CfPs: International Sustainability Conference 2015, 25-28August, at SPRU (Science Policy Research Unit), University of Sussex, UK

International Sustainability Conference 2015
Tuesday 25th – Friday 28th August 2015
Hosted by SPRU (Science Policy Research Unit), University of Sussex, Brighton, UK

Call for papers
With a view to creating engaging, impactful content throughout the conference, the Programme Committee is looking for proposals for a range of high quality main and parallel sessions that address the overall conference themes. The organising committee invites participants to take an active role in constructing an exciting and challenging programme, and therefore may revert for a discussion about how your proposals fit within the emerging programme. We do not want to restrict participation to papers responding to the conference themes only, yet we are seeking to build a conversation between sessions throughout the conference. We are also open to ideas about doing things differently.  
We seek the submission of papers that advance the frontier of sustainability transitions knowledge and practical application. We invite scholars, and stakeholders from business, policy and civil society to submit ideas related to sustainability transitions on topics including the following:

• How can insights from sustainability transitions scholarship help to rethink even bigger issues such as the future of capitalism, inequality, democracy, the economic crisis, war and violence, climate change and globalization? How can transitions theoretical frameworks (and in particular the socio-technical lens) be used to conceptualize these bigger issues?
• How can we go beyond a focus on individual systems, regimes, sociotechnical innovations to an understanding of relationships between existing systems and a range of competing and/or coordinated niches?
• How do sustainability transitions accelerate? Which policy-mixes, institutional changes and/or governance contexts will influence the process?
• How do transitions unfold in different geographical, political and cultural contexts, and how does the understanding of sustainability in all its dimensions vary across contexts?
• How does the agency of different types of actors (whether government, firms, users, civil society) contribute to accelerating or slowing down sustainability transitions? What kinds of resources is their agency based on, and what characterises successful strategies?
• Can current transitions frameworks address global challenges including the evolving and changing role of cities, NGOs, nation-states, international organisations and transnational networks. How should we think about sustainability transitions from a global and transnational perspective?
• How can we influence transformations as an academic community? What is needed to maximise our impact on policymakers and other stakeholders?
• How can we advance conceptual frameworks, modelling, and methods for studying transitions – including quantitative and qualitative approaches?

What are we looking for at the 6th IST Conference?
    Global perspectives – including but also beyond Europe, in terms of themes and participation
    Active engagement with stakeholders from business, civil society and government in as many sessions as possible.
    Updating of STRN Research Manifesto (developed in 2010) which is available on the Network's website  

Submission requirements
Submissions should be made before 20 March 2015 (inclusive) via email to IST2015@sussex.ac.uk.

Please see the guidance below on criteria for submissions.
    Paper abstracts (to be included in one of the conference sessions) - 600 word abstracts that provide information about the question, theory, method and findings, plus a brief biography of each author (10 lines each). Note that full papers will be required prior to the event.
    Research session proposals (3 original research papers, 90 minute session) with an invited commentator and chair. Paper authors and commentators with non-academic affiliations are welcome. We invite PhD researcher-led sessions, and welcome suggestions for new formats for sessions. Proposals should include a maximum 500 word description of the session and how it relates to the conference themes, plus (max.) 600 word extract of each paper. Biographies of all participants should also be included, including the invited commentator and Chair (10 lines each)
    Dialogue sessions (60-90 minutes) - Proposals should include a 600 word description of the session, issues to be covered and how it will stimulate debate about sustainability transitions, plus a brief (10 line each) biography of each participant (academic and non-academic). We invite new and innovative formats.
    Submission via email to IST2015@sussex.ac.uk
    Format: PDF or Microsoft Word
    Digital file names should follow the format – organiser (or author) last name, plus either IP for Individual Paper, RS for research session, and DS for Dialogue session. E.g. Schot_IP.

Additional submission guidance
Professor Johan Schot, Programme Committee Chair, Director of SPRU, E: J.W.Schot@sussex.ac.uk.

The conference is part of the activities of the Sustainability Transitions Research Network (STRN) and is linked to the journal Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions.

Further Details: http://www.ist2015.org/papers

Terragreen In Conversation with Indradip Mitra: "Promoting Solar Energy" and MNRE's "Solar Mapping and Monitoring (SolMap)" project

Terragreen in Conversation: "Promoting Solar Energy" and GIZ-MNRE's "Solar Mapping and Monitoring (SolMap)" project

Dr.-Ing. Indradip Mitra is the Senior Technical Advisor of the project "Green Energy Corridors", and the Team Lead for the project, "Solar Mapping and Monitoring (SolMap)", Indo-German Energy Programme of German International Cooperation (GIZ). Shilpa Mohan in conversation with Dr.-Ing. Indradip Mitra for TerraGreen.

 

Solar power has been around for a long time. Why isn't it more mainstream and why don't more people use solar power for their homes?

Solar power, in its various forms, has been utilized throughout the world for a very long time. If we consider the electricity generation sector or heat usages, then it can be claimed that the use of solar power is not new. For example, Germany has 39 GWp of Solar Photovoltaic power (PV) connected to the electricity grids whereas India has now reached the level of 3 GWp and is growing. Solar hot water systems are quite popular in India and its use is increasing in the household sector too. Electricity generation through solar energy was mainly limited to offgrid applications for remote and rural areas until 2010. Since 2011, the grid connected central solar photovoltaic plants have been growing throughout the country. With technological maturity and availability of the product in the Indian market, energy experts are making an effort to spread awareness about solar power in India.

 

What is the potential of solar energy?

Very crudely, global primary energy consumption of 400 EJ/year can be met with 10 per cent conversion efficiency which means 200 W/m2 global irradiance from 0.1 per cent of earth's surface area or 0.35 per cent of earth's land surface area. However, there is a significant difference in the resource, technical, and economic potential. Solar radiation is not uniformly distributed over the globe. The demand of energy with specific kinds of pre-requisite quality of energy and the time of usage for the energy demand, vary across the world. The practical potential at the level of current technology and associated costs are dependent on many factors. It is quite a complex task to accurately determine such potential in quantitative form. Various organizations approximately estimate solar energy potential under specific assumptions.

 

A lot of people really want to know if they will recoup their upfront financial investment of installing solar power systems. Your comment.

This strongly depends on the solar energy radiation of the location concerned, costs of the solar energy system components, and the existing tariff structure of the baseline conventional power supply. In India, it can be said that with the average radiation level of our country, one can expect to get payback within a reasonable span of time.

