Reinvigorating The Training of Field Investigators

Sandeep Shastri

We at Lokniti, have been involved in Survey Research for over thirteen years now. Over these years, we have conducted five national election studies, several state level surveys in our respective states and a range of other surveys not linked directly to elections. In all our surveys, special importance has been given to methodological rigour and training of our field investigators. As Coordinators of surveys we have often found that the quality of our survey is closely linked to the nature of training that we have imparted to our field investigators. Increasingly, it is being realized that the quality of our survey findings is a direct corollary to how well our field investigators have understood the purpose of our survey and internalized its methodology. Read Through

Workshop in Quantitative Methods and Techniques in Social Science Research, Chandigarh

Resource persons from the Lokniti network were actively involved in the conceptualisation, design and training of a basic training workshop in Quantitative Methods and Techniques in Social Science Research by the North-Western Regional Centre of the ICSSR at Chandigarh between 11-16 October. This workshop was intended to provide a general understanding of the nature and relevance of quantitative research methods. It introduced participants to the essential principles, techniques and processes of quantitative research. 

The participants came from a wide variety of disciplines, including sociology, pschyology, business studies, economics, education, mass communication, anthropology, geography and political science. They were primarily young teachers and research scholars working in research institutions, university departments and affiliated colleges located in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory of Chandigarh. 

They resource persons from the network included Ashutosh Kumar (Panjab University), Sanjay Kumar (CSDS), Divya Vaid (Lokniti-CSDS) and Kailash K.K. (Panjab University). 

Research Methods Workshop at the ICSSR-NERC, Shillong

Resource Persons from Lokniti, CSDS, with the support of the ICSSR-North Eastern Regional Centre, Shillong conducted a workshop on Research Methods and Quantitative Data Analysis from October 25-29, 2010 at the North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) Campus, Shillong. Read more

Fellowship/ Collaboration

A.K. Verma has entered into Research Project titled Religion Politics Interface in collaboration with Prof. Pradeep Chhibber and Prof. Jasjeet S. Sekhon University of California, Berkley, USA. The project has been designed to study whether the voting behaviour, attitude, likings and evaluation of political leaders by the Hindus and Muslims were influenced by the religious appearances of their leaders. The project has two phases. Each phase has different sample size, sampling technique, and research design. Read concept note.

K.C. Suri has completed his fellowship period under the Endeavour Executive Award (July-October 2010) in Australia. During this period he was engaged in teaching for a semester at Deakin University (School of International and Political Studies) Melbourne, and delivered a few talks.

Publication

Journals/Books

Sandeep Shastri
Regions within Regions – Negotiating Political Spaces – A Case Study of Karnataka

in 'Regions within Regions' edited by Ashutosh Kumar, Routledge October 2010

Yogendra Yadav
On Remembering Lohia
Economic and Political Weekly Vol XLV No. 40, October 2, 2010

During his life, Rammanohar Lohia paid the price for three “sins” that the opinion-making class could never forgive him for – he attacked Nehru repeatedly at a time when Nehru was god-like, he led a vigorous and voluble campaign against English and he publicly questioned upper caste dominance and advocated caste-based affirmative action. No wonder Lohia was persona non grata to the upper-caste, English-speaking elite, from Congress supporters to communists. The Nehru-left dominance of Indian academia and media ensured that a caricature of Lohia became his dominant image. On the occasion of his birth centenary this year, there has been fortunately a renewed political curiosity about Lohia and there is some reason to hope that serious, meticulous and critical scholarship on his politics and ideas may indeed take off. This special issue on the thought and politics of Rammanohar Lohia is offered in this hope. Read full article

Yogendra Yadav
What Is Living and What Is Dead in Rammanohar Lohia?
Economic and Political Weekly Vol XLV No. 40, October 2, 2010

