Institute for Human Development



	National Workshop on NREGS and Rural Women, 8 August, 20111, New Delhi IHD in collaboration with the UN Women organized a national workshop on NREGA and Rural Women. Around 75 well known experts drawn from academics, civil society, policy making, etc. participated in the workshop. Secretary, Rural Development, Government of India presided over the workshop which discussed in-depth the findings of the three studies on NREGA and Women conducted by Dr. Ashok Pankaj, Prof. J Jeyaranjan and Prof. Indira Hirway supported by the UN Women. Technical Workshop on Informal Employment, Poverty and Growth in China and India, 22 -23 April 2011, New Delhi IHD is collaborating in an IDRC funded research study which will provide an in-depth field based analysis of labour markets and informal work in India and China with the world’s largest workforces. The study aims to fill a number of conceptual and empirical gaps in the analysis of labour markets and will make analysis of employment and labour market structure under conditions of rapid growth as well as financial slowdown. In this context, it organised this two day Technical Workshop in association with IRMA, Anand and Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing to deliberate upon different aspects of the issue in New Delhi. Experts from India and China working on these issues, participated in this workshop. Consultative Workshop on Social Protection in South East Asia: Emerging Issues and Perspectives for Research and Policy, 30 March, 2011 Jakarta, Indonesia IHD, in collaboration with SMERU Research Institute, Indonesia, organised the last of the SPA dissemination event on 30 March in Jakarta. Apart from presenting the research findings of the SPA Synthesis Report, the workshop also shared ideas, experiences and key country learning on various issues of social protection in the South East Asia region. It also provided an opportunity for policymakers, academics and civil society leaders to engage and establish linkages on the issue. Consultative Workshop on Social Protection and Inclusive Development: Emerging Issues and Perspectives in South Asia, 23 February, 2011, Colombo, Sri Lanka The Social Protection in Asia (SPA) Programme along with the Institute for Human Development organised a Consultative Workshop on ‘Social Protection and Inclusive Development: Emerging Issues and Perspectives in South Asia’ in Colombo on 23 February, 2011. The workshop was preceded by the Third Ministerial Meeting of the UNESCO Forum of Ministers in charge of Social Development from South Asia held there during 20-22 February. Apart from dissemination of the findings of the SPA Synthesis Report, the meeting also discussed the emerging perspectives on social protection and inclusive development in South Asia as well as future agenda for research and policy in this area. Policy Dialogue On Sustainable Rural Development: Creating Agency In Rural Areas, 18-19 February 2011, Cape Town, South Africa By bringing together some 80 senior level policymakers and public sector administrators, academia, business and civil society representatives in South Africa, this dialogue provided an opportunity for sharing some positive models, experiences and innovations drawn from emerging economies for the benefit of rural populations in particular those in South Africa. The dialogue was sponsored by the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform (DRDLR), the IFAD, the World Bank office in Pretoria and Rimisp – Latin American Center for Rural Development Chile. It was held in Cape Town on February 18-19, 2011. This dialogue sought to unpack common problems (such as job creation) and solutions (such as community driven development) facing rural development policymakers and practitioners in relation to the creation of sustainable rural livelihoods and agency amongst the rural poor. Human Development Reader Workshop, 21-22 December, 2010, Goa A Human Development Reader is being developed with the perspective of preparing an essential text for students, teachers and development practitioners to understand the various dimensions of human development discourse. A senior faculty member is coordinating with eminent authors for including their writings in the Reader, besides contributing three chapters to it. A consultative workshop on the Reader was organised at Goa during December 21-22, 2010. Proposal Development Workshop, 19th December 2010, Dharwad Sponsored by IDRC, the workshop was organised to finalise a research programme proposal on Social Protection for IDRC. An international panel of experts constituting Prof. Wahiduddin Mahmud from Dhaka University, Dr. G.M. Arif from Pakistan Institute of Development Economics and Dr. Saman Kalegama, Institute of Policy Study of Sri Lanka contributed to the development of the proposal under the Chair of Prof. Abhijit Sen, Member, Planning Commission. Ms. Sudha Pillai, Member-Secretary, Planning Commission, chaired the inaugural