Sunday, May 31, 2015

Indian Solar Radiation Atlas has been made

[Apologies for cross postings]

Dear All,

I am happy to inform you that as one of the outcomes of BMUB funded SolMap project, the Indian Solar Radiation Atlas, has been recently prepared. The combination of long term satellite derived and ground measured radiation data have been used for this purpose. National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE), Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India will launch the atlas on 3rd June in Chennai. Attached is a brochure on the matter prepared by NIWE. Hope Indian solar industry/policy makers and other stakeholders will get benefits using the Atlas.


With regards,

Indradip Mitra


Dr.-Ing. Indradip Mitra

Senior Technical Advisor - Green Energy Corridors

Team Leader - SolMap

Indo-German Energy Programme (IGEN)

Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

www.giz.de

SolMap Project Office: National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE)

Velachery - Tambaram Main Road

Pallikaranai, Chennai - 600 100, India

Email: indradip.mitra@giz.de



Saturday, May 30, 2015

SPP Book Review "Understanding Entrepreneurship Teaching in a Nutshell" by Anup K Das, CSSP

Understanding Entrepreneurship Teaching in a Nutshell
by Anup Kumar Das
Science and Public Policy, 2015, 1–2
doi: 10.1093/scipol/scv030

Book Review
Teaching Entrepreneurship: A Practice-based Approach, by Heidi M. Neck, Patricia G. Greene and Candida G. Brush. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, UK, 2014, 352 pages, £90.00 (hardback), £29.95 (paperback), ISBN 9781782540557


More... http://spp.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2015/05/29/scipol.scv030.full

Thursday, May 28, 2015

CfPs: Science, Technology and Innovation in Neglected Diseases: Policies, Funding and Knowledge Creation; 17-20 Nov, Brazil

International Workshop for Early Career Researchers

Call for Participants
Science, Technology and Innovation in Neglected Diseases: Policies, Funding and Knowledge Creation

http://www.sussex.ac.uk/spru/newsandevents/events/ecrworkshop

Introduction

Under the British Council Researcher Links scheme there will be a bilateral workshop on the above theme in Belo Horizonte, Brazil from the 17th to 20th November 2015, bringing together early career researchers to discuss their work and to build international relationships.

The workshop, coordinated by Eduardo Albuquerque (Cedeplar, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais) and Parimal Patel (SPRU), will bring together a multidisciplinary group of dynamic early career researchers from Brazil and the UK to discuss their research on neglected diseases. It will have major contributions from Michael Hopkins (SPRU) and Carlos Morel (FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro).

This is an invitation for researchers from the UK or Brazil who are within 10 years of receiving their PhD (or with equivalent research experience), and currently employed in either country, to apply to participate in this workshop. All travel and accommodation expenses will be covered by the Researcher Links programme.

The Workshop 

There have been spectacular step changes in innovation in health care in developed countries over the last fifty years. However in the same period, the pace of introduction of new drugs related to neglected diseases in low and middle-income countries has been slow. The main aim of the workshop is to discuss research related to a key element of this puzzle: the role played by public policies and funding regimes in creating scientific and technical knowledge related to neglected diseases. The underlying rationale for focusing on this element is that creation of new knowledge is critical to the development of new drugs, and that a better understanding of the processes involved will have an impact on the efficiency and productivity of the health care system.

The main themes of the workshop are:

  • Changing dynamics of the key elements of the national systems of innovation in relation to health care in the UK and Brazil
  • Trends in the creation of knowledge related neglected diseases
  • Translating knowledge into innovation and practical health interventions
  • Changing dynamics of  funding systems underlying health care R&D
  • Role played by public-private partnerships in stimulating knowledge creation and transmission

The main objectives of the workshop will be to: (a) discuss recent research on innovation in neglected diseases; (b) develop new ideas for future collaboration between innovation scholars in Brazil and the UK; and (a) build research capacity in the field of health sector innovation.

During the workshop early career researchers will have the opportunity to present their research in the form of a poster/short oral presentation and engage in discussions with established researchers from the UK and Brazil. 

Application and Deadline

We are recruiting early career researchers based in the UK or Brazil to apply to attend the workshop. The British Council, under the Newton Fund, will cover the costs related to the participation to the workshop, including: travel (both international and local), accommodation and meals.  Travel and medical insurance are not covered by the British Council.

Applicants need to fill the application form by 17 August 2015.

UK applicants need to submit this form to: workshopbrazil@sussex.ac.uk, and Brazilian applicants to workshop2015@cedeplar.ufmg.br

Eligibility Criteria:

  • Applications must be submitted using the attached application form
  • Application must be submitted before the above deadline
  • Participants must be early career researchers: these are defined as holding a PhD for less than 10 years on the start date of the workshop.
  • Participants must be affiliated to UK and Brazil higher education or research institutions at the time of the application.

Assessment of the Application 

Each application will be assessed on the basis of the following criteria:

  • Experience and relevance of the applicant's research area to the workshop
  • Motivation and contribution to the aims of the workshop
  • Description of the expected impact through the participation in the workshop
  • Ability to disseminate workshop's outcomes

Notification of results:

Applicants will be notified by e-mail by the 4 September 2015

Equal Opportunities 

The British Council is committed to equal opportunities and diversity in all its activities and this includes the avoidance of any bias in the assessment of applications due to gender, disability, racial or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, or religious belief. Participants' selection undertaken by workshop organizers must not contravene this policy. Extra support to enable participation of early career researchers with special needs will be given.

Just released, #‎ITU150‬ special ‪film on the fascinating History of Telecom

[Apologies for cross-posting]
Just released, #‎ITU150‬ special ‪film on the fascinating History of Telecom

ITU History (1865-2015):
The world is more connected than ever before and the story of ITU is the story of connecting the world. Watch this video and discover the fascinating history of telecommunications over the last 150 years.
View: http://youtu.be/R0jYVjs_dyQ


--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dr. Anup Kumar Das
Web: www.anupkumardas.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

EPW Special Article & EPW Commentary

EPW Commentary
Immunisation Coverage in India: An Urban Conundrum
by Purnamita Dasgupta and Rajib Dasgupta, CSMCH, JNU
EPW, L(21): , May 23, 2015

Abstract: This article examines the decline in coverage levels of the Routine Immunisation Programme in the better-governed states across three rounds of the District Level Household and Facility Survey. The analysis points to an urban conundrum where proximity to urban centres is a "risk factor." An understanding of peri-urbanisation processes is essential for improving outcomes and governance in urban health services and the National Urban Health Mission.
Download: http://www.epw.in/system/files/pdf/2015_50/21/Immunisation_Coverage_in_India.pdf

