HIMACHAL PRADESH UNIVERSITY

AGRO-ECONOMIC RESEARCH CENTRE

 

 

The AGRO-ECONOMIC RESEARCH CENTRE (AERC) at the Himachal Pradesh University was established in December 1972 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India to carry out research and investigations in the field of Agricultural Economics in Western Himalayan Region consisting of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. This is one of the 12 centres established by the Government of India.  After the initiation of the era of planned development in India, need was felt for carrying out studies for proper understanding of the changes occurring in the structure and functioning of village economy and other specific problems arising from time to time. With this background Agro-Economic Research Centres were established in various agro-climatic regions of the country. The broad functions assigned to this Centre are:

 

i. To make a study of changes in rural economy by means of survey of a number of selected villages

   each year and resurvey of the same group of villages at an interval of say, five years;

 

ii. to conduct ad-hoc investigations into problems of interest to the Ministry of Agriculture, Government 

    of India;

 

iii. to carry out research on fundamental problems relating to agricultural economics of the country;

 

iv. to give technical advice to the Government of India and concerned State Governments on such

     issues as, with mutual agreement, may be referred to the Centre.

 

 

Faculty of AER Centre:

 Dr. Ranveer Singh, M.Sc (Agril Eco.), M.Phil., (Agril.Econ.), Ph. D., Senior Research Officer/Reader

 Dr. C.  Shekher Vaidya, M.Sc. (Agril. Econ.), Ph. D., Senior Research Officer/Reader

 

Supporting Staff:

1.. Dr. Satya Parkash Saraswat, M.Sc (Agri.Econ.), Ph.D., Research Investigator

2. Dr. Chander Shekher Nadda, M.A. (Econ.), Ph.D., Research Investigator

3.  Dr. Manohar Lal Sharma, M.A. (Econ), Ph. D., Research Investigator

4. Dr. (Mrs.) Meenakshi Sharma, M.A. (Econ.), Ph. D., Statistical Assistant

5. Narender Kumar Sharma, M.A. (Econ.).,Research Investigator

6. Dr. Pratap Singh, M.Sc. (Agril. Econ.), Ph. D., Research Investigator

7. Khem Raj Sharma, B.A., Computer

 

Administrative Staff of AERC consists of one Senior Assistant, Assistant, Typist, Machine-man, Peon, Chowkidar and Driver.

 

Research studies conducted

The AER Centre, Shimla has completed 139 research studies on various aspects of Agricultural Economics in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. Besides these research studies, the faculty members published 12 books on various aspects of the subject.

The faculty members have been attending international Seminar/symposium/ workshop etc regularly. The research staff has so far published more than 500 research papers in various journals etc of international and national repute.

 

Expertise of the Centre

The AER Centre has expertise in conducting impact evaluation and economic feasibility studies for Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal husbandry, Forestry and Rural Development related activities. Besides studies assigned by the Government of India, the AER Centre has conducted studies sponsored by the State Departments of Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal husbandry, Forest Farming, Rural Development and Tribal development.   The impact evaluation and economic feasibility studies for of World Bank, GTZ, USAID, ICIMOD, CIP, NJPC have also been carried out by the AER Centre. 

 

Academic Activities

The faculty members are involved in guiding Ph. D and M. Phil students of Department of Economics. They are also involved in conducting evaluation work, paper setting of Ph. D, M.A, M.Sc (Agril) and B.Sc (Agril, Forestry, Horti) students of other Universities.

 

Trainings Organized

The research staff regularly participates in conducting training programmes for farmers, Agricultural Markets Traders, Officers of Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Husbandry Departments of Government of Himachal Pradesh organized by the Himachal Pradesh Marketing Board and State Agriculture Management and Extension Training Institute and other departments.

The AER Centre organized a week-long training programme on Environmental Economics for Media persons and Non-Government Organizations during 23-28 September 2002.  This training programme was sponsored by World Bank.

 

Member of Committees

The Officer Incharge of the Centre was member Secretary of Agro-Climatic Zonal Planning team of Zone No. I constituted by the planning Commission, Govt of India. Dr Ranveer Singh, Sr Research Officer was Member of State Level Judging Committee constituted for selecting best apple orchard (Udyan Pandit) in Himachal Pradesh, during 2003 and he was also Member of Committee on Fruit Tree Valuation in Himachal Pradesh constituted by Directorate of Horticulture, Government of Himachal Pradesh, during 2000.

 

Library Facility

The AER Centre has its own library. It has about 6000 books and 12 periodicals related to the subject are subscribed. The students of Economics, Sociology, Geography and other departments of Faculty of Social Science, H.P. University visit the library regularly for their research work.