Anthropological Survey of India

Anthropological Survey of India
source
Name	Anthropological Survey of India
Established	1945
Headquarters	Kolkata
Leader title	Director
Parent organisation	Ministry of Culture

Anthropological Survey of India is a premier Indian institution dedicated to anthropological research, ethnographic documentation, and cultural preservation. Founded in the mid-20th century, it conducts systematic studies of tribal and non-tribal communities across the subcontinent and maintains archives, museums, and research centers. The institution interacts with national and international bodies to inform policy, heritage management, and social science scholarship.

History

The institution traces roots to colonial-era initiatives such as the Census of India and the work of scholars like Rudyard Kipling-era collectors and researchers influenced by Franz Boas and Bronisław Malinowski. Post-independence developments connected it to the Constituent Assembly of India era priorities and the formation of ministries such as the Ministry of Home Affairs and later the Ministry of Culture (India). Key historical figures associated with its evolution include Nirmal Kumar Bose, Radhakamal Mukerjee, Rao Bahadur S. C. Roy, and administrators involved with the Barnett Committee and the Census of India 1951. The institution’s establishment was shaped amid broader projects like the Indian Council of Social Science Research and institutions such as the Asiatic Society and the Indian Museum. Over decades its trajectory intersected with policy documents produced during the tenure of leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and reforms influenced by commissions including the Kothari Commission and interactions with international organizations like the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences.

Organization and Structure

Administratively headquartered in Kolkata, the Survey maintains regional centers and field units across states including Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. It coordinates with state bodies such as the Archaeological Survey of India and cultural institutions like the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts and the National Museum, New Delhi. The internal structure aligns research divisions comparable to units at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences and the Centre for Development Studies. Leadership interacts with funding and oversight organizations including the Planning Commission (India), the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, and statutory bodies like the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes and the National Commission for Backward Classes.

Functions and Activities

The Survey undertakes functions similar to those of the British Museum ethnography programs and the Smithsonian Institution cultural anthropology initiatives: ethnographic documentation, biological anthropology, archaeological anthropology, and museology. It produces inventories of communities, contributes to heritage listings akin to those in List of World Heritage Sites in India and inputs to legal frameworks such as the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and welfare schemes administered by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. Its activities inform policymaking bodies like the National Sample Survey Office and contribute to debates in forums including the Parliament of India and international conferences like sessions of the United Nations General Assembly.

Research and Publications

The institution publishes monographs, journals, and ethnographic atlases comparable to outputs of the Royal Anthropological Institute and the American Anthropological Association. Notable series and compendia have been cited alongside works by scholars from Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press lists. Research topics reference classical and contemporary scholarship such as that by M. N. Srinivas, A. R. Radcliffe-Brown, Émile Durkheim, Max Weber, Claude Lévi-Strauss, and contemporary contributors affiliated with institutions like Jawaharlal Nehru University, University of Calcutta, Banaras Hindu University, University of Delhi, Panjab University, University of Mumbai, University of Madras, Aligarh Muslim University, Jadavpur University, IIT Kanpur and IIM Ahmedabad. Its journals have engaged with datasets comparable to those curated by the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization for cross-disciplinary analyses.

Fieldwork and Training

Fieldwork programs have been conducted in regions from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep to the Himalayas including Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, and in plains and deserts such as the Thar Desert and the Ganges Delta. Training collaborations mirror curricula at the School of Oriental and African Studies and doctoral supervision networks involving universities like University of Oxford, Harvard University, University of Chicago, Australian National University and University of Cambridge. The Survey offers hands-on training in methods used in projects similar to those by National Institutes of Health-funded teams, museum curation programs like those at the Victoria and Albert Museum, and heritage conservation practices aligned with International Council on Monuments and Sites guidelines.

Collaborations and Outreach

Collaborative links include national agencies such as the National Museum Institute, Sangeet Natak Akademi, National School of Drama, and international institutions like the Smithsonian Institution, British Museum, Max Planck Society, University of Tokyo, Leiden University, Université Paris-Sorbonne, University of Sao Paulo, University of Cape Town and the World Bank for cultural projects. Outreach initiatives engage civil society organizations including Pratham, SEWA, Amnesty International, and community groups representing Santhal, Munda, Gond, Bhils, Oraon, Korku, Khasi, Naga and Mizo peoples. Public exhibitions have partnered with venues such as the National Gallery of Modern Art, Victoria Memorial, Kolkata, Cochin Museum, Salar Jung Museum, and festivals like the Kolkata International Film Festival and Kala Ghoda Arts Festival to disseminate research and promote heritage awareness.

Category:Research institutes in India Category:Anthropology institutions