Search

This volume discusses the patterns and trends of urbanization in West Bengal - one of the most urbanized states of India in the early part of the 20th Century. It focuses on the emerging urban landscapes of the state and neighbouring areas on building sustainable urban units and sustainable communities. The book explores the changing urban geographies of the emerging towns of the state and discusses how proper governance can help them to change into sustainable urban units. It presents the historical context of urbanization of West Bengal and traces the factors responsible for the urban primacy of the state. It discusses topics such as the development of the spatial patterns and urbanization, spatial trends of urban growth using remote sensing and GIS techniques, well-being and resilience in the urban society, impact of urbanization on the health status of its citizens, and decentralized governance for inclusive and sustainable development of cities. It also focuses on urban growth, land-use change and its impact on the urban environment. Based on empirical research, this book will be useful for students, teachers and researchers of geography, urban geography, urban studies, urban development and planning, regional planning urban sociology, politics, and urban economics. It will also be of interest to geographers, urban planners, community of geographers, professionals engaged in the discipline, and those interested in the urban geography of West Bengal and eastern India.

The world of economics and management is being reshaped in more ways than one including rapid advancements in technology and business practices. This book weaves together a diverse set of issues such as consumption patterns, wealth disparities and the management, behaviour and financial health of businesses and consumers to analyse the effectiveness of economic and business strategies. Rapid technological advancements along with the need for cost-effectiveness and convenience are making service providers embrace technology as a partner rather than a tool in their economic journey. Relatedly, traditional management philosophy is coming under a scanner, with an increasing emphasis on holistic development of the organization, rather than a top-down approach, as has been the case in the past. Understanding major developments in economic and financial policymaking has perennially been a key concern of public policy, shaped by recent global and related developments, this has necessitated a relook at these issues, couched in a cross-cutting perspective. Viewed from this standpoint, the present volume, written to honour the rich academic work of the eminent economist Professor Anindya Sen intersects this triad of economics, finance and public policy that are integral to policy thinking and its formulation. The smorgasbord of research ideas, involving both theoretical analysis and empirical evidence, presented in this volume, provides useful perspectives on the drivers that are continually reshaping the dynamism in the world around us and, in the process, integrates a multidisciplinary perspective of focusing on several pertinent policy challenges.This book will be useful to researchers and students of economics, finance and public policy, economic theorists, microeconomics, and even to those with a broader canvass such as researchers in macroeconomics, international economics, business, management and marketing.

This book explores the levels of cooperation and the phenomenon of convergence among BRICS nations. It provides an in-depth look into the financial and banking systems among these rapidly developing economies and the steps they have taken to foster development and counter inequalities.Of the many factors in determining the income and wealth of a country as well as a group of countries, commercial bank credit, a well-known financial indicator, has been an important one. This book analyses the governance and structure of the New Development Bank and its effects on group members for peer growth and to defend against any external economic and political shocks. It looks at how much of an influence the commercial bank credit, or simply the credit, has upon the income levels of the BRICS member countries, how equitable they are, whether they are converging in credits and incomes, and other such issues. It also focuses on India's credit aspects of inclusiveness and convergence.With a strong empirical model estimation, this book will be of interest to students and researchers of economics, finance, management, political studies, international relations, and international trade.

Intercultural business communication has assumed enormous significance in recent times for corporate leaders for transmitting and disseminating ideas across borders and for achieving organisational goals. This book provides a comprehensive introduction to communication strategies in business with a focus on diversity management skills.Culturally congruent communication competencies play an essential role in fostering productive conversations in transnational markets. This book includes in-depth research that explores key communication skills like negotiations, leadership, persuasion, argumentation, and corporate etiquette for professionals working in multinational realms of international commerce. It discusses intercultural management theories, non-verbal communications, and effective methods of communicating in virtual environments. The book also highlights the role and importance of diversity management in steering and helming multicultural teams and the expertise needed to manage stressful and challenging communication scenarios in variegated geo-cultural workspaces.Part of the Contemporary Themes in Business and Management series, this book will be useful for scholars and researchers of management studies, business communications, communication studies, business economics, business ethics, and digital communication, as well as for corporate professionals working with multinationals.

This book will sharpen the core decision-making skills of budding managers and entrepreneurs through the concepts, logic, and principles of microeconomics used in the book with suitable examples and cases from multiple industries from across the world. By placing strong emphasis on the fundamental theories, concepts, and their application in real-life business scenarios, the book presents chapters infused with relevant case-lets, snippets, and exercises. Written in simple and engaging conversational style, this book makes complex topics easily comprehensible to the readers who have virtually no background in economics.This book will be useful to students, researchers, and teachers from the field of economics, applied economics, and business studies. Additionally, this book would also be an invaluable companion to aspiring business managers and corporate leaders.

This book reiterates pluralism as the basic feature of the Indian social sphere. It highlights challenges to the continuity of the plural fabric of India's society and culture. Acknowledging that socio-political concerns on women's issues do not always find adequate representation in social science texts, the book explores issues and policies related to gender. It locates the roots of feminist fundamentalism, studies the reactions to it, and brings forth the demands relating to new agendas and strategies for feminism. The authors also present empirical studies on issues faced by minority communities in India.An important contribution, this book will be of interest to scholars and researchers of sociology, political sociology, gender studies, exclusion studies, South Asian studies, Affirmative action, and political science.

