About Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR):
- It is the apex body of the Government of India for research in the social and human sciences.
- It was established in the year 1969 by the Government of India on the recommendation of the V. K. R. V. Rao Committee.
- Purpose: Encourage, promote, and fund social science research in the country.
- It is an autonomous organisation working under the aegis of the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education.
- Objectives:
- To review and survey the progress of social science research and advise the Government on policy issues
- To fund and promote social science research in Universities/Colleges/Research Institutes
- To award Doctoral, Post–Doctoral, Senior, and National Fellowships to researchers and faculties
- To award minor, major and collaborative research projects to researchers and faculties
- To fund national and international seminars and conferences to disseminate social science research findings
- To support training and capacity-building Programmes for young researchers and faculties
- To provide International Travel and Data Collection Grants to scholars and faculties
- To encourage international collaboration in social science research with well recognized foreign research funding agencies
- To fund the publication of journals and books in social science research and also strengthen professional social science associations/organizations
- To provide library, documentation, data, and online services for social science research
- To indicate periodic themes in neglected and new critical areas of research
- Organisational Structure:
- The ICSSR’s highest decision-making body, known as the Council, has 26 members, which includes the ICSSR Chairman and the Member-Secretary, 17 Social Scientists (Non-Ex-Officio members), one co-opted member, and six Ex-officio members representing the Government of India.
- The Member Secretary is the Chief Executive Officer and heads the ICSSR Secretariat, consisting of Directors, Deputy Directors, Assistant Directors, and other officials.
- The Council has three standing committees, namely the Research Committee (RC), Research Institutes Committee (RIC), and Planning and Administration Committee (PAC).
- An all-India network of 24 frontline research institutes and six regional centres is maintained, and five recognized institutes are programmatically supported by the ICSSR.
- The Documentation center of ICSSR–National Social Science Documentation Centre (NASSDOC)-provides library and information support services to researchers in social sciences.
- ICSSR has developed the ICSSR Data Service to serve as a national data service for promoting a powerful research environment through sharing and reuse of data among the social science community in India.