 

Tell us about the concept of SolMap.

SolMap is a project financed by German Federal Ministry BUMB, which supports the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India, to establish a network of solar radiation data monitoring units in India for a countrywide Solar Radiation Resource Assessment (SRRA) project. In SolMap project, Deutsche Gesellschaftfür Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) supports National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) to develop a precise and value added database on solar radiation and other weather parameters which is crucial for making a national solar radiation atlas in the future. It also helps in transferring German experience and know-how in the field of solar resource assessment to India, through exchanges and cooperation involving relevant institutions and experts. Under this initiative, a network consisting of 121 nodes over all states in India monitoring solar radiation and associated parameters has been made operational and the data has been made available for public. SolMap is also implementing a benchmarking system on real life performance of grid connected solar PV plants in India. The project aspires to develop and test a benchmarking system for performance monitoring of solar electricity plants.

 

How did you come up with this idea?

In 2010, it was realized by MNRE that there existed a lack of appropriate solar radiation data suitable for designing solar power plant components. Although, there were several organizations including IMD (India Meteorological Department) engaged in solar radiation data collection. They focused on domains of applications other than solar electricity/solar heat, i.e., solar energy engineering usage. At the same time, satellite based solar radiation estimates were available but they were not accurate in nature because of the lack of appropriate ground measurements. Therefore, MNRE felt the need for the requirement of a project called the SRRA. India got a great impetus when Germany agreed to provide with its expertise in this area of activity. Since then this collaboration is moving ahead successfully and several phases of achievements have been attained. In 2010, India launched the National Solar Mission, which is one of the major initiatives worldwide to promote solar energy. The aim of this mission is to establish 20,000 MW of grid-connected solar power by 2022, run 2,000 MW equivalent of off-grid applications, and gradually increase the solar thermal collector area to 20 million sq. m.

 

How can SolMap help in ensuring that this target is achieved with complete efficacy?

The SolMap project is aimed at quantification of radiation distributed over entire India. The outcome of this project is an essential input for development of solar projects in the country from large scale centralized solar PV plants to small-scale roof top PV plants to solar thermal usage, including Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) project development. Even for off-grid rural electrification application, this is the only source for reliable solar radiation information data in India. Thus, the investment planning for Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) targets can be appropriately chalked out. From the PV performance benchmarking part of SolMap project, important information on suitability of specific technologies in specific geographic regions in India can be utilized for setting up of new solar power projects.

 

How can SolMap help in tackling the present energy situation?

It has been envisaged that the project will make reliable and accurate data available, based on ground surface measurements and that subsequently this data could then be used to ground truth for other data sources including satellite-based data. The information provided from the project has already led to some fine policy adjustments of various state governments in terms of predicting solar park developments. Apart from these, 54 organizations have procured solar radiation data products from this project till date. The organizations of various satellite-based solar radiation data and data provider organizations have started using the SRRA data for the improvement of their satellite data products. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is the latest organization to show interest in this. SolMap project's PV Performance Benchmarking Analysis can benefit the individual PV plant by detecting the problems so that corrective suggestions /recommendations for improving their performance can be provided which thereby increases the scope of enhancing the performance efficiency of the solar power plants in India.

 

Source: Terragreen, March 2015, pp. 18-20. http://terragreen.teriin.org/index.php?option=com_terragreen&task=detail&section_id=2224&category_id=5&issueid=93

Call for chapters: Ethics of Biomedical Big Data - Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford

Call for Chapters:  Ethics of Biomedical Big Data edited volume

Peer-reviewed edited volume in Springer's Philosophical Studies series

Editors:   Prof. Luciano Floridi & Dr. Brent Mittelstadt
Oxford Internet Institute

University of Oxford

Deadlines
Extended Abstracts:  March 30, 2015

Chapters:  June 30, 2015

Description
In biomedical research, the analysis of large datasets (Big Data) has become a major driver of innovation and success.  Epidemiology, public health and infectious diseases research, biobanks, genomic and microbiome sequencing are already deeply affected by Biomedical Big Data, alongside emerging forms of commercial collection and self-curation of medical data (e.g. health 'apps', online health records, wearable computing).  However, the collection, storage and analysis of this data potentially raises serious ethical problems, which may threaten the huge opportunities it offers. Recent movement from the NHS to further share patient data (care.data) and related data sharing throughout Europe make addressing these problems in the near term very pressing. 

To address these and similar questions we are putting together a peer-reviewed edited volume on ethical challenges faced in biomedical Big Data, in collaboration with Springer as part of their Philosophical Studies book series.  The volume will build upon the outputs of a workshop of the same name hosted in April 2015 by the Oxford Internet Institute as part of the 'Ethics of Biomedical Big Data' project (http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/research/projects/?id=130).  The volume will bring together expertise from academia, medicine and industry to address emerging challenges in the field, and the requirements for a European framework for ethical usage of biomedical Big Data.  We invite you to submit a chapter to the volume which will provide the groundwork for a future European regulatory framework for biomedical Big Data. 

We hope chapters will address questions such as:

• What are the unique ethical challenges of biomedical Big Data?
• What does the ethical landscape look like beyond issues of informed consent and privacy?
• How should collection, sharing and re-uses of biomedical Big Data be regulated?
• Which existing and prospective Big Data practices are particularly problematic or require further analysis/regulation?
• How can we develop an ethically sound framework for using Big Data in biomedical research as well as commercial applications at a European level?
• What lessons can be learnt from previous or different experiences in applied ethics that could help in dealing with the new challenges posed by Big Data in biomedical research?

Chapters addressing existing cases or examples of ethically problematic Big Data practices are very welcome.  Requirements, proposals and desiderata for the development of the aforementioned European framework are also of particular interest, given the 'emerging' state of 'Big Data sciences'.

Instructions
Please submit a working title and a 500-word abstract of your proposed chapter as a Word document to Dr. Brent Mittelstadt (brent.mittelstadt@oii.ox.ac.uk).  All submitted abstracts will be reviewed by the editors.  Authors will be notified of the outcome by April 17 and invited to submit a full chapter by June 30, 2015 for peer-review and publication in the volume.

If you have questions regarding the suitability of your submission please contact Dr. Mittelstadt with your proposed title and a 2-3 sentence description.

You are very welcome to distribute this call to colleagues and across relevant networks.

