32 National Information Systems and Programmes in Social Science

R K Verma

I.  Objectives

To learn about the structure, objectives, functions, products, achievements, and information dissemination activities of major National Information systems in Social sciences

II.   Learning Outcome

After reading this module, you will be able to:

•    get an overview of National information systems in Social Sciences in India,

•    learn about the structure, objectives, functions, products, achievements, and information dissemination activities of major National Information systems in Social Sciences,

•    familiarize the users with the activities of the major national level institutions in the field of Social Sciences, and

•    take stock of the information infrastructure of premier institutions in Social Sciences particularly reflecting the use of modern ICT.

III.   Module Structure

1.  Introduction

2.  Institutes of Social Sciences in General

2.1  Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR)

2.1.1  Research Institutes and Regional Centres Division (RI&RC)

2.1.2  National Social Science Documentation Centre (NASSDOC)

2.2  Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS)

3.  Management and Business Administration

3.1  Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow (IIML)

3.2  India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO)

3.3  Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)

3.4  National Institute for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (NI-MSME) 3.4.1The Small Enterprises National Documentation Centre (SENDOC)

4.  Economics and Commerce

4.1  The National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER)

5.  Education

5.1  The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT)

6.  Political Science and International Relations

6.1  Parliament Library

6.2  Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (GIPE)

6.3  Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA)

7.  Sociology

7.1  SNDT Women’s University

8.  Summary

9.  References

1.  Introduction

There has been a substantial growth in social science research in India in recent years. It is estimated that every year around 1000 doctoral degrees are awarded in this field. Consequently an increase in investment has resulted in a number of survey and project reports, articles, and papers. Further a marked increase in cultural and ideological contrasts in approaches to social, political, and cultural problems have led to increased growth in literature in this field. It is estimated that around 60% of the documents having social science information are not available for dissemination and use. Further, it is realized that social science research is essential for formulation of Government policies. This leads to the importance of national information system ensuring adequate bibliographic control. It is also realized that no single institution can perform and handle the job of library and information services alone. Information is considered as a ‘national resource’ now, and this awareness has led to various information services like indexing, abstracting and computerized information services at national and international level. This implies a strong need for a national network which is possible through social science information system and programmes. To gain from the benefits of emerging technologies, India recognised the need for strengthening the information base in the country by integrating various information agencies in to a well-knit information system. The components of an information system include hardware, software, manpower, communication systems and involves selecting, organizing, storing, and disseminating public knowledge to the users as per the objectives laid down in the information programmes and activities of the concerned Institution. Information programmes refer to the objectives to be achieved, infrastructure required and sources of funds for setting up information system. In fact, the institutions act as the vital sources of information.

Recognizing this need for research in social sciences, Government of India has initiated various programmes which include the setting up of Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) as the major institution. The council recognized major disciplines viz. Economics including Commerce; Education; Management and Business administration; Political science including International relations; Psychology; Public Administration and Sociology including Social work and Criminology. Besides ICSSR, there are several other institutions both governmental and nongovernmental and other professional organizations that are involved in the promotion of various social science disciplines. These institutions are either mission-oriented or discipline oriented.

ICSSR has recognized various disciplines under the broad field of Social sciences. These are:

•    Economics including Commerce;

•    Education;

•    Management and Business administration;

•    Political science including International relations;

•    Psychology;

•    Public Administration; and

•    Sociology including Social work and Criminology

This module deals with some national Information systems and programmes in the field of social sciences which include leading Government as well as private institutions engaged primarily in dissemination of   information at national level in almost all the above mentioned disciplines. Within each institution, various aspects like their background, scope, objectives, major activities/programmes, and a brief sketch of documentation and information dissemination activities are highlighted. While describing the various aspects, particularly the information dissemination part, an emphasis is laid on only the major services, publications and documentation activities.

2.  Institutes of Social Sciences in General

2.1  Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR)

Established in the year 1969, ICSSR was entrusted by the Government of India to promote research in social sciences in the country.

The main objectives of the Council are to:

•    Sponsor social science research programmes and projects;

•    Review the progress of social science research and offer advice to its users;

•    Administer grants to institutions and scholarships/fellowships to individuals for research in social sciences;

•    Provide financial support to institutions, associations, and journals engaged in social science research;

•    Undertake and assist publication of books and journals in social sciences;

•    Arrange for technical training in research methodology including guidance for research;

•    Co-ordinate research activities and encourage programmes for interdisciplinary research;

•    Develop and support centres for documentation services and supply of data;

•    Organize, sponsor  and finance seminars, workshops and study groups; and

•    Advise the Government of India on all matters pertaining to social science research as may be referred to it from time to time; and take such measures generally as may be necessary from time to time to promote social science research and its utilization.

