A NEWSLETTER OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED STUDIES BANGALORE — r ------Vol-5 Wednesday, January 1,1997 No. 2

' I *his ninth issue of the NIAS Newsletter covers the activities of Nineteen Ninety Six in brief and that of the X second half of the year in particular. Apart from the 10th NIAS Course on "An Integrated Approach to Knowledge and Information" for Senior Executives from the Government / Public / Private Sectors held betv^een January 8 and February 3, 1996, the 4th NIAS Course on "An Integrated Approach to Knovv^ledge and Information" for University / College Teachers was held between October 7 and November 2, 1996. As is well known, this course is co-sponsored by University Grants Commission and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research. The course was inaugurated by Prof. N.R. Madhava Menon, Director, National Law School of India University and the theme of the inaugural address was "Globalization and future of higher education - Challenges and responsibility". A gist of the inaugural address appears in the Newsletter. ,

The valedictory address on the last day of the course was delivered by Dr. Raja Ramanna and the theme of his address was "Changes in scientific thought in the 19th and 20th centuries".

The subjects covered, in keeping with the objective of integrated approach to knowledge and information, were of a wide-ranging spectrum, including topics such as Alienation of Indian Youth, Origin

Participants of the 4th NIAS Course for University / College Teachers with the Faculty. of Man, Sociology, India's Changing Role in the Post-Cold War World, Philosophy of Science, Science in Education, The Power of the Atom, Electronics & Industry, Antarctica, Creativity in Indian Science, Mental Illness, Medicine at Cross Roads, Recent advances in Neurological Research and Practice, Origin of Universe, Ecology, Pesticide Pollution; Problems and Approaches to Remediation, The Vedic and Darsana Tradition of Knowledge Communication and Methodology, Aspects of Scientific Discovery, and Appreciation of Cinema.

Yet other subjects covered by way of Special Lectures were "What is happening to Caste?" by Prof. M.N. Srinivas, "Are there limits to Scientific Explanations?" by Prof. B.V. Sreekantan, "National Security and Modern Weapons" by Dr. Raja Ramanna, and "Indian Economic Reforms" by Shri. T.N. Ninan.

Two other important features of this course were a Symposium on "Towards Gender Justice: Challenges & Dilemmas" by Ms. Srilatha Batliwala and her team and a day-long exposure to "Appreciation of Indian Classical Music" by Ms. Aditi Upadhya. Visits to Shravanabelagula, Belur and Halebid, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, and Nrityagram were also arranged. The course was very well-received by the participants.

One of the most important events of the second half of the year was an International Seminar on "Nuclear Cooperation: Challenges and Prospects" held between November 21 and 22, 1996 at NIAS. The delegates were experts from U.S.A, France, Japan, South Korea and Austria, in addition to counterparts from India. A brief report on this Seminar appears in the Newsletter,

Yet another important event was the publication of a report entitled "India's Options on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty”. This report emanated from a Workshop organised by NIAS and was attended by a number of experts holding a variety of perspectives. The report is available in the Institute.

From the Director's Desk that a large amount of information is available in a small amount of space and thereby requiring only During the year 1996, NIAS, through its work, a small-sized library. Thus, it also avoids has reached the status of a National Think-Tank. It encroachment of the green space of the Campus. has contributed in many ways through its lectures, We were glad to note that many people have seminars, group discussions, etc. in various fields offered books of importance to the library which of knowledge. The work done in the Institute is will improve its usefulness. based on actual visits and field studies and therefore, its reports are of very authentic value. The regular Associates' Programme, held on last Friday of every month, has attracted the The Auditorium, which forms part of the JRD attention of the public of Bangalore and is well- Tata Memorial Centre, has been completed and it attended. The variety of subjects in these lectures will be used for Lectures, Concerts, Plays, has helped in keeping citizens of Bangalore Exhibitions, etc. The auditorium will formally be informed about the problems of the world, the inaugurated sometime in March, 1997. country and the city in particular. Very well-known personalities have delivered lectures The NIAS Library is being built-up on the in these programmes. basis of modern development, using CD-ROMs so THE FACULTY Prof.Kapur has been invited to Ottawa, Canada, as a member of a core group, which will present the The activities of the various units of the research proposals to the IDRC council. Faculty during the second half of the year are indicated unitwise in the succeeding paragraphs:- UNIT: PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE Dr. Sundar Sarukkai's work on Philosophy of UNIT: HEALTH AND HUMAN BEHAVIOUR Science and Mathematics, Postmodern Philosophy Activities of the Unit: and Phenomenology continues. One of his recent The Project on "A Psycho-social Study of papers dealt with explicating the notion of 'Other' Alienation amongst Indian Youth" was completed as it occurs in anthropology and philosophy and and the report submitted to the Defence Research suggests a way to understand fiction as a valid and Development Organisation (DRDO), ethnographic tool. Another paper deals with some Government of India, New Delhi, on September 2, foundational ideas of consciousness and suggests 1996. some ways of understanding the problem of The study on "Creativity amongst Indian consciousness through certain arguments in the Scientists" is nearing completion. The data has philosophy of mathematics. He is presently been collected and the analysis is in progress. The co-authoring a book on Postmodernism in the work should be completed by May, 1997. Indian context. He is also involved in a study of the philosophy of the body drawing upon Indian and Dr. Biswajit Sen was promoted as Professor of Western philosophical traditions. This work is in Psychiatry within the Unit of Health and Human collaboration with Prof. James Morley, St. Joseph's Behaviour on 1 July, 1996. Prof. Sen was also College, Connecticut, USA. awarded a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship to conduct a study on "Psychosocial Factors CONSCIOUSNESS STUDIES Influencing the Sexuality of Urban Indian Active work is in progress in Women". He has already started his work and is CONSCIOUSNESS STUDIES. The lecture series currently in Calcutta doing the field work. covering various issues of consciousness studies contiiiued. The three broad topics covered by the Prof R.L. Kapur has been asked to write a lectures were neurobiology of consciousness and book on "Generation Gap" by the National Book yogic practices, the physics, chemistry and Trust of India, New Delhi. neurobiology of consciousness and some MacMillan India has agreed to publish the philosophical problems of consciousness. These proceedings of the workshop on "Qualitative lectures were given by Dr. B.L. Meti, Prof. B.V. Methods in Research". Sreekantan and Dr. Sundar Sarukkai, respectively. The discussions which followed the lectures tried The IDRC (International Development to outline the current trends in the respective fields Research Centre) is currently engaged in building and address the key problems envisaged by new initiatives in psycho-social research. In this consciousness studies with regard to its theme and connection. Prof. Kapur was invited to attend the methodology. regional workshop on "Values, Psycho-social Health and Development" with the representatives Dr. Saiigeetlia Menon is continuing her work in from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Srilanka tlie area of Bhagavad Gita and Advaita Vedanta along from 27-29 November, 1996. A number of research with the orgarusing of lectures, discussions and review ideas around this topic were formulated as being meehi-igs on CONSCIOUSNESS STUDIES. An of special importance for the region. Prof. Kapur attempt is being made to identify major research stressed that research should shift from the study work being carried out on consciousness and of negative attributes to more positive ones. For related areas in and outside the country so as to example, instead of studying those who facilitate a network, and update the bibliography on breakdown in response to social stresses, one consciousness studies. In this connection, a review should look for resilience and study the meeting was held to discuss and identify the tasks to characteristics of those people who not only be undertaken by the CONSCIOUSNESS STUDIES withstand stress themselves but also help others to group. The meeting, attended by Prof. B.V. cope. In the similar way, one should now shift Sreekantan, Dr. Sangeetha Menon, Dr. M.G. from examining the consequences of violence or Narasimhan and Dr. Anindya Siriha^ reviewed in the characteristics of violent people to the study of detail the progress of work and identified the peace processes. These views were accepted. issues to be covered in the recent future. Dr. Anindya Sinha has recently joined the completed by December 31, 1996. Preliminary CONSCIOUSNESS STUDIES group. He will be tables will hopefully become available for analysis concentrating on the areas of social behaviour, by January 1997, after which report writing will cognition and self-awareness in wild primates with begin in right earnest. The Unit hopes to have a particular reference to bonnet macaques. draft report of the study ready by June, 1997, for wider circulation. LECTURES AND MEETINGS ORGANISED ON CONSCIOUSNESS STUDIES: In addition, an in-depth analysis of data on crimes against women has been initiated during 1. July 24 & August 2, 1996 - Two lectures by this period, to supplement the data collected as Dr. B.L. Meti (Assistant Professor of Neuro- part of the Status of Women primary research physiology, NIMHANS) on "Neurobiological study. aspects of consciousness and Yogic practices". Dr. Meti gave a general picture of Advocacy: neurobiological systems with emphasis on The major advocacy work undertaken during sleep-wakefulness cycle alteration in the this period has been in the form of training and practitioners of Yoga. inputs on different dimensions of women's status provided by Unit members in different 2. September 25, 1996 - Lecture by Prof. B.V. international, regional and local workshops, Sreekantan on "The physics, chemistry and conferences and training programmes. These are neurobiology of consciousness - The New mentioned in the list of workshops attended, and Wave studies". Prof. B.V. Sreekantan include major inputs on gender relations, women's presented a detailed and integrated analysis of empowerment, status of women in India, and the current research data on the methodologies for studying gender relations. The neurophysiological and neurochemical studies Unit is also engaged in developing the gender of consciousness. He highlighted some aspects component for the Training Module for Primary of biophotonic studies which support liquid School Teachers of the districts covered by the crystalline structures of cells and possibilities District Primary Education Project (DPEP), of large-scale quantum coherence that may Government of Karnataka. Similarly, the Unit is help in resolving the 'binding' problem in participating in a brainstorming session of the Ford consciousness studies. Foundation for the development of their funding strategy in the area of Reproductive Health. The 3. September 27, 1996 - Lecture by Dr. Sundar Unit also conducted a Symposium entitled Sarukkai on "What is Consciousness?". "Towards Gender Justice” for the participants of Dr. Sarukkai's lecture highlighted what he the Fourth NIAS Course for University/College considered as some foundational problems in Teachers. undertaking studies on consciousness. He developed some arguments from the Finally, a large number of students, philosophy of mathematics regarding the researchers and scholars from abroad and within notions of real and abstract, related it to India have been visiting the Unit, using the library similar problems in consciousness and finally and resource material, and taking help in suggested a nominalistic view of developing their conceptual understanding and consciousness. analytical perspectives, as well as accessing information for their ongoing work and projects; 4. October 4, 1996 - Review Meeting on the for instance, consultants working on developing activities of Consciousness Studies group. gender strategies for funding agencies and NGOs, journalists writing on women's issues, students UNIT: WOMEN'S POLICY RESEARCH AND working on research papers and dissertations, etc. ADVOCACY Study of Status of Women in Karnataka: The Unit has also published the report During this period, data collection in the "Women and Literacy", containing the edited remaining three out of the total six districts being proceedings of the conference on the same theme covered by the study was completed; viz., Raichur, held in 1994. The document contains a benchmark Bijapur, and Kodagu. In all, 1140 households have collection of innovative grassroots programmes been covered, comprising 1140 women and 1140 promoting women's literacy. This publication has men. Checking of schedules was also completed. been widely disseminated and has received Data entry is proceeding apace, and should be excellent response from all concerned, including the Director General of the National Literacy culture extract revealed the presence of four Mission. metabolites derived from endosulfan^ which were not seen in the control experiments. The Rp values of two of the metabolites were found to have identical Rp values with that of synthetic endosulfan ether and endosulfan sulfate (Hexane; Chloroform: Acetone (9;3;1) solvent system). However, further spectral and chemical analysis is required to conclusively identify these metabolites.