This volume captures the social, political, psychological, administrative, and policy dimensions of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Indian context. The book is divided into four parts. Part I highlights social narratives from underprivileged workers, ASHA workers, the LGBTIQ+ community, and sanitary workers. It documents their struggles to develop mitigation, adaptation, and resilience strategies. Part II includes case studies and stories of self-management, the mental health of students from rural and urban Maharashtra, and of caregivers. It unveils the path of transformation of self to deal with the issues of anxiety and emotional turmoil caused during and due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Part III consists of resilience, philosophical hope, and solidarity, which reflect the contribution of seva by the Sikh community. It also highlights the contribution of government organizations like Indian Railways, Air India, and the Employee Provident Fund Organization to provide relief to both the people of India and Indians residing abroad to bring people back to the country during the unprecedented times. Part IV discusses the responses of various states of India to the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of policies by the government of India during those times.Based on empirical research work, this book will be useful for students, teachers, researchers, behavioral scientists, and practitioners of psychology, sociology, human geography, mental health, political science, public health, and public policy. This book will also be of interest to policymakers and the general public to understand the intricacies involved and the essential propositions with regard to pandemics.

This volume considers spirit possession in the Himalayas and the various ways in which invisible powers are made present. It does so by examining material representations of these powers through artefacts, animals, plants and natural substances, while also focusing on narratives of people's encounters with the invisible that may help them to reconfigure reality. Through these two approaches, the contributions examine new phenomena associated with the concepts of'possession'and'shamanism', which otherwise tend to lead research into well-worn furrows. The book addresses a range of themes, including the gods of the Western Himalayas, death and ritual dissolution among Hyolmo Buddhists in Nepal, gods and rivers as legal persons in India, and the problem of conversion disorder in Nepal.Rich in ethnography, this book will be indispensable for scholars and researchers of anthropology, religion, spiritualism, sociology of religion, Himalayan studies, sociology and South Asia.

This book explores the fascinating and complex histories of Islam and China. Meticulously researched and captivating, it provides a comprehensive history of the encounters and relationship between these two great civilizations, as well as the unique development and indigenization of Islam within China.The work looks at the early interactions between Arab Muslim traders and the Tang dynasty in the seventh century, shedding light on the establishment of the first Muslim communities in China. The narrative then progresses through subsequent dynasties, examining the ebbs and flows of Muslim influence, integration, and indigenization. It looks at the emergence of the Hui and other Muslim ethnic groups, who play a central role in the story of Chinese Islam. By delving into their customs, beliefs, and distinctive practices, the authors unveil the intricate process of indigenization, where Islam becomes deeply rooted in Chinese culture and society. One of the unique features of this collection is the nuanced analysis of the impact of major political events, as well as gradual social changes, on the process of adoption and transmission of Islam in China. The authors also highlight the role of economic activities, Chinese Islamic scholars, and key architectural landmarks in this multifaceted history.Part of the Global Islamic Cultures series that looks at integrated and indigenized Islam, this book will be of interest to students and researchers of religion, Islamic studies, religious history, political Islam, cultural studies, Islamic law, and Asian studies. It will also be useful to readers who are interested in world religions, theology, and cultures.

What is knowledge, and ignorance? How is it decided? Do power and power relations influence this process? Does the spread of knowledge lead to more ignorance? Is ignorance socially produced? Is knowledge always socially contextualized? This book deals with these important questions on the interplay of knowledge, ignorance and power located in varied contexts in India.As systematic knowledge grows, so does the possibility of ignorance. Ignorance is a state which people attribute to others and is loaded with moral judgment. Thus, being underdeveloped often ‘implies a kind of stupidity or failure'. This volume seeks to be premised in a framework where ignorance is understood as being a socially produced and maintained phenomenon, where the ways of knowing and not knowing are interdependent. It is a novel attempt for an academic re-orientation of the Knowledge–Ignorance paradigm through a process of re-interpretation of the bounded purview attached with the existing epistemological understandings. It focuses on concrete case studies, often with an ethnographic stint. The volume critically looks at various aspects: Epistemological Issues; Understanding Community Perspectives and the State; Natural Resources, Power and Ignorance; Media and Production of Non-Knowledge; and other emerging areas. Each essay bears a striking similarity – that of understanding the complex processes and dynamics of the production of ignorance in a field of commonly held beliefs of'knowledge'- be it scientific, societal, religious, magical or political - through the overarching realm of power.This interdisciplinary volume will be of interest to a cross-section of academics and students of sociology, social anthropology, political science, human geography, history, public policy and development studies.

This book focuses on the aftermath of the 1947 Partition of India. It considers the long aftermath and afterlives of Partition afresh, from a wide and inclusive range of perspectives and studies the specificities of the history of violence and migration and their memories in the Bengal region. The chapters in the volume range from the administrative consequences of partition to public policies on refugee settlement, life stories of refugees in camps and colonies, and literary and celluloid representations of Partition. It also probes questions of memory, identity, and the memorialization of events.Eclectic in its theoretical orientation and methodology, this book will be of interest to scholars and researchers of partition history, colonialism, refugee studies, Indian history, South Asian history, migration studies, and modern history in general.

This book provides unrivalled coverage of both quantitative and qualitative research methods, making it invaluable for anyone embarking on social research. Divided into five parts/sections, it introduces tools, techniques, critical aspects and knowledge of conducting social research, which include a detailed discussion about the basics of social research, social research problem, review of literature, hypothesis, sampling, research design, tools of research, statistics and report writing. The volume helps acquire knowledge, develop an understanding, apply the concepts in social research and curate checklists and rating scales designed to evaluate the statement of a problem, research proposal, hypothesis, different methods of research and writing research reports. It also includes a brief discussion about statistics, the style of reporting and the criteria for evaluating social research.This book will be a helpful reference/text for graduates, postgraduates, doctoral scholars and all those interested in societal development. It would also be useful to students, researchers and teachers of the various social sciences disciplines like psychology, sociology, education, social work and other allied subjects. It would be an invaluable companion to professionals and data scientists working in the field of analytics.

