Dr. Viswanathan P. K.

P. K. Viswanathan serves as Professor (Economics) with specialised interests in the Economics of Natural Resources Management and Sustainability. He has a PhD in Economics from the Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore (Mysore University). His research and teaching interests relate to Economics of Natural Resources Management; Agrarian Transformation and Rural livelihoods; Aspects of Technology, Institutions, Policies and Governance; Climate Change impacts on natural resources, environment and agriculture; Conservation of Biodiversity and Ecosystems; Sustainable energy policy; Globalisation and its impacts on Agriculture and Trade; Welfare Impacts of Trade Certifications in India’s Plantation Sector, etc.

Qualifications

• PhD (Economics), Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Bangalore [Mysore University] (2003)
• Postdoc (Environment, Resources and Development), Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Bangkok (2005)
• Postdoc (Demographic and Socio-Economic Surveillance System, Thailand), Institute for Population and Social Research (IPSR), Mahidol University, Thailand (2006) 

Professional Experience

TEACHING

• Environmental Management and Sustainable Development (Core)

Current Research & Writing Projects

• “Fair Trade certified Tea in the Hired Labour Sector: An impact study and baseline data collection”, supported by Fairtrade International, in collaboration with International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), Erasmus University Rotterdam, Centre for Poverty Analysis (CEPA), Colombo; Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Trivandrum; and Gujarat Institute of Development Research (GIDR), Ahmedabad, March 2015 – December 2016.
• Book under processing for publication by Springer, titled, “Employment Guarantee Programme and Dynamics of Rural Transformation in India: Challenges and Opportunities”, Edited by M. Bhattarai, P.K. Viswanathan, Rudra N. Mishra and Cynthia Bantilan (forthcoming, 2017).

Research projects undertaken during 2007-2016

NRPPD-CDS Discussion Papers

• Viswanathan, P.K. Amita Shah (2012): ‘Gender Impact of Trade Reforms in Indian Plantation Sector: An Exploratory Analysis’, NRPPD Discussion Paper 17, Centre for Development Studies, Trivandrum, Kerala, 69p. http://cds.edu/admin/homeFiles/nrppd%2017.pdf 
• Viswanathan, P.K. (2013): Regional dimensions of emerging Labour shortage in rubber Plantation sector in Kerala: An exploratory analysis, NRPPD Discussion Paper 27, Centre for Development Studies, Trivandrum, 86p. http://cds.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/NRPPD27.pdf
• Viswanathan, P.K. and Indraneel Bhowmik (2014): ‘Compatibility of Institutional Architecture for Rubber Plantation Development in North East India from a Comparative Perspective of Kerala, NRPPD Discussion Paper 38, 71p. http://cds.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/NRPPD-38.pdf
• Viswanathan, P.K. (2015): Farmer Migration and Agrarian Transformation in Kerala: Impacts on the Local Economy, Society and the Agrarian Landscape in the Erstwhile Malabar Region, NRPPD Discussion Paper 43, 38p. Centre for Development Studies, Trivandrum http://cds.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/43_ViswanathanII.pdf
• Indraneel Bhowmik and P.K. Viswanathan (2015): Emerging Labour Relations in The Small Rubber Plantations of Tripura, NRPPD Discussion Paper 47, Centre for Development Studies, Trivandrum, 33p. http://cds.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/47_Indraneel.pdf

Invited Lectures (Since 2012)