EPW Special Article
Cast(e) on the Hill: 'Divine' Power, Social Cohesion and Hierarchy in Himachal Pradesh
by Surinder S Jodhka, CSSS, JNU
EPW, L(21): , May 23, 2015

Abstract: Caste has often been viewed as a system of hierarchy based on the religious ideology of the Hindus with a common structure across the subcontinent. Based on an extensive empirical study of Himachal Pradesh, this paper shows how caste actively articulates with the given realities of ecology, economy and the local histories of political regimes. Even though inequality and untouchability exist, their structures have specific regional forms. While it documents the everyday practices of faith and their local specificities, the ethnographic accounts presented in the paper also have implications for our understanding of Hinduism in the present-day context.
Download: http://www.epw.in/system/files/pdf/2015_50/21/Caste_on_the_Hill.pdf

SARNET Competitive CfPs by Young Scholars from South Asia "Education, Skills and Social Protection in Emerging Labour Markets: Issues and Perspectives for Inclusive Growth in South Asia"


South Asia Research Network (SARNET)

Employment and Social Protection for Inclusive Growth

www.ihdindia.org/sarnet

Competitive Call for Papers by Young Scholars from South Asia on
"EDUCATION, SKILLS AND SOCIAL PROTECTION IN EMERGING LABOUR MARKETS : ISSUES AND PERSPECTIVES FOR INCLUSIVE GROWTH IN SOUTH ASIA"

SARNET is a research and network programme of South Asian institutions and scholars coordinated and managed by the Institute for Human Development (IHD), New Delhi, in collaboration with ILO and ESCAP, with support from International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada. Its objective is to find ways to achieve inclusive growth in South Asia so as to reduce the existing vulnerability of workers, to increase the quality of employment and to enhance social protection. The other objectives of the programme include capacity building of young researchers from the region who are interested in studying labour markets, employment and social protection issues. See details on www.ihdindia.org/sarnet

South Asia faces a complex set of economic, social and political issues that constrain growth and the creation of good jobs. It is widely acknowledged that the lack of access to education and skills as well as a minimum level of social protection are among the most important constraints in achieving inclusive growth with decent employment in the region. As such, SARNET is issuing its second competitive call for papers on 'Education, Skills and Social Protection in Emerging Labour Markets: Issues and Perspectives for Inclusive Growth in South Asia'. The topics and issues include, but need not be restricted, to the following:

Education and Skills

  • challenges of education and skills deficits and issues of so-called 'skills mismatch'
  • policies to promote better education and skills outcomes
  • access and exclusion issues related to skill development and training
  • skill systems in different South Asian countries and best practices
  • empirical evidence regarding impact of Vocational Education & Training (VET) on employability and quality of jobs
  • Public-private partnerships in VET/role of private sector in VET provision
  • Financing VET—cross-country comparisons and lessons

Social Protection

  • Different approaches to social protection (insurance vs. assistance, promotiomal vs. protective, basic social protection floor)
  • Challenges and issues in providing minimum level of social protection, adequate for a decent living
  • Resources for financing a minimum level of social protection
  • Different models of social protection in the context of high segmentation and differences in labour markets in South Asia
  • Appropriate institutional and governance structure for effective implementation of social protection policies

Young scholars (below the age of 40 years) of South Asian nationality (working either in the region or outside) are invited to submit proposals for empirical papers, covering any or all of the major South Asian economies, including Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Relevant lessons from other countries may also be appropriately incorporated. SARNET supports gender parity and encourages women to apply. The proposals should include an abstract (of around 750 - 1000 words) outlining the main research questions, conceptual framework, methodology and empirical base of the paper. The paper (of about 8000 words) should not have been published earlier in any form. About 10 papers will be selected and an amount of Rs. 75,000/- (USD 1,200) would be paid to each of the accepted paper writers. The proposals and submitted papers would be reviewed by a committee of international experts. SARNET reserves the right to publish accepted papers in the Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Indian Journal of Human Development or some other reputed journals and/or in a book.

Important dates:

  • Proposals with the abstract should be received by 31 May 2015
  • Authors of the selected proposals would be contacted by 15 June 2015
  • Full drafts need to be submitted by end of August 2015
  • Preliminary comments on the selected papers would be communicated by 20 September 2015
  • Revised papers should be submitted by 15 October 2015

The authors of the accepted papers would be invited to present their papers in a conference to be held in the last week of October/first week of November 2015 at New Delhi. SARNET would provide travel subsidy and arrange boarding and lodging for authors from the region only. In case of authors from outside the region, SARNET will provide boarding and lodging only, but the authors are requested to meet their travel costs from their own sources.

Address  for  correspondence:  Ms.  Priyanka  Tyagi,  Communication  Officer,  Institute  for  Human  Development,  New  Delhi,  Email: priyanka.tyagi@ihdindia.org with a copy to: sarnet@ihdindia.org .

Sunday, May 24, 2015

RBI Scholarship Scheme for Faculty Members from Academic Institutions

Scholarship Scheme for Faculty Members from Academic Institutions

The Reserve Bank of India invites application as per prescribed format from full-time faculty members, teaching economics or finance in any UGC-recognized Universities/Colleges in India to undertake short term research in the areas of monetary and financial economics, banking, real sector issues and other areas of interest to the Reserve Bank.

Objectives:

  1. To increase awareness about the activities of the Reserve Bank among faculty members and student community, and

  2. To provide exposure to faculty members teaching economics and/or finance in different areas/activities in the Reserve Bank.

Number of scholarships: A maximum of five.

Selection Procedure: The candidates will be shortlisted on the basis of the (a) research proposal of not more than 1000 words, (b) curriculum vitae and (c) interview by a selection panel.

Duration of Project: Three months, commencing August 1, 2015.

Last date for application: June 25, 2015

For more details please visit http://rbidocs.rbi.org.in/rdocs/Content/PDFs/AFS7824EF5864BF4111BE99DA3AC2A5ADB7.PDF


"Don't get cheated by Emails/SMSs/calls promising you money"


Scholarship Scheme for Faculty Members from Academic Institutions

Applications are invited by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for Scholarship Scheme for Faculty Members from Academic Institutions. The scholarship scheme for faculty members aims at bringing on board scholars, who would be able to undertake and pursue critical projects successfully and thereby contribute to the Reserve Bank's research universe. The Reserve Bank of India invites full time faculty members teaching economics or finance in any UGC-recognized Universities/ Colleges in India to undertake short term research in the areas of monetary and financial economics, banking, real sector issues and other areas of interest to the Reserve Bank.