Similarly, Mucor piriformis isolated from soil has shown to bring about transformation of atrazine. Fermentation carried out in neutral media for a period of 8-9 days resulted in the formation of at least three metabolites which were not seen in the control experiments. The isolation and identification of these metabolites is under Field Investigators interview Women and Men for progress. the study on Rural Women Ms. Namitha K.K. and Ms. M. Radhika are assisting Dr. Shetty in this programme. UNIT: ENVIRONMENT Mr. Deepak Jain and Mr. Nanda Kumar have Dr. P.K. Shetty is continuing his collaborative completed their M.Sc. programme under the Research Programme with Prof. K.M. Madhyastha, guidance of Dr. Shetty. They have worked on Organic Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science, fungal transformation of endosulfan and atrazine Bangalore and Dr. K. Raghu, Nuclear Agriculture respectively. Their theses has been submitted to Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, the Department of Environment Sciences, Mumbai on 'Bioremediation of pesticide- Bangalore Univeristy. contaminated soils and effluents'. UNIT: EPIGRAPHY CENTRE During the last six months, a series of experiments w'ere carried out to establish the mode Dr. H.K. Anasuya Devi is continuing her of microbial degradation of tw'o of the most widely research on Epigraphy. Readers may recall that the used pesticides in Indian agriculture such as establishment of Epigraphy Centre was reported in Atrazinc (2 - chioro - 4 - ethylamino - 6 - isopropyl the previous newsletters. The on-going activity amino - s - traizine) and Eiidosulfmi (1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 7 pertaining to collection of source materials from -hexachloro bicyclo - (2.2.1) - hepten-2, 3 - Archaeological Survey of India (AST), Mysore, bisoxymethylene -5, 6-sulfate). obtaining relevant data, analysis by implementing software packages such as MATLAB, KHOROS on Technical grade atrazine and endosulfan were IBM and SUN workstations have been reported used for degradation experiments and the purity earlier. was abo\'e 99.5"o. All other ciiemicais used were of analytical grade. Three metabolites of endosulfan Very crucial to all these activities is the such as endosulfan sultate, endosulfan diol and establishment of an Epigraphy Centre which endosulfan ether were chemically synthesised and required large-scale funding. Based on the purilied in the LaboratcM-y. detailed proposal made to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Bangalore, a RESPOND Thirty difierent fungal strains were isolated Project entitled "Development of Software from enrichment culture technique and also a few Technology for Epigraphy Texts" has been identified strains such as Aspcr;;^illus sp., sanctioned. Trkltodeniia sp., Fusariuiji ^^olaiii, Mitcor tlicriiiolnjnloi^pora, Pi’nicilliiDii sp. w'ere tested for Objectives: their ability to bring about transformation in these To create a kiiowledge-based environment for pesticide molecules. epigraphy studies.

The present study has clearly demonstrated To create epigraphic databases that help in the transformation of endosulfan by Miicor preventing the various ancient manuscripts in thcrnioln/nlosporn. The preliminary analysis of the floppies and on CD-ROM, which preser\’es thousands of data sets in a compressed format Future Plan: without deterioration with time. Setting up of an image-processing workstation will be Imdertaken along with the establishment of To remove noise in the epigraphy data and scanner, laser printer and a few Pentium machines assist the epigraphists to build an environment by- to pursue the research work on computer-based computerization of epigraphic data tools, and if studies on epigraphy. possible, help in recognising some characters without much human intervention. UNIT: INTERNATIONAL AND STRATEGIC STUDIES (ISS) With the help of this knowledge base, it is This unit comprises Dr. Raja Ramanna, hoped that the machine can recognise a set of Dr. Deepa Ollapally, Mr. S. Rajagopal and Mr. known characters by matching techniques. Arvind Kumar. Activities of the unit are focused Ultimately, the computer will be used to on the areas of nuclear non-proliferation, India's automatically decipher the unknown epigraphic strategic relations, and nuclear technology, with texts. the objective of providing critical analysis for research and policymaking. The promotion of Achievement: international cooperation in the nuclear field is also Any epigraphic source material can be an important goal. converted from analog to digital data. This is possible through computer readable formats - Nuclear Non-proliferation: floppies, CD-ROM diskettes. In contributing to the national debate on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), which At the same time, using software packages, it was submitted to the United Nations on September is possible to some extent to remove the noise in 1996, the ISS Unit published a report entitled the data. The software that can be used are: "India's Options on the Comprehensive Test Ban MATLAB on IBM, KHOROS on SUN and Image Treaty." This report was widely received and cited Works, and Image Vision Libraries available on in India and abroad. It was the first report of its SGI indigo-2 R4400 workstations. kind to seriously consider the full range of options open to India and expected ramifications. Thp Progress made during last six months: report was based on an earlier workshop on the There has been a break-through in terms of CTBT held at NIAS on March 28, 1996 which was results obtained using image works and vision attended by India's top experts in the field and libraries on SGI platform. Sample data considered chaired by Dr. Ramanna. for the purpose has been tried out on SGI machine, indigo-2 R4400, with a view to clearing both Nuclear Technology and India's Strategic background and foreground noise in the digitized Relations: sets. Interesting results have been obtained. To From November 20 to 22, 1996, the ISS Unit mention a few, different types of filtering, edge held an "International Seminar on Nuclear detection, sharpening of images. Boolean Cooperation: Challenges and Prospects" to begin a operations. Erode, Laplace transformation, dialogue on international collaboration, Roberts, Sobele, Compass have been applied. particularly in light of the changed circumstance since the end of the cold war. The Seminar had a The above techniques point out the different unique blend of nuclear technologists and types of edge detection and contouring algorithms scientists as well as defense experts. It was applied on the selected data: finally help in designed to explore the synergy between removing both background and foreground noise, technology and political affairs and to identify the keeping the character sharpness intact. Further, challenges. Nearly 25 participants from India, this helps in character recognition. KHOROS France, The International Atomic Energy Agency, software has been used for different sets of data. Japan, Korea and the United States attended. The Meaningful results are being obtained. Unit is preparing a volume of conference proceedings based on the papers presented. MATLAB package has been used for different sets of data. The bmp files have been obtained. Future activities of the Unit will include the Median filtering, thresholding of the images and formation of a series of working groups on India's perimeter of the thresholded image on the above technical and strategic relations. The emphasis sets of data are in progress. will be on Indo-U.S. cooperation. CANTOR'S THEOREMS AND on his sociological contributions to the ANNUAL NUCLEAR STRUCTURE REVIEW OF ANTHROPOLOGY, U.S.A., 1997. Raja Ramanna This paper is being prepared at the invitation of the editor of the ANNUAL REVIEW. The work has been extended, using the Cantor's Theorem in understanding lifetimes of 13 SENIOR HOMI BHABHA FELLOW emitting nuclides obtain their ground state spins. PROF. B.V. SREEKANTAN .Using the measured lifetimes which contain latent Prof. Sreekantan has continued his efforts at information on many aspects of the nuclei it is writing a comprehensive book on several aspects possible to obtain the ratio of resonance energy of Cosmic Rays. He has been invited by the Asiatic and the resonance width levels of light nuclei. Society to contribute an article on "Cosmic Rays" Using an empirical relation, it is now possible to for the Encyclopedia Asiatica. He continues to be identify the elementary particle involved in the associated with the Institute's programme on excitation process. It has been shown that the Consciousness Studies. excited states of various light nuclei result from the exchange of virtual mesons. ASSOCIATES' PROGRAMME The work reported earlier has appeared in the The Associates' Programmes are being held International journal of Modern Physics A and regularly as per schedule and all the programmes Modern Physics Letters A. have been well-received. VISITING CHAIRS At the beginning of the year we had 333 HOMI BHABHA CHAIR Senior Associates on our roll. As of date, we have PROF. C.V. SUNDARAM 416 members on our roll. The Homi Bhabha Chair is presently devoted to studies relating to Energy, Materials and The topics of the Associates' Programme Environment. during the period were:-

On the suggestion of the Department of 1. July 26, 1996 - A lecture on "RETHINKING Atomic Energy (Government of India), a project DEVELOPMENT" by Dr. Shobha Raghuram, has been undertaken to write a History of the Deputy Director, Regional Office, HIVOS, Department and its programmes, for the first fifty Bangalore. years, commencing from 1948. To start with, material has been gathered on the evolution of the 2. August 30, 1996 - "VEENA RECITAL" by Shri programme in the early years - covering the D. Balakrishna, son and disciple of Dr. Veena periods of Dr. Homi Bhabha (1948-1966) and Dr. Doreswamy Iyengar. Vikram Sarabhai (1966-1971), who were the first two Chairmen of the Atomic Energy Commission. 3. September 27, 1996 - A lecture on Interviews have been recorded with senior "CANCER - SOME MYTHS AND scientists and engineers who had been associated REALITY" by Prof. Gurunath Kilara, Curie with the Programme from the early stages. Centre of Oncology, St. John's Medical During the period under review, studies were College, Bangalore. also carried out on specific aspects such as the Global perspective and the Indian Scenario in 4. October 25, 1996 - A lecture on "INDIAN regard to Nuclear power generation. Rare metals ECONOMIC REFORMS" by Shri T.N. Ninan, development and Current technology trends. Editor, Business Standard and Business World. Radio-active waste management. Applications of radio-isotopes etc. - for lecture presentations and 5. November 29, 1996 - A lecture on "HOW CAN technical articles. INDIA DOUBLE AGRICULTURAL REFORMS" by Dr. P.V. Shenoi, Director, Institute for Social J.R.D. TATA CHAIR and Economic Change, Bangalore. PROF. M.N. SRINIVAS Prof. M.N. Srinivas published an essay on R.K. 6. December 27, 1996 -A lecture on Narayan entitled "The Writers' World", in "BIOLOGICAL CLOCKS" by Prof. M.K. Frontline, Vol. 13, No. 20, October 5-18, 1996. Prof. Chandrashekharan, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre Srinivas is about to complete a professional paper for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, OTHER SEMINARS / WORKSHOPS 'The international scenario in S&T funding' has HELD AT NIAS been added; it compares the current approaches and strategies in the United Kingdom and Japan (JULY 1,1996 TO DECEMBER 31,1996) on one side and in New Zealand and Malaysia on the other. 1. August 19-23, 1996 - An International Conference on "Nonlinear Differential Equations and Applications" was held by Tata GUEST SPEAKERS Institute of Fundamental Research, National Centre of the Government of India for Nuclear 1. August 22, 1996 - A lecture on "In Search of Science and Mathematics, Bangalore. Ethical Professional Conduct" by Dr. Abraham M. George, President and CEO 2. September 5-6,1996 - A two-day Workshop on Multinational Computer Models, Inc., an "Experience of District Planning in Health" International Financial Consulting and was held by the Foundation for Research in Software Company. Health Systems, Ahmedabad. 2. November 27, 1996 - A lecture on "An 3. September 11-14, 1996 - A four-day Seminar American Perspective on Nuclear Strategy" on "National Consultation on Media Policy by Prof. Kenneth N. Waltz, Professor and Radio" was organised by VOICES, Emeritus, University of California; Berkeley. Bangalore. Amongst others, there were Prof. Waltz is one of the leading strategic foreign radio professionals from Peru, theorists of contemporary times. In his talk, he Philippines and Srilanka. presented some of the recent changes being The Consultation released the Bangalore made in U.S. policies and explicitly remarked Declaration which asserted that deregulation as to why U.S. is against the spread of nuclear of the airwaves and promotion of community weapons. Wars by nuclear weapons cannot be broadcasting at village level was a logical fought because it induces a sense of development in the process of decentralised responsibility. It is really difficult to handle governance initiated by the 73rd and 74th nuclear weapons. Constitutional Amendments. It should be "Time and made possible for universities, cooperatives 3. December 9, 1996 - A lecture on and public bodies to set up and independently Consciousness in Indian Thought" by run small low-cost radio stations with Dr. Anindita N. Balslev, Senior Advisor, participation of village communities in the Danish National Institute for Educational programming and management. Research, Copenhagen, Denmark. She spoke on the various perspectives of time and 4. September 27-28, 1996 - A two-day Workshop consciousness taken up by various schools of on "Conservation of Medicinal Plants" for Indian philosophy. There need to be a critical Assistant Conservator of Forests was understanding of the meanings attributed to organised by Foundation for Revitalisation of self-awareness. Dr. Balslev also presented the Local Health Traditions, Bangalore. controversies in Indian thought regarding the cyclic and linear nature of time. REPORT ON DST PROJECT - 'FORMULATION OF CRITERIA FACULTY LECTURE PROGRAMME FOR EFFECTIVE R&D FUNDING' Lectures delivered by various faculty members V. Suchitra Mouly, C.V. Sundaram' and during the second half of the year are;- Raja Ramanna Jul 10,1996 Psycho-social Factors Prof. Biswajit Sen The report to be submitted to the DST on this Influencing the project has been finalised. As stated earlier, it is Sexuality of Urban composed of 2 volumes, volume 1 presenting the Indian Women - Project proposal for a Pilot findings in the present study and outlining Study a strategy for the future, and volume 2 collecting the reports on the various seminars and Aug 14,1996 Study of the Status of Ms. Srilatha meetings, field visits and discussions. A chapter Women in Karnataka - Batliwala (V. Suchitra Mouly and M.G. Narasimhan) on Progress and Insights Sept 11,1996 Introduction to Sociology Dr. M.G.Narasimhan 7 . November 14, 1996 - Inaugurated the (Part-1) of Science: The classical Exhibition-cum-festival of the child on phase Childrens Day Programme organised by the Bishop Cotton Boys' School, Bangalore. Sept 13,1996 From Sociology of Science Dr. M.G.Narasimhan to Social epistemology of (P a rt-II) 8 . November 21, 1996 - Chaired a Session on Science "Technology Transfer Issues" in the