2.1.1  Research Institutes and Regional Centres Division (RI&RC)

These provide maintenance and development grants to research institutes and maintain Regional Centres in various regions of the country. The Council is at present assisting 27 Research Institutes and six Regional Centres in different regions of India. The Research Institutes have adequate infrastructural facilities including well designed libraries/information and knowledge centres. These are engaged in disseminating information in social science research in diverse fields of study with regional, national, and international scope. The research Institutes are of all India character- outside the scope of the University Grants Commission (UGC). Their main objectives include providing of talent from more developed to less developed regions, especially to areas where social science research is under developed; and development of quality  of research and interdisciplinary research in social sciences in order to improve the social science inputs into development.

The Council brings out a bi-annual publication ‘ICSSR Journal of Abstracts and Reviews’ in five disciplines viz., Economics, Geography, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology including Social  Anthropology.  Other  publications  are-  ‘Indian  Social  Science  Review’-  a  quarterly newsletter providing an account of major activities and programs of not only the Centre but also its regional centres and various research institutes. The Council also provides grants to scholars to conduct research in various fields of social sciences which have a theoretical, conceptual, and methodological or policy orientation on the subject of their choice. The research projects may belong to any one of the social science disciplines or may be interdisciplinary in nature.

2.1.2  National Social Science Documentation Centre (NASSDOC)

NASSDOC, established in 1969 as a Division of the ICSSR,is India’s leading information centre for research and innovation in Social Sciences. This Centre has the major role of providing library and information support services to researchers in social sciences. The services are for those working in academic institutions, autonomous research organisations, policy making, planning and research units of government departments, business and industry, etc. NASSDOC also provides guidance to libraries of ICSSR Regional Centres and ICSSR supported Research Institutes. The main objectives of the Centre are:

Facilities Available at NASSDOC

•    To understand development of social sciences with a view to familiarize with tools useful to various stakeholders in imparting information,

•    To sensitize in planning and designing of local/national information systems pertaining to various social sciences,

•    To disseminate information about the developments in social science research,

•    To provide library and information support services   of the researchers in the field of social sciences,

•    To provide financial assistance for bibliographic and documentation projects in social science field,

•    To  conduct  short-term  training  courses  for  librarians,  research  scholars,  and  social scientists; and

•    To make available study grant to doctoral students for collecting research material from libraries and information centres located in various parts of the country.

Facilities provided by NASSDOC are: Documentation, Library and Reference Service; Collection of unpublished doctoral dissertations; Research project reports; Current and old volumes of social science journals of Indian and foreign origin; Literature Search Service from printed and digital databases, i.e., CD-ROMS, floppies, Online database etc.; Compilation of short bibliographies on request; Study grant to doctoral students for collection of research material from various libraries located in different parts of India; Provision of financial assistance for taking up bibliographical and documentation projects; Document Delivery Service by procuring books and journals on Inter-library loan or by photocopying the documents; organizing short-term training courses for the research scholars, social scientists, librarians and IT professionals; and Cyber Cafe, to facilitate access to internet resources on social sciences. One of the important publications is Indian Social Science Periodicals literature (INSSPEL). NASSDOC has created an integrated and computerized database of articles published in 119 Indian social science journals since their inception till 1970. It consists of 43,272 issues of journals containing 97491 articles thus providing reasonable control over the literature published in Indian social science periodicals during the last 100 years or so. This database, is available in a CD-ROM. Two Indexes viz. Indian Education Index (1947-1978) and Index to Indian Periodicals: Sociology & Psychology (1886-1970) have been published. The former is a combined retrospective index, having 26 Indian educational journals in English language. It provides access to more than 20,000 articles published in these journals while the later one contains 35 Indian periodicals in sociology (English) which have been indexed from volume one to the year 1970, covering the period from 1886-1970. The number of periodicals in psychology indexed is seven and time period covered is from 1926-1970. The earliest periodical indexed in sociology is the ‘Journal of Anthropological Society of Bombay’. (Students may visit official Website of NASSDOC for current details).

