Just released FICCI-Battelle Knowledge Paper: "India’s Emerging Competitiveness as Destination of Global R&D"

FICCI-Battelle Knowledge Paper, 2013

India's Emerging Competitiveness as Destination of Global R&D

Released in Global R&D Summit 2013, New Delhi

Download Full-text

Inviting comments/suggestions on Draft National Sports Development Bill 2013

Draft National Sports Development Bill 2013 is placed in public domain for inviting comments/suggestions of general public and the stakeholders. A Working Group constituted by the Government under the Chairmanship of Justice (Retd.) Mukul Mudgal has submitted the draft of the National Sports Development Bill.

Suggestions/comments may be sent within 21 days i.e., by 31st July 2013, preferably by email, to Shri Vivek Narayan, Director (Sports), Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Room No. 517, 'C' Wing, New Delhi. Email id of Shri Vivek Narayan is vivek.narayan@nic.in.

Download Draft National Sports Development Bill 2013

CfPs: National Convention on Ethics in Research on Human Subjects; 30-31 July; at JNU

National Convention on Ethics in Research on Human Subjects: Problems in implementing international norms and guidelines in Indian context

30-31 July 2013
at JNU Convention Centre
Organized by Institutional Ethics Review Board, JNU

IERB – JNU announces its first "National Convention on Ethics in Research on Human Subjects: Problems in implementing international norms and guidelines in Indian context" on 30th – 31st July 2013, at Convention Centre, JNU.

The convention will focus on the guidelines (such as those of Nuffield Council on Bioethics 1991, Helsinki Declaration of 2000 clarifications in 2002, 2004, CIOMS 2002, and UNESCO document 2005, and specifically for India we have ICMR guidelines) and ground realities in India where we do not want to dampen the enthusiasm for research particularly in interdisciplinary sciences where mostly human participation is essential. At the same time, we also do not want to dilute the ethical norms and regulations prescribed globally. Most of the guidelines are also silent on behavioural, emotional, psychological research and psycho- social research involving human participants. This conference in JNU will take up these issues in paper presentations and panel discussions as well.
Papers/ presentations/ posters are invited in any of the following areas of concern:

• Protecting the participants in Human Research
• Respect for Individuality and Identity, Autonomy
• Voluntariness and ICF- what is an ethical ideal?
• Subjectivity in our perception of an ethical ideal
• Assessment of Risk and Benefit
• Policy Process and Policy framework,
• Is there law for universal application?
• Capacity to exercise voluntariness
• Vulnerability issues in India studies
• National and International norms and rules for working with
• Children
• Tribals and people from EWS/ backward areas
• Illiterate/ semi educated people
• Medically unfit population those with psychological / mental / cognitive disorders or those in a vegetative state
• Confidentiality issues
• Compensation / Incentives/ Reimbursement/ Insurance issues
• Legal issues arising out of research
• Institutional Responsibility
• Awareness / education issues and preparing the future researcher for ethical research
• India specific norms, and case studies
• Students Research Norms/ SOP's
• Faculty Research Projects
• Setting the standards, accreditation standards
• Norms for multidisciplinary, multi institutional research

The issues and challenges are enormous. Through this first National Convention on Ethics in Research on Human Subjects we need to initiate a debate and discussion to identify India specific challenges and how to meet them through Universities, medical colleges and other institutions of higher learning. Since we have very little time left, please submit your abstract at the earliest. The title of your presentation, a brief abstract in about 250 words, your affiliation may be sent to <ierbjnu@gmail.com> or <vaishna_narang@yahoo.com>.
Registration: There is no registration fee. Those of you coming from outside Delhi will be provided accommodation in the JNU guest house on the first cum first served basis, where you will have to pay for your boarding and lodging.