In judging Rammanohar Lohia's ideas, this essay excavates their philosophical foundations and reconstructs his political doctrine in line with these beliefs and his political programme. It examines Lohia's relationship with modernity and the role this played in his thinking, while looking at his analytical tools in terms of his distinctive theory of history and its implications for his understanding of India. It sheds light on his innovative recasting of the doctrine of socialism, the idea of equality, and the political and economic model of a socialist society. After paying close attention to his theory of political action and the contents of his political programme, as well as his limitations, it attempts to determine Lohia's place in the history of ideas in the 20th century and his relevance to our time. Read full article

Understanding the Emerging Contours of Indian Politics Ajay K. Mehra Read review

Newsapers

Punjab: Traditional vs elite politics
Ashutosh Kumar The Tribune October 27, 2010, Chandigarh Read article

Desperation for Power
Sandeep Shastri, Deccan Chronicle 24 October 2010

Karnataka turmoil raises many political question
Sandeep Shastri, New Indian Express 18 Oct 2010 Read article

The party's many faces
Kailash KK, Indian Express October 15, 2010 Read article

Karnataka Politics: The Road Taken and the Journey Ahead
Sandeep Shastri, MAINSTREAM, VOL XLVIII, NO 42, OCTOBER 9, 2010 Read article

Karnataka's please-all party
Sandeep Shastri, Indian Express Fri Oct 08 2010, Read article

Independents Disqualification can be Challenged,
Sandeep Shastri, Prajavani, 5 October 2010

Aaj RJD gathbandhan ki kardi pariksha (In Hindi)
Sanjay Kumar, Prabhat Kumar 24th Oct 2010 Read article

Nirnayak honge ati Picchra warg ke mat (In Hindi)
Sanjay Kumar, Prabhat Kumar 14th Oct 2010 Read article

Uuchh jatiyo ke mato ki rahi hain bardi bhumika  (In Hindi)
Sanjay Kumar, Prabhat Khabar 11th October 2010 Read article

Muslim vote bank par hain sabki najar.(In Hindi)
Sanjay Kumar, Prabhat Khabar 4th October 2010 Read article

Workshop participation/ Presentations/Lectures

A.K. Verma

 

*    Participated as expert in a meeting on 'Technical Terminology in Social Sciences', organised by Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India at Babasaheb Ambedkar Central University, Lucknow on 29^th October, 2010.

*    Delivered the following lectures at M. S. Institute of South Asia Regional Cooperation (MISARC), Center for South Asian Studies, Pondicherry Central University, Pondicherry on 25-26 October, 2010.

o 'Dynamics of Indian Politics:  Compulsions of Inclusion in Multicultural Societies'

o    'Indian Model of Inclusive Politics and Lessons for South Asia'

 

*     Delivered lectures on 'Writing Research Papers' at Administrative Staff College, AMU, Aligarh on 5 October 2010.

Divya Vaid

Delivered a lecture on Data Analysis and the Application of Statistical Programmes in the Social Sciences, at the Refresher Course in Aligarh Muslim University, October 4

Pushkar Raj

Delivered a lecture on Democratic crisis of Adolescence: Rights in the Globalised India at University of South Australia, 25th October 2010

Sandeep Shastri

• Presented a paper titled 'Benhcmarking Quality Standards in Higher Education' at a NAAC Sponsored Workshops on Quality Standards in Higher Ediucation organized by Maharani Lakshmi Ammani  College for Women at Bangalore on 22 October 2010

• Presented a paper jointly (with Suhas Palshikar) titled 'Democratizing the Meaning of Democracy : Voices from South Asia' at the Global Barometer Surveys Conference on How People View and Value Democracy held at Taipei from 15th to 17th October 2010.

• Presented a paper titled Political Power and its Dynamics : Power for what? Power for Whom? at a National Seminar on Power and Its Dynamics held at St Aloysius College at Mangalore on 5th October 2010.

• Interview in the Times of India, 23rd October 2010  Mass Poaching has started in Karnataka  Read interview

Yogendra Yadav

Convened a study week on 'Reading Rammanohar Lohia' at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study , Shimla from 3rd to 7th October 2010.