Call text:  http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/news/?id=1272

Ethics of Biomedical Big Data project website:  http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/research/projects/?id=130

Globethics.net Global Competition 2015 on Responsible Leadership

Globethics.net Global Competition 2015 on Responsible Leadership
Globethics.net has launched its very first global competition with the topic "Responsible Leadership". The competition is being run through the nine Globethics.net regional programmes (China, East Africa, Francophone Africa, India, Indonesia, South America, Southern Africa, Russia and Turkey) with participants invited to submit their contributions on the topic of responsible leadership to the contact person in their region in the form of a scientific paper, a poem, song, video or other meaningful artistic expression by 30 April 2015 (in exception of the programme in Russia with a deadline until 30 March 2015). The best three contributions of the Global Competition are invited to an international Globethics.net conference and will receive USD 500 in cash.

Who?
University students (bachelor, master, doctoral) and young professionals living or studying in one of the countries covered in the nine Globethics.net Regional Programmes (found at www.globethics.net/about-us/regional-programmes) are invited to submit their contributions.

How?
Contributors are invited to submit either a scientific paper or a contribution in the form of a poem, song, video or other meaningful artistic expression.

What?
The overall theme is "Responsible Leadership". Around the world, trust in leaders in politics, business, education, civil society, religious organisations, families, the media, etc. is undermined by the abuse of power, corruption, lack of accountability and reliability. On the other hand, many leaders are executing their power in a responsible way. Contributions have to deal with the topic from an ethical, values-based perspective and orientation. Contributions should be if possible specific and contextual. Possible areas of study (as suggestions) are:
- Characteristics, values and virtues of a responsible (and an irresponsible) leader;
- How (e.g. as an electorate) to make leaders accountable and responsible;
- Examples of responsible leaders and their ethical justification/evaluation;
- Specific aspects of responsible leadership by sector (e.g. business, a specific institution, a profession, a religious community etc.);
- Specific aspects of responsible leadership: gender, age, culture, religion, philosophy, ideology;
- Responsible leadership and philanthropy and their impacts on politics, economics and decisions in the global sphere; and Leadership in managing resources (financial, natural, spiritual, intellectual etc.).

When?
Submit your contribution in electronic form (paper, video, audio) by email by 30 April 2015 at the latest to the contact in your region as given below.

Language
Contributions can be submitted in English or in the language of the Regional Programme (Indonesian in Indonesia, Chinese in China, French in Francophone Africa, Swahili in East-Africa, Spanish in South America and Russian in Russia, Turkish in Turkey).

Form and Conditions Scientific Papers / Poems
- Applicants must be registered as a participant at Globethics.net www.globethics.net
- Send by email a half-page CV about the author and attach the paper/poem in Word and pdf
- Scientific papers should have a length of between 3,000 and 5,000 words maximum and poems should be no longer than 1,000 words.
- A minimum of 3 articles from the Globethics.net online libraries should be quoted in the paper. Search from 1.5 million documents here: http://www.globethics.net/library/overall-search

Form and Conditions Video/Audio
- Applicants must be registered at Globethics.net www.globethics.net
- Send by email a half-page CV about the author and a link to an online storage space (like Dropbox) of the video or audio if it is more than 8 MB.
- Video and audio contributions should have a length of between 3 and 15 minutes maximum.
- Audio in MP3 format, video in MP4 format.

Selection and Awards
Regional awards: each Regional Programme has a scientific selection committee to evaluate and rate the contributions. The contributions will be divided into three categories:
1. The best five from each region (3 papers, 2 video/audio) a. The best 3 papers from each region (27 in total) to be published in an international Globethics.net book and each winner in this category will receive USD 100 in cash. b. The best 2 video/audio from each region (18 in total) uploaded on the competition website and each winner in this category will receive USD 100 in cash.
2. All runners up selected will have their contributions made available online on the competition website.
3. Not selected
Global awards: the Directors of the nine Regional Programmes with the Executive Director of Globethics.net form the selection committee for the global award. The best three contributions (one paper, one video, one audio) of the nine regions globally are invited to an international Globethics.net conference and receive USD 500 in cash.

Contact
Please send your paper, video or audio by 30 April 2015 at the latest to Watinaro Longkumer Longkumer@globethics.net.
Globethics.net looks forward to receiving your scientific paper, poem, video or audio contributions and thanks you for your participation!

For more information about the competition consult the Global Competition 2015 page referring to the specific guidelines for each of the nine Globethics.net regional programmes: http://www.globethics.net/globalcompetition2015

An Interactive Atlas to Track Green Protests www.EJAtlas.org by Nikita Mehta | Live Mint

An Interactive Atlas to Track Green Protests [www.EJAtlas.org]
The atlas covers 133 countries and the struggles by against environmental and social impacts from projects in 10 areas
by Nikita Mehta | Live Mint | 06.03.2015

New Delhi: Tracking resistance movements against projects that damage the environment, from mines to toxic waste sites to pockets of deforestation, will now be easy with an innovative atlas tool called Global Atlas of Environmental Justice, which was launched as an initiative of the Environmental Justice Organizations, Liabilities and Trade (EJOLT) project. The atlas covers 133 countries and the struggles by communities against environmental and social impacts from projects in 10 areas including nuclear, mineral ores and building extractions, waste management, biomass and land conflicts, fossil fuels and climate justice, energy, water management, infrastructure and built environment, tourism recreation, biodiversity conservation conflicts and industrial and utilities conflicts.
The projects and movements are represented by different coloured circles, such as blue for water management and yellow for nuclear. Incidentally, the most number of listed conflicts are in India, which has 198 resistance movements. One can browse by country and case-by case to get details such as stakeholders, satellite maps of concerned areas and progress of the movements. This collaborative research project dedicated to supporting environmental justice organizations is supported by the European Union and coordinated by Joan Martinez Alier at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (ICTA-UAB).
"The new website will make the connections between economic activities, companies and environmental impacts even clearer. This will greatly enhance its use by environmental justice organizations and front-line communities," EJatlas coordinator and editor Leah Temper said in a statement. The atlas, first launched in March last year, has been updated with new features, which include fracking frenzy, mining in Latin America, and climate debt. The new maps show new geospatial data layers on issues such as water scarcity, forest cover, mining and oil concessions and the underlying social and environmental drivers of the conflicts.

