Data Collection and Field Research Opportunities and Problems in India Dr. A. K. Chakravarti University of Saskatchewan There are few countries in the world which can provide such a wide range of problems for field study as India. For both macro and micro level studies, spatial variations in physical, cultural, economic and political conditions within a short distance may be phenomenal and provide a complex matrix for analysis. India is divided into linguistic states. A linguistic state in turn may contain tertiary subcultures, each with a different set of conditions within its boundaries. On a linguistic state may be superimposed three distinct areas of tertiary subcultures, viz., urban, rural -and tribal, each with different levels of education, standard of living, housing, clothing and diets, and even speaking different dialects, and the language of the state. Despite such a wide range, and often steep gradients in socioeconomic conditions, it is generally contended that there is an undercurrent of the Indian culture linking the entire country. A popular adage about India's culture is " the unity in diversity." To identify and measure this "unity in diversity" or lack of it in several aspects of life, is a most fascinating opportunity and a problem for conducting field research in India. Although there may be as many opportunities and problems for field work in India as those in any other developed country, there are three major aspects which are considered significant for any western investigator organizing a field research program. First is the language barrier among the fourteen major language groups. This problem is compounded since a few hundred dialects are spoken in different parts 50
of the country. Second is the lack of accessibility involving transportation to various places. Third, and most important, is the search and retrieval of vast masses of undocumented and unpublished data, viz, ad hoc reports and published materials by various levels of government, international organizations and public and private institutions scattered throughout the country. Language Barrier for Field Work Despite several languages spoken in India, there should not be any communication problem for a field worker who speaks English. Most educated people in India speak English and clerks in government departments read, write and speak this language. The problem may arise when the investigator must interview villagers, farmers or laborers in a region or state who may not communicate in English or in other regional/state languages. One method of overcoming this problem is to write to the Head of the Department of Geography of the regional universities in advance and request student assistance for field work. Most states or regions have universities and/or colleges and most of them have geography departments. Usually the faculty and the students are cordial and helpful to visitors. A field researcher can get the help of a local student who would not only be an excellent guide but would be familiar with the problems and the language of the area. Moreover, the company of a local guide/ interpreter may overcome any bias of the villagers to communicate and share their views and answer questions to an outsider or a foreign visitor. Transportation for Field Work India has one of the most extensive and efficient transportation systems among the developing countries of the world. The entire country is connected by air, railroad, road and waterways. Particularly, railways and roadways (buses) reach almost each and every corner of the country. Also, the entire transportation system of India is one of the least expensive in the world. The only problem with surface transportation systems is that they are often slow and always overcrowded. There is usually a long waiting list of passengers for even first-class accommodation, and reservations should be arranged well in advance of travel schedules. There are also good facilities for arranging private transportation for field work such as taxi cabs, rented automobiles, motor or manual rickshaws. Under certain circumstances and especially during rainy monsoon season, it may be necessary to take a bullock cart or walk a few kilometers to reach some villages. Nature and Search for Unpublished or Published Data and Reports To organize field research in any aspect of physical or human geography, the search for published or unpublished materials must begin first at the relevant government departments in India. There are at least three main levels of government engaged in data collection and preparation of reports for administration and planning, viz., (a) the Central Government Ministries and depart- 51
ments located mostly at New Delhi, (b) the State Government departments mostly in the state capitals, and (c) district headquarters located in each district of a state. At each level of government, there may be agencies relevant to a given field of research in such diverse areas as agriculture, animal husbandry, forestry, soil, flood control, irrigation, education, health, transportation, family planning, social welfare and development and planning. It would be immensely valuable to interview the officers in charge of an appropriate agency to find pertinent data and reports which might have bearing on one's project. Among the developing countries of the world, India possesses one of the most elaborate, complete and largest census records of population, agriculture and livestock, some dating back to 1891. Since Independence in 1947, it has added a host of other comprehensive data systems on various economic and social aspects of the country, including the prestigious National Sample Survey. Some research problems, however, may require data which may be collected only through questionnaires, field surveys, and samplings. It is quite possible that some of these data may have already been collected. Besides the standard census data, most central and state government departments and private and international organizations collect a vast array of data and prepare special reports on problems including society, culture, economics, demographics, agriculture, international trade and commerce. Most of these data and reports are often un- published and not available to the general public. These specially collected data and reports are an invaluable source of information, and often more comprehensive and complete than one can accomplish through individual effort in the field. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that anyone planning field research in India must include a search among those agencies for reports which may be related to one's area of investigation. These data are collected and research reports prepared for planning and development in India at a great expense and involve experts and support by the central and state governments, FAD, World Bank, Ford Foundation or Rockefeller Foundation. It is likely that part, or all of the data required for one's individual research project may have already been collected. By systematic checking these appropriate sources, and through personal contacts with the individuals concerned, it may be possible to secure the desired data for a promise to acknowledge the source at the time of publication. If lucky, the researcher can save all of the effort, time and money necessary to complete a study. Data Collection for Field Research in Agricultural Geography India is among the few countries in the world where an agricultural census is conducted every year. Data are published at the distriet level by both the central government for India and the state governments for each state. Recent and unpublished census data may be copied with official permission at the Directorate 52
of Economics and Statistics, New Delhi. These census reports may include agricultural land use, crop production and yield data for more than 150 items for each district of India. Besides, there is a regular series of about twenty reports on various aspects of agriculture issued at different time intervals. When combined these provide the basic information for many studies. However, in order to utilize the full potential of collected data and special report on agriculture in India, one must check with the appropriate sections in such agencies as the Planning Commission, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute (lcar), The National Sample Surveys of the Indian Statistical Institute, National Council of Applied Economic Research, National Fertilizer and Seed Corporations, and several other related organizations at New Delhi and other centers distributed across India. It is possible that an ad hoc committee in one of these organizations may have collected the special data and prepared an exhaustive report on an issue which may be very close to a personal research topic in India. A personal example will illustrate the importance of an exhaustive information search. While attempting to collect data on fertilizer consumption for all of the 400 odd districts of India-a formidable task-the author encountered a research officer in the Ministry of Agriculture who had already compiled the data with the support of the World Bank. The officer presented this author with an unpublished copy for his private research (1). Similarly, while collecting data for analyzing the agricultural developments in different parts of India, the author was fortunate to make a chance discovery of a comprehensive, unpublished report prepared by a special group from the Reserve Bank of India. This report contained the statistical method, the indices of soil fertility, rainfall, productivity and level of agricultural development for all districts of India (2). On another occasion, several littleknown reports prepared by ad hoc committees were discovered which may be considered a valuable source of information for geographers, such as "Identification of Backward Areas" in India, "Regional Variations in Social Development and Levels of Living," and a 1,000 page report on "Investigations into High Yielding Varieties Programme, 1978" (3). CONCLUSIONS Several crucial problems face India, yet there is a great potential for field research and data collection on these topics. Among some of the critical issues affecting millions of people are, for example, the serious water and air pollution in large industrial-metropolitan areas, the diffusion and success of family planning, rural-urban population migration, landless labor and farm management, recreation and tourism and the economic development of the cattle wealth in India. From initial contacts, it appears that a mass of data has been collected that pertains to these issues and several scattered and preliminary reports have been prepared. No one knows the extent and range of information 53
ava ilable. Locati ng these sources and extracti ng the relevant information fo r one's project may be considered as the sing le most important problem for field research in India. REFERENCES 1. Government of India Directorate of Economics and Statistics and World Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Effective Demand for Fenilizers in India (New Delh i, India: Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Mimeographed, 1970). 2. V. M. Jakhade and H. B. Sh ivamaggi, "Inter-District Comparison of Agricultural Development and Spread of Banking Facilities in the Rural Areas," Reserve Bank of India, Division of Rural Econom ics, Econom ics Depanment, Mimeograph Repon, Bombay, 1969. 3. Government of India Planning Commission, (a) " Identification of Backward Areas," Repon of the Working Group, New Delhi, India, February 1969; (b) Government of India Planning Commission, " Regional Variations in Socia l Development and Levels of Living : A Study of the Impact of Plan Programmes," Programme Evaluation Organ ization, PEO Publicstion No. 52, New Delhi, India, 1967. (c) S. K. Raheja, A. K. Banerjee, P. C. Mehrotra, V. S. Rastogi and S. S. Gupta, Sample Surveys for Methodological Studies into High Yielding Varieties Programme, Annual Repon 1974-75, Indian Ag ri cultural Statistical Research Institute, New Delhi, 1978, 994 pp. 54