Nov 27,1996 An attempt to Build a Dr. H.K. Anasuya Devi International Seminar on "Nuclear Knowledge-based System Cooperation: Challenges and Prospects" for Epigraphy Text organised by the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore. IMPORTANT LECTURES / ADDRESSES / December 2, 1996 - Inaugural address PRESENTATIONS / PUBLICATIONS ETC. 9. delivered at the National Workshop on (JULY 1, 1996 - DECEMBER 31, 1996) "Exploration and Exploitation of Gold ,Resources of India" at National Geophysical DR. RAJA RAMANNA Research Institute, Hyderabad. DIRECTOR 10. December 23, 1996 - Inaugurated the Sri A. LECTURES / ADDRESSES; Swami Vivekananda Chair at the University of 1. August 5, 1996 - Chaired Science Session qt Mysore. the seminar on "Science, Technology and Culture in Medieval Age, 10-18th Centuries" organised by the Project of History of Indian B. PAPERS SENT FOR PUBLICATION: Science, Philosophy and Culture at Delhi. 1. Mass-Time Duality and the Ground State Spins of E-emitting nuclei. 2. September 27, 1996 - Inaugurated the Annual Conference of the Indian Academy of 2. The Excited States of Light Nuclei and their Neurology, organised by Department of relation to Fundamental Particles. Neurology, NIMHANS. PROF. R.L. KAPUR 3. September 29, 1996 - Chief Guest in the A. LECTURES: Inaugural Session at the 4th National Seminar 1. August 21, 1996 - Delivered a talk on for Science Teachers on "Peaceful Uses of "Creativity" to the MPT participants of the Atomic Energy", sponsored by United Schools Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore. International in Collaboration with Department of Atomic Energy held at TIFR, 2. November 16, 1996 - On the occasion of Prof IISc Campus, Bangalore M.N. Srinivas's eightieth birthday Prof. Kapur spoke on 'The Srinivas I know', at a function 4. October 11, 1996 - Inaugurated the Maharanis arranged by the Institute for Social and Science College Student Association. Economic Change, Bangalore.

5. October 14, 1996 - Spoke at the International 3. December 13, 1996 - Invited as a Chief Guest Seminar on "Relevance of Nuclear Power - at the Awards Ceremony for the Graduates of Future of Nuclear Energy" and Launching of the Kasturba Medical College, Manipal. Indian Atomic Industrial Forum (lAIF) on "Nuclear Energy - International Perspectives" B. UNDER PUBLICATION: at Delhi. 1. Creativity in Indian Science. Part One: Review of Literature. 6. November 8, 1996 - Delivered a lecture on 2. Creativity in Indian Science. Part Two: What is "Nuclear Energy Problems of the Coming Creativity? Century" at the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry at Calcutta. 3. Creativity in Indian Science. Part Three: The Impact of Culture. Participated in the Press Conference about the Convention-cum-Exposition "R&D India, Three papers submitted for publication to the 1997" at Calcutta to be organised by the Saha Journal "Psychology and Developing Institute of Nuclear Physics. Societies", Allahabad. PROF. CV. SUNDARAM 3. "Unclear Criticism?" Article on Safety HOMI BHABHA VISITING PROFESSOR Management in the Indian Nuclear Energy Programme, contributed to the Hindu, July 18, A. LECTURES: 1996. 1. July 19, 1996 - Lecture on "Nuclear Industry and Waste Management", LLM. Golden 4. Review of "Minerals and Metals in Ancient Jubilee Lecture, under the auspices of the India", 2 Volumes by Arun Kumar Biswas and Bangalore Chapter of the Indian Institute of Sulekha Biswas, published in Current Science, Metals. Vol. 71, No. 7, October 10, 1996 pages 587-588.

2. August 11, 1996 - Lecture on "Atomic Energy PROF. M.N. SRINIVAS and Applications of Nuclear Radiation", J.R.D. TATA VISITING PROFESSOR Dr. S.D. Thirumal Rao Memorial Lecture, Oil A. LECTURES: Technology Research Institute, Anantapur. 1. July 22,1996 - Lecture on "The Roots of Indian 3. September 29, 1996 - Lecture on "Nuclear Pluralism" at the Bharatidasan University, Power: a Global perspective and the Indian Tiruchi. Scenario", Key-note Address in the Refresher 2. August 9, 1996 - Chaired the Devaraj Urs Course on 'Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy' Memorial Lecture delivered by Professor for Science Teachers, under the auspices of James Manor, Director, Institute of United Schools organisation and the DAE, Commonwelath Studies, London at the Indian Institute of Science campus. Bangalore. Institute of Development Studies, Mysore 4. October 16, 1996 - Lecture on "Power of the University. The subject of the lecture was Atom", UGC-JNC sponsored NIAS Course for "The Political Leaders of Karnataka". University and College Teachers, NIAS. 3. October 4-9, 1996 - Conducted a course on "Village India" for Medical Students and 5. October 26, 1996 - Lecture on "Technology Faculty at the Manipal Academy of Higher Trends in Rare Metal Extraction", in Seminar Education, Manipal with the assistance of on 'Emerging Metallurgical Technologies', Dr.(Ms.) A.R. Vasavi and Mr. Shama Bhat. Delhi Chapter of I.I.M., New Delhi. 4. October 9, 1996 - Special Lecture on "What is 6. November 4, 1996 - Lecture on "Atomic happening to Caste?", at NIAS for the Energy - the Early Years", Colloqium at the participants of the Fourth NIAS Course for Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Energy University/College Teachers. Research, Kalpakkam. 5. November 27, 1996 - Inaugurated a "Refresher 7. November 15, 1996 - Lecture on "Fifty Years of Course on Social and Political Philosophy; Nuclear Materials Development" Golden Indian and Western" at the Department of Jubilee Symposium on 'Fifty Years of Philosophy, Jadavpur University, Calcutta Metallurgy: Retrospect and Prospect', Indian and delivered a lecture on "Participant Institute of Metals, Vigyan Bhavan, New Observation" on November 28, 1996 as part of Delhi. the Refresher Course.

8. December 15, 196 - Participation as Chairman PROF. B.V. SREEKANTAN and Moderator, at the Seminar on "Science SENIOR HOMI BHABHA FELLOW and Religion," Indian Institute of World Culture, Bangalore. A. LECTURES/ADDRESSES: 1. August 25, 1996 - Valedictory address of the B. PUBLICATIONS: Seminar "Telematics 96" at J.N. Tata 1. "Technology Trends in Rare Metal Extraction", Auditorium Complex, Bangalore. Proceedings of the Seminar on 'Emerging Metallurgical Technologies', New Delhi 2. November 4, 1996 - Inaugural address on Chapter of I.I.M., October 1996. "Radio Activity and Modern Physics" at the Seminar on "Impact of Discovery of 2. "Rare Metal Metallurgy in the Indian Atomic Radioactivity on Modern Society" held at Energy Programme", Golden Jubilee Souvenir, Jnana Sahhyadri, Kuvempu University, Indian Institute of Metals, November 1996. Shimoga.

10 3. October 10, 1996 - Lecture entitled "Are there 2. September 16-19, 1996 - Keynote address on limits to Scientific Explanations?" - Fourth 'Adult Education as a Tool for Poverty NIAS Course for University/College Alleviation and Social Transformation', Teachers. Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Adult Education, organised by the Department of 4. November 18, 1996 - Rajyotsava Extension Non Formal Education, Ministry of Education, lecture on "Science and Society in the 21st Government of Thialand, Jomtien, Thailand. Century" at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, under the auspices of the Iiistitute for Social and 3. September 24-26,1996 WOPRA-DSERT-DPEP Economic Change, Bangalore. Workshop for Assessing Effectiveness of the 5. December 29, 1996 - Lecture entitled "The Gender Component of the Primary Teachers Philosophy of Science at the end of the 20th Training Module for DPEP districts, at NIAS. Century" at Madras, under the auspices of the 4. October 13-17, 1996 - Panel presentation on Theosophical Society. 'Strategies for Improving Government PROF. BISWAJIT SEN Accountability' at the Workshop on Governance and Civil Society, organised by A. PUBLICATION: the LBJ School of Public Affairs, University of 1. "The Indian Anima; Facets of the psyche of Texas and hosted by Getulio Vargas the Modern Indian Woman" to be published Foundation, Sao Paulo, Brazil. by Sterling publishers. New Delhi in 1997, as a chapter for a book. 5. November 5, 1996 - Meeting to review the Country Strategy Paper on Rural Energy, PROF. K. RAMACHANDRA organised by UNDP and Tata Energy HONORARY VISITING PROFESSOR Research Institute, New Delhi. A. LECTURE: 6. November 28-29, 1996 - Workshop for 1. October 11, 1996 - A lecture in memory of shortlisting proposals, MacArthur Foundation Professor Paul Erdos (March 26, 1913 to Fellowship for Population Innovations, New September 20, 1996) given at Mathematics Delhi. Department, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. 7. December 7, 1996 - Training session on 'Roles B. PUBLICATIONS: and Responsibilities for Improving Gender Impact' for Indo-Dutch Project Management 1. Problems and Results on p-fiq, (Written jointly with A. Sankaranarayanan and K. Srinivas^ Society, Bangalore. Acta Arithmetica Vol. 75 (1996). B. PUBLICATION: 2. Fractional moments of the Riemann 1. 'Transforming of Political Culture - the Mahila Zeta-Function, (To appear in Acta Samakhya Experience', Economic and Political Arithmetica). Weekly, May 25,1996.

