To celebrate forty years of School of Social Sciences, "Conference on Democracy Pluralism and Justiceis"; 29 February - 2 March 2012

Celebrating 40 years of School of Social Sciences

 

Conference on Democracy Pluralism And Justice:  Challenges for India in a Changing World

 

29 February – 2 March 2012

 

Venue: Committee Room 1, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi

Programme

• Session One - Wednesday • 29 February
• Democracy, Inclusion, Participation
• Session Two - Wednesday • 29 February
• Constitution, Laws and Democratic Norms
• Session Three - Thursday • 1 March
• New Landscapes of Inequality
• Session Four - Thursday • 1 March
• Shifting Social Dynamics
• Session Five - Friday • 2 March
• The Political Economy of Value, Distribution and Development: Commemorating Krishna Bharadwaj's contribution to social sciences

All are cordially invited

 

Further Details

 

CfP: Conference on Mobile Web Initiative in India; 15th March 2012, New Delhi

Conference on Mobile Web Initiative in India

15th March 2012

India Habitat Center, New Delhi

Organized by W3C India and IAMAI

India continues to be one of the world's fastest-growing telecommunications market due to a progressive regulatory regime, huge capital outlays for network expansion by operators, reductions in tariffs and cost of handsets. Accessing internet through mobile is seen as the future, hence enabling Indian languages on the mobile with parallel efforts enhancing the languages content on the web coupled by the development of various standards supporting these initiatives and our participation in such a global platforms is the ultimate long term goal. Interoperability is the key issue so that the dissemination of multilingual news and information can be handled seamlessly across service providers and variety of mobile available in the market. Creating Web content that works well on mobile devices is challenging for the majority of today's Web content creators, since most of them are more accustomed to creating content for desktop devices.
This conference will cover various issues and challenges like presentation issues, mobile keypads, text transmission etc in mobile web in Indian languages. The Conference seeks to inform practitioners about the potential challenges which can be encountered during the implementation of mobile applications in Indian languages. This conference also covers the future actions that could accelerate the adoption and impact of W3C standards in the development of mobile applications in Indian languages.

Objectives of the Conference :
1. The Conference seeks to inform Technology developer/Service providers about the potential challenges which can be encountered during the implementation of mobile applications in Indian languages.
2. The current challenges and barriers that limit the potential impact of mobile technology in development.
3. Development of M-Governance in India and its approaches to mainstreaming mobile delivery of services.
4. The future actions that could accelerate the adoption and impact of the mobile platform for development

Programme Sessions
Inaugural Session:
* Importance of local language in internet and mobile adoption.
* Moving away from exclusive to inclusive web with Indic;
* Opportunities in Local languages
Session 1 : "Challenges of Indic Adoption on Mobile Web
* Technology for enabling Indian Languages on Mobile Platform * Lack of multi standard interoperability
Session 2:"Best Practices for building Indic Web content for Mobile Web"
* Lack of Local Language support on commonly visited websites
* Lack of Discoverability of existing websites
Session 3 :"Enabling mobile & wireless handheld devices in Indian Languages"
* Indic as key to handset adoption
* Standardization in Text transmission in Indian Language
* Current barriers, challenges and limitations for rendering vernacular content
* Best practices of delivery in Mobile device in Indian languages
Session 4 :"Technology Demo for Deployment of Mobile Based Services"

Call for Speakers
To submit your request to be a speaker please send an email to w3cindiaoffice-dit@nic.in with the Subject Line:" Mobile Web Initiative in India" conference speaker submission. In the email be sure to include your contact information as well as the topic and abstract you are interested in speaking on.
We are looking for presentations that address the following topics :
1. Standardization of mobile keypads
2. Standardization in text transmission(SMS,MMS,IM) in Indian languages
3. Fonts and rendering issues in Indian languages
4. Current barriers and challenges in mobile web for Indian languages
5. Limitation of mobile devices while deploying mobile applications in Indian languages
6. Accessibility of mobile devices, services and content for people with disabilities
7. Best practices for delivery web contents in mobile devices in Indian languages
8. M-Governance in India
9. Mobile-OK Certification/Checker for Indian languages.

