Centre for Regional Development Studies (CRDS)
The Centre for Regional Development Studies (CRDS) at the Institute for Development and Communication (IDC) has been engaged in conducting research in a context of challenges and opportunities of economic reforms process and globalisation. Its major focus is to explore policy alternatives through structural transformation of the economy particularly of the predominantly agrarian societies, and also cover development issues concerning finance, industry, and migration. In the domain of agriculture, the Centre is involved in developing a policy framework for rationalisation of diversion of agriculture land to industrial and urban use. The focus has been to capture the impact of the shift from command to market economy through reorientation of existing institutional framework, research in agriculture, technological inputs, non-farm activities, culture of governance, impact on vulnerable groups like small and marginal peasants, landless labourers, women and migrant labourers. Also, the Centre aims to capture the nuances inter-linked to the crucial aspects of finance, industry, migration associated with regional development. Besides taking up research studies, the faculty of the Centre also provides regular inputs to various government departments for formulating economic and social policies, besides interaction with media.
The focus of this Centre is mainly North Western region of India – Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Ladakh.
PatronProf. Emeritus H. S. Shergill
Prof. H. S. Shergill is Professor of Economics working with Institute for Development and Communication (IDC) as Patron of the Centre for Regional Development Studies (CRDS). He is Professor Emeritus, Department of Economic, Panjab University, Chandigarh. Prof. Shergill has over thirty articles in reputed peer-reviewed and refereed national and international journals. He has pioneer work on rural credit, standard of living of SCs in Punjab, besides publication of various monographs. He has over thirty years of research and training experience.
ChairpersonProf B.S. Ghuman
Prof. B.S. Ghuman is Chairperson, Centre for Regional Development Studies (CRDS) at the Institute for Development and Communication (IDC). He is the former Vice Chancellor, Punjabi University, Patiala. Prof. Ghuman has over 38 years’ teaching experience to his credit. He has published around 73 research papers and three books. He specializes in Governance, Regulatory Administration, Food Security, Educational Administration, Public Policy, Poverty and Sustainable Development, Decentralization, Economic Administration, Public Enterprises, and Research Methodology. Professor Ghuman has good understanding of higher educational administration across the globe. He has visited U.S., U.K., France, Canada, Finland, Australia, Malaysia, Italy, Singapore, China, Thailand, San Marino, Hong Kong and Austria. He has completed six projects out of which three are international (two are Indo-Canadian). He has been closely working with Central and state governments for different assignments.
Prof. J.S. Bedi
Prof. Jatinder S. Bedi is Professor of Economics at IDC. He has undertaken research work in areas such as manufacturing sector performance in small, medium and large scale sector, growth of various agro-based industries and their forward and backward linkages, sector specific work, human development studies and Housing requirements in various cities of India.
He was member of Expert Group set up by Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, 2008 to review and suggest best method of declaration of retail sale price on pre-packed commodities chaired by Dr Govinda Rao. He was also a member of the Support Group and Chairman of Sub-group formulated by the Ministry of Food Processing Industry for the Inter Ministry Task Group on Mid Term Appraisal for the Tenth Plan, Planning Commission, 2004.
Prof. Varinder Sharma
Dr. Varinder Sharma holds Ph.D in Economics. His main areas of interest are agriculture economics, rural development and rural labour markets. He has published two books and seven articles in indexed journals. There are several monographs and studies to his credit including – Living Conditions of Scheduled Castes in Punjab, Dairy Farming among Scheduled Castes in Punjab, Commission Agents in Punjab, Cow Shelters in Punjab: Problems and Prospects, and Farm Accidents in Punjab, to name a few. He has presented his work in various conferences and seminars in India and abroad. He has availed the travel grant of Sir Rattan Tata Trust and scholarship of Department of Economics, University of Catholica, Milan (Italy). Presently, he is doing appraisal of the Adoption of Direct Seeded Rice Techniques in Punjab. Dr. Sharma is also the Director IDC.
Prof. Shuchi Kapuria
Dr. Shuchi Kapuria holds a PhD in Economics from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She has research and teaching experience of about 15 years. She was also a Visiting Researcher at the University of Guelph under the Commonwealth Exchange Scholarship Programme of the Government of Canada (2011). Her current areas of interest are — Migration, employment, labour markets, and gender studies.
Manvi Khurana
