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More than a third of predatory journal authors are Indian
by Subbiah Arunachalam 21 Oct '15

21 Oct '15

More than 37% of authors who smuggle their unpublishable research into 'scholarly literature' through predatory journals are Indians, says a recent report. And the blame goes to regulatory bodies like the UGC and the vice chancellors of universities where most of these authors work or study. Please read http://www.ixxus.com/the-anatomy-of-predatory-journals-revaled/ The anatomy of ‘predatory’ journals revealed A study into the rise of so-called predatory journals has revealed a lot more about the phenomenon than was previously understood, reports the Times Higher Education <https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/study-finds-eightfold-rise-predat…> . Predatory journals represent the darker side of academic publishing. These are publications that will charge authors large sums of money in exchange for quick publication and little (or no) peer review. The research has confirmed the extent to which these journals have grown in use. The number of articles published in predatory scholarly journal publishing has risen almost eight-fold in the past four years. According to *‘Predatory’ Open Access: A Longitudinal Study of Article Volumes and Market Characteristics*, more than 420,000 articles were hurled into the public domain by these journals last year, compared to 53,000 in 2010. This is mirrored in the increase in the number of journals themselves – 1,800 in 2010 and 8,000 by 2014. *More than a third (34.7%) of authors using this fast-track route to publication are Indian academics*, claims the report, and a quarter come from other areas in Asia. 16.4% were from Africa, 9.2% from North America and 8.8% in Europe. Another characteristic of predatory journals is that the most popular topic is engineering, followed by biomedicine, social science, business and economics. The report also illustrated that the process from submission to publication in predatory journals takes an average of 2.7 months, substantially faster than the nine to 18 months in normal academic journals. This shady practice has sprung up alongside the open access movement and at times the lines have been blurred between the two. Some open access journals are described as ‘predatory’ in nature due to inadequate checks and speedy publishing. However, as long as authors are put under pressure to publish in international journals, the temptation will always be there to submit to predatory journals. Is it time for a clamp down on predatory journals? Date Published : 15th of October 2015 [image: Steve Odart] Published by : Steve Odart About the Author : Steve Odart is joint-CEO and founder of Ixxus, with 28 years experience in the publishing industry. He started life at the London College of Printing, following his grandfather into the printing industry. He spent many years working with Quark through its launch of Quark XPress, and the Quark Publishing System, before setting up a publishing division within one of the UK’s largest Sun Microsystems Resellers. He then joined Oracle, as EMEA Business Development Director – Publishing and Media, prior to founding Ixxus in 2004. Steve has an extensive knowledge of publishing past, present and future, and has worked with the majority of the largest global publishers in his career to date. Please see also: < https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/research/research-intelligence-pr… >. -- Arun http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4398-4658 http://www.researcherid.com/rid/B-9925-2009 -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.

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Librarian
by Paramjit Singh 21 Oct '15

21 Oct '15

Librarian Vacancy at Ashtavakra Institute of Rehabilitation Science and Research <http://www.rehab.tecnia.in/index.php> AddressInstitutional Area, Sector-14, Madhuban Chowk, RohiniDelhi-110085Phone+91-11-27550012/13/14/16Fax+91-11-27550018 <http://www.rehab.tecnia.in/index.php> E-mail career(a)tecnia.in inforehab(a)tecnia.in directorrehab(a)tecnia.in -- Thanks & Regards *Singh, Paramjit * *Librarian * +91 9968 308970, 9911 270778 P *please consider the environment before printing this email !!!* -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.