1. Objectives

The broad objectives of the scheme are:

  1. To increase awareness about the activities of  the Bank amongst faculty members and student community, and

  2. To provide exposure to faculty members teaching economics and/or finance in different areas/activities in the Reserve Bank.

2. Eligibility

The eligibility criteria for the scheme are as follows:

  1. Full-time faculty teaching economics and/or finance in any UGC-recognized Universities/Colleges in India.

  2. Indian nationals.

  3. Age below 55 years.

3. Schedule of the Scheme

  1. The application, complete in all respect, should reach the Bank latest by June 25, 2015.

  2. Commencement of the scholarship scheme would be from August 1, 2015.

4. Selection Procedure

The applicants need to send a research proposal of not more than 1000 words and detailed curriculum vitae along with the duly filled in application form. The candidates will be shortlisted on the basis of the research proposal and curriculum vitae. The shortlisted candidates will then be interviewed by a selection panel. The candidates found suitable would be invited to undertake research on the theme decided by the Reserve Bank.

P.S.: Incomplete application/application received after the due date will not be considered for short listing.

5. Theme

The exact theme of research for the scholars will be decided by RBI.

6. Submission of Application

The application in hard copy may be forwarded to 'The Director, Development Research Group, Department of Economic and Policy Research, 7th Floor, Central Office Building, Reserve Bank of India, Fort, Mumbai - 400 001'. The application should be sent along with detailed curriculum vitae and the research proposal.

The soft version of application (in addition to hard copy) and/or any queries related to the scheme may be sent to email.

7. Number of scholarship

A maximum of five scholarships would be considered for 2015. The Reserve Bank, at its discretion, may vary the number of scholarships for any year.

8. Duration of the Project

The duration of the project is maximum three months.

9. Location of the scheme

The scheme would be mainly operational at Central Office Departments of RBI, Mumbai. In certain cases, the Reserve Bank may ask the selected candidate to conduct research at select Regional Offices of RBI also. However, Bank may provide the option to the candidates to work from their institution for the Study during the period of 2 to 3 months.

10. Facilities

The major facilities that will be made available to the selected scholar would include:

  1. Restricted economy class domestic air-fare ticket during visits to RBI Central Office, Mumbai from place of residence/work in India.

  2. Monthly allowance of Rs. 25,000/- (Rupees twenty five thousand only) to be paid for the duration of the project (not more than three months).

  3. In addition to the monthly remuneration, on completion of the Project/ Research paper and on acceptance of the same by RBI, payment of Rs.1 lakh as honorarium would be made.

Note: No accommodation or allowance for accommodation will be provided during the period of scholarship.

11. Responsibilities

The selected scholar will have the following responsibilities:

  1. The scholar would be required to submit a research paper/project report that contributes to RBI research activities.

  2. The scholar should make a presentation of his/her work in a Seminar at Reserve Bank, Mumbai.

  3. The scholar, if he/she desires to publish his/her research work elsewhere, may do so with prior permission of the Reserve Bank.

Friday, May 22, 2015

EPW Notes "When Technology Trumps Labour: Trade Union Leadership and Banks" by Shashi Kant Prasad

EPW Notes 
"When Technology Trumps Labour: Trade Union Leadership and Banks" 
by Shashi Kant Prasad
EPW, L(20): 84-87, May 16, 2015
Abstract: The capacity of trade unions to bargain or challenge technological change in the workplace has been a crucial aspect of the debate around machine-worker dialectics, which is a neglected area of research in India. Studying bank unions' struggles over technological choice and their implications on work routines, this note seeks to revise the otherwise optimistic narrative about Indian trade unions and their relationship with technology.

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Open Forum:: "Nepal quake: Jingoism doesn't help the victims" by Sohan Prasad Sha (CSSP, JNU)

Nepal quake: Jingoism doesn't help the victims
Posted at http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=emerging&nid=11906 on May 20, 2015
By Sohan Prasad Sha (CSSP, JNU)