Read more at: http://www.livemint.com/Politics/8D2nOugteExpARZjsTW2gL/An-interactive-atlas-to-track-green-protests.html

Call for Applications: TISS Workshop on Qualitative Research, 12–15 April, Mumbai

TISS Workshop on Qualitative Research 

12–15 APRIL 2015

Organised by Center for Health & Social Sciences, School of Health Systems Studies, TISS; Centre for Sexuality and Health Research and Policy (C-SHaRP), Chennai

Workshop Venue: Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai

Applications are invited to participate in a four-day Workshop on Qualitative Research at TISS, Mumbai.

Workshop objectives:

To build the capacity of MPhil/PhD scholars, independent researchers & early-career academicians on designing, conducting and reporting qualitative research in public health and social and behavioral sciences.

Workshop content:

Introduction to Qualitative Research (Theoretical Frameworks, Research Design & Sampling, Ethics)

Data Collection Methods (With a Focus on In-Depth Interviews, Focus Groups and Observation)

Data Analysis (Grounded Theory Analytic Techniques, Applied Thematic Analysis, Framework Analysis), and Use of Qualitative Software (Hands-On Crash Course)

Reporting Qualitative Research for Thesis and Publications

Registration Fees:

Rs. 1000 for of MPhil/PhD scholars; Rs. 2000 for academic faculty or independent researchers. Participants will be provided workshop materials, refreshments, lunch/ dinner and on-campus accommodation (twin-sharing) for 3 nights. Participants travel 

Eligibility and Application:

MPhil/PhD students, independent researchers and early career University faculty with a background in public health, health and development, gender and health, socio-behavioural sciences, are eligible to apply. Preference will be given to those who are already involved in qualitative research (i.e., their thesis or stud employs qualitative or mixed methods research). The number of participants for this workshop is restricted to 20. Applications should be sent by email with the following details: name, gender, university/college and department, name of guide (for doctoral students), topic and area of research, and other relevant information, including a short write-up (one paragraph) explaining why you would like to attend the workshop. Give subject line: TISS-Qualitative Research Workshop.

Email your applications to: Ms. Vijayalakshmi at: trainings.csharp@gmail.com

Last date for sending applications: March 25, 2015

Selected participants will be required to pay the registration fees before 2 April by Demand Draft in favour of "Tata Institute of Social Sciences" payable at Mumbai.

Workshop faculty:

Dr. Venkatesan Chakrapani, C-SHaRP, Chennai

Prof. Shalini Bharat, Tata Institute of Social Sciences

Dr. Manmeet Kaur, PGIMER, Chandigarh

Prof. Miriam Samuel, Madras Christian College, Chennai

Dr. Pushpesh Kumar, Central Hyderabad University, Hyderabad

Supporters:

This workshop is partly supported by VOICES India project of the Humsafar Trust, TISS, C-SHaRP and Univ. of Toronto, with funding from Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR/CHVI).

Further Details

Call for Applications: TISS Scientific Writing Workshop, 27-29 April, Mumbai

TISS Scientific Writing Workshop 

27–29 April 2015

Venue: Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai

Organizer: Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai & Population Council, New Delhi

Centre for Health and Social Science, School of Health Systems Studies, TISS in collaboration with the Population Council, is organizing a Scientific Writing Workshop from April 27 – 29, 2015. The workshop is part of the Bill and Melinda Gates funded Knowledge Network Project that aims to build the writing skills of social researchers for scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals. The workshop combines teaching with practical exercises to build scientific writing capacity and reinforce the principles taught. The venue is Tata Institute of Social Sciences, V. N. Purav Marg, Deonar, Mumbai 400 088, India. 

Objectives of the workshop

1. To teach the principles of effective scientific writing, and organizing ideas and content in a logical way for scientific publications/papers.

2. To build the skills of writing specific sections of a scientific paper [Abstract/Executive Summary, Introduction, Methods, Data Analysis and Findings, Discussion, Recommendations].

3. To train in the use of Endnote reference manager software. 

Eligibility and application

MPhil/PhD scholars and early career University faculty with a social science background, particularly in health and development, HIV, maternal and child health, gender and health, and family studies are eligible to apply. Researchers who have completed data collection/analysis and/or are beginning manuscript preparation (thesis or journal publication) will be given preference.

The number of participants for this workshop is restricted to 15. Applications should be sent by email with the following details: name, gender, University/college and department, name of Guide (for Doctoral students), topic, area and stage of research, and other relevant information, including publications; along with a short write-up (one paragraph) explaining why you would like to attend the workshop. The subject line should be: KN Scientific Writing Workshop. 

Email applications to: Dipak Suryawanshi, Research Associate; email address: dipak.suryawanshi@tiss.edu

There is no fee for workshop participants. Selected participants will be provided free on-campus accommodation (twin-sharing), meals and refreshments during the workshop, and some course material. However, participants are required to meet their own travel cost to Mumbai and locally. 

Last date for receiving applications: March 15, 2015

Resource Persons: 

Ms. Deepika Ganju, Sr. Program Officer, Population Council 

Dr. Sangram Patel, Sr. Program Officer, Population Council

Ms Shrutika Sabarwal, Program Officer, Population Council

Dipak Suryawanshi, Research Officer, KN Project, TISS

Dr. Shalini Bharat, Professor, CHSS/SHSS, TISS

Further Details: http://download.tiss.edu/workshops-seminars-conferences-programme/AnnouncementScientificWritingWorkshop_April2015Final.pdf

CfPs: Life in the Indian City: Aspirations, Expressions and Planning - A one day Graduate Students' Conference, at IIT Delhi, 18 April

Life in the Indian City: Aspirations, Expressions and Planning -- A one day graduate students' conference
18 April 2015
Organizer & Venue: Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi

Calls for Papers
According to the 2011 Census just over one third of India now resides in its cities and towns. The proportion of urban population in India is expected to grow to forty percent in the next twenty years. This rapid growth in the concentration of population in urban spaces calls forrethinking the way our cities and town are imagined, planned and governed. Moreover, the urban population today exerts an influence over the country's politics, culture and economics, that is disproportionate to its strength. Recent trends in administrative alterations in processes of urbanisation - as in the recent amendments to the land acquisition laws and environmental clearances - are heavily weighted in favour of prioritising the growth of Indian cities. The growth of social media and an almost total focus on the urban imagination in other forms of dominant
media relegates the rural constituency further to the margins. The resulting imbalance threatens to give form/rise to resistance and unrest. A corresponding softening of democracy and an undermining of democratic institutions have led to a rise in the politics of identity. The city in India has also shaped particular literary genres and urban sub-cultures instrumental in giving voice to urban segments which are otherwise unrepresented in the dominant cultural sphere.
The Indian urban space, therefore, finds itself at the cusp of rising aspirations and increased challenges for governance. This seminar proposes to take stock of life as lived in Indian urban spaces, and to examine its histories and future through the eyes of the scholars of tomorrow.