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IATLIS Awards 2015: Call for Nominations
by HPS Kalra 20 Oct '15

20 Oct '15

IATLIS Awards 2015: Call for Nominations Indian Association of Teachers of Library and Information Science (IATLIS) invites nominations from LIS teachers /professionals /researchers for the following awards: *A. IATLIS – Motiwale Best LIS Teacher Award 2015* *B. IATLIS – Prof. S.P. Narang Research Promotion Award 2015 (For Researchers)* *C. IATLIS – Prof. Jagindar Singh Ramdev Lifetime Achievement Award 2015* *D. IATLIS – **Mrs. Ratna Laxman Rao Best Woman LIS Teacher / Professional Award 2015* *A. Eligibility criteria for IATLIS – Motiwale Best LIS Teacher Award* Executive Council Members of IATLIS are not eligible to be nominated for these awards. The nominee should have at least 10 years of teaching experience at the post-graduate level or 10 years professional experience at a senior level, and should be in service. A person can receive the award only once and one person can nominate only one LIS teacher / professional for each award at a time. *B. Eligibility criteria for IATLIS ** –** Prof. S.P. Narang Research Promotion Award to be given every alternate year to an LIS Researcher* For this year’s award, nominations only of students registered for Ph.D. in Library and Information Science in a recognized university would be considered. The nominee should not be a full-time employee. Nominations should be sent on a plain paper along with bio-data, progress report of research work, and research papers (published/accepted for publication), if any. A researcher can receive the award only once, and one person can nominate only one LIS researcher for this award at a time. *C. Eligibility criteria for IATLIS – Prof. Jagindar Singh Ramdev Lifetime Achievement Award:* A very senior/retired LIS teacher/professional/researcher who has made profound contribution to library education, research, training, literature, and practice. Claims must be supported with documentary proof. Award can be given to a deserving person even if not applied. Award won't be given if no one is found suitable. A person can receive the award only once and one person can nominate only one LIS teacher / professional for each award at a time. *D. Eligibility criteria for IATLIS – **Mrs. Ratna Laxman Rao Best Woman LIS Teacher / Professional Award* Executive Council Members of IATLIS are not eligible to be nominated for these awards. The nominee should have at least 10 years of teaching experience at the post-graduate level or 10 years professional experience at a senior level, and should be in service. A person can receive the award only once and one person can nominate only one LIS teacher / professional at a time. Nominations on plain paper should be accompanied by bio-data, list of publications, details of professional activities, and contribution to IATLIS activities. The recipient LIS teacher/professional/researcher will be given a citation and a shawl at the XXXI IATLIS National Conference hosted by Panjab University, Chandigarh on 20-21 November 2015. The nominations will be considered by an Awards Committee constituted by the IATLIS Executive Committee. An award will not be given in case majority of the Committee Members feel that no one has been found suitable for that award. Self-nominations will not be considered. The nominees for all award categories, except category B, should be members of the IATLIS. Nominations with all the supporting documents should reach The General Secretary, IATLIS, C/o Department of Library and Information Science, Punjabi University, Patiala 147002 (Punjab) by 05 November 2015. In addition to the hard copy, a soft copy of nomination should also be sent to the General Secretary, IATLIS by email at iatlis.patiala(a)gmail.com. No communication questioning the decision of the Awards Committee / IATLIS Executive Committee will be entertained. Dr. H.P.S. Kalra General Secretary, IATLIS. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dr. Harinder Pal Singh Kalra Professor, Department of Library and Information Science Punjabi University, Patiala 147 002 Punjab INDIA. Tel: +91-175-304-6179, 6180. Email: hpskalra(a)gmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.

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BENGALURU NO KNOWLEDGE CITY, SAYS RAMACHANDRA GUHA
by Ragaavendra R 20 Oct '15