Nepal has already officially concluded the search and rescue operations after the devastating earthquake on April 25, 2015, and more than dozens of aftershocks with a few big ones recently, that has so far left more than 8,000 people dead, and many more from almost 13 districts severely affected.  In doing so, the government has also asked 34 nations involved in rescue missions to withdraw their teams only after the end of the second week of the earthquake. However, the timing of this premature decision caused confusion in such a tragic moment.
It raises more questions than answers, and makes it difficult to comprehend what is really going on in Kathmandu. Many reports from the ground suggest that besides Kathmandu, the search and rescue operations in the outskirt regions have not been conducted properly, and in many cases not at all.  It is obvious and inevitable that relief and rehabilitation exercises in such a scenario would take months, and years.
However, over the last few days, two issues have emerged that seem to have overshadowed the real issues at hand. First, the #GoHomeIndianMedia trending on Twitter, with the Nepali media simultaneously picking up the story of a section of Indian media's insensitivity and jingoism while reporting in these traumatic times in Nepal. While it has been rightly condemned to an extent, what it has done is that it has taken the focus away from the real story on the ground.
Second, the Nepali media's extensive reporting on this trending business has not only convoluted the story, but has further divided opinions and perceptions.  It has either diverted the focus of Nepalis as well as the entire world from the rescue to relief and long term rehabilitation debate, or has just simply flared up the jingoism on social media as well as Nepali media; an ugly bashing which is not unusual most of the time, but definitely shocking and surprising during such human tragedy.
The focus at the moment should be on the Nepali government's initiatives as well as failures to manage the rescue and relief activities, to facilitate an overall process to build a positive environment, restore hope and confidence in the people that Nepal shall overcome and rebuild what has been lost in this tragic hour. But a section of media, both from Nepal and India, involved in a jingoism which is hardly in the interest of the people,  suffering and caught in a horrific natural disaster, now seem to have managed to get the tag of a 'geo socio political disaster' added to the list of  Nepal's 'political disasters'.
There is no doubt that for the sake of 'humanity', almost the whole world is united in sharing the grief and pain of Nepal. Being immediate neighbours, India and China responded with relief and rescue missions, with even the prime minster of Bhutan coming all the way to Nepal to show solidarity with the people. Similarly, other nations as well did their best to send technical expertise to carry out mass scale rescue work in Nepal.
However, with the kind of media heckling at the moment, it will cause a huge discomfort if Nepal is caught in this 'geo-socio political' blunder. If so, then it is the people of Nepal who will end up suffering – from both the Nepali government's inefficiency and corruption, as well as the indifference of the Nepalese political/media elites towards the issues of the people, involved as they are at the moment only in bashing one nation over another to soothe their nationalist sentiments.
In any case, to be able to manage the after effects of such mass scale natural disaster for any government is difficult. Not only in Kathmandu, but even more so in the outskirt regions with an extremely difficult topography, which has been even more severely affected, and where rescue and relief work has not yet reached properly. There are chances that there are people still stuck in the rubble, not to mention the efforts at recovering all the dead bodies. As reported, the Nepali team is also less equipped technically to carry out rescue missions in those areas. Therefore, at one level, it is also necessary to take the help of foreign rescue teams who have advanced technology to carry out rescue missions on a mass scale in difficult areas.  But strangely, when regions outside Kathmandu needed these efforts the most, the Government of Nepal decided to send back the foreign rescue teams, perhaps afraid that such intervention might expose other truths and failures of governance in these places.
As of now, the final assessment of the tragedy is yet to be revealed, with new updates coming in. So far the UN reports (as of May 2) state that more than 90 percent damage was in two districts - Gorkha and Sindhupalchok; and more than 80 percent houses were flattened in three districts – Dolakha, Rasuwa and Nuwakot. The UN report suggests that there is a continuing fear of further devastation, as people of these regions continue to stay out in the open, and urgently require shelter, tools for repairing damaged homes, food and medicines.   
In such circumstances, it is difficult to comprehend how the Nepalese government can and will manage the delivery of this huge task, added to which is a widespread criticism of various forms of mismanagement on facilitating the supply of all the relief material to the people.    
This raises serious doubts if this hastiness, caused due to the media heckling, especially social media, has led to a strategic dilemma in the geo-political space, or maybe even significantly influenced the Nepali  nationalist political perception in new ways.
One can only hope, in the world of the political elite's construct of nationalism that is prevalent in Nepal, the interests of the people who are suffering shall not be sacrificed. In this tragic and turbulent time in Nepal, there are those who will suffer not only from the recent earthquakes, but also from the chance that the indifference in the Nepalese political/media elite's perception that 'Nepal is Kathmandu, and Kathmandu is Nepal' will get further entrenched. In the end, it is the issues of the common people who are suffering on an unimaginable scale that is more important at the moment. And while they will hardly get to see what is going on in the Twitter world, they are the ones who will have to suffer the consequences of such polemics.
Plain jingoism from both side (India and Nepal), especially from some section of mainstream/or social media, does not help those who are suffering but only undermines the core issues of relief/rebuilding in Nepal.
(Sohan Prasad Sha is a Nepali student pursuing his PhD in Jawaharlal Nehru University. He can be reached at contributions@spsindia.in)

Pranav N. Desai of CSSP has been recognised as outstanding reviewer for an Emerald journal wjstsd

Hi,

Prof. Pranav N. Desai of CSSP, JNU has been recognised as outstanding reviewer for an Emerald journal World Journal of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development.

Many Congratulations.

CSSP Team


From: Lucy Spafford <LSpafford@emeraldinsight.com>
Subject: Your work as a reviewer for an Emerald journal has been recognised as outstanding

Dear Prof Desai,

 

Congratulations, you have been chosen as an Outstanding Reviewer for World Journal of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development in the Emerald Literati Network 2015 Awards for Excellence. The editorial team were asked to select up to two reviewers to receive this award and you were chosen as they wanted to recognize your significant contribution throughout 2014.

 

We want to say thank you for your excellent work as a reviewer because without your effort and dedication, Emerald journals would not have the right to be called scholarly.

 

As a winner you will receive a certificate. Where possible, we like to organise for you to be presented with your certificate in person. We will be in touch with you shortly (next few weeks) in the hope that we can organize a presentation. Please do not respond to this mail asking about possible presentations. I will be in touch soon with all the details!!

 

Again, many congratulations on your award.

 

Best regards,

 

Jim Bowden

Academic Relations Manager | Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Tel: +44 (0)1274 785013 | Fax: +44 (0)1274 785200
jbowden@emeraldinsight.com | www.emeraldinsight.com


--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dr. Anup Kumar Das
Web: www.anupkumardas.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Call for Papers: New Review of Academic Librarianship, Special Issue on Academic Librarians as Communicators

Call for Papers
New Review of Academic Librarianship, Special Issue on Academic Librarians as Communicators
Deadline: 19 June 2015

The New Review of Academic Librarianship is an international journal that publishes reviews, research, critiques and exemplar case studies on substantive topics relevant to those providing library and information services to academic communities.
The themed issue for 2016 will be "Academic Librarians as Communicators" and will cover the broad topic of communications both within academic libraries and beyond. The Guest Editor will be Helen Fallon, Deputy Librarian at Maynooth University, the National University of Ireland.
Abstracts are requested that focus on new/changing communication methods and communication patterns and their impact on the 21st Century academic library.
Topics may include, but are not limited to:
  • Communicating with the university and wider higher education sector
  • Librarians as strategic communicators within organizations and within a changing higher education environment including communicating change and measuring the effectiveness of library communication
  • Scholarly communication: including  dissemination of research, open access advocacy, interdisciplinary research, research data management, digital humanities, UDCs, altmetrics, bibliometrics, citation technologies, digital preservation and curation, social media in research and e-publishing, and promoting UDCs
  • Social media and communication
  • User behavior and communication: including marketing, customer service, student experience and engagement, surveys, feedback and consultation, networking, and measuring impact
  • Collaboration and communication: including communications patterns between subject librarians and Faculty across disciplines
  • Communication through academic writing
  • External communications and collaborations (networking, influencing and negotiation, engagement with local communities, cross-sector working, international working, interoperability)
  • Communication and legal framework including copyright, intellectual property, data protection, privacy issues, information governance, information security, and data standards
Submission Instructions
Please submit an abstract of no more than 500 words describing what your paper will include. For all proposed authors include name, institutional address, telephone number, and email address.  Abstracts should be submitted for consideration to the Guest Editor, Helen Fallon (helen.b.fallon@nuim.ie) no later than 19 June 2015. People will be notified by the 14th July 2015 as to whether their abstract has been accepted or not to be taken forward as a full paper.

