25 were non-academic staff, 50 were M.Phil/Ph.D. students and 45 were M.Sc Economics students.[6]

  • Shaktikanta Das, Chairman
  • S. Mahendra Dev, Director (Vice Chancellor)
  • Goverdhan Mehta, Member
  • K.L. Krishna, Member
  • Mihir Rakshit, Member
  • Jayati Sarkar, Member
  • Vikas Chitre, Member
  • R. Nagaraj, Member
  • Jai Mohan Pandit, Registrar

Vision and Values

The aims and objectives of the Institute are to promote and conduct research on developmental issues from a broad inter- disciplinary perspective (economic, technological, social, political and ecological). It aspires to gain insights into the process of development and alternative policy options and to further disseminate the knowledge acquired.[7]

The primary objectives of the Institute are :[7]

  • To promote and conduct research on development from a broad inter-disciplinary perspective.
  • To promote co-operative endeavour and interaction between research scholars and institutions in India and abroad.
  • To undertake projects or activity which renders itself useful for the furtherance of development and social welfare.
  • To carry out training for advanced degrees viz. Master's and Doctorate award.

Special emphasis will be laid on the following areas:

  • The comparative study of development and policy in different regions and countries.
  • The growing interdependence among nations in the world economy and its impact on development strategies and policy options.
  • The influence of international trading, financial and economic systems on countries.
  • The examination of energy, technology and environment problems in global setting.
  • The analytical foundations of the positions adopted by India and other developing countries in international forums and negotiations.
  • Economic and technological cooperation among developing countries and India's development experience and policies.
  • Planning techniques and methodology.
  • Issues in the choice of technology and social well being.
  • The role of innovation and diffusion of technology in development.
  • Resource utilisation and environment implications of technological alternatives.
  • Social, legal, organisational and institutional aspects of development.
  • The Institute shall also serve as a centre for promoting co-operative endeavour and interaction in research activities between Indian scholars and institutions as well as between Indian and foreign scholars and institutions

Campus

The Institute is located on a 14-acre (57,000 m2) site on a hillside in Goregaon (East), 15 minutes by public bus from Mumbai's suburban Goregaon railway station and 20 minutes drive from Mumbai's national and international airports. The campus, whose architecture is inspired by the art in the Elephanta and Jogeshwari caves, includes office buildings for research and administrative staff, several seminar rooms, a 500-seat auditorium, a library, a computer centre, a cafeteria and a guest house where visiting scholars are accommodated.

The students and staff of the Institute are provided accommodation on campus. There are also some recreational facilities which include a 20-metre swimming pool, a tennis court, an indoor badminton court, a table tennis room, a small jogging track, a fully equipped gym and a children's park at the Institute.

The Institute also has an Alumni Association, which conducts an annual meet in the month of January.

Programs offered

M.Sc. in Economics

The Masters in Economics is a two-year programme, which provides students with rigorous hands-on training in Economics, special emphasis on analytical and problem solving skills, and exposure to emerging national and international policy issues. This programme requires a Master's thesis.[8]

M.Phil and Ph.D.

The M.Phil. programme is a two-year programme, designed for those who would like to acquire a certain level of analytical and applied skills but may not be keen on pursuing a Ph.D. degree.[9]

The Ph.D. programme is designed to create academic researchers as well as professionals who are capable of conducting policy analysis, relating to national and global economic and development issues, from a quantitative and inter-disciplinary perspective. While an interdisciplinary approach is encouraged, the programme lays somewhat larger emphasis on economics to provide an integrated framework within which various development issues can be addressed. Ph.D. students are expected to submit their dissertations within four years of joining the Institute. Both M.Phil. and Ph.D. programmes involve successful completion of course work as well as submission of a dissertation.

Visiting Scholars Programme

There is a programme for visiting scholars which is part of the Institute's outreach to other colleges and universities in India.[10] The programme's scholarships enable up to five selected scholars to spend three months at a stretch at IGIDR to work on a research proposal that can be satisfactorily completed during their stay.[10]

Post-Doctoral Fellowship

The Post-Doctoral Fellowship (PDF) Programme has been instituted in IGIDR as part of its outreach activities. Its objective is to support high quality research by scholars with a doctoral degree and an outstanding academic record. Up to three fellowships are available per year. The fellowships are granted for an initial period of one year, which can be extended by a maximum of one more year.

Notes and references
  1. "Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research Mumbai (Deemed University)". Great Institutions of Higher Learning: Accredited Universities in India (PDF). National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). 2005. pp. 107–117. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 September 2018.
  2. "Scholarship in development studies". The Times of India. 19 December 2001. Archived from the original on 16 May 2020.
  3. "The Jyoti and Kirit Parikh YSSP Fellowship". International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA). Archived from the original on 21 January 2019.
  4. "RBI Platinum Jubilee Report" (PDF). Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  5. "Distinguished Alumnus of IIT Kharagpur: Dr. Kirit Shantilal Parikh". Distinguished Alumni List. Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur. Archived from the original on 17 December 2010.
  6. "Management - Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research". Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  7. "Vision & Values - Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research". Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  8. "M.Sc. - Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research". Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  9. "M.Phil and Ph.D. - Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research". Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  10. "Visiting Scholars Program - Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research". Retrieved 29 September 2016.
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