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The School of Physical Sciences organized a talk by Professor Nicole Ostrowsky, Professor Emeritus, Université de Nice -- Sophia Antipolis, France.

In her talk, Professor Ostrowsky gave a flavor of "The Agenda", which explores a very wide range of topics, ranging from geometry to familiar technical objects, covering most experimental sciences, touching also on probability and statistics, as well as computer sciences. She demonstrated activities as varied as chromatography or GPS localization, emphasizing the key aspect of "The Agenda": to let the apprentice discover by himself/herself. She tried to show that this do it yourself approach allows for the nurturing a continuing curiosity while developing a critical spirit, the essential foundations of research.

A seminar was held in Centre for Study of Regional Development on 11 September, 2009 on the highly debated issue of National Food Security Act: Challenges and Policy Options. This was the first of the Centre for Advanced Studies Series of Seminars. The Speakers of the seminar were Biraj Patnaik, Principal Advisor, Commissioners to Supreme Court on Right to Food Case, and Dr. Suman Sahai, Convenor, Gene Campaign and it was chaired by Dr. Ravi Srivastava. Centre for Study of Regional Development.

The seminar was organized in the context of the UPA government's commitment to the Right to Food, which has opened up a new arena in the civic society regarding the content of the bill. The genesis of such a debate comes from the Fundamental Right and the Directive Principles in the Constitution of India, regarding the right to livelihood with dignity. However, as the speaker illustrated, much has remained only on the papers and this has put pressure on the government to provide certain basic rights to the civil society. Being an economic right, such a right is limited by various factors like the capacity of the state, level of development of the economy as well as multiple demand constraints. The present situation in India with 45-46" of the mal-nourished child population raises several questions among the scholars from various fields. All the speakers stressed that Fundamental Entitlement of Food should impose an obligation on the state to define it properly. Further, it should also be able to create a situation where food will be available, affordable and accessible and it is ensured that not a single stomach sleeps hungry in the country. The following issues were highlighted as primary objectives for the proposed right to food act;

The Seminar included with a vote of thanks by Prof. Saraswati Raju, Coordinator CAS programme of the Centre.

Himanshu, Assistant Professor,
Centre for the Study of Regional Development, SSS

Dr. Peter D. McDonald, gave a talk on "Policing Literature in Apartheid South Africa" in the Centre for English Studies, SLL&CS. In attempt to contextualize the censorship debate to an Indian audience, he traced the consequences of the 'Rushdie Affair' in South Africa. Starting with the ban on "Satanic Verses" in the nation, McDonald elaborated on the status of censorship within the larger political framework. While censorship has always been strongly contested by writers, in certain case- like Rushdie's the literary position against censorship was tepid because of the greater importance placed on the resistance movement against apartheid. He elaborated on J.M. Coetzee's defense of Salman's Rushdie's right to free speech and his stand against censorship, charting the events that led to the publication of "Giving Offense: Essays on Censorship". Following the talk, in response to questions directed at him, he showed appreciation for Blanchot's advocation of anti-essentialism in literature stating that we should arrest the substantive bracketing of literature. The constant reworking of the boundaries that define literature perhaps accords it the distinction of being a means of resistance rather than the dubious honour of religious blasphemy. He concluded by furthering the Blanchot argument, claiming that protest writers get herded into a space wherein their writing assumes certain definitive specificities. Their resistance thus runs the risk of being manipulated by state machinery if it allows itself to be bracketed as the "voice of resistance" much like what happened to the 'Black Arts Movement' in the United States during the 1960s and 70s.

Dr Omkar Lal Shrestha a distinguished scholar and Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore, delivered a comprehensive and analytical lecture on "Asian Innovation Systems" at Centre for Studies in Science Policy, SSS, JNU on 17 September,2009. In his lecture he highlighted that the 21st century is going to be the Century of Asia and it will play a dominant role in the world economy commensurate with its share of global population. He concurred with the conclusion of several studies including those by the Goldman Sachs (Report on BRIC in 2007) and recently by ADB in June 2009 (India 2039 An Affluent Society in One Generation). Michael Spence in his 2008 study found that more than two-third of the countries with best economic success stories (9 out of 13) are in Asia along with India and Vietnam which are also in the process of joining the success stories.

Dr. Shrestha pointed out that developing Asia does not have the option to follow the same trajectory as the developed countries who as colonial powers in their early phase of development had access to virtually free or low cost natural resources from their colonies, unencumbered by today's restrictions on environmental standard, intellectual property rights, child labour etc. The colonies provided them with unrestricted and often unfair export markets. For developing Asia, the rules of the game are all together different and harsh now. The resources are increasingly scarce, their prices stiff and the competition for market severely tough not to mention several environmental, IPRs, child labour and other restrictions that need compliance.

In addition, the current global financial crisis and the resulting recession in the OECD economies have jolted our faith in export-driven growth approach which had supported much of Asia's growth over the past several decades. The crisis has also led us to question the prudence of placing unrestrained faith in free market mechanism, the loosely regulated financial system on the premise of its self correction by market, and on our trust on the credit rating agencies without built-in mechanism of rating the ratters' performance etc. All these have compelled for an intense search for an alternative approach that will give us inclusive development with fewer kinks.

Dr. Shrestha argued that Asia's future growth should come from not just shifting to domestic demand from external export market, but in helping augment the overall global demand. This is where innovation comes to play its role by helping create new demand and by erasing old and obsolete ways of resource and energy-intensive consumption pattern and production techniques. In tomorrow's world, there will be demand for products that do not exist in today's market. Today's quality level may not satisfy tomorrow's standard. Efficiency and productivity-led growth through innovations will be the new growth engine. Asia's long-term competitiveness and its economic emergence as global economic power house will be defined by its own ability to continuously create and upgrade flows and standard of innovations, harness globally scarce energy and other natural resources with greater efficiency and consistently increasing its total factor productivity.

Seminar on 'Growing Dimensions on Copyright and emerging Concepts of Cyber Intellectual Property Rights'

The Intellectual Property Management Cell, Jawaharlal Nehru University, organized a seminar on 18 September, 2009 titled 'Growing Dimensions on Copyright and emerging Concepts of Cyber Intellectual Property Rights'.

This seminar was conducted with a view to make the campus (faculty, staff and the students) aware of need of intellectual property rights, with special emphasis on copyright and aspects of information technology. A need to conduct this seminar was felt to make aware of the elaborate details of what all is protected under the ambit of copyright; procedure of getting such protection; what constitutes infringement of copyright; role of IT in infringement of rights granted through copyright; IT as an intellectual property.

Mr. G R Raghavender, Deputy Secretary & Registrar, Copyright Office, Mr. T. C. James, Director National Intellectual Property Organization, Dr. Ramesh Mehta, M/S Mehta and Mehta Associates and Ms. Anuradha Salhotra, M/S Lall Lahiri and Salhotra were invited on this occasion as guest speakers.

The introductory remarks of the seminar were presented by Prof. Rakesh Bhatnagar, Chairperson of Intellectual Property Management Cell, Jawaharlal Nehru University.

NIPO is the only Indian NGO in the field of Intellectual Property with permanent observer status in the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), the specialized agency of the UN for Intellectual Property Right matters. T. C. James, Director, NIPO enlightened the audience by elucidating the concept of copyright at the international level. He commenced his lecture by providing an outline of the meaning of the term copyright. He went on to provide its historic origin and the process by which it developed at international level. He mentioned a list of important international conventions on copyright which included conventions like the Berne Convention of 1886, Buenos Aires Convention in 1910, Universal Copyright Convention of 1952, WIPO Copyright Treaty, etc. TRIPs Agreement was given a special emphasis during the talks of Mr. James. The growing arena of information technology was another issue taken up by Mr. James. He emphasized that the technological development is a boon as well as a bane. He reasserted the fact that where on one hand there has been a rise in the tremendous opportunities and advantages of cybernetics and phenomenal growth of internet, mobile technologies, digital instrumentation, there have also been serious rise in the judicial concerns of techno-legal dimension more specifically in the arena of intellectual property rights (IPR) regime. Mr. T.C. James, furthermore, gave an insight as to how computer programmes and developments in information became a part of intellectual property regime internationally.

