Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research
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The Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (IGIDR)[1] is an advanced research institute established by the Reserve Bank of India for carrying out research on development issues from a multi-disciplinary points of views.. After its registrations as an autonomous society on November 14, 1986 and as a public trust in January 15, 1987, the then Prime Minister, Shri Rajiv Gandhi inaugurated the campus at Goregaon, Mumbai on December 28, 1987. Subsequently, the Institute was recognized as a Deemed University under Section 3 of the UGC Act. Dr. R. Radhakrisna is the current director of the Institute. At present the Institute has about 120 employees and M.Phil/Ph.D students that include about 36 full time faculty members, 24 non-academic staff and about 60 M.Phil/Ph.D. students. Log on to [2] to know more about the institute.
Starting as a purely research institution, the Institute quickly developed into a full-fledged teaching cum research organisation when in 1990 it launched a Ph.D. program in the field of development studies. The objective of the Ph.D. programme is to produce analysts with diverse disciplinary background who can address issues of economics, energy and environment policies. IN 1995 the M. Phil programme was also statrted.
Aims & Objectives The aims and objectives of the Institute are to promote and conduct research on development (in its economic, technological, social, political and ecological aspects) from a broad inter- disciplinary perspective; to gain insights into the process of development and alternative policy options and to disseminate the knowledge so gained. The primary objectives of the Institute are :
· To promote and conduct research on development from a broad inter-disciplinary perspective. · To serve as a centre for promoting co-operative endeavour and interaction between research scholars and institutions in India and abroad. · To undertake any other project or activity which may be usefully carried out by the Institute for the furtherance of development and social welfare. · To carry out training for advanced degrees viz. Masters 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; 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
HIGHLIGHTS OF IGIDR’S ACADEMIC PROGRAMMES The distinguishing features of the Institute’s research programme are the following:
A multidisciplinary faculty: The Institute has a body of researchers from a variety of academic backgrounds working in different areas. These include standard economic sub-disciplines such as microeconomics, macroeconomics, and econometrics, and special areas such as agricultural policy analysis, industry studies, energy and environment studies, applied general equilibrium modelling, and studies of poverty and rural development.
Focus on Topical Research Problems: The choice of topics for research in the Institute has depended on following things: the academic interests of the faculty members, the Institute’s perception of emerging analytical and policy issues in the national and international context, and sponsored projects reflecting the importance of current practical issues. The Institute’s conscious aim has been to encourage the use of economic analysis to further the understanding of developmental issues, with a fine balance between theory and practice.
Interactive Classes: The institute aims at maintaining a small class size and a high teacher-student ratio. This feature helps us to make our lectures interactive and assess students on a continuous basis instead of a one-off examination. We also encourage students to write term papers in some courses and make presentations. This together with the option of writing a thesis produces a class of students who have good presentation and writing skills apart from analytical capabilities.
Hands-on Training: The involvement of students as Research Assistants in Institute’s research also exposes them to the concerns of the real world and enables them to get hands-on experience in using their analytical knowledge in conjunction with data analysis tools.
Infrastructure: The institute has outstanding research infrastructure, which includes one of the best research libraries in the country, completely networked campus, a top of the line computer center, and other supporting facilities.
'Location in Mumbai': Contacts established with the industrial and financial community in Mumbai and the relation with the RBI provide another special advantage in dealing with issues of industry and finance.
Placements: Students from the Institute have been placed in faculty/research positions in various national and international academic institutions, and in various national and multinational organizations. The names of the companies where are students are placed (In Campus interview) ICICI, GE, Fair, Issac, AMEX, BCC, Citigroup, Fractal, Global analytics, Boston Analytics, Evalueserve.
ACADEMIC PROGRAMMES IGIDR offers the following academic programmes:
· M.Sc. programme in Economics.
· M.Phil./Ph.D.programme in Development Studies, which has an interdisciplinary perspective, with major emphasis on economics.
These programmes are ideal for those students who are desirous of bringing their knowledge to the study of development. Students with background of economics and other disciplines such as engineering, science, management etc. are encouraged to join the programmes. However, they should keep in mind that the primary focus of the teaching programme is on economics.