• Delivered a talk “Challenges of Agricultural Development in Kerala” at the Colloquia at the Amrita School of Business, Kochi, Kerala, on 28 February 2012.
• Delivered a lecture, “Agriculture Transition in Asia: Challenges and Perspectives on Future Research” on 8 March 2012 at the Workshop on Methods of Research and Proposal Writing (March 5-10, 2012) Mizoram University, Aizawl, Jointly orgnaised by Department of Economics, Mizoram University, Aizawl & OKD Institute of Social Change and Development, Guwahati.
• Delivered a lecture, “From Jhuming to Tapping: An analysis of rubber development  programme in NE States in India”, on 8 March 2012 at the Workshop on Methods of Research and Proposal Writing (March 5-10, 2012) Mizoram University, Aizawl, Jointly organised by Department of Economics, Mizoram University, Aizawl & OKD Institute of Social Change and Development, Guwahati.
• Delivered 2 lectures, viz., “Inclusive Growth: understanding it”, and “Inclusive Growth and Agriculture  Development in India: Challenges and way forward” at the UGC Sponsored Two-Day National Seminar on “Inclusive Growth: Economic, Institutional and Rights Perspectives” March 8-9, 2013, at PSG College of Arts & Science College, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India.
• Delivered 2 lectures on “Longitudinal Data Analysis in Social Science Research: Theoretical and Empirical Considerations” at the ICSSR Research Methodology Workshop held on 23 March 2013, at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.
• Delivered a lecture on “Agriculture and Environment in the Indian Context: A Critical Assessment”, Refresher Course on Macro Economics with Special Reference to Indian Economic System, held on 17 May 2013, at the Sardar Patel Institute of Economic and Social Research, Ahmedabad.
• Delivered lectures on: (a) “Agricultural Water Management: Socio-Economic and Policy Challenges”; (b) “Institutional and Policy Reforms in Indian Water Sector: A critical assessment”; and (c) “Climate Variability and Water Insecurity in India” at the Training Workshop on Agricultural Water Demand Management, held during 21-25 October 2013, at Ahmedabad, supported by Cap-Net and UNDP.
• Delivered lectures on: (a) “Factor analysis and Principal Component Analysis; (b) Database on Indian Agriculture; (c) Database on Environment”, at the National Workshop on ‘Research Methodology for Social Sciences’ held at GIDR Ahmedabad during 25 February – 06 March 2014.
• Delivered a lecture on “Investment Strategies and Technology Options for Sustainable Agriculture Development in India: Challenges and Way Forward”, at Christ College, Irinjalakuda, as part of the Alumni Lecture Series organised by the Research Department of Economics on 13^th January 2015.
• “Regression and Multivariate Analysis”, Lecture delivered on 23^rd September 2015, at the Building Capacity of the Technical Cadre of the Directorate of Economics and Statistics in Statistical Methods and Analysis, 23-25 September 2015, held at GIDR Ahmedabad, jointly organised by the Department of Economics and Statistics, Government of Gujarat and the UNICEF, Gandhinagar.
• “Land, Water and Coastal Resources and Livelihoods in Gujarat: Data and Analysis”, Lecture delivered on 24^th September 2015, at the Building Capacity of the Technical Cadre of the Directorate of Economics and Statistics in Statistical Methods and Analysis, 23-25 September 2015, held at GIDR Ahmedabad, jointly organised by the Department of Economics and Statistics, Government of Gujarat and the UNICEF, Gandhinagar.
• Delivered four lectures on: “Analysis of Livelihoods” and a lecture on “Data Analysis” for Masters’ Students at the Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, on 23^rd November 2015 and 27 November 2015.
• Delivered two Lectures on: (a) ‘Data Collection Techniques and Sampling in Social Research’; and (b) ‘Selection of Research Sample and Sampling Techniques’, at the Research Methodology Workshop for Ph.D. Scholars In Social Sciences, Sponsored by Indian Council of Social Sciences Research, New Delhi, Organized by Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar,  11 March 2016.
• Delivered four Lectures on: ‘Natural Resources Management and Conservation: Policies, interventions and Evaluation Methods’, at the Workshop on ‘Program Monitoring and Evaluation in NRM’, Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, 7th – 8th April, 2016.
• Delivered two lectures on: (a) Writing Research Proposals; and (b) Database on Indian Economy, at the Two Day National Workshop on Research in Economics, organised by the Kerala Economic Association at Kottayam, Kerala during 30-31 July 2016.
• Delivered a lecture on: ‘Conventional and Non-conventional sources of Data’, at the Orientation Programme on Social Science Research for Research Scholars and Faculty Members, supported by ICSSR, 2-4 August 2016, GIDR Ahmedabad.

Referee (Journals)

• Water Resources Bulletin Journal (American Water Resources Association)
• Water Policy (International Water Association)
• Agroforestry Systems (Springer)
• Journal of Gender Studies (Taylor & Francis, UK)
• Community Development Journal (Routledge)
• European Journal of Development Research (Palgrave Macmillan)

Membership in Academic Societies/ Professional Bodies

• Alumni, Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore, India
• Alumni, Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok
• Alumni, Institute for Population Research, Mahidol University, Thailand
• Asian Society of Agricultural Economists
• International Society for Development and Sustainability (ISDS), Japan
• Green Growth Knowledge Platform (GGKP), Switzerland
• Life Member, Kerala Economic Association

Other Academic Credentials

• External Expert, Research Advisory Committee, Department of Economics, Tripura University, Agartala
• Member, Student Advisory Committee, CEPT University, Ahmedabad
• External Examiner for PhD, Cochin University of Science & Technology, Cochin, Kerala
• External Examiner for PhD, University of Calicut, Kerala
• External Examiner for PhD, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
• External Examiner for MPhil & PhD, Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar
• PhD Guide, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad
• Member, Board of Studies of Economics, Christ College, Irinjalakuda, Kerala
• Series Editor & Coordinator, Working Paper Series, GIDR, Ahmedabad (2008-2010 & 2011-2016)
• Series Editor & Coordinator, Occasional Paper Series, GIDR, Ahmedabad (2011-2016).

Scholarships/ Awards

• May 2006 – May 2007, Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University, Thailand.
• March – April 2006: Lee Hysan Visiting Fellowship, The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
• January – December 2005, Post Doctoral Research Fellowship, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Bangkok, Thailand.
• October 1992 - September 1996: PhD Fellowship, Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Bangalore, India
• National Merit Scholarship from 1985 to 1988 for Graduate studies
• Cultural Scholarship (1983 to 1988) for Literary Competitions in Sanskrit, Calicut Uty.