Editorial information
    Editor-in-Chief: Graham Walton, Loughborough University
    Guest Editor: Helen Fallon, Maynooth University, National University of Ireland

Further Details: http://t.co/AixXAZPvtH

Paper of Kumar & Desai published in 2014 has been named as a Highly Commended Paper

Amit Kumar and Pranav N. Desai (2014),"Mapping the Indian nanotechnology innovation system", World Journal of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development, 11(1): 53 - 65.
Permanent link to this document: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/WJSTSD-09-2013-0039


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jim Bowden <JBowden@emeraldinsight.com>
Subject: Your paper published in 2014 has been named as a Highly Commended Paper

Dear Prof Desai,

 

Congratulations, your paper "Mapping the Indian nanotechnology innovation system" published in World Journal of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development has been selected by the journal's editorial team as a Highly Commended Paper of 2014.

 

The World Journal of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development Editorial Team were asked to nominate an Outstanding Paper and up to three Highly Commended Papers. "Mapping the Indian nanotechnology innovation system" was chosen as a Highly Commended Paper as it is one of the most impressive pieces of work the team has seen throughout 2014.

 

We aim to increase dissemination of such a high quality article as much as possible and aim to promote your paper by making it freely available for one month. I will confirm once the free access has gone live so that you will be able to let others know. This will be in the next couple of weeks.

 

As a winner you will receive a certificate. Where possible, we like to organise for you to be presented with your certificate in person. We will be in touch with you shortly (next few weeks) in the hope that we can organize a presentation.

 

Again, many congratulations on your award. We will be in touch with you regarding our plans to promote and present your award very soon. Please do not respond to this mail asking about when your chapter will be made freely available or about possible presentations. I will be in touch soon with all the details!!

 

Best regards,

 

Jim Bowden

Academic Relations Manager | Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Tel: +44 (0)1274 785013 | Fax: +44 (0)1274 785200
jbowden@emeraldinsight.com | www.emeraldinsight.com


Call for Papers: Special Issue on Biotechnology and Biosimilars in Emerging Countries

Call for Papers: Special Issue on Biotechnology and Biosimilars in Emerging Countries
BioMed Research International

Biopharmaceuticals are the rising product segment in the pharmaceutical industry. Since the launching of the first ones in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the number of original products approved in the USA is close to 150. Copies of these drugs are called biosimilars. They are not exact copies of the original product for several reasons, including the fact that the original innovators do not release the information about the processes used to produce them. Thus, they are not "generic" but 'biosimilar' drugs. Some of follow-on biologics are improved versions of the original drug and they are called "biobetters".

In the pipeline, the number of biobetters is around 450, and the number of biosimilars being developed is nearly 650. Most biosimilars and biobetters are developed by such companies as Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, and Sanofi as well as large generic pharmaceutical companies such as US Mylan, Swiss Sandoz, and Israel TEVA. But the pipeline includes nearly 200 biopharmaceuticals being developed or already produced in emerging and developing countries.

These include not only China and India, but also Argentina Brazil, Korea, and Russia. The entry of these companies based in emerging countries in the production of biosimilars comes from different ways. There are alliances such as those between US Mylan and India's Biocon announced in 2013 to commercialize Biocon's recombinant insulin or between LG Life Sciences (Korea) and Mochida (Japan) for the development of a biosimilar adalimumab. There are also partnerships in countries such as Brazil, where Merck KGaA's biological division, Merck Serono, is signing agreements with Bionovis. Other companies such as Biocad in Russia, or Amega, Biosidus, and Insud in Argentina are developing and marketing biosimilars on their own.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:
  •     Biosimilars as learning ground for health biotechnology in emerging countries
  •     From imitation to innovation in the pharmaceutical industry
  •     Regulatory environments and learning in emerging country biopharmaceuticals
  •     Different avenues for catching up in the biopharmaceutical industry: collaborate, imitate, or import
Authors can submit their manuscripts via the Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/submit/journals/bmri/biotechnology/bbec/.
  • Manuscript Due    Friday, 11 September 2015
  • First Round of Reviews    Friday, 4 December 2015
  • Publication Date    Friday, 29 January 2016
Lead Guest Editor
  •     Jorge Niosi, Universite du Quebec a Montreal, Montreal, Canada
Guest Editors
  •     Tomas G. Bas, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile
  •     Dilek Cetindamar, Sabanci University, Istanbul, Turkey
  •     Shyama V. Ramani, University of the United Nations, Maastricht, Netherlands, ramani@merit.unu.edu

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Shyama Ramani <ramani@merit.unu.edu>

Dear All,

BioMed Research International is a niche hi-impact journals (2.7 impact factor) on biotech  that is well known to those working on Biotech for Human Health.

We are organizing a special issue on 'catch-up' of emerging countries in this sector. Please find the call attached. We hope to introduce the strategic aspects of the international race for both economic growth and for inclusive development. Notes by Practitioners also welcome.

We are gathering preliminary intentions of submission. If anyone in is interested in submitting an article / or has questions - please feel free to write to me.
We would of course be grateful if you could circulate this call among your colleagues.

With best wishes,

Shyama V. Ramani

--   Book: Nanotechnology and Development  Shyama V. Ramani  Professorial Fellow, UNU-MERIT, Maastricht (NL)  +33 608803383, +31 648676701  skypeid: shyamar  www.shyama-v-ramani.net; www.friend-in-need.org; https://www.facebook.com/finindia

Sunday, May 17, 2015

Fwd: Announcement of the 2015 ASIS&T SIG-III International Paper Contest for Developing Countries

The Special Interest Group on International Information Issues (SIG-III) of the Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) is pleased to announce its 15th competition for papers to be submitted for the 2015 Annual Meeting, which will take place in Hyatt Regency, St. Louis, MO; November 6-10, 2015. (http://www.asis.org/asist2015/am15cfp.html)

Building from the overall conference theme, the theme for this year's paper contest is: "Information Science with Impact: Research in and for the Community".

This year's conference theme provides an opportunity for information science researchers – including academics and practitioner researchers – to discuss the impact of their research on industry, on government, on local/national/global community groups, on individuals, on information systems, on libraries/museums/galleries, and on other practice contexts. The theme highlights the introduction of a new conference focus on Applied Research, which recognizes that basic research in information science is also inspired by, and/or connected to, information practice contexts. Papers could discuss issues, policies and case studies on specific aspects of the theme from a global and/or international perspective. Topics include, but are not limited to, the following core areas:

  • Impact on Individuals: information behavior; information retrieval; human-computer interaction; social media use; information literacy; etc.
  • Impact on Society: digital citizenship; cultural engagement; archival preservation; policy development; copyright; intellectual property; infometrics; information access; etc.
  • Impact on Organizations: information architecture; knowledge management; competitive intelligence; digital curation; records and archives management; etc.
  • Impact on Systems & Technology: cloud computing; digital libraries; automatic indexing; social tagging; classification; semantic web; database design; web usability; etc.
  • Impact on Information Contexts: health; education; law; environment; agriculture; business; etc.