Dr. Ramesh Mehta, an intellectual property attorney at Mehta and Mehta Associates, provided the audience with an inter-relationship of copyright with other forms of intellectual property rights and the benefits of copyright to the owner/assignee and the society at large. Dr. Mehta clarified how of all the tool of Intellectual Property Rights, Copyright and the Related Rights cover protection for the broadest range of innovative works. Through his lecture it was elucidated that copyright provides a framework for the protection of creative works that are expressions fixed in any medium. It was further analytically brought forward by Dr. Mehta that unlike other forms of IPR, copyright subsists as soon as the work is created and fixed in a tangible medium. While doing so the only aspects to be kept in mind are that it is an original work and is fixed in tangible medium of expression. The beneficial aspects of copyright were discussed by Dr. Ramesh Mehta at length. He while having a discussion on information technology, gave a brief outline as to how the copyright and computer software have a connected path.

Mr. G R Raghavender is the present Deputy Secretary & Registrar (Copyright). The Copyright Office, India takes care of Indian copyright issues. Mr. Raghavender gave a brief outline of status of copyright and statutes governing it in India. He illustrated how the international conventions influenced the formation and interpretation of legislations in India relating to Copyright and information technology. He also discussed as to how the Indian Copyright Act of 1914 of the British era was different from the present Indian Copyright Act of, 1957.

Ms. Anuradha Salhotra, leading partner of M/S Lall, Lahiri and Salhotra was the last speaker of the day. With the help of case laws she illustrated the aspects of implementation of copyright and information technology laws in India. She provided how the interpretation of the laws by the courts helped in widening the arena of the copyright and IPR. Her talk was focused on such developments which took place internationally as well as nationally. The topic of how information technology and digital technology was also incorporated within the framework of IPR with the help of statutes and case laws.

These speeches were followed by a question answer round where it was finally agreed by the panelists as well as the audience present that though the copyright law is helpful to the public, it is not efficient and steps need to be taken to curb the loopholes of the Indian copyright legislation. Suggestions were also made for unification of the copyright law at a global level.

Seminar on "Genetic Diversity of Eurasian Population Data from Y-Chromosome, X-Chromosome and Whole genome SNPs"

Genomic signatures, especially of paternally transmitted Y-chromosome and maternally transmitted mitochondria, have the potential to predict the history of human evolution, their migration and relatedness with each other. The lecture on "Genetic diversity of Eurasian Population Data from Y-Chromosome, X-chromosome and whole genome SNPs" delivered by Professor Vadim Stepanov of the Research Institute of Medical Genetics, Tomsk, Russia on 24 September, 2009 at the National centre of Applied Human Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and organized under the auspices of DST(Department of Science and Technology) RFBR (Russian Federation for Basic Research) collaborative project, illustrated the importance of the joint collaboration to study the genomic diversity of specific signature, RIAI, in Russian and Indian population. The seminar highlighted how during evolution different mutational and recombinational processes along with environmental factors, made us as what we are today. However, to understand the mechanism of these complex processes and flow of human evolution has been an area of interest for geneticists world-wide. Professor Vadim Stepanov highlighted the purpose of the DST-RFBR collaborative project between NCAHG, SLS and RIMG, Tomsk on the "Origin and dispersion of Indo European Phylogeography of R1A1 Y-Chromosomal lineage and diversity of Eurasian population." He described how through whole genome SNP approach, Russian collaborators have analyzed approximately 3500 blood samples and found 899 samples with R1a1 Y-Chromosomal lineage and expected that the NCAHG, School of Life Science, with its contribution on autochthonous origin of haplogroup Rlal in Indian subcontinent could result into a meeting point for the Indo-Russian collaboration in future.

R.N.K. Bamezai, Coordinator,
National Centre of Applied Human Genetics,
School of Life Sciences

International Conference on "Advances in Mathematics : Focus on Women in Mathematics"

The School of Physical Sciences (SPS), JNU, organized an International Conference on Advances in Mathematics: Focus on Women in Mathematics during 5-7 October, 2009.

It was the first conference in mathematics at JNU as the mathematics program at SPS started recently. The Conference was a significant event in the India Mathematics year 2009 (IMY-2009). The International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) will be held in India for the first time-in Hyderabad during 19-27 August 2010. This Congress is held once in four years in different parts of the world. The Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India has decided to organize IMY-2009 as Pre-ICM 2010 activity.

The purpose of this conference was to create awareness about current research in various fields of mathematics via plenary and invited talks by eminent mathematicians from India and abroad. The conference was attended by more than 120 participants, who were very enthusiastic students and faculty members of various universities and institutes across India. It indeed provided a platform where students and faculty could interact with eminent mathematicians and each other, leading to a celebration of mathematics and encouraging young students to seek a career in mathematics.

The conference was inaugurated by a distinguished mathematician, Professor M.S. Raghunathan (FRS, Padmashri) of TIFR, Mumbai, and there was an evening public lecture on the first day by a well-known mathematicians/computer scientist, Professor Manindra Agrawal of IIT Kanpur. The plenary speakers included Professors R. Parimala (Emory University, Atlanta, USA), Alladi Sitaram (ISI, Bangalore), Mythily Ramaswamy (TIFR, Mumbai), Madhu Raka (Punjab University, Chandigarh), R. Sujatha (TIFR, Mumbai) and R. Balasubramanian (IMSc, Chennai). Apart from highly acclaimed talks by very distinguished speakers, there were presentations by students and post-doctoral fellows in the conference.

About two-thirds of speakers were women-the special focus on Women in Mathematics was central theme running through the program, culminating in a panel discussion on the theme on the last day. The panelists were Drs. Gota Chadha, S.G. Dani, Rohini Godbole, Amber Habib and Jayasree Subramanian.

Professor Riddhi Shah of SPS was the convener of the conference, the other members of the organizing committee being Drs.Amala Bhave, JNU, Amber Habib, Mathematical Sciences Foundation, Delhi, Anima Nagar, IIT Delhi, Geetha Venkataraman, St. Stephen's College, University of Delhi, Rahul Roy, ISI Delhi, Sachi Srivastava, University of Delhi and Saroj Bala Malik, Hindu College, University of Delhi.

A panel discussion on "Why We Disagree About Climate Change" co-hosted by the Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, Jawaharlal Nehru University and the British Council, New Delhi held at the Centre's premises on October 13, 2009 engendered the desired response from the discussion not only did it bring about a meaningful dialogue amongst contentious viewpoints on climate change but it also showed signposts towards how future negotiations on climate change would unfold in Copenhagen and the way ahead out of this quagmire.

Professor Mike Hulme, Professor of Climate Change, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, U.K., Professor Bharat H. Desai, Chairman of International Legal Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and Jawaharlal Nehru Chair in International Environmental Law, Dr. Navroz K. Dubash, Senior Fellow, Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi, and Dr. Rohan D'Souza, Assistant Professor, Centre for Studies in Science Policy, Jawaharlal Nehru University, formed the panel with Professor Vinod Kumar Jain, School of Environmental Sciences and Registrar, Jawaharlal Nehru University, as the Chair. The participants included faculty and students from several Centres of Jawaharlal Nehru University as well as individuals cued into the debate on climate change.

While there was consensus that the earth's climate is undergoing mutation which would call for serious efforts to mitigate its intensity, divergence arose not only on the direction these efforts should traipse along but also on notional issues on why we disagree about climate change at all.

Professor Hulme's presentation refreshingly steered clear from locating the disagreement on climate change as veering around the North-South divide as has been putatively recognized. Since the framework within which one located oneself formed the starting point on how one would view climate change and provide relevant solutions to it, he averred that the need to take cognizance of pluralism in our discourse was vital. This idea of recognition of difference was considered prudent to adopt by Dr. Dubash as well who argued that while it is important to recognize the common differentiated responsibilities of the developed and developing countries in addressing climate change, it would be a beneficial oversight if developing countries could leave the disproportionate burden sharing debacle aside and manage climate change seriously to its advantage as the most vulnerable lot ill affected by climate change would be the poorest in these countries. This, he believed could be achieved by adopting a bottom up approach to climate change. Professor Desai provided a comprehensive preview on the gaps prevalent in the present and hitherto held negotiations on climate change. In his view, given the special needs and circumstances of developing countries that would be most susceptible to aberrations in the world climate, the lead in countering climate change would have to be taken by the developed countries owing to their enhanced capabilities to meet the same.
An engaging dialogue between the participants and the panellists post the panel discussion brought the session to a meaningful conclusion. While most queries found convincing solutions, the unconvinced lot only gave further succour to the theme of the discussion Why we disagree about climate change!

Prof. Raghavendra Gadagkar, Centre for Ecological Studies, Indian Institute of Sciences Bangalore, delivered the 4th SBT Monthly Seminar Series Lecture on 14 October, 2009.