2.2  Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS)

TISS was established in 1936 as Sir Dorabji Tata Graduate School of Social Work. In 1944, it was renamed as the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. During the year 1964, it was declared Deemed to be a University under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act (UGC), 1956. It is one of the premier Institutes in the country in the field of Social Sciences and has been recognized as one of the progressive centres of learning, catering to the educational and research information needs of academic and scientific community for excellent teaching, research and development work carried out by the faculty members, research scholars and students. Since its inception, the vision of the TISS has been to be an institution of excellence in higher education that continually responds to changing social realities through the development and application of knowledge, towards creating a people-centred, ecologically sustainable and just society that promotes and protects dignity, equality, social justice and human rights for all.

The vision of TISS is:

•     Creation and provision of socially relevant and high quality professional education in a wide range of inter-disciplinary areas of Social Sciences to students from all sections of the society.

•     Enabling of autonomous research and dissemination of knowledge.

•     Support knowledge creation through M.Phil. and Ph.D. programmes and Post-Doctoral scholars.

•     Strategic extension, field action and advocacy through training and capacity building of State and non-State institutions and personnel.

•     Initiate field action and advocacy to demonstrate and facilitate creation of policies and programmes.

•     Professional response to natural and human-made disasters, through participation in relief and rehabilitation activities.

Over the years, the Institute has made consistent contributions to civil society and the development sector through its education, research, field action and extension. TISS Library established along with the institute way back in 1936 is one of the leading social science libraries in the country. The library was named as “Sir Dorabji Tata Memorial Library”in the memory of late Sir Dorabjii Tata. It is geared to meet the academic and research information needs of the user community. It provides user-focused services to obtain and evaluate scholarly information and knowledge. As the library specializes in the field of applied social sciences, it has become most sought after library for the social scientists in India. It is a unique knowledge centre, which offers essential and specialized information resources and services to meet the growing information needs by developing user-based resources; organizing information resources; providing human and technologically moderated access to information; and facilitating users to identify, locate, obtain and evaluate information. Besides this the e-resources and services like OPAC, Ezproxy remote access, Access to e-resources, and Indian Journal of Social work online facility (Intranet access only) are worth mentioning.

3.  Management and Business Administration

3.1  Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow (IIML)

IIML was established in 1984 and has now grown into a fully integrated global management school. The guiding philosophies of the school, throughout, have been creation of knowledge, influencing management practices and integrate globally. The objectives of imparting education, combined with creation, dissemination and publication of knowledge, are being met in an integrated form, to create a synergetic impact. Research is undertaken for strengthening the knowledge base, relevant to management practices for the corporate as well as non-corporate sector. Consultancy services are provided to various kinds of organizations, spread across different sectors of the economy, for solving their problems and upgrading their management practices. In keeping with the mission of the Institute, Management Development Programmes (MDPs) are conducted to help improve management systems by providing relevant training to senior executives in industry, government and the non-government sectors. Special ‘Centres of Excellence’ in the area of agriculture – ‘Agriculture Management Centre’; leadership – ‘Centre for Leadership in Human Values’; and entrepreneurship – ‘Centre for Entrepreneur Development and New Venture Management’, have been established to undertake pioneering work in their respective areas.

Recognizing the role of library and information services in meeting the requirements of the Institute’s academic, research, training and consultancy programs, the Library of the institute was set-up as one of the key divisions. The library started functioning in 1985 from a small room in the rented premises of the Giri Institute of Development Studies. Over a period of 28 years, the library has grown tremendously and now stocks a core collection of over 70,000 select documents (in various forms) and subscribes to 533 learned periodicals. Equipped with latest designed furniture and fittings, the library has all modern equipment to support its diverse range of activities. State-of-the-art information technology (IT) products are in place to modernize its operations and services. It meets the complex information requirements of a variety of users (both from within the Institute and outside) satisfactorily. In keeping with the vision and mission of the Institute, the library has been established ‘to promote knowledge generation and application through its effective dissemination’. The library acts as the main learning resource centre of the Institute and provides services and facilities to meet the requirements of the Institute’s teaching, training, research and consultancy programmers. E-resources of the library’s collection include e-books, e-journals, e-newspapers, e-databases, DELNET databases, video library, digital knowledge repositories, and Union list of periodicals. A biannual journal entitled ‘Metamorphosis: A Journal for Business Leaders’ is published as its official organ reporting breakthrough ideas in the ever emerging and evolving processes of management.

3.2  India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO)

ITPO is the premier trade promotion agency of the Government of India, which provides a broad spectrum of services to trade and industry so as to catalyse the growth of bilateral trade, particularly India’s exports, and technological upgradation and modernisation of different industry segments. ITPO’s programmes are carried out in close cooperation with the Indian industry whose promotional needs are served. As an apex agency of the Government, ITPO accords approvals for holding of international trade fairs in India in order to ensure and facilitate, among others, the customs clearance of imported exhibits. ITPO has taken a lead in promoting the Fair Culture all over the country. Major initiatives have been taken through negotiations and discussions with the State Governments for setting up of exhibition complexes. The significant achievement in this direction has been the setting up of Regional Trade Promotion Centres at Chennai and Bangalore.

