History of NEICSSR

It was in the middle of 1974 that Dr. Datta Ray brought together a number of teachers and social scientists of the North East in Shillong on the 30th of June of that year under the chairmanship of the Late Prof. V. Venkata Rao of the Gauhati University. The meeting with one accord decided to establish the North East India Council for Social Science Research (NEICSSR) with the principal objective of undertaking, organizing and facilitating research activities in the Norht East besides other activities related to research projects. It may be mentioned here that earlier he was instrumental in founding the Shillong Political Association and the Inter-Disciplinary Forum. 
Dr. Datta Ray was guiding the NEICSSR which had since held not less than 70 Seminars, Confereneces, Symposiums, Workshops, etc., and published as many research proceedings in the form of books. Many national and international organizations have been attracted by the fairly high standard of publications of the council mostly dealing with the question of socioeconomic problems and issues of the North East. The Journal of the NEICSSR was being published regularly since inception. 

In 30th June 1974, Dr. Basudev Datta Ray, who, at that time was teaching the subjects of Economics and Political Science in St. Edmund’s College, Shillong, had a meeting in a room of St. Edmund’s College regarding his dream to form a social science forum in the North Eastern Region of India. A few teachers of nearby colleges of Shillong and considerable number of social scientists of the North East India had assembled to discuss the same. The meeting was held under the Chairmanship of Late Professor V. Venkata Rao of Department of Political Science, Gauhati University. They all unanimously decided to form such a forum. The aims and objectives of the forum were to promote social science research in the North Eastern Region of India. Accordingly, a body was constituted with a humble nomenclature North East India Council for Social Science Research and its office, at that time, was set up at B. T. Hostel of St. Edmund’s College, Shillong, P. O. Laitumkhrah 793 003. The reason for choosing that address for the office was the fact that Dr. Datta Ray was the superintendent of B. T. Hostel. Dr. B. Datta Ray was the founder Secretary of newly established Council and served as its secretary till his demise on 15th April, 2008. 

Activities of NEICSSR 

The North East India Council for Social Science Research (NEICSSR), headquartered at Shillong in the state of Meghalaya, India, is a prime research organization. It was established in 1974 under the Indian Societies Registration Act, 1860 (Act No.XXI of 1860) and has been actively engaging itself in promoting the academic cause of research by organizing seminars, workshops, panel discussion etc. for the past 50 years since its inception. This Council is one of the oldest research organizations in North East India. More than 80 books with ISBN have been published by the Council till date. The Council has moreover to its credit a biannual Journal – The Journal of North-East India Council for Social Science Research (ISSN 0970 – 7913), which has been regularly published for the last 49 years.