UGC-SAP

UGC SPECIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME (SAP)

The SAP scheme was initiated by the University Grants Commission keeping in view the recommendations of the Education Commission to facilitate the selected number of University Departments having some potential in research and teaching. The programme is intended to encourage the pursuit of excellence and teamwork in advanced teaching and research to accelerate the realization of international standards in specific fields. The "Department of Special Assistance (DSA)" and "Departmental Research Support (DRS)" programmes were started in the Departments to create feeder departments for "Centre of Advanced Study (CAS)".

DRS-I (First Phase)

The UGC awarded the Department of Economics and Politics, Vidya-Bhavana, Visva-Bharati financial assistance at the level of DRS-1 for five years from 1.4.2009 to 31.03.2014 under the Special Assistance Programme (SAP). Professor, Sibranjan Misra and Professor Sarbajit Sengupta were respectively the first Co-ordinator and Dy Co-ordinator of the programme. Later on Professor P K Chattopadhyay and Professor Sudipta Bhattacharya took the responsibility as Co-ordinator and Dy. Coordinator until the end of the first phase of the programme (DRS-1). ............(read more)

During the first phase, the Department has been able to create a good collection of books, e-resources and data bank on thrust area utilizing SAP funds. It also facilitated publication of books, journal papers and working papers. During this period, the Department has organized 10 extension programmes where students and teachers met villagers and government officials on SAP thrust area.

DRS-II (Second Phase)

After the successful completion of SAP-DRS-1, the department was awarded SAP-DRS-II by the UGC for the period 2015-2020. The SAP-DRS-II had the following Advisory Committee:

Advisory Committee: ............(read more)

Vice-Chancellor, Visva-Bharati - Chairperson
Professor Pranab Kanti Basu - Member, [Senior Professor in the Thrust Area] (Professor Sudipta Bhattacharya after the superannuation of Prof. Basu)
Professsor Sarbajit Sengupta - Member, [Senior Professor outside the Thrust Area]
Professor Upinder Sawhney, - Dept of Economics, Punjab University, Chandigarh, Member, UGC Nominee
Professor Siddharta Mitra - Dept of Economics, Jadavpur University, Member, UGC Nominee
Head of the Department - Member
Professor Apurba Kumar Chattopadhyay - Programme Co-ordinator & Member Secretary
Dr. Soumyadip Chattopadhyay - Member, Deputy Co-ordinator

(Professor Sudipta Bhattacharya and Professor Saumya Chakrabarti also worked as Dy. Coordinator for some time during the period).

SAP Advisory Committee meeting-2016

SAP Advisory Committee Meeting 2020

Programmes under SAP-DRS-II

From the very outset, the department focused on empirical research in the area of agriculture and rural development. The faculty of the department distinguished themselves in research on areas including land tenure, firm management, agrarian productivity and rural poverty. Much of this research was carried out in collaboration with the well-known Indian and international economists, as well as with other departments of Visva-Bharati like Agro-Economic Research Centre, Santiniketan and has won recognition in India and abroad.

While the principal focus remained the same throughout, the research interests of the department gradually broadened to include the areas of planning, economic development in general, participatory rural development, macroeconomics, international trade, political economy and environment-resource economics.

The Department is now adopting various new plans of diversifying academic activities. The thrust area of research has been identified as Agriculture, Environment and rural Development. Under the Special Assistance Programme of the UGC we organise various programmes in our department throughout the year. . ............(read more)

(i) Research Methodology Workshop on various aspects involving research scholars and early career professionals. The workshops are intended to impart training to the participants and to provide detailed exposure to the latest development in the identified subject areas. The areas on which these workshops have been conducted are:

Ø Applied Econometrics (The workshop gave a detailed exposure to the Cross Section, Time Series and Panel data analysis, and the related econometric tools to the participants),

Ø Economic Theory,

Ø Environmental Economics (in collaboration with Indian Society For Ecological Economics (INSEE)), and

Ø Development Policy Research

(ii) ECON-VISVA, a unique day-long national level programme for the post-graduate students of Economics

(iii) National level Research Scholars’ Workshop (for the Research scholars pursuing M Phil/ Ph.D in Indian Universities/Institutions)

(iv) Annual International Conference/National Conference under DRS-II. The Themes were:

Ø “Issues of Economic Development with a Special Focus on Indian Agriculture” (2016).

Ø “Role of Social Sectors and Public Policies in Economic Development” (2017)

Ø “Globalisation and Development” (2018)

Ø “Natural Resources, Environment and Development” (2019) and

Ø “Development Policy Research” (2020)

(v) Introduced Professor Ashok Rudra Memorial Lecture series and the First Ashok Rudra Memorial Lecture was delivered ear by Prof. Pranab Bardhan of University of Berkeley on Universal Basic Income as part of the Right to Minimum Economic Security and Professor Amartya Sen was the Chief Guest.

(vi) The SAP DRS-II has also supported Model Economic Forum. This is a platform for young students to speak on various socio economic issues. The topic of discussion was “Water Crisis in Rural and Urban India”. Dr. Kalyan Rudra, Chairman, West Bengal Pollution Control Board was the keynote speaker along with Dr. Nilanjan Ghosh, Director, ORF, Kokata and Prof. Shibani Chaudhury of Department of Environmental Science,Visva-Bharati.

(vii) Distinguished visiting fellows Scheme: Under the SAP Programme distinguished scholars visited the department. They interacted formally and informally with the students and faculty during their stay and also delivered talks on different topics of contemporary interests. The students and faculty of this Department has benefited a lot with their association.

Feicitation of Shri Chandi Prasad Bhat ji by the Vice-Chancellor, VB.

Professor A K Sen making a point at the Ashok Rudra Memorial Lecture.

Professor Ashwini Deshpande being felicitated by the students of the department.

Dr Sushmita Dasgupta of World Bank with a few students and teacher after her talk on 'Climate Change.

Books Published: ............(read here)

Development Policy Making: Challenges and Concerns (Forthcoming, 2021), Edited by: Apurba Kumar Chattopadhyay & Soumyadip Chattopadhyay, Gyan Publishing House. New Delhi. 2021 ISBN: 9788121220149
Globalisation and Development: Perspectives and Policies, Edited by: Achiranshu Acharya, Soumyadip Chattopadhyay & Apurba Kumar Chattopadhyay, Gyan Publishing House. New Delhi. 2019. ISBN: 9788121215633.
Economic Development in India: Issues and Challenges, Edited by: Apurba Kumar Chattopadhyay, Biswajit Mandal & Soumyadip Chattopadhya, Manak Publications Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi. 2018. ISBN: 9789378314582.
Contemporary Issues in Agriculture, Environment and Rural Development in India. Edited by Anamika Moktan. New Delhi Publishers, New Delhi. 2017. ISBN: 978-93-85503-67-2
Globalisation, Agrarian Economy and Environmental Challenges in India. Edited by P K Chattopadhyay, Sudipta Bhattacharya and Biswajit Haldar. Concept Publishing Company Pvt Ltd, New Delhi. 2015. ISBN: 978-93-5125-185-9.
Rural Development in India: Challenges and Prospects. Edited byMadhusudan Ghosh and Apurba Kumar Chattopadhyay. Serials Publications, New Delhi. 2013. ISBN: 978-81-8387-592-9.

The list of scholars who visited the department

Working Papers Published during SAP-DRS-II Programme

Working Papers

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