Research Methodology Courses

CMDR was known for its very effective research methodology courses conducted quite regularly in the past, thanks to ICSSR and UGC for supporting these courses. One of our former Chairmen used to even suggest that we should have a separate building exclusively meant for conducting research methodology courses on an ongoing basis. Research Methodology courses provide to the faculty a great opportunity for teaching, which normally is not available in research institutions. Academicians always look forward to opportunities for sharing with their peers their views on certain current issues and also on the theoretical aspects of their basic disciplines. In regions where social science research is not so much high on agenda of the educational institutions and where much is desired so far as the rigorous research initiatives are concerned research methodology courses of the type organized by CMDR would play a great role in motivating young post graduates into undertaking serious social science research studies. We have discovered from our fairly extended experience of organizing research methodology courses that there is no dearth for a desire to taking up social science research in the region. Being a research organization of the region we have a tremendous responsibility in promoting the research interests in the region.

Capacity Building Programmes for Elected Representatives for Efficient Governance

CMDR organizes capacity building programmes for the elected representatives from Karnataka for the MLAs and also for Panchayat and Urban Local body representatives regarding say, different aspects of the budget, resource mobilisation planning process, availability of services to the poor, etc. Such programmes would have their impact on the quality of debates in the panchayat meetings, municipal body meetings and legislative assemblies.

For the same reason the faculty needs to address increasingly to the non project linked research activities especially on the basic issues in the field of social science research. Unfortunately, most of the research institutions at present seem to have overlooked this mandate of social science research and the research has come to be considered as an exercise in measurement without theory and any effort at theorizing has been only by way of drawing inferences from the analysis of the data collected under the research projects rather than reflective research evolving theoretical insights. Of course, social sciences cannot be divorced from reality and data and information are the bread and butter for research initiatives in social sciences. However, it has been argued that this type of research initiatives has almost blunted the researchers’ very capacity for reflective thinking. It should be highlighted that social science researchers are not just technocrats and they are essentially thinkers with practical insights about different aspects of the society, polity and economy in which they live. It is felt that CMDR can hereafter address itself to this aspect of social science research.

CMDR should try to choose newer areas of research in social sciences, which are amenable to multi disciplinary approaches to a more significant extent. Thus, merit goods and merit bads, environmental challenges, challenges that the current trends of liberalization, privatization and globalization have thrown up before the micro level decision makers in the society, economy and the polity can be some of the areas for future research initiatives. The issues of history of thoughts in different branches of social sciences might also provide useful insights about the historical backgrounds of the challenges currently faced.