Research papers may address the following themes:

• Migration, Urbanization, Inequality, Growth, Health, Climate change, Political economy and any related topics in Development Economics, Urban informal sector, urban livelihood.
• Bi-/Multilingualism, Code-mixing and code-switching, Language and Identity, Politics of language, Language of subcultures.
• The construction of urban identities, movements from the rural to the urban, representation of urban spaces in literature, the idea of the urban as modern, the cityscape in literature, coming of age - representing Indian cities through Indian writings, the graphic novel, urban sub-cultures.
• Polis and Philosophical thinking, City (polis) and Tragedy, Urban alienation, Walter Benjamin and City, Saint Augustine and the City of God: (Virtue, God and the City), City: Utopia, Dystopia, Heterotopia, Henri Lefebvre 'Philosophy of the City and Planning Ideology', Georg Simmel 'The Metropolis and Mental Life', City, Citizenship and Political Thought, Cosmopolitanism vs Provincialism, City as BwO (bodies without organs), Dwelling, Community and commons. Camp, Ghetto, Slum as Biopolitical paradigm.
• Cities and Climate change, Cities and sustainable development, Technoscience and the city Positive health and well-being, emotion, cognition and culture, inter group relations and identity.
• Globalization, migration, cinema and the city, the sacred city, conflict and change, ecology and environment, imagining urban space, violence and resettlement, the city as site of social protest/social movements, class and ethnicity in the city.
• Urban aesthetics, Network cities.

Papers may also be submitted on other relevant issues around the theme of "Life in the Indian City: Aspirations, Expressions and Planning". The call for papers is open for all graduate students engaged in masters or doctoral studies in any discipline of the Humanities, Social Sciences, Law, Architecture, Planning or Engineering.
Submissions are invited for the conference from students pursuing studies towards a Masters degree or Research Scholars working on a Doctoral Research. Abstracts for papers of not more than 300 words should be submitted to gradconf@hss.iitd.ac.in by 15 March 2015. In the submission the student must clearly mention her/his name, department/ centre/ institution, roll number/ registration number and year of admission into the current programme. Selected papers would be notified by 21 March 2015. Participants would be required to submit final papers of 2500-3000 words by 10 April 2015. The expected length of presentations would be 15 minutes. No TA/ DA will be paid to participants. Best papers in various categories will be awarded.

Further Details: http://hss.iitd.ac.in/sites/default/files/field/newspdf/CFP-hss-grad-conf.pdf

CFP - APSTSN 2015: Disasters, Controversy and Public Engagement; 1-4 Oct , Kaohsiung,Taiwan

2015 Asia-Pacific STS Network Biennial Conference

Call for Papers

Disasters, Controversies and Public Engagement

APSTSN is pleased to announce the Call for Papers for the biennial conference, to be held in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Oct 1st~4th, 2015. 

April 15th, 2015: Deadline for submissions of individual papers and session proposals

Conference Website: http://apstsn.tw-sts.org/

Conference Themes
Over the past several years, the Asia-Pacific has experienced disasters on various scales and severity, often compounded by technological system failures, such as the 311 earthquake and the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, the Sowel ferry disaster in Korea, and the propene explosion in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. In addition, recent scandals regarding food safety in Taiwan and China have created a sense of urgency. These disasters and threats have brought major controversies over how to ensure a safe future in a risk society, and they have also drawn people from different sectors to participate in the discussion. Most importantly, the public has become even more critical in shaping the climate of civil and policy making opinions. Confronting these disasters, how do we mobilize and empower the public to engage in the improvement of a technological society in order to increase our resilience in the face of giant disasters?

Confirmed keynote speakers and panelists
Deborah Bird Rose, University of New South Wales, Australia
Tadashi Kobayashi, Osaka University, Japan
Kuei-Tien Chou, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
Hee-Je Bak, Kyung Hee University, Korea
Sulfikar Amir, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
 
Science and technology in society has an important role to play in investigating disasters wherever they arise. We would therefore like to invite scholars and activists to exchange ideas and findings on the topic of disasters, controversies and public engagements in the Asia-Pacific region.     

STS topics are welcome, including but not limited to:

Biosciences	Food & Agriculture	Medical Care
Business	Finance & Markets	Gender & Technology
Modeling & Numbers-work	Indigenous Knowledge	Normativity & Normalization
Citizenship & Activism	Information & Media	Post Humanities
Science & Law	Multi-Species Relations	Energy
Risk	Environment & Ecology	Government, Policy & Politics
Theory & Method	Science Communication	Disability & Assistive Technology
Post-Colonial Science	Knowledge & its Limits	And more

Important Dates:
February 1st , 2015                          Submission opens
April 15th, 2015                               Deadline for submissions of individual papers, session proposals
May 30th, 2015                                Acceptance Notification                                            
July 31st, 2015                                Early Bird Registration closes
(All presenters must register to be included in the program. For papers with more than one author, one presenter must register to be included in the final program.)
 
Proposal Submission:
Individual submission abstract:  
Individual submission abstracts should be up to 250 words. They should include the main arguments, methodology, and their contribution to the STS literature. Paper titles should not exceed 10 words. Please list five key words to assist the program chair to group individual papers into a session. You may choose to submit your paper abstract to one of the topics listed above where you would prefer your paper to be included, or you can leave panel selection to the program chairs.

Session proposal abstract:
Session proposal abstracts should have a maximum of 200 words. Each session proposal should contain a summary and rationale, including a brief discussion of its contribution to STS. Session proposals should be designed to fit one-and-half-hour time slots. A typical session will contain three papers with a discussant. A maximum of four paper abstracts conforming to the above criteria for abstracts must be submitted for a proposed session.
TO SUBMIT, please visit   http://apstsn.tw-sts.org/ 
Presentation time: A feature of APSTSN conferences is that adequate space and time is provided for presentations and questions. For each presentation, we will arrange 20 minutes for the delivery of the presentation and 10 minutes for questions as a minimum.
Program Participation: To ensure there is adequate time for the above we request that individuals may be listed for only one paper presentation as the presenter and one other role (such as session chair or discussant but not a second paper) for a maximum of two appearances. That is, we request one single authored paper and one co-authored paper as the limit with regard to abstracts and presentations.