Online Registration

Further Details

2013 Fulbright-Nehru and other Fulbright Fellowships for Indian Citizens

2013 Fulbright-Nehru and other Fulbright Fellowships for Indian Citizens

Greetings from the United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF), the Fulbright Commission in India!

I am happy to inform you that USIEF has announced its annual competition for Fulbright-Nehru and other Fulbright fellowships for Indian citizens for the academic year 2013-2014. Open to Indian students, academics, teachers, policy planners, administrators, and professionals, these fellowships are offered in all disciplines. Application due dates begin July 16, 2012. USIEF expects to offer approximately 100 Fulbright-Nehru fellowships for Indians in 2013.

Details about the fellowship programs, application procedure and guidelines, and the selection process are posted on the USIEF website http://www.usief.org.in. Please refer interested individuals to the USIEF website.

I appreciate your efforts to spread the word about Fulbright-Nehru and other fellowship opportunities.

USIEF thanks you for your support and cooperation. 

With best regards

Sincerely

Sarina Paranjape

Sarina Paranjape | Senior Program Officer (Indian Program) | United States-India Educational Foundation | 12 Hailey Road | New Delhi 110 001 | Phone: +91 11 4209 0909 | Fax: +91 11 2332 9718 | E-mail: ip@usief.org.in| Website: http://www.usief.org.in/

NEW! 2013-2014 Fulbright-Nehru and other Fulbright fellowships for study, research, teaching and professional development in the U.S. APPLY NOW! For details CLICK HERE

Orientation Programme on Ethics in Research on Human Subjects at JNU SLLC&S; 18 Feb

Institutional Ethics Review Board, Jawaharlal Nehru University

cordially invites you to

First Orientation Programme on Ethics in Research on Human Subjects

Date: 18 February 2012
Time: 10.00 to 17.30
Registration: 09.30

Venue: Committee Room, School of Languages, Literature and Culture Studies, JNU

Registration by Email at ierbjnu@gmail.com

New Books of Pawan Sikka "Nuclear Crises in Japan: Lessons for India" and “Planning in India: Scientific Developments with National Five-Year Plans”

Sikka, Pawan (2012). Nuclear Crises in Japan: Lessons for India. New Delhi: Uppal Publishing. ISBN 13: 978-81-7658-068-7. INR 995/-

In the aftermath of the triple disaster – tsunami, earthquake and nuclear meltdown – in Japan, "safety of the nuclear power plants" has come under fire world-wide. The developing world including India needs to reconsider the locations of its nuclear plants before their installations in the country. With India focused entirely on growth, it is unprepared for such a devastation but has an ambitious projection of 6,55,000 MW nuclear energy generation capacity by 2050. Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India has ordered undertaking the review of safety of all the (present and future) nuclear plants in India towards attaining peace and prosperity of the nation.

This book "Nuclear Crises in Japan: Lessons for India", is a companion volume to our earlier book "Nuclear Powered India, Indo-US Deal: NSG Clearance, Ushering in a New Dawn of the 21st Century". Both these books provide ready reference material to the students, researchers, nuclear policy planners, sociologists, history of science, environmentalists etc as they contain latest information on the status of the future of nuclear energy programmes in India and the lessons to be learnt from Japan. We have a duty to base our judgments on the best available information.

While we safeguard our interest, we do not miss on opportunities to become a major player in the global energy sector. A rewarding exercise towards a nuclear future of India.

 

Sikka, Pawan (2012). Planning in India: Scientific Developments with National Five-Year Plans. New Delhi: Uppal Publishing. ISBN-13: 978-81-7658-070-0. INR 995/-

Planning for Science and Technology (S&T) has become an important part of the national agenda, and, linking S&T with the national development, is a subject of increasing concern all over the world, which has gained momentum with the emerging scientific and technological revolution in the 21st century.

Planned development of Science and technology has played a vital role in the emergence of modern India, by devising and implementing new strategies for solving the emerging national problems, thus employing the combined strength of S&T with the socio-economic sectors. The utilisation of S&T has been accepted as one of the major national objectives towards attaining the overall progress in India.

"Planning in India: Scientific Developments with National Five-Year Plans", covers planning for science and technology, as an integral component of the India's National Five-Year Plans, from the very first five-year plan (1951-56) till date. The continuity of the planning process has created renewed national interest in the shaping of science in India. Besides, statistical profile as well as, budget-allocations for implementing the newer programmes and national policy declarations enacted from time to time, for the promotion of science and technology, which can be taken as an indication of national commitment towards the socio- economic development of India.

