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The Nabakrushna Choudhury Centre for Development Studies (NCDS), established in March 1987, is registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. Since its inception, it has been jointly funded by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India and the Higher Education Department, Government of Odisha. Focusing on socio-economic research, this institute is the only one of its kind that serves as a policy think tank in the state of Odisha.
NCDS is managed by a Board of Governors (BOG) constituted by the Government of Odisha. The members of the BOG comprise of eminent academicians, Government administrators and nominees of the Government of Odisha and the ICSSR. The objectives, major activities and thrust areas of research are indicated below.

Objectives
• To undertake and promote research in social sciences and socio-economic problems of India in general and the state of Odisha in particular;
• To provide academic and professional assistance to the departments and agencies of the Government of India and Government of Odisha;
• To provide advisory and consultancy services to the International Bodies, Government of India, Government of Odisha, other educational institutions and organisations, business, trade and industry;
• To collaborate with Universities, particularly those established in Odisha as also with other academic institutions and organisatio0ns in India or abroad for promotion of research and higher learning.

Major Activities

• Conducting research studies in the field of social science on various aspects of development;
• Providing consultation and professional assistance to the government and other public institutions in formulation of plans and programmes of socio-economic development;
• Conducting seminars, workshops, conferences, training, evaluation and monitoring programmes;
• Conducting Ph.D. programmes and supervising scholars for their doctoral degree in social sciences, particularly in Development Studies.

Some Research Initiatives

The research studies of NCDS are based on various themes of national and regional importance in the area of socio-economic development. Some of the studies have been sponsored by various state and national bodies or international agencies like Department for International Development (DfID), Finance Commission, Ford Foundation, Indo-Dutch Programme for Alternatives in Development (IDPAD), International Labour Organisation (ILO), National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD), Overseas Development Institute (ODI), Panchayatiraj Department, Planning Commission (Government of India), Planning and Convergence Department (Government of Odisha), Water Resources Department (Government of Odisha), World Bank, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and Shastri Indo Canadian Institute (SHARP).

Besides, NCDS organises lectures, training programmes, workshops, seminars and conferences for discussion of research findings and exchange of ideas and information among academia, policy makers and others. NCDS has also provided consultancy and assistance to public institutions, particularly State and Central Governments. It has also undertaken monitoring and e valuation studies of various government programmes which helps the concerned bodies in the formulation and implementation of their programmes.

The thrust areas of research studies conducted by NCDS are as follows:

• Development, Displacement and Rehabilitation
• Labour Studies including Child Labour
• Macroeconomic Reforms and the Local Economy
• Natural Resource Management and Analysis
• Poverty studies and analysis
• Sectoral Development Analysis (Agriculture, Industry, Traditional crafts, Informal, and Social Sector among others)
• Social Exclusion and Gender Studies
• State Finances, and Centre-State Financial Relation
• Studies on Disaster Management
• Tribal Development Studies