Masters in Agricultural Economics (No. of seats: 16+7 (ICAR seats))

Field of Specialization: Farm Management, Agricultural Marketing and Agricultural Finance

Minor fields: Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Extension Education, Agri-business management and other field related to the research problem selected by the student.

Masters in Sociology (No. of seats: 8+3 (ICAR seats))

Field of Specialization: Rural Sociology, Social Change

Minor fields: Economics, Statistics, Extension Education, Business Management, Human Development and Family Studies, Extension Education and Communication Management, Journalism and other fields as recommended by the advisory committee of the student

Doctorate in Agricultural Economics (No. of seats: 6+3 (ICAR seat))

Field of Specialization: Farm Management, Agricultural Marketing and Agricultural Finance

Minor fields: Agricultural Economics, Agri-business management and other field related to the research problem selected by the student.

Doctorate in Sociology (No. of seats: 4+2 (ICAR seat))

Field of Specialization: Rural Sociology, Social Change

Minor fields: : Economics, Extension Education, Business Management, Human Development and Family Studies, Statistics or any other as approved by the Dean PG

A. Agricultural Economics

Post Graduate Courses, Semester I

Course No.

Course Title

Credit hours

AEC-501

Micro Economic Theory and Applications

3+0

AEC-502

Agricultural Production Economics 

1+1

AEC-503

Agricultural Marketing and Price Analysis

2+1

AEC-504

Macro Economics and Policy

2+0

AEC-509/Soc.- 506

Research Methodology for Social Sciences

1+1

AEC-510

Indian Economy: History and Contemporary Issues

2+0

AEC-511

International Economics

2+1

AEC-512

Institutional Economics

1+0

AEC-514

Commodity Future Trading

2+0

AEC-515

Development Economics

2+0

AEC-517

Evolution of Economic Thought

1+0

AEC-605

Operations Research

2+1

AEC-606

Advanced Agricultural Marketing and Price Analysis

2+1

AEC-607

Quantitative Development Policy Analysis

1+1

AEC-608

Natural Resource Management

2+1

AEC-609

Environmental Economics

2+1

Post-graduate Courses, Semester II

Course No.

Course Title

Credit hours

AEC-505

Econometrics 

2+1

AEC-507

Agricultural Finance and Project Management

2+1

AEC-508

Linear programming

1+1

AEC-509

Research Methodology for Social Sciences

1+1

AEC-506

Agricultural Development and Policy Analysis

2+0

AEC-513

Natural Resource and Environmental Economics

1+1

AEC-516

Rural Marketing

2+0

AEC-601

Advanced Micro Economic Analysis

1+1

AEC-602

Advanced Macro Economic Analysis

2+0

AEC-603

Advanced Econometrics

2+1

AEC-604

Advanced Production Economics

2+1

AEC-591 Master’s Seminar 

AEC-599 Master’s Research

AEC-691 Doctoral Seminar-I

AEC-692 Doctoral Seminar-II

AEC-699 Doctoral Research

AEC-501 Micro Economic Theory and Applications

3+0

Sem. I

Theory

Unit I

Basic Concepts- A review: Scarcity and Choice; Production possibility frontier, Positive and normative economics; concepts of opportunity cost, Demand and Supply: determinants of individual demand/supply; demand/supply schedule and demand/supply curve; market versus individual demand/supply; shifts in the demand/supply curve 

Unit II

Consumer Choice: Cardinal Utility Approach – Ordinal Utility Approach -Budget sets and Preferences under different situations – Hicks and Slutsky income and substitution effects – Applications of Indifference curve approach – Revealed Preference Hypothesis – Consumer surplus -Derivation of Demand curve – Elasticity of demand- Demand and supply together; how prices allocate resources; controls on prices- price floor and price ceiling – applications in agriculture 

Unit III

Production and Cost: Production functions; single variable – average and marginal product, variable proportions, stages of production. Two variables – isoquants, returns to scale and to a factor; factor prices; Technical progress; cost minimization and output maximization; Elasticity of substitution. Expansion path and the cost function Concept of economic cost; Short run and long run cost curves; increasing and decreasing cost industries; envelope curve; L-shaped cost curves; economies of scale; revenue and expenditure, elasticity and marginal revenue; Firm equilibrium and profit.

Unit IV

Market Forms: Behaviour of profit maximizing firms and the production process- Perfect competition: Equilibrium of the market. Long run industry supply, applications: effects of taxes and subsidies; Monopoly: Equilibrium; supply; multiplant firm; monopoly power; deadweight loss; price discrimination; Monopolistic Competition: Product differentiation; equilibrium of the firm in the industry-with entry of new firms and with price competition. Comparison with pure competition. Duoploy: Cournot model and reaction curves; Stackelberg‘s model, Bertrand model; Oligopoly 

Unit V

Factor Markets: Labour and land markets – basic concepts (derived demand, productivity of an input, marginal productivity of labour, marginal revenue product); demand for labour; input demand curves; shifts in input demand curves; competitive labour markets; Economic rent and quasi rent .

AEC-502 Agricultural Production Economics                                      1+1                               Sem. I

Theory

Unit I

Concepts of production economics: Nature, scope and significance of agricultural production economics- Agricultural Production processes, character and dimensions-spatial, temporal – Centrality of production functions, assumptions of production functions, commonly used forms – Properties, limitations, specification, estimation and interpretation of commonly used production functions.

Unit II

Factors and theory of production: Factors of production, classification, interdependence, and factor substitution Determination of optimal levels of production and factor application -Optimal factor combination and least cost combination of production – Theory of product choice; selection of optimal product combination. 

Unit III

Concepts of cost: Cost functions and cost curves, components, and cost minimization -Duality theory – cost and production functions and its applications -Derivation of firm’s input demand and output supply functions -Economies and diseconomies of scale. 

Unit IV

Dynamics of economic assessment: Technology in agricultural production, nature and effects and measurement – Measuring efficiency in agricultural production; technical, allocative and economic efficiencies – Yield gap analysis- concepts-types and measurement – Nature and sources of risk, modeling and coping strategies. 

Practical

1. Different forms of production functions.

2. Specification, estimation and interpretation of production functions.

3. Returns to scale, factor shares.

4. Elasticity of production.

5. Physical optima – economic optima

6. Least cost combination.

7. Optimal product choice.

8. Cost function estimation, interpretation.

9. Estimation of yield gap – incorporation of technology in production functions.

10. Measuring returns to scale – risk analysis.

AEC- 503 Agricultural Marketing and Price Analysis                                            2+1                       Sem. I

Theory

Unit I

Introduction to agricultural marketing: New Concepts in Agricultural Marketing – Characteristic of Agricultural product and Production – Problems in Agricultural Marketing from Demand and Supply and Institutions sides. Market intermediaries and their role – Need for regulation in the present context – Marketable & Marketed surplus estimation. Marketing Efficiency – Structure Conduct and Performance analysis – Vertical and Horizontal integration – Integration over space, time and form-Vertical coordination. 

Unit II

Aspects of agricultural marketing: Different Forms of marketing: Co-operatives Marketing – APMC Regulated Marketing – Direct marketing, Farmer Producer Companies, e-NAM and marketing under e-NAM, e-marketing Contract farming and Retailing, Organized retailing – Supply Chain Management – State trading, Warehousing and other Government agencies -Performance and Strategies -Market infrastructure needs, performance and Government role – Value Chain Finance. 

Unit III

Future marketing and government: Introduction to Commodities markets and future trading – Basics of commodity futures – Operation Mechanism of Commodity markets – Price discovery – Hedging and Basis – Fundamental analysis – Technical Analysis – Role of Government/SEBI in promoting commodity trading and regulatory measures. 

Unit VI

Use of Information Technology: Role of Information Technology and Market Intelligence in marketing of agricultural commodities, electronic auctions (e-bay), e-Chaupals, Agmarknet and Domestic and Export market Intelligence Cell (DEMIC). 

Unit V

Dynamics of price: Price forecasting – time series analysis – time series models – spectral analysis. Price policy and economic development – non-price instruments.

Practical

1. Supply and demand elasticities in relation to problems in agricultural marketing. 

2. Price spread and marketing efficiency analysis. 

3. Marketing structure analysis through concentration ratios. 

4. Performance analysis of Regulated market and marketing societies. 

5. Analysis on contract farming and supply chain management of different agricultural commodities, milk and poultry products. 