------------------------
Conference Secretariat
Room no. 102,103, Old CRS Complex
Jawaharlal Nehru University
New Delhi- 110067
Tel. 011-2674664, 011-26704697, 09810608936
Email: ierbjnu@gmail.com, vaishna_narang@yahoo.com
Further Details: http://www.jnu.ac.in/Conference/National%20Convention%20on%20Ethics.pdf

Call for Papers: Special Issue on Informal Sector Innovations in African Journal for Science, Technology, Innovation and Development (AJSTID)

Call for Papers: Special Issue of the African Journal for Science, Technology, Innovation and Development (AJSTID)

on "Informal Sector Innovations"

Guest Editors: Saradindu Bhaduri & Mammo Muchie

We invite scholars from innovation studies, development studies, economics, science and technology studies to contribute papers to this special issue of the African Journal for Science, Technology, Innovation and Development (AJSTID). The AJSTID is an interdisciplinary and refereed international journal on science, technology, innovation and development in Africa and other low-income countries and is published by Taylor and Francis (Routledge) UK, with the publication frequency of 6 issues per year.  AJSTID has been established to highlight the crucial role of science, technology and innovation for development and to promote research on the contribution of knowledge creation and diffusion to development in Global south.

This special issue is intending to explore research questions pertaining to innovative activities in the informal sector of the economy. The importance of informal sector in generating employment and providing livelihood security in low and middle income countries cannot be overemphasized. However, the driving forces behind its sustained competitive advantage has been little studied, and, in particular, understanding of the process of  knowledge generation, technological learning and innovations in these sectors has remained inadequate.The intent of this special issue is to provide a forum to advance our understanding of informal sector innovations by examining its various nuances; concepts of innovations; knowledge generation, knowledge exchange, and their underlying motivations will also be covered in this upcoming special issue. We call for full research papers that may address, but are not limited to:

• Conceptual understanding of informal sector
• Informal sector innovations: concepts, motivations, learning, knowledge exchange
• Case studies on informal sector innovations, preferably, from Africa, Latin America and South Asia
• Knowledge networks in informal sector
• Appropriation of knowledge and innovation in informal sector
• IPR for informal sector innovations (patent, copyrights, geographical indications etc.)
• Inclusive innovations and grassroots innovations
• Informal agricultural Innovations
• Innovations in traditional knowledge
• Entrepreneurship in informal sector
• Linkages/interactions between informal and formal sector innovation
• Role of universities and research institutions in informal sector innovations
• Regulation and informal sector innovations

Submissions will be refereed for relevance to the theme as well as academic rigor and originality. The papers should be no longer than 4000 – 7000 words with an abstract of 150 words; references should be sent in an Endnote file. High quality articles not deemed to be sufficiently relevant to the special issue may be considered for publication in a subsequent non-themed issue.

Please send your work no later than 15 November 2013 to Mammo Muchie at muchiem@tut.ac.za or Saradindu Bhaduri at saradindu@jnu.ac.in

Editorial Assistant for the special issue: Fayaz Ahmad Sheikh (fayazjustinternational@gmail.com)

CfPs: Conference of Health for All to Universal Health Coverage; 6-7 Jan; at GIPE, Pune

Conference of Health for All to Universal Health Coverage: Journey So Far and Challenges Ahead

6-7 January 2014

Venue: Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune

Organized by: Indian Health Economics and Policy Association (IHEPA) in collaboration with Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics; Azim Premji University

 

IHEPA invites research and policy papers for its Third Conference on the following issues:

• Health Financing: Issues and Challenges
• Health for All, MDGs, NRHM: Lessons Learned
• Health Transition: Issues and Implications
• Maharashtra Healthcare System: Achievements and Challenges
• Other related issues relevant to the current context
• IHEPA proposes to have dedicated session/s on Healthcare Issues of Maharashtra.

The papers submitted will be screened by a Panel of Reviewers of IHEPA for acceptance to the Conference. IHEPA encourages young research students to contribute and participate in the Conference.

Guidelines and format of the paper: Length of the paper should be less than 8,000 words, accompanied by an abstract of one page. The abstract should reflect the whole paper including context, objectives, methodology and main conclusions. The papers, formatted with 1.5 line spacing, Times Roman Font Size 12 saved under MS-Word format may be submitted electronically to secretary.ihepa@gmail.com with Cc to office.ihepa@gmail.com.

