(at
purchasing power parity)
per capita between 1750 and 1900 in 1960
US dollars for
First World nations (Europe, United States, Canada, Japan) and
Third World nations (Asia, Africa, Latin America).
Agricultural and rural development Agriculture and rural development was a high priority theme with IEG since in inception. The projects under this theme are funder by the
Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India. The efforts are focused on sustainable agricultural development with special attention on
environmental economics. The studies revolve around the pattern of growth in agriculture, its sources, determinants and implications in the society and the non farm employment in rural and urban India. The researches have produced several books, journals and research papers which are available for reference with IEG library.
Environmental and natural resources The theme was introduced for research in the Eighties and has gained importance over the time. Research activities on non-renewable resources such as coal, iron ore, petroleum and oil, irrigation and water management, solar,
biogas and renewable energy technologies have gained momentum at the institute. Simultaneously, forest related issues and industrial pollution are also treated as high priority subjects.
Globalization and trade The principal are of work under this theme was
transfer of technology and multinational enterprises which has now been expanded to cover trade and emerging issues of
World Trade Organization (WTO) as well. The issues emerged as a fallout of
globalization such as social and economic impact and cross-border trade have also been included now for further study.
Health economics and policy The theme focusses on areas of
health economics in the evolving national scene and is aimed at assisting policy makers with valid research data for arriving at policies and its amendments from time to time.
Industry and development The theme of Industry and development was a major one, introduced at the beginning of the Institute and covered the entire range from small industry to multinational corporations with emphasis on employment, efficiency, environment and information technology. The emphasis is on contemporary issues from a policy making perspective. Small scale industries, petroleum, cotton and jute textiles, pricing policy for cement, sugar and cotton, location of sugar and fertilizer factories, and wages and productivity in major industries have all been taken up for advanced research and resultant studies have been made available to policy makers during the past years.
Employment, labour and informal sector The latest addition to the theme profile is the one related to employment, labour and
informal sector. IEG has conducted a large number of researches on: •
labour market, employment,
unemployment, underemployment and low productivity employment in the informal sector •
standard of living and
poverty • social capital, population and income mobility • urban
slums, basic amenities and housing •
urban development Macroeconomic analysis and policy .
Dharavi slum started in 1887 with industrial and segregationist policies of the British colonial era. The slum housing, tanneries, pottery and other economy established inside and around Dharavi during the British rule of India. The theme is a preferred one at IEG and attends to the macroeconomic issues related to India and other developing countries and strive to develop macro economic models suitable for India. The researches are supported by the Development Planning Centre (DPC) and the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Endowment Unit.
Population and human resources The theme was introduced by the founder of IEG,
V. K. R. V. Rao, in 1972. The studies undertaken under this theme are related to qualitative and quantitative evaluation of population and the development of demographic techniques for the estimation of births, deaths,
contraception, couple protection and women's issues. It also studies the impact of national policies such as National Population Policy, National Health Policy, National Policy on Older persons and policies envisaged under the
National Rural Health Mission on the society.
Social change and social structure The theme of Social change and social structure, or in broader terms,
sociology, was introduced by the Asian Centre of
UNESCO, which was later merged with IEG, in 1967. The main areas of research are: • comparative study of cultural and political development •
communalism and
ethnic conflict • rural transformation • sociology of popular culture • emergence of professionals and other middle class elites • dynamics of religion,
secularism and modernization • changing functions of social institutions such as the family • contemporary media networks • gender relations • social policy in respect to education, urbanisation and health • cultural patronage •
social ecology and environment
Contributions to Indian Sociology, a journal, is based at IEG and is published in association with SAGE Publications. ==Research units==