Govind Ballabh Pant Social Science Institute

The Govind Ballabh Pant Social Science Institute (GBPSSI) is a research institute situated in Jhusi, Prayagraj district, India. It was established in 1980 as one of the network of Social Science Research Institutes set up by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) in association with state governments, following a proposal initiated by the Uttar Pradesh government in 1972. The institute was registered as a society in 1980, with Prof. A. D. Pant becoming its first director after registration, succeeding Prof. S. C. Dube. In July 2005, after the University of Allahabad became a central university, GBPSSI became one of its constituent institutes, governed by the university's Ordinance XXXIV. The institute's campus spans 10 acres on the G.T. Road, near Triveni Sangam, and includes a library with over 50,000 books and access to INFLIBNET. It offers a two-year MBA in Rural Development, initiated in 2001, along with research degrees such as Ph.D., M.Phil, and D.Phil. Admission is through an entrance exam conducted by the University of Allahabad. The institute also houses the Manav Vikas Sangrahalaya (Museum of Development of Man), established in January 2001, which features galleries on India's cultural and archaeological history, the Ganges river basin, the Bhakti movement, and migration history.