The IDSK was set up in 2002 by the Government of West Bengal as an autonomous centre of excellence in social sciences. EconomistAmiya Kumar Bagchi was appointed as its Founder Director; he was later bestowed with the designation of Emeritus Professor of Economics at the institute.[2]
The multidisciplinary MPhil in Development Studies course at the institute was introduced in 2006, while the PhD in Development Studies course started in 2016, both under the auspices of the University of Calcutta.[3]
IDSK has collaborated with the following institutions:[1]
University of Calcutta: The M.Phil. and PhD programme is offered by IDSK in collaboration with the Centre for Social Sciences and Humanities of the University of Calcutta; the degrees are conferred by the university. The two institutions have jointly set up the Rabindranath Tagore Centre for Human Development Studies (RTCHDS).[5]