This textbook elaborates on the basic understanding and application of statistical tests and data analysis using hypothetical datasets and SPSS version 22.0. It presents step-by-step processes and to-the-point interpretation for quick assimilation and comprehension.Data Analysis Using SPSS Begins with the stages of data entry and goes on till editing and data visualization. Takes the readers through descriptive statistics, frequency, univariate, bivariate and regression analysis, cross-tabulation, linear models and non-parametric test procedures. Presents information through dialog boxes and tabular charts, and also incorporates important formulae, calculations and illustrations of sample data for an in-depth understanding of concepts and results. Can be used as a textbook as well as a reference book as it helps to build conceptual understanding, gaining software skills, and communicates data and its insights to accomplish research assignments, research/capstone projects and PhD research work. With comprehensive coverage, this book would be useful to the students, researchers and teachers of the various social sciences disciplines like Psychology, Sociology, Education, Social Work, Agriculture Management and other allied subjects. It would also be an invaluable companion to professionals and data scientists working in the field of analytics.

This book is a compilation of the collective voices of autistic people and is a fertile ground to understand inclusion and the enigma of the autism spectrum from the neurodiverse lens. The book brings forth first-person accounts of autistic adults and unravels various facts about the people with autism spectrum disorder. It offers a fresh outlook on autistic adults, reflecting on inclusion, their challenges, and strengths, and presents crucial elements for a successful inclusive model and lays the foundation of a robust and effective support delivery that reinforces the inclusion of autistic people in society. Through a range of neurodiverse voices, the book presents the world the challenges and strengths of autistic people and their unique perspectives. It offers valuable insights for future directions and strategic effective pathways. Each chapter brings forth various perspectives by autistic adults and stresses the need for a neuro-diverse lens and strength focus support for manifestation and nurturance of the best potentialities of autistic people enhancing their quality of life, increasing their inclusion and resulting in a mutually positive experiences collectively in an inclusive way.Inclusive and incisive in its making, this book would be useful to the departments of Special Education, Psychology and Applied Psychology, Social Work, Sociology, Health Science, Diversity and Equity, Neurodiversity and Public Health. It would also be an invaluable companion to special educators, in-service and prospective teachers, policymakers, parents, professionals from government and nongovernment organizations, and researchers in the field of disability, diversity, and equity from around the world.

This book explores the implications and significant ethical, social, economic and health challenges that an ageing world population presents. It provides valuable insights on concerns related to providing, organizing, planning and managing care for older persons in both formal and informal settings.As the number of older persons increases rapidly around the globe, caring for them is a very important aspect of all ageing and aged societies. While in most countries the care of older persons is provided informally by family members, the changing social scene, family structures and work and employment patterns are leading many nations to create provisions for formal care through institutions or paid services of caregivers. This book offers perspectives on formal and informal care from countries such as Japan, the Netherlands, the USA, India, South Africa and Poland, among others. The essays in this book underline a rights-based approach and focus on ethical, social, economic, health and legal aspects of care as they pertain to the universal phenomena of ageing as well as the specific demographic and epidemiological realities of the selected countries. They discuss concerns such as long-term care provisions, catering to the needs of people affected by dementia, providing residential care, taking the needs of family care providers into account, the growing requirement for paid care workers and channelizing training of both skilled and semi-skilled care providers to suit the needs of older people.This volume would be of interest to scholars and those working in the fields of sociology, health studies, age and ageing, psychology, social work, medical sciences, nursing and public policy. It will also be useful to NGO sector workers, administrators, as well as grassroots workers involved with the care of older persons.

This book weaves the past with the present to trace and analyze the distinctive but reiterative evocations of Hindutva ideology in the modern-colonial period. It studies the concept of Hindutva as understood by its first major spokesperson Chandranath Basu, a formidable late nineteenth-century scholar-critic. The author examines the new rhetoric that has shaped Hindu ideologies in a colonial-modern context by foregrounding debates between Chandranath Basu and radical revisionists such as Rabindranath Tagore. It provides original translations of Basu's works and brings to light a long-neglected professional literary critic.A unique contribution, this book will be an essential read for scholars and researchers of religion studies, history, postcolonialism, literature, Indian political thought, Indian history, political science, Hindu studies, Hindusim, sociology and political ideology, and South Asian studies.

This volume reflects on different regional and national experiences of the Covid 19 pandemic, with contributions from India, Thailand, Singapore, Australia, Italy, United States, and Canada.This book draws upon a number of approaches but especially the works of Deleuze and Guattari, Agamben, Derrida, Foucault, Habermas, Latour, and Serres. It looks at the methodological aspects of treating the pandemic, focuses on laying out the posthuman condition of the event largely problematizing the immanence of life which affirms the transversal Deleuzian ethic of life, and extends the politics of life to the domain of immunology. Together, the authors make it apparent that the pandemic is a multifaceted event, or many different kinds of events – virological, informational, phenomenological, social, and discursive. The authors skilfully develop these different dimensions of the pandemic event and show the relations between them. These essays will enrich the reader's understanding of the pandemic and its effects, while demonstrating the depth and breadth of the resources that humanities scholarship can mobilize to help us understand such phenomena.This volume will be useful to students of posthumanism, medical humanities, health communication, political communication, semiotics, literature, cultural theories, and major strains of thought from contemporary continental philosophy.

