INSTITUTE OF DEVELOPMENT STUDIES KOLKATA

The Institute of Development Studies Kolkata (IDSK) is an autonomous research institute located in Bidhannagar, West Bengal, India, focused on development studies and related subfields. It was established in 2002 by the Government of West Bengal as a centre of excellence in social sciences, and is funded by the state government. Economist Amiya Kumar Bagchi served as its Founder Director and was later made Emeritus Professor of Economics at the institute. In 2006, IDSK introduced a multidisciplinary MPhil in Development Studies, followed by a PhD in Development Studies in 2016, both conducted under the University of Calcutta. In 2014, IDSK was recognised by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) under the 'New Category of ICSSR Recognized Institutes'. The institute collaborates with several institutions, including the University of Calcutta (with which it jointly set up the Rabindranath Tagore Centre for Human Development Studies), the University of Siena, Monash University, Zhejiang University, and Roma Tre University. Notable scholars such as Amartya Sen and Joseph Stiglitz have been associated with IDSK. The institute comprises six departments: Development Studies, Regional Development, Economics, History, Sociology and Anthropology, and a University Library.