The State of Kerala in South India has long been acclaimed universally for its unique development profile, characterised by achievements in the fields of literacy, primary education, and health care, at very low levels of per capita income.  Nonetheless, what has come to be called the Kerala Model has still to grapple with the twin issues of poverty eradication and sustainable development.

It is precisely in response to this need that the Kerala Research Programme on Local Level Development (KRPLLD) was conceived of.  The genesis of KRPLLD lies in an initiative from the Directorate General for International Co-operation of the Government of the Netherlands.  The refreshing feature of the Programme is that the responsibility of agenda-setting and implementation is entrusted to the autonomous bodies within the Programme countries.

The fundamental objective of the Programme is to develop scientific research capability for understanding the problems of socio-economic development in Kerala.  By tracing long-term processes of evolution in Kerala society, relevant policies and programmes for sustainable development will be formulated. With this end in mind, the KRPLLD will promote multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional research.  It also hopes to strengthen the research capabilities of voluntary organisations and people's movements while actively encouraging women researchers.

The essential flavour of research under the Programme would emanate from grassroots realities.  While addressing issues relating to poverty and sustainable development, work under the KRPLLD would be multi-disciplinary and participatory, and, it is hoped, would ultimately lead to tangible action.

The Programme has followed a  ‘bottom-up’ approach in which individuals are encouraged to submit project proposals that fall in the priority areas of research. The research proposals are chosen from a large number of such proposals received, through a rigorous screening process. The projects are submitted by researchers, who in a certain process of societal intervention either as insiders or as outsiders, come across or become aware of, a problem worthy of enquiry. The Programme provides the researchers with opportunities to build their capabilities and develop their research ideas. These researchers are linked together through study circles, workshops, training programmes, etc. Researchers from universities and other research institutes are brought into the training programmes, workshops, review of research proposals, etc., as resource persons to enhance the capability of the new breed of researchers.

The KRPLLD studies call for intensive interaction with local communities with extensive application of participatory research methods. Developing such studies effectively is possible only if the research team involved is socially concerned.