This book examines the phenomenon of colorism in India and the Global South and critically analyses the obsession with fair skin and its association with social capital or mobility.Exploring the prevalence of colorism in India, China, Japan, Vietnam, South Africa, Brazil, Argentina, Kenya and Australia, it traces its roots in history, scriptures, travel narratives, contemporary media and popular culture. How much did colonialism and European imperialism contribute to the desire to be white? How have globalization and the spread of consumer culture and Western ideals of beauty helped exacerbate these issues? The author discusses these questions while looking at the aspirations for beauty and modernity among these societies and the growing popularity of the use of creams, lotions and other methods to whiten the skin as a means to assimilate, emulate the West and gain better prospects and life.Lucid and topical, this book will be an essential read for scholars and researchers of race and colorism, sociology, social history, social anthropology, cultural studies, consumer economics, Asian studies and South Asian studies.

India is the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, which makes it an important player whose climate mitigation actions and inactions are closely scrutinised. This book studies developments in India's energy system from a governance perspective. It presents a unique compilation and synthesis of research findings that capture achievements, shortcomings, and persistent and transient challenges of India's transition towards a net-zero economy by 2070.The book grounds its analysis in domestically formulated goals and reflects on dynamics at the structural level of India's multi-scalar innovation system, by highlighting the influencing factors of energy system status and change. It presents the perspectives and positions of different actor groups, studies the market and business, and discusses cases influenced by existing or changing institutions across the whole spectrum of energy resources from fossil to non-fossil fuels and respective technologies.The volume will be useful for students and researchers in energy governance, energy policy and economics, socio-technical transition studies, energy systems engineering, sustainable development, and environmental studies. It will also be of interest to policymakers and investors.

This book studies the impact of COVID-19 in South Asia. With case studies from India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, the volume assesses the long-term effects of COVID on the countries'political economy, public health, education, and society and offers recommendations for creating a more robust and resilient society for South Asian countries in response to the threat of future pandemics. The authors also make suggestions for shared policy goals, identifying smart strategies, and aligning policy instruments into short and long-term policy decisions to address wider societal issues of economy, migration, refugees, and averting the threats of extremism.Topical and comprehensive, this book will be indispensable for scholars and researchers of sociology, medical sociology, political sociology, social anthropology, South Asian studies, public policy, political economy, and political studies.

This book studies the linkages between science, technology and institution building in Colonial and Modern India. It discusses the advent and growth of modern science in India in terms of a nested three-stage model comprising the colonial-tool stage, the peripheral-native stage and the Indian response stage, each leading to and coexisting with the next. The book gives an account of developments in various fields of science and education in the latter half of the 19th century and the beginning of contributions made by Indian individuals, continuing into the 20th century. It traces the process of colonization and how it led to studies in astronomy, meteorology, natural history, geography and medicine in India.Rich in archival resources, this book will be indispensable for scholars and researchers of history of education, history of science, colonial education, science and technology studies, South Asian history, Indian history and history in general.

This book attempts to shift focus from performance appraisals to performance management incorporating performance planning, analysis, and development as critical components of it. The performance management system (PMS) is a future-driven exercise rather than merely a past-reviewing exercise. Performance management is treated as a year-round practice and not an appraisal process conducted once a quarter or annually. Moreover, it is now considered to be everyone's responsibility and not merely that of HR or the upper management.This book advocates the structuring of PMSs and their implementation. It incorporates the most modern 360-degree feedback systems and shows the ways and means of integrating it into PMS. Arguments are offered to use rating-less appraisals and/or a combination of appraisals with 360-degree feedback. It defines performance management to mean continuous improvements in performance of individuals, their teams, departments, and corporations. It also outlines that planning, analysis, review, coaching, and capability building are essential building blocks for good performance management.Concise, lucid, and engaging, this volume would be useful to the students, researchers, and faculty of human resource management, organizational behaviour and applied psychology. It would also be an invaluable guidebook for practicing business executives and HR professionals to help them implement the performance management system for effective talent management leading to increased productivity.

This companion volume focuses on the application and practical ramifications of Indian ethics. Here Indian dharma ethics is moved from its preeminent religious origins and classical metaethical proclivity to, what Kant would call, practical reason – or in Aristotle's poignant terms, ēhikos and phronēis –and in more modern parlance normative ethics. Our study examines a wide range of social and normative challenges facing people in such diverse areas as women's rights, infant ethics, politics, law, justice, bioethics and ecology. As a contemporary volume, it builds linkages between existing theories and emerging moral issues, problems and questions in today's India in the global arena. The volume brings together contributions from some 40 philosophers and contemporary thinkers on practical ethics, exploring both the scope and boundaries or limits of ethics as applied to everyday and real-life concerns and socio-economic challenges facing India in the context of a troubled globalizing world. As such, this collection draws on multiple forms of writing and research, including narrative ethics, interviews, critical case studies and textual analyses.The book will be of interest to scholars, researchers and students of Indian philosophy, Indian ethics, women and infant issues, social justice, environmental ethics, bioethics, animal ethics and cross-cultural responses to dominant Western moral thought. It will also be useful to researchers working on the intersection of Gandhi, sustainability, ecology, theology, feminism, comparative philosophy and dharma studies.

This textbook introduces readers to an array of concepts and current practices of human resource management (HRM). It provides an understanding of the current problems in the area that require pragmatic research and realistic solutions.Using a blend of diverse concepts, theories, tools and techniques, the book discusses contemporary practices of HRM and the challenges related to acquiring and training people, human resource development, compensation and reward, employee relations, technological changes, HR records, audit, research and more. Supported by the authors'rich experience of over five decades in academics as well as in the corporate sector and case studies, the book will enhance conceptual understanding of HRM, throw light on recent developments in this subject area and offer management strategies for problems and challenges related to human resources.This book will be an essential textbook for students, professionals, corporate trainers and researchers of business studies, management studies, marketing, human resource management, resource management, work and organisational psychology, human resource development, risk management, economics and finance.

