Fourth H. L. Parwana Memorial Lecture

Sh. Mani Shankar Aiyer

The Centre for Political Studies, School of Social Sciences organisd The Fourth H.L. Parwana Memorial Lecture on 7 August, 2006.

The Jawaharlala Nehru University created an Endowmwnt called the 'H.L.Parwana Endowment' with a Rs. 10lakh endowment made by the All India Bank Employees' Association in April 2001. The Endowment provides for of an Annual Lecture in memory of Com. H.L. Parwana and institutes a research fellowship pout of the income from interest. The inaugural lecture was given by Prof. Yash Pal in November, 2001. The second lecture was given by Sh S.P.Shukla, Former Member of the Planning Commission in February, 2003. The third lecture was delivered by Prof. G.S. Bhalla, Emeritus Professor, JNU in November, 2004.

The forth lecture in this series was delivered by Sh. Mani Shankar Aiyer, Minister of Panchayati Raj and
Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India.

The program was chaired by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. B. B. Bhattacharya, the welcome address being given by Prof. Gurpreet Mahajan, Centre for Political Studies. Sh. Mani Shankar Aiyer gave well-documented presentation on Economic Policy for a Democratic Polity. His main theme was that political democracy and the freedoms enjoyed by the citizens in India should go along with economic benefits for the majority of the people. But he cautioned that globalization and economic liberalization were not an automatic economic movement with a linear expansion path which will result in an even spread. He unmasks quite effectively the view that since political factors are constantly in a state of flux, that can undermine some of the gains of democratization and thus change the character and course of democracy, possibly leading to more burdens for the many.

(Centre for Political Studies, School of Social Sciences)

Workshop on "Conversion from Cash Accounting to Accrual Accounting"

A two-day workshop on "Conversion from Cash Accounting to Accrual Accounting" for Finance Officers of Central Universities was held on 11-12 July, 2006 at JNU. Finance Officers and Deputy Finance Officers of Seven Central Universities participated in the workshop. Senior Officials of MHRD/UGC also participated in it inaugurating the workshop Prof. B.B. Bhattacharya, Vice-Chancellor of the University, briefly outlined the advantages of the accrual system of accounting  and the need for the change over by autonomous organizations and universities from the existing cash accounting system.

The two day workshop was followed by an interaction session where lectures on  General Principles and Conventions of accounting, Basic of Accrual Accounting and tasks in the first year of  change were delivered by experts in the field.

It was unanimously felt by all the Officers attending the workshop that more such workshops should be held so as to familiarize them with this new system of accounting. The Officers also felt that they had immensely benefited from this experience which was the first of its kind held by any Central University.

(Revathi Bedi, Finance Officer, JNU)