Special Planning:
STS Fair (Oct, 3rd Saturday afternoon 3:00~5:30pm)
Science, Technology and Society (STS) researches have always paid special attention to social involvements of academic findings. The 2015 APSTSN conference will hold an interactive STS FAIR session, to encourage networking between scholars, social activists, policy makers, government agents, industrial managers, designers and representatives from communities, NGOs, NPOs, and more. We hope participants will gain insights for developing projects and future collaborations. This fair is thus intended to nurture STS networking and research that integrates social practices and academic advances. (Please see website for details)

Registration Fee:

		Early bird (by July 31st)	Regular (after July 31st )	STS Fair
Delegates with paper presentation	Non Taiwan STS member	220 USD	240 USD	1st  Table free, 2nd and more 15 USD
	Taiwan STS member after support	120 USD	150 USD
Audience only	Non Taiwan STS member	110 USD	110 USD	15 USD per table
	Taiwan STS member after support	70 USD	70 USD
Student Audience		20 USD	20 USD	15 USD per table
Banquet		30 USD	30 USD

Financial Support:
(1) APSTSN offer financial support for students, unsalaried APSTSN members, and members whose salaries are insufficient to support the registration fee. Please email us at apstsn2015@gmail.com with requesting reason for a partial fee waiver.
(2) Taiwan STS Association will make support to their members by 100 USD for the delegates with paper presentation, and 40 USD for the audience. Please contact Taiwan STS association about the financial support.
 
Venue: Garden Villa, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
http://www.gardenvilla.com.tw/modules/gv_homepage/index.php?lang=english

Special room rate available for conference delegates, see website for details.  
Traveling to Kaohsiung: http://khh.travel/en/default1.asp
Conference Website: http://apstsn.tw-sts.org/

About APSTSN:
The Asia-Pacific Science, Technology and Society Network (APSTSN) was formed in 2008. It offers a new regional identity for STS scholars to complement their local, national and sub-regional STS networks. In 2015, the APSTSN biennial conference will be held in Taiwan for the first time. (http://apstsn.org/)
Contact:  2015apstsn@gmail.com for the conference
STS FAIR Invitation
2015, Oct, 3rd Saturday afternoon 3:00~5:30pm
Science, Technology and Society (STS) researches have always paid special attention to social involvements of academic findings. The 2015 APSTSN conference will hold an interactive STS FAIR session, to encourage networking between scholars, social activists, policy makers, government agents, industrial managers, designers and representatives from communities, NGOs, NPOs, and more. We hope participants will gain insights for developing projects and future collaborations. This fair is thus intended to nurture STS networking and research that integrates social practices and academic advances.
The format of the fair exhibition can be one or many of the following, but not limited to:
A.      related to a paper presented in the conference, ex: citizen environment monitoring projects, assisted technology, board games designed from an STS issues, etc.
B.      new topics looking for academic back-up or potentially interesting STS research.
C.      film showing and discussions.
D.      other interesting ways to encourage STS discussions.
For registered presenters, each person can sign up for one table free of charge.
For all other participants, reservation of a table is 15 USD.
*Table size to be announced later
Conference Website: http://apstsn.tw-sts.org/ | Contact: +886-7-3617141 # 3424;  2015apstsn@gmail.com
--

Jerome Whitington

National University of Singapore

Asia Research Institute + Tembusu College

Science and Technology Studies (STS) Cluster

Convenor, Asia-Pacific Science, Technology and Society Network

Cell: +65 9091 9079 | US & International: +1 347 206 0168 | VOIP: +1 415 763 8605

Invitation -- JNU Round Table Discussion on "Unfolding Development Potential of North-East Region: Sustainability and Policy Perspectives", 2nd March, at JNU Convention Centre

Round Table Discussion on

"Unfolding Development Potential of North-East Region: Sustainability and Policy Perspectives"

Monday, 2nd March 2015 (4:30·7:00 pm)

Venue: Audi-2, Convention Centre, JNU, New Delhi

Chief Guest: Hon'ble Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, MoS Independent Charge PMO, Ministry of Development of North-East Region, Govt. of India

Guest of Honor: Prof. S.K. Sopory (V.C.) JNU

Program Schedule

Welcome address By Prof. S.K Sopory (VC. JNU)
Speakers:Prof. Bhagat Oinam (JNU)

Prof. Milap Punia (JNU)

Prof. V.V. Krishna (JNU)

Mr. A.M. Singh (Joint Secretory, Ministry of DoNER)
Mr. Rishi Raj (Advocate. High Court, Delhi)
Prof. Ashwani Pareek (JNU)
Keynote Address by Dr. Jitendra Singh (MoS Independent Charge PMO , Ministry of Development of North·East Region, Govt. of India)
Vote of Thanks by Dr. Rajbeer Singh (JNU)
Organized by:

Ministry of Development of North East Region (DoNER), Govt of India;

Centre for Studies in Science Policy, School of Social Science, JNU, New Delhi;

BIGNNING, New Delhi.

Listen to Online Audio Record of the Round Table Discussion

Open Courseware on Research Evaluation Metrics, Bibliometrics and Scientometrics

Open Courseware on Research Evaluation Metrics, Bibliometrics and Scientometrics

From INFLIBNET Centre, UGC, India
The following course on Informetrics & Scientometrics is available online with India's e-PG Pathshala: A Gateway to All Post Graduate Courses [An MHRD Project under its National Mission on Education through ICT (NME-ICT)]. The course contents are freely available online.

Course Structure
Informetrics & Scientometrics (I K Ravichandra Rao, Paper Coordinator)
Full-text Access: http://epgp.inflibnet.ac.in/browse.php?&category=364

01. Librametry, bibliometrics, scientometrics, informetrics and webometrics: historical development. Content writer : Dr. S L Sangam
02. Data sources and software tools for bibliometric studies. Content writer : N S Harinarayana
03. Library use studies. Content writer : A Y Asundi
04. Analysis of circulation data, including the quantitative methods to evaluate collection. Content writer : A Y Asundi
05. Classical law of bibliometrics. Content writer : B K Sen
06. Bradford distributions: an overview. Content writer : B K Sen
07. Bibliometrics in assessing productivity and impact of research. Content Writer : Dr. S L Sangam
08. Growth of literature. Content writer : I K Ravichandra Rao
09. Obsolescence factor: definition and calculation. Content writer : Dr. S L Sangam
10. Citation analysis. Content writer : K C Garg
11. Science indicators. Content writer : Sujit Bhattacharya
12. Technology based indicators. Content writer : Sujit Bhattacharya
13. Bibliometric mapping of science. Content writer : K C Garg
14. Collaboration in science. Content writer : K C Garg
15. Scientometric studies and their role in science policy. Content writer : Sujit Bhattacharya
16. Limitations of bibliometrics and scientometrics. Content writer : N S Harinarayana
17. Webometrics, cybermetrics and nettometrics. Content writer : N S Harinarayana
18. National mapping of science. Content writer : K C Garg
19. Basics of testing of hypotheses. Content writer : I K Ravichandra Rao
Full-text Access to OpenCourseware.

