Lifetime Achievement Award 2017 by GRABS Educational Charitable Trust Chennai

City based noted economist Dr Gursharan Singh Kainth has been recognized for his unwearied research efforts with Lifetime Achievement Award for the year 2017 by the award committee of GRABS Educational Charitable Trust Chennai. The award carries a certificate and trophy in the winner’s name indicating the award category. According to communication received from the secretary of the trust, award will be confirmed on January 22, 2017 at Namma Veedu Vasanta Bhavan, Chromepet, Chennai and distinguished Chief Guest of the day, will be Shri. Shaik Mohammad Saleem, Deputy Commissioner, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, Chennai.

Dr Kainth starting his career as Lecturer at Post Graduate Department of Economics, Government College Gurdaspur and later at Khalsa College; Amritsar specializes in Quantitative and Development Economics with multi-disciplinary approach. He has the distinction of serving the prestigious Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana for about two decades (1980-2001) and remained Director-Principal of Saint Soldier Management and Technical Institute, Jalandhar. Currently, he is heading city based Guru Arjan Dev Institute of Development Studies since its inception.

A recipient of Cultural Doctorate of Philosophy of Economics from the World University, Arizona, USA is an active member of various professional bodies and participated and presented papers in various International/national/regional seminars, conferences etc..Awarded BEST PAPER AWARD by Government of India. He was awarded ICSSR Senior Fellowship for two years. He is elected to Board of Governors of Indian Water Partnership-a sister concern of Global Water Partnerships and honoured on the National Teacher Day by NIFD. He is a member of Editorial Board of various international journals published in India and abroad.

An unwearied researcher Dr Kainth has about 200 research papers published in various international and national journals of repute and 25 research monographs to his kitty. Besides, he has authored/co-authored /edited 20 books which have been well received and highly acclaimed during his three decades of professional career. He was honoured by various national and international awards.

Dr Kainth undertook in-depth analysis in the varied domain of economic development in general and agricultural development in particular at regional level. He made a useful attempt at sketching the anatomy of economic development of Punjab. Dr Kainth has thoroughly searched the elementary educational scenario of Punjab as a Senior Fellow of Indian Council of Social Sciences Research, New Delhi; National Council of Educational Research and Training of MHRD as well as for the NITI Aayog erstwhile Planning Commission.

His careful venture in the area of agricultural export not only offers as a timely tome but also boldly addresses some of the nagging doubts and growing dilemmas facing policy planers and authorities alike. His diagnostic studies of farmers-producers lead to better understanding of development of market structure- an important pre requisite to successful agricultural operation. Rigorous yet lucid analysis of information of non economic factors on production pattern amply demonstrated that the technological innovation can ensure the freedom from the clutches of the weather vagaries is a myth.

His careful probing into a micro unit of farmer’s experience contradicts the doom sayers for they expose an optimistic reality whose lessons can and should reshape future thought and action. The resurgence of money-lenders, the fatigue of cooperative credit institutions, the advent of micro finance with its multifaceted activities, the paramount importance of marketing of crops in a globalize environment have added knots and twists to the structure and processes of rural financial market. His in-depth analysis of rural financial market will help administrators and political leaders how to effectively provide finance to the poor.

Dr Kainth has also extensively explored the issue of Global warming, which is a modern development problem. This issue has become more complicated involving the entire world tangled up with difficult issues such as poverty, economic development and population growth. Dealing with it will not be easy. Ignoring it will be worse. This is one of several crucial challenges that already impede the progress of agriculture particularly in the vast marginal rainfed farming regions where majority of the Earth’s poor and food insecure reside. This means that addressing the difficulties that farmers already faced in many areas - not only low and erratic rainfall and hot temperature but also inadequate infrastructure, lack of access to markets and credit and other challenges- will contribute to current agricultural development and food security while building resilience to future climate change. Use of Bio technology for development of varieties with enhanced tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress, resource conservation technologies that use less water and nutrients are some examples of technologies required to tackle the effect of climate change. A new model of development is required to give urgency to copping with climate change. Apparently, successful adaptation will require not only new crop technologies and increased investment in water security but also policy backup to give small-scale subsistence farmers better access to information, credit and market. Understanding these impacts will help clarify the specific adaptation that both policy makers and farmers must make.