The Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) is one of India’s leading institutes for research in the social sciences and humanities. Since its inception in 1963, the Centre has been known for its critical outlook on received models of development and progress; it is animated by a vision of equality and democratic transformation. CSDS is largely funded by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) under the Ministry of Human Resource Development, which is taxpayers money.

 

In recent times CSDS is know more for doing paid Surveys than doing concrete research. It disheartens us to see TV 18 network using CSDS's name on various surveys every other day. It all started with doing data collection and then selling data to students/scholors at a slightly subsidiesed cost and then sell it to everyone else at a cost which is unethical itself for a public funded organisation.

 

From there CSDS under the new Director has completely moved towards doing survey more than any thing else. They have now started the business of survey like "State of the Farmers in India" and on prime time television anchors of corporate run network keeps on defending these useless figures in the name of CSDS and various CSDS members on full salaries from public money sit on these TV channels and defend these numbers and are then paid for separately for the TV appearance. It can be proved with facts that the figures they defend for the money they earn from the broadcast networks have been proved incorrect at several occasions in the past.

Survey is not research. You don't have to be a scholor to do survey. You have you just be A.C. Neilson to do a survey.

We urge CSDS to stop this misuse of public resources and re-align themselves to their mandated work of research institution before we put together the resources to file public interest litigation.