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[edit] M.Sc. IN ECONOMICS
This is a two-year programme, which would impart students with a rigorous and hands-on training in Economics, with special emphasis on analytical and problem solving skills as well as exposure to emerging policy issues at the national and international levels. This programme involves a successful completion of either 16 courses or 14 courses and a Masters thesis. It is aimed at all those with necessary quantitative prerequisites who would like to be grounded in economic analysis.
· Course Structure and Duration: This is a two-year programme. First Year course work exclusively focuses on the following compulsory courses: Microeconomics I and II, Macroeconomics I and II, Statistics and Econometrics I and II, Mathematics for Economics, and Development Economics.
In the second year, students need to take three additional compulsory courses viz., (i) Indian Economy: Policy Issues and Development Experiences (ii) Public Economics and (iii) Energy and Environment. In addition, they need to complete five optional courses or three optional courses and a Masters thesis.
The following is a list of possible optional courses:
Games and information, Industrial organization, Topics in public economics, Time series analysis, Applied econometrics, Monetary economics, Applied general equilibrium models, Economy-wide models, Issues in industrial economics and corporate finance, Financial economics, Agricultural economics, Theory of institutions, Topics in economic theory, Themes in human deprivation, International political economy, Energy Systems Studies, Energy and environment economics, Environmental science and technology and Environmental management.
· Continuation into M.Phil./Ph.D. Programme: Those who successfully complete the M.Sc. programme at IGIDR and found eligible as per rules could join the M.Phil./Ph.D. programme. Such candidates may be exempted from the course requirements and would receive stipends under the existing rules: for one year in case of M.Phil. registration, and three years in case of Ph.D. registration.
· Costs, Financial Assistance, and Admission Eligibility: Please refer to the yearly admission notification and prospectus.
[edit] M.Phil. and Ph.D. IN DEVELOPMENT STUDIES
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 who are not keen on pursuing a Ph.D. degree.
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, in a quantitative and inter-disciplinary manner. While an interdisciplinary approach is encouraged, the programme lays somewhat larger emphasis on economics to provide an integrating 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 dissertation. Both the M.Sc. and M.Phil./Ph.D. stream students who would like to register for a Ph.D. degree need to pass a set of comprehensive examinations, in addition to the prescribed course and grade requirements.
· Course Structure and Duration: Both M.Phil. as well as Ph.D. students need to take ten courses (six compulsory and four optional) with a minimum of eight of these to be completed in the first year. Of the courses completed in the first year, six must be selected from the following set of core courses, viz., Microeconomics I and II, Macroeconomics I and II, Statistics and Econometrics I and II, Energy and Environment I and II, with at least two complete sequences covered (a complete sequence for example would be Microeconomics I and II). The remaining four courses must be chosen from the list of possible optionals. This list includes all the optionals as well as those core courses (listed in the M.Sc. programme) that the student has not taken as compulsory. If a student so chooses, s/he can complete all ten courses in the first year. Those students who already possess a Masters degree in Economics may get a pass-through in certain courses provided they clear a set of examinations.
In addition, students who wish to have the M.Phil. degree, are required to submit an M.Phil. dissertation. For continuation in the programme as a Ph.D. student, the student has to pass a set of comprehensive examinations and is expected to write a Ph.D. thesis within the stipulated time frame.
[edit] List of Projects
The following is a cumulative list of projects executed at IGIDR. These projects have been sponsored by various national and international agencies such as UNDP, UNEP, World Bank, CIDA and so on. The areas covered by these projects include, among others, energy, enivronment, trade, finance, agriculture, food security and industry studies.