Like human societies, many insect societies such as those of ants, bees and wasps are similar in the complexity of their organization, communication and division of labor. In these insect societies, usually there is one or a small number of fertile queens and a large number of sterile workers who are morphologically undifferentiated. Being fertile, queens are engaged in laying eggs while other workers are involved in activities such as nest building, acquisition and processing of food and brood care. Prof. Gadagkar presented his research work over the last several years utilizing Ropalidia marginata, an Indian paper wasp as a model system that is abundantly distributed in peninsular India. The idea was to understand the efficiency and coordination of the function of these insect societies. He has investigated the driving force for an individual to become a queen in a morphologically identical species. He also discussed a whole range of different techniques to answer various interesting questions like how the queen regulates the nonreproductive activities of the workers, the function of aggression shown by different individuals and how and when the queen's heir is decided. His elegant work also focused on issues like why the queen loses her status that gives way to a successor and how among the various workers the succesor is then chosen. His findings suggest that the identity of the potential queen appears to be known to the wasps and the aggression by the potential queen leads further to the boosting of the ovarian development in her.

Centre for Russian & Central Asian Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and the Institute for the Study of Civil Society (ISCS), Tashkent, Uzbekistan, jointly organized an International Seminar on 'Traditional and Non-traditional Threats to Central Asian Security' on 22-23 October, 2009.

HE Dr. Salikh Inagamove, the Ambassador of Uzbekistan to India, was the Chief Guest at the Seminar and former Indian Ambassador to Kazakhstan, Shri Rajiv Sikri, delivered the Keynote Address at the inauguration of the Seminar. Prof. Ajay Patnaik, Director of the Russian and Central Asian Area Studies Programme gave the introductory remarks, while Prof. Anuradha Chenoy, Chairperson of the Centre and Mr. Sanginov Saidrasul, Vice Chair of Ecological Movement of Uzbekistan, welcomed the participants. Dean of SIS, Prof. Y. K. Tyagi, chaired the inaugural function. A book, "Globalisation and Eurasia," edited by Anuradha Chenoy and Ajay Patnaik, was released by Rector JNU, Prof. Ramadhikari Kumar. This book includes proceeding of the previous International Seminar organized by the Centre for Russian & Central Asian Studies in 2008.

The themes covered in the Seminar included traditional security issues such as geopolitics and power rivalry, cross-border terrorism, drugs and arm-trafficking, inter-state issues of border, water, land and other resource. However, the major focus of this year's Seminar was non-traditional security issues like environment and ecology, with special reference to Aral Sea Crisis, human development and human security; Social issues ethnicity, migration, internal Displacement; and Economic Issues unemployment, poverty, rural-urban group, inequity.

There were seven working sessions during which thirty-five papers were presented. There were seventeen foreign participants who enlightened the Seminar with their deep understanding of the local context and issues. Indian participant were from Delhi, Amritsar, Gwalior, Mumbai, Kolkata and Srinagar.

Symposium on "Changing Perceptions of Japan in South Asia in the New Asian Era: The State of Japanese Studies in India and Other SAARC Countries"

Centre for Japanese, Korean and East Asian Studies, School of Language, Literature and Culture Studies, hosted the 16th Overseas Symposium by International Research Centre for Japanese Studies (IRCJS or Nichibunken), Kyoto, Japan, from 3 4 November, 2009. The topic of the symposium was "Changing Perceptions of Japan in South Asia in the New Asian Era: The State of Japanese Studies in India and Other SAARC Countries". Apart from the Keynote Address by Prof. K. V. Kesavan, retired Professor of Japanese Studies, JNU, twenty five research papers were presented in the symposium by eminent scholars of Japanese from India, Japan and SAARC countries. The two day symposium had six academic sessions dealing with almost all fields of Japanese Culture Studies and Japanese society, including Buddhist Culture, Modern Japanese Literature, Japanese Visual Arts, Religion, Japanese politics, economics, society, foreign policy, reception of Japanese culture in South Asian countries and archaeology.

Professor Sankar Basu, Dean, SLL&CS, delivered the welcome address, and Professor R. Kumar, Rector, JNU, blessed the occasion by his enlightening and thought provoking inaugural address. From the Japanese side, Professor Uno Takao, Deputy Director of IRCJS and leader of the delegation from Japan delivered the inaugural address. Professor P. A. George, CJKNEAS, convener of the symposium, introduced the symposium to the audience in the inaugural session.

P. A. George, Professor,
Centre for Japanese, Korean and East Asian Studies, SLL&CS

V. Santhakumar, Centre for Development Studies, Trivandrum spoke on "Possibilities and Limits of 'Dealer Politics': Analyzing the Incentives of Elected Representatives to Improve Governance" on 11 November 2009.

Overcoming `elite capture' is considered as the major challenge in making governance effective in third world countries. However this paper identified the challenges to improve governance in a context where the problem of elite capture has been avoided, by and large, through the participation of people and political mobilization. In this context, the elected representatives tend to function as `dealers' to ease the provision of `private goods' or `transfer payments' to the citizens. This gives a disincentive to the elected representatives to move towards a `public goods' oriented governance system. This framework was used to explain the slow pace of implementation of e-governance and improvement in service delivery in the local governments of Kerala, India.

Shireen Hassim, University of Witswatersrand; and author of "Contesting Authority: Women's Organisations and Democracy in South Africa" delivered a lecture on "Affirmative Action, "Women" and Politics in South Africa and India" on 25 November, 2009.
When do groups matter for the purposes of representation? A reflection on democratic debates in South Africa and India offers an especially fruitful opportunity to explore the perilous political and normative terrain on which the politics of group claims are played out. South Africa has adopted national and local government quotas for women. At the same time, a universalist set of arguments held sway over arguments for guaranteed representation of either racial or ethnic groups. Shireen Hassim’s paper probed the lack of conversation between both the Indian and South African contexts, especially in relation to how different groups based on gender, ethnicity, race or caste have pressed their claims in the political arena.
Seema Kazi, Visiting Fellow, Centre for the Study of Law and Governance spoke on "Kashmir: War, Gender and the State", on 20 November 2009.

The project of nation-state building in modern India is fraught with discontent and violence. Most of the literature on intra-state conflict focuses on the 'public'/institutional dimensions of violence. Little attention is devoted to its 'private'/social dimensions that resonate within society in gender-specific ways. Using the specific example of Kashmir, Kazi's paper demonstrated the gendered contours of nation-state building, and, by extension, raised larger questions about the relationship between citizens and the state. By way of conclusion, it suggested that the struggle for justice and democracy in Kashmir was inextricable from the struggle for women's bodily security, sexual integrity, and gender equality.

Nikita Sud, Department of International Development, University of Oxford, UK; and, Research Fellow, Wolfson College, Oxford, UK spoke on "Narrowing Possibilities of Stateness: The Case of Land in Gujarat" on 11 September 2009.

In this seminar, Dr Sud argued that within a larger policy shift away from developmentalism, Gujarat's state appears to have embraced land liberalization. Evaluating this transformation against a multi-layered conceptual map of the state as idea, government system and a field of politics provides nuance. State ideas of land serving the greater common good have continued into the post-liberalisation era, as has the petty land adminstration's proprietariness, expressed in reluctance to fast track transactions. At the same time powerful, alternative sets of ideas and institutional actions have come to the fore. These urge the rapid liberalization of agriculture or common property land to foster industrialization, and have been promoted by the highest bureaucratic and political echelons. While the high state big business alliance is neither new nor the only feature of the state today, it is perhaps the one with the most significant politico-economic consequences. This alliance represents not a homogenised pro liberalization or pro big business state but one in which other possibilities of stateness have narrowed. The narrowing of the possibilities of action within the still interventionist and dynamic state mark the liberalizing landscape.

A special lecture by Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Minister of State for External Affairs, on "Why Foreign Policy Matters", was organized by the School of International Studies (SIS) on 4 December 2009. The lecture was chaired by Prof. Y. K. Tyagi (Dean, SIS). Prof. Amitabh Mattoo delivered the welcome address and Dr. Tharoor was felicitated by the Dean, faculty, students and staff of the School. Opening his lecture with a quote from Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru's mid-night speech on 14-15 August 1947, now famous as the Tryst with Destiny, Dr. Tharoor stressed that Nehru's vision of a closely knit world, envisaged with India's independence, has become a reality in the contemporary globalized international context. The forces of globalization have transcended the constraints of time, space and geographical boundaries and have brought the world together like never before. For example, he pointed out that the safety of people no longer depends on local security, but is also determined by international defense. Likewise, local jobs are also dependent on faraway global markets. It is actually the international system that sustains the individual country governments. Therefore, issues like, human rights, climate change, contagious diseases, terrorism and the like are concerns across the borders.