6. Supply Chain Analysis – quantitative estimation of supply chain efficiency.

7. Market Intelligence – Characters, Accessibility, and Availability 

8. Price forecasting. 

9. Online searches for market information sources and interpretation of market intelligence reports & commodity outlook 

10. Technical Analysis for important agricultural commodities – Fundamental Analysis for important agricultural commodities – Presentation of the survey results and wrap-up discussion.

AEC-504 Macro Economics and Policy                                                                     2 +0                     Sem. I

Theory

Unit I

Introduction- measurement and concepts: Basic concepts and scope of Macro-economics, National Income Accounting: Methods of measurement of key macro-economic aggregates, relationship of national income and other aggregates (with numerical exercises), real and nominal income 

Unit II: Classical macroeconomics: Say’s Law, Quantity Theory of Money, aggregate labour supply and demand of labour, Classical theory of determining output, wages and prices. 

Unit III

Income and spending: keynesian framework Simple Keynesian model of income determination; Keynesian Multiplier- aggregate spending, taxation, transfer payments, foreign spending, balanced budget; budget surplus (with numerical exercises). 

Unit IV

Money, interest and income:Goods market equilibrium-IS curve; Demand for Money, the Liquidity Preference Theory – Liquidity Trap; asset market equilibrium- LM curve; simultaneous equilibrium in goods and asset market- effect of fiscal and monetary policy 

Unit V

Theories of aggregate consumption and investment: Absolute Income Hypothesis, Relative Income Hypothesis, Fisher‘s Inter-temporal Choice Model, Life-Cycle and Permanent Income Hypotheses; Profits and Accelerator Theory. 

Unit VI

Inflation and unemployment: Inflation- Nature, Effects and control; Types of inflation – demand pull, cost push- stagflation, core inflation, hyperinflation; Phillips curve. 

AEC – 505 Econometrics                                                                                               2+1                  Sem. II

Theory

Unit I

Introduction: Relationship between economic theory, mathematical economics, models and econometrics, methodology of econometrics-regression analysis. 

Unit II

Classical Linear Regression: Basic two variable regression – assumptions estimation and interpretation approaches to estimation – OLS and their properties – extensions to multi-variable models-multiple regression estimation and interpretation. 

Unit III

Breaking down of Classical assumptions: Violation of assumptions – identification, consequences and remedies for Multicollinearity, heteroscedasticity, autocorrelation – data problems and remedial approaches – model misspecification. 

Unit IV

Qualitative variables and simultaneous equation models: Use of dummy variables- Introduction to simultaneous equations- identification problem 

Practical

1. Single equation two variable model specification and estimation.

2. Hypothesis testing.

3. Transformations of functional forms and OLS application.

4. Estimation of multiple regression model.

5. Hypothesis testing.

6. Testing and correcting specification errors.

7. Testing and managing Multicollinearity.

8. Estimation of regressions with dummy variables

AEC-506 Agricultural Development and Policy Analysis                                              2+0              Sem. II

Theory

Unit I

Introduction: Role of agriculture in economic / rural development – Evolution of thinking on agriculture and development ; Agricultural development– meaning, stages and determinants – Population and food supply – need for sound agricultural policies

Unit II

Theories of Agricultural Development: Resource exploitation model- Conservation model- Location (Urban impact) model- Diffusion model- High pay-off input model-Induced Innovation Model- Agricultural R&D and Linkages 

Unit III

Performance of Indian Agriculture Agrarian: structure and land relations; trends in performance and productivity; agrarian structure and technology; credit, commerce and technology; capital formation; subsidies; pricing and procurement; Post Green Revolution agriculture; Production and productivity crisis in agriculture; Regional differences; Food Security, PDS system and Malnutrition. 

Unit IV

Agricultural Policy- Process and Implementation: Instruments of Agricultural Policy; Process of agricultural policy formulation, implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation in India; Global experiences in participatory approach to Agricultural policy process; critical review of various elements of Indian agricultural policy-resource policies – credit policies – input and product marketing policies – price policies; WTO – Agreement on Agriculture; Planning models. Planning for utilization of resources and Indian Five Year Plans.

AEC-507 Agricultural Finance and Project Management                                          2+1                Sem. II

Theory

Unit I

Basic concepts- A Review: Role and Importance of Agricultural Finance. Financial Institutions and credit flow to rural/priority sector. Agricultural lending – Direct and Indirect Financing – Financing through Co-operatives, NABARD and Commercial Banks and RRBs. District Credit Plan and lending to agriculture/priority sector. Micro-Financing and Role of MFI’s – NGO’s, and SHG’s. 

Unit II

Credit and its aspects: Lending to farmers – The concept of 3 C’s, 7 P’s and 3 R’s of credit. Estimation of Technical feasibility, Economic viability and repaying capacity of borrowers and appraisal of credit proposals. Understanding lenders and developing better working relationship and supervisory credit system. Credit inclusions – credit widening and credit deepening. 

Unit III

Financial analysis: Financial Decisions – Investment, Financing, Liquidity and Solvency. Preparation of financial statements – Balance Sheet, Cash Flow Statement and Profit and Loss Account. Ratio Analysis and Assessing the performance of farm/firm. 

Unit IV

Project Overview: Project Approach in financing agriculture. Financial, economic and environmental appraisal of investment projects. Identification, preparation, appraisal, financing and implementation of projects. Project Appraisal techniques – Undiscounted measures. Time value of money – Use of discounted measures – B-C ratio, NPV and IRR. Agreements, supervision, monitoring and evaluation phases in appraising agricultural investment projects. Net work Techniques – PERT and CPM. 

Unit V

Risk and its Management: Risks in financing agriculture. Risk management strategies and coping mechanism. Crop Insurance programmes – review of different crop insurance schemes – yield loss and weather based insurance and their applications.

Practical

1. Development of Rural Institutional Lending: Branch expansion, demand and supply of institutional agricultural credit and Over dues.

2. Loan waiving- An overview, Rural Lending Programmes of Commercial Banks.

3. Lead Bank Scheme- Preparation of District Credit Plan.

4. Rural Lending Programmes of Co-operative Lending Institutions.

5. Preparation of financial statements using farm/firm level data.

6. Farm credit appraisal techniques and farm financial analysis through financial statements.

7. Performance of Micro Financing Institutions – NGO’s and Self-Help Groups, 

8. Identification and formulation of investment projects.

9. Project appraisal techniques – Undiscounted Measures and their limitations. 

10. Project appraisal techniques – Discounted Measures.

11. Network techniques – PERT and CPM for project management.

12. Case Study Analysis of an Agricultural project.

13. Financial Risk and risk management strategies – crop insurance schemes.

14. Financial instruments and methods – E banking, Kisan Cards and core banking.

AEC-508 Linear Programming                                                                                   1+1                     Sem. II

Theory

Unit I

Decision Making- Concepts of decision making, introduction to quantitative tools, introduction to linear programming, uses of LP in different fields, graphic solution to problems, formulation of problems. 

Unit II

Simplex Method: Concept of simplex Method, solving profit maximization and cost minimizations problems. Formulation of farms and non-farm problems as linear programming models and solutions. 

Unit III

Extension of Linear Programming models: Variable resource and price programming, transportation problems, recursive programming, dynamic programming. 

Unit IV

Game Theory- Concepts of game theory, two person constant sum, zero sum game, saddle point, solution to mixed strategies, the rectangular game as Linear Programming. 

Practical

1. Graphical and algebraic formulation of linear programming models. 

2. Solving of maximization and minimization problems by simplex method. 

3. Formulation of the simplex matrices for typical farm situations.

AEC- 509/Soc. 506 Research Methodology for Social Sciences                                      1+1              Sem. I 

Theory

Unit I

Concepts of research methodology: Importance and scope of research in agricultural economics. Types of research – Fundamental vs. Applied. Concept of researchable problem – research prioritization – selection of research problem. Approach to research – research process. 

Unit II

Hypothesis-Framing and Testing: Hypothesis – meaning – characteristics – types of hypothesis – review of literature – setting of Course Objective and hypotheses – testing of hypothesis. 