This book studies India's historical, socio-cultural, and trade linkages with Inner Asia. Inner Asia includes the landlocked regions within East Asia and North Asia that are part of today's Western China, Mongolia, the Russian Far East, and Siberia. The book examines issues of geopolitics, geoeconomics, climate change and regional cooperation and discusses the importance of the fabled Silk Road for the countries of Inner Asia. It also analyses the impact India has wielded upon the region through its cultural traits and how Buddhism has remained a binding force between the people of the two regions.Lucid and topical, this book will be useful for scholars and researchers of Asian studies, Central Asian studies, area studies, geopolitics, international trade, international relations, defence and strategic studies, diplomacy and foreign policy, and political studies. It will also be of interest to policymakers, bureaucrats, diplomats and think tanks.

This book explores the field of environmental studies emphasizing its multidisciplinary nature. It looks at the fundamentals of environmental conservation and the management of sensitive ecosystems.The book provides an overview of the basic concepts used to understand and study diverse ecosystems and their functions as well as the progressively larger yet mutually inclusive units, such as the landscape and the biome. It examines the challenges towards preserving biodiversity which is under severe threat due to climate change, exploitation of natural resources, pollution, and man-made disasters. Besides outlining the causes and effects, the authors outline control mechanisms to keep pollution within safe limits and offer suggestions for resolving issues such as wildlife poaching and trade, water and air pollution, deforestation, and biodiversity loss through policy changes.This book will be of interest to the students, researchers, teachers of environmental studies, environmental science, sociology, political science, and public administration. This book will also be useful to environmentalists, wildlife conservationists, and policy makers.

This book critically examines the public and private healthcare systems in India. Analysing the current scenario of health insurance in India, it studies the inadequacy of public healthcare services and unaffordability of private health care facilities. The volume investigates government sponsored health insurance schemes and advocates for the need of universal health insurance coverage. It details India's per capita health expenditure and provides policy inputs on how healthcare systems and insurance coverage can be improved in the country. Further, it explores the financial parameters of health insurers and standalone private health insurance companies, and also discusses the adverse impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Indian healthcare.An insightful read on the state of healthcare in India, this book will be of interest to researchers and academics working in the fields of insurance, healthcare administration and management, public health policy and practice, health and social care, medical sociology, and sociology & social policy. It will also be useful for think tanks and policy makers.

Blind Narrations and Artistic Subjectivities: Corporeal Refractions makes an important contribution to the field of blindness studies by highlighting the centrality of blindness in literary compositions. It presents a critical interpretation of selected prose writings by three blind authors: Argentine poet, short story writer, and essayist Jorge Luis Borges; Australian religious educator and diarist John M. Hull; and the American memoirist and poet Stephen Kuusisto.The volume discusses themes like theorising the corporeality of writing aesthetic turn to the experience of blindness altered sensation and self-understanding lived experience of growing blind self-knowledge through interaction with the world artistic subjectivity, narrative choices, and the ‘implied'author This book will be useful for scholars and researchers of blindness studies, disability studies, arts and aesthetics, literature, cultural studies, and philosophy.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the nature of explanations as given in both natural and social sciences. It discusses models of explanation adopted in natural and social sciences. The author also elaborates upon naturalistic and anti-naturalistic views and other types of explanations such as functional, purposive, etc in social science. The volume elaborates upon themes like bridge principle; functional explanation; purposive explanation; teleological explanation; prediction; methodological individualism; methodological collectivism; illocutionary redescription; principle of action; and dispositional explanations to understand whether the explanations given in the realm of social sciences are the same or different from the explanations that are given in the field of natural sciences.This introductory book is a must read for students and scholars of philosophy of science, logic, science and technology studies, social sciences and philosophy in general.

This book examines the state of child health and well-being in India. It traces the roots of child health inequalities in India; draws on the latest NFHS-V, 2019–21 data; and analyses various child health and nutrition indicators from the perspective of equity and efficiency.This volume addresses various contexts and methodologies available to measure health inequalities among Indian children. It also assesses the child's well-being in terms of “Multidimensional Child Poverty”. As a policy document, this work examines and quantifies the equity and efficiency dimensions of various child health indicators among Indian states. Assessment of between- and within-group inequalities by various socio-economic groups provides new insights into addressing the issue of health inequalities among Indian children.An in-depth work on child health and development, this book will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of health and public policy, development studies, health economics, and South Asian studies. It will also be of use to NGOs, policymakers, and think-tanks in the field.

The Global Governance Forum and the Global Challenges Foundation collaborate in this collection in their concern that the UN Charter and the contemporary infrastructure for international cooperation are no longer fit for purpose and lack the instruments, resources and legitimacy to address the catastrophic risks threatening our future.Twenty-eight contributors offer thoughtful proposals for reforming existing international institutions and creating new ones to build a more peaceful, prosperous and just world, covering themes such as the management of weapons of mass destruction, collective security arrangements, justice and equity in economics, human rights, migration and refugees, climate mitigation, and food security, all bearing on the health of both people and planet.The vital project of this century is building institutions that will underpin global governance in coming decades, requiring imagination, persistence, empathy, and confidence that we will find a path to enhanced mechanisms of binding international law and the resources to make that happen. The volume is essential reading for scholars and researchers on international politics and public policy and indispensable for diplomats and government agencies.