Business Information Centre (BIC) is ITPO’s initiative in providing trade information services with electronic accessibility. BIC addresses the new challenges and methods of doing business using reliable trade information and support services.BIC provides varied trade information and services on India by serving overseas importers to source from India and Indian exporters to expand business. BIC provides efficient management of trade information services besides connectivity and linkages to trade organizations in India and overseas and facilitates greater market   access   for   Indian   business   The   centre    hosts    the    first    Trade    Portal    of India http://www.tradeportalofindia.com which provides reliable information access both off-line and online by addressing the entire spectrum of trade information among the other wings converging product profiles, supplier profiles from India, country profiles of major trade destinations, global importer’s directory, world economic environment, overseas market situation, trade fairs and exhibitions, market surveys (product-wise), trade and investment policy, trade statistics, tariff and taxes, etc. BIC thus, is the one stop for varied trade information and services on India serving overseas importers and Indian exporters in expanding business. BIC envisages encompassing specialized services like video conferencing, language translation, virtual office, and virtual trade fair and in due course e-transactions.

3.3  Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)

Established in 1927, FICCI is the oldest and largest non-government, not-for-profit business organisation in India. Its history is closely interwoven with India’s struggle for independence. Its industrialization is considered as emergence of one of the most rapidly growing global economies. FICCI has contributed to this historical process by encouraging debate, articulating the private sector’s views and influencing policy. FICCI draws its membership from the corporate sector, both private and public, including Small and Medium enterprises (SMEs) and Multi-National Companies; FICCI enjoys an indirect membership of over 2,50,000 companies from various regional chambers of commerce. FICCI brings out several publications in the form of surveys, studies, policy documents, and business digests on wide spectrum of business, commercial and industrial matters for all the states of India.

3.4  National Institute for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (NI-MSME)

NI-MSE was originally set up as Central Industrial Extension Training Institute (CIETI) in New Delhi in 1960 as a Department under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Government of India. The Institute was shifted to Hyderabad in 1962, and was renamed as Small Industry Extension Training (SIET) Institute. SIET, as it was popularly known for over two decades later, is managed by Governing Council, appointed by the Government of India. SIET was conferred the status of national institute by the Government of India with the charter of assisting in the promotion of Small Enterprises mainly by creating a pro-business environment. In 1984, the UNIDO had recognised SIET as an institute of meritorious performance under its Centres of Excellence Scheme subsequently, it was also accorded the national status in the same year and SIET Institute became NISIET. Since then the institute has come a long way, in making it a place of distinction for itself in the domain of entrepreneurship promotion, achieving recognition both at the national level and in the international arena. The Institute, in order to reflect the expanded focus of its objectives with name was rechristened as NI-MSE from 11th April 2007 and re-designed its structure and organisation. Now, it is an organisation of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Ministry, Government of India. Almost all the information dissemination activities are organized by the documentation centre viz. Small Enterprises National Documentation Centre (SENDOC).

3.4.1 The Small Enterprises National Documentation Centre (SENDOC)

SENDOC was set up in 1970 by erstwhile SIET, to energise MSMEs in India and the developing countries around the world with information and knowledge. Since then, it has been functioning as a clearing house of information both for entrepreneurs and extension agents. The Centre has emerged as a one-stop global and IT powered information centre for a wide spectrum of MSMEs, academia, students, research institutions, industry associations and entrepreneurs. The main objectives of the Centre are to collect, store and disseminate techno-managerial information pertaining to MSMEs and to conduct need and demand based training programmes. The library of the SENDOC possesses 70,000 books, 18,000 back volumes of journals, 30,000 reports, 65,000 journal abstracts, 7,500 product profiles, and subscribes to 140 national and international periodicals. It has also a collection that provides information on statistics, economics, production, finance, marketing, technology, machinery and equipment, raw materials, consultants, Government policies and programmes, exports and imports, investment, trade and area literature, licensing, etc. Experts working in the Centre scan and arrange information systematically for quick retrieval using LIMS (Library Information Management System) package.  The information is accessible through the website www.nimsme.org. Some of the important services provided by the Centre are: Inter-library lending of documents, Lending of books; Reference Services (preparation of bibliographies) and literature search, Newspaper clippings, and Technical enquiry. It also provides reprography and consultancy service, product profiles, and organises training programmes for clientele on cost. Since 1974, SENDOC plays a crucial role in the quarterly publication of the primary research journal SEDME (Small Enterprises Development, Management  and  Extension).  This  is  dedicated  to  small  entrepreneurs  and academia who wish to express and exchange their thoughts on any facet of MSMEs. (Students may visit official Website of SENDOC for current details).

