Prof. Harsh Dobhal
DEHRADUN — Uttarakhand Chief Minister Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami has nominated eminent economist Prof. R. P. Mamgain as a Member of the Governing Body of the prestigious think tank Uttarakhand Centre for Public Policy and Good Governance (CPPGG). Bringing over 35 years of research, academic, and policy advisory expertise in development economics, employment, migration, and rural livelihoods, Prof. Mamgain’s appointment marks a decisive step toward strengthening evidence-based, mountain-centric policymaking across the state.
Prof. Mamgain currently serves as Head of the Department of Economics and Dean of the School of Social Sciences at Doon University, where he has been instrumental in facilitating critical discourse on Uttarakhand’s unique developmental challenges.
Doon University Vice Chancellor Prof. Surekha Dangwal and university community extended warm congratulations to Prof. Mamgain, recognizing his appointment as a moment of great pride for the institution and a significant contribution to the state’s developmental future.
Throughout his distinguished career, he has held key leadership positions at premier national institutions, including Chair Professor in Rural Labour at the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR), Director and Professor at the Indian Institute of Dalit Studies, Professor at the Giri Institute of Development Studies, and Senior Academic Consultant at the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR). An accomplished scholar and former Managing Editor of the Indian Journal of Labour Economics, he has authored or co-authored 13 books and published more than 60 research papers in prestigious national and international journals.
A defining element of Prof. Mamgain’s work is his focus on empirical, field-based research that bridges the gap between theoretical economics and practical policy solutions. His seminal research on hill-to-plain migration addresses some of Uttarakhand’s most persistent challenges, including developmental disparities between mountain regions and lowland plains. Rather than applying uniform, top-down policy frameworks, Prof. Mamgain advocates for region-specific development tailored to high-altitude topographies. Central to his vision is the transformation of the state’s 95 block headquarters into vibrant local growth centres that can drive job creation, stimulate demand for regional goods, and stem out-migration from surrounding villages.
His perspective is expected to add immense value to CPPGG’s mission, particularly in reforming youth employment and skill-development strategies. Prof. Mamgain emphasizes that training programs must extend beyond skill acquisition to ensure local market access, sustainable self-employment options, and long-term income generation for rural households. Furthermore, his extensive work on poverty, social exclusion, and economic security will prove vital in evaluating welfare programs for marginalized communities, women, and vulnerable groups. Demonstrating his commitment to inclusive growth, he recently co-authored along with Professor Surekha Dangwal a groundbreaking study on improving women’s lives and livelihoods in Uttarakhand under the Hon’ble Governor’s “One University One Research Initiative.”
At CPPGG, Prof. Mamgain will help steer policy solutions that integrate economic growth with employment generation, social equity, and environmental sustainability across Uttarakhand’s diverse terrain.
