Open Projects in Social
Explore research and CSR opportunities at IIT Madras in this domain.
Social
8 proposals
Time commitment in work context
This research examines how employees? subjective experiences of time, beyond clock-based schedules, influence their commitment to tasks and responsiveness to externally imposed deadlines. By analysing how individuals bring personal temporal orientations into workplaces that typically assume uniform time experience, the study will help organizations become more ?temporally intelligent,? balancing diverse time perceptions with operational needs to reduce strain from always-on expectations and create healthier, more sustainable work environments.?
By: Lata Dyaram
Cause: Social
Turing patterns of misinformation: A novel early warning system for fake news
This study applies multi-scale mathematical modelling, simulations, analytical techniques, and machine learning to understand how Turing instabilities drive the spread of misinformation on social media. By calibrating models on real-time metadata, the project will produce a software prototype that classifies a news item?s viral potential based on its dynamical signatures, assigns a risk score, and recommends targeted countermeasures, with scope for patenting and commercial deployment for platforms and regulators.?
By: Sayan Gupta
Cause: Social
Dynamics of fake news propogation
This project investigates how fake news spreads through social networks by combining agent-based modelling with dynamic propagation signatures to detect when misinformation is likely to go viral. A second phase will study competing information narratives and design countermeasures that localise fake news spread by strategically promoting corrective opinions, enabling early, rights-respecting interventions that safeguard public discourse without resorting to heavy-handed controls.?
By: Sayan Gupta
Co-PI: Ponnurangam Kumaragaru
Cause: Social
Developing a Vocal Work Culture among Women in the Workforce
This study investigates how gender and socio-economic contexts influence women?s ability to speak up in Indian workplaces, identifying barriers to being heard and the consequences for stakeholders. Using mixed methods that include metropolitan colloquiums, focus groups, and large-scale surveys, the research will generate a conceptual model and practical strategies that organisations can use to encourage women?s voices, supporting talent retention, leadership pathways, and broader gender equality goals.?
By: Lata Dyaram
Cause: Women Empowerment
Reimagining Chindia: cultural-diplomatic contacts between South India and China
This study develops an alternate narrative of India?China ties by consolidating case studies from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra that reveal deep historical exchanges in culture, diplomacy, and commerce. By examining episodes such as China?s role in Cochin?Calicut disputes, the transformation of Kerala?s pepper trade, and lesser-known labour links in the Nilgiris, the project seeks to reshape public imaginations of ?Chindia? and ease contemporary relations beyond boundary disputes.?
By: Joe Thomas Karackattu
Cause: Social
Women and their Well- Being at Subsistence Marketplaces: An Approach towards Understanding their Personal and Professional Role
This study examines women?s participation in informal, subsistence economies in developing contexts, focusing on motivations beyond pure economics and how these roles shape personal and professional identities. By identifying non-economic drivers, household dynamics, and socio-cultural factors affecting well-being, the research will generate insights that help NGOs and companies design CSR activities and support programmes that truly benefit women working in subsistence marketplaces.?
By: Varisha Rehman
Cause: Women Empowerment
Neuro Diversity in the Workplace
This project reframes conditions like autism, dyslexia, and ADHD as natural variations in thinking, investigating how current hiring and HR practices help or hinder neurodivergent talent. By analysing organisational approaches and collaborations with external partners, the research will produce a practical HR framework and policy recommendations that enable inclusive recruitment, training, and support for neurodiverse employees while raising awareness of the value of cognitive diversity.?
By: Lata Dyaram
Cause: Social
To buy or not to buy insurance against floods?: An analysis of the decision drivers in urban populations
This research examines why urban populations in flood-prone Chennai choose to purchase or forgo flood insurance, despite escalating climate risks. By engaging industry stakeholders, reviewing literature, and surveying around 1,000 residents with robust statistical models, the study will identify key drivers and barriers to insurance adoption, offering evidence to shape climate adaptation policies, raise awareness, and protect vulnerable communities from extreme weather events.?
By: Krishna Malakar
Cause: Infrastructure