4.  Economics and Commerce

4.1 The National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER)

NCAER has done pioneering research work in areas of applied economics with an emphasis on policy analysis and application of modern quantitative techniques to development issues, regional development and planning, household income, consumption, savings /investment and energy. It has a unique position in the country for designing and executing large-scale sample surveys on regional and human development as well as a large range of consumer products. NCAER has built up a rich database on economic and commercial data. Its clients include government ministries, The Planning Commission, state governments, public and private sector companies and international agencies.

The major activities of NCAER are: developing policy reports for clients; examining domestic agricultural market structures, price policy, linkages between agricultural price policy and poverty, and, the role of the Panchayats in fostering sustainable development.; tracking key sectors of the economy for subscribers; forecasting the economic outlook; conducting, designing, and analyzing surveys that illuminate public policy issues as well as assist private sector decisions ; and disseminating research findings.

NCAER library has been an integral part of the institution, providing research support to the Council’s economists as well as to policy makers, administrators, consultants, students and others from all over the country. The library plays a vital role in collecting, organizing and disseminating information for the benefit of researchers. The NCAER Library is a Depository Library for Asian Development Bank, International Monetary Fund and for selected UN publications. NCAER publishes three periodicals, namely, Margin, Quarterly review  of  the Indian Economyand Arthasuchi. Margin is a peer-reviewed journal of original articles, and a focal point for the dissemination of empirical and theoretical knowledge in the broad area of applied economics-specifically in areas such as monetary and fiscal policies, trade and regulation, international investment, rural economics and development economics. A major emphasis is on policy analysis and application of modern quantitative techniques to development issues. The journal is intended at encouraging economic research and analysis to achieve a deeper understanding of the dynamics of the development process needed for policy making. The research articles and empirical information focus on the broad areas of applied economics. The journal intends to influence policy making by encouraging a deeper understanding of the dynamics of the development process. The issues covered have a broad scope of national and international importance. NCAER has been monitoring and analysing the macro aspects of the Indian economy for a number of years. Based on its analysis of the economy, they offer a package of reports and seminars comprising of Quarterly Review of the Economy, Quarterly Business Expectations Survey, Monthly Journal MacroTrack and Quarterly State of the Economy Seminars. This package is provided as an annual subscription service under the title “Quarterly Review of the Economy”. Arthasuchi is a .quarterly computerised index to Indian economic literature comprising government reports, journal articles and newspaper write-ups. A printed version of this database is published Quarterly as ” ArthaSuchi: An Index to Indian Economic Literature”. A bibliographical database on Indian Economic Literature covering journal articles and working papers received in the NCAER Library has more than 40,000 citations and is updated regularly.

5. Education

5.1  The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT)

NCERT was set up by the Government of India in 1961 as an autonomous organization registered under Societies Registration Act (Act XXI of 1860) to advise and assist the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India and Departments of Education in States/Union Territories in formulation and implementation of their policies and major programmes in the field of education, particularly for qualitative improvement of school education. For realization of its objectives, the NCERT and its Constituent Units:

•     Undertake, aid, promote and coordinate research in areas related to school education;

•     Organize pre-service and in-service training of teachers;

•     Organize extension services for institutions that are engaged in educational research, training of teachers or have extension services to schools;

•     Develop and disseminate improved educational techniques, practices and innovations;

•     Collaborate,  advise  and  assist  State  Education  Departments,  Universities  and  other educational institutions;

•     Act  as  a  clearing-house  for  ideas  and  information  to  all  matters  relating  to  school education;

•     Undertake the preparation and/or the publication of books, materials, periodicals and other literature to achieve its objectives;

•    Act as a nodal agency for achieving goals of universalization of elementary education. The Division of Library, Documentation and Information (DLDI), is the Learning Resource Centre and Service Division of NCERT.