Unit III

Sampling: Sampling theory and sampling design – sampling error – methods of sampling – probability and non-probability sampling methods – criteria to choose. Project proposals – contents and scope – different types of projects to meet different needs – trade-off between scope and cost of the study. Research design and techniques – Types of research design. 

Unit IV

Data Collection: Data collection – assessment of data needs – sources of data collection – discussion of different situations. Mailed questionnaire and interview schedule – structured, unstructured, open ended and closed-ended questions. Scaling Techniques. Preparation of schedule – problems in measurement of variables in agriculture. Interviewing techniques and field problems – methods of conducting survey – Reconnaissance survey and Pre testing.

Unit V

Data Analysis: Data coding, tabulation, cleaning. Multivariate analysis –factor analysis’ PCA’ cluster analysis. Universal procedures for preparation of bibliography – writing of research articles. 

Practical

1. Exercises in problem identification. 

2. Project proposals – contents and scope. 

3. Formulation of Objective and hypotheses. 

4. Assessment of data needs – sources of data – methods of collection of data. 

5. Methods of sampling – criteria to choose – discussion on sampling under different situations. 

6. Scaling Techniques – measurement of scales. 

7. Preparation of interview schedule- Field testing.

8. Method of conducting survey. 

9. Exercise on coding, editing, tabulation and validation of data. 

10. Preparing for data entry into computer. 

11. Hypothesis testing – Parametric and Non-Parametric Tests.

12. Exercises on format for Thesis / Report writing. Presentation of the results.

AEC-510 Indian Economy: History and Contemporary Issues                                     2+0               Sem. I

Theory

Unit I

India from independence to liberalization: An overview of the economic developments during the period 1947-1980; Objectives and strategies of planned economic development and the role of the State; Sectoral growth performance; savings and investment; Demographic trends and issues; education; health and malnutrition; Trends and policies in poverty; inequality and unemployment.

Unit II

India since 1980’s (liberalization and beyond)- overview: Policy Changes since 1980s.The 1990 Crisis. Causes and Effects of liberalization. Regional differences: infrastructure, primary, secondary and tertiary sector. 

Unit III

Macro trends since 1990: Growth; Savings and Investment, Employment; productivity; diversification; Agro-based industries; competition policy; foreign investment, Regional differences. 

Block 2- Contemporary Issues 

Unit IV

Contemporary issues: Monetary and Financial trends- areas of government spending in India, Capital expenditure, revenue expenditure, plan expenditure, non‐plan expenditure, Deficits (fiscal, primary, revenue), impact of fiscal deficit on economy, Capital receipts, revenue receipts, tax and non‐tax revenue, direct and indirect taxes, need to rationalize tax structure. Goods and Services Tax (GST). Union Budget, Zero‐base budgeting, Gender budgeting, Fiscal devolution and centre‐state financial relations in India, WPI, CPI implicit deflators. Foreign Trade policy.

AEC-511 International Economics                                                                                2+1                   Sem. I

Theory

Unit I

Concepts of International Economics: Scope and Significance of International Economics – The role of trade- General Equilibrium in a Closed Economy (Autarky Equilibrium) – Equilibrium in a Simple Open Economy – Possibility of World Trade – Trade gains and Trade Equilibrium. 

Unit II

Barriers to trade: Tariff, Producer Subsidy, Export Subsidy, Import Quota and Export Voluntary Restraints- The Case of Small Country and Large Country Case. 

Unit III

Models of trade: Ricardian Model of Trade- Specific Factors Model- Heckscher – Ohlin Model – Trade Creation and Trade Diversion – Offer Curve – Export Supply Elasticity and Import Demand Elasticity – Comparative Advantage and Absolute Advantage. 

Unit IV

Rates and Terms of trade: Official Exchange Rate and Shadow Exchange Rate – Walra’s Law and Terms of Trade – Trade Blocks. Block 3- Institutions 

Unit V

Trades Institutions: IMF, World Bank, IDA, IFC, ADB – International Trade agreements – Uruguay Round – GATT – WTO. 

Practical

1. Producer’s Surplus, Consumer’s Surplus, National Welfare under Autarky and Free Trade Equilibrium with small and large country assumption.

2. Estimation of Trade Gains

3. Estimation of competitive and comparative measures like NPC, EPC, ERP and DRC.

4. Estimation of Offer Curve Elasticity

5. Estimation of Effect of Tariff, Export Subsidy, Producer Subsidy, Import Quota and Export Voluntary Restraints on National Welfare.

6. Estimation of Ricardian Model.

7. Estimation of Effect of Trade under Specific Factor Model

8. Estimation of trade Equilibrium under Heckscher -Ohlin model – 

9. Trade Creation and Diversion.

AEC-512 Institutional Economics                                                                                    1+0                Sem. I

Theory

Unit I

Basics of Institutional Economics: Old and New Institutional Economics – Institutional Economics Vs Neo- classical Economics. Definition of institutions – Distinction between institutions and organizations – Institutional evolution 

Unit II

Institutional changes & Resource allocation: Institutional change and economic performance – national and international economic institutions. Transaction cost economics – Transaction costs and the allocation of resources. Transaction costs and efficiency. Asymmetric information – Moral hazard and Principal-Agent problem. 

Unit III

Group and collective Approach: Free rider problem – path dependency – Interlinked transactions. Collective action and the elimination of free-rider problem – The logic of collective action and its role in reducing free rider problem – theory of Groups. Rent seeking – interest groups and policy formulation. 

Unit IV

Property rights: Economic analysis of property rights- property rights regimes – private property – State Property – Common property Resources (CPRs) – public goods and club goods. 

Unit V

Agrarian Institutions: Special features of institutional arrangements in agriculture – Transaction costs in agriculture – Case Studies – Theories of agrarian institutions – tenancy institutions.

AEC-513 Natural Resource and Environmental Economics                                       1+1                 Sem. II

Theory

Unit I

Basic Foundation: Concepts, Classification and Problems of Natural Resource Economics – Economy Environment interaction – The Material Balance principle, Entropy law-Resources Scarcity – Limits to Growth – Measuring and mitigating natural resource scarcity – Malthusian and Recardian scarcity – scarcity indices – Resource Scarcity and Technical Change. 

Unit II

Theories and economics of natural resources: Theory of optimal extraction renewable resources –economic models of oil extraction- efficiency – time path of prices and extraction – Hotelling’s rule, Solow-Harwick’s Rule. Theory of optimal extraction exhaustible resources – economic models of forestry and fishery. 

Unit III

Functioning of Market: Efficiency and markets – market failures – externalities – types – property rights – transaction costs – Coase’s theorem and its critique – public goods – common property and open access resource management – Collective action. 

Unit IV

Environmental Issues: Environmental perspectives – biocentrism, sustainability, anthropocentrism -Environmental problems and quality of environment – Sources and types of pollution -air, water, solid waste, land degradation – environmental and economic impacts – Economics of pollution control – efficient reduction in environmental pollution. 

Unit V

Regulations: Environmental regulation – economic instruments – pollution charges – Pigovian tax – tradable permits – indirect instruments – environmental legislations in India. 

Unit VI

Sustainability aspects: Concept of sustainable development – Economic Perspective – Indicators of sustainability Relation between development and environment stress-Environmental Kuznet’s curve Environmental Accounting – resource accounting methods – International Environmental Issues – climate change – likely impacts mitigation efforts and international treaties. 

Practical

1. Exhaustible resource management –optimum rate of oil extraction.

2. Renewable resource management – optimum harvest of Forestry/fishery. 

3. Exercise on pollution abatement –I. Exercise on pollution abatement.

4. Concepts in valuing the environment. 

5. Taxonomy of valuation techniques. 

6. Productivity change method

7. Substitute cost method

8. Hedonic price method

9. Travel cost method 

10. Contingent valuation methods. 

11. Discount rate in natural resource management. 

12. Environment impact assessment Visit to Pollution Control Board.

AEC-514 Commodity Future Trading                                                                      2+0                      Sem. I

Theory

Unit I

Concepts of commodity future trading: History and Evolution of commodity markets – Terms and concepts: spot, forward and futures Markets – factors influencing spot and future markets. Speculatory mechanism in commodity futures. 

