A specialized centre on the North-Eastern Region (NER) for research and training has been set up in the Institute to address key issues relating to labour and employment in the NER. A little over three and half percent of India’s labour force are concentrated in the north-east region of the country. This necessitates especial attention to the north-eastern region.  Keeping this in view, the training and research cell for NER has been set up in the Institute.

North-East Research Cell

The major objective of the research cell is to carry out policy oriented research on labour & employment which would facilitate development of an employment generation strategy for the overall development of the NER. Some of the identified research themes on which studies are ongoing at present are as follows:

• Economic Growth, Employment, Poverty and Development Indicators in India: Evidences from NER;

• Impact of Economic Reforms on Employment in NER;

• The Role and Potential of Non-Farm Employment in NER;

• Role and Share of Service Sector in total employment in NER;

• Vulnerable Groups: Child Labour, Contract Labour & Bonded Labour;

• Migration as a Livelihood Strategy in NER;

• Employment Expansion: Role and Potential of Tourism, Handicrafts and Cottage Industries and Plantation Sector;

• Youth Unemployment Issues in NER; and

• Impact of NREGA & Other Government Initiatives on Employment Generation in NER.

Research Advisory Group

The Research Advisory Group of the Centre comprises of the following members:

• Shri Anup Chandra Pandey, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment

• Prof. Amitabh Kundu, Centre for the Study of Regional Development, School of Social Sciences, JNU

• Ms. Jayashree Mukharjee, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region

• Prof. Atul Sarma, Ex-Member, Finance Commission of India;

• Shri K. M. Gupta, Economic Advisor, Ministry of Labour and Employment

• Prof. Virginius Xaxa, Department of Sociology, Delhi School of Economics

• Dr. Jayashree Menon Kurup, Deputy Director, Educational Development of North East Region Unit, IGNOU

• Dr. Ranjit Sinha, Member Secretary, Indian Council Social Science Research (ICSSR), Ministry of Human Resource Development

Centre Coordinator

Shri Anoop Satpathy, Fellow

North-East Training Cell

The main objective of the Cell is to organize Education and Training Programmes for different clientele groups like, Labour Administrators, NGO activists, Trade Union activists and other stakeholders who are engaged in the development of people in general and workers in particular. The specific objectives are:

• To conduct orientation programmes for different  stakeholders  on labour issues

• To organize leadership skill development programmes  for civil society activists and Trade Union Organisers both at macro and micro levels.

• To organize training programmes for Labour Administrators

• To organize workshop/ Seminar on emerging issues relating to Labour and Development.

Centre Coordinator

Dr. Poonam S. Chauhan, Senior Fellow