Madras Institute of Development Studies

The Madras Institute of Development Studies (MIDS) is a research institute located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, functioning as a joint undertaking of the Governments of India and Tamil Nadu for research on development issues. It was established in January 1971 by Malcolm Adiseshiah and his wife Elizabeth Adiseshiah, with Malcolm serving as its first director. In March 1977, MIDS was reconstituted as a national research institute under the sponsorship of the Government of India through the Indian Council of Social Science Research and the Government of Tamil Nadu. The Adiseshiahs donated land, buildings, furniture, and equipment, along with cash endowments. Malcolm Adiseshiah later became chairman and honorary fellow, while Professor C.T. Kurien succeeded him as director. In 1985, the Reserve Bank of India established a chair for applied research in regional economics, which became a fully autonomous unit in 2002. MIDS is governed by a governing council and an academic council, and its research covers topics such as development and planning, poverty, inequality, agrarian issues, and caste and communal politics. It offers a doctoral program through various fellowships and presents the annual Malcolm Adiseshiah award. The institute also publishes books, academic papers, and a bi-annual bulletin called 'Review of Development and Change'.