Unit II

Technical aspects: Transaction and settlement – delivery mechanism – role of different agents – trading strategies – potential impact of interest rate, Foreign Exchange, FDI in Commodity Markets. 

Unit III

Risk and its Management: Risk in commodity trading, importance and need for risk management measures – managing market price risk: hedging, speculation, arbitrage, swaps – pricing and their features. 

Unit IV

Commodity Exchange – A review: Important global and Indian commodity exchanges – contracts traded – special features – Regulation of Indian commodity exchanges – FMC and its role. 

Unit V

Analysis of commodity market: Fundamental Vs Technical analysis – construction and interpretation of charts and chart patterns for analyzing the market trend – Market indicators – back testing. Introduction to technical analysis software – analyzing trading pattern of different commodity groups.

AEC-515 Development Economics                                                                                 2+0                 Sem. I

Theory

Unit I

Conceptions of Development: Development Economics – Scope and Importance – Economic development and economic growth – divergence in concept and approach – Indicators and Measurement of Economic Development – GNP as a measure of economic growth – New Measures of Welfare – NEW and MEW – PQLI – HDI – Green GNP – Criteria for under development – Obstacles to economic development –Economic and Non-Economic factors of economic growth. Development issues, poverty, inequality, unemployment and environmental degradation. 

Unit II

Theories of Economic growth and development: Classical theories- Adam smith – Ricardo- Malthus, Marx’s theory of economic development; Schumpeter’s theory, Approaches to development- low income equilibrium trap – critical minimum effort- The Strategy of economic development-Balanced vs. Unbalanced growth, choice of technique, investment criteria, big push theory, Rostow’s stages of Economic Growth , unlimited supply of labour; social and technological dualisms; roles of capital accumulation, human capital and technological change in economic development, Models of economic growth Harrod-Domar, Kaldor, Mahalanobis, Lewis, FeiRanis, Input-Output, multi-sectoral models. 

Unit III

Comparative Economic Development: Countries selected for case studies -USA, Japan, China and India; Overview of economic development is selected countries; agrarian surplus and the role of the peasantry in economic development; industrial revolution; division of labour, organisation of work and industrial production, the role of the State in developmental transition.

AEC-516 Rural Marketing                                                                                          2+0                   Sem. II

Theory

Unit I

Concept and scope of rural marketing: Concept, Definition and scope of rural marketing, Nature and characteristics of rural markets, Potential of rural markets in India, Rural v/s Urban market.

Unit II

Environmental factors: Socio-cultural, economic, demographic, technological and other environmental factors affecting rural marketing.

Unit III

Rural consumer’s behavior: Behaviour of rural consumers and farmers, Buyer characteristics and buying behavior.

Unit IV

Rural Product Strategy: Marketing of consumer durables and non-durable goods and services in the rural markets with special reference to product planning, marketing mix, product mix.

Unit V

Pricing in rural markets: Pricing policy and pricing strategy, input marketing in rural areas and interlinkages of rural marketing with credit.

Unit VI

Product promotion and distribution strategy: Media planning, planning of distribution channels and organizing personal selling in rural markets in India. 

AEC-517 Evolution of Economic Thought                                                                        1+0             Sem. I

Theory

Unit I

History of economic thought: Absolutist V/s Relativist approaches. Evolution of economic thought V/s economic history. Ancient economic thought: medieval, mercantilism, physiocracy. 

Unit II

Forerunners of classical political economy. Development of classical thoughts (Adam Smith, Robert Malthus and David Ricardo). Critics of classical thoughts: socialist critics. Socialist and Marxian economic ideas. Austrian School of thought. 

Unit III

Origins of formal microeconomic analysis: William Stanley Jevons, Cournot and Dupuit. The birth of neoclassical economic thought: Marshall and Walras. General equilibrium theory. Welfare theory : Keynesian economics. 

Unit IV

The era of globalization: experiences of developing world. Rigidity of the past V/s emerging realism. The changing path of international institutions to economic growth and development approaches. 

Unit V

Economic thought in India: Naoroji and Gokhale. Gandhian Economics. Economic thought of independent India. Nehru’s economic philosophy. Experiences of the structural adjustment programmes of the post liberalization era.

AEC- 601 Advanced Micro Economic Analysis                                                1+1                   Sem. II

Theory

Unit I

Consumer Theory: Theory of consumer behavior – Duality in consumer theory – expenditure function and indirect utility function – Measurement of Income Effect and Substitution Effect. Measurement of Changes in Consumers’ Welfare – Consumer’s Surplus, Compensating Variation and Equivalent Variation – Dynamic versions of demand functions – Integrability of demand functions. Demand Models – Linear Expenditure System, Almost Ideal Demand System. Applications of consumer theory – Household model and time allocation – Labour supply decisions by households. 

Unit II

Market: Perfect competition – Monopoly, monopolistic competition and oligopoly. Oligopoly models – collusive and non-collusive models of oligopoly – Cournot model, Chamberlin model, Stackleberg solution. 

Unit III

General Equilibrium: General equilibrium theory – Conceptual overview – General equilibrium conditions with Production and Consumption. Existence, Uniqueness and Stability of general competitive equilibrium. Walrasian general equilibrium – Mathematical derivation of conditions for general equilibrium. 

Unit IV

Market failure: Market failure – Incomplete markets – Asymmetric information – Principal-Agent problem, adverse selection and moral hazard. Externalities – Network externalities, Public goods – Optimal provision of public goods. 

Unit V

Welfare Economics: Welfare Economics – Concepts, problems, approaches and limitations of Welfare Economics, Pareto conditions of maximum welfare – Criteria for social welfare – Social Welfare functions, Social versus Private costs and benefits. 

Practical

1. Problems in consumer utility maximization.

2. Estimation of income and substitution effects.

3. Estimation and comparison of Consumer’s surplus.

4. Equivalent variation and compensating variation. 

5. Estimation of demand models.

6. Derivation and estimation of labour supply equations from household models.

7. Comparative static analysis in consumption.

8. Advanced problem solving in price determination under perfect competition, monopoly, oligopoly and monopolistic competition. 

9. Game theory models. 

10. Problems solving in General Equilibrium Theory and Welfare Economics.

11. Problems in public goods provision.

AEC-602 Advanced Macro Economics                                                            2+0                      Sem. II

Theory 

Unit I

Overview: Conceptual framework – Classical, Keynesian, Neo-Classical, and Neo-Keynesian macroeconomics; Review of Keynes-Classical Synthesis; Aggregate Demand and Supply in the closed economy with fixed and variable price level- determination of wage, prices, output and employment.

Unit II

Open economy models: Exchange rate determination; purchasing power parity; asset market approach ;Short-run open economy models; Mundell-Fleming model- exchange rate regime: perfect capital mobility under fixed and flexible exchange rate; effectiveness of fiscal policy and monetary policy; Dornbusch’s overshooting model; monetary approach to balance of payments; international financial markets 

Unit III

Dynamic Macroeconomic Models: Introduction to dynamic macroeconomic Models; Dynamic aggregate demand and supply – short and long term equilibrium- rational expectations approach 

Unit IV

Business Cycles: Business cycle and its alternative equilibrium model, Stability analysis Economics of Great Events-Depression, Hyperinflation and Deficits ; Advances in Business Cycle Theory; Real Business Cycles & Neo-Keynesian Economics 

Unit V

Macroeconomic Polices: Monetary policy – Design of Monetary Policy; Inflation Targeting, Fiscal Policy – Government Budget Constraint: The Arithmetic of Deficits and Debt, Current versus Future Taxes, the Evolution of Debt-to-GDP Ratio ; Public Borrowing-Internal and external aid, Deficit financing, Development Financing; BOP & Adjustment Policies – Foreign Exchange Policy -International macro-economic policies, IMF, IBRD, UNCTAD.

AEC-603 Advanced Econometrics                                                            2+1                                Sem. II

Theory

Unit I

Review: Review of classical regression model – review of hypothesis testing – restrictions on parameters – single equation techniques. 

Unit II

Concept of least squares: Ordinary least squares – weighted least squares – generalized least squares – method of principal components – instrumental variables method – maximum likelihood method – errors in variables, non-linearity and specification tests – non spherical error terms. 