3. A remark on Perron's Formula (Accepted for DR. DEEPA M. OLLAPALLY publication in Journal of the Indian FELLOW Mathematical Society). A. LECTURES/PAPERS/WORKSHOPS: MS. SRILATHA BATLIWALA 1. July 10, 1996 - Paper on "U.S. Security Policy: FELLOW The Politics of Power and the Power of Politics", presented at the Institute of A. LECTURES / WORKSHOPS / Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore. CONFERENCES / TRAINING PROGRAMMES: 1. September 6-12, 1996 - Module Coordinator 2. July 11, 1996 - "India's Strategic Relations in and Session Moderator on Gender Relations, Asia", presentation at the Malaysian Strategic Women's Empowerment, Construction of Research Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Gender, Sexuality, in the MacArthur Foundation - Centre for Development Stvidies 3. August 29, 1996 - Paper on "Current U.S. (Trivandrum) training programme on Defence Policy Trends and Implications for Reproductive Health, Rights, and Women's India", presented at the Centre for American Empowerment, Trivandrum. and West European Studies, School of

11 International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru B. PUBLICATIONS: University, New Delhi. 1. Influence of Metalaxyl and Pendimethalin on soil phosphatase activity in the Rhizosphere of 4. August 30, 1996 - Paper on "Indian Strategic wheat. /. Teach.Res. Chem., 3(1), 53-59 (1996). Policymaking and the Calculation of Costs", for Seminar on India's Strategic policymaking: 2. Influence of cowpea [Vigm unguiciilata (L.) Loking Beyond the Nuclear Test Ban Issue at walp] cultivars on nodulation and nitrogen Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi. fixation in different soil conditions. Proc. of National Symposium on Horticultural 5. September 30, 1996 - Opening Address, Biotechnology (1996), published by Indian "Evolution of the Global Political Economy Institute of Horticultural Research, Bangalore. Scene", for the Workshop on Globalisation and Liberalization: Challenges for NGOs, Indian DR. SUNDAR SARUKKAI Institute of Management, Bangalore. RESEARCH FELLOW

6. October 12, 1996 - Lecture on "India's A. LECTURES: Changing Role in the Post Cold War World", 1. September 27, 1996 - "What is Consciousness" for the Fourth NIAS Course on "An Integrated at NIAS. Approach to Knowledge and Information." 2. October 14-15, 1996 - "Understanding Reality - 7. October 14-November 6, 1996 - "American From Physics to Postmodernism" at NIAS. Foreign Policy", a series of lectures in the Department of Political Science, Bangalore 3. October 21, 1996 - 'Postmodernism and University. Architecture' at the South Zone Architecture Students' Conference, B.M.S. Engineering B. PUBLICATIONS College, Bangalore. 1. "Identity Politics and the International B. PAPERS - UNDER SUBMISSION: System", Nationalism and Ethnic Politics, 1. 'Science as Soligarchy - Invited paper in United Kingdom, Vol.II, No.4, Winter 1996. honour of Prof. P.R.K. Rao, IIT, Kanpur. 2. "India's Options on the Comprehensive Test 2. 'The Other in Anthropology and Philosophy'. Ban Treaty", NIAS report, ISSP (1996-1), co-author with Mr. S. Rajagopal. 3. 'Explaining Consciousness - Some Pointers from the Philosophy of Mathematics'. C. UNDER PUBLICATION 1. "Foreign Policy and Identity Politics: Realist DR. S.A. SANGEETHA MENON versus Culturalist Lessons", The Journal of RESEARCH FELLOW Strategic Studies. A. LECTURES: 2. "Changing U.S. Arms Exports and the Asian 1. August 24, 1996 - Lecture on "Work Dynamics Balance of Power". and Meditation in Bhagavad Gita" at Veda Adhyayana Kendra, Bangalore. DR. P.K. SHETTY RESEARCH FELLOW 2. October 17, 1996 - Lecture on "The concept of consciousness in Bhagavad Gita" at the A. LECTURES: Institute for Yoga and Consciousness, Andhra 1. October 28, 1996 - Lecture on "Pesticide University, Visakhapatanam. Pollution: Problem and approaches to remediation” at NIAS for the participants of 3. October 19, 1996 - Lecture on "An Existential the Fourth NIAS Course for Approach to two levels of consciousness with university/college teachers. special reference to Bhagavad Gita Pragmatics" at the Institute for Yoga and 2. December 5, 1996 - "Influence of Metalaxyl on Consciousness, Andhra University, carbon dioxide evolution, dehydrogenase and Visakhapatnam. phosphatase activities in the rhizosphere of wheat {Triticum aestivum L.)" paper presented 4. October 28, 1996 - Lecture on "The Vedic and at the National Symposium on 'Towards Darsana Tradition of Knowledge green and sustainable pesticides' at New Communication and Methodology" to the Delhi, December 4-6,1996. participants of NIAS - UGC Teacher's Course.

12 5. November 25, 1996 - Lecture on "The 4. October 31, 1996 - Lectiire on "Aspects of Ontological Pragmaticity of Karma in Bhagavad Scientific Discovery" in the Fourth NIAS Gita" at the World Philosophers' Meet, Course forUniveristy / College Teachers. Maharashtra Institute of Techiiology, Poona. B. SEMINAR: 6. December 15,1996 - Lecture on "Is Philosophy of Religion Scientific?" at the Seminar on 1. September 2-4, 1996 - Participated iii the 'Science & Religion' organised by Centre for International Conference on 'Science, The History and Philosophy of Science, Lridian Refreshing River - History of Science and Institute of World Culture, Bangalore. Civilizations', organised by NISTADS, New Delhi, DSP, New Delhi and Maison Des B. SEMINARS / WORKSHOPS: Sciences De L" Homme, Paris. 1. October 17-19, 1996 - Invited Resource Person for the National Conference-cum-Workshop 2. December 15,1996 - Organised, with Prof. B.V. on "Two faces of consciousness" organised by Subbarayappa, a Seminar on "Science and Institute for Yoga & Consciousness and Religion" under the auspices of Centre for Department of Psychology and History and Philosophy of Science, Indian Parapsychology, Andhra Uiiiversity, Institute of World Culture, Bangalore. Visakhapatanam. DR. H.K. ANASUYA DEVI 2. November 24-30, 1996 - Livited to present a RESEARCH FELLOW paper and participate in the joint International Seminar - 'World Philosopher's Meet - A A. LECTURES/TECHNICAL parliament of Science, Religion and SESSIONS/INVITED SEMINAR: Philosophy, , 71st session of Indian 1. August 24, 1996 - One-day Workshop and Philosophical Congress and Afro-Asian technical session on "ONYX infinite reality", Philosophy Conference' organised by Poona opening new technological possibilities, University and Maharashtra Institute of organised by Silicon Graphics India, Technology, Poona. Bangalore.

C. UNDER-PUBLICATION: 2. October 31, 1996 - One-day Seminar on "02 1. "An existential approach to two levels of and Origin 200 New Product Release", consciousness with special reference tc organised by Silicon Graphics India, Bhagavad Gita pragmatics". Journal of Indian Bangalore. Psychology. 3. November 6, 1996 - One-day Seminar on 2. "The concepts of Consciousness and "Technology Presentation on Ultra- Materiality in Bhagavad Gita - Towards a Computing", organised by Sun Microsystems, Methodological approach". Eighth Volume of Bangalore. Encyclopedia of Indian Culture, Bharatiya Samskriti Samsad, Calcutta.' 4. November 25, 1996 - One-day technical DR. M.G. NARASIMHAN session on "The Origin Series" organised by VISITING ASSOCIATE Silicon Graphics India, Bangalore.

A. LECTURES: B. CONFERENCE: 1. June 8,1996 - Invited talk on "The Influence of 1. Presented a technical paper on "Application of Science on Philosophy" at Vedadhyana Image Processing Softw^are for Epigraphic Kendra, Bangalore. Studies", at MATLAB Users Conference held during November 19-21,1996. 2. September 11 & 13, 1996 - Two lectures on "Sociology of Science, the classical phase and C. UNDER PUBLICATION: recent developments" at NIAS. Application of Image Processing Software for 3. October 3, 1996 - Invited lecture on "Sociology Epigraphic Studies, submitted for publication to of Science" - at Institute for Socio-Economic IEEE Translahons on Pattern Recognition and Change, Bangalore. Machine Intelligence.

13 MS. ANITA GURUMURTHY INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON RESEARCH ASSOCIATE "NUCLEAR CO-OPERATION: CHALLENGES A. LECTURES / WORKSHOPS / AND PROSPECTS" - A REPORT CONFERENCES / TRAINING PROGRAMMES: 1. June 19-26 and July 8-12, 1996 - Training of The International and Strategic Studies (ISS) Investigators of Mahila Samakhya Karnataka Unit of the National Institute of Advanced Studies in Bijapur and Raichur districts for data (NIAS) held an International Seminar on Nuclear collection for study of Status of Women in Cooperation on November 21-22, 1996. The Karnataka. Seminar was attended by experts from the United States, France, South Korea, Japan, the 2. August 27-29, 1996 - Training of Investigators International Atomic Energy Agency, and for data collection in Kodagu district. scientists and strategic analysts from India. The two-day Seminar highlighted the challenges and 3. September 2, 1996 - Presentation on the prospects for achieving mutual cooperation Habitat Conference, at Hengasara Hakkina between the states relating to all aspects of nuclear Sangha, Bangalore. technology. The broad themes that the Seminar considered 4. September 13, 1996 - Presentation on "A included disarmament and the security link; Framework for Studying Gender Relations implementation and verification of and Women's Status" at the MacArthur non-proliferation regimes; transfer of technology; Foundation - Centre for Development Studies and nuclear energy development. The Seminar Training Programme on Reproductive Health, culminated with a Roundtable on Confidence Rights and Women's Empowerment. Building Measures. Several viewpoints emerged from the Seminar. 5. September 24-26, 1996 - WOPRA - DSERT - DPEP Workshop for Assessing Effectiveness On the question of security and disarmament, of the Gender Component of the Primary Dr. C. Raja Mohan, Strategic Affairs Editor of The Teachers Training Module for DPEP districts. Hindu suggested that the attempts being made to Bangalore. thwart India's nuclear programme by the U.S. is not a healthy sign. He noted that for India and 6. September 29 - October 4, 1996 - Attended the United States, the need is instead to pursue Training Programme for NGOs on practical and realistic approaches to the nuclear 'Globalisation and New Economic Policy', question. The normative approaches to the nuclear Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore. question so far, will be unable to resolve their differences. He emphasised that since the end of MR. ARVIND KUMAR the cold war, the U.S.-backed efforts to cap, reduce RESEARCH ASSOCIATE over a period of time, and eventually eliminate India's nuclear and missile capabilities need to be A. PUBLICATIONS: revised. 1. "U.S. Nuclear Policy," Strategic Analysis (1996). In considering possible technical solutions to proliferation. Dr. Alfred Lecocq, President, EURIWA Foundation in France, claims that several 2 . Sri Lankan Army Launches Operation Riviresa II (INFA July 14,1996). nations have gained a rather good knowledge on Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) alternatives, in spite of the end of Oak Ridge studies on this in 1974. In his B. UNDER PUBLICATION view, the threat of proliferation by enrichment of 1. "U.S. Strategy: From Containment to reactor grade plutonium (RPu) may be eliminated Engagement and Enlargement" (United by burning this plutonium in MSR. Services Institute Journal). Mr. Christopher Paine, Senior Research 2. "Indo-U.S. Defence Cooperation" (Indian Associate of Natural Resources Defence Council, Defence Review Journal). U.S.A, in his presentation on U.S. Nuclear Stockpile Management Programme, claims that the U.S. spending on nuclear weapons has dropped