Dr. Tharoor asserted that every individual in India is a part, target and beneficiary of India's foreign policy and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is not the only body concerned with India's foreign policy. Immediately after independence, India decided to be self-reliant and self-sufficient, without integrating with the world. It was believed that India's political independence could be guaranteed only by maintaining its economic independence. However, since 1991, India has become a poster child of globalization. This has also made India vulnerable to threats beyond borders. Dr. Tharoor affirmed that, "Foreign policy is no longer foreign and that is why it matters". The distinction between domestic and international is fast blurring. The objectives of foreign policy were to manage risks and protection from threats in order to make the world safe for 'democracy'. But now the objective should be to make the world safe for 'diversity'. He stressed that the aim of India's foreign policy is not only to ascertain the security and well-being of its citizens, but also to contribute positively to international peace and stability.

Dr. Tharoor pointed out that the Asian countries are fast catching up with the United States of America. USA is no longer the leading player in many fields, like electronic and automobile manufacturing, military and defense capability, top ten rich people etc., where the Asians are displacing USA's dominance. He then raised the question, whether India's foreign policy was commensurate with these changes and asserted that India has to redefine its place in the changed contemporary international situation. The foreign policy discussions in the Parliament should also include issues such as SAARC and Indian Ocean RIM. The society as a whole and every citizen of India must care for and feel a part of India's position in international relations. The study of International Affairs must be improved in Indian colleges and universities. Presently, academic engagement with International Relations/Affairs is very minimal, with limited infrastructure, scholars and resources. This situation must be addressed and ameliorated to facilitate increased research and teaching on foreign policy and international relations issues. There should be greater interaction and exchange between the MEA and the academicians. The study of languages must be promoted and specialization in languages must be encouraged. India's 'soft power', its culture, dance, historical heritage etc., must be exploited and developed. He asserted that the sustainability and success of India's foreign policy depends not only on the leadership, but also on the active involvement of the people, who are primary determinants of 'India in the world'. India's success at home will guarantee her respect in the world. The lecture was followed by a very lively and engaging interactive session between the students and faculty and Dr. Tharoor. Professor C.S.R. Murthy proposed an intellectually stimulating vote of thanks.

Seminar on "Nanomaterials for Renewable Energy; Electron Microscopy and Surface Spectroscopy Studies"

Advanced Instrumentation Research Facility (AIRF) organised a seminar on "Nanomaterials for Renewable Energy; Electron Microscopy and Surface Spectroscopy Studies" on 3 December, 2009 at AIRF. The lecture was delivered by Dr. Biswapriya Deb, Research Scientist (Industrial), Institute for the Advance Materials & Renewable Energy (IAMRE) University of Louisville, Louisvile, Kentucky, USA. Renewable energy research is extremely important to produce clean energy which can meet the global energy demand. For solar energy conversion or water splitting, new and advanced materials should be engineered. In the present decade, several new nanomaterials showed great promise for low cost commercial energy production.

Sophisticated characterization tools are required to accurately determine the structural, microstructural and surface properties of these materials.

In his talk several such examples were cited which showed extensive application of electron microscopy and surface spectroscopy techniques to characterize such nanomaterials.

The Central Asian Studies Programme of the Centre for South, Central and South-East and South-West Pacific Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, organised an International Seminar on Regional Cooperation and Security in Central Asia on 56 December 2009 at the School of international Studies. The Seminar was well attended with over 100 participants including 13 delegates from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Russia and London, besides the representatives of the Embassies of Central Asian Republics (CARs) and Indian academics, faculty and research scholars of the SIS.

In his welcome address Prof. K. Warikoo, Director of Central Asian Studies Programme, School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi, explained the rationale behind organising this Seminar. He stated that the CARs share similar culture and social structures and they are moving towards regional cooperation through various platforms, like CICA, CSTO, ECO, SCO, etc. He expressed satisfaction over the enthusiastic response from the delegates from abroad shown by their participation in this Seminar.

Ambassador Sudhir T. Devare, Director General, Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi, chaired the inaugural session. In his presidential address, Devare stressed the importance of Central Asia for India. Amb. Devare said that Central Asia lies in India's 'extended neighbourhood' and India today is more engaged in the region. He stated that India paid highest attention in 1992 to develop relations with Central Asian countries. "Our ancient civilizational ties are an advantage, which need to be nurtured. However, the major constraint is absence of direct communication. India seeks peace and stability in the region, which is vital for both India and CARs."

Prof. R. Kumar, Rector, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, in his inaugural address, pointed to various challenges faced by the region. He underlined both the challenges and opportunities for cooperation in areas like controlling narco-trafficking, extremism, terrorism, water sharing among the states, re-demarcation of borders, etc.

Ms. Irina Orolbaeva, Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan in India, in her address identified water sharing as a major issue of conflict between Kyrgyzstan and its neighbours. She stated that Kyrgyzstan is trying to find ways to cooperate with its neighbours, as it is dependent on oil and gas from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan respectively. Kyrgyzstan is also working with the Indian government to develop the hydropower sector. She mentioned about the special treaty signed between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan on Kyrgyz - Kazakh Union, terming it as the highest level of cooperation.

Mr. Ruslan, Charge de Affairs of Embassy of Kazakhstan in India, stated that India has been a place of interaction among all great religions and it is an example how peace can be achieved in diversity. Comparing with India, he said Kazakhstan is also a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural society and it is a democracy in the making. He enumerated Kazakh efforts to promote regional cooperation like CICA, CSTO, OSCE, and SCO etc. He also highlighted Indo-Kazakhstan relations in various fields.

Dr. Babajanova of the Embassy of Tajikistan in India said that India and Tajikistan shared close cooperation since ancient times. She hoped for a stronger and closer cooperation between India and Central Asia in future.

Prof. Ganga Nath Jha, Chairperson, CSCSEASWPS, while detailing the academic activities of the Central Asia Studies Programme of the Centre, thanked the delegates for their enthusiastic participation in the seminar deliberations.

Dr. Shirin Akiner of SOAS, University of London, chaired the first session of the conference on 5 December 2009, which dealt with security issues in the region. Prof. Sheel K. Asopa of University of Rajasthan, Jaipur, in her paper on "Regional Cooperation in Central Asia: Security and Development Perspectives", recounted the role of Regional Cooperation for Development (RCD) which was converted into Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) after the independence of CARs. She pointed out that Russian presence is necessary to provide stability in the region.

Prof. K. Warikoo gave a detailed overview of the water sharing disputes in Central Asia. Water management has emerged as a major security challenge in the region. During the Soviet period, this problem did not exist as the water management system was centralised. The Treaty of 1992 among the Central Asian Republics failed to address the water sharing problem in the region. He stated that steps like rationalisation of water usage, crop rotation, diversification of agriculture, differentiation of water for drinking and other uses, upgrading the old drainage system, construction of water storage facilities in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan etc. could help in resolving some of the water problems prevalent in the region.

Dr. Nazokat Kasymova of the University of World Economy and Diplomacy, Tashkent, while speaking on the theme of "Security and Development in Central Asia: Cooperation with International Organizations", described the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan as a major threat to the stability of Central Asia. She stressed the need for international security organisations working in the region to focus on 'conflict prevention' rather than 'conflict resolution'. She added that many problems in the region exist because of 'lack of coordination' and that there is need for 'real' and 'comprehensive' cooperation.

Dr. A. N. Zholdasbekova of the Eurasian National University, Astana, Kazakhstan, gave an insight into "Central Asian Republics and Russian Federation: Integrational Issues". She stated that "common historical linkages unite people based on language, race, nation, religion and family relations but these linkages are more signs of identification rather than integrating force ". In her view, integration with Russia is one of the most attractive options for each of the CARs.

Dr. Sudhir Kumar Singh of the Deptt. Of Political Science, LBSM College, Jamshedpur, in his paper on "Border Disputes in Central Asia: Problems and Prospects", stated that resolution of border issues peacefully would have positive impact on regional security, economic cooperation and inter-ethnic relations. It would also help these republics in their efforts to combat drug trafficking and religious extremism in Central Asia.

Session II discussed the role played by various external players like- Japan, Turkey, the US, etc. in the regional security architecture of the Central Asian region. The current situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and its implications for the regional security was also discussed. The session was chaired by Prof. K. Warikoo.

Initiating the debate, Akio Kawato (former Ambassador of Japan in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan) gave a detailed overview of Japan's policy towards Central Asia and outlined the areas where India and Japan could cooperate in the region. He stated that the main purpose of Japan's engagement in this region is political rather than economic as Japan could play the role of a balancer with respect to other external players in the region. He mentioned that India's economic presence in the region, especially to transport energy is hampered by the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan. India should play a more active role in establishing stability in Afghanistan, said the Ambassador.

