CReNIEO – A Research Centre Leading to Social Action
The CReNIEO was established in 1979 as a study, research, training and action oriented organisation. The broad objective of CReNIEO is socially relevant action research. Over the years, the Centre has applied research and study towards the development of underprivileged sections of Indian society. Young leaders are trained in rural development and on environment from experiences gained to implement development projects in their communities.
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As an academic institute, CReNIEO is recognised by the University Grants Commission as a Research Centre. The Centre is affiliated to the University of Madras for M.Phil. in Economics and Ph.D. studies in Economics, History, Sociology and Education. It is also affiliated to Bharathidasan University for Ph.D. studies in Economics. In 1989, Environmental Economics was introduced as a part of the M.Phil programme, perhaps for the first time in India. The Centre is affiliated to the Tamil Nadu Open University (TNOU) as a Vocational Centre and is accredited to the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) as a community college.
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In social action, CReNIEO continues to meet the goals of a society encompassed in the vision of a New International Economic Order.
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The Centre has direct development interventions in the villages around Nayagragh in Orissa, Pulicat and Yercaud in Tamil Nadu. It implements programmes sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India and State government departments.
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CReNIEO is a registered society under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act 1973, (No.233 of 22.8.1985). The CReNIEO is also registered under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).
Our Leaders
Dr. K. Rajaratnam - Founder-Director
Born and raised in Tirupati, Professor Rajaratnam obtained his doctorate in economics from the London School of Economics after completing his college education at the Madras Christian College, Chennai. He taught at various colleges, including the Andhra Christian College, Guntur, the Madras Christian College, Chennai, and at the University of Madras.
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An eminent economist and a visionary, Dr. K. Rajaratnam established the Centre for Research on New International Economic Order (CReNIEO) recognized by the UGC, Madras University and Bharatidasan University for Ph.D. and M.Phil. studies, and he was active during his stint at the University of Madras in various capacities.
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As Founder-Director of CReNIEO , Dr. K. Rajaratnam initiated several rural development projects across India.
He was involved with various NGOs especially working on Dalits and rural issues in Orissa and Tamil Nadu The Centre has been engaged in developing and implementing rural development models beginning at the community level with a view to handle the fundamental factors of rural poverty. CReNIEO believes that the Gandhian model of development could the ideal tool to ensure the quality of life in India for the rural masses.
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Dr.K.Rajaratnam established Pulicat National Matriculation School (PNMS) in 1988. This is an English medium school with the prime objective of imparting formal education for the long-term development of the underprivileged rural communities of Pulicat. The aim of the school is to empower fisherfolk and other rural communities around Pulicat through education. Â
Dr. K. M. Shyamprasad
A Cardio-Thoracic surgeon by profession, Dr. Shyamprasad was working on developing alternate cadres for health care delivery in rural areas of developing countries and was keen in promoting research in medicine and also on socio economic conditions of India’s rural areas. He involved substantial research, advocacy, and development of innovative programmes around informal front line healthcare providers in India. This initiative had been done in partnership with a small group of well-established organizations and like-minded health professionals.
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His interests included Human Resources of Health and Health Systems for developing countries, training of surgeons for rural India a new paradigm in surgical education under the National Board of Examinations.
Mrs. Premanjali Rao
Mrs. Premanjali Rao is the eldest child of Dr. K. Rajaratnam. She was encouraged by her father to join in rural development projects that benefited thousands of poor villagers in India. She worked with the villagers until her last days, visiting them personally and enquiring them about their well-being. Mrs. Premanjali Rao took over as Correspondent of Pulicat National Matriculation School (PNMS).
During the tsunami in 2004,   CReNIEO started a project in collaboration with GNF and Living Lakes of Germany to restore the mangroves around Pulicat. Women’s empowerment and gender justice were her priorities in all the development projects. The self-help groups she started in Pulicat has been till today a significant success story.
Mrs.Premanjali Rao enabled sustainable development of the tribal communities of the Shervaroy Hills by training them in skills that earned their livelihood. Mrs. Rao’s dedication and service to the weaker sections of the society, to the school children and to the fisherfolk community of Pulicat has left an indelible mark in the hearts and minds of each person she touched.
Vision
India is home to 1.47 billion people and is the world’s most populated country. Today about 20% of this population is isolated from the economic mainstream of the country and the world. A holistic model of development of the backward segments of the Indian population is CReNIEO’s guiding vision. Exploitation is possible when a nation’s socio-economic system conforms to exploitative institutions ans structures. It is, therefore necessary for India not only to determine the priorities for development, but also to evolve a sound strategy to ensure a new economic order both within and without.
In pursuit of this ideology, CReNIEO is committed to a research programme with the following objectives:
- To pursue research with social action programmes
- To train young men and women in research and action and orient their research to development concerns, especially to the economically backward communities of India
- To study development challenges that involve interdisciplinary, socio-economic, political, cultural and technological approach.
Action expresses priorities.
Mission
Our primary purpose is promoting quality of life, education, skills for natural resource management and entrepreneurial skills for economic self-reliance.
We fervently encourage and support community action for social and climate change which has been the key tool in the armoury of our development methodology. Our commitment to gender equity and environmental care are the umbrellas that sustain the development of communities living in and around lake regions and forest areas.
Members of The Governing Board
CReNIEO’s Governing Board comprises of eminent and experienced senior professors who have developed inter-disciplinary expertise. The able Members of the Governing Board are actively involved in setting policies and strategies that align to CReNIEO’s purposes, principles and scope.
Prof. M. Naganathan
PresidentProf. D.S. Luther
Director & SecretaryMrs. Premanjali Rao
TreasurerDr. D. Sundaram
MemberDr. Adella Paul
MemberDr. V. Loganathan
MemberDr. K. Joshua
MemberDr. Bernard D’ Sami
MemberFinancial Reports
Transparency is the cornerstone to trust and reliability. CReNIEO upholds absolute transparency in all its activities. We comply with the Indian Accounting Standards issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and are up to date on accounting standards. At the end of each financial year, an Annual Report with financial audits and statements is published, and made available to the stakeholders.
Financial Reports
Transparency is the cornerstone to trust and reliability. CReNIEO upholds absolute transparency in all its activities. We comply with the Indian Accounting Standards issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and are up to date on accounting standards. At the end of each financial year, an Annual Report with financial audits and statements is published, and made available to the stakeholders.