14 International Seminar on "Nuclear Coopration: Challenges and Prospects" significantly. The drop is an average of $ 8 billion has been facing some degree of restrictions on per year from 1983-1993 (in constant FY 96 dollars). imports of materials and equipment and technology. According to him, the progress which On the contrary, spending on nuclear India has made in these 22 years in different weapons research remains high. The level of sectors of atomic energy, has made clear that the expenditure on Stockpile Stewardship impact on India of such restriction or sanctions has Management will remain above the cold war been low. annual average for directly comparable activities (nuclear weapons R&D, testing, production, and On nuclear energy developments. Dr. Raja stockpile surveillance). Ramanna asserted that nuclear power was the only option in the future and that India is making slow Regarding the issue of technology sharing. progress in this area. He stated that thorium Dr. Kasturirangan, Chairman, Indian Space conversion to fuel was essential for the power Research Organisation (ISRO) asserted that the programme. He explicitly noted that India has greatest challenge to globalisation of science and enough thorium to take care of its energy needs for technology was the continuing concentration of the next two centuries. research and development investments. Over the decades, it has been observed that in the On India's experience in nuclear power, Mr. industrialised countries, the growth of R&D Y.S.R. Prasad, Managing Director, Nuclear Power expenditure was more than the growth rate of Corporation claims that both the old (Tarapur, GDP. Rajasthan and Madras) and new generation nulcear power stations (Narora and Kakrapur) Dr. R. Chidambaram, Chairman, Atomic have performed very well attaining cumulative life Energy Commission considered the cjuestion of time capacity factor near to normati\'e \alue atid embargo regimes and its impact. Since 1974, India selling power at competitive rates. He also noted

15 that a beginning has been made for the second pasture, shifting cultivation, mechanical phase of nuclear power program with the setting agriculture, infrastructural development etc. up of a Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) at Deforestation is likely to be a major catastrophe in Kalpakkam and recent commissioning of a 30 KW the coming years which has already begun to research reactor "Kamini" which has Uranium 233 impinge directly on the environmental health of as fuel. the earth. Globally, the problem is so severe that in 1990 deforestation claimed 17 million hectares, an In looking at confidence building measures at area about four times the size of Switzerland. the concluding Roundtable, Mr. Jasjit Singh, Director, Institute for Defence Studies and Ecological disruption, due to forest clearing is Analyses presented a series of options for building a result of a iiumber of causes. Ever increasing nuclear cooperation focused on Indo-U.S. relations. human population, inequitable land distribution These included more open trade and investment in and the expansion of export agriculture have nuclear power sector which will require requisite greatly reduced the cultivable area available for modifications in export control regimes. He also subsistence farming. This has forced many farmers proposed interim measures to be considered such to clear forest area for agricultural purposes. Apart as a strategic arms reduction treaty between India from this, India's 12 million hectares of permanent and the five nuclear weapon states. pastures are vastly inadequate to meet the needs of its 196 million cattle population. By comparison, Dr. Thomas W. Graham of the Rockefeller the cattle country Uruguay has 13 million hectares Foundation suggested that small working groups for 10 million beasts. Moreover, India's common may be formed to discuss five or six key questions land, crucial to the animals of the poor, has shrunk and discover where the commonalities lie and see by about one fourth over the past 40 years. whether the differences can be bridged. He Excessive grazing, therefore, has degraded forest stressed the fact that after the end of the cold war, soils and hampered the natural regeneration of a series of changes in both the American foreign forest. In fact, one estimate puts the Western and military policy decision-making system and consumption of hardwood exported from Asian information gathering systems have taken place. forests at 100 million cubic meters. He noted that there is an information gap between the more generalist strategic decision makers, Growth of consumerism and extensive policy experts versus regional specialists on Indian monoculture is also a major cause of deforestation. strategic thinking, both inside and outside the As for example, eighteen million hectares of government. He stressed the need to bridge the Amazonian forests have been, cleared in Brazil to gap between them. meet the European and American coffee demand. Studies conducted in the Alps show that in Other important speakers included Mr. David monoculture plantation, the root system is at one Sinden, Special Assistant to the Director General of level unlike in a natural forest, where roots IAEA who spoke on new safeguard proposals. Dr. penetrate to varying depths and hold the soils Brahma Chellaney, Research Professor, Centre for together more firmly. Policy Research discussed on the Wassenaar Group, the newest export control regime. Mr. The lands in high rainfall areas have Hong Jang-Hee of the Korea Electric Power traditionally been allocated to forestry. Some of Corporation and Mr. Takao Fujie, Managing these forest lands are used for 2-3 years for Director, Japan Atomic Power Corporation agriculture after clear felling and burning a patch elaborated on the successful nuclear energy of forest. This traditional system, called shifting development of South Korea and Japan cultivation, implied that after 2-3 years of cropping respectively. the area would be abandoned for 15-20 years in Tripura and 30-40 years in Meghalaya for natural regeneration of forest. However, with the increase DEFORESTATION : A MAN-MADE in population, the regeneration period reduces to CATASTROPHY just 2-3 years. As regenerated patches returns to the farmer much earlier, it results in permanent NILOTPAL BORTHAKUR degradation of forest land.

According to the 1993 World Development In the name of development, forest lands are Report, deforestation is defined as the permanent also exploited for promotion of industries, conversion of forest land to other uses, including installation of hydroelectric projects, construction

16 of highways etc. The end result of all these Deforestation also aggravates the twin activities are very grave. Sardar Sarovar Project problems of flood and drought. In the envisages an irrigation component for 187 lakh north-eastern states heavy deforestation in the hectares and 1450 MW of power. To achieve this, it catchment areas of the river Brahmaputra results in will submerge 13,744 to 39,134 hectares of forest floods causing loss of human lives and property and 11,318 hectares of agricultural land. It will also every year. According to a research study, the displace of about 67,000 people, the majority of great Indian desert is menacingly advancing at the whom are tribals. Apart from the submergance of rate of almost one kilometer a year. Thus, India forest, another environmental problem that has has a new phenomenon of man made desert. raised its head recently is that of losing forest land for rehabilitation. Increasing demand for fuelwood in the urban centres leads to escalating fuelwood prices. In India, fuelwood is estimated to account for Moreover, sharp and continuous increase in the 30 per cent of total energy consumption. The price of fuelwood will increase the illegal working group on Energy Policy in 1979 stated extraction of woods. that in the household sector the percentage share of fuelwood in per capita consumption was 68.5 The role of tropical deforestation in global per cent in rural India and 45.5 per cent in urban warming is well known. One hectare of forest area India. Pilferage from forest filled the gap between releases 600-500 kg of oxygen and consumes 900 the actual consumption and the legitimate kg carbon-dioxide. Tropical deforestation alone production of fuelwood. Pilferage constitutes a cut accounts for 20-30 per cent of armual carbon in excess of the silviculturally permissible limit and emission world wide. A forest area of 50-500 metre led to continued depletion of forest. The excess cut radius brings atmospheric temperature down by 3 depletes forest and reduces supplies, while the to 5 degree Celsius. rising population increases demand. This doubly enhanced gap between demand and supply leads Conservation of remaining forest depends to destruction of much more forest. For example, neither on making more stringent forest laws, nor every year Bangalore city consumes 0.4 million on strengthening forest protection forces, but on tonnes of fuelwood which is equivalent to 5,000 realisation of some fundamental ecological hectares of forests. conditions and acting on that realisation. TTiese conditions are:- Although man himself is the greatest * an environment can be stable, ordy when destructive agent, many natural factors like frost, it is productive, drought, decline in water table, wind etc. also * conservation and management of one cause forest destruction. Although forest fire plays bio-productive system cannot be a significant role in shaping the character and considered in isolation. composition of forests. Forest Survey of India Hence, all nations should promote the figures in 1988 revealed that 51% of the forest area regeneration of degraded forest lands to increase in Assam, 93% in Arunachal Pradesh, 67% in Bihar, permanent global forest cover, reduce pressure on 45% in Karnataka, 58% in Uttar Pradesh is subject natural forests, conserve bio-diversity and thus to repeated annual fire. Similarly, during the Sixth enable the stabilising of climate. Concerted efforts Five Year Plan (1980-85) 17,852 fires were reported should be made to prevent the encroachment affecting an area of 5.7 million hectares. pressures by providing land security to small and landless farmers through land tenure laws and Rapid disappearance of forest resources due land reform. Cattle grazing in forest areas should to deforestation has become a great threat to the also be regulated with the involvement of future of mankind and the human population on community. Moreover, involvement of local earth is facing gradually a number of people, NGOs and forest department is absolutely consequences. necessary for developing forest in degraded forest lands as well as for conserving the existing forests. The Union Ministry of Agriculture estimated that India is losing 30 to 50 million tonnes of (Dr. Nilotpal Borthakur is an Associate Professor, foodgrains on account of top soil loss. Similarly, in Department of Agricultural Economics, Assam Pakistan, Java and in parts of Central America and Agricultural University, Jorhat, Assam and a West Africa, the negative effects of deforestation participant of the 4th NIAS Course for have already begun to constrain food production. University/College Teachers)

