On June 8, 2026, the Foundation for Agrarian Studies commenced the survey of the West Godavari Round of the Project on Agrarian Relations in India (PARI) with an introductory training session for field investigators. The field investigators joined from various institutions, including Adikavi Nannayya University, Azim Premji University, Central University of Karnataka, Dr B.R. Ambedkar School of Economics, GITAM Deemed to be University, O.P. Jindal Global University, Pondicherry Central University, University of Delhi, and University of Hyderabad.

The West Godavari Round will focus on two villages, Panduvva and Yendagandi, in Undi Mandal,  one of Andhra Pradesh’s agrarian regions, combining irrigated lowland rice cultivation with inland aquaculture. This project aims to study the forces and relations of production in this region. In a departure from previous PARI studies, the present round will expand the scope of study, and will aim at a more comprehensive understanding of the economy of the region (or agricultural-

economic regime) as a whole.

The one-day training session opened with an introduction of the team members and addresses by Dr. Sandipan Baksi (Director, Foundation for Agrarian Studies (FAS)), Professor V. K. Ramachandran (Managing Trustee, FAS), Dr. Arindam Das (Joint Director, FAS), and Sai Chandan Kotu (Senior Research Assistant, FAS), situating the study within PARI’s long-standing research and its new scope. Tapas Modak (Joint Director, FAS) and Harshan T. P. (Associate Research Fellow, FAS) also joined the session online.

This was followed by a detailed introduction to the Houselisting Questionnaire, the first component of the village survey, which covers households in Panduvva and Yendagandi. The training also included a brief on general conduct, survey rules and guidelines, and a session on Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) by Noopur Verma (HR Consultant, FAS) and Pinki Ghosh (Manager – Accounts, HR and Administration, FAS). Sethu C. A. (Senior Research Assistant, FAS) then introduced the team to CAPI (Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing), the data-collection tool field investigators would use. The day concluded with a mock session to fill the Houselisting Questionnaire and a practical walkthrough of one day in the field.

Here are a few glimpses from the event…