Unit III: Dummy Variable: Dummy variables – Qualitative and truncated dependent variables – limited dependent variables –LPM, probit and logit models, their multinomial extensions. 

Unit IV

Models and their extensions: Autoregressive distributed lag models – panel data fixed and random effects models and their extensions. 

Unit V

Simultaneous equation models: Simultaneous equation methods –identification – estimation by indirect least squares 2SLS, PIML, SURE, 3SLS.

Practical

1. Estimation of multiple regression model. 

2. GLS estimation methods.

3. Testing mis-specification errors. 

4. Testing and Managing multicollinearity, heteroscedasticity and autocorrelation.

5. Estimation of LPM.

6. Logit and Probit models.

7. Comparing two regressions – Chow test.

8. Estimation of distributed lag models.

9. Panel data random and fixed effects models.

10. Indirect least squares 2SLS, SURE, 3SLS.

11. Estimation of simultaneous equation models.

AEC-604 Advanced Production Economics                                                        2+1                     Sem. II

Theory

Unit I

Production Process: Agricultural Production process – Relationship between farm planning and production economics-scope of agricultural production and planning-methods/procedures in agroeconomic research and planning. 

Unit II

Production Functions and characteristics: Production functions, components, assumptions, properties and their economic interpretation – Concepts of homogeneity, homotheticity,, APP, MPP, elasticities of substitution and their economic relevance – Production relations –optimality-Commonly used functional forms, nature, properties, limitations, estimation and interpretation – linear, Spillman -Cobb Douglas, quadratic, multiplicative (power) functional forms – Translog, and transcendental functional forms -CES, production functional forms Conceptual and empirical issues in specification, estimation and application of production functions- Analytical approaches to economic optimum – Economic optimum – determination of economic optimum with constant and varying input and output prices- Economic optimum with production function analysis – input use behaviour. 

Unit III

Decision Making in Production: Decision making with multiple inputs and outputs – MRT and product relationship-cost of production and adjustment in output prices-single input and multiple product decisions- Multi input, and multi product production decisions – Decision making with no risk -Cost of wrong decisions – Cost curves – Principles and importance of duality theory – Correspondence of production, cost, and profit functions – Principles and derivation of demand and supply functions 

Unit IV

 Technology, Efficiency and Risk Management: Technology, input use and factor shares -effect of technology on input use decomposition analysis-factor shares-estimation methods- Economic efficiency in agricultural production – technical, allocative and economic efficiency – measurement – Yield gaps analysis – concepts and measurement – Risk and uncertainty in agriculture – incorporation of risk and uncertainty in decision making – risk and uncertainty and input use level-risk programming.

Unit V

Programming: Simulation and programming techniques in agricultural production-Multiple Objective Programming (MOP) – Goal programming, Weighted sum and Compromise programming – applications. 

Practical

1. Estimation of different forms of production functions.

2. Optimal input and product choice from estimated functions

3. Derivation of demand and supply functions and estimation. 

4. Estimation of cost function and interpretations.

5. Optimal product and input choice under multi input and output system.

6. Estimation of factor shares from empirical functions estimated.

7. Estimating production functions incorporating technology changes: Decomposition analysis and incorporation of technology.

8. Estimation of efficiency measures – Stochastic, probabilistic and deterministic frontier production functions.

9. Risk programming – MOTAD-Quadratic programming.

10. Simulation models for agricultural production decisions- Goal programming – Weighted, lexicographic and fuzzy goal programming-Compromise programming.

AEC-605 Operations Research                                                                            2+1                      Sem. I

Theory

Unit I

Concepts:  Elementary concepts and objectives of Operations Research, Review of Linear programming – Assumptions & Methods, Non-linear programming problem – Quadratic programming, Multi Objective Programming (MOP) 

Unit II

Inventory- A Review: Inventory control models, costs involved in Inventory management, types of inventory, Economic order quantity model, Waiting line models: Waiting line problem, Characteristics of a waiting line system, Single channel model. 

Unit III

Models: Markov Chains, Sequencing, Replacement models, Transportation and Assignment problems. 

Unit IV

Decision Making: Decision making under risk and uncertainties, decision problem, maximax criterion, maximin criterion, minimax regret criterion, Laplace criterion, Pay off tables, Decision trees, Expected value of perfect information.

Unit V

Game Theory: Game Theory – Two-person Zero sum game, Simulation, Network Analysis- PERT & CPM. 

Practical

1. Linear and Non-linear programming problem.

2. Quadratic programming.

3. Multi-Objective Programming- Goal Programming, Lexicographic, Weighted Sum, Determining economic order quantity, reorder levels of EOQ model. 

4. Waiting line problem.

5. Problems on Markov Chains.

6. Sequencing and Replacement models.

7. Formulating and solving transportation type problems.

8. Assignment problems as a special type of transportation problem. 

9. Solving deterministic and probabilistic queuing models.

10. Structuring and solving decision trees for optimal decisions. 

11. Game theory, Simulation, Developing network (PERT/CPM) diagrams and determining the critical path.

AEC-606 Advanced Agricultural Marketing and Price Analysis                           2+1                   Sem. I

Theory

Unit I

Agricultural Marketing- Insights: Importance of market analysis in the agricultural system – types of marketing-advantages and disadvantages – quantitative estimation -the distinguishing characteristics and role of agricultural prices -data sources for agricultural products and prices – softwares used in market analysis. 

Unit II

Institutions and their functions: Role of various formal institutions in agricultural marketing – and functions – measuring their efficiency – public – private partnership – institutional arrangements. Successful case studies. 

Unit III

Market Dynamics: Multi market estimation, supply response models. Market integration and price transmission – supply / value chain management. GAP analysis. Current trends in information in the changing agrifood system.

Unit IV

Commodity Marketing: Agricultural commodity marketing -spot and futures- marketing of derivatives-speculation, hedging, swap, arbitrage etc. commodity exchanges – price discovery and risk management in commodity markets-Regulatory mechanism of futures trading. 

Unit V

Models for Analysis: Lag operators and difference equations; stationary and stochastic processes; UNIT roots and cointegration; conditional heteroscedasticity: ARCH and GARCH models -forecast evaluation; methods of forecasting. Price indices and econometric estimation and simulation.

Practical

1. Estimation of demand/ supply forecasting.

2. Supply chain / value chain analysis for different commodities. 

3. Commodity models – multi market estimation.

4. Time series analysis.

5. Market integration studies.

6. Price discovery.

7. Price volatility estimation.

8. Commodity price forecasting using econometric softwares.

AEC-607 Quantitative Development Policy Analysis                                                 1+1               Sem. I

Theory

Unit I

Policy Framework:  Policy framework – goals, value, beliefs and welfare maximization. Market – Policy and State – State vs. Market – Failure of Policy – Failure of Markets – Rationale for Government Intervention. Role of Quantitative Policy Analysis.

Unit II

Demand- Supply Analysis: Demand analysis for policymaking – Alternative approaches to demand analysis – Policy implications. Supply response – Alternative approaches to measurement of supply response – Nerlovian models of supply response – Policy implications. 

Unit III

Household Behaviour and models:Household behaviour and policy analysis – Household models. 

Unit IV

Multi-Pronged approach to policy review: Partial equilibrium analysis – Concept of reference prices – Price distortions – indicators and impact. Transaction costs – Implications for efficiency and productivity – Institutional solutions – Multi market approach to policy analysis. 

Unit V

General equilibrium and programming: Social Accounting Matrices and multipliers – Computable General Equilibrium models to assess economy wide impact of policy changes. Fuzzy goal programming-Compromise programming. 

Practical

1. Review of criteria for policy evaluation.

2. Estimation of price elasticities.

3. Review of estimation of complete demand systems.

4. Estimation of Nerlovian supply Response model.

5. Review of Household models.

6. Specification and estimation of household models.

7. Partial equilibrium analysis.

8. Input–output table.

9. Social Accounting Matrix – Construction of a SAM. 

10 Computation of Multipliers.

11. Multi Market Analysis.

12. Review of Computable General Equilibrium Models.

AEC-608 Natural Resources Management                                                          2+1                     Sem. I

Theory

Unit I

Concepts Natural resources: definition – characteristics and classification. Stock dynamics of renewable and non-renewable resources. Equation of motion for renewable and nonrenewable resources. Fundamental equation of renewable resources. 