20 Oct '15

BENGALURU NO KNOWLEDGE CITY, SAYS RAMACHANDRA GUHA Historian Ramachandra Guha has lashed out at big IT companies for not opening libraries in Bengaluru. "I feel insulted every time someone calls Bengaluru the knowledge city. The sad truth is there are hardly any libraries for people to read and gain knowledge. These IT czars who made fortunes never thought of setting up public libraries," he said at the inauguration of Bangalore Book Festival on Monday. "Knowledge is contained in books, not in coding. There is a great cultural deficiency in this city which is filled up by book stores," he said. Expressing his dislike for e-reading devices such as Kindle, he said, "Reading a book on Kindle is like an insult to the book." The event also saw Kannada litterateur Chandrashekhara Kambara disapproving of writers returning their Sahitya Akademi awards. He said their actions were unwarranted. "Their anger must be directed towards the government, not the Akademi, which has no role to play whatsoever. It's sad," he said. When asked about the murder of thinker M M Kalburgi, Kambara said the police must be given time to carry out the investigation. "Let the investigation and search for the killers progress. I am saddened by the murder." But English author Anita Nair supported the returning of awards. "I feel more and more writers should express themselves about the growing extremism and fundamentalism, both of which are not good. Even the masses must get involved," she said. Kambara criticised the government for coming in the way of the book festival. "The festival must be an annual affair. The government must encourage such events. Instead, the opposite is happening," he added. The festival wasn't held for two years as the government denied it permission. This year too, its duration has been reduced to a week from 10 days. REFLINK: http://www.deccanherald.com/content/507412/bengaluru-no-knowledge-city-says… Best Regards, Raghvendra R The information contained in this electronic message and in any attachments to this message is confidential, legally privileged and intended only for use by the person or entity to which this electronic message is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, and have received this message in error, please notify the sender and system manager by return email and delete the message and its attachments and also you are hereby notified that any distribution, copying, review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of this electronic transmission or the information contained in it is strictly prohibited. Please note that any views or opinions presented in this email are solely those of the author and may not represent those of the Company or bind the Company. Any commitments made over e-mail are not financially binding on the company unless accompanied or followed by a valid purchase order. This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by Mail Scanner, and is believed to be clean. The Company accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email. www.jubl.com -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.

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Invitation from DELNET : Panel Discussion on Digital Knowledge Repositories on November 3, 2015 at 6:30 pm at IIC, New Delhi
by Dr Sangeeta Kaul 19 Oct '15

19 Oct '15

_______________________________________________________________________________ Dr Sangeeta Kaul Network Manager DELNET-Developing Library Network Jawaharlal Nehru University Campus Nelson Mandela Road Vasant Kunj New Delhi-110070 Tel: 91-11-26742222, 26741266, 9810329992 (M) Fax: 91-11-26741122 Email: sangs(a)delnet.ren.nic.in, sangskaul2003(a)yahoo.co.in Web : www.delnet.nic.in ________________________________________________________________________________ -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.

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Masters, M.Phil., Ph.D. thesis and dissertation on descriptive cataloging
by Salman Haider 19 Oct '15

