Our Story

At its heart, Foundation for Interdisciplinary Study and Social Transformation (FIRST) is committed to promote interdisciplinary research and academic inquiry into pressing issues, with a special focus on India's evolving socio-political landscape. The 13 primary objects of FIRST paints a holistic picture: acting as a policy research institution and think-tank, it conducts rigorous analysis of public policy design, programme implementation, governance mechanisms, and the tangible impacts of governmental and developmental initiatives. This includes field-based research, surveys, empirical studies, and data-driven assessments on critical areas like electoral behavior, democratic processes, public service delivery, and pathways to social transformation areas that resonate strongly with academic pursuits in constitutional law, parliamentary procedure, policy gap and policy analysis.

Beyond analysis, FIRST fosters an inclusive academic ecosystem for scholars, students, policymakers, practitioners, and professionals. It provides structured platforms for student engagement, such as internships, fellowships, field projects, dissertation support, other programs, and research assistance, aimed at honing analytical, academic, and professional skills.

The foundation also organizes national and international seminars, conferences, symposiums, workshops, panel discussions, roundtables, and capacity-building events to spark critical thinking, policy innovation, and scholarly communication. Collaborations with universities, research institutions, civil society organizations, international agencies, government departments, think-tanks, and corporations further amplify its reach, facilitating research-driven solutions to socio-economic and governance challenges.

FIRST identifies regional, social, gender and economic inequalities, developing research-backed policy recommendations, training modules, and awareness programs for inclusive growth. It empowers socio-economically weaker sections through outreach, workshops, and interventions. Finally, it builds forums, networks, and a digitized archive of datasets, policy briefs, papers, and reports, serving as a resource hub for evidence-based policymaking.