Mr. Vishal Chandra of Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis, New Delhi, and Dr. Ashok Behuria (Editor, International Studies, SIS, JNU) spoke on "Afghan-Pakistan Conundrum and its Implications for Regional Security". Vishal Chandra discussed the situation across the Durand Line, Pakistan's approach towards the US-led war on terror, nexus between Pakistan Army and Taliban, relations between the US and Pakistan army etc. and their bearing on the deteriorating Afghans situation. He stated that if peace has to come to Afghanistan then it has to come from within the region. He stressed the need for a "comprehensive and prolonged intra-Afghan dialogue within a well-defined national policy framework".

Dr. Behuria spoke on the Af-Pak Strategy (December 2009) of the Obama administration, which seeks to "disrupt, dismantle, and eventually defeat Al-Qaeda and to prevent their return either to Afghanistan or to Pakistan". He explained the deteriorating ground situation and the casualties faced by the coalition forces in Afghanistan since 2001, which reflects the grim realities of the Afghan imbroglio. Strengthening of Islamist networks, presence of transnational Islamist radical groups in the Af-Pak borderlands and return of Taliban will boost the morale of the Islamist groups in the region and beyond.

Dr. Ashwini K. Mahapatra of the Centre for West Asian Studies, SIS, his presentation spoke on "Turkey's Search for Regional Role in Central Asia". Lack of direct access to the region is one of the major hurdles affecting Turkey's engagement with the region. Turkey's regional aspirations were mainly economic, energy being Turkey's prime interest in the region. Politically Turkey wanted to bring together the Turkic speaking population together. However, Dr. Mahapatra mentioned that Turkey's ambitions in Central Asia have gone down. Turkey today has opted for 'cooperative engagement' based on the principles of 'collaborations and reducing conflicts'. Domestic factors have also influenced new Turkish foreign policy orientations towards Central Asia, making Turkey to take a more pragmatic approach towards the region.

Ms. Angira Sen Sarma of Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi, discussed the "Role of the US in Central Asia and its implications for regional security". The US is one of the major players in this region and its main interest lies in preserving the economic and strategic interest of the US in the region. The security equation in this region changed after the onset of the US led 'war on terror' in Afghanistan in 2001 as three of the five CARs share their border with Afghanistan. The three main issues that shape the US policy in the region are non-proliferation of nuclear arsenals, geopolitics of energy and pipeline routes and NATO's role in Central Asia. CARs are today used as alternative supply route to Afghanistan as the route through Pakistan is subjected to frequent attacks by Taliban forces.

Dr. Gulmira T. Aimagambetova of the Karaganda State University, Kazakhstan, discussed the demographic and migration situation in Central Asia. She pointed out that after independence, the cultural diversity has widened. She pointed to various problems faced by these five countries, such as poor health facilities, labour migration and refugees.

Session III on 6 December 2009, which dealt with regional cooperation in the region, was presided by Prof. K. R. Sharma. It discussed the role of the SCO, CSTO and efforts to revive the Great Silk Route to promote regional integration and cooperation.

Initiating the discussion Dr. Shirin Akiner spoke on "SCO: An Innovative Approach to Security". She stated that SCO does not aim for integration, rather it serves as an "umbrella organisation to facilitate cooperation between its members". The SCO is flexible and pragmatic and provides a "platform facilitating bilateral, trilateral and multilateral cooperation". She mentioned that SCO in essence is a 'security organisation' but rather than seeking a "military solution to security, it seeks to create security through diplomacy, confidence building and economic cooperation".

Prof. Srikanth Kondapalli, Chairperson, Centre for East Asian Studies, SIS, gave the Chinese perspective of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. He stated that the three main national strategic objectives of China are to prevent separatism, extremism and splitism and China sees SCO as a 'medium' to address these three issues. As part of good neighbourhood policy, China is trying to reduce 'China threat syndrome' among its neighbours. SCO member states could act as a 'cushion' for China. China might also use the SCO to cope with the U.S. presence in the region especially NATO's presence. China is becoming the dominant player in the SCO and China's growing influence will nevertheless be at the cost of Russia's position in the region. The Central Asian markets are flooded with goods made in China in return of raw materials from the region. SCO could not emerge as a strong group as it has failed to take a specific position on Afghanistan and Pakistan issue. It also failed to take a strong stand against Russia during the Russia-Georgia crisis. There are rumblings among the member states of SCO, which cannot be ignored, said the speaker.

Prof. T.L. Shaumyan of Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, gave an interesting overview of India's role in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. She is of the view that India's participation in the SCO will boost its bilateral relations with the SCO members and observers. She pointed out that SCO may become an additional arena for India's interaction with China. It could also give a fillip to the India-China-Russia format of cooperation. According to her, India's inclusion in the SCO would help to establish "a new balance of force" in the Organization and "strengthen relationship in the framework of cooperation between Russia, India and China.

Dr. Meena Singh Roy of IDSA, New Delhi, highlighted the role of Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in the overall security framework of Central Asia. CSTO is a Russian dominated security organization and a "key mechanism to counter regional military challenges and threats". The major challenges that CSTO has to address are deteriorating security scenario in Afghanistan, problems in Pakistan, drug trafficking, trans-national organized crimes and providing security to member states. Dr. Singh, however, is of the opinion that CSTO will not emerge as the NATO of the east. CSTO also suffers from internal problems that need to be addressed.

Dr. Victor M. Mitypov of Ulan Ude, Russia, underlined the efforts to revive the great Silk Route such as the international railway project connecting Istanbul to Beijing through Central Asia. Another interesting project to revive the ancient route is the TRACEA project introduced by the European Union in 1993. This route has a strategic dimension too as it bypasses Russia, reducing Russian monopoly on the transport route of the region. He, however, admitted that speedy revival of the "Great Silk Route" is not possible.

Prof. L.L. Baturina of the Karaganda State University, Kazakhstan, described Central Asia as the bridge connecting China and Europe. She stated that the new Silk Route is cheap but insecure, which makes its implementation difficult. Regional cooperation is vital to sustain free flow of goods, in which one important component is the development of regional transport system and trans-national corridors. Since the CARs share border with China's western region, communication with the CARs will lead to the economic development of the western regions of China. Vibrant trade with Central Asia and through the region with Western Europe would facilitate China to develop its western regions, which is underdeveloped and prone to social upheavals, said the speaker.

Dr. Sharad K. Soni of Central Asian Studies Programme, SIS, spoke on "Central Asia-China-Mongolia Cooperation: Potential and Prospects". China has emerged as a major player not only in Central Asia but also in Mongolia. At present, there are no serious controversial issues between the CARs and China and between Mongolia and China. Inclusion of Mongolia in SCO provides a common platform to CARs, China and Mongolia to cooperate closely in security related matters. Dr. Soni pointed out that there is need for further cooperation and exchanges between China and Central Asia and China and Mongolia to ensure regional peace and security, which is a "precondition for the smooth progress of regional economic and cultural cooperation".

The Session IV of the seminar, which discussed regional and sub-regional cooperation, regional integration and regional trade and investment in Central Asia, was chaired by Prof. Bharat Desai, Chairperson of the Centre for International Legal Studies, School of International Studies.

Initiating the discussion Prof. P.L. Dash of the University of Mumbai, presented his paper on "Partnering Kazakhstan for Regional Cooperation". Russian interest in Kazakhstan is obvious because of the sizeable Russian population in Kazakhstan and with both sharing a long border with each other. The region became more important to the US after September 11, 2001 with the establishment of military bases in Central Asia. India too has huge interest in the Kazakh energy sector. China wanted to stop Uighurs in Kazakhstan from assisting the separatist forces in Xinjiang. China has made huge investment in infrastructure building, particularly road and rails, and energy sector. Thus, it is evident that several external players are involved in the region.

Prof. Mara Gubaidllina of Al Farabi National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan, spoke on "Kazakhstan and sub-regional cooperation within the OSCE". Sub-regional cooperation in Central Asia within the OSCE covers many traditional and non-traditional security threats like the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, illegal migration, drugs trafficking, environment, water issues, etc. Kazakhstan, which will hold the Chair of the OSCE in 2010, will provide a 'political perspective' to cooperation in Central Asia. Prof. Gubaidullina identified the fundamental security threats in Central Asia as internal political instability, arms proliferation, illegal transfer of nuclear materials and technologies, external threats from Afghanistan, etc. Prof. Gubaidullina pointed out that the steady development of the CARs depends on promoting democratic political system, achieving steady economic development, maintaining peace and security, restoring degradation of ecosystems, guarantee of social security, security of water resources, energy security, and preservation of natural and cultural heritage.