This volume brings together new research on the developing and transforming literary scape in South Asia in the aftermath of the partitions of 1947 and 1971. It thematically explores the transformations that have taken place in the literary spheres of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, since violence and irresolvable conflicts wreaked the subcontinent, through the narratives of loss and longing.The volume deals with key themes such as feminism, minorities and marginality, vernacular history, Bengali literary representations, and post-Partition artistic and literary representations. It contributes towards fostering a network for academic exchange across the borders thereby presenting diverse and in-depth studies on a plethora of subjects within the larger framework of literary landscapes.Narratives of Loss and Longing will be of interest to scholars of literary studies, postcolonial and decolonial studies, partition studies, minority studies, refugee studies, gender and women's studies and those interested in South Asia, especially India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

This book looks at Musharraf's Education Reforms in Pakistan and analyses the relationship between education policy, curriculum, Pakistani identity and citizenship. It explores changes in the curriculum and how a reformed curriculum has shaped Pakistani identity according to the exigencies of time. The book underscores the significant role that Musharraf's reforms to revamp the curricula at formal educational institutions, from primary to higher education levels, as well as in the Madrassas, to make the curricula compatible with global education trends. The government aimed to replace all outdated content that promoted hatred, extremism and the status quo, with new themes informed by tolerance, interfaith harmony, human rights, environmental preservation, loyalty, the moderate vision of Islam, and skills orientation. The purpose of these themes in the curricula was to make education market-oriented and to construct a Pakistani identity in the context of Neo-Liberal Citizenship. The book provides an in-depth look into the transformation of education curriculum in Pakistan focusing on the exploration of the intersections between education, politics, and citizenship in Pakistani society.This book is an essential read for anyone interested in understanding the impact of education policies on citizenship and political processes in Pakistan. Its insightful analysis and thorough research make it an excellent resource for students, scholars, and teachers working in the fields of anthropology, citizenship studies, education, Islamic studies, gender studies, Pakistan studies, political science, political sociology, public policy and South Asian studies.'

This textbook is a comprehensive, student-friendly guide to understanding the fundamentals of public administration. It examines the recent developments and relevant theoretical underpinnings in an accessible manner.Public Administration: Helps students grasp key dialectical interconnections between theoretical conceptualizations and prevalent socio-economic and political circumstances Provides understanding of issues in governance Analyses significant transformations in civil society and administrative set-ups across the world Highlights the contributions of non-Western thinkers in the development of conceptual ideas of the discipline Accessibly written, it caters to a wide range of university syllabi in public administration and will be essential for students and researchers of political science, public policy and public administration. It will also be particularly useful for those preparing for the civil service examinations.

Sustainable development has emerged as an overarching concern globally. Given the challenges of climate change, national economies, especially in the developing world, face unsustainable levels and patterns of growth and development. This volume looks at how India's sustainable development has progressed through institutional changes and public policy discourse. It studies the three pillars of sustainability – technology, governance, and finance. The authors examine whether institutions have been able to work towards becoming inclusive and participatory and whether public policy can remain relevant and agile in a fast-changing world to ensure sustainable development.Written in honour of Professor Vinod Vyasulu, an erudite economist with wide-ranging interests, this volume will be of interest to academics and practitioners engaged with issues of development, policy, institutions, and technology in the fields of Economics, Sociology, Development Studies, Public Policy, and South Asian Studies.

This book delves into the concept and definition of social movements from different perspectives with relevance to India. It offers critical insight into the fundamental and ongoing debates and treatises around the struggle for rights and welfare.The book covers discussions on a wide range of movements varying in locus and spatial spread – from movements that highlight environmental issues to those that articulate the voices of women, Dalits, the queer community, persons with disabilities, and farmers. It explores the origins of people's movements, what a collective is and how communities mobilize and organize. The authors also provide a history of the key social movements in India, examining the social, political, and cultural contexts in which they were born and continue being relevant in contemporary India.This revised and updated edition is an essential volume for students and researchers of social movement studies, sociology, political science and history, protest movements, sociological theory, the history of sociological thought, contemporary social theory, social policy, and international and globalization studies.

This book probes into the marginalized communities of the Indian society through historical and contemporary societal perspectives. It discusses socio-cultural aspects of the experiences of Scheduled Castes, Dalits, Scheduled Tribes/tribal communities, Other Backward Classes, linguistic minorities, religious minorities and the queer/LGBT as sexual minorities.Adopting an inter-disciplinary approach, it looks at all these segments of Indian society through historical and societal perspectives. Divided into three broad sections – Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and minorities, this book provides historical perspective backed by the contemporary situation and emerging social changes among these communities. Written in a lucid manner, the book aims to reach and impact readers without having any prior academic exposure to this subject area.This book would be useful to the students, researchers and teachers of sociology, social work, history, economics, political science, and other interdisciplinary courses in social sciences. The book will also be valuable reading for those interested in South Asian studies, especially contemporary Indian society.

This book introduces the concept of “oceanic strategy,” expanding beyond traditional maritime and naval perspectives to include political, economic, socio-cultural, and ecological dimensions. It highlights the Indian Ocean Region as a critical arena for global power competition, where the abundance of resources, strategic significance, and emerging interests have made it a new frontier for opportunity, growth, and conflict. By incorporating aspects like oceanic security, resource exploration, the blue economy, and hydrography, the book presents a broader view of strategic thought and the role of oceanic spaces in national and global geopolitics.Focusing on key players such as India, China, the US, and other traditional and emerging powers, the book analyses the reorientation of national interests and the intensifying struggle for dominance in the Indian Ocean. It argues that control over this region is crucial for attaining influence in 21st-century geopolitics. The work also addresses non-traditional security threats like piracy and transnational crime, situating the Indian Ocean at the heart of modern geopolitical discourse.This book is an essential resource for students and scholars of international relations, strategic studies, and political science, offering critical insights into the evolving power dynamics shaping the future of the Indian Ocean Region.