session of the workshop. Panel on Labour market and social protection policies in emerging economies, 16th December, 2010, Dharwad Also sponsored by IDRC, a panel discussion was held at Dharwad on the sidelines of the 52nd Annual Conference of ISLE in which specialists from China, Brazil, India and South Africa participated. The broad objective of this Panel was for researchers and policy analysts concerned with labour markets and social protection in India and other major emerging economies to benefit from each others’ experience and research results, to compare approaches and priorities, and on that basis to facilitate a better understanding of the similarities and differences among labour market structures, institutions and policies. Annual Conference of the Social Protection in Asia programme, 27-29 October, 2010, Bangkok A conference on “Social Protection as Development Policy in Asia: The Long-term Perspective” was organised during 27-29 October, 2010 at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok. The meeting was jointly organised by Social Protection in Asia Programme (SPA) and UNESCAP in collaboration with the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD). The main objective of the conference was to provide a platform for policy-makers, researchers and international organisations to exchange views, experiences and knowledge on social protection and its role in the development of the countries in the region. SPA is a pioneering programme of research, advocacy and network building on social protection issues, managed by Institute for Development Studies, Sussex and Institute for Human Development, New Delhi. It presented its key findings and launched its synthesis report at this conference. UNRISD also presented its flagship report “Combating Poverty and Inequality: Structural Change, Social Policy and Politics” at the event. SEE THE DETAILS AT www.socialprotectionasia.org Nutritional Status of Children in India: Trends and Strategies, 18-19 October, 2010, New Delhi A two-day workshop on Nutritional Status of Children in India: Trends and Strategies was organized by IHD along with the University of Warwick and University of Allahabad. The seminar co-ordinators were Prof. Viji Arulampalam (University of Warwick), Prof. Nisha Srivastava (University of Allahabad) and Dr. Preet Rustagi (IHD). The themes identified for deliberations included Magnitude and Trends of the Problem; Status of Women and Child Health Outcomes; Socio-economic Factors and Child Nutrition; Social and Regional Disparities and Dimensions; Successful Experiences and Strategies. Regional Consultation on Work and Livelihoods of the Poor in the National Capital Region on 28 July 2010, New Delhi A regional consultation with potential partner organizations from across NCR was also organized on the 22nd July 2010. This was after an intense exercise in which over 100 organizations were identified and contacted. The day-long exercise was intended to take forward the mandate of forging partnerships to analyze, devise and implement livelihood strategies. The project is strongly rooted in strategizing policies/recommendations that arise from such consultations and are relevant to organizations working on livelihood issues of the poor. As such it was clear to us that these initiatives have little value unless they are grounded in the experience, expertise and interests of organizations working at the grass-roots level. The consultation was organized for an in-depth discussion to identify the sectoral and occupational issues that we need to focus on. The response from the participating organizations was overwhelming, clearly showing a strong need for such consultations for generating valuable inputs and suggestions. IHD Symposium Series on “Poverty in India: Measurement, Identification and Emerging Policy Perspectives – Lecture by Prof. T.N. Srinivasan on “Measurement of Poverty and Policy Issues: Reflections after Tendulkar and Saxena Committee Reports”, 17 July 2010, New Delhi IHD is organized a Symposium on Measurement of Poverty and Identification of the Poor on 17 July 2010 at the India Habitat Centre (IHC). The Speakers were: Professor T.N. Srinivasan, Professor Yoginder K. Alagh, Professor Ashwani Saith, Dr. Pronab Sen, Mr. Harsh Mander, Dr. Rohini Nayyar, Professor Amitabh Kundu and Professor S.R. Hashim. Release of “Food Security Atlas of Rural Bihar” 20 May 2010, Patna Bihar food security atlas was released by Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi and Prof. Abhijit Sen, Member, Planning Commission on 20th May, 2010 at Patna. Commission for Agriculture Costs and Prices chairman Prof S Mahendra Dev presided over the function. The report was jointly prepared by the Institute for Human Development and the UN World Food Programme under the guidance of a Technical Advisory Committee chaired by Prof. Abhijit Sen. It identifies the food insecure districts in the state which require priority attention of the government