Frequently Asked Questions


For your convenience, we’ve assembled the following list of links to help answer some of the most frequently asked questions we receive from various type of users.

Who can apply for a Doctoral Studentship?

Meritorious students can apply to do a PhD. under a supervisor at the Centre. Selection is on the basis of academic record and aptitude for research. Students benefit from the guidance of world–renowned faculty and the Centre’s extensive resources for research. The Centre does not award degrees, but will facilitate the affiliation of students to universities in West Bengal with which our faculty members are associated. The student may also have a co–supervisor from the affiliating university.

What scholarships are available for doctoral students?

At present the the Indian Council of Social Science Research offers a number of doctoral fellowships for which UGC NET qualification is a must. There are also a limited number of doctoral fellowships & internships for our archives which have been provided by the Ford Foundation presently.

How does one apply to use the Library?

You can apply in person by filling up a library application form along with a recommendation letter from the head of your institution.

Alternatively, send your application to:

The Librarian,
Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta
R–1 Baishnabghata Patuli Township
Kolkata – 700 094.
West Bengal, India.

To apply for using the library you must be a post graduate.

What type of documents does the archive contains?

The Archive contains printed documents in vernacular, mainly periodicals in microform and in digital format published in 19th and early 20th century, mainly from different old public institutions and private collections, visual documents, such as, early popular lithographs, oleographs, mythological paintings, modern academic art from the early days of the Government Art College to 1980s, family photographs, industrial photographs and photographs of the city of Calcutta mainly on chromes and in digital format. In addition, CSSSC undertook a major and pioneering project on documentation of commercial art and advertisement in Bengali language.

Who can access the Archive?

The Archive follows similar rules and regulations of access of its library, only the scholars has to take a membership valid up to 6 months and has to give a separate undertaking for accessing archive. Any bona–fide post–graduate student, research scholar, member of faculty of any University and research institution is entitled to get a membership of the archive. At the time of applying for a membership the scholar has to mention her / his research area or theme and furnish a document of her/his institutional affiliation.

For more information please check Access section in our archive page.

What is the procedure of consultation at the archive?

Though, like the library of the CSSSC, access to the archive is open to all eligible scholars, but at the archive everyone has to take a prior appointment, this is mainly for limitation of equipments and space for reading, also for consulting visual documents everyone needs assistance of one of the archive staff, one can take a prior appointment over phone or by writing an e–mail.

Whether any reproduction facility available at the archive?

Yes, we have facilities for printing from negative microfilms and also digital copies. There is no restriction on taking reproduction of printed documents published prior to 1956 but restrictions are applicable following standard copyright law for the documents published 1956 onwards. For visual documents one can take limited number of low resolution, watermarked prints form the archive. For good quality images for reproduction the user has to take the responsibility of clearing the copyright from the copyright owner of the particular item and one can get high quality TIFF images against payment of requisite fees after production of the documents indicating that s/he obtained the permission from the copyright owner.

What is India Macroeconomics Annual?

The India Macroeconomics Annual is a journal initially published by the RBI Endowment Scheme at the CSSSC and has now been taken up by the SAGE Publishers Pvt Ltd. The journal has two parts. In one part the it publishes research on contemporary macroeconomic events in India, while the other section is open to contributed papers in any area of economics encompassing a wide range of topics such as labour, fiscal issues, banking and finance, international trade, econometrics, computational and mathematical methods, etc. The Journal is edited by Prof. Sugata Marjit and has an internationally reputed Board of Advisors.

How to Subscribe to the India Macroeconomics Annual?

Please contact : Ms. Vineeta Rai

Sage Publications India Pvt Ltd
F 53–55, Triveni Commercial Complex
Sheikh Sarai, Phase I
New Delhi – 110 017

Tel: (+91-11) + 41864222 (5 lines) Extn : 205
Fax: (+91-11) + 41864227
E–mail: vineeta.rai@indiasage.com.

I am interested in contributing to the India Macroeconomics Annual. Please let me know about the exact procedure.

Please refer the page India Macroeconomics Annual for more details.

Who can apply to take part in the Cultural Studies Workshop?

This workshop is for researchers from countries of the South under 35 years who are completing or have completed their doctoral research. Send your application with paper proposal to csw@cssscal.org.

Does the Centre have a guest house facility?

Indian Council of Social Science Research, Eastern Regional Centre has a guest house at the old premises of the Centre at 10 Lake Terrace, Kolkata 700 029, where limited accommodation is usually available to outstation scholars and students visiting Centre for a short time. For accommodation send your request to Susanta Ghosh, Director, ICSSR-ERC at the mailing address mentioned above or fax your request to +91(33) 2466-0637 or E–mail to ercicssr@vsnl.net.

How to get the important contact information?

For contact information related queries please visit our Contact Us page.