For obvious reasons CMDR needs to focus its research and developmental initiatives on the challenges of north Karnataka in particular and the state of Karnataka in general. Thanks to the Government of Karnataka for creating an endowment of Rs One Crore, at CMDR in the name of Prof DM Nanjundappa, crusader for removing regional disparities in the state that the Centre has now not only an opportunity but also a mandate for undertaking serious research on regionally relevant issues.

CMDR needs to develop Data and Information System initiatives for efficient Governance at decentralized levels. Some of the points worth noting in this connection are :

• CMDR, which is designated as a National Level Data Bank for Education by ICSSR should continue to compile, process and present in a meaningful way the data and information about different aspects of education on an on-going basis.
• CMDR has also plans of developing an MLDB- a Micro Level Data Bank, based upon the data it has collected under different research projects over the past three decades on different socio economic variables relating to the households in different districts of Karnataka and also in some of the selected states, where it had conducted empirical studies. A meticulously conducted analysis of these data over years would provide rich insights about the socio economic change taking place at the household level.
• The Centre has developed a large scale data base based upon household survey for Hubli Dharwad twin city and this is the first ever large scale socio economic survey for the twin city. Similarly constituency wise socio economic surveys would be directly useful for the decentralized governance and policy making. CMDR’s massive data collection (from as large as nearly 60,000 households) for selected constituencies in the Dharwad Hubli region with a purpose of assisting the elected representatives is worth mentioning in this connection. Such initiatives should be extended also to other constituencies of the state. Since CMDR aims at assisting the decentralized planning process in concrete and practical ways such initiatives for developing meaningful information system at the decentralized levels should be very useful.

The Centre has been participating in selected international programmes. CMDR is a member of the Asian Network for Training and Innovation in Educational Planning- ANTRIEP- an outfit of UNESCO, Paris.

Some of CMDR’s faculty have participated in SANDEE programme and SANIE programme, and research collaboration with foreign universities. Distinguished professors of foreign universities have agreed to spend some time in CMDR helping the researchers here. Such programmes should continue and efforts should be made to get big research funding from international agencies, initiate faculty exchange programmes, etc.

CMDR needs to now develop its infrastructure further particularly for housing its growing library and faculty offices and also for organizing large scale seminars, etc..

In order that qualified faculty are attracted towards a moffusil –semi rural/semi urban centre of Dharwad and to a growing research institute like CMDR it would be necessary to provide suitable benefits and incentives to the persons to be associated with the Centre. Apart from the reservation stipulations being followed by the Centre, the Centre needs to provide other incentives also in this direction. The Governing Council has already taken some initiatives in this direction.

CMDR has been known right from its inception for seriousness and commitment to the work taken up. The work ethos and work discipline that were exhibited during the early stages of CMDR’s development, were exemplary. The ethos of mutual trust and mutual respect among the faculty, administrative staff and members associated with governance is extremely important in turning out meaningful research output. The Centre is known for this ethos and in the years to come this ethos must be strengthened further with appropriate leadership and conscious efforts on the part of the faculty and the staff. It is necessary to make conscious efforts to strengthen the value base with which CMDR came into existence in North Karnataka. CMDR has now emerged as an active Think Tank of North Karnataka. Dr DM Nanjundappa Committee of Government of Karnataka for Redressal of Regional Disparities in Karnataka had also visualized such a role for a research institution from north Karnataka and CMDR eminently fulfils this vision.