Important dates

• Submission of paper 30.9.2013
• Communication on acceptance from IHEPA 1.11.2013
• Submission of revised paper, if required 9.12.2013

Further Details

JNU recently subscribes to South Asia Archive [www.southasiaarchive.com]

South Asia Archive http://www.southasiaarchive.com

The South Asia Archive is as a specialist digital platform delivering global electronic access to culturally and historically significant literary material produced from within - and about - the Indian subcontinent.
The digitization of the original documents is non-destructive, and damaged pieces are restored as part of the digitization process before they are sent to storage. This digitization process enhances their usefulness in terms of portability, and also assures the conservation of this historically important material.

• Subject specialist editors from India have selected and catalogued the documents specifically for this archive.
• The archive comprises out-of-copyright material dating back to the start of the eighteenth century and up to the mid-twentieth century.
• The content originates mainly from the Bengal area of India, consisting of unique and rare documents from primary and secondary sources.
• A significant proportion of the collection is in English, but thirty percent of the documents are written in various vernacular languages of the period/region(s).
• Serial collections are (where possible) complete, consisting of all available editions/volumes.
• In order to support a global audience, all document metadata has been translated into English where necessary.
• Images, maps, and posters are digitized in color to match the originals.
• Content has been broken down into a number of top-level document types such as Maps, Reports, and Journals, to simplify locating a collection by document type.
• An underlying taxonomy has been assigned to all documents consistently and logically to ensure a superior level of searchability for end-users.
• Documents have been broken down into the smallest parts possible to support highly granular content discovery.

The Collection
The South Asia Archive is a specialist digital platform providing global electronic access to culturally and historically significant literary material produced from within - and about - the South Asian region. It is not merely a repository, but a vehicle for targeted research, and one which has been intelligently structured to ensure efficient content discovery.

• Documents have been selected and catalogued by subject specialist editors, with expert commentaries provided to guide users through serial content.
• The archive contains millions of pages of digitized primary and secondary material in a mix of English and vernacular languages dating back to the start of the eighteenth century, up to the mid-twentieth century.
• It is derived from original archive materials held by the The South Asia Research Foundation.
• It provides online access to previously unavailable resources in South Asian studies.
• It is a versatile resource with benefits for researchers, lecturers, and students across a diverse range of subject areas.

http://www.southasiaarchive.com/About-Us/About-South-Asia-Archive

CfPs: Conference on Cultural Heritage: Environment, Ecology and Inter-Asian Interactions; Nalanda University; 6-8 Jan

Conference on Cultural Heritage: Environment, Ecology and Inter-Asian Interactions

6-8 January 2014

Venue: Rajgir Convention Center, Rajgir, Dist: Nalanda, Bihar, India

Organized by: Nalanda University and International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS)

Proposal Deadline: 31 July 2013

Call for papers
In Asia, the notion of 'heritage' is often associated with the construction of post-independence nation-state models, the definition of national 'traditions', and the idea of a pre/post-colonial historical national continuity. As a result discussions about 'heritage' are often state-dominated, leaving little room for regional and trans-regional views especially where it concerns inter-Asian interactions. These interactions as well as the establishment of particular (sacred) sites were often the direct product of environmental or ecological conditions which would furthermore often also assure their continuation and/or conservation over long periods of time. However, over time not only environmental/ecological conditions would change but also geopolitical ones introducing different visitors and even 'owners' to particular sites, changing their cultural, social and political significance.
This conference welcomes papers that investigate the role environmental/ecological and historical factors have played in the changing significance of sites in Asia and/or how these factors (continue to) influence the maintenance and conservation of these sites. In relation to this the conference is also interested in how intangible forms of heritage (folklore, customs, or particular rituals) have similarly been influenced and/or affected. It particularly welcomes papers that introduce an inter-Asian perspective either with respect to the (changing) significance of these sites or in relation to the maintenance and conservation of them as cultural heritage. The conference is open to scholars from a diverse range of backgrounds including (art) history, archaeology, cultural studies, ecology & environment studies and social sciences as well as practitioners ranging from conservationists to managers and activists.