Unit II

Models for economic view of natural resources: Growth curves of fishery and forest resources. The role of time preference in natural resource use. Simple two-period model of optimal use of renewable and non-renewable resources. Advanced models of optimal resource use – Static Vs. dynamic efficiency in natural resource use Applications of dynamic programming and optimal control.

Unit III

Management of water resources: Economics of groundwater use – optimal extraction of groundwater. Analytical and numerical solutions for optimal inter-temporal allocation of natural resources. Optimal harvesting of single rotation and multiple rotation forests. Optimal management of fishery. 

Unit IV

Property Rights: Property rights in natural resources and their implication for conservation and management of natural resources. Management of common property natural resources – Institutional arrangements for conservation and management of common pool fishery, groundwater and forestry resource. 

Unit V

Dynamics of resource economics: Resource: scarcity – Natural resource degradation – Poverty and resource degradation – Natural resource accounting – Pricing and valuation of natural resources – Natural resources policy. 

Practical: 

1. Derivation of the fundamental equation of renewable resources.

2. Estimation of growth curves and stock dynamics for fishery and forestry resources. 

3. Simple two period problem of optimal resource use. 

4. Numerical solution for simple two-period model of dynamic efficiency in natural resource extraction. 

5. Multi-period dynamic efficiency.

6. Using Excel Solver in solving dynamic natural resource harvesting problems. 

7. Using analytical solution procedures for solving natural resource management problems.

8. Optimal control.

AEC-609 Environmental Economics                                                                     2+1                      Sem. I

Theory

Unit I

Overview of Environmental Economics:  Environmental pollution as a consequence of market failure – Causes and consequences of market failure – Externalities – Public goods and externalities -Economics of pollution – Private vs. Social cost of environmental pollution – Property rights, environment and development – Theory of environmental policy. 

Unit II

Economic assessment: Environmental cost benefit analysis – Environmental impact assessment techniques Non-market valuation of environmental resources (WTP / WTA) – Environment, market and social welfare. 

Unit III

Developmental aspects: Economic growth and environmental cost – Growth oriented economic policies and their environmental impacts – Population and environmental quality – poverty and environmental degradation – Sustainable development – Indicators of sustainable development – Issues in sustainable development.

Unit IV

Accounting, Policies and Regulation: Environment, ecology and environmental accounting – Environmental pollution with respect to water and air – Land and forest resources related environmental pollution – Coastal externalities – Urbanization and environment – Basic approaches to environmental policy (Tax, subsidy, pollution permits etc.) Green taxes – Political economy of environmental regulation and management.

Unit V

Environmental Issues: Transboundary environmental problems – Economics of global warming, climate change and emission trading – Environment, international trade and development. 

Practical

1. Contemporary global environmental issues, movement, policies, programmes, laws and other regulatory mechanisms

2. Criteria for evaluating the environment related projects and review of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) techniques

3. Recreation demand models of environmental valuation 4.

4. Contingent valuation techniques – Environmental Resource Accounting Techniques 

5. Discussion on the techniques dealing with air pollution and review of case studies on air pollution and its impacts 

6. Forest environment and wild life conservation 

7. Green GDP and Green house insurance 

8. Practical considerations and comparison of instruments of environmental policy 

9. Non-point source pollution control methodologies 

10. Environment in macroeconomic modeling 

11. Meta-analysis, economic valuation and environmental economics 

12. Multi-criteria methods for quantitative, qualitative and fuzzy evaluation problems related to environment 

13. Input output analysis, technology and the environment

14. Computable general equilibrium models for environmental economics and policy analysis.

AEC-591 Seminar

1+0

AEC-599 Master’s Research

0+30

AEC-691 Seminar I

1+0

AEC-692 Seminar II

1+0

AEC-699 Doctoral Research

0+75

Semester I

Course No.

Course Title

Credit hours

Econ. 52

Marketing of Farm Products

2+0

Econ. 201

Economics and Marketing

2+1

Econ. 203

Introduction to Economics and Project Evaluation

2+0

Econ. 205

Agricultural Finance and Co-operation

2+1

Econ. 206

Micro Economics and Macro Economics

2+1

Econ. 207

Agricultural Finance and Insurance

2+1

Econ. 491

Agro-industrial Attachment

0+4

Semester II

Course No.

Course Title

Credit hours

Econ. 51

Elementary Farm Management and Finance

2+1

Econ. 102

Fundamentals of Agricultural Economics

2+0

Econ. 104

Introduction to Agricultural Economics

2+0

Econ. 204

Agricultural Marketing, Trade and Prices

2+1

Econ. 208

International Trade and Policy in Agriculture

2+0

Econ. 209

Agricultural Price and Policy Analysis

2+1

Econ. 210

Theory and Practices of Banking

2+0

Econ. 304

Farm Management, Production and Resource Economics

1+1

A. Postgraduate Courses

Soc.-501 Rural Society

3+0

Sem. I

Theory

Unit 1

Origin, nature, scope and importance of rural sociology. Concepts and recent approaches used in the study of rural society and application of scientific method.

Unit II

Agrarian social structure, rural settlements and salient features of rural society: Rural-urban differences, caste structure in rural set up, intercaste relations, Jajmani system, caste and politics. Rural economy. Rural family: their types and characteristics in different regions of India.

Unit III: Role of religion in rural life. Peasant culture and dynamics of technology affecting agriculture. Landless agricultural labourers, their role and problems. Diffusion of innovations: elements of adoptions, stages in the adoption of innovation, adopter categories and their characteristics. Village cooperative societies. Peasant unrest and agrarian movements. Rural development programmes. Rural social problems: Farmer suicide, drug addiction, large scale youth emigration; magnitude, causes and consequences. 

Soc.-502 Society and Change

3+0

Sem. I

Theory

Unit I: Key concepts, social change, evolution, revolution, diffusion, development, progress, growth, cultural change, culture lag.

Unit II: Cyclical and ancient theory of Oswald Spenglar, Pitrim Sorokin, A.J.  Toynbee, Vilfredo Pareto

Unit III: Liner/evolutionary theories of Karl Marx, Thorstein Veblen

Unit IV: Factors of social change: demographic, economic, technological, legislative, physical, mass media. 

Unit V: Processes of Social Change: Sanskritization and de-Sanskritization, westernization, secularization, industrialization, urbanization, globalization, modernization. Depeasantization:   extent, causes and consequences.

Unit VI:  Planned changed programme: objectives, achievements and impact. Problem of human adjustment in changing culture and society. 

Unit VII: Agricultural development and changes in various social institutions. 

Unit VIII: Social problems: communalism, factionalism, crime, juvenile delinquency, drug abuse, terrorism, etc

Soc.-503 Sociological Theories

2+0

Sem. I

Theory

Unit I: Auguste Comte and Herbert Spencer on society, humans and change, class, gender and race. Functionalism: Emile Durkheim

Unit II: Functional Theories: Bronislaw Malinowski on functionalism and organicism. Talcott Parsons’ systems of action, action schema, pattern variables, functional system problem and social change. Robert K Merton: middle range theory, functional analysis and deviance.

Unit III: Conflict theories (Marx & Marxist) Thinkers; Karl Marx and the origins of conflict and critical theory. Analytical conflict theory of Ralf Dahrendorf. The conflict functionalism of Lewis A. Coser.

Unit IV: George Herbert Mead’s the self, self-interaction and symbolic meaning. Herbert Blumers interpretation and methodology.

Unit V: Phenomenology and Ethno methodology, Harold Garfinkel. Peter Berger: the social construction of reality.

Unit VI: Modernization- Jurgen Habermas

Unit VII: Post Modernization – Michel Foucault and Jacques Derrida

Soc.-504 Evolution of Social Thought

2+0

Sem. II

Theory

Unit I: Concept and characteristics of social thought. Evolution of social thought. 

Unit II: Classical Thinkers; Auguste Comte, law of three stages, concept of positivism, social control, social status and social dynamics. Emile Durkheim methodology, social fact, social solidarity, division of labour, suicide, and religion. German: Max Weber, social action, social understanding, religion, capitalism, social class and Bureaucracy. Ferdinand Tonnies: social entities and social norms.Karl Marx: dialectical materialism, class struggle, surplus value, social change,Herbert Spencer; evolution theory, state activity and natural rights.