Dr. Nawal K. Paswan of the Central Asian Studies Programme, SIS, analysed "Regional trade and investment cooperation in Central Asia". Dr. Paswan stressed the need for regional cooperation as these republics are small and landlocked economies. Intra-regional trade is very low, which is less than one percent of the total world trade. Although trade among the CARs themselves increased in absolute terms from US$ 0.23 billion in 1992 to 3.4 billion in 2005, its share in total trade of the CARs declined from 10.9 percent in 1992 to 4.99 percent in 2005. Trade among the CARs is mainly between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. He pointed out that exports and imports of the CARs are concentrated in a few countries like Russia, China and Turkey. Germany, South Korea and the US supply large quantities of machinery and equipment to the CARs. Russia remains both a major export and import destination for all CARs, and China has now emerged as an important trading partner for most of them.

"The Trans-Siberian railway and Eurasian resources" was discussed by Prof. Marina Baldano of Ulan Ude, Russia. She gave the historical background of the Trans-Siberian Railway, which helped to develop Siberia and Far East region of Russia. New cities and big industrial centres came up along the Siberian railway. Today the Trans-Siberian railway is not only the basis of Russian transportation system, but it is also the longest and largest railway in the world, says Prof. Baldano. The Trans-Siberian corridor represents an alternative route to traditional route of containers delivery from South East Asia round India and through Suez Canal to Europe. The corridor is an economically alternative route to avoid increase in freight rates by sea carriers, reduce cargo delivery time by two or three times and reduce the risk of casual damage of cargo to the minimum, observed Prof. Baldano. According to Prof. Baldano, this railway has both 'geopolitical and strategic importance' and it plays an important role in connecting Europe and Asia.

Dr. Gulnara M. Smagulova of the Karaganda State University, Kazakhstan, in her presentation threw light on "Kazakhstan's policy towards regional integration in Central Asia". Kazakhstan is keen on regional integration and also actively participates in international organizations. "Kazakhstan is member of various organisations like CIS, EurAsEc, CICA, SCO OSCE, NATO and CSTO for maintaining regional security, stability and world peace, which reflects Kazakhstan's multi-vector foreign policy. The main purpose of these organisations is to facilitate stability and development in the region and in the world."

Dr. Shotbakova Lyazzat Kasymovna of the Karaganda State University, Kazakhstan, in her paper on "Religion and state in Kazakhstan and the role of intelligentsia in the society", gave an overview of the nature of Muslim intelligentsia in religious affairs during the Soviet times. She pointed out some causes of the rise of Islamic fundamentalists in Kazakhstan such as the rise in number of charitable Muslim funds, spread of radical Islam under the pretext of missionary activity, etc. She believes that Islam is gaining in strength, which has attracted political attention in the region as well as in Kazakhstan.

Gatikrushna Mahanta and Athar Zafar
Research Scholars, Centre for South,
Central and South-East and South West Pacific Studies, SIS

Under the aegis of the Center for Canadian, US and Latin American Studies and the Centre for International Legal Studies, School of International Studies, a seminar and interactive session was organized on the 'Role of Law in National Security Decision-Making' on 17 December 2009. The event started with a formal introduction of the keynote speaker Judge James E. Baker and other eminent experts present.

The keynote speaker, with a vast experience of practising law and advising the US government in various capacities spoke on the significance of law in national security decision-making within a democratic set-up in the context of threats emanating from terrorism, pandemic diseases and climate change. Highlighting the transnational nature of these threats, the speaker dwelt at length on the dichotomy and the inter-linkages between domestic and international law. He opined that law is an essential source of legitimacy and authority in national security decision making. He said that the US president often made new laws to deal with new threat concerns and added that the president gained further legitimacy when he had the full and tacit support of the Congress.

Giving a broad overview of the national security decision-making apparatus in the US, the speaker emphasized the role of due process embedded in law as a way to ensure better results. Analyzing the inevitable impact of various pathologies, viz. speed, secrecy, circular error and contingent human factor, Judge Baker pointed out how these could circumscribe the decision-making process. He underlined that law is a value addition to national security policy and defines one's democratic identity. Furthermore, he argued the absence of value of law in national security decision making leads to criticisms and loss of credibility in the international arena.

In response to Judge Baker's hypothesis of 'Good Process Equals Better Result', the Chair, Professor Yogesh Tyagi, Dean, School of International Studies, commented that in the absence of a mechanism to establish accountability and to inject lessons learned from past discrepancies of the process itself, 'Good Process' might not necessarily lead to 'Better Result'. With regard to the transnational nature of US threat perceptions, Professor S.D. Muni pointed out the subjective nature of threat perceptions. Thereby, the consequent US laws to deal with those threats might in practice lead to contradictions and also pose as a threat to other nation-states. Professor Chintamani Mahapatra reacting to the 'Law vs. Presidential powers' debate highlighted that US presidents had repeatedly flouted the War Powers Act enacted to curtail the overreach of their powers. He emphasized the importance to find a balance between national security and human justice. Ambassador R. Rajagopalan spoke of instances where the US domestic laws often overrode its international commitments to suit its national interests. Putting forth the view that democracies require transparency while security decisions demand secrecy, Professor B.K. Shrivastava reemphasized that US presidents bypassed institutions and lawful processes to make national security decisions. Then Dr. V.G. Hedge lamented that the injection of law into decision-making process appeared to be secondary and advisory in nature. He called for more transparency in the process and remedial provisions for affected citizens.

The seminar was further enriched by an open-floor interactive session between the keynote speaker and the faculty and students of the School.
A vote of thanks was proposed by Dr. Priti Singh.

Alexander Khundongbam and Monish Tourangbam,
Research Scholars, Centre for Canadian,
US & Latin American Studies, SIS

Centre of Indian Languages of Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi held a two national seminar on Hindi, Urdu and Hindustani on the occasion of its foundation day recently. The seminar was inaugurated by Sh. V. N. Rai, Vice Chancellor, Mahatma Gandhi International Hindi University, Wardha, and a known Hindi novelist as well. V. N. Rai spoke about the importance Mahatma Gandhi gave to Hindustani Language, to be written in both Devnagri and Persian script which he considered necessary for national integration. He regretted that the executive members of his University did not approve his plans to start a department of Hindustani in Mahatma Gandhi Hindi University, though he was still hopeful of starting it. He said Mahatma Gandhi was perhaps the only national leader, who understood the importance of an inclusive common language for independent India. Welcoming the participants, the Chairperson of the Centre, Prof. Chaman Lal regretted that just few months after Mahatma Gandhi's assassination at the hands of communal forces, his desired common language Hindustani was defeated in Constituent assembly to become official language of India. Later Prof. Javri Mal Parikh from IGNOU explained in detail how Hindustani propounded by Mahatma Gandhi was defeated by present official language of India Hindi by 77 to 78 votes in the constituent assembly. Dr. Qiser Shamim Urdu scholar also delved upon the need to adopt an inclusive language policy rather than exclusive, which has created more divisions. Prof, R.Kumar, Rector of JNU, appreciated the papers and honoring of senior faculty of the centre. Prof. Mohd. Hasan and Prof. Kedarnath Singh, both known Urdu and Hindi writes and Professors Emeritus of the Centre, were honored on the occasion. Dr. Roshan Ara Begum wife of Prof. Hasan received the honor on his behalf, as he was too ill to come for the function; however he sent a touching message for the seminar. Prof. Sankar Basu, Dean of the School chaired the session.

Three academic sessions of the seminar focusing on freedom struggle, contemporary situation and global context and media, in relation to Hindi, Urdu and Hindustani were held, conducted by seminar convener Dr. Devender Choubey and Dr. Khwaja Ekram and presided over by eminent personalities like Giriraj Kishore, Prof. S.R Kidwai, Shahid Sidiqi editor 'Nai Kuniya' Urdu weekly and Om Thanvi editor 'Jansatta' Hindi daily. Presentations were made mostly by alumni of the centre, working now in various parts of the country, like Ali Javed, Ravi Srivastava, Rambux, Urmilesh, Gyanender Pandey, Suresh Sharma, Suman Kesri, Rupa Gupta, Abrar Rahmani, Shahid Parvez and many more. Some other eminent scholars like Dr. MMP Singh and Dr. Kunju Mohd. Metharu also presented papers. Valedictory address of the seminar was delivered by Prof. Manager Pandey retired Professor and known Hindi scholar, who emphasized upon the closeness of spoken variety of Hindustani, but variation in literary Hindi and Urdu. The, seminar was attended by large number of alumni of centre coming from as far as Itanagar, Hyderabad, Burdwan, Patna, Jaipur etc. Prof. K. Nachimuthu presented the vote of thanks.

