Biography

An Outsider in politics / Bose, Krishna. --New Delhi: Penguin, 2008

The autobiography illuminate the changing world of the Kolkata intelligentsia from the 1940s to the present day. The author writes vividly of her experiences as an academic and working mother and gives a ringside view of drama of election campaigns, the complexities of parliamentary politics and forces shaping India's foreign policy at the turn of the new millennium. This autobiography combines intimate family and social history with a gripping political memoir.

Democracy

Knowledge and democracy: a 21st century perspective / Stehr, Nico, ed. --London: Transaction, 2008

This volume explores the relationship between knowledge and democracy. The book focuses on the interpretation of knowledge, freedom and democracy, and does so from various perspectives, theoretical as well as practical. This volume also explores the emerging linkages between the extension of knowledge and the law.

 

The Miracle of democracy: India's amazing journey / Krishnamurthy, T.S. --New Delhi: Harper Collins, 2008

The book traces the history of Indian democracy, from the very first general elections of 1952 to the present era of coalition politics. In the course of this five decades, the electoral process underwent a great deal of change as successive governments and electoral officers worked to fine-tune the system. The book reinforces the belief that the road to India's development is definitely through the ballot box.

Economics

India revisited: conversations on continuity and change / Jahanbegloo, Ramin.New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2008

The book tries to make sense of independent India and its evolution over the past six decades. It traces the remarkable transformation of the country from a traditional society to one of the fastest growing economies in the world. It encompasses a full range of subjects from politics to science and arts and offers a penetrating analysis of Indian society.

Money and finance in the Indian economy / Rakshit, Mihir. --New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2008

The focus of the essays in this volume is on the problems and policy concerns emerging in particular sectors. The issues discussed relate to the transition from a situation of credit constraint to one of excess liquidity; the source of fiscal imbalances and the measures for their correction; the pros and cons of foreign institutional investments (FIIs); and the strengths and weaknesses of the banking system under the liberalized regime.

Education

Overcoming inequality: why governance matters / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008 (Reference)

The report explores current approaches to education governance reform and assesses whether these are helping to improve access, quality, participation and accountability. It also examines aid governance. The report includes statistical indicators on all levels of education in some 200 countries and territories, and serves as an authoritative reference guide.

Human Behaviour

Games Indians play: why we are the way we are / Raghunathan, V. --New Delhi: Penguin, 2006

The author uses the props of game theory and behavioural economics to provide an insights into this most difficult question: why are we the way we are? Author tackles the question by putting under the scanner our attitudes towards rationality and irrationality, egotism and selfishness, our penchant for antagonism and competition, and our aversion to collaboration and cooperation.

International Relations

International relations in South-Asia: search for an alternative paradigm / Behra, Navnita Chadha, ed. New Delhi: Sage Publications, 2008

This collection explores state of the art methods to understand international relations in South Asia from disciplinary, pedagogic and epistemological standpoints. The book offers perspectives from various Asian countries like Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India and captures contemporary thinking.

Knowledge Management

Knowledge leadership: tools for executive leaders / Lakshman, C. --New Delhi: Response, 2008

The book explains the concept of knowledge leadership by analyzing the strategies and tools of information and knowledge management. The book uses case studies of successful executive leaders such as Jack Welch and Michael dell to examine knowledge leadership practices. The discourse covers global industries ranging from automobile to retail.

Literature

I witness: partial observations / Sibal, Kapil. --New Delhi: Roli Books, 2008

The author's poems range from the personal to political. They are often touching, always keenly-observed and thought-provoking. And they are infused with a passionate concern for both individuals and issues that matter to a public man who is also a private poet.

Sahibs who loved India / Khushwant Singh, ed. --New Delhi: Penguin, 2008

The book is a collection of essays that invites the reader to revisit a vanished era of sahibs and memsahibs. From Lord Mountbatten to Peggy Holroyde to Maurice and Taya Zinkin, Britishers who lived and worked in India reminisce about topics and points of interest as varied as the Indian Civil Service and the Roshanara Club, Shikar and hazri, the Amateur Cine Society of India and the Doon School, Rudyard Kipling and Mahatma Gandhi. Selected from a series of articles commissioned by author when he was the editor of the Illustrated Weekly of India, these candid writings reveal a fascinating array of British attitudes, experiences, observations, fond memories, the occasional short-lived grouse and, above all, a deep and abiding affection and respect for India.

Media

Tracking the media: interpretations of mass media discourses in India and Pakistan / Chattarji, Subarno. London: Routledge, 2008

This book is about media content analysis in the English language print media in South Asia. It examines the ways in which particular events- a communal riot, a war or a cricket match-are represented in the Indian print media, with additional analysis of select vernacular print media from Pakistan. The chapters explore connections that the media often ignores, simultaneously highlighting silences in dominant media discourses.

