The State Institute of Rural development (SIRD) Assam was notified by the Government of Assam in March 1981 and was brought under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme in September 1987. The Institute was registered in April 1998 under the Societies Registration Act 1860 and thereafter the State Government conferred upon the Institute administrative and financial autonomy. In the beginning the Institute was being run by officers and staff of the Directorate of Panchayat and Rural Development Department and it functioned from its premises at Barsajai Village, Beltola which was located away from the city of Guwahati. The Institute also did not have any Faculty to implement the different training programs and because of this, a proper training action plan could not be followed. The lack of officers, faculty and staff was made away with from April 1998 when a Director and Faculty Members were posted and the Institute started to function in a full- fledged manner. Also there was a change of address and the Institute shifted to a permanent campus at Khanapara, G.S. Road, Guwahati. Since May 1998 the Institute has not looked back and now is the Apex Centre in the broad field of Training and Research in Rural Development in the State.