From UNESCO
The following course on Research Evaluation Metrics is available with UNESCO's Open Access Curricula for Researchers and Librarians. The course contents are now freely available online with CC-BY license. 
Module 4: Research Evaluation Metrics
This module dwells on a number of methods (including old and new) available for research evaluation. The module comprises the following four units:

UNIT 1: Introduction to Research Evaluation Metrics and Related Indicators
1.0 Introduction
1.2 Use of Citation-based Indicators for Research Evaluation
1.3 Transition from Citation-Based Indicators to Author-Level and Article-Level Metrics for Research Evaluation
1.4 Conclusion
UNIT 2: Innovations in Measuring Science and Scholarship: Analytical Tools and Indicators for Evaluating Scholarly Communications
2.0 Introduction
2.2 Citation Databases
2.3 Analytical Products with Journal Performance Metrics
2.4 New Platforms for Evaluating Scholarly Communications
2.5 Conclusion
UNIT 3: Article and Author Level Measurements
3.0 Introduction
3.2 Unique Identifiers for Authors and Researchers
3.4 Academic Social Networks
3.5 Regional Journal Networks with Bibliometric Indicators
3.6 Conclusion
UNIT 4: Online Citation and Reference Management Tools
4.0 Introduction
4.2 Online Citation and Reference Management Tools
4.3 Conclusion 
Download Full-Text of This OpenCourseware.

CfPs: Workshop on the Politics of Non-Communicable Diseases in the Global South (London: 2-3 October 2015)

Call for Papers

 

Workshop on the Politics of Non-Communicable Diseases in the Global South, King's College London and Queen Mary University of London, 2 and 3 October 2015

 

 

Over the last ten years, there has been mounting alarm about the growing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) epidemic in the global South and the health and economic burden it represents. International organisations like the WHO have published numerous reports and action plans to tackle this new epidemic. Likewise, governments have expressed concern about this rising threat, recently passing a Political Declaration on the Prevention and Control of NCDs at the United Nations. Public health experts, too, have called for more attention to be paid to this new epidemic, as illustrated by The Lancet's frequent special issues on the topic. Last but not least, health charities and patient organisations have also voiced their anxiety and recently established, with the support of the pharmaceutical industry, the NCD Alliance to campaign for action against the chronic disease epidemic in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). As these different actors have repeatedly argued, NCDs – usually defined as comprising four conditions (cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory disorders) related to four behavioural risk factors (diet, physical activity, smoking and alcohol) – have become a critical issue for LMICs. Drawing on complex epidemiological data, they point out that more than 60% of deaths worldwide are NCD-related and nearly 80% of these deaths occur in these countries. Such a high prevalence of NCDs, they argue, constitutes one of the major challenges for development in the twenty-first century. On one hand, NCDs are viewed as a negative consequence of socio-economic development, with economic growth and rapid urbanisation having led to the rise of modern lifestyles like smoking and drinking. On the other hand, NCDs are understood to be a serious threat to future development through both their negative impact on the productivity of working age populations and the double burden of disease they place on already overstretched health systems.

 

While there is a growing public health literature on NCDs in the global South, the interventions by more critical social science researchers have been sparse. Organised by the Department of Social Science, Health & Medicine at King's College London and the Schools of Politics & International Relations and Geography at Queen Mary University of London, this workshop is a first step towards addressing this gap. We invite political scientists, anthropologists, historians, sociologists, geographers and public health experts interested to examine current initiatives to problematise and govern the chronic disease epidemic in emerging economies to submit abstracts of no more than 250 words to David Reubi (david.reubi@kcl.ac.uk) by 15 March 2015. Among others, submissions may explore the making of chronic disease as a problem of development in international forums and across countries of the global South. They may, for example, examine the narratives through which the problem is framed and analyse the techniques such as epidemiological models and maps that make it possible to view chronic diseases as a development issue. Submissions may also consider the influence of the tobacco, alcohol and food companies in globalising risk factors associated with NCDs as well as the role of the pharmaceutical industry and philanthropic foundations in creating drug markets for chronic diseases in the global South. Alternatively, submissions can also investigate the way health advocates and patient groups in the global South translate, resist and re-appropriate the international public health strategies that aim to mitigate against the epidemic in the global South. Thanks to the generous financial support of the both the Wellcome Trust and the UK Economic and Social Research Council, the organisers will be able to fund travel to and from the workshop as well as accommodation for all the speakers.

 

 

When? Friday 2 (4–7 PM) and Saturday 3 (9 AM–4 PM) October 2015. Where? King's College London, Strand Campus, London, United Kingdom. Organisers: Dr David Reubi (Department of Social Science, Health and Medicine, King's College London, david.reubi@kcl.ac.uk); Dr Sophie Harman (School of Politics and International Relations, Queen Mary University of London, s.harman@qmul.ac.uk) and Dr Tim Brown (School of Geography, Queen Mary University of London, tim.brown@qmul.ac.uk).