Unit III: Power Structuralist; Vilfredo Pareto; methodology, theory of residue, derivation, circulation of elites. American: Thorstein Veblen, theory of instinct, conspicuous surplus, social change

Unit IV: Functional Theorist: Talcott Parsons: social action, pattern variable and social system. Pitrim A. Sorokin; geographical factors, socio-cultural dynamics, individual personality, power and morality. C.H. Cooley: groups and communication. A. Giddens: modernity and structuration

Unit V: Mahatma Gandhi: State and society, religion and God, satyagraha, ahimsa and swaraj. D.P.Mukerji: Tradition and modernity. B.R.Ambedkar: Caste system and Indian bureaucracy.

Soc.-505 Women Development Studies

3+0

Sem. I

Theory

Unit I: Key concepts: Agency and self. Women in household, market and state, Historical perspective on gender by different thinkers.

Unit II: Past and present status of women, Employment of women in agriculture and non-agriculture sectors: their extent of participation and its impact on socio- economic status.

Unit III: Nutritional status and health problems: reproductive, mortality and morbidity of women in different socio-economic categories. Public health facilities for women and their role.

Unit IV: Gender and regional differences in literacy rate, dropouts and higher education:  implications on family and in society

Unit V: Rape, Eve- teasing, trafficking, domestic violence, dowry, female foeticide, girl child labour, sexual harassment at work place: causes, consequences, remedies and data fact-sheet on crime against women

Unit VI: Honour killings: causes and remedial measures.

Unit VII: State and central sponsored women welfare programmes

Unit VIII: Legislative measures and women empowerment: actions and achievements

Soc.-506/AEC-509 Research Methodology for Social Sciences 

1+1

Sem. I

Theory

Unit I: Concepts of research methodology: Importance and scope of research in agricultural economics. Types of research – Fundamental vs. Applied. Concept of researchable problem – research prioritization – selection of research problem. Approach to research – research process. 

Unit II: Hypothesis-Framing and Testing: Hypothesis – meaning – characteristics – types of hypothesis – review of literature – setting of Course Objective and hypotheses – testing of hypothesis. 

Unit III: Sampling: Sampling theory and sampling design – sampling error – methods of sampling – probability and non-probability sampling methods – criteria to choose. Project proposals – contents and scope – different types of projects to meet different needs – trade-off between scope and cost of the study. Research design and techniques – Types of research design. 

Unit IV: Data Collection: Data collection – assessment of data needs – sources of data collection – discussion of different situations. Mailed questionnaire and interview schedule – structured, unstructured, open ended and closed-ended questions. Scaling Techniques. Preparation of schedule – problems in measurement of variables in agriculture. Interviewing techniques and field problems – methods of conducting survey – Reconnaissance survey and Pre testing.

Unit V: Data Analysis: Data coding, tabulation, cleaning. Multivariate analysis –factor analysis’ PCA’ cluster analysis. Universal procedures for preparation of bibliography – writing of research articles. 

Practical

1. Exercises in problem identification. 

2. Project proposals – contents and scope. 

3. Formulation of Objective and hypotheses. 

4. Assessment of data needs – sources of data – methods of collection of data. 

5. Methods of sampling – criteria to choose – discussion on sampling under different situations.

6. Scaling Techniques – measurement of scales. 

7. Preparation of interview schedule- Field testing. 

8. Method of conducting survey. 

9. Exercise on coding, editing, tabulation and validation of data, preparing for data entry into computer. 

10. Hypothesis testing – Parametric and Non-Parametric Tests. 

11. Exercises on format for Thesis / Report writing. 

12. Presentation of the results.

Soc.-507 Social Stratification

3+0

Sem. I

Theory

Unit I: Key concepts, Hierarchy and difference in Caste and Class, Basic characteristics of Social Stratification, Historical and Contemporary thought and theory,

Unit II: Generation of Social Stratification, Differentiation and ranking of status, Assessing the social importance of status, Differential rewarding of status, 

Unit III: Basic elements and processes, Property, Power and Prestige: Concept, measurement and problems.

Unit IV: Functionalist perspective of Talcott Parsons, Middle Range Theories of Robert K. Merton, Conflict perspective of Social Stratification, Karl Marx and Modern Marxist Sociology, Analytical perspective of Ralf Dahrendorf and Lewis Coser

Unit V: M.N. Srinivas’s Varna and Caste,G.S.Ghurye’s Features of caste system The ideology of Purity, Multiple references in Indian Caste System.

Unit VI: The emergence of class, Marxian method of class analysis, Weber’s class, status and party, Andre Beteille: Caste, Class and Power.

Unit VII: Gender: Concept, measurement and implications in Indian context, Social mobility: Concept, measurement and analysis, Social Mobility and Conflict, Socio-economic inequality: Concept, measurement and analysis, Implications of social stratification for Indian society.

Soc.-508 Rural Leadership

2+0

Sem. II

Theory

Unit I: Concepts of leader and leadership, authority, dominance, influence, social power. Social interaction and human groups, Types of Leaders, socio-cultural processes

Unit II: Theories of social Interaction: Exchange theory (George. C. Homans), symbolic interactionism (George Herbert Mead), impression management (Erving Goffman), psycho-analysis (Sigmund Freud). Theories of Leadership: Trait, interaction, situational and functional.

Unit III: Techniques of identifying rural leaders. Leader followers’ relationship. Social values and leadership. Leadership and their role in community organization and changes. Panchayati raj system and peoples’ empowerment. Emerging rural leadership patterns. Globalization and rural political structure.

Soc.-509 Human Ecology and Dynamics of Population

3+0

Sem. II

Theory

Unit I: Concept of Ecology, Human Ecology, Population and Demography. Spatial distribution of population into village, city and region: concepts and facts.

Unit II: Stages of social evolution from collection to town economy to post-industrial society.

Unit III: Environmental pollution,land and water pollution in post-green revolution Punjab, carbon trading and climate change, Ecological degradation 

Unit IV: Malthusian and Neo- Malthusian Theory, Herbert Spencer’s Biological Theory and Doubleday’s Diet Theory

Unit V: Demographic transition, population growth and distribution in India since 1901.

Block 3-Determination of Population

Unit VI: Fertility, Mortality, Morbidity and Migration: concepts, trends and determinants.

Unit VII: Population and development, population as a resource for or constraint on development, population control: problems and perspective. Population policy socio-cultural factors affecting population growth, Research techniques of qualitative and quantitative aspects of demography.

Soc.-510 Development and Quality of life

2+0

Sem. I

Theory

Unit I: Economic characteristics, welfare characteristics and sociological indicators of Development, Economic growth in Historical perspective

Unit II: Growth and Development: A contrast in concepts, Developing nations: their common characteristics, Obstacles to growth and development

Unit III: WW Rostow’s stages of economic growth, John Meynard Keynes Theory, Karl Marx’s theory of economic development, J. S. Schumpeter’s theory of innovation.

Unit IV: Ecological, economic and social indicators of development, Paths of Development with special reference to India

Unit V: From Industrialism to Post Industrialism and Beyond, Post-modern social theory, Post-modernist: Michel Foucault, Post modernity:  The Indian experience

Unit VI: Concept variables and measurement, Human Development Index, Comparative scenario of developed and developing nations, Globalization, Scientific socialization, Impact of development on quality of life.

Soc.-601 Sociology of Development

3+0

Sem. II

Theory

 Unit I: Sociology of Development, scope of sociology of development, sociological and psychological aspects of economic growth. Significance of culture in the process of development, Indicators of development.

Unit II: Human Development perspective, sustainable Development perspective, Environmental degradation and politics of environmental pollution.

Unit III: Stages of Economic growth theory, Theory of Economic growth, Theory of Positivistic Development, Theory of Realistic Development.

Unit IV: Paul Baran’s on underdeveloped; The World system theory; Frank’s theory and Amin’s theory of underdevelopment.

Unit V: Development of economic, political, educational and religious institutions of simple and advanced societies.

Unit VI: Social stratification: its visibility postulates, socio economic and environmental implications of development efforts, globalization and its impact on traditional social setup. 