Jyotindra Jain’s critically acclaimed exhibition "The Conquest of the World as Picture" was organised from 25 September to 24 October, 2009 in the School of Arts and Aesthetics.

The exhibition comprised approximately 200 images, including nineteenth and twentieth century engravings, chromolitho-graphs, oleographs, postcards, film posters, product labels, calendars, and porcelain figures.
This exhibition offered a critical look at how popular imagery constructed the cultural, social and national identities of Indians in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Mass-produced and with wide circulation, this imagery become a potent instrument in creating and negotiating the space between the sacred, the political and the colonial modern. The exhibition's concept demonstrated how printing and mass circulation of images influenced the nature of belief and worship in India and eventually even acted as powerful vehicle in strengthening the independence movement and the spirit of patriotism.

Shukla Sawant and Naman P. Ahuja,
Associate Professors, School of Arts and Aesthetics

International Conference on "India-EU Partnerships in Mobility: Data, Agreements, and Policy in International Migration"

The Zakir Husain Centre for Educational Studies, School of Social Sciences and the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA), Government of India, organised an international conference on "India- EU partnership in Mobility: Data, Agreements, and Policy in International Migration". The conference brought together migration scholars from twenty three countries across the world and from international organizations such as the ILO, the European Commission, and government officials from immigration and employment departments of select EU countries. Scholars and government officials from India also participated in the conference. Apart from the inaugural and the closing plenary the deliberations were organized into seven technical sessions and a working-groups session for drafting recommendations.

In the inaugural session Dr. Ranbir Singh, Director, MOIA, after calling upon the dignitaries on the dais, stated that since international migration is driven by economic and demographic forces mobility partnerships can be useful tool to meet the challenge of migration management. Prof. Binod Khadria, the conference convener, while pointing towards the cosmopolitan nature of the gathering explained the significance of the map on cover page of the conference brochure for the prospective discourses and introduced the theme of technical sessions. Mr. K. Mohandas, Secretary, MOIA, gave a brief introduction of the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs. He argued that India can be a natural partner of the EU where the EU countries can benefit from India's demographic advantage and technical skills. Mr. Vayalar Ravi, Hon'ble Minister, MOIA & Parliamentary Affairs delivered the inaugural address. Expressing concern over the protectionist policies of the nation-states he advocated for free movement of people across borders by strengthening inter-state and inter-regional cooperation. Prof. B. B. Bhattacharya, Vice-Chancellor, JNU, observed that laws cannot prevent human mobility and unrealistic laws are even difficult to implement. He said that Europe can help developing countries like India by enhancing capital mobility as the European share in Indian foreign capital is comparatively very small.

Theme of technical session I was 'Existing Policy Frames: Trends and Practices'. Mr. Patroklos Georgiadis spoke on the national immigration policy of Greece, Prof. Beatrice Knerr on Indian migration to Germany, Prof. Gavin Jones on marriage issues among indian migrants, and Prof. Kathleen Newland on circulation migration. Dr. Ryszard Chowlewinski discussed key elements of World Migration Report 2008 in the context of managing labour mobility. Prof. Tapas Majumder chaired the session. In session II Chair, Prof. Stephen Castles set out the perspectives for deliberations on 'Emerging Policy Concerns: Issues and Objectives for Policy Coherence'. Dr. Will Somerville focused on Indian migration to the UK, Dr. Aureila Segatti spoke on South African migration policy making and its relevance for developing countries like India. Prof. James Wickham spoke about different aspects of migration policy making, concerns and dilemmas in the EU. Prof. Amal Sanyal discussed about developing a model on migration taking into account both measurable and un-quantitative attributes.

Technical session III was on 'Existing Data Scenarios: Lessons from Case Studies'. Prof. Wei Li chaired the session. She elaborated on various aspects of highly skilled Indian migration to Canada and US. Prof. Penda Mbow spoke about the immigration clandestine in Sub-Saharan Africa. Prof. Graizno Battislella spoke on immigration to Italy and importance of social networks in India-EU partnerships. Ms. Ana di Mattia presented her paper on the future of international migration. Prof. John Willoughby discussed the importance of shortages, class, gender, political reaction and data collection in international migration. Prof. Graeme Hugo chaired session IV on 'Data Sets in Migration: Possibilities and Feasibilities'. He elaborated on Australian data sets on migration arguing their usefulness for India. Dr. Maruja Asis shared her experience on Migration Information System in Asia Project and its contribution in data generation on international migration. In his presentation on high-skilled migration and diaspora Dr. J. B. Meyer argued that different database provide different pictures. Dr. Johan Wets spoke on Indian migrants in Belgium, and focused on issues related to identity and political use/misuse of statistics. Prof. Richard Bedford commented on the presentations and explained the importance of data in dispelling myths on migration.

The theme of session V was 'Existing Visa Regimes, Agreements and Implications'. Dr. Piyasiri Wickramasekara emphasized the ratification of international conventions and signing of multilateral agreements. Dr. Mary E. Breeding provided a comparative picture of Indian migrants in the United States and Europe. Dr. Ranbir Singh spoke about the Indian perspective, especially the role of MOIA, in facilitating legal migration and combating illegal migration. Prof. Heldegard Schneider reflected upon the migration policy of EU and the changes that have taken place in the policy stance especially after the 9/11. Mr. S. Krishna Kumar chaired the session. In session VI 'Reforming the Visa Regimes: Bridging the Policy-Practice Gaps' the chair, Dr. Howard Duncan spoke on Indian migration to Canada. Dr. Mariama Awumbila discussed the migration of skilled professional in the Ghanaian context. In his presentation Dr. Pawel Kaczmarczyk focused on the freedom of mobility within the European Union. Mr. Peter Bosch spoke on the common visa policy in the European community and regional dialogues EU has launched with different countries. Prof. Binod Khadria spoke on the hassles faced by the people at visa window to underline the gap between policies and practices.

Prof. Jonathan Crush chaired technical session VII on 'Models for India-EU Mobility Partnerships'. He spoke about the north-south mobility partnerships. Ms. Asa Carlander provided an overview of the Swedish migration policy which welcomes migrants of all skill levels and provides equal treatment to all migrants. Dr. Ayman Zohry documented the Egyptian migration to Arab countries, Europe and North America and discussed recent development in the Egyptian Migration Policy. Ms. Malgorzata Bonikowska raised concerns regarding the enlargement of EU and its impact on Polish migration policy. Prof. Raul Delgado Wise spoke on Mexican migration to the US and its impact on the home economy.

Mr. K. Mohandas, Secretary, MOIA chaired the closing plenary. Rapporteurs of working groups presented the recommendations. Mr. Peter Bosch asserted his commitment to start working together on the recommendations of working groups. He called upon the academia to start working with EU policy makers and construct a positive relationship in the context of broader human concerns. Mr. G. Gurucharan advocated negotiating free trade agreement. He warned the EU countries that if they fail to see mobility partnerships with India as an opportunity then the best and the brightest will continue to go to the United States and Australia. Mr. K. Mohandas provided an outline of the further engagements that could be achieved using the academic track, the business track, and the governmental track. Prof. Binod Khadria expressed concern over the frequent policy changes and asked the destination countries to do the equitable adversary analysis to understand the problems of the other side.

National Seminar on "Research Trends in 'Castes and Tribes of Southern India': A Centenary Seminar"

The Programme for the Study of Discrimination and Exclusion, School of Social Sciences, organized a national seminar on "Research Trends in 'Castes and Tribes of Southern India’" on 24-25 November 2009. Professor Pralay Kanungo, the Honorary Director of the Programme for the Study of Exclusion and Discrimination, welcomed the delegates and Dr. Y. Chinna Rao, the Seminar Coordinator made an introduction to the Seminar. The inaugural address was delivered by Professor B.B. Bhattacharya, the Vice-Chancellor, Jawaharlal Nehru University. The session was chaired by Prof. Valerian Rodrigues, Dean, School of Social Sciences.

The inaugural session was followed by three thematic sessions. Session One "Rethinking Caste Structure" was chaired by Prof. Ishrat Alam, Member Secretary, Indian Council of Historical Research and the papers presented in the session were "Scheduled Castes of Tamil Nadu in the Past and Present: Beginning from the Study of Edgar Thurston" by Dr. B.S. Chandra Babu (Professor, School of Historical Studies, Madurai Kamaraj University), "Stratification System in the South: Dynamics of Caste and some Reflections" by Dr. Vivek Kumar (CSSS, SSS, JNU), "The Thotti's Stick: Re-Hegemonizing the Self" by Dr. N. Sukumar, (Department of Political Science, University of Delhi), "The Outcaste Brahmin Opposition: Reading the Abbot and the Surveyor" by Dr. P. Vijaisri (Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, Delhi), and "Enumeration and Ethnography: Some Aspects of Lower Castes in late Medieval Andhra" by Dr. Victor Babu (Department of History, B.R.Ambedkar University, Lucknow).