- Suicide of Farmers in Maharashtra
- State of Environment Report -Maharashtra
- Maharashtra Development Report
- Environmentally Sound Energy Development Strategies (Phase - I) for India
- Environmentally Sound Energy Development Strategies (Phase - II) for India
- Structural Transformation Process Towards Sustainable Development
- Demand Side Management in the Electricity Sector
- A Natural Resource Accounting Framework for NTGCF: A Tool for Sustainable Development
- Economic Instrument for Climate Change
- Waste Paper Trade and Recycling: A Case Study of India
- Environmental and Natural Resource Accounting for India
- IPCC WG-III SAR Decision Making Framework
- Models for Sustainable Development
- Trade and Environment Linkage: A Case Study of India
- Metropolitan Environment Improvement Programme
- Contingent Valuation of Borivili National Park
- Financial Sector Reforms in India
- Policies for Industrial Competitiveness: What India Can Learn from the East Asian Countries
- The Process of Financial Liberalisation in Developing Countries
- Opportunities and Challenges in Indian Tobacco
- Food Security and Public Distribution System
- Training Programme under Institutional Development Component of the World Bank Projects
- Development of Climate Change Impact Model for India
- Rural Poverty in India: Incidence, Issues and Policies
- Sustainable Development, Global Commons and India's Policy Option
- Consumption Patterns, Demographic Pressures, Resource Use and Environmental Stress
- Sustainability - Definition, Measurement, Monitoring
- INGRID Model for Western, Southern and Northern Regions
- Compressed Natural Gas in Transport Sector
- High Tension Industries Survey in Maharashtra
- Power Systems: Applications of Superconductivity
- Simulation of Wester and Southern Grids for Eighth Plan (INGRID Model)
- Agricultural Trade Liberalisation in India
- Asia Region Perspective on Global Environmental Management: Trade/Economic Issues and Institutional Mechanisms
- Structure of Foodgrain Prices in India
- Consumption Pattern by Income Groups and Environmental Implications for India
- Land Consolidation
- Finance and Changing Trade Patterns in Developing Countries
- Capacity 21: Capacity Building for Introduction of Environment Economics into Decision Making for Sustainable Development
- Limiting Carbon Dioxide Emissions Through Economic Instruments: Application to India and Canada
- North-South Cooperation Through Joint Implementation
- EconomIC Valuation Of Environmental Degradation
[edit] Computing
The computer facilities at IGIDR include state-of-the-art technology Computer Center with latest hardware, networking equipment, software and help desk facilities. The whole office campus is networked by Ethernet based LAN on fiber optic segmented backbone and connected to the Internet through 1 MBPS leased line. In addition the computing facility also includes a computerized library system. Recently the campus network has been extended to the residences of the employees
Hardware
The computer center is equipped with high-end Compaq Alpha servers with RAID implementation, CISCO switches and routers for campus wide network connectivity, Sun Ultrasparc servers, and Intel Pentium based multimedia workstations.
In addition to several HP Deskjet printers in the faculty and staff offices, the printing facilities also include high-speed Network HP Laser printers, in each office block including the Computer Center. The Center also provides total backup solution for users data through various backup devices viz., DAT, CD RECORDER, OPTICAL DISK and CATRIDGE TAPE. A Color HP Scanner and Digital Camera have been provided to assist the users in creating multimedia presentations. The Institute also has a multimedia projector for presentations in seminars and conferences.
Operating Systems and Software.
The Alpha servers are powered by Compaq Tru64 Unix, Sun Ultrasparc servers are with Solaris 8 OS and the workstations are loaded with various flavours of Linux viz., Suse, RedHat, etc. The Windows machines are loaded with Win2000/NT/98. OS. The computerized library system uses SCOUnix and the application software running is LIBSYS (A library management System).
For it’s researchers and students the Center provides all standard econometrics and statistical packages like SAS, GAUSS, TSP, STATA, MICROFIT, LIMDEP, DEA, SHAZAM, GAMS, MATHEMATICA, VISUAL FORTRAN, LISREL, Expert Choice 2000, etc., and office automation packages like STAROFFICE, MSOFFICE, LATEX under Unix/Linux and Windows environments.
The Center is also equipped with a Digitizer with GIS Software like SPANs and MAPINFO to carry out GIS related projects
In addition to the above software the Institute subscribes to corporate databases like PROWESS, INDIA TRADE by CMIE, CLINE OLE by Capital Market, and National and International Database like ASI, WBI, IFS, ECONLIT, SCSI, FAO, GDE etc.
The Computer Center conducts various training and orientation seminar/lectures on several computer related topics, software, databases and on new IT technologies implemented at Institute to enhance and upgrade the computer skills of the user community of IGIDR.
The Library of the Institute is rapidly building up to be one of the leading computerized professional research and reference libraries in the country. All bibliographic information and catalogue of books and journals and also CD ROM databases are accessible through the campus Ethernet computer network with LIBSYS software.