Location
This two-day conference will be jointly organized by the new Nalanda University and the Netherlands based International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS). Rajgir (Bihar) promises to be an exceptionally interesting location for this conference given its proximity to the ancient site of Nalanda University (a prime example of inter-Asian connections) as well as many other important historical and religious sites such as Bodh Gaya, where Buddhism finds it origin. The conference program will include a full-day of sightseeing. The location for the conference will be the newly built Convention Centre that is equipped with all modern facilities.

Accommodation and Transportation
Accommodation will be provided to all presenters in a convenient four-star hotel. To non-presenters accommodation will be made available at the same hotel at a special rate. Rajgir is easily connected by rail and bus to the airports of Gaya and Patna which have frequent connections with the international airports of Delhi and Kolkata. The conference organizers will gladly assist with travel queries and will make sure local transportation from and to the conference venue, hotels, bus and train station is provided for. Conference participation is free of charge.

Abstract & Program
Please submit your abstract of no more than 250 words before 31 July 2013. Also include a summary of no more than a 150 words of your current affiliation, research interests and key publications. Presenters may be requested to be discussants and/or chairpersons in other sessions. Presentations will be thirty minutes with fifteen minutes of questions of answers. The presentation of photographic or video-material is not only possible but also highly encouraged. Suggestions for documentary screenings or musical performances that could be included in the evening program are also highly welcome. Please submit your abstract, inquiries and/or suggestions to: conferences@nalandauniv.in

Organizers
Nalanda University was in existence for nearly 800 years from the fifth till the twelfth century CE and attracted scholars from countries as diverse as China, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Tibet and even Turkey. It was one of the oldest universities in the world. The newly founded Nalanda University is an international university unlike any in India. It has been mandated to be an international institution for the pursuit of intellectual, philosophical, historical and spiritual studies. It aims to bring together the brightest and most dedicated students from countries across the world irrespective of gender, caste, creed, disability or socio-economic background. It is a non-state, non-profit, secular, self-governing international institution and will, eventually, consist of seven different schools, among which are schools dedicated to Historical Studies and one that focuses on Ecology & Environment Studies.
The International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS), established in 1993, is principally a research and exchange platform based in Leiden, the Netherlands. It encourages the multidisciplinary and comparative study of Asia and as such actively promotes (inter)national cooperation. IIAS acts as an international mediator, bringing together academic and non-academic partners including cultural, social and policy organizations. The research at IIAS is carried out under the aegis of three programmatic clusters of which Asian Heritages is one. It explores the notion of heritage as it evolved from a Europe-originated concept associated with architecture and monumental archaeology to incorporate a broader diversity of cultural forms and values, including the so-called 'intangible' heritages and the importance of cultural heritage in identity construction.

Keynote speakers
- Rick Asher (Department of Art History, University of Minnesota)
- Robin Coningham (Department of Archaeology, Durham University)
- Engseng Ho (Cultural Anthropology, History and Duke Islamic Studies Center; Duke University)
- Akira Matsui (Center for Archaeological Operations, Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties)
- Mike Robinson (Ironbridge International Institute for Cultural Heritage, University of Birmingham)

Further Details: http://www.nalandauniv.edu.in/conference.html

ICSSR Workshop on Social Science Approaches to Urban Studies; at International Centre, Goa; 20-23 Dec.

