The North Eastern Region (NER) of India constitutes 7.9 per cent of country’s total geographical area and 3.8 per cent of total population of the country (Census, 2011). It stretches from the foothills of the Himalayas in the eastern range and is surrounded by Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Nepal and Myanmar. It includes eight states- Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. Troubled by history and geo-politics, the NER has remained one of the most underdeveloped regions of the country. Inadequate infrastructure and poor governance is combined with low productivity and market access.
NER constitutes 3.6 per cent of India’s total workforce (2011–12). The labour scenario in the NER is quite unique compared to other regions of the country owing to a multitude of factors (including geographical, socio-economic and political). The region is marked by lower rate of industrialization and limited spread of modern service sector. The agricultural operations are also distinct (with the presence of unique systems like jhuming). Cultural ethos governing labour market participation is also different, which inter alia reflects on the distinctive composition of the labour force – across gender and social categories. Yet another important aspect is migration, which gets complicated due to several socio-political considerations – both in terms of internal migration of population (from within and outside the region) as well as in terms of influx of labourers across national boundaries.
It is in this context that the Institute has set up Centre for North East (CNE) in 2009 to carry out policy oriented research and conduct workshops/seminars and training on issues related to labour, employment and social protection in the North Eastern Region. The research and training areas are as follows:
Core Research Areas of the Centre
- Employment and Unemployment Trends and Challenges
- Gender and Labour
- Migration and Development
- Social Security
- Health and Labour
- Livelihood Strategies
- Sectoral Analysis
- Skill Gap Studies
- Industrial Relations & Regulations
- Sociology of Labour & Workers’ Movement
Core Training Areas of the Centre
The target groups of the training programmes are labour officials, women workers and representatives from Central Trade Union Organisations, NGOs/Civil Societies, university students and researchers from the eight states of the region. Some of the themes of the training programmes of the Centre are indicated below:
- Skill Development & Employment Generation
- Fundamental of Labour Laws
- Strengthening Awareness on Labour Issues and Laws Pertaining to Women Workers
- Leadership Development Programme for Trade Union Leaders
- Social Protection and Livelihood Security
- Effective Enforcement of Labour Laws in Unorganised Sector
- Labour Market, Employment and Social Protection Issues in North East
- Gender, Poverty and Employment
- Promoting Skill Development for Women Workers
- Sociology of Labour & Globalisation
Completed Research Projects
- Dynamics of Employment of Children and Socio-Economic Reality: A Study of Children in Hazardous Occupations in East and West Jaintia Hills Districts of Meghalaya
- MGNREGS in Tripura: A Study on Efficiency & Equity
- Migrant and Trafficked Children in Hazardous Employment: The Case of Nagaland
- Expansion of natural Rubber Cultivation in Tripura: Impact on Landholding, Employment and Income
- Work Participation and Time-use pattern of Women in Rural Arunachal Pradesh
- Migration from North-East to Urban Centres: A Study of Delhi Region
- Valuing Life in a Regulated Labour Market: A Study on Tea Plantations in Assam, India
- Employment Situation in North Eastern Region of India: Recent Trends and Emerging Challenges
- Growth, Composition and Determinants of Rural Non-Farm Employment in North East India
Special Issue on North East India
Special Issue on Labour, Employment & Social Protection in North East India in the institute’s journal Labour & Development (ISSN 0973-0419) Vol. 20, No. 2, December 2013.
Workshops and Seminars
- Orientation Workshop on Labour and Employment in North East India: Issues, Concerns and Challenges organised by Centre for North East India, V.V. Giri National Labour Institute in collaboration with the Department of Sociology, Maitreyi College, University of Delhi on 12th April, 2017 at Maitreyi College, New Delhi.
- Orientation Programme on Labour and Employment Issues in North East India organised by Centre for North East India, V.V. Giri National Labour Institute in collaboration with Sikkim University, Gangtok from 29 August-1 September, 2016 at Gangtok.
- National Seminar on ‘Skilling of Youth for Zero Unemployment’ was organised by the Centre for North East, V. V. Giri National Labour Institute in collaboration with the Department of Commerce, Manipur University at Court Hall, Manipur University, Imphal (22-23 December, 2015)
- National Seminar on ‘Youth & Skill Development in North East India’ was organised by the Centre for North East, V. V. Giri National Labour Institute in collaboration with Indian Council for Social Science Research-North Eastern Regional Centre, Shillong at NEHU Campus, Shillong (26-27 March, 2015)
- National Consultation on ‘Assessment of Research and Training Needs in North Eastern Region’ at Shram Shakti Bhawan, Rafi Marg, New Delhi (30 July, 2014)
- Orientation Workshop on Conducting Household Survey at Jowai and Khliehriat, Jaintia Hills District, Meghalaya (25-27 November, 2013)
- Workshop on ‘Labour Market, Employment & Social Protection in North East India’ was organised by the Centre for North East, V. V. Giri National Labour Institute in collaboration with Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Regional Campus Manipur at Imphal (26-28 February, 2013)
- National Seminar on ‘Labour and Employment Trends in North Eastern Region: Challenges and Opportunities’ at VVGNLI, Noida (30-31 March, 2012)
- Workshop on ‘Skill Development in Tourism Sector in Sikkim’ at Gangtok (9-11 March, 2011)
- National Consultation on ‘Exploring and Identifying Research Areas on Labour & Employment in North Eastern Region’ at Agartala (19-20 November, 2009)
Research Advisory Group
The Research Advisory Group of the Centre comprises of the following members:
- Prof. Mahendra P. Lama
- Prof. Amitabh Kundu
- Prof. Tiplut Nongbri
- Prof. Sanjoy Hazarika
Centre Co-ordinator
