Aim & Activities

Worldwide Labor markets play a key role in shaping employment and income levels in rural areas. Despite the fact that agriculture sector alone  cannot be predicted to absorb all of the rural labour force substantially ,  still its association in   generating   employment, and contribution  towards variegation of the economy, are significant.

Access to labour markets is predominantly necessary for rural population, as this may be their one and only resource of sustaining their livelihood. Often, the only talent possessed by these workers is their labour. Therefore, it is all the more important to strengthen the functioning of rural labour markets, as this is the only effectual way of humanizing the efficiency of their foremost talent, and occupation. Meaningful adoption of sustainable agriculture practices for employment generation and labour markets is a key concern. For this detail research is needed, as there are only very limited evidence of rural economy.

With growing complexities in agrarian relations and rural labour markets, it was felt that there is a need to analyze these complexities more scientifically and systematically through an integrated approach so that  appropriate policies and programmes could be formulated to suit to the needs of the rural labour.

For attaining sustainable growth and equity, awareness on policies, skill development, capacity building, social dialogue and empowerment through training, research and advocacy would be some of main activities undertaken by the “Centre for Agrarian Relations and Rural Labour Studies”.  Within this framework the activities of the centre are envisaged to upgrade the status of V.V. Giri National Labour Institute in the area of research, education, training and advocacy on various dimensions pertaining to agriculture and rural labour in the world of work.

Major Research Projects completed/initiated recently

• Agrarian Reforms and its Impact on Agricultural Development in West Bengal
• Organising Rural Labour for Effective Participation in Development: An Action Research, Khurja, U.P.
• Organising Rural Labour for Effective Participation in Development: An Action Research-Chittorgarh, Rajasthan.
• Organising Rural Labour for Effective Participation in Development: An Action Research-Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu.
• Organising Rural Labour for Effective Participation in Development: An Action Research Niwari & Prithvipur, Madhya Pradesh.
• Assessment of the Impact of Anti-Tobacco Legislation on the livelihood of Beedi Rollers, Tendu Leaf Collectors and Tobacco Cultivators.
• Assessment of Employment Potential - A Case Study (West Bengal)
• Evaluation of Welfare Fund for Beedi Workers in Madhya Pradesh Region
• Evaluation of Operation of Welfare Fund for Limestone and Dolomite Workers of Madhya Pradesh
• Evaluation of Iron Ore Mine Workers of M.P. & Chhattisgarh. 
• Study of Janshree Bima Yojana
• Agrarian Structure, Social Relations and Agricultural Development: A Case Study of Ganganar and Jodhpur Districts of Rajasthan.
• Informal Sector in Arunachal Pradesh
• Assessing Social Security Measures and Promoting Effective Participation of Beneficiaries: An Action Research Project, Murshidabad
• Assessing Social Security Measures and Promoting Effective Participation of Beneficiaries: An Action Research Project, Tikamgarh, M.P.
• Assessing Social Security Measures and Promoting Effective Participation of Beneficiaries: An Action Research Project, Khurja, U.P.
• Rural Industrialization and Options for Self Employment in Rural Areas.
• Decoding Agrarian Crisis: A Study of Production, Employment and Emerging Challenges

Core Research Areas

The research activities of the Centre focus on the following core areas:

• Wage determinater in rural labour market
• Globalisation and its impact on rural labour
• Patterns of changing structure of rural labour markets
• Documentation, evaluation and dissemination of information on organisation strategies
• Social security and rural labour
• MGNREGA and its impact on rural labour
• Migration of rural labour
• Study of different agrarian occupations

In addition to the above, several specific themes have also been identified for research, seminars and workshops which are as follows:

• Changes in land holding and land use pattern
• Credit and other input facilities in agrarian development
• Changing agrarian systems and employment relations
• Assessing the potential of rural non-farm employment sector
• Examining the trends in wages, employment and poverty in rural areas
• Examining the social security mechanisms at work in the rural sector
• Impact of globalisation, liberalization and privatisation on various segments of rural labour in general and agricultural labour in particular.
• Impact of new technology on employment and productivity of the various sections of rural labour.
• Implication of land reforms on rural labour, productivity and distribution of wealth.
• Study of local initiatives by individuals/institutions other than government organizations, for development of rural labour in general and agricultural labour in particular.
• Evaluation of income generation development programmes and schemes in the light of their social and economic relevance.
• Impact of gender inequality in various rural occupations, execution and implementation of development projects, programmes and schemes.

Research Advisory Group

The Centre is having the following distinguished persons as its RAG members for seeking guidance, orientation and direction for carrying out its various activities:

• Mr. K.B. Saxena, Professor, Council for Social Development
• Dr. M.M. Rehman, Former Senior Fellow, VVGNLI
• Mr. Suneet Chopra, Joint Secretary, All India Agricultural Workers Union
• Prof. Praveen Jha, Jawaharlal Nehru University
• Mr. Nagendra Nath Ojha, President, Bhartiya Khet Mazdoor Union
• Mr. V.S. Nirmal, General Secretary, Bhartiya Khet Mazdoor Union