ICSSR Sponsored Workshop on Social Science Approaches to Urban Studies

December 20-23, 2013

at The International Centre, Goa

The Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi, proposes to hold a workshop for Ph.D students, post-doctorates and university and college lecturers on the theme of 'Social Science Approaches to Urban Studies'. The workshop will bring together established academics ('Resource Persons') and young scholars ('Fellows'). It aims to contribute to the making of a vibrant and academically sophisticated community of scholars who will train their attention upon different aspects of urbanisation in India. Up to 15 Fellows will be selected to take part in the 4-day workshop during which they will be expected to present their ongoing research on urban issues. Fellows' projects will receive comments and feedback from invited Resource Persons. In addition, Resource Persons will lead discussions on latest urban studies research themes and methodologies. The format of the workshop is intended to encourage young scholars to engage with current ideas on urban research and obtain the benefi t of having their own projects scrutinized and commented upon by established scholars. The following list of topics is intended to be indicative of potential workshop themes:

• New forms of politics and political associations
• New forms of leisure, residence and shopping
• The rural-urban interface
• Class and caste identities in an urban context
• Religion and the urban milieu
• Consumerism
• Gender, sexuality and space
• Urban ecologies, urban environmentalism
• Urban governance
• The urban poor
• The politics of resource allocation
• Land acquisition and urbanisation
• The 'small' town
• The real estate industry: Political and cultural economies

Fellowship selection criteria and process:

1. All applicants must submit a 'Statement of Purpose' consisting of two parts: i) a description of the applicant's interest in the topic of urban studies, as well as how she/he expects to benefit from participation in the workshop (up to 1000 words); and ii) an outline of a research project – proposed or ongoing – that will be presented and discussed during the workshop. The outline should be no more than 2500 words. The quality of the project will form a key criterion for selection and the document must demonstrate serious engagement with relevant urban studies research and literature. Upon selection, applicants will be invited to submit a more substantial version of their project.
2. All applicants must submit a CV listing academic and other achievements relevant to the workshop.
3. The age limit for all applicants is 35 years.
4. The organisers will pay for domestic air travel expenses from any city in India to Goa as well as expenses relating to accommodation at the International Centre, Goa.
5. Applications should be sent to: iegurbanworkshop2013@gmail.com
6. Other inquiries should be sent to Professor Sanjay Srivastava: sanjays3050@gmail.com
7. The last date of receiving applications is August 26, 2013.
8. NOTE: Selected candidates will be informed by September 20, 2013.
   

Further Details

CfPs: National Seminar on Political Economy of Agrarian Crisis and Environmental Challenges; 21-22 March; at Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan

National Seminar on Political Economy of Agrarian Crisis and Environmental Challenges in India

21-22 March 2014

Venue: Department of Economics & Politics, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan, W.B., India

Call For Papers
Department of Economics and Politics, Visva-Bharati, is organizing a National Seminar on Political Economy of Agrarian Crisis and Environmental Challenges in India. We invite full paper with abstract of 500 words in MS word format.

Submission of Papers:
The full paper with abstract, contact address with telephone number and email address, and the institutional affiliation of the author(s) must reach the Seminar Committee at vbecon@gmail.com. We encourage young researchers to submit and present their works. Some selected papers from all accepted papers will be published in a volume with ISBN number after a double blind refereeing process. The participants willing to include their papers in the volume should give their no objection regarding the same with the submitted paper.

Registration: Registration fee for the seminar is Rs.1000/-. No Travelling allowance will be given. One night moderate accommodation and local hospitality will be provided to the participants.

Important Dates:
Receiving full paper with abstracts: 30th August, 2013. 7th September, 2013.

Further Details:
Email for Correspondence: vbecon@gmail.com
For Assistance: Call to Sri Tanmay Majumdar, Ph- 08900061782 / tanmaj82@gmail.com
Prof. Pranab Kumar Chattopadhyay, Coordinator, UGC SAP (DRS-I)
Prof. Sudipta Bhattacharyya, Deputy Coordinator, UGC SAP (DRS-I)
Department of Economics & Politics Department of Economics & Politics
Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan - 731 235 Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan - 731 235
Email: pranabk.chattopadhyay@visva-bharati.ac.in; sudipta.bhattacharyya@visva-bharati.ac.in
http://www.visva-bharati.ac.in/news/Economics-SAP-NConf-CFP2014.pdf