19 Oct '15

Hi I have compiled a list of some *Masters, M.Phil., and Ph.D. thesis and dissertation on descriptive cataloging* which may be available in print and/or online, in the form of a blog post: RDA Bibliography – Thesis <https://rdabibliography.wordpress.com/2015/10/17/rda-bibliography-thesis/> (from OCLC WorldCat). URL: https://rdabibliography.wordpress.com/2015/10/17/rda-bibliography-thesis/ It seems not much research work is done on descriptive cataloging, though it is one of the most fundamental activities of librarianship, library and information science. The other possibility is that researches have been done but not documented at some *single place* for consultation. With the emergence of Resource Description & Access <http://resourcedescriptionandaccess.blogspot.com/p/rda.html> (RDA <http://resourcedescriptionandaccess.blogspot.com/p/rda.html>), as the successor of Anglo-American Cataloging Rules <http://resourcedescriptionandaccess.blogspot.com/search/label/AACR2> (AACR2 <http://resourcedescriptionandaccess.blogspot.com/search/label/AACR2>), it becomes necessary to do quality research works on the descriptive cataloging using RDA <http://resourcedescriptionandaccess.blogspot.com/p/rda.html> and AACR2 <http://resourcedescriptionandaccess.blogspot.com/search/label/AACR2> and evaluating its significance and impact on librarianship and library services. *So please help update this bibliography with description of research works on Library Descriptive Cataloging*. Suggest only those source which are available in published form or available online and can be consulted for research purposes. It will be very helpful for Librarians, LIS i-School Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) & Ph.D Students & Researchers who wish to carry out research on descriptive cataloging. *Please suggest your entries in the "form" available on the About RDA Bibliography <https://rdabibliography.wordpress.com/about/> page of RDA Bibliography.* URL: https://rdabibliography.wordpress.com/about/ *RDA Bibliography <https://rdabibliography.wordpress.com/>* is a > partner-blog of RDA Blog > <http://resourcedescriptionandaccess.blogspot.com/>. It provides an > alternative interface to the posts of RDA Blog > <http://resourcedescriptionandaccess.blogspot.com/> in the Category : > Articles Books Presentations Etc. > <http://resourcedescriptionandaccess.blogspot.com/search/label/ARTICLES%20BO….> on > Resource Description & Access. RDA Blog > <http://resourcedescriptionandaccess.blogspot.com/> provides all the > posts on articles, books, presentations, and videos in one single Category > : Articles Books Presentations Etc. > <http://resourcedescriptionandaccess.blogspot.com/search/label/ARTICLES%20BO….> Here > in RDA Bibliography <https://rdabibliography.wordpress.com/> these posts > are given different categories, so that if you want to see only articles on > RDA, you can go to Category : Articles > <https://rdabibliography.wordpress.com/category/articles/> or if you want > to see only books on RDA, you can go to Category : Books > <https://rdabibliography.wordpress.com/category/books/>. Additionally you > can browse through *tags* given in the left frame to refine your search > further. The Bibliography > <https://rdabibliography.wordpress.com/bibliography/> Page provides a > spreadsheet view of documents with proper bibliographic details and a link > to RDA Blog <http://resourcedescriptionandaccess.blogspot.com/> post, > which then redirects to the primary sources published on Resource > Description and Access <http://resourcedescriptionandaccess.blogspot.com/> > (RDA <http://resourcedescriptionandaccess.blogspot.com/>) and other > other related topics, like AACR2 > <http://resourcedescriptionandaccess.blogspot.com/search/label/AACR2>, > FRBR > <http://resourcedescriptionandaccess.blogspot.com/search/label/FRBR%20FRAD%2…> > , FRAD > <http://resourcedescriptionandaccess.blogspot.com/search/label/FRBR%20FRAD%2…> > , FRSAD > <http://resourcedescriptionandaccess.blogspot.com/search/label/FRBR%20FRAD%2…> > , MARC 21 <http://resourcedescriptionandaccess.blogspot.com/>, library > cataloging <http://resourcedescriptionandaccess.blogspot.com/>, BIBFRAME, > Linked Data, and so on… RDA Bibliography > <https://rdabibliography.wordpress.com/> aims to become the single > largest bibliography of materials on RDA > <http://resourcedescriptionandaccess.blogspot.com/> and cataloging > <http://resourcedescriptionandaccess.blogspot.com/> and other related > topics. > Warm regards *Salman Haider* <http://salmanhaider.blogspot.com> www.google.com/+SalmanHaider www.facebook.com/SalmanHaiderAuthor -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.

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My CERN library Experience published in The Hindu Newspaper
by Naresh Kumar 19 Oct '15

19 Oct '15

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-educationplus/the-cern-… Regards *Naresh Kumar * American Centre Library, Embassy of United States of America, New Delhi, Mob: +919015590393 DILL 2012-14 -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.