 

 

Dr David Reubi

Wellcome Trust Fellow

Department of Social Science, Health & Medicine

King's Colllege London

Strand, East Building, Room 3.1

London WC2R 2LS

United Kingdom

 

Phone: ++44 78 7516 4411

Website: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/sspp/departments/sshm/people/academic/davidreubi.aspx

IE OpED Article "Nalanda's Cosy Club: The Revival of a University in Nalanda is a Noble Mission, But the past seven years have seen a hijacking of the project by a small clique"

Nalanda's Cosy Club: The Revival of a University in Nalanda is a Noble Mission, But the past seven years have seen a hijacking of the project by a small clique
by Ashok Malik | February 24, 2015 | The Indian Express    

In the heat of the moment, it is easy to lose perspective. Let us step back and consider what the Nalanda University project is all about. Nalanda University and the South Asian University (SAU) were conceived by the UPA government as world-class institutions that, while being located in India, would be outside the purview of the University Grants Commission and government regulations.
This special dispensation was meant to allow these universities to draw on government of India funding but recruit international faculty and students, and develop curricula in line with international best practices. They were to be treated as international organisations (like the World Bank and UN agencies), exempt from taxation and eligible for diplomatic immunities and privileges.
In 2007, a Nalanda Mentor Group (NMG) was set up, with Amartya Sen as chair. It was tasked with guiding the process of setting up the university. Seven years and many meetings later, Nalanda University opened its doors in Rajgir, Bihar, with a handful of faculty and students. Sen has been vocal in blaming the government for this delay and this disappointing state, but closer scrutiny reveals a much more complex landscape. Indeed, it shows the NMG in less than favourable light.
Controversy has dogged this project from its inception. The first visitor of the university, former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, dissociated himself from the project in 2011. In 2013-14, the ministry of finance, then under P. Chidambaram, objected to the manner in which the special dispensation was being operated. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), too, has been critical.
The ministry of external affairs (MEA) has had its misgivings. As foreign minister, S.M. Krishna recorded his objection to the opaque manner in which Sen selected the vice chancellor and asked for a fresh approach. The relevant file noting is available. Krishna was overruled by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) under Manmohan Singh.
To be fair, innovating within government is difficult. Creating an "offshore" university like Nalanda requires not just an ability to innovate but also the dexterity to navigate the framework of parliamentary accountability and government rules and procedures in creating new precedents. While this was not entirely the responsibility of the NMG and the chancellor, the choice of vice chancellor proved to be remarkably inauspicious.
As a government official told this writer in the winter of 2013, "A mid-level academic, at one of the affiliated colleges of Delhi University, with no known experience in institution-building, was selected to steer this flagship project, apparently over more respected names. We don't know why." How was the vice chancellor selected? There is no available history of advertisements, global searches, and candidate interviews with wide-ranging panels.
All that the government has is a letter from Amartya Sen to the MEA. It says he has "considered" three names — Gopa Sabharwal, Pratap Bhanu Mehta and Ramachandra Guha — and selected Sabharwal. It does not say who else was on the longlist or shortlist. It does not invite comments and consultation on a reappraisal or expansion of the list of names on offer.
This was the arbitrariness that both Kalam and Krishna objected to. The manner of selection of the vice chancellor drew negative comments from the CAG as well. Further, it was questioned in Parliament. The CAG also objected to the propriety and procedure of fixing the salary of the vice chancellor. This was done by the NMG, by then re-designated as the interim governing board. The annual salary was fixed at $80,000 (tax-free).
How was this figure arrived at? The NMG/ governing board simply borrowed the sum from the salary payable to the vice chancellor of the SAU. Government agencies, such as the finance ministry, were not consulted. Yet, as was pointed out, the SAU has a different charter. It is funded by the Saarc, a multilateral organisation. The SAU vice chancellor's salary is benchmarked against the salary of the secretary general of Saarc (based in Kathmandu).
In contrast, while Nalanda University has received small grants from countries that are participants in the East Asia Summit, the bulk of its funding comes from the Indian taxpayer. Over the coming five or six years, it is estimated that the government will spend Rs 2,700 crore on the Nalanda University project. Surely, this necessitates some accountability and at least as much transparency as is expected from the government? This was exactly the issue the CAG raised.
In 2010, the Nalanda University Act was passed by Parliament. It allowed the NMG to function as the interim governing board for one year, till a proper governing board was set up by the government. This was never done. In 2011 and 2012, the NMG was given one-year extensions to function as the interim governing board. In 2013, it was given an indefinite extension.
The governing board is meant to comprise 14 members. Nine of these represent the governments of India (including the MEA and the HRD ministry) and of Bihar. In the winter of 2013-14, Sen mooted a proposal to amend the Nalanda University Act and raise the strength of the governing board to 18. The four new members, all non-government, would be nominated by members of the existing governing board. For example, the vice chancellor would nominate a representative of the faculty as member of the governing board.
In effect, the NMG/ governing board would become a self-perpetuating body, with members choosing their successors. This cosy club would have authority to spend Rs 2,700 crore of taxpayer money over a half-decade. The amendment was formally recommended by Montek Singh Ahluwalia, in his capacity as the then chair of the National Monitoring Committee for Nalanda University. The PMO, under Manmohan Singh, initially supported the proposed amendment. After ferocious objections from the MEA and the finance ministry, and fearful of another scandal, the idea was dropped.
Quite unconscionably, even the BJP-led government has not constituted a formal governing board for Nalanda University. It has allowed the NMG/ interim arrangement to continue. All that is happening is Sen's term as chancellor is expiring in July 2015. As such, he will stop being a member of the interim governing board. Earlier this year, the government told the interim governing board that it would not be giving the current chancellor (Sen) a fresh term. It asked the interim governing board to recommend three names for chancellorship. Sen has described this as an infringement of academic independence.
Importantly, Sen has not come up with any other example of such infringement. He has not accused the MEA or the government of intervening on any issue of recruitment of academics or development of curricula. The efforts of the ministry to reconcile the university's autonomy with the MEA's accountability to Parliament were not helped by the NMG insisting that autonomy meant complete freedom to set its own rules on how taxpayer money was to be spent.
Questions posed by the MEA were repeatedly fobbed off by citing "academic autonomy". In 2013, the MEA reviewed the project and concluded management capacity was a major constraint in meeting deadlines. No registrar was appointed for three years. A thin crew of a vice chancellor and a dean of academic affairs (on secondment from Delhi University), with limited experience, a finance officer (with no relevant experience of project finance) and two consultants could not be entrusted with institution-building of this magnitude.
The MEA then proposed sending a senior civil servant, with a relevant professional background, to handle non-academic work relating to the project for a two- or three-year period. The NMG protested, labelling this government interference and bureaucratisation. Manmohan Singh's PMO backed the NMG.
The revival of a university in Nalanda is a noble and eminently desirable mission. However, the past seven years have seen only limited progress and a hijacking of the project by a small clique. Sen, as chancellor, cannot escape responsibility here. Of course, the end of his term as chancellor need not end his association with Nalanda University. He is free to lecture there. Even beyond July 2015, the university could benefit from his scholarship. For his part, he must decide if he wants to be remembered as a great teacher — or an indifferent administrator.

The writer is a Delhi-based senior journalist.
Source: http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/nalandas-cosy-club/99/

This article attracted 63+ online comments and critical remarks.