based on eleven indicators which are classified into three broad categories of food availability, food access and food absorption. The release of the report was followed by a panel discussion. The Challenge of Employment in India: Lessons from the Work of the NCEUS on 7 – 8 May 2010, New Delhi The Institute for Human Development (IHD) and Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE) in association with the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) organized an International Consultation on the final report of the National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganized Sector (NCEUS), entitled, “The Challenge of Employment in India”during May 7-8, 2010 at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi to discuss in depth the various issues and aspects covered in the Report. About 100 well known academicians, policy-makers, trade unionists, employers and development practitioners, participated and discussed the issues in several panels. International Seminar on Poverty in Bihar: Pattern, Dimensions and Eradication Strategies’, April 18-20, 2010, Patna Organised by IHD, in association with the Asian Development Research Institute, and with support from UNDP, the seminar was inaugurated by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. An international round table was held on experiences and success stories in poverty reduction on the inaugural day. Other key topics of debates included dimensions of poverty in Bihar, gender disparities vis-à-vis poverty, development for poverty reduction, and framework for state intervention. The event was attended by policymakers, experts and specialists from the field. SEMINAR REPORT International Conference “Dynamics of Rural Transformation in Emerging Economies”, 14-16 April 2010, New Delhi More than 300 representatives from government agencies, academia, business and civil society from the four emerging economies of India, China, Brazil and South Africa, as well as other interested countries including Argentina, Chile, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Zimbabwe and OECD nations including Netherlands, France and the United Kingdom gathered to discuss innovative approaches to address challenges and opportunities in the International Conference “Dynamics of Rural Transformation in Emerging Economies”, which took place April 14-16, 2010 in New Delhi, India. The President of India inaugurated the Conference following observations by Ministers of Rural Development, Govt. of India and South Africa, Minister of Agrarian Development, Brazil, Dr. Han Jun, Director General, Development Research Centre of the State Council, China, Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Dy. Chairman, Planning Commission, Mr. Mihir Shah, Member, Planning Commission and Mr. Julio A. Berdegue, Director, Rimisp, Chile and Chairman, of the International Steering Committee. CONFERENCE REPORT Symposium on ‘MDGs and Human Development in India’, 9 March, 2010 IHD and UNDP organized a Symposium on ‘MDGs and Human Development in India’. Ms. Helan Clark, UNDP Administrator (a former Prime Minister of New Zealand) delivered the Keynote Address. The Symposium was chaired by Professor M.S. Swaminathan and the other speakers were Professor Bina Agrawal, Professor Kaushik Basu among others. International Consultation on “Human Development in India: Emerging Issues and Policy Paradigms” February 5-6, 2010 The Institute for Human Development (IHD) organised an International Consultation on “Human Development in India: Emerging Issues and Policy Paradigms” during February 5-6, 2010 at New Delhi. The Consultation was supported by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) and the World Bank. Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Dy. Chairman, Planning Commission, inaugurated the Consultation. About 100 well-known experts, comprising academicians, policy-makers, representatives of civil society organizations and donors, participated in the Consultation. CONSULTATION REPORT Workshop on “NREGA and Women’s Empowerment”, 31 August 2009 The workshop entitled NREGA and Women’s Empowerment was organized by the Institute for Human Development (IHD) in collaboration with United Nations Fund for Development of Women (UNIFEM) in culmination of a research project which explored the impact of NREGA on women’s empowerment in rural India. Dr. Syeda Hameed, Member, Planning Commission of India gave Inaugural Address and the Valedictory Address was given by Professor Abhijeet Sen, Member, Planning Commission. International Conference on “Adivasi/Scheduled Tribe Communities in India: Development and Change” during 27-29 August 2009 With support from Planning Commission, ICSSR, IFAD and UNICEF, IHD organised a three day International Conference on “Adivasi/Scheduled Tribe Communities in India: Development and Change” during 27-29 August 2009. Shri M. Hamid Ansari, Hon’ble Vice-President of India, inaugurated the Conference. More than 30 papers were