Population Education Documentation Centre (POPDOC) and International Educational Resource Documentation Centre (IERDOC) are integral parts of DLDI. Its mission is to provide updated and comprehensive information and material on education in general and school education in particular. It houses books on psychology, environmental education, value education, population education, education for special need groups, literature and languages. Textual and supplementary reading materials relating to school curriculum, reports of various commissions, educational surveys and policy documents also find a place in the Library. Among the publications of NCERT, various types’ viz. E-books, online books, children books, non-print materials, and journals are included. The journals and periodicals are: Journal of Indian Education, The Primary teacher, Indian Educational abstracts, School Science, Prathmic Shikshak (in Hindi), Journal of Value Education, Bhartiya Aadhunic Shiksha (in Hindi), and Indian Educational review.

6.  Political Science and International Relations

6.1  Parliament Library

Parliament Library, one of the richest repositories of books in India, was established in the year 1921 to assist members of the Indian Legislature. A Research and Reference Branch was also established which initially functioned independent of the Parliament Library. During the past four decades, the Library as well as Research and Reference Services for members have gradually developed into what is now familiarly known as LARRDIS (The Library, Reference, Research, Documentation and Information Service). Even though LARRDIS is a part of the administrative set up of the LokSabha Secretariat, it serves members of both the Houses of Parliament. LARRDIS is presently divided into the various functional divisions, viz. Research and Information, Reference, Library, Documentation, Press Clipping, Parliament Museum and Archives, Press and Public Relations, Microfilming, Audio-visual and Telecasting, Computerisation of Information Service for Members of Parliament.

‘Sansadiya Gyanpeeth’, the new Parliament Library Building having a covered area of about 55,000 sq.m., houses the Library, Reference, Research, Documentation and Information Services (LARRDIS), the Bureau of Parliamentary Studies and Training (BPST) and Parliamentary Museum and Archives (PMA) and Press andPublic Relations Wing. It can accommodate about three million volumes of publications. The Library has been fully computerized having state of the art Local Area Network and high speed Internet connectivity. The audio-visual aids also form a substantial part of the information services. A sufficient number of cubicles fully equipped with audio and video facilities and computer terminals have also been provided in the two reading rooms for members of Parliament. A Closed Circuit TV network has also been provided for viewing the live proceedings of the Parliament. A ‘Media Centre’ equipped with latest telecommunication facilities, as part of the Press and Public Relations Wing has also been made available. The building is now fully functional and all the information services are being offered from the library. The new Parliament Library Building is a functionally viable library providing for an advanced and sophisticated storage and retrieval system. This is the richest and the second largest library in the country keeping pace with the rapid developments taking place in the field of Information Technology (IT) where networking, microfilming, multimedia and national and international linkages through satellites are every day’s realities. It is a futuristic and intelligent library building geared to meet the ever-growing information needs of the members of Parliament for many decades to come. Parliament Library, at present has holdings of over 1.27 million volumes of printed books, reports, governmental publications, U.N. reports, debates, gazettes, other documents (including periodicals and publications brought out by the LokSabha Secretariat. Eighty eight Indian and foreign newspapers and 491 periodicals in English, Hindi and other Indian languages are being received regularly in the Parliament Library. The Library Division also brings out a monthly publication named Parliamentary Library Bulletin. It contains information regarding the titles of new additions to the holdings of Parliament Library during the month. It also highlights the various activities and developments like visits of delegations/dignitaries to Parliament Library, release of latest publications, backgrounders and information bulletins, etc. brought out by the LARRDIS. Research and Information Division publishes the following periodicals for the use of members:

The Journal of Parliamentary Information (Quarterly): This Journal carries practice and problem oriented articles on constitutional and parliamentary subjects from members of Parliament and other experts in the field. It also serves as an authentic recorder of developments in practice and procedure and parliamentary events and activities in Indian and foreign Legislatures.

The Digest of Central Acts (Quarterly): The Digest contains synopses of all the Bills passed by Parliament and assented to by the President.

The Digest of Legislative and Constitutional Cases (Quarterly): This Digest contains abstracts of judgments of the Supreme Court and the High Courts’ involving interpretation of the provisions of the Constitution in important legislative and constitutional cases.

IPG Newsletter(Quarterly): This Newsletter keeps members of the Indian Parliamentary Group (IPG) informed of the various events and activities of the IPG like exchange of Parliamentary Delegations, IPU, CPA and SAARC Parliamentary Conferences, Meetings, Seminars, Symposia, etc.

CPA Asia Region Newsletter (Quarterly): The Newsletter provides information to members of the National Branches of the Parliaments of Bangladesh, India, Maldives and Sri Lanka and State Branches of India on important parliamentary events and activities which take place in their Branches and which have significance insofar as the Commonwealth and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) are concerned. (Students may visit official Website of NASSDOC for current details).