17 GLOBALISATION AND HIGHER life, sustainable development, cultural integrity EDUCATION: CHALLENGES AND and national identity. Competition is the name of RESPONSOBILITIES the game and survival of the fittest is the principle which seems to determine who get what in world N.R. MADHAVA MENON resources. The emerging scenario is at once promising and grim - promising because science Globalisation, the process that inevitably and technology seem to have answers for the ills of operates all around us is changing the ways we society like poyerty, ill-health and exploitation; think and react, the way we live, how we grim because the consumer society and the communicate etc. This is perhaps the most vestiges of imperialist attitudes can deny the fruits significant development in the last 5J3 years after of technology to the majority of developing the Second World War. Nationalism and countries in the world unless they pay a. heavy governance of the post are yielding place to price in terms of their independence, integrity and universal standards of human rights, trade and sovereignty. The question is how are we going to governance. Information Revolution and respond to the situation so far as higher education communication technology have made the concept in this country is concerned? of Global Village something of a reality making significant changes in the educational system The greatest strength of India is in its human particularly in higher education. Trends pointing resources - which quantitatively and qualitatively to the wholesale integration of the World's are potentially capable of rescuing our society from economics, the blending of its social and cultural poverty and squalor however stiff the competitive systems, the unification of the legal regimes and environment be. But how are we managing this the proliferation of information technologies are potential at present? illustrative of this transition to a Global Society - - After nearly 50 years of independence only Even crimes are being internationalsied compelling 52% Indians are literate. Many of our problems at changes on ways of combating crime through the social and political level are attributable to our international co-operation. inability to give basic education to our people which alone can contribute to development. The The question before us is how to manage this Kerala Model has been acclaimed by Prof. Galbraith transition to a global society so that humanity's as unique. It is attributable to 95% literacy, long cherished vision for an era of peace and whether the issue is population control, health or prosperity is realised, while avoiding the employment. nightmare of chaos and destruction which were experienced twice in this century. The question - We did manage to develop some centres of bothers each one of us whether we teach Science or excellence in an ocean of mediocrity. But the Arts, Commerce or Humanities. After all, higher graduates of these institutions migrate to education is not limited to dissemination of developed countries. existing knowledge; it should enable the student to understand the structure and development of - Universities function for hardly 100 days a knowledge itself so that he can be a participant in year, thanks to student elections, strikes by creativity and the new applications of existing teachers, students and karmacharies, and holidays knowledge. This is where higher education is for a variety of occasions. Examinations do not test lacking today - the spirit and capacity for creativity learning and large scale frauds are practised to or for generation of new knowledge. Does the dole out degrees and diplomas. The curriculum is education system as practised today inhibit not revised for at least two decades in most of the enquiry into what we do not know, a culture Conventional Universities. No other method than which is defined as a fundamental duty of every lecturing and note dictation seem to be followed person under Indian Constitution? for teaching, whatever be the subject. We have turned education into industry, Globalisation is not confined to the economic thanks to the capitation fee colleges. When seats sphere alone. Telecommunication has created a were sold and the court intervened, vested global audience. Transport is creating a global interests tried every means to defeat fair methods village. The global inter-dependence is increasingly for admission to professional colleges. becoming imperative for survival with the existing imbalances in the world economy. We are facing a Is this the way we are preparing to face the very critical situation in terms of jobs, quality of global challenges of competition and survival

18 based on excellence? Obviously, our survival is functionalistic and computational theories of mind. dependent upon how v^e revamp our education These theories suggest a casual determinism system generally and the higher education system between human thought and action, which in particular in the next few years. unsatisfactorily explains the freedom of will and spontaneity of consciousness. Reductionists and (This is the gist of the inaugural address given b\j structuralists define consciousness as a Prof. N.R. Madhava Menon, Director, National Lazv neurological stimuli or behaviouristic response. School of India University for the Fourth NIAS Course The materialist theory of consciousness with which for University/College Teachers. Prof. Menon is also a behaviourist theories are associated hold that Senior Associate and a nietnber of the Academic Council functioning of consciousness is intimately ofN IAS.) associated with the nervous system and functioning of the brain. D.M. Armstrong assimilates consciousness with a mental state such WHAT IS CONSCIOUSNESS? as is involved in the ability to perceive. SANGEETHA MENON Structuralism, which is a recent advancement of behaviourism, holds that consciousness occurs as a Consciousness is a subtle and basic concept consequence of self-monitoring activity in central to the study of human existence. The individual nuclear groups throughout the neuraxis wide-ranging connotations harboured by the and the verbalization of awareness of this proccss concept of consciousness has been of interest to may be related to language centres in the human traditional as well as modern thinkers. As a cerebral cortex. All functionalistic theories have fouiidational characteristic of the human being been vehemently criticized since they reduce consciousness can be defined and described consciousness into a mere physical function, variously according to different perspectives in thereby questioning the very existence ■ of understanding, awareness, thinking, insight and consciousness. creativity. The concept of consciousness is vested with diverse meanings and functions from the In the history of Western thought, four religious, ethical and historical realms apart from principal conceptions of consciousness have been the philosophical, psychological and scientific elaborated. The first is that of empiricism, the standpoints. Religion considers consciousness classical British School commenced by Locke and from a teleological point of view. A religious brought to its completion by Hume. They concei\-e consciousness implies faith in a supreme power, to consciousness as a mosaic of sensory data and bring about a universal consciousness enveloping images derived from the data. Descartes, Leibnit/ all particular existent beings. Ethically, and Kant insisted on the acti\^ity and spontaneit\’ consciousness is transcribed into the word of mind in terms of perception and apperception conscience. Consciousness has its historical and thus established the second principal significance too. From an historical and conception of consciousness. The two other evolutionary perspective, Thomas N. Munson conceptions of consciousness are in regard to the says: "Consciousness is a living reality that we phenomenological and existential approaches. have to think as a movement in which a past is Akin to the psychological methodolog\-, constantly recreated in terms of a projected future. phenomenology is also concerned with Therefore as a movement, it can be neither securely consciousness in general as well as with specific grounded in something else nor itself absolutized". conscious acts such as perception, memory, reason Consciousness integrates the past experiences of etc. Phenomenologists dating back to Husserl view the social system and advances into the future consciousness as constituting the essence of a without being relegated into historicity. being. Henry Ey defines consciousness as the intermingling of objects, data, lived experiences In psychology, consciousness is often judged and the meaning of each constituted reality. Sartre as a process prescribing different mental acts inaugurated the existentialist approach to primarily in the conscious, unconscious or consciousness when he described consciousness as subconscious states of the mind. In the words of a plenum of existence and the existence of Kathleen Wilkes, "Consciousness is a term that consciousness coming from consciousness itself. groups a thoroughly heterogeneous bunch of psychological phenomena." Cognitive sciences Integrating phenomenological, existential and identify consciousness as a knowing function. behaviouristic approaches to consciousness, there Consciousness is an embarrassment to have been recent trends in conceptualizing

19 consciousness in the name of identity theory. Of sufficiency of definition will be still debatable. May the identity theories, C.O. Evans is the proponent be as the paradox posed by Godel, we are of self-identity theory. Accordingly, the concept attempting to understand a phenomenon by has application for the reader because it applies in another phenomenon [mind and its structural his own case. In this sense we can affirm 'There is formulations] which is not as complex as the consciousness' without prejudging the question former. Do we have to reorient the whole theme of whether there is any subject of consciousness to be consciousness in a different fashion? Do we have revealed through its analysis. The Self or Person is to alter our focus from the supposed content of considered as the underlying entity possessing consciousness to the methodology we adopt? Do both mental and physical attributes. The Person- we have to have an integrated appraisal of various identity conceptions of consciousness can be traced methodologies and perspectives in approaching in the writings of C.R.Bukala, Pratima Bowes etc. consciousness? Does the analyst influence the In an article Bukala writes: "Consciousness, in our formation of a definition of consciousness by his understanding, is one of the aspects of a dynamic behaviour and attitudes? The evasive nature of subject, in fact, the aspect which is the focal point consciousness becomes more fascinating in not of a person's identity and experience as a human giving us immediate answers to these questions person." Though Bowes interprets consciousness as but by beckoning us to have an open mind and prepersonal, it is only a modified or varied version sincere search for the nature of man and existence of the personal aspect, and can be accommodated as a whole. in person identity theories. According to Bowes, consciousness as a primary datum is prepersonal IMPRESSIONS FROM ISTANBUL and not personal in the sense that its occurrence is attented by a feeling that it belongs to so and so. Of A personal account of the HABITAT II course, it is not impersonal in the sense that it Conference on Human Settlements happens as something detached from all moorings. ANITA GURUMURTHY The very intentional nature of consciousness provides it with an individual character and the I attended the second United Nations presence to itself of consciousness gives it identity. Conference on Human Settlements - HABITAT II held at Istanbul from the 3rd to the 14th of June. Though a wide array of theories HABITAT II attempted to find solutions to the conceptualizing consciousness are there, the problems of housing, and at a broader level, epistemological and the ontological status of examine connected issues of land rights, consciousness is accepted by almost all systems. rural-urban linkages, the impact of economic Asserting the self-evident nature of consciousness changes on state policy vis-a-vis the poor and as the subject, Fritjof Capra remarks that marginalised, the significance of local governance, consciousness is not that can be derived from or collaborations between state and civil society, and explained in terms of something else. It is a primal most importantly, solutions which have emerged fact of existence out of which everything else from local communities to deal with poverty, arises. natural resource crises, urban infrastructure etc., through innovative strategies. The classical systems of Indian thought deal with consciousness epistemologically, The Istanbul Conference was preceded by ontologically or both. Heterodox systems several events and processes - conferences, introduce consciousness to account mind-body meetings of ministers, research endeavours, and relationship. Amongst Orthodox systems, the publication of newsletters by many regional Nyaya-Vaisesika interprets consciousness networks such as the Asian Coalition for Housing epistemologically in atomistic terms. Samkhya Rights, in order to build the process towards Yoga brings consciousness to a realm of passive HABITAT II in as democratic and participatory a reciprocity. Advaita Vedanta though analyses way as possible. Some of these processes started consciousness from an epistemological perspective years in advance. gives consciousness more significance ontologically by defining it as the nature of the THE SETTING; cogniser's or experiencer's Self. As the geographical point of confluence of the East and the West, Istanbul seemed like the most To the query 'What is consciousness', there appropriate stage for HABITAT H. The city can be an infinite answers. But do they suffix to the welcomed its international guests to experience

20 much more than the Conference. The exotic Although one sometimes wondered if all this bazaars, the museums, the Bosphorus, the apple wrestling with words was actually going to make a tea and cherry juice, the glorious monuments, the difference to the lives of the poor and the extensive range of mouth-watering sea-food, the homeless, it was more than abundantly clear that enthusiastic student community trained to be these conferences are the fora where commitments volunteers for the Conference, and the friendly in international cooperation are made. One also taxi-men, were enticements in their own right. realised that the HABITAT document is a basis Information booklets, brochures and maps about upon which the Member States can be held Turkey were available to the Conference accountable by their peoples. participants at the inquiry desk of the NGO Forum. The organising committee had gone to THE NGO FORUM: great lengths to ensure the smooth functioning of The incessant buzz of activities in the parallel infrastructure. NGO Forum venue - issue based workshops, meetings of regional networks and caucuses, The Conference however, was not devoid of exhibitions, non-violent protest marches, etc., were politics. Turkish human rights groups organised a testimony to the commitment of citizens' groups an Alternate Forum to draw attention to violations the world over, to strategise on all issues affecting by the authorities. However, this forum was forced the quality of life, especially of the poor and to close down. The Turkish police crushed two powerless. While the Official Conference held the non-violent demonstrations held during the novice who was witnessing an international Conference against the closing down of the conference for the first time in sheer awe, Alternative Forum and to protest against the participation in the activities of the NGO Forum, situation of the Kurds in Turkey. was more like an initiation into the techniques required to decode the sopliisticated and complex THE OFFICIAL CONFERENCE & processes of global politics and develop the skills THE HABITAT AGENDA: to influence government decisions through lobbying. Entry into the "Conference Valley", was restricted to those who were registered as Governments allowed NGOs to make participants - from NGOs, from Governments on interventions from the floor during the the official delegations, and the local and the negotiations, thus demonstrating the willingness international press. Not all NGOs could however of the UN system and many participating enter Hotel Hilton, the chosen venue for the countries to allow for the expression of the Government deliberations. NIAS had received stances of NGOs. This space was used by the official accreditation from the United Nations, and NGOs with restraint and good judgement. The this rare privilege entitled me to observe the Indian delegation accepted the invitation of NGO deliberations between official delegates. representatives and the Indian press for a dialogue and Mr. A. Sinha, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of The Official Conference was an exercise in Urban Affairs and Employment, met us during the high-powered semantics. The draft HABITAT Conference. Asserting that India believes that the Agenda (the text that was to be finalised and right to housing is a basic right, he also.stated that adopted by the participating countries by the end it could not therefore become a justiciable right and of the Conference), was discussed in painstaking that the Indian Government was not obligated to detail by the delegates. Delegates took the Chair's provide adequate shelter to everybody under the permission to comment on the text that had gone law, but was only responsible for creating through the grinding mill of 3 preparatory enabling conditions for people to access the right. conferences for which delegates had met in other countries in the past year. At the preparatory THE WORK OF THE WOMEN'S CAUCUS : conferences, delegates could table their There were caucuses galore at Istanbul, an disagreements and the text that defied a consensus evidence of the imperative for organising as even after considerable discussion, was political forces to push the special interests of "bracketed". The final Conference was a communities and groups in order to demand time-bound process involving a focused discussion rights and gain a fair share of resources. The most mainly around the contentious issues relegated visible and well organised of the caucuses was the during the preparatory conferences as "bracketed Women's Caucus, facilitated by the Women's text" Environment and Development Organisation