presented. The objective of the Conference was to assess the development and changes that have come about in Adivasi (tribal) society in the post independence period, and suggest suitable strategies and policies that are consonant with their rights and aspirations. This conference was timely, coming when the Eleventh Five Year Plan has emphasised inclusive growth policies for tribal and other deprived groups. More than 250 scholars, activists, development practitioners and policy makers participated in the deliberations. The valedictory address was delivered by Dr. Narendra Jadhav, Member, Planning Commission, Government of India. CONFERENCE REPORT Panel Discussion on “The Challenge of Employment in India: An Informal Economy Perspective”, 8 May, 2009 The Institute organised a Panel Discussion on the important issues and recommendations highlighted by the Report of the National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector on 8th May 2009 in New Delhi. Professor C.H. Hanumantha Rao chaired the discussion and the panelists were: Professor Ajit Ghose, Mrs Renana Jhabvala, Professor Abhijit Sen and Professor V.S. Vyas. There was also a presentation by the erstwhile Commission highlighting its main findings and recommendations. International conference on Development, Freedom and Welfare, 19-20 December, 2008 The Institute in collaboration with Cornell University, organised a major international conference “Development, Freedom and Welfare”, in honour of Professor Amartya Sen on the occasion of his 75th birthday during December 19-20, 2008 in New Delhi. Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India, inaugurated the conference. Some of the leading social scientists of the world, including Nobel Laurates Professor Stiglitz, Professor Phelps and Professor Amartya Sen participated in the conference. About three intellectual panels which included Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, External Affairs Minister, Mr. Kapil Sibbal, Minister for Science and Technology, Mr. Jaswant Singh, Leader of the Opposition Parties in Parliament, Ms. Aruna Roy, Social Activist, and other luminaries. 30 selected papers by young researchers from India and abroad, were presented. Conference programme Abstracts of papers by young researchers Press coverage International Seminar on National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in India Impacts and Implementation Experiences In collaboration with Center de Sciences Humaines, (CSH), New Delhi, we organized a two-day International Seminar during September 16-17, 2008 in New Delhi. The seminar brought together field based experiences on issues and concerns related to the implementation of NREGS for policy and practice so as to strengthen the programme. It also deliberated on the wider impact of NREGS, such as asset creation, implications for labour markets, (migration, wages, etc.), income generation, poverty reduction, social mobilization and empowerment. About 100 participants – academicians, social activists, policymakers, development practitioners, etc. participated in the seminar, including about 10 scholars and experts from outside India. Shri Raghuvansh Pd. Singh, Union Minister for Rural Development, gave the Valedictory Address. SEMINAR REPORT Round Table Discussion “Development, Deprivations, Discontents and Violence: Challenges in the Extremist Affected Areas, 14-15 September, 2008 A two day Roundtable Discussion on the report of the Expert Group formed by the Planning Commission, Government of India on ‘Development Challenges in Extremists Affected Areas’ was organized during September 14-15, 2008 in New Delhi. The deliberations encompassed holistic view of emerging extremist issues and a multi- level development perspective to address the same rather view it as a law and order issue emerged. DISCUSSION REPORT Annual Conference of the Human Development and Capability Association (HDCA), 11 – 13 September, 2008 We organized the prestigious Annual Conference of the Human Development and Capability Association (HDCA) during 11 – 13 September, 2008 in New Delhi. It was for the first time that HDCA’s Annual Conference was held in a developing country. More than 300 participants, some of whom were leading academicians, from different parts of the world participated in this Conference. Smt. Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister of Delhi inaugurated it. The general theme of the Conference was “Inequality and Human Development” on which about 140 papers are being published. In addition, there were about 18 panels on various themes. The conference was preceded by a summer school of 35 selected scholars from different part of the world for 13 days duration. This school was organised by IHD. Programme Growth and Human Development in Jharkhand from 4-5 July 2008 The Eastern Regional Centre of IHD organized a major national seminar on “Growth and Human Development in Jharkhand” during 4-5 July 2008 at Ranchi. About 20 well-known experts presented their papers on various aspects of Jharkhand economy and society. About 15 experts from outside Jharkhand also participated which included Shri B.K.Chaturvedi, Shri B.N.Yugandhar, Professor Abhijit Sen and Professor Atul Sarma. A major highlight of the seminar was the concluding panel discussion on “Vision for Jharkhand” in which representatives of major political parties - Shri Babulal Maradi, Shri Saryu Rai, Shri Bhubaneshwar Mehta, Shri B.L.Munda and Shri Subodh Kant Sahai - participated. Representatives of media and academics also participated in the panel. The media considered this seminar to be a major event of the state. Workshop on ‘Strengthening the Delivery of Social Services in Delhi: A Convergence Model for Empowering the Poor’ from 19-20 May 2008 Samajik Suvidha Sangam is an initiative of the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi with a Mission for Convergence for enabling the marginalized, vulnerable and the needy to effectively access welfare entitlement schemes offered by various government departments. A two-day workshop on ‘Strengthening the Delivery of Social Services in Delhi: A Convergence Model for Empowering the Poor’ was organized in collaboration with the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi by the Institute for Human Development during 19-20th May 2008, to discuss the different aspects of operationalising the various dimensions and issues related to this mission. Mrs. Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister, Delhi inaugurated the Workshop and Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Dy. Chairman, Planning Commission delivered the key note address. The workshop brought together a select group of specially invited experts consisting of policymakers, representatives of civil society organisations, NGOS and INGOs and academicians a common platform, with the objective of providing an opportunity to interact with practitioners of successful social assistance and convergence programmes with a similar vision from within and outside the country. SPA Research Partners’ Workshop, 21-22nd Feb 2008, New Delhi SPA is a programme that addresses issues of social protection in the region, especially those that emanated as a response to the inequality and vulnerability of millions that emerged in the aftermath of globalization and the Asian financial crisis of the previous decade. Phase II of this programme envisages identifying barriers to the extension of social protection, practical solutions, and innovative and concrete experiences in the region for sharing and influencing governments and international financial institutions, so that social protection policies seamlessly integrate into the poverty reduction and development goals of respective countries. Phase II of the programme initiated in Sept 2007, identified nine research projects in the region through a competitive call for proposals, for undertaking research in various identified sub-themes of social protection. Through research, networking and advocacy activities, SPA research partners work together and foster a network of stakeholders in social protection. A two-day meet of the partners was organized in collaboration with the Institute of Development Studies, Sussex by the Institute for Human Development (IHD), New Delhi - who hosted the workshop - on 21-22 Feb 2008, to discuss the research proposals and finalise the methodologies. in the region, in order to facilitate evidence-based advocacy. International Conference on Universalizing Socio-Economic Security in South Asia The Institute of Social Studies, The Hague and the Institute for Human Development, New Delhi jointly organizing an International Conference on “Universalisation of Social Protection in Asia” during 17-20 February, 2008 at New Delhi. The Conference was the outcome of an ongoing collective initiative of several collaborating institutions and organisations, also including: the Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Kerala; Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), Ahmedabad; Pakistan Institute for Labour Education and Research (PILER), Karachi; Rural Development Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (RDI/CASS), Beijing; Centre for Policy Studies, Hyderabad (CESS); and the Institute for Policy Studies, Colombo (IPS/SL). This initiative is expected to be supported by grants and assistance from various organisations, including Ford Foundation, New Delhi; IDRC, New Delhi; and FNV, The Netherlands. The Conference reflected on selected invited papers by academics and practitioners from Asia and other parts of the world. These papers focussed on the various aspects of an agenda of universalisation of socio-economic security, and were discussed by peers and other experts drawn from diverse backgrounds such as economists and other social scientists, policy makers and programme implementers, and representatives of national and international development agencies and civil society.