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XXXI IATLIS National Conference, 20-21 November 2015 at Panjab University, Chandigarh - call for papers and participation
by HPS Kalra 19 Oct '15

19 Oct '15

*Hundred Years of LIS Education and Library Services in South Asia: Perceptions and Directions* *XXXI **IATLIS NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2015* 20-21 November 2015 Hosted by Panjab University, Chandigarh *and* Jointly organized by *Indian Association of Teachers of Library and Information Science (IATLIS)* and *Panjab University, Chandigarh* *IATLIS*: Indian Association of Teachers of Library and Information Science (IATLIS) is a professional association of more than 600 teachers and professionals in Library and Information Science in India. Since its inception in 1969, IATLIS has been active in taking up several issues of LIS Education in India especially relating to the development of curriculum, teaching methods, infrastructure, teacher training, etc. It actively works for the promotion of the professional interests of LIS teachers. As part of its activities, it conducts national seminars, workshops, and training programmes. It publishes its conference volumes and electronic journal IATLIS Journal of Library education and Research. To celebrate the 100 years of starting of modern librarianship and library science training in 1915 in Punjab (at the University of Punjab, Lahore), this year the annual IATLIS conference is being held at Panjab University, Chandigarh *Panjab University, Chandigarh* Since its inception in 1882 at Lahore (now in Pakistan), the magnificent background of the Panjab University has been the source of inspiration to the present generation of faculty and students to achieve and stand out in their academic endeavors in science and technology, humanities, social sciences, performing arts and sports. The University supports excellence and innovation in academic programmes, promotes excellence in research, scholarship and teaching and is committed to attracting and supporting the best students and recruiting faculty who excel at teaching and research. For more than a century, it has served various societal needs with distinction. By virtue of its age, experience, achievements and philosophy, the Panjab University is a University of national character and stature, in so far as it has drawn both its faculty and students from all over the country and abroad. Panjab University has been ranked number one in India and in the bracket 226-250 internationally in the Times Higher Education World Rankings, 2013-2014 powered by Thomson Reuters; also ranked number one in India and 13th in the Times Higher Education BRICS & Emerging Economies Rankings 2014. *Theme of the Conference*: *Hundred Years of LIS Education and Library Services in South Asia: Perceptions and Directions* *Sub-themes*: · LIS education o History of LIS education in South Asia o Curriculum development, with special reference to job market relevance o LIS Faculty and faculty development o Learning resources o Levels of LIS education and Student enrolment o ICTs and Internet-based resources & services o Open and Distance Learning o Quality control in LIS courses and accreditation o Future of LIS education o LIS research: current status and future trends o Collaboration in education and research at national, regional, and international level o Continuous professional development of library and information professionals · LIS Practice o Development of Libraries and Information centres o Information sources and services o Information systems and networks o Information and knowledge management o Role of libraries in scholarly communication in the Open Access era o Role of libraries in national development and the sustainable development goals o Marketing of library and information services with special reference to social media o Library leadership o Media and information literacy o Metadata and digital information standards o Privacy and security of information o Access to information, copyright issues, and fair use of information o Freedom of information o Subject and Institutional Repositories o Information seeking behaviour in the digital age These sub-themes are only indicative, and not exhaustive. *Call for papers* Original papers on the above themes or related themes are invited from library and information professionals. The papers should be based on research surveys, case studies or action plans. Papers should not normally exceed 5,000 words or 16 double-spaced pages, besides tables, diagrams, etc. Also, each paper should contain an abstract, up to ten keywords, body of the paper, conclusion and references. The abstract should