6.2  Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (GIPE)

GIPE, Pune, is one of the oldest research and training institutes in Economics in the country, Research in the socio-economic dimensions of the Indian society, and training to researchers in this domain being its primary objectives. Established in 1930 by the Servants of India Society, the Institute is registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, and the Bombay Public Trusts Act, 1950. The Servants of India Society, founded by late Shri Gopal Krishna Gokhale, are the Trustees of the Institute. In view of the eminent and sustained contribution of the Institute to teaching, training and research in Economics since its inception, and in recognition of its potential to emerge as a centre of excellence in the field of teaching and research in Economics, the University Grants Commission, in 1993, granted to the Institute the status of a Deemed to be University. Since its inception in 1930, Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics is renowned for its initiatives in qualitative research in diverse areas of economic theory and practice. Its studies on Poverty, Rural Employment Guarantee Schemes and Cooperatives were instrumental in shaping public policies, and in formulating economic plans at local and regional level. GIPE is one of the handful of research institutions in the country to carry out research on demographic problems facing the country. The Institute is credited with pioneering contributions by way of surveys, research, informed debate and analysis which has shaped public discourse on major socio-economic initiatives in the State of Maharashtra, as well at the national level. For some of the major contributions including on-going research projects its official website may be visited

Dhananjayarao Gadgil Library was established in 1905 as a public library under the aegis of Servants of India Society with late Gopal Krishna Gokhale as one of its founding members. The Library has a rare combination of colonial and modern architecture including a rare collection of old British Parliamentary Papers of the 18th and 19th centuries, about almost unbroken series of the proceedings of legislatures in India, both Central and States; and a large collection of reports of commissions and committees appointed by the Government of India, U.K., U.S. etc. It also possesses the union budgets rights from 1799-1805 and 1874-75 to till date, the budgets of princely and provincial states of pre-independence period and unbroken series of the budgets of state governments after the formation of states on linguistic basis. The census publications of government of India and states right from 1872 first census of India to till date, also form a very valuable part of our collection. Special holdings include gazetteers Maharashtra state gazettes and Gokhale papers microfilms etc. The library is also a depository library for the publications of the United Nations and its specialised agencies, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the European Community and also the Government of Canada. Besides books, it receives few journals as depository. It has a very comprehensive collection of census publications starting right from the first census (1871 to 2001), Govt. of Maharashtra Gazettes from 1960 onwards, and grey literature in the form of working papers/discussion papers, occasional papers etc. of various national and international research institution, universities, and agencies

6.3  Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA)

IIPA is an autonomous academic institution of national eminence for training, research and information dissemination in streams related to the ethos of public administration. The institute established in 1953, is known internationally as a premier centre for training and research in public administration and Management. Its thrust areas are – enhancing leadership and managerial qualities on the one hand and developing a service-orientation on the other. The research work involves simplifying procedures and suggesting policy changes to ensure improved delivery of public services. The Institute’s objectives are:

•     To promote and provide for the study of public administration, economic and political science with special reference to public administration and the machinery of government and educational purposes,

•     To undertake, organise and facilitate study courses, conferences and lectures and research in matters relating to public administration and the machinery of government,

•     To undertake and provide for the publication of journals and of research papers and books to impart training in and promote the study of public administration,

•     To establish and maintain libraries and information services to facilitate the study of public administration and spreading information,

•     To constitute or cause to be constituted Regional Branches at convenient centres in India to promote the objects of the society, and

•     To cooperate with approved institutions and bodies for the purposes of helping the cause of public administration

The activities of the Institute are organized in four inter-related areas of Research, Training, Advisory Services and Dissemination of Information. It undertakes normally the sponsored projects of Government and national/international organizations and offers advisory services in operational areas and provides the necessary hand-holding in implementation of schemes, programmes and project in both Government and private sectors. It conducts a large number of long and short-duration training programmes. Besides the Indian Journal of Public Administration, Nagarlokand Lok Prashashan journals, the Institute also periodically publishes a bibliographic journal Documentation in Public Administration and a monthly Newsletter. The Institute has enriched the literature on Public Administration through a large number of serials and monographs besides research studies, proceedings of seminars /conferences and lectures, etc. The Institute publishes five periodicals regularly:

•     Indian Journal of Public Administration (IJPA, Quarterly, published since 1955)

•     LokPrashasan (Hindi, six-monthly, published since 2009)

•     Nagarlok (Quarterly, published since 1969)

•     Documentation in Public Administration (DPA, Quarterly, published since 1973)