A useful reference book for the policy planners, researchers, science policy analysts, scientific establishments, industry, social-scientists, economists, public administrators, etc as well as, for a cross-section of the academicians, both in India and abroad. It is a unique book.

 

Further Details

 

Article "Climate Policy in India: What Shapes International, National and State Policy?" by Manish K. Shrivastava of CSSP, et al

Climate Policy in India: What Shapes International, National and State Policy?

by Aaron Atteridge, Manish Kumar Shrivastava, Neha Pahuja and Himani Upadhyay

AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment, 41(S1), 68-77, DOI: 10.1007/s13280-011-0242-5

Abstract
At the international level, India is emerging as a key actor in climate negotiations, while at the national and sub-national levels, the climate policy landscape is becoming more active and more ambitious. It is essential to unravel this complex landscape if we are to understand why policy looks the way it does, and the extent to which India might contribute to a future international framework for tackling climate change as well as how international parties might cooperate with and support India's domestic efforts. Drawing on both primary and secondary data, this paper analyzes the material and ideational drivers that are most strongly influencing policy choices at different levels, from international negotiations down to individual states. We argue that at each level of decision making in India, climate policy is embedded in wider policy concerns. In the international realm, it is being woven into broader foreign policy strategy, while domestically, it is being shaped to serve national and sub-national development interests. While our analysis highlights some common drivers at all levels, it also finds that their influences over policy are not uniform across the different arenas, and in some cases, they work in different ways at different levels of policy. We also indicate what this may mean for the likely acceptability within India of various climate policies being pushed at the international level.

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Article "Uncommon Identities: Approaching the Aadhar (UID) Scheme as a Digital Commons" by Ravi Shukla of CSSP

Uncommon Identities: Approaching the Aadhar (UID) Scheme as a Digital Commons

by
Ravi Shukla

Common Voices, Issue 8, 2011

One of the thumb rules in the design and implementation of large technical systems is the inclination to keep the social problem distinct from the technical one. However, since the two are generally interrelated, it often results in efforts to address the social problem by solving the technical one.
Technically, while a more detailed feasibility study is in order, given current standards and tools for exchanging information across diverse systems, as well as the extensive mobile communication infrastructure available, it may be more feasible to implement community based smaller, scalable systems. These systems may interface with, and periodically populate, a central database with basic identity information while still retaining ownership of the more detailed data.

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NSF Science and Engineering Indicators 2012

Science and Engineering Indicators 2012
by
National Science Board/ National Science Foundation, USA

A broad base of quantitative information on the U.S. and International science and engineering enterprise

Chapters

• Elementary and Secondary Mathematics and Science Education
• Higher Education in Science and Engineering
• Science and Engineering Labor Force
• Research and Development: National Trends and International Comparisons
• Academic Research and Development
• Industry, Technology, and the Global Marketplace
• Science and Technology: Public Attitudes and Understanding
• State Indicators

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New UNDP Book "Technological Cooperation and Climate Change: Issues and Perspectives"

Technological Cooperation and Climate Change: Issues and Perspectives

Working papers presented at the MoEF-UNDP Consultation on Technology Cooperation for Addressing Climate Change

New Delhi: UNDP, 2011

Table of Contents

• Foreword by Ministry of Environment and Forests
• Foreword by UNDP
• Chapter 1 : Technology Cooperation for Addressing Climate Change by Preeti Soni
• Chapter 2 : Climate Technology Needs for India by Ambuj Sagar
• Chapter 3 : Mechanisms for International Cooperation in Research and Development in the Area of Climate Change by Carlos M. Correa
• Chapter 4 : Climate Change, Technology and IPR by Martin Khor
• Chapter 5 : Enabling Policies for Technology Transfer in the Context of Climate Change by Biplove Choudhary and K.M. Gopakumar
• Chapter 6 : International Financing Instruments for Meeting Technology Needs by Martin Krause

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Just published "ISIS Current Bibliography of the History of Science and Its Cultural Influences, 2011"

ISIS Current Bibliography of the History of Science and Its Cultural Influences, 2011

