The Gokhale Institute Of Politics And Economics, Pune, was established in 1930 by the Servants of India Society. It is the oldest research and training institute in Economics in the country. It is dedicated to research into the socio-economic dimensions of Indian society and carries forward the legacy of Gopal Krishna Gokhale. Gokhale was the one who founded the Servants of India Society in 1905. His rationale was to promote education, and develop capabilities among Indians to govern a newly independent nation. Over the decades, the Institute has established strong credentials in empirical and analytical research. The Institute is registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, and the Bombay Public Trusts Act, 1950. In recognition of its contribution to higher learning and research in Economics, the Institute was awarded the status of institution Deemed to be a University, in 1993.
The objectives of the Institute comprise two broad paths – research and academics. The primary objective right from its inception is is to conduct research on the socio-economic dimensions of the Indian society, study the development programs underway, assess their efficacy and last-mile delivery of public services, study the changes in the Indian economy and society, and impart training to researchers in this domain. The Institute has an equally important objective to train students in economics and economic policy-making, public policy in all disciplines, the economics of development, political economies, and sectors such as finance, business, agriculture, health and education. The thrust areas of research at the Institute are agricultural economics, rural development & cooperation, population studies, input-output studies for planning & development, monetary economics & finance, public economics, and international economics.