Foundational workshop for the third cohort
SHILLONG: The Meghalaya Institute of Government (MIG) in collaboration with the Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad organised a foundational workshop for the third cohort of the Meghalaya Legislative Research Fellowship (MLRF) and Meghalaya District Research Fellowship (MDRF) programmes at the Conference Room of the Secretariat Wellness Centre in Shillong.
Addressing the opening session, Dr Aarushi Jain, Director, Bharti Institute of Public Policy (BIPP), ISB, said the third cohort would focus on strengthening research across all 60 constituencies of Meghalaya over the next year. She said the fellows would play an important role in taking forward constituency development plans and generating reliable data that could support research, journalism and other forms of analysis.
On the MDRF programme, Dr Jain said the research priorities would vary from district to district depending on local requirements and the nature of the fellows’ engagement with Deputy Commissioners, Autonomous District Councils and other departments.
Dr Jain further outlined the proposed approach of developing “district growth strategies”, with the district serving as a key platform for identifying and addressing local growth opportunities. The process would involve extensive field research, including household-level data collection based on scientific sampling methods and covering the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors.
The data would subsequently be analysed using tools such as causal loop diagrams and input-output modelling with the ISB research team supporting the development of district growth strategies.
Addressing the gathering, Dr Andrew Simons, Adviser to the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly, said the MLRF initiative was launched through the efforts of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly, ISB and MIG, with the programme gradually strengthening legislative research capacity in the state.
Director of MIG Aiban Swer said the fellowship provided young researchers an opportunity to work closely with legislators and understand the diverse perspectives and priorities emerging from different constituencies.
The workshop marks the beginning of the third cohort of the MLRF and MDRF programmes, with the fellows expected to work closely with legislators and district administrations as part of the research and development initiatives undertaken in the state.