Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) is an institute for research in social sciences and humanities based in Delhi. It has been recognised as one of the leading intellectual institutions of the global south, which has accomplished a generational transition by reinventing itself in the 21st century, with a fresh commitment to forging links between the social sciences and the humanities, and to discovering non-European lineages of political and ethical thought in Indian languages.

By remaining alert to the ways in which ordinary people negotiate and reinvent their worlds, and generate alternative systems and imaginations, CSDS has challenged the routes of social and political change that are accepted as ‘normal’. This frequently leads to a productive tension between rigorous scholarly work and living social movements, between academic engagement and political commitment. CSDS has been supported by the Indian Council for Social Science Research (ICSSR), New Delhi under the Ministry of Education, Government of India since 1969.

The institute draws its members from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds, research interests and methodological orientations. Faculty members enjoy the complete freedom to pursue individual research interests, to work with one another or to collaborate with scholars outside CSDS. The faculty initiates such collaborations through projects and programmes which in turn generate a much larger network of scholars, intellectuals and institutions. It generates research in the hope that it will shape public opinion, influence policy and make meaningful interventions in society.

CSDS, Delhi

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