21 (WEDO). The Caucus has been honing its skills in The Women's Caucus also held a de-briefing lobbying to promote women's agenda, fine tuning at the end of the day; managed to organise the it over the various UN Conferences of the decade, first-ever creche in a UN Conference at the NGO and having mastered the nuances, is now a Forum venue; networked and partnered with other veteran at lobbying. The performance of the Caucuses such as the Environment Caucus, the Caucus, at Istanbul as a political interest group Child Rights Caucus, etc., sparing no opportunity deserves to be described as outstanding. to represent their interests as well; and facilitated the organising of impromptu meetings and One of the most significant contributions of workshops by negotiating with the organising the Women's Caucus was the line-by-line committee. It was like a well-oiled machine recommendations on the Bracketed Text of the functioning at high levels of productivity. I was HABITAT Agenda document. This was an effort to simply amazed at the infinite energy in the many ensure that the negotiations on outstanding issues women I saw and met. engender a final document with a gender perspective. These recommendations were complemented by a meticulously drafted Advocacy SOME RESULTS OF HABITAT II: Chart which functioned as a ready reckoner By adopting the final text, the Governments indicating the previously agreed UN language agreed "to protect all people....from forced supporting the Women's Caucus positions on evictions that are contrary to the law". The Human Gender Equality, Human Rights, Economics, Rights Caucus which held that Governments are Environment & Sustainable Human Settlements, often in complicity with forced evictions and Health, Peace and Implementation and Finance. therefore would justify their actions as being legal, The Advocacy Chart speaks highly for women's felt that the final language was a watered -down expertise and deep insights in all areas concerning version. humanity and their eloquence in communicating their perspectives. The global women's movement was determined not to allow Governments to roll The Conference gave a commitment by back on the commitments they had made to adopting progressive language in most paras, to women of their countries through the earlier UN make gender equality a goal in human settlements Conferences. development. However, there was resistance to some women's rights issues from predictable On all days of the Conference, the Women's quarters. The Holy See backed by some G-77 Caucus deputed women to watch the official countries including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Sudan, negotiations. They held a 45 minute session every Cyria, etc., prolonged negotiations for their own morning in the Main Conference Room of the political objectives around reproductive and sexual Official Conference where the deputees in turn, health issues, in the last two days when many reported on the previous day's deliberations. This other G-77 members holding progressive positions reporting was tremendously educative because it were not present. Finally, the stronger Beijing text encapsulated the proceedings of the Official was not adopted on these areas, but language from Conference and placed it within a gender the International Conference on Population and perspective. This was followed by the designing of Development found its way into the document. a strategy for the day; crucial paras that were While these debates were going on, another group anticipated to come up for discussion in the of delegates from the G-77, were locked in an Conference during the day were highlighted and intense discussion over language relating to suggestions were given for lobbying those country finance with the developed countries. The analysis delegations that the Caucus knew would be willing paper that WEDO has prepared about HABITAT to promote women's interests. The Caucus sessions II, sums up these parallel processes - the G-77's were chaired on different days by women from preoccupation with resources, the regressive different regions of the world, which is more than positions of some G-77 countries vis-a-vis women's adequate proof of the conscious efforts of key rights, and the developed countries' fixation with women within the Caucus to recognise the human rights as follows: "The debate could be plurality within the global women's movement characterised as falling into a classic UN pattern - and acknowledge the unique and region-specific the developed countries pushing a human rights struggles of women. agenda, developing countries pushing for economic justice, and women and women's rights being used as a bargaining chip."

22 Despite resistance from the United States, to adequately addressed and appropriately included commit to financial assistance to the developing in the HABITAT document, which was initially countries, and the hesitation of other tilted in favour of cities and urban issues. governments to commit resources, the World Bank has tripled its financial assistance t.o CONCLUDING THOUGHTS; communities engaged in urban projects. The The learner in me has experienced few UNDP also has committed $25 billion to two learning situations that compare with the fertile special initiatives on urban environment, and ground that HABITAT II was. That it was a environment management. conference focusing on human settlements, enabled me to locate women's concerns, their A landmark advance was made by the participation as social change agents and the adoption of consensus laiiguage that calls for crying need for their empowerment within the responsible corporate behaviour. This was the first larger canvas of community, social change and time in a UN Conference that there was a development. Needless to say, I have come back consensus on the language to demand with a stronger resolve to continue doing my bit. accountability from transnational corporations. HABITAT II was an opportunit}" to observe how Another breakthrough was in the adoption of text we shape our own future as an international that calls for strengthening legal frameworks to community - evolving our understanding, promote socially and environmentally responsible rethinking and reformulating notions, creating corporate investment in settlements development. new language and discovering new people. These gains were a fallout of the interventions made by the Women's Caucus. (Anita Gurumurihy, Research Associate of the Women's Policy Research & Advocacy Unit, INDIA'S PARTICIPATION: represented NIAS at HABITAT II. She also presented n India has much to be proud of with regard to papier on Women's Sti'ategies for Advocacy at the Asia its presence and participation at the Conference. Women and Shelter Workshop held durin;-; the Eight of the sixteen imiovations and initiatives in Conference.) solving human settlement problems that India had documented and displayed in paiiels, found place in the first 100 such "Best Practices" that were CTBT AND ITS AFTERMATH selected for display at the exhibition venue. One of ARVIND KUMAR AND these - the Self Employed Women's Association DEEPA M. OLLAPALLY (SEWA), qualified for the Best Practices Award conferred upon just 12 among the 100 displays. The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty’ (CTBT) The acknowledgement by academics, activists, proposed by India in 1954 had as its goal the NGOs, community leaders and many others of the elimination of nuclear weapons on a global basis. leadership role played by our grassroots women in At the time, it would have been an ideal finding solutions to community issues was instrument for nonproliferation of nuclear overwhelming. Presentations made by Indian weapons, both vertical and horizontal. women on women's access to land, parhterships Unfortunately, the CTBT as it stands has deviated with local government, community based water from the objectives of the original concept and thu.'; and waste management, housing finance and has ironically placed India at odd with it. India credit, women's strategies for community wants the CTBT to include a time-bound development etc., drew large audiences and were disarmament plan with commitments from all immensely appreciated. Iiidia also had the largest nuclear weapon states; it wants the CTBT to be a pavilion at the International Trade Fair which was true test ban, including all laboratory tests and taking place concurrently with the Conference. experiments on release of nuclear energy. Indian women were among the task force chairs for the drafting of recommendations on the Despite the fact that India and the United Bracketed Text of the HABITAT document. In the States have argued about the nuclear question for vital discussions on financial resources that were nearly three decades, their differences now look far being argued in a working group, Mr. I. P. more irreconciliable in the wake of their recent Srinivasan, India's Ambassador to Kenya, was the acrimony over the CTBT. The earlier optimism spokesperson for the G-77 countries. India also occasioned by the visit of India's then Prime played an important behind-the-scenes role in Minister, P.V. Narasimha Rao to Washington in ensuring that rural settlements issues are May 1994, seems to have dissipated. Analysts had

23 pointed to a successful summit in the sense that CTBT would be a hinderance to their both countries issued a joint statement in which modernisation plans. On the other hand, there will they appeared to find a formula to finesse their be a gap of two or more years between an nuclear divergence. Bill Clinton and Rao pledged agreement on a CTBT and its entry into force. That that their governments would intensify their will give them sufficient time to conduct tests and cooperative efforts to achieve a CTBT and perfect designs. Hence, a CTBT should not really verifiable ban on the production of fissile material. affect them in the short run. Since then the CTBT itself seems to have come in between them. The U.S., like Russia, has economic compulsions in a CTBT. It is important to note that It is generally agreed that the CTBT makes no even for the U.S., continuing the nuclear arms race difference to the 180-odd nuclear weapon states would entail economic costs. Nuclear testing is that have already signed the nuclear Non expensive. Estimates of the marginal cost of a Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Since they have all single test range upwards of $ 50 million, while agreed not to acquire any nuclear weapons or average costs are estimated at $ 160 million. While explosive devices, there is no need for them to the U.S. can sustain a nuclear arms race in have another agreement requiring them not to test competition with Russia, it is also true that such non-existent nuclear devices. India's decision to wasteful public expenditure will adversely affect block the passage of the CTBT at a Conference on the U.S. economy and its ability to compete Disarmament (CD) in Geneva and its vote against effectively in world markets against East Asian the Treaty at the United Nations this year have economies, including Japan. deepened the nuclear divide between India and the United States. But it is unlikely that economics and any aversion to use of a nuclear weapon alone is what Now, the question arises as to what do the propels the U.S. towards a CTBT. Like Russia, the nuclear weapon states (NWS) gain from a CTBT? U.S. views the CTBT as a useful mechanism to Among the NWS, the prominent ones to discuss check China's nuclear potential. This would are the US, Russia and China. The United explain the U.S. willingness to concede to China's Kingdom tends to follow the U.S. in nuclear demands for the entry into force provisions in matters and does not need any specific discussion. order to bring it on board, even though it had The testing site for the U.K. is in fact located in severe negati\'e implications for India. Nevada, U.S. France, too is in a similar position now. For both the countries i.e., Britain and In the post cold war era, the U.S. is no longer France, nuclear weapons remain an instrument of in a position, for a number of political reasons, to international prestige. unilaterally impose its military will on a wide In the case of Russia, its interest most likely front. It may therefore, be viewed as seeking to lies in not engaging in a further nuclear race with establish international regimes such as the CTBT through which it can produce preferred outcomes. the U.S. because of its severe economic problems. It has already experienced the folly of a U.S.-Soviet Another point of view is that the U.S. no arms race. In addition, the former Soviet Union longer has a sufficiently compelling politico was a supporter of a CTBT for a long time so its -military requirement to test when balanced current position is a consistent one, Russia also against other important concerns. This view takes gains an important strategic advantage \'is-a-vis its issue with the contention that the U.S. supported rising neighbor China which will be forced to the CTBT because it no longer requires explosive freeze its nuclear development at a lower level. tests to develop new weapons. However, it should For China, an immediate ban on testing will be noted that U.S. will continue to spend 200 put it at a disadvantage. Development of new million dollars per year to maintain the "readiness" nuclear weapons would be difficult under a CTBT. of the Nevada Test Site to resume testing. In If advanced warheads are to be developed, their addition, the development of a computer based reliability, credibility, and safety would be "virtual weapons" design capability for the U.S. adversely affected without testing. The U.S. and will depend on the extent of political and security Russia have already concluded hundreds of tests constraints in the future. Current controls under and have gathered sufficient data for future the CTBT do not provide a fool proof method to computer modelling. The Chinese are yet to fully detect or eliminate laboratory testing by those who develop their warhead capabilities. Therefore, a have the capability to do so.