Nuclear Power

Nuclear power in India: a critical history / Banerjee, B. --New Delhi: Rupa, 2008

The book is an account of the trials and tribulations faced by Indian scientists while working on the country's nuclear power programme. An engrossing account of how engineers had to overcome not just technical snags, but also political ambitions, before they succeeded in testing two powerful nuclear bombs in 1974 and 1998. This history of India's declamatory entry into the power club also includes balanced arguments on the controversial Hyde Act.
 

Performing Arts

Performers and their arts: folk, popular, and classical genres in a changing India / Charsley, Simon, ed. London: Routledge, 2007

This book brings together three fields of the performing arts of India - the folk tradition; popular dramatic genres; and classical dance. In all three, it is the performers who are the focus, i.e. those whom the success, development and even survival of these arts depend. Seventeen original chapters provide new insights into the arts and their performers in the context of the changing society around them, exploring their strengths and the issues facing them today.

Politics and Government

The Philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi for the twenty-first century / Douglas, Allen, ed. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2008

Mahatma Gandhi is one of the most admired figures of the twentieth century and the relevance of his approach continues to be debated among academia and in the public domain. The essays offer a radical critique of the dominant characteristics and priorities of modern Western civilization and the contemporary world. They offer positive alternatives by using the philosophy of Gandhi, in creative and innovative ways, to focus on nonviolence and mutual respect, compassion and loving kindness.

Rise of the plebeians?: the changing face of Indian legislative assemblies / Jaffrelot, Christophe, ed. London: Routledge, 2009

This book traces the changing social profile of the elected representatives of Indian states and, in turn, points to an uneven democratization of the regional political class. In view of the crucial role that caste plays in state politics in India, the book examines how India's caste-basted social diversity gets translated into politics by tracking the individual trajectory of the 16 states since the 1950s to the present times.

Social Problems

Out of poverty: what works when traditional approaches fail / Polak, Paul. --New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill, 2008

This book presents numerous case studies demonstrating that effective programs to raise the incomes of poor people must start with an effort to understand and involve poor people in the environments in which they find themselves.

Sociology

The Identity politics of peace-building: civil society in war-torn Sri Lanka / Orjuela, Camilla. New Delhi: Sage Publications, 2008

This book looks at civil society and peace movements in the context of the identity-based armed conflict in Sri Lanka. Focusing on the identity politics inherent in peace work, it demonstrates why civil society groups engaged in peace activities often fail to enhance the sense of security among civilians and are also unable to challenge the underlying structures of war.

Telecommunication

Connecting India: Indian telecom story / Saxena, S D.--New Delhi: Konark Publishers, 2009

The book is the tribute to the hundreds of thousand of people who have been connecting India from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Kutch to Kolkata, in difficult weather conditions and in diverse circumstances. In the telecom field India stands equal to the developed nations, as far as technology usage is concerned. Within the country telecom has been used as an effective tool to combat social inequalities and to spread information, which is essential for growth. The book is an account of author's perception of growth of telecom sector in India.

Trade and Commerce

South Asia in the WTO / Kelegama, Saman, ed. --New Delhi: Sage Publications, 2007

In this book the contributors examine the position of each South Asian country in the multilateral trading system as defined by the WTO and highlight various concerns they have on key WTO issues in agriculture, industry, services and development. The possibility of South Asian countries formulating a common position in the WTO negotiations is also explored in detail.

New Additions in Electronic Reports

Note: These reports can be accessed through the shortcut ’Electronic Documents' on the OPAC terminal.

Global economic prospects: commodities at the crossroads 2009. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank, 2009

The eruption of the worldwide financial crisis has radically recast prospects for the world economy. This report analyzes the implications of the crisis for low- and middle-income countries, including an in-depth look at long-term prospects for global commodity markets and the policies of both commodity producing and consuming nations. This year’s Global Economic Prospects also looks at government responses to the recent price boom. Producing-country governments have saved more of their windfall revenues, and are therefore less likely to be forced to cut into spending now that prices have declined. 

 http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTGEP2009/Resources/10363_WebPDF-w47.pdf

Report to the nation 2006-09. National Knowledge Commission, 2009

The National Knowledge Commission (NKC) was constituted in June 2005 by the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, under the Chairmanship of Mr. Sam Pitroda, to prepare a blueprint for reform of our knowledge related institutions and infrastructure which would enable India to meet the challenges of the future. In three years NKC has submitted recommendations on 27 focus areas in the form of letters to the Prime Minister. These have been widely disseminated in three compilations: ‘Report to the Nation 2006’, ‘Report to the Nation 2007’ as well as ‘Towards a Knowledge Society’ which is a compilation of the education recommendations. The final Report of NKC contains the full text of all the recommendations submitted by the Commission in the last three years. It also includes follow up on the recommendations, baseline figures on the key focus areas as well as details of NKC consultations.

Source:http://www.knowledgecommission.gov.in/downloads/report2009/eng/report09.pdf

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