Background Paper: Social Science in South Asia

The post-war period has witnessed a moderate growth in the number of universities, specialized research institutions, private bodies, governmental and non-governmental organizations conducting Social Science Research (SSR) in South Asia. However social sciences’ expansion has followed a different trajectory in the various countries in the region. There are sharp differences in both the nature of the social science institutional structures and the pace at which they have grown. This variation can be explained by a number of factors, ranging from the size of the country, the historical context of both the colonial and post-colonial eras shaping the emergence and development of these countries, the nature of their political regimes and difference in their other socio-economic-religious and cultural factors.