24 From India's perspective, a nagging concern is Regarding the failures of reforms, it is the extent to which the CTBT is only one step in a manifest that the area where the state functions has step-by-step process of ultimately discriminatory simply collapsed. In several areas, the policies nuclear disarmament.One positive development is made by the Governnment are nebulous. that despite the deep conflict over the CTBT, post Policymaking has remained a major problem. CTBT Indo-U.S. relations in economics and There is a need to amend important laws, in order security have actually shown no real signs of to get the economy to function more efficiently. serious deterioration. The real divide in India is not North-South. The real divide is between the East and West. If a INDIAN ECONOMIC REFORMS perpendicular line is drawn, which runs through Kanpur and if India is seen in these two halves, T.N. NINAN western and eastern half, 9 of the top 10 cities in the country are west of the line. Economy fimctions The whole process of liberalisation began in west of the line. It does not function east of the India due to the balance of payment crisis. Indian line. Hence, there is a very serious east-west divide economy was facing with a large trade deficit and in India. a huge foreign debt. The other important aspect of taking liberalisation measures were the domestic The need is to address the key socio-economic issues which were related to fiscal control and indicators which are health, education, literacy, stabilisation. The programme of de-regulating the child expectancy etc. Without these issues being Indian economy is an experiment in itself. This addressed, without the quality of the human deregulation process took the form of industrial material in the system improving dramatically, delicensing, virtually abolishing the monopoly India may not be able to achieve rates of growth aspect of the MRTP Act. In order to free that the East Asian economies have already investments, it took the form of abolishing most of achieved over the last 10 or 15 years. the import controls. The fear psychosis created among masses regarding foreign investments should be looked On the external side, the various steps that into. The share of global trade was 2.5 per cent, 50 the Governnment took in this five year period, was years ago. It fell to 0.4 per cent in 1990. In the last marked by the significant devaluation of the rupee. five years, it has come from 0.4 per cent to 0.6 per Due to the dual exchange rate, rupee has been cent. It hardly matters who produces as long as it is devalued from Rs. 18 to Rs. 36 for a dollar. produced in India and the political control over Another step which the Government took on the foreign investment is the vital factor. external front was the tariff reduction. The Indian import tariffs were by far the highest in the world. (This is gist of a talk delivered as a part of The external liquidity of the system has also Associates' Programme bij Shri. T.N. Ninan, Editor, improved very significantly. Foreign exchange Business Standard and Business World) reserves have gone up from less than a billion dollars to $ 600 m. A MYSTERIOUS IMPORTANT The debt ratios are also better. A debt-to-GDP INEQUALITY ratio of 50 per cent was a safe upper limit. In the case of India, the debt of $ 95 billion against the K. RAMACHANDRA GDP of $ 350 billion was well within the risk level. It has been shown that if m and n are any two The foreign currency reserves had recorded a positive integers we always have 'phenomenal increase' from $ 300 million to $ 3.5 billion. On the external front, the economy is very [15" - m(10")]2 > 64" (1) much better off today than it was five years ago. provided only that n exceeds a constant C. On the question of inflation, the rate of The mysterious thing is that we are unable to inflation in the Indian economy has been around 8 determine any specific value, however large, of C. per cent a year. If this entire period of five years is The result (1) is very deep and is due to K. taken into account, the average rate of inflation is MAHLER. If we can determine some explicit value no better than what it was earlier. The reform of C, the result (1) will play an important role in process has not hfelped to solve the inflation issue. W ARING'S PROBLEM.

25 VISITS ABROAD year was held at the Institute on November 20, 1996. Ms. Srilatha Batliwala: 1. April 5-8, 1996 - Attended the Steering This meeting was attended by Dr. Raja Committee Meeting of DAWN, in Suva, FIJI. Ramanna (Vice- Chairman), Prof. C.N.R. Rao, Prof. G. Padmanabhan Dr. V.S. Arunachalam, Prof. R.L. 2. September 16-19, 1996 - Attended the Kapur and Maj. Gen. M.K. Paul [Retd] (Secretary). Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Adult Prof. M.N. Srinivas and Prof. B.V. Sreekantan Education, hosted by the Department of Non attended the meeting by invitation. Formal Education, Ministry of Education, Government of Thailand, Jomtien, Thailand.

3. October 13-17, 1996 - Attended the Workshop NIAS LIBRARY on Governance and Civil Society, organised by the LBJ School of Public Affairs, University NIAS library has added more than 100 books of Texas, and hosted by Getulio Vargas in the last six months in the fields of various Foundation, Sao Paulo, Brazil. research programmes of the Institute. The library Dr. Deepa M. Ollapally: has also increased the number of journals. The new subscriptions are Theory and Society, 1. July 10, 1996 - Attended a Seminar on "Strategic Policy" at the Institute of Southeast Analysis, Pacific Philosophical Quarterly and Journal of Creative Behaviour. Asian Studies, Singapore and presented a paper on "U.S. Security Policy". A forward-looking library such as ours faces the challenges of maintaining a fair balance 2. July 11, 1996 - Attended a meeting at the between print-based and digital information. As a Malaysian Strategic Research Centre in Kuala- Lumpur, Malaysia and made a presentation step forward in incorporating new publishing techniques which enable faster information on "India's Strategic Relations in Asia". retrieval as well as solve the space problems facing Ms. Anita Gurumurthy: libraries today, a multimedia kit has been acquired 1. May 29 - June 15, 1996 - Attended the UN for the library. The idea is to have as many HABITAT II Conference in Istanbul, Turkey. reference sources as possible in CD-ROM Version. The library now has access to INTERNET. The 2. November 10-15, 1996 - Attended the computerization of the library catalogue using the Workshop on "Violence, Abuse, and Women's CDS/ISIS software is in progress. Citizenship", organised by the University of Bradford in Brighton, U.K.

Prof. R.L. Kapur: 1. September, 1996 - Visited the Department of THOSE WHO JOINED US Anthropology, University of Montreal, to November 15,1996 - Dr. Anindya Sinha joined conduct a workshop on the "Study of as a Research Fellow in the Unit of "Philosophy of Violence". Science". He completed his doctorate at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bombay on the biochemical genetics of carbohydrate metabolism COUNCIL OF MANAGEMENT AND in yeast. Subsequently, he has been working on GENERAL BODY MEETINGS social relationships in primates. His research in The Sixteenth meeting of the Council of NIAS will focus on social cognition and Management scheduled for the second half of the consciousness in wild bonnet macaques.

26 THE PARTICIPANTS WHO ATTENDED THE 4TH NIAS COURSE ON 'AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO KNOWLEDGE AND INFORMATION' FOR UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE TEACHERS

1. Dr. K. Ravindra Reddy IL Dr. (Ms.) P.K. Mishra Lecturer in Geography, Center of Studies in Surnface Science Sri Krishnadevaraya University Sambalpur University, Jyoti Vihar, Orissa Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh

2. Dr. Nilotpal Borthakur 12. Dr. (Ms.) Sandhya Tyagi Associate Professor, Agricultural Economics Department of Botany Assam Agrilcultural University College of Science Jorhat, Assam M.L. Sukhadia University Udaipur 3. Dr. Amar Nath Jha 13. Dr. Srikumar Associate Professor, Management Lecturer in Biological Sciences Birla Institute of Technology Pondicherry University Mesra, Ranchi Pondicherry

4. Dr. Synesio Alfredo Antao 14. Dr. R. Ravindran Lecturer in Chemistry Assistant Professor P.C.C.F. College of Arts & Science Dept, of Communication & Entrepreneurship Margao, GOA Madras Veterinary College, Madras

5. Dr. R.B. Subramanian 15. Dr. S.K. Sharma Lecturer in Biosciences Senior Lecturer in Economics Sardar Patel University Govt. Girls' P.G. College Vallabh Vidyanagar, Gujarat Ghazipur, U. P.

6. Dr. Khalid Majid Fazili 16. Dr. Paromita Roy Lecturer in Biochemistry Jagadis Bose National Science P.G. Dept, of Biochemistry Talent Search, Bidhan Nagar The University of Kashmir Hazratbal Calcutta Srinagar, J & K. 17. Dr. Madhumita Chattopadhyay 7. Sri. K. Vasanth Kumar Pai Senior Lecturer Senior Lecturer Dept, of Philosophy Dept, of Studies in hidustrial Chemistry Jadavpur University Kuvempu University Calcutta Shimoga, Karnataka 18. Dr. M. Dasan Lecturer in English 8. Dr. M.V. Narayanan Calicut University Centre Lecturer in English Kerala University of Calicut Thenhippalam, Kerala 19. Dr. Ksh. Khoidong Singh Assistant Professor 9. Dr. Ghodke Sharad Tukaram Dept, of English Lecturer in Politics Manipur University M.E.S. Abasaheb Garware College Chanchipur, Imphal PUNE 20. Dr. Paul Alexander Rego 10. Dr. (Mrs.) Rucha Ghate Senior Lecturer in Economics Lecturer in Economics Mangalore University Nagpur University, Nagpur Mangalagangothri

27 HONOURS AND AWARDS immaculate administration in its role of ensuring the academic goals of an institution. Prof. M.N. Srinivas has been awarded the M.V. Pylee Award as the "Distinguished The lecture . sessions on the whole were Academician of India for the year 1996" by the stimulating and thought-provoking, and many a Cochin University of Science and Technology. times they were carried to our rooms and the dining table. We feel a sense of pride in bein'g Dr. M.G. Narasimhan received the "Martin associated closely with such stalwarts. The Foster Medal" for the best thesis for the year philosophy of dedication in every endeavour has 1994-1995 on y\ugust 5, 1996 from the Physical and motivated us to feel humble and yet, confident. Mathematical Sciences Division, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. This course has got us all thinking in our own Dr. Raja Ramanna has been honoured with ways. We have undergone some extent of the "Asutosh Mookerjee Memorial Award for behavioural, attitudinal, and professional changes 1996-1997" instituted by the Indian Science for which we are thankful to NIAS. Most of us Congress Association (ISCA), for his outstanding have made life-long friends and feel a part of a contribution to the advancement of science. warm and supportive family. Please accept our deep appreciation and LETTER TO THE EDITOR heartfelt gratitude.

Dear Editor, Thanking you.

I am writing to you on behalf of the participants of the 4th NIAS Course for University With warm regards, / College Teachcrs. PAROMITA ROY Saying "Thank You" to NIAS would be a gross understatement of what we feel. The expertise and (Dr. Pnwiiiita Roi/, who attended the Fourth NIAS the affection with which this course was conducted Course for University/College Teachers is Assistant has touched us both professionally and personally. Director (Academic) at Jagadis Bose National Science We all have realized the importance of an Talent Search, Calcutta)

The NIAS NEWS Wishes its Readers A Very Happy and Prosperous Ninety Seven

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Fidited bv Maj. Gen. M.K. Paul, VSM (Retd), Cdntrciller NIAS, Published by The National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science Campus, Bangalore 560 012. and printed at W.Q. Judge Press, 97, Residency Road, Bangaloie - 25 For Private Circulation Only