Selection Criteria:

There will be up to three winners who will be selected by a panel of judges including: Maqsood Shaheen (IRC, US Embassy Islamabad), J.K. Vijayakumar (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology), and, Innocent Awasom (Texas Tech University).

The judging criteria will be based on:

1. Originality of paper in the developing world and global information ecosystem (originality of the project described, etc.)
2. Relevance to the paper contest theme
3. Quality of argument, presentation and organization

Eligibility & Information for authors:

Only papers by a principal author who is a citizen of, and resides in a developing country are eligible. Winners in the 2009-2014 contests are not eligible. The papers should be original, unpublished, and submitted in English. We encourage submissions from librarians, information and network specialists, and educators involved in the creation, representation, maintenance, exchange, discovery, delivery, and use of digital information.

Award:

The award for each winner is a two-year individual membership in ASIS&T. In the case of multiple authors, the principal author will be awarded the ASIS&T membership. In addition, depending on SIG III fundraising for this competition, the first place winner will be rewarded a minimum of $1,000 toward travel, conference registration, and accommodations while attending the ASIS&T Annual Conference in Hyatt Regency, St. Louis, MO, November 6-10, 2015. (http://www.asis.org/asist2015/am15cfp.html).

Style:

The international paper contest committee requires that submissions follow the International Information and Library Review instructions to authors. Detailed information is available under the heading, Guide for Authors at: http://www.tandfonline.com/action/authorSubmission?journalCode=ulbr20&page=instructions#.VOw5ZUex4k0

Publishing opportunities:

Submitted papers will be considered for inclusion in a special issue of the International Information and Library Review, subject to the usual peer refereeing process, for that journal.

ASIS&T Copyright Policy:

ASIS&T will have the non-exclusive right to publish any of the papers submitted on its web site or in print, with ownership and all other rights remaining with the author.

Deadline for submission of full papers: 

Authors are invited to submit manuscripts, not to exceed 5,000 words, by June 30, 2015, to Maqsood Shaheen at ShaheenMA@gmail.com, preferably as Microsoft Word or PDF attachments.


-------------
Maqsood Ahmad Shaheen
Chair
International Paper Contest Committee
Special Interest Group on International Information Issues (III)
Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T)
mashaheen@gmail.com

Friday, May 15, 2015

Innovation Report "Understanding Innovation: Indian National Innovation Survey with Special Focus on MSMEs"

Understanding Innovation: Indian National Innovation Survey with Special Focus on MSMEs
Edited by Pradosh Nath, N. Mrinalini and G.D. Sandhya; CSIR-NISTADS, New Delhi, 2014.

Foreword (by K. VijayRaghavan, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India, New Delhi)
National Science Technology Management Information System (NSTMIS), Department of Science and Technology (DST) has been continuously engaged in the evidence generation and analysis on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) resources for evidence based policy planning for S&T sector in the country. As a part of the new initiative Science, Technology, Innovation and Creation of Knowledge (STICK), a National Innovation Survey framework has been conceptualized and designed through in-depth discussions with the national and international experts for launching the National Innovation Survey. As a step forward, a national report entitled "Understanding Innovation: Indian National Innovation Survey" with special focus on MSMEs has been brought out recently by DST. The national report, first of its kind, benchmarks innovation potentiality of Indian firms in terms of innovation activities, sources of innovation, linkages, human resource, effects and factors affecting innovation activities. The report is based on the  analysis of sample survey of 9001 firms, largely MSMEs, spread across 26 states and 5 Union Territories across various industrial sectors in the country. A commendable effort has been made by the DST and CSIR-NISTADS project team to put together fundamental issues related to innovations in the context of developing economies to make this report useful to policy makers, planners and the scientific community. I hope the report, as a unique initiative, would provide required impetus in devising evidence based policy prescriptions or recommendations for strengthening the innovation infrastructure and growth of MSMEs in the country.

About the survey
Over the last few years NSTMIS, DST had involved various stakeholders in evolving an appropriate framework to measure the innovation and knowledge creation capabilities in Indian context. The NSTMIS framework draws upon the inputs of the pilot innovation survey, sectoral innovation studies, and interactions with the national and international experts while adapting the internationally accepted concepts and definitions on the measurement of innovation to launch the National Innovation Survey. The survey is not about identification of innovations that is happening in Indian industries. It is about understanding the process that makes innovation happen or constraints innovation from happening. The understanding is through developing and examining a set of indicators that would help promoting and monitoring innovation in Indian production system.

Download Full-Text Report

Thursday, May 14, 2015

New Book "Science, Technology and Development in India: Encountering Values" by Rajeswari S. Raina (Ed.)

Science, Technology and Development in India: Encountering Values
by Rajeswari S. Raina (editor)
New Delhi: Orient Blackswan, 2015. ISBN: 9788125058557, INR 675.00, HB, 312 p. 

About the Book 
There are multiple development problems in India that demand S&T solutions. Sound science is crucial for development policy formulation. Though many debates on technologies and development outcomes assume they are value-neutral, the S&T and development policy realms and the dynamic historically-conditioned interface between them are value-laden and normative. This book argues that to ensure ethical development outcomes, it is important to acknowledge these values and enable public engagement and dialogues to get them right. The essays in this volume—organised into four sections based on the values that inform the relationship between S&T and development policy—discuss and analyse how these values and norms govern India's S&T and development choices.

Table of Contents 
Introduction: Values Matter, by Rajeswari S. Raina
Section I
1. From Retrogression to Rescue: Policy Gaps in Rural and Agricultural Development, by A. R. Vasavi
2. Academic Ethics, Indian Scientific Academic and the BT-Brinjal Controversy, by Gautam I. Menon and Rahul Siddharthan
3. Regulation, Legislation and Moral Contestations: Case of Indian Microfinance, by Tara S. Nair
Section II
4. Water Policy and Science: Disciplines, Perspectives, Values, by Ramaswamy R. Iyer
5. Transformations in the World of Higher Learning: Changing Norms and Values of Universities and Research Institutes in India, by Dhruv Raina
6. Science, Technology in Agricultural Development: Need for a New Paradigm, by P. S. Vijay Shankar
Section III
7. Technoscientific Practices and Ethics, by Prajit Basu
8. A Unique Identity and Technology, by Usha Ramanathan
9. Between Life-creation and Policy Formulation: Assisted Reproductive Technologies in India, by Tista Bagchi
Section IV
10. The Ethical Implications of Sea-level Rise due to Climate Change, by Sujatha Byravan and Sudhir Chella Rajan
11. Ethics and Science in Climate Change, by D. Raghunandan
12. Climate Science, Agriculture and the Policy Jukebox, by Rajeswari S. Raina
Conclusion: Engaging with the Value Problem, by Rajeswari S. Raina

New Study reveals how rivers flowing into oceans regulate carbon cycle

Study reveals how rivers regulate global carbon cycle
by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-05/whoi-srh051215.php
Abstract: New Study reveals how rivers flowing into oceans regulate carbon cycle.