state in about 150 words the sum and substance of the paper. The conclusion should include the recommendations made in the paper. The keywords which describe the main issues discussed, and should be given in alphabetical order. The paper should also contain the author's name, designation, organization, address, telephone, fax, and e-mail address. References at the end of the paper and their in-text citing should be according to APA Style manual. The following certificate should be attached with the submitted paper(s): “This is to certify that my/our paper entitled ______ is original, not copy-pasted, and is not published elsewhere.” Papers for the XXXI IATLIS National Conference should reach General Secretary, IATLIS, Department of Library & Information Science, Punjabi University, Patiala – 147002 (Punjab) as email attachment latest by 15 November 2015. There will be no extension after this date. The soft copy of the file should be a Microsoft Word .doc file only (not .docx) and it should be sent to through email to iatlis.patiala(a)gmail.com. *Registration Fees:* *Indian Delegates:* Sponsored Rs. 3,000/- Non-Sponsored Rs. 2,000/- Retired Professionals Rs. 1,500/- Accompanying Person Rs. 1,500/- Students Rs. 750/- *Foreign Delegates:* SARRC Countries $ 100 Other Countries $ 200 The registration fee covers conference kit, proceedings of the conference (upon post-publication), and working lunch, and session tea for the conference days. The registration fee does not include breakfast, dinner and accommodation. Papers presented at the conference will be published in the post-conference volume and would be sent to the registered delegates later on as per the decision of the General Body. Delegates are requested to include registration fees for accompanying persons while forwarding their registration forms since it would not be possible to entertain last minute request for accommodation. Accompanying persons shall not be entitled for conference kits. Delegates are requested to intimate their travel plan in advance to avoid last minute inconvenience. The Demand Draft/multi-city cheque for registration fee should be in favour of IATLIS payable at Patiala, and should be sent along with the duly filled in Registration Form latest by 15 November 2015.All queries be addressed to: The General Secretary, IATLIS, C/o Dept. of Library and Information Science, Punjabi University, Patiala 147002 (Punjab) Tel.-0175-3046179 and 3046180 Email: iatlis.patiala(a)gmail.com *Registration Form* *XXXI* *IATLIS National Conference, 20-21 November 2015* Name: (Prof./Dr./Mr./Mrs./Ms):………………………………………………………….. Name of accompanying person/s (if any):………………………………………………. Designation: …………………………………………... Institution: ……………………………………………………………………………….. Mailing Address: ………………………………………………………… E-mail: …………………………………………………………………………………….. Phone: (O) …………………………….., (M) …………………………. Payment Details: Bank: ……………………………. Draft No. …………………………… Dated: ………................................ Amount: ……………………………… Whether accommodation is required: Yes / No. If Yes, number of persons and their names:……………………………………….. Arrival and Departure Details (Train / Flight No., Date, Time): ……………………. ……………………………………………………………………………………………… Signature *Important Dates:* · Receipt of full papers: 15 November 2015 · Conference Dates: 20-21 November 2015 On behalf of Organizing Committee, we extend a very cordial invitation to all IATLIS members, LIS teachers, students, and researchers, as well as library professionals for participation in XXXI IATLIS National Conference 2015. The duly filled-in registration form along with registration fee is to be sent to the General Secretary, IATLIS C/o Dept. of Library and Information Science, Punjabi University, Patiala 147002 (Punjab). *IATLIS Office Bearers: Dr. Jagtar Singh*, President, IATLIS & Professor, Dept. of Library and Information Science, Punjabi University, Patiala 147002 Punjab Phone +91-175-3046179 and 3046180 Mobile: +919855444785 Email: jagtardeep(a)gmail.com, jagtar(a)pbi.ac.in *Dr. H. P. S. Kalra*, General Secretary, IATLIS & Professor, Dept. of Library and Information Science, Punjabi University, Patiala 147002 Punjab Phone- +91-175-3046179 and 3046180. Mobile: +919855943338 Email: iatlis.patiala(a)gmail.com *Organizing Secretary*: *Dr. Raj Kumar* Librarian, A. C. Joshi Library Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014 Mobile: +919417461789 E-mail: librarian(a)pu.ac.in, rajkumar196(a)yahoo.co.in *Joint Organizing Secretary*: *Neeru Bhatia* Sr. Assistant Librarian, A. C. Joshi Library Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014 Mobile: +919814899889, Email: bhatianoor(a)gmail.com -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.