This book examines the process of domination of a civilization and the creation of a vast empire by the British in India in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It explores how they extended and maintained their tenuous rule over India through coercion, violent oppression, and exploration of knowledge of this vast region and its people.Excavating archival materials, this volume looks at extensive ethnographic surveys, the study of history, cartography, archaeology, native languages, and literatures from colonial times. It takes a critical look at the attempts of unravelling the social structural principles such as caste and religious groups and also how power was used in multiple forms and contexts to establish dominance over the people of the subcontinent and its resources. The essays in this volume are from a period when the technologies of colonization were being experimented with and reect a mixed bag of admiration, derogation, and paternalism from those holding positions of power and responsibility, including some elite Indians. It further examines the emergence of a sense of nationalism, a critique of the Eurocentric views of the colonial masters, indicating the contribution of Western education to the formation of an Indian identity that finds resonance in modern times.This book will be useful to students and researchers of anthropology, sociology, public administration, modern history, colonial studies, and demography. It will also be of interest to civil servants, students of history, Indian culture and society, religions, colonial history, law, and South Asia studies.

This book is an introductory account for policy makers, academia, and interested readers on the digital technologies on Indian Military. It covers three technologies – AI, Blockchain, and Quantum communications – and provides a detailed account on the military use cases. It evaluates the readiness of Indian Military in these technologies. A foundational text, it not only provides key policy analysis but also identifies the gray areas for the future research in the security studies.The volume will be essential reading for scholars and researchers of military and strategic studies, especially future warfare, AI and Blockchain, and South Asian studies. It will be of interest to general readers as well.

This book studies the ideological nature of mainstream scientific psychology. It raises critical questions about the dominant forms of psychological theorization and praxis, based on their validity, social relevance and power privileges. Re-envisioning Psychology critically interrogates scientific images of the mind, individual, gender, development, society and culture that mainstream psychology promotes. The issues taken up in this book revolve around the pivotal concerns of psychology's scientific basis, its dominant quantitative research methodology, the construction of ‘individual'as the unit of analysis, the conceptualization of ‘social', ‘cultural'and ‘gender'in relation to individualism, and the understanding of abnormality as shaped by the discourses of medical science and capitalism.Comprehensive and topical, the book will be useful to students, researchers, and teachers of psychology, applied psychology, social work, gender and women studies, and sociology. It will also be of interest to professional counsellors and psychotherapists.

This textbook discusses supply chain management and provides a comprehensive overview of all the key activities and issues of supply chain and logistics functions as an integrated discipline.Taking a comprehensive approach, it reviews end-to-end supply chain management from procurement to production to warehousing, distribution and customer service. It explores how each interface can be managed with the ultimate objective of providing superior customer experience to ensure satisfaction at the least cost while delivering incremental value in a competitive environment.This volume: Guides on designing effective development and management of the supply chain network, which is an invaluable source of sustainable, competitive advantage in today's turbulent global marketplace Examines the complexities and challenges of catering to the flexible and fluctuating customer demand, warehousing, channel distribution and transportation, global logistics value chain management, and performance management Discusses short practical cases to explain the decision-making process with respect to manufacturing decisions and inventory for efficient working capital management, both of which are critical for supply chain performance Explores performance management matrix, maturity models and so on This book will be useful to students, researchers and faculty from the fields of business management, supply chain and logistics management, and mechanical and civil engineering. It will also be an invaluable companion to consultants and business executives working in the field of supply chain and logistics.

The Routledge Handbook for Global South Studies on Subjectivities provides a series of exemplary studies conjoining perspectives from Asian, African, and Latin American Studies on subjectivity in the Global South as a central category of social and cultural analysis. The contestation of the Northern myth of the autonomous subject—the dispositive that contests subject formation in the South by describing it as fragmented, incomplete, delayed or simply deviant, has been a cornerstone of theory production from the South over the years.This volume's contributions offer an interdisciplinary and transarea dialogue, reframing issues of selfhood and alterity, of personhood, of the human, of the commons and contesting the North's presumption in determining what kind of subjectivities abide by its norms, whose voices are heard, who is recognised as a subject, and, by extension, whose lives matter. In the context of the shifting dynamics of today's manifold crises, they raise questions regarding how subjectivities act on or resist such forms of contestation, contingency, and indeterminacy.A major contribution to the growing body of scholarship on the Global South, this handbook will be an essential resource for students, scholars, researchers and instructors in literature, media and culture studies, sociology, anthropology, philosophy, law, politics, visual arts and art history.

This book aims to be a comprehensive resource that will apprise readers of the complex dynamics of the psychological interiors of women and others in the sex and gender spectrum, as they grapple with sociopolitical and cultural constraints. Going beyond the ambit of mainstream psychology, this volume draws from interdisciplinary fields of women's/gender studies to highlight power imbalances, their intersectional nature, and the ways in which they shape the psychology of gender relations. The book illuminates three focal themes of identities, well-being, and relations, which illustrate the psychological, contextualised in the backdrop of social, political, and cultural developments in contemporary India. The first theme explores the building of identities in the changing dynamics of work–family interfaces, non-normative sexualities, and genders and the intersections of caste, gender, and social hierarchies. The second theme focuses on the gendering of mental health, including the intervention of feminist counselling. The third theme highlights conceptualisations and practices of masculinities and the role of agency, empowerment, and collective action in the pathways to equitable gender relations and social transformation. This book will be of interest to students, teachers, researchers of psychology, and of women's/gender studies. It will also be useful for anyone who is interested to learn about recent psychological scholarship in India, informed and imbued with a feminist perspective on women as well as other genders.