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Indian science in Nature "Research management: Priorities for science in India"

Nature 521, 151–155 (14 May 2015) doi:10.1038/521151a
http://www.nature.com/news/research-management-priorities-for-science-in-india-1.17509?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20150514

Abstract: Ten Indian research leaders give their prescriptions, from better funding, facilities, mentoring and education to greater respect, fairness, autonomy and confidence.



Monday, May 11, 2015

All India Essay Competition 2015, on Contributions of Ancient India to Science

All India Essay Competition, on Contributions of Ancient India to Science

Guidelines

The essay could highlight and focus on any of the following seven areas and questions:

i. Mathematics and Logic: What are the contributions and wisdom of ancient  Indian mathematicians? Could we find in their texts, the solutions to at least  some of the most current problems in mathematics? Could their works help us to understand many of the mind-boggling concepts in modern mathematics, such as 'infinity', 'imaginary numbers', 'point', 'space', etc.?

ii. Physics and Cosmology: The Vedic seers had expressed a lot about  cosmos, planets, movements of atoms, gravity and many more in their ancient writings. Could their profound thoughts help us to resolve many of the modern issues in physics and cosmology, such as, what is mind and how it interacts with body? What is matter really? What is dark matter? What is  dark energy? What about our planetary systems and origin of universe itself? Could Vedanta help us understand problems of modern particle  physics?

iii. Life Sciences and Psychology: What are the contributions of ancient seers  in areas such as, genetics, evolutionary biology, bio-informatics, biochemistry, bio-physics, neuroscience, embryology, virology, cell biology? Could their wisdom help us understand and resolve the question of life and its origin? How the Vedic seers understood our human psychology -mind and its workings? Could the concept of 'soul' still make sense in modern biology?  What about the meaning and purpose of life, of which we have no clue today - could the ancient scriptures reasonably and precisely provide and define this?


Similarly, there are areas of (iv) Ethics and Virtues - India's precious heritage; (v) Engineering Sciences: Metallurgy, aerodynamics, bioengineering, computers, electronics and others; (vi) Health and Medicine (vii) Philosophy and World Religions.


  • The essay could be structured into various sections.  Placing content in sections reflects consolidating your viewpoints into important concepts that you wish to highlight.        
  • A thorough literature review will always enable students to grasp and conceptualize their ideas.  Therefore, to win in an essay competition, proper justification from various literature of the concepts is mandatory.
  • The essay essentially needs to have an abstract. Typically, an abstract is written after finalizing all the contents of an essay.
  • Quote examples whenever they are necessary. This is true to the sense that examples always make one to comprehend difficult concepts and philosophies very easily.
  • Provide original illustrations for few sections. Illustrations will enrich your presentations.  These illustrations could be hand drawn and if they are taking from websites, they need to be copyright free. Plagiarism and infringement of copyright issues will be dealt very seriously by Essay Competition Committee.
  • Avoid plagiarism totally. Standard Journals define plagiarism as the reuse of someone Else's prior ideas, processes, results, or words without explicitly acknowledging the original author and source. Therefore, copying material as it is from various sources such as Journals, Magazines, Books, Websites without acknowledging the sources and without any further effort to restructure the sentences is one of the most common approaches in Plagiarism. To avoid plagiarism, apart from acknowledging the source, one should construct sentences on their own. If there is difficulty in this front, approach your seniors or colleagues who are more familiar in the construction of both simple and complex sentences.
  • Please note that all essays and facts mentioned there in about ancient India should be accompanied with references to the original texts. Indirect references and web references are not acceptable.
  • It is recommended that you should approach a professional proof reader or an English lecturer to correct your essay for tense and grammar.
  • Finally, include a conclusion section that summarizes your concepts.  All entries in essay competition should be typed. No hand written entries will be allowed.
  • The number of pages is limited to 8. The essay competition entry shall be submitted in both doc/docx format and pdf formats.
  • The essay article shall be submitted in the specified format. The format and ready template can be down loaded from the download link below.  The essay is to be submitted through Email only to <esssay.aissq@gmail.com>
  • Important:
          Submission deadline:  30 July 2015(firm dead line)
          Submit your essay by email: essay.aissq@gmail.com
  • Essay related queries can be mailed to: 
                 1) Hare Krishna Mohanta,  Email: harekrishna.bits@gmail.com
                 2) Ramjee Repaka,  Email: rr.aissq@gmail.com                           

Please remember that a fundamental purpose of writing a good essay is to enrich one's technical, creative, and communicative skills without jeopardizing ethical values.


Download                                            

template-article-essay-aissq15.doc
Download File


guideline-essay-aissq15.doc
Download File

Prizes

All prize winners will get an opportunity to present their essays during 9th All India Students' Conference on Science and Spiritual Quest (AISSQ) to be held on 30th October - 1st November  2015 at IIT Kharagpur, India. They will be reimbursed 3-AC to-and-fro train fares and will be given attractive prizes,  medals and certificates.