Source: Isis, Vol. 102, No. S1, 2011 Current Bibliography (December 2011), pp. i-327

Published by: The University of Chicago Press on behalf of The History of Science Society

The Isis Current Bibliography of the History of Science was begun in 1913 by the historian of science George Sarton as part of his new journal Isis. It seeks to provide, each year, a comprehensive survey of the most recent work done in the history of science and allied fields. It covers all time periods and all disciplines and strives to be truly international in scope. Below, readers will find information on the use and structure of the bibliography as well as directions for access to the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine database, which includes this bibliography, and to other bibliographic sources in the history of science and related fields.
As with all such projects, there are limitations, and certain fields of study are not fully covered. In addition, the many journals that are peripheral to our field cannot be surveyed each year. There is sometimes a longer lag time for works published in those forums as well as for works published by presses outside of North America because access is often more difficult. Individual contributions are always welcome.

New in 2011
Once again the bibliography has expanded. Like last year, the volume contains over 4100 classified entries and over 1000 reviews. What makes this volume physically much larger, however, are the contents lists that accompany the edited book entries. There are 2000 chapters included in this volume and almost half of them are classified.
The bibliography also has greater diversity this year. At the end of last year, I made an appeal to the membership of the History of Science Society to send me citations. I received so great a response that my assistants and I have not been able to enter all of them yet. Frequently, one citation led to several others when we would discover a book or a journal that had articles besides the one we went to get.
I wish to thank all of those contributors, and I apologize to you if your entries didn't make it into this year's bibliography. Rest assured that they will appear next year. Let me make a further appeal for contributions. If you know of works that should be included, don't hesitate to contact me.
A new and growing bibliography that I have helped build this past year is the World History of Science Online website, http://www.dhst-whso.org/. This past summer, I worked with two graduate students to develop a classification structure for internet resources. My assistants found, described, and classified over 300 items. During the next few years, this site will grow as a bibliography for scholarly online resources in history of science. This site is supported by the International Union of History and Philosophy of Science/Division of History of Science and Technology (IUHPS/DHST).

Stephen P. Weldon, Editor

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Working paper "Determinants of drug launch delay in pre-TRIPS India: A survival analysis approach" by Saradindu Bhaduri & Thomas Brenner

Determinants of drug launch delay in pre-TRIPS India: A survival analysis approach

by Saradindu Bhaduri, and Thomas Brenner

Philipps-Universität Marburg, Working Paper # 05.11

Abstract:
The dynamics of drug launch has been an under-researched area. Most of the studies in this field focus on developed countries, quite uniform in terms of disease profile and regulatory framework, and analyse whether stringency in regulation influences launch delay. Developing countries, in contrast, have diverse disease profiles and weaker forms of regulation. A limited set of studies, undertaken in recent years, on the diffusion of new drugs in developing countries indeed conjectures importance of such factors in shaping drug launch dynamics. We investigate the delay of new drug launch in India for drugs launched in the German market during 1990-2004, when, due to weak IPR, not only the innovators but also the domestic firms could launch new drug molecules in the country, making drug launch dynamics interesting to explore. The paper finds that global commercial success of a new drug, market share, first mover advantage, and the threat of imposition of strong IPR system shortens delay. Innovativeness of a new drug, surprisingly, does not have much significant impact on delay.

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New book "Environment, Technology and Development: Critical and Subversive Essays' edited by Rohan D’Souza

Environment, Technology and Development: Critical and Subversive Essays

Edited by Rohan D'Souza

Orient Blackswan, 2012. ISBN : 978-81-250-4506-9

About the Book 
Drawn from the rich archival holdings of the Economic and Political Weekly, the essays in this volume capture the intense discussions in India that were debated as problems and questions over the environment, technology and development. As a collection, this volume proposes a fresh and new analytical coherence for these essays by resituating  them with an engaging  introduction under the broader themes of criticality and subversion. Consequently, these writings will speak not only to several contemporary academic and policy concerns but are also meant to provide a meaningful sense of how ideas on the environment, technology and development were interrelated and shaped in various types of political discourses in India, most notably from the 1970s onwards.
This volume is intended to address the needs of a rapidly growing interest in interdisciplinary programmes and will also carry appeal amongst development and policy practitioners and those who wish to pursue interdisciplinary research questions.

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