Unit VII: Emergence of new institutions and their interaction pattern.

Soc.-602 Recent Advances in Rural Sociology

3+0

Sem. II

Theory

 Unit I: Critical evaluation of the recent works of rural sociology. Contribution of sociology, anthropology, economics and psychology to the understanding of structure and functions of rural society.

Unit II: Developmental aspects in Rural Sociology; Change in development perspective, planning and social action and rural social policy, social values and developmental change, socio- spatial and economic limits of social change, socio-psychological variables in planned development. Formation and destruction of communities and rural development planning.

Unit III: Policy Planning and various programmes for rural people;

Policy planning and administration concerning development of rural areas, family, child, women and marginalized sections. Evaluation of various programmes of rural development.

Unit IV: Agricultural development and the farmers of the world: experience of developed and developing nations. Emerging social trends and their consequences in rural India. Land tenure and agrarian relations. Social structure and agrarian relations. Peasant unrest-causes and consequences. Role of migrant labour in agriculture. Rural indebtedness, farmer’s suicides.

Soc.-603 Contemporary Rural Social Problems

3+0

Sem. I

Theory

Unit I: Concept of organization, disorganization, social problem, types  and dimensions of social problems 

Unit II: Level of social organization, level of social problems, methods of studying rural problems: Survey, Experiments, Observation, (field research), Secondary data 

Unit III: Unemployment:  magnitude, present features, measures taken. Population explosion: causes, effect and population policy, Problems of abundance and poverty (Family, household)

Unit IV: Scheduled castes, scheduled tribes (Identity crisis and assertion),  other backward castes, Communalism  and secularism

Unit V: Youth unrest and agitations, Drug abuse and drug addiction.

Unit VI: Child abuse and child labour. Violence against women. Illiteracy, crimes and criminals. Intellectual, ethical and social implications of social problems. The changing rural society.

Soc.-604 Demographic Analysis

3+0

Sem. I

Theory

Unit 1: Inter-relations of population dynamics and social change. Problems of data collection and measurement in planning for social development, Theories of demography

Unit II: Sources of demographic data: Census method, sampling method and registration method. Techniques of population analysis

Unit III: Definitions and allied terms of population; Fertility, reproduction, mortality, fecundity, migration, age and sex-specific distribution of population, density of population, dependency ratio, sex ratio, age at marriage and life expectancy.

Unit IV: Village and urban community: Growth and features of village and city communities. Urban rural contrast, The Nation: growth and features

Unit V: Determinants of Population and projections- Social determinants of fertility, mortality and rate of change. Causes of population change and consequences. Population projections.

Soc.-605 Studies of Marginalized Sections

2+0

Sem. II

Theory

Unit I: Marginalized sections, subaltern sections, definition and distribution of Scheduled caste, scheduled tribes and other backward classes, Forms of deprivation, past and present status

Unit II: Theoretical perspectives of subaltern David Hardiman, B.R. Ambedkar, Ranajit Guha, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak

Unit III: Prohibitions and atrocities against scheduled castes, backward castes and women. Phenomenon of untouchability.   Dalit’s unrest and crisis of identity in India.

Unit IV: Women: gender inequality and disabilities: past and present changing status of women.

Unit V: Reservation policy.  New trends in reservation and its implication in society.

Unit VI: Role of social reform movement, institutions, and individuals in welfare and development of deprived sections.

Soc.-606 Environment and Social Organization

2+0

Sem. II

Theory

Unit I: Meaning and significance of environment and social organisation, Relationship between environment and Social Organisation, Causes and consequences of environment degradation.

Unit II: Air, noise, water, land and agriculture pollution: causes and consequences. Issues of climate change and, Carbon trading: causes and consequences.

Unit III: Agricultural environment in traditional and modern societies. Conditioning effects of environment on social organization.

Unit IV: Meaning of sustainable development and environmental movements and their role.

Unit V: Environmental ethics. Legislative measures to check environmental degradation

Soc.-607 Peasants Movements and Indian Agrarian Structure

2+0

Sem. II

Theory

Unit I: Conceptual and historical perspectives of peasantry in India. Importance of peasantry in Indian society.

Unit II: Agrarian structures of traditional and contemporary societies and land   tenure systems. Types of peasants. Peasant culture.

Unit III: Santhal Insurrection (1855), Peasant  revolt  in  Punjab  (1930), Champaran  movement 1917, Kheda  peasant struggle 1918, Bardolisatyagraha 1928, Moplah rebellion   1921.  

Unit IV: Peasants   movement after   independence: The Telangana Rebellion (1947-51), Naxalbari Peasant Struggle (1967)

Unit V: Land   reforms:   targets   and achievements.  Social impact of land reforms.

Unit VI: Contemporary agrarian problems. Globalization and its impact on peasantry in India.

Soc.-608 Society in India

2+0

Sem. II

Theory

Unit I: Unity in diversity, racial and cultural composition in Indian society.

Unit II: Ashrama and Varna system. Sacraments and their roles.

Unit III: Concept of caste and class: meaning, features and functions. Difference between caste and class. Kinship tradition and change. Untouchability

Unit IV: Tribal Society: geographical distribution of tribes, clan, totemism, taboo, witchcraft, magic, religion, tribal development and change.

Unit V: Rural society, village community, tradition and change.

Unit VI: Changing land use patterns and its consequences. Occupational mobility and its implications. 

Unit VII: Concept of Urban society, urban centre, traditional and modern, urban ecology, urbanization and urbanism, urban planning and development. 

Unit VIII: Increasing global interaction and changes in the context of Indian society.

Soc.-591 Seminar

1+0

Soc.-599 Master’s Research  

0+30

Soc.-691 Seminar I 

1+0

Soc.-692 Seminar II

1+0

Soc.-699 Doctoral Research

0+75

Semester I

Course No.

Course Title

Credit hours

Soc.-101

Rural Sociology and Educational Psychology

2+0

Soc.-103

Rural Sociology, Educational Psychology and Constitution of India  

2+0

Semester II

Course No.

Course Title

Credit hours

Soc.-102

Introduction to Rural Sociology

2+0

Undergraduate Course Contents

Soc. 101 Rural Sociology and Educational Psychology

2+0

Sem. I

Sociology and Rural sociology: Definition and scope, its significance in agriculture extension, Social Ecology, Rural society, Social Groups, Social Stratification, Culture concept, Social Institution,  Social Change & Development. Educational psychology: Meaning & its importance in agriculture extension. Behavior: Cognitive, affective, psychomotor domain, Personality, Learning, Motivation, Theories of Motivation, Intelligence.

Soc. 102 Introduction to Rural Sociology

2+0

Sem. II

Rural sociology- meaning, scope and significance. Structural differentiation in terms of difference and characteristics of rural and urban societies. Planned social change-approaches to rural planning, improvement and transformation and their shortcomings. Indian rural development programs (IRDPs). Indian rural social stratification. Caste- basic notions, changes and its role in economy and policy. Difference between caste and class. Backward classes and implementations of constitutional provisions. Indian rural social institutions- family and marriage (Nature, forms and changes). Economic-political- land relations and changes, rural poverty its manifestations and causes. Religious- functional significance of beliefs, traditions and customs. Rural social changes- processes and factors of transformation. Status of women in rural India and their role in rural and agricultural development.

Soc. 103 Rural Sociology, Educational Psychology and Constitution of India  

2+0

Sem. I

Sociology and Rural Sociology: Definition, scope and its significance, Rural Society, Social Ecology, Social Groups, Social Stratification, Culture: Types and its elements, Social Institutions, Social Change and Development. Educational Psychology: Meaning & its importance. Behavior and its domains (Cognitive, Affective, Psychomotor), Motivation and theories of motivation, Personality, Learning, Intelligence. Constitution of India: Introduction, Preamble. Fundamental rights and duties. Directive Principles of State Policy. Constitutional provisions for welfare of SCs and STs, Minorities, Women and Children. Union Executive: President, Vice-President, Prime Minister, Council of Ministers- Powers and functions. Legislature: Powers and functions, Judiciary: Powers and functions, State Executive: Governor, Chief Minister, Council of Ministers, Electoral process. Human Rights Commission-Structure, powers and functions.