This book engages with different aspects of India's practice of international law. It covers a diverse range of areas such as human rights, humanitarian law, migration, diplomacy, extradition, environment, trade, investment, taxation, cyberspace, data protection, maritime, and intellectual property to showcase India's strong commitment to respect and observe international law.The volume discusses various themes which include: Legal and constitutional framework; Air, space, and atomic energy; Environment; Sea and maritime law; Trade, investment, and taxation; Conflict of laws; IT and data protection; Human rights and humanitarian law; Issues of refugees and internally displaced persons; Extradition and diplomatic immunities; Intellectual property; International obligations. The essays in this book also establish the linkage between observance of international law and bilateral and multilateral relations between different countries.Comprehensive and analytical, this book will be useful for scholars and researchers of law, international law, human rights, and foreign policy. It will also be an invaluable companion for professionals in law firms and think tanks, bureaucrats, and diplomats.

This book deconstructs the quintessential Indian woman that the advertising industry portrays across the spectrum by looking at Indian advertisements across multiple brands with a gender lens based on societal and sociological perspectives. It delves into various critical issues like the differences between culture-defined gender roles/expectations and women's portrayal in the ad narrative, and which product category has consistently portrayed women as sex objects.Drawing insights from a seminal research study and Erving Goffman's classic book ‘Gender Advertisements', it traces the journey of three decades, beginning the 1990s – the era of liberalization in India, to map trends and patterns in Indian advertising and presents the perspectives of the creative teams and top managements across Indian and global advertising agencies. It discusses the application of a Gender Sensitivity Barometer (GSB) which the creative teams can use to find out how sensitive or insensitive the ad has been based on pre-determined indicators suggested by the GSB.This book will be useful to students, researchers and faculty working in the field of management, advertising, mass communication, psychology, gender studies and sociology. It will also be an indispensable companion to professionals from the field of advertising and related areas.

Leprosy, widely mentioned in different religious texts and ancient scriptures, is the oldest scourge of humankind. Cases of leprosy continue to be found across the world as the most crucial health problem, especially in India and Brazil. There are a few maladies that eventually turn into social disquiets, and leprosy is undoubtedly one of them. This book traces the dynamics of the interface between colonial policy on leprosy and religion, science and society in Bengal from the mid-nineteenth to the first half of the twentieth centuries. It explores how the idea of ‘degeneration'and the ‘desolates'shaped the colonial legality of segregating ‘lepers'in Indian society. The author also delves into the treatments of leprosy that were often transfigured from ‘original'English texts, written by American or British medical professionals, into Bengali.Rich in archival resources, this book is an essential read for scholars and researchers of history, Indian history, public health, social history, medical humanities, medical history and colonial history.

This book explores the history and metamorphosis of the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), the premier business and management schools in India, and their significance within the changing landscape of higher education, nation-building and socio-economic development in the country.Over the past decades, IIMs, as institutions, have recalibrated their goals and priorities to address contemporary challenges in a globalised world, changing aspirations of a rapidly growing population and the changing idea of India. This book examines different facets of the challenges the institutes have faced in the aftermath of independence. These include the challenges of effective institutional governance; ensuring equity and access; democratisation; raising the bar for teaching and research; addressing national imparities and global benchmarking; accreditation and ranking; and academia, industry, and employability. Drawing upon the interplay of the experiential and analytical, the contributors to the volume also engage with the Indian knowledge system and the contested terrain of global theory and research.This volume will be of interest to scholars, researchers and practitioners of education, management studies, academic administration, and policymaking in the field of higher education.

This book examines the concept of social psychology in today's context. It analyses the theoretical concepts of social psychology and their applicationto other fields. It further explores the discipline in a cultural, historical, and philosophical context with special emphasis on religion.The volume goes beyond individual focus and directs its attention to society as the centre of influence. It advocates for a symbiotic relationship between the concepts of social psychology and their implementation in a society transitioning from being value-oriented to commerce-oriented. The book also suggests ways in which social psychology can assist in dealing with issues plaguing today's world.This book will be useful to students of psychology, applied psychology, sociology, social work, public health, gender, and women studies. It will also be indispensable to professionals working in the field of paediatrics, forensic medicine, psychiatry, and law enforcement authorities like police and judiciary.

This book presents a sociological interpretation of the emergence of modernity in India via the colonial encounter, and its ramifications for Indian society, economy, and polity. It outlines the main features of modernity and the Western context in which it was defined, both in classical and later sociological works, as well as the Western roots of India's development project after independence. The Eurocentric origins of modernity in India are summarised, along with the challenges it has posed in the political realm in the building of a pan-Indian or national consciousness, and in the emergence of dominant caste politics and regional and regionalistic parties to counter what was perceived to be an elite and marginalising project to modernise the Indian nation. It describes the trajectory that the Indian economy has undertaken from state-supported capitalism at the time of independence to market-centric neoliberalism by the 1990s, and the effects of this trajectory on both rural and urban India. The dominating role of both the ‘old'and the ‘new'middle classes as formidable cultural forces and the heterogeneous character of the latter, as a result of the upward mobility that has been underway since independence, are also summarised, as are the debates around the ever-imminent breakup of the Indian family and its implications for women and the elderly. It ends by outlining the history and persistence of various economic and cultural forms of social exclusion in contemporary India. This book would be useful for students, researchers, and teachers of sociology, history, political science, and interdisciplinary courses in the social sciences, such as modern Indian studies.