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The importance of wide access to data
by Subbiah Arunachalam 19 Oct '15

19 Oct '15

http://cssp-jnu.blogspot.in/2015/10/angus-deaton-high-quality-and.html [Thanks to Mr Anup Das] Angus Deaton: "High quality and transparent data needed for informed debates" *Research and Democracy: High quality and transparent data needed for informed debates.by Angus Deaton | Oct 17, 2015 | Indian Express * I am thrilled to have been awarded the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2015. I am even more thrilled that the Nobel committee highlighted the work that my collaborators and I have done on India. My work shows how important it is that independent researchers have access to data, so that government statistics can be checked, and so that the democratic debate within India can be informed by the different interpretations of different scholars. High quality, open, transparent and uncensored data are needed to support democracy. I have used data from India's famous National Sample Surveys to measure poverty. Perhaps the biggest threat to these measures is that there is an enormous discrepancy between the National Accounts Statistics (NAS) and the surveys. The surveys "find" less consumption than do the national accounts, whose measures also grow more rapidly. While I am sure that part of the problem lies with the surveys — as more people spend more on a wider variety of things, the total is harder to capture — there are weaknesses on the NAS side too, and I have been distressed over the years that critics of the surveys have got a lot more attention than critics of the growth measures. Perhaps no one wants to risk a change that will diminish India's spectacular (at least as measured) rate of growth? We need better work resolving this issue. Without it, we cannot be sure what is happening to either poverty or inequality in India today. Measures that should be known and indisputable become instead the subject of bitter partisan debates. Poverty is more than the lack of money and my work with Jean Dreze has documented the improving, but still dreadful, state of nutrition in India. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called stunting among Indian children a "national shame", and so it is. Our work highlighted that malnutrition is not just about a lack of calories, and certainly not about a lack of cereal calories, but is more about the lack of variety in the diet — the absence of things like leafy vegetables, eggs, and fruit. It is also crucially linked to inadequate sanitation, to the fact that women often do not get enough to eat when they are pregnant and to (in many areas) poor maternal and infant health services. Another strand of my work is about the strengths and weaknesses of randomised controlled trials and their use for policy development. My main message here is not to claim too much. These tools are not magic. For example, if we want to think about using cash transfers instead of the public distribution system, we have to consider all of the subsequent changes, what would happen to procurement and storage, and what would happen to the free market prices of grains. An experiment can be useful for part of this, but only a part, and without all the parts we cannot judge what to do. I worry too that experiments are technical solutions to political problems that really ought to be decided by democratic discussion; that experiments are often done on the poor and not by the poor is hardly an encouraging sign. Finally, I have written about inequality, and about the threat that extreme inequality poses to democracy. India has been hugely successful in building a better life for many. Some of them now have consumption patterns that look like those of the Americans or Western Europeans, and not a few have become fabulously rich. In an ideal world, the gap that has opened up between them and those left behind can be bridged if the former help pull up others. Poor people can see the new opportunities and understand that, with education and luck, their sons and daughters can prosper too. But there are also terrible dangers of inequality, if those who have escaped from destitution use their wealth to block those who are still imprisoned by it. Decent education, available and effective healthcare, and functioning sanitation are goods that benefit everyone, and the new middle class should be more than happy to pay the taxes that help others share their good fortune. Adam Smith said that "Every tax is to the person who pays it a badge, not of slavery, but of liberty." And if taxes are spent wisely, liberty can be widely shared. *The writer is professor of economics and international affairs at Princeton University. This is his statement to the Indian press- See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/research-and-democracy/ <http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/research-and-democracy/>* -- Arun http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4398-4658 http://www.researcherid.com/rid/B-9925-2009 -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.

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IIT Roorkee Want Librarian & Deputy Librarian
by Ajit Prajapati 19 Oct '15

19 Oct '15

Dear All, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Uttarakhand posted a recruitment advertisement to invite all eligible Indian candidates to apply for the posts of 15 Scientific Officer, Sr. Scientific Officer, Medical Officer, Librarian & Deputy Librarian in 2015. *For more details open the link* https://sarkarinaukripesa.com/iit-roorkee-15-scientific-officer-sr-scientif… -- Thanks and Regards Ajit Prajapati 09662048549 -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.

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