The second session was on "Understanding Caste / Tribe: Representation/Invention". It was chaired by Professor Susan Visvanathan, Chairperson, Centre for the Study in Social Systems. The papers presented in this session were "Exploring the links between South Indian Folklore and the Colonial Ethnography: Edgar Thurston's Study of the Tamil Paraiyar in the Nineteenth Century" by Dr. Raj Shekhar Basu (Department of History, University of Calcutta). The second paper presented in this session was Thurston's Magnum Opus (?) and Selected Hill Tribes of Andhra" by Dr. B. Ramachandra Reddy (Department of History, K.M.C.P.G. Studies, Pondicherry). The third paper was presented by Dr. T. G. Suresh, Assistant Professor, Centre for Political Studies, SSS, on "When Photography Explores 'Other' Cultures: Some Synoptic Comments on the Visual Representations of 'Tribes" the next presentation of the day was "Some Aspects of Socio-Cultural Changes among the Lambadas of Andhra Pradesh" by Venkatesh, Research Scholar, (CPS, SSS), and the last presentation of the session was by Dr. P. Keshav Kumar (Department of Philosophy, Pondicherry University) on "Researching / Re-Searching Caste".

The theme of the last session of the day was "The Making of the 'Caste and Tribes of Southern India' project". This session was chaired by Professor Kancha Ilaiah, Department of Political Science, Osmania University. The first presentation was made by Dr. D. Manjit, (Dayal Singh College, University of Delhi). He presented on "Thurston and Forest: Mapping of Forest and Colonial Ethnography", the second presenter Dr. G. Srinivas, (CSSS, SSS) presented on "Caste as a System, Institution and Imagination: Contextualizing Interpretations and Contestations in Indian Sociology". The third presenter Christhu Doss, (CHS, SSS) spoke on "Colonialism, Ethno-genesis and Identity: A Case Study of Nadars in Madras Presidency", the next presenter M. Ponnu Durai, Research Scholar, Centre for Arts and Aesthetics, who spoke on "Parayar's of Southern India: Comparative Study between Edgar Thurston and Pandit Ayothee Thaas", and the last presenter Sudhakara Karakoti, Research Scholar, CSLG, JNU spoke on "Understanding the Dynamics of Dividing Politics: A Study of two Major Productive Communities of A.P (1909-2009)".

The session on 26 November, 2009 started with the theme The Project's Impact on Post Colonial Discourses on Caste and Tribe. This session was chaired by Prof. B.S. Chandrababu, School of Historical Studies, Madurai Kamaraj University. The first presenter of the session Dr. A. Gangatharan, Assistant Professor, Department of History, Banaras Hindu University spoke on "The Emergence of Community consciousness and associations in Colonial Tamil Nadu", the next presenter of the session was Dr. Sunita Reddy, Assistant Professor, CSM&CH, SSS and she spoke on "New Perspectives in Addressing Tribal Health Issues: Developments in Medical Anthropology", this was followed by Raja Sekhar Vundru's (IAS and Formerly Director, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, GOI) presentation on "The Indian Civil Service (ICS) and Ethnography in Colonial India", following that L. David Lal, Associate Fellow, Indian Institute of Dalit Studies, New Delhi presented on "A Critical Examination of Thurston's Understanding of Lower Castes in Southern India", and the last presenter of the session Vikram Harijan, Research Scholar, CHS, SSS, presented on "Writings of Edgar Thurston: Socio-Historical Perspective".
This was then followed by a valedictory address by Prof. K. S. Chalam, Member UPSC, New Delhi.

Y.Chinna Rao, Associate Professor
Programme for the Study of Discrimination Exclusion, SSS

The Educational Records Research Unit (ERRU) organized the fifth J. P. Naik Memorial Lecture, an annual feature since 2005, to commemorate eminent educationist Late Shri J. P. Naik. The Memorial Lecture was delivered by Professor P. Balaram, Director, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. The Session was chaired by Professor B.B. Bhattacharya, Vice- Chancellor, and attended by an audience of over 150 scholars.
Professor Balaram spoke on 'Reinventing the Research University in India'. He focused on the sphere of higher education in India, which is currently in a stage of unprecedented expansion, and the question of reinventing research universities. He mentioned that the role of universities in India has changed dramatically over the last fifty years and with the rise of specialised universities devoted to engineering, medicine and law education the conventional universities are completely impoverished. In most technical institutes there is no place given to social sciences independently and they are only maintained as departments in universities.
Science research, he stated has become completely fragmented, diminishing the core of universities. Science can be divided into two broad classes viz., Academic Science, which is often of limited utility, and Applied Science, which has clear goals and targets. While Academic Science is practiced in universities and most of research institutes, Applied Science is predominantly practiced in the strategic agencies of government and in industry. This separation is an artificial one and good science will eventually be applicable. India is placed in a relatively poor position in many widely discussed analyses of science research. He observes that this situation is a matter of great concern for those who worry about the science policy direction and is reason enough to worry about the status of research and higher education in India.

Returning to the topic of research and higher education Professor Balaram said that today's scientist, especially in the areas of biology and agriculture, may seek to blur the distinction between science and engineering. Research institutions in India are challenged to make discoveries and are encouraged to provide ambience which promotes invention and innovation. To be successful there is need for a fundamental transformation in institutions. He emphasized that the quality of both basic and applied research in research institutions can be enhanced with more financial resources and administrative flexibility.

Over the last fifty years research has no longer been an important activity in universities. The growth of specialized research institutions and national laboratories has resulted in a separation of research activities from traditional teaching universities. The best universities in the West have a strong component of teaching, embedded in a research environment. Research and teaching are two sides of the same coin. Universities in India often function as affiliating bodies or colleges, with only a limited post-graduate section in science and a relatively limited involvement in research. Segregation of disciplines has diminished the core of the universities, he maintained.

Professor Balaram went on to discuss the possible pathways of restructuring institutions of higher learning. He said that there is a possible danger of reversibility due to certain barriers like academic faculty, administrative structure and public will/ political ambience. He listed three key issues of concern for bringing about transformation in institutions: the recruitment of the faculties, allocation of the financial resources and problem of governance at all levels in the centres of higher education. He referred to the recommendations of the National Knowledge Commission which addresses the issues of expansion in higher education, the need for promoting excellence and the necessity for making education accessible to all by promoting inclusion. On the question of quality, in particular the challenge faced by India of creating world class research institutions. He mentioned that the IITs, IIMs and institutes like IISc, Bangalore have been widely recognised for the high quality education they provide. However, there is great disparity in the quality between these and most other education institutions in India. He also said that the fast growth of institutions granting higher degrees without adhering to quality is a matter of great concern. He suggested that in order for the academic institutions to go forward proper ambience must be created and their performance must be constantly reviewed.

In conclusion Professor Balaram referred to his own institution Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, which completed a century earlier this year. He urged the audience to draw inspiration from learning experience in the evolution of IISc as an 'institute of research or 'university of research', history of which clearly elicits the successful role played by private philanthropy and public-private partnership.

With a view to enchance the frontiers of knowledge and for supporting advanced study and research in the areas of Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences, some family members, scholars and students who were associated with Professor P.N. Srivastava endowed funds some time in 2009 for organization of an annual lecture by an eminent scholar.

The endowment also provides for awarding a medal to the best student in sciences annually.
Professor P.N Srivastava, former Vice-Chancellor of the University, joined JNU in 1975 first as a Professor of Radiation Biology and went to hold the office of the Dean, School of Life Sciences, the Rector of the University and eventually as the Vice-Chancellor prior to moving as a member of the Planning Commission. A well known academician, educationist and a strict adminstrator, he endeared himself to all sections of the community both compassion and understanding while maintaining the decorum expected of a person associated with an institution of higher learning.

The first endowment lecture was delivered by Professor Pushpa M. Bhargava, former Director of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad and a well known biochemist, on "The Likely Medical and Health Care Scenario in 2050 in September 2009". A well documented and presented lecture was attended by scientists and others, both within and outside the University. Professor Bhargava dealt in detail with the current health scenario, and appropriate medical facilities and presented a possible scenario of diagnostics and medical situation in 1950.
The lecture was very well attended and all those present enjoyed every bit of the moment of this popular science lecture.