CS papers "Impact of international cooperation & science & innovation strategies on S&T output: a comparative study of India & China" & "Indian paper crosses 5000+ citations mark"

Impact of international cooperation and science and innovation strategies on S&T output: a comparative study of India and China
S. A. Hasan, Amit Rohilla and Rajesh Luthra
Current Science, 108(9): 1603-1607, 10 MAY 2015.
Abstract: India and China have made sizeable growth in publishing science and engineering research papers in co-authorship with international institutions and patents granted in collaboration with foreign inventors during the period 1997–2012. However, the growth in case of China is much higher in comparison to India. The pace of growth in publishing research papers in co-authorship with international and domestic institutions is more or less the same in case of China, whereas India has shown higher growth in publishing research papers in co-authorship with international institutions in comparison to those with domestic institutions. The share of India and China to research papers published in co-authorship with international institutions increased from 1.8% and 4.1% respectively, in 1997 to 3.5% and 14.7% respectively in 2012. China's share to patents granted in collaboration with foreign inventors increased from 0.94% in 1997 to 13.68% in 2012, compared to an increase of 0.56% to 7.39% in case of India. The analysis shows that China has harnessed the fruit of its international cooperation in S&T to its advantage, as reflected by significant increase in research papers co-authored with international institutions and patents granted in collaboration with foreign inventors in comparison to India.
Download: http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/108/09/1603.pdf

Indian paper crosses 5000+ citations mark
Nitin Kumar, Yatish Panwar and G. Mahesh
Current Science, 108(9): 1580, 10 MAY 2015.
Abstract: For the first time, a paper having all Indian authors has received 5000+ citations.
Download: http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/108/09/1580.pdf

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

SciDev.Net: Regional hubs, truly global science and a smoother process would improve climate reports, says Purnamita Dasgupta

Three ways to strengthen IPCC reports

Speed read

  • Early interaction is needed to smooth the process of approving IPCC reports
  • A UN initiative could be set up to ensure more data on developing world impacts
  • The panel could also set up hubs to assess region-specific concerns
Regional hubs, truly global science and a smoother process would improve climate reports, says Purnamita Dasgupta.

As the UN's COP 21 meeting in Paris, France, draws closer, the future of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is under consideration. In numerous consultations from Nairobi to Berlin, member countries and scientists are discussing what's next for the body whose scientific assessments have underpinned the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change since the late 1980s.

With scientific consensus settled on the need to limit warming to two degrees Celsius by the end of the century, there seems to be not much left in the science for observers to debate. It is the internal mechanisms that are of key interest: how the assessment process and its outcomes can best help to achieve the IPCC's overall goal of providing authoritative information.

What is the IPCC assessment worth? Most scientists, policymakers and the public seem confident that it is the most authoritative source of information on climate change, its impacts, adaptation and mitigation. Experts reach their conclusions by rigorously evaluating the available peer reviewed literature.

But of late, some IPCC report authors and readers have reflected on the need to improve the form and structure of the process, raising questions about whether there is scope for changing the prevailing processes of assessing and using this science.


Smooth the approval process

There are three key areas of concern. First, there is the issue of improving the viability of the interaction between scientists and their initial 'audience'.
I use the word audience intentionally. Those involved in the report approval process will know that the Summary for policymakers is read out line by line to representatives of the panel's member countries. This is followed by deliberations between author-scientists and member country delegates, and separately among the delegates themselves.
The outcome of this intense approval process is then released to the rest of the world. At this point, the authors are free to voice their opinions on the approved text versus what was left unapproved or modified. Does this create confusion or scepticism among second-level consumers of the science as well as authors? Or does it lead to relief that a text was agreed given that in some cases there is initially some disagreement?
No doubt, what is approved is scientifically credible. The question is whether the process can be smoother. Ideally, it needs to allow for more interaction between authors and member country delegates early on in the process — so that arriving at a final, negotiated version of a document that has taken four years to produce is not squeezed into a few exhausting days.

Add developing world literature

A second concern that resonates with many IPCC authors, and carries much weight when the text gets approved, is the need for more literature from the developing world. This has been a recurring concern. It is important not only in terms of representation — how much literature from resource-poor countries is factored in — but also in terms of relevance: the evidence base for IPCC reports includes much less material covering issues unique to the developing world. For instance, there is limited literature available on climate impacts on peri-urban areas (areas surrounding a city), an increasingly important phenomenon in much of the developing world.
Empirical evidence from different parts of the world can substantiate experiences documented in particular regions. It can also reveal differences between developed and developing countries. But if literature from certain regions is scant, this can become a blind spot where some phenomenon or policy is overlooked when in fact there is just not enough evidence to judge its significance.
The situation is gradually improving. But catching up will take too long — the rate of progress is slow, and the gap is still wide. For instance, last year's Fifth assessment report considered 10,544 sources of scientific literature for Europe and 2,982 for Africa to attribute climate change impacts across different parts of the world. [1] To speed things up, an international, institutional mechanism — perhaps a UN initiative — could be set up to facilitate the process.
More inclusion of peer-reviewed science from, and based on, the developing world would lend credibility and acceptability to the evidence. It would also increase global scientific buy-in and accord the process greater transparency.

Improve reports' user friendliness

The third concern is about making the reports more user friendly through different means of presentation, outreach and dissemination. A lot of effort goes into summarising the key messages of the Synthesis report of the overall assessment in a format and language that are relatively easy for policymakers to understand. There is scope for individual assessment reports, which are written in technical language, to get similar treatment.
In a similar vein, the IPCC could set up hubs to assess region-specific concerns. One hub could be on knowledge transfer for renewable energy in South Asia; another could tackle heat-stress related adaptation in Europe. The onus for dissemination would also then lie with the regional hubs, which can best judge what is required, such as translation into local languages.
There will always be a case for having one major IPCC report — an encyclopedia of information that assesses all opportunities for mitigation and adaptation, all new progress, and the knowledge gaps and challenges that remain. There is no substitute for this since climate change is a multiscale and multidimensional issue; involves multiple disciplines across the social and natural sciences; and is relevant to a wide range of discerning stakeholders from academics to activists to policymakers.
But parallel sub-reports and an emphasis on regional hubs will open up innovative thinking and ensure the timely availability of new knowledge, particularly in rapidly changing areas such as the commercialisation of renewable energy technologies. This will not only help countries to put climate policies in place, but also to dovetail these into developmental goals and aspirations.

Purnamita Dasgupta is Acting Head in the Environmental and Resource Economics Unit at the Institute of Economic Growth in Delhi, India, and coordinating lead author of IPCC Working Group II and its Summary for policymakers, and a member of the core writing team for the Synthesis report. She can be contacted at pdg@iegindia.org
- See more at: http://www.scidev.net/global/climate-change/opinion/ipcc-climate-change-poliy-reports.html

Meet the Author of "Mandate: Will of the People" Vir Sanghvi on 7th May; at 3:30pm; JNU Convention Centre

Meet the Author of "Mandate: Will of the People" Dr. Vir Sanghvi on 7th May 2015

Central Library, Jawaharlal Nehru University in collaboration with Westland Ltd and Association of Media Libraries & Archives cordially invites you to meet Vir Sanghvi for a discussion on his book "Mandate: Will of the People".

For details click me

Date: Thursday, May 7, 2015; at 3:30pm
Venue: JNU Convention Centre

http://lib.jnu.ac.in/sites/default/files/pdf/Book-Discussion1.jpg