For over four decades, the Institute of Social Sciences (ISS) has been at the forefront of addressing critical issues that directly affect the lives of ordinary people. These include Panchayats, Urban Governance, Health, Education, Women’s Leadership, Tribal and Dalit Representation in Panchayats, Disaster Management, and a broad spectrum of development concerns.
The Institute hosts specialized Centers and Chairs that conduct advanced studies in key domains such as: Multi-level Federalism, Public Policy, and Governance, Asian, African, and Latin American Studies, Urban Studies, Development Economics, Decentralized Planning and Local Self-Governance
Over the years, ISS’s research and action-oriented agenda has contributed to significant knowledge generation and community-level development. This work has supported numerous pro-people’s policies and innovative practices across the country.
Strategic Focus for the Future:
Drawing from its rich legacy and responding to current and emerging development challenges, the Institute will concentrate on the following five key thrust areas:
1. Mitigation of Climate Change in Blue Ecosystems of Minicoy: A Science-Based Social Federal Outreach Study: This ‘research-action-transformation’ project, supported by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), focuses on Minicoy Island in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep. It aims to develop science-driven, community-led strategies to mitigate the impacts of climate change in fragile…
Over the course of 40 years, from 1985 to 2025, ISS has successfully undertaken and completed over 300 projects spanning various domains of research and development. These projects reflect the organization’s commitment to impactful studies and filed interventions that address critical issues in governance, policymaking, and community development. Some of the key projects have been…
Since its inception, democratic decentralisation has been a major area of research of the Institute. It includes the studies of the growth, development and performance of Panchayati Raj institutions (PRIs) and urban local bodies, which have been constitutionally designated as ‘institutions of self-government.’ The Institute has conducted studies on devolution of powers and finances to…
The Institute of Social Sciences (ISS) is expanding its pool of consultants for upcoming short-term and long-term assignments across India.
We invite applications from motivated junior and mid-level professionals who are passionate about development practice and public systems.
