Centre for Equity Studies

Centre for Equity Studies
Name	Centre for Equity Studies
Formation	2009
Headquarters	New Delhi, India
Type	Non-profit research organization
Focus	Social justice, public health, labor rights, human rights

Centre for Equity Studies is an independent research and advocacy organization based in New Delhi. It engages with issues of public health, labor rights, human rights, environmental justice and social movements through research, litigation support, policy interventions and community organizing. The Centre has worked with a range of civil society organizations, academic institutions and legal bodies across India and internationally to influence public discourse on equity, dignity and state accountability.

History

The Centre for Equity Studies was established in 2009 following dialogues among activists linked to incidents such as the Bhopal disaster, debates after the Narmada Bachao Andolan and responses to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. Founding collaborators included participants from networks like Jan Swasthya Abhiyan, Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan, National Alliance of People’s Movements, and individuals associated with institutions such as Jawaharlal Nehru University, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, and JNU. Early efforts addressed crises related to HIV/AIDS, responses to the Kudankulam protests, the aftermath of the Gujarat riots, and campaigns inspired by movements like Chipko Movement and Right to Information Act protests. Over time the Centre expanded work in litigation support relevant to the Supreme Court of India, strategic research cited in reports by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and UN mechanisms including the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Mission and Objectives

The Centre’s stated mission is to document marginalization arising from policy and structural violence and to produce strategic research that supports litigation, policy reform and grassroots mobilization. Objectives include collaborating with communities affected by industrial disasters such as Bhopal gas tragedy survivors, indigenous groups related to the PESA debates, and farmers associated with the Farmers’ protest movements. It aims to influence policy conversations in forums like the National Human Rights Commission (India), Parliament of India, and international venues such as sessions of the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Research and Programs

Research themes have covered occupational health among workers in sectors linked to incidents like the 1993 Bombay bombings aftermath, migrant labor patterns after events related to the 2008 financial crisis, and environmental displacement from projects similar to controversies over the Sardar Sarovar Dam. Programmatic work includes projects on labor organizing with groups like SEWA, health interventions resonant with campaigns by Médecins Sans Frontières, and documentation efforts comparable to those of the International Labour Organization. The Centre’s initiatives intersected with campaigns by People’s Union for Civil Liberties, collaboration with universities such as University of Delhi, Columbia University, University of Oxford, Harvard University, and engagement with foundations like Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations, and Oak Foundation.

Legal and Advocacy Work

Legal interventions supported strategic litigation in forums including the Supreme Court of India, High Court of Delhi, and quasi-judicial bodies like the National Green Tribunal. The Centre has provided research briefs for cases related to occupational diseases documented in inquiries akin to the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan petitions and rights claims comparable to those litigated by Lawyers Collective. Advocacy coalitions have interfaced with international mechanisms including the UN Human Rights Committee, shadow reporting processes to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, and submissions to the International Labour Organization supervisory bodies.

Publications and Reports

The Centre publishes case studies, policy briefs and edited volumes drawing comparisons with reports by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and academic presses such as Oxford University Press and Routledge. Notable thematic reports addressed issues similar to those explored in works by Arundhati Roy, analyses used by Reserve Bank of India policy debates, and health evidence cited in journals like The Lancet and BMJ. Publications have been cited by committees in the Lok Sabha, policy units in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (India), and commissions modeled on the National Commission for Scheduled Castes.

Collaborations and Partnerships

Partners have included grassroots networks such as Kisan Sabha, Dalit Sangharsha Samiti, and migrant worker collectives, academic partners like Jawaharlal Nehru University, TISS, Delhi University, and international NGOs including Oxfam, CARE International, and ActionAid. The Centre has engaged with legal clinics at National Law School of India University, collaborated with research institutes such as Centre for Policy Research, Observer Research Foundation, Institute of Development Studies (IDS), and participated in global consortia alongside Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

Organizational Structure and Funding

The Centre is governed by a board featuring activists and scholars associated with institutions such as JNU, TISS, Delhi High Court practitioners, and civil society leaders from groups like PUCL and Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan. Funding sources have included philanthropic foundations such as Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Oak Foundation, bilateral programs like those connected to the Department for International Development (UK), and grants from academic partners including Columbia University and University of Oxford. Operational collaborations have linked the Centre to donor-advised funds, fiscal sponsors, and partner NGOs such as SEWA, Oxfam, and ActionAid.

Category:Non-profit organisations based in India