•     IIPA Newsletter (Monthly, published since 1955)

The IIPA Library is one of the major social science resources in India. IIPA has published about 400 books, monographs, reports, working papers, and compendiums in spheres of governance and public administration. It has a collection of about twolakh volumes of books and periodicals and receives 350 current periodicals. It is a depository library for the publications of the World Bank and has been accorded co-operating library status for the publications of International Monetary Fund. The World Bank has recently set up a state-of-the-art Information Kiosk in the Library to facilitate on-line access to the knowledge portals of the Bank and its associate institutions. Its e-resources and research tools include web-OPAC, JSTOR full text, EPW full text, ABI Inform full text, World Bank e-library, IMF e-library, IMF data manager, Governance knowledge centre, UNESCO-WSSR 2010, DOAJ Journals, J-gate , and OAISTER –a project of the Digital Library Production Service of the University of Michigan University Library with a goal is to create a collection of freely available, previously difficult-to-access, academically oriented digital resources that are easily searchable.

7.  Sociology

7.1  SNDT Women’s University

Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey (SNDT) University, earlier known as The Indian Women’s University founded in 1916, got statutory recognition during 1951. The goals of the SNDT Women’s University are to:

•     Provide access to higher education for women through   formal and non- formal streams including adult and continuing education,

•     Provide a wide range of professional and vocational     courses for women to meet the socio-economic demands,

•     Develop scholarship and research in emerging areas of      study, particularly with focus on women’s perspectives,

•     Inculcate among women positive self- concept, awareness   of women’s issues and rights with a rational outlook towards society,

•     Enhance  purposeful  education  with  ‘human  values’  and       social  responsibility  by participating in outreach programmes, and

•     Achieve excellence in the academic disciplines, research and extension activities through emphasis on ‘quality in every activity’.

The collection of the University Library includes information material in English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati and Sanskrit. The collection includes books and monographs, journals, newspapers, back volumes of Indian and foreign journals, back runs of newspapers and women’s magazines, state-of –the art reviews, databases, dissertations and these, standards and specifications, reprints of articles & newspaper clippings, pamphlets, leaflets and brochures, annual reports of governments agencies and research institutes, unique collection of hindustani music, select collection of teaching aids audio-visual material, microforms and electronic resources including e-books and e-journals. The collection of the central library is particularly strong in the social sciences, Gandhiana, women’s studies, arts, literature, nursing, education and library and information science.

8.  Summary

Recognising the need for a systematic and formal information system in socio-economic development, an overview of national information systems and programmes in India as reflected in the major activities and programmes of leading institutions in the field of social sciences is presented. In this context, the leading role of Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) and its major constituent, i.e., National Social Science Documentation Centre (NASSDOC) is emphasized. Keeping in view the seven major disciplines under social science field viz., Economics and Commerce; Education; Management & Business administration; Political science including International relations; Psychology; Public Administration and Sociology including Social Work and Criminology, a brief sketch of some of the premier institutions in these disciplines including ICSSR and NASSDOC as major carriers of information dissemination has been provided. These institutions are: Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), National Institute for Micro, small, and Medium Enterprises (NI-MSE), National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow (IIML), Parliament Library, Gokhale Institue of Politics and Economics, Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), and Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey (SNDT) University. The information content under each Institution covers the important aspects such as background, scope, objectives/goals, major activities and programmes, and information dissemination details including journals and e-resources.

9.      References

1. Agrawal, S P. National Information for Social Sciences in India. In: Sharma, CD, and Vyas, Kailash (eds). Developing Horizons in Library and Information science. Printwell, Jaipur, 1983, 95-108pp
2. Agarwal, S P. National Information systems in Social Sciences: A study in perspectives. In: Gupta, B M (et.al.) (eds). Handbook of Libraries, Archives, and Information Centres in India. Information Industry Publications, New Delhi, 1986, vol.3, 179-95pp
3. Goil, N K. Need for social science information system: guidelines for model for India. Library Herald 17, no. 1-4 (1975-1979), 70-93
4. http://www.icssr.org/
5. http://www.ssrc.org/
6. http://www.tiss.edu/
7. http://www.iiml.ac.in/
8. http://www.indiatradefair.com/
9. http://www.ficci.com/
10. http://www.nimsme.org/
11. http://www.ncaer.org/
12. http://www.ncert.nic.in/
13. http://www.parliamentofindia.nic.in/ls/intro/p14.htm
14. http://www.gipe.ac.in/
15. http://www.iipa.org.in/
16. http://sndt.ac.in/