World Food Day and 75th anniversary of FAO, 16 October 2020: My Observations about FAO

I had the opportunity to visit the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2009. In fact, I was invited to present my research paper on India’s self-help groups (SHGs) and closely observed FAO which I can mention quantitatively and qualitatively an asset for the people of the world. After coming from FAO, I felt delighted as that time Late Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Dr. Rajsekhar Reddy sir called me and greeted me.

On 16 October, World Food Day is celebrated every year as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) was established in 1945. In the field of agricultural development, food etc., FAO has been doing commendable work. Few points on this auspicious occasion collected from FAO’s websites are presented here for the benefit of readers and researchers.

  • One in five people in developing countries lives on less than US$1.9 a day, and most of them live in rural areas. For their subsistence they depend on small-scale farming, forest resources, livestock and fishing.
  • Food is the essence of life and the bedrock of our cultures and communities. Preserving access to safe and nutritious food is and will continue to be an essential part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for poor and vulnerable communities, who are hit hardest by the pandemic and resulting economic shocks.
  • Around 14% of food produced for human consumption is lost every year between the stages where it is grown or raised up to when it reaches the wholesale market. More food is wasted at the retail food and consumer stages.
  • More than 3 billion people in the world lack access to internet and most of them live in rural and remote areas. Smallholder farmers need greater access to finance, training, innovation and technology to improve their livelihoods.
  • Presently, only nine plant species account for 66 percent of total crop production, despite the fact that there are at least 30 000 edible plants. “We need to grow a variety of food to nourish people and sustain the planet. Nearly 690 million people are hungry, up 10 million since 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic could add between 83-132 million people to this number, depending on the economic growth scenario”.
  • Over 2 billion people do not have regular access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food. The global population is expected to reach almost 10 billion by 2050.

It is pertinent to mention that FAO supports policies that enhance dialogue between small-scale producers, government agencies and private stakeholders. These policies strengthen the collective voice of farmers, pastoralists and fisher folk in local and national policy-making and increase access to agricultural markets, savings and credit facilities. Also, FAO aims to reduce rural poverty by supporting policies, which make it easier to self-manage land and productive resources, access social and financial services, as well as national and export markets. FAO supports equal access to technology, agricultural knowledge and market information through policies, which boost rural education for men and women using modern information technology and innovation in the provision of advisory services.

Lastly, FAO supports market and trade policies, which drive development, strengthen food security, reduce poverty and maximize environmental sustainability. Preserving flexibility in national policy options, allows developing countries to balance the needs of poor consumers and rural producers.

On this auspicious occasion wishing FAO more and more activities and praying Almighty “Long Live FAO”.

The following websites have been consulted while wrting the article:

  1. http://www.fao.org/world-food-day/en/
  2. http://www.fao.org/home/en/
  3. https://www.google.com/search?q=world+food+day

Dr Shankar Chatterjee, Hyderabad

Alliant International University

Alliant Mission and Vision

Our Mission: Alliant International University prepares students for professional careers of service and leadership, and promotes the discovery and application of knowledge to improve the lives of people in diverse cultures and communities around the world.

Our Vision: An inclusive world empowered by Alliant alumni.

OUR STORY

Alliant Pillars

Alliant is committed to excellence in four areas:

Education for Professional Practice

Alliant’s educational programs are designed to give students the knowledge, skills, and ethical values they need to serve and lead effectively in a variety of professional settings. Alliant graduates are expected to achieve mastery of a body of knowledge and be able to apply that knowledge in professional practice in order to achieve desired, and beneficial outcomes.

Scholarship

Scholarship in the Alliant context includes the discovery of new knowledge; the discovery of new applications of knowledge to solve practical problems; the integration of knowledge in new ways; and innovation in teaching knowledge and professional competencies.

Multicultural and International Competence

Alliant is an inclusive institution committed to serving diverse populations around the world by preparing professionals to work effectively across cultural and national boundaries, by increasing the number of professionals working in underserved areas, and by understanding and responding to the needs of diverse communities.

Community Engagement

Alliant’s faculty, students, alumni, and staff are dedicated to making a positive difference in the world through professional education and practice. We measure the success of our university in part by the impact we have—both directly and indirectly—on the welfare of individuals, families, organizations, and communities.

Why Choose Alliant?

Hands-On Training

A combination of internships, practica, consulting, and community service projects will ensure that you have the professional practice you need to begin making an impact in your field from the moment you take your first step off of our commencement stage.

Accreditation

Alliant is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) and offers programs accredited by The American Psychological Association (APA), the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC), and the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE), among others.

See All Accreditations

Industry Immersion

Alliant staff and faculty work with students to harness every opportunity to present at industry conferences, publish their work, and build partnerships with industry organizations while earning their degrees.

Small Classes, Individual Attention

Our faculty are pioneers in their fields and prepare each of their students to continue their legacy. Our professors train their students with the expectation that they will one day join them in the top echelon of industry experts—they are training their future colleagues.

Proven Professional Success

The national average loan default rate is 10.8%, Alliant’s is less than one third of the national average at 3.3%.

Global Network of Impact

Alliant has nearly 50,000 alumni making an impact across the world. From the U.S. Congress, to NASA, the United Nations, non-profit organizations, and more, our alumni are transforming the world—one industry, one community, one family, and one individual at a time.

See Alumni Impact

The Alliant Difference

Theory & Practice

Our model of theory paired with practice helps Alliant students become innovative agents of change. Each of our programs is designed to help develop professionals to do meaningful work that makes a lasting impact. Our approach to education combines theory and practice; scholarship and application. We provide a professional school environment in which students learn from a faculty of seasoned working professionals and receive practical training while still in school through a combination of internships, practica, consulting, and community service projects.

Purpose & Impact

At Alliant, success is measured not only in terms of the number of degrees awarded and the quantity of academic papers published, but also by the impact students and graduates make in their communities. Alliant students contribute more than 1.2 million hours of community service each year as part of their professional education. Field placements, practica, and internships are often aimed at benefiting underserved communities, and students frequently engage in projects that address the real-time needs and issues in their surrounding communities.

Diversity & Alliance

Alliant has been a top producer of graduate degrees for minorities for the last six years and has been named one of the nation’s most military friendly schools. Our students come from all walks of life, from the first in the family to pursue a higher education to military veterans completing or re-starting their education to working professionals and graduates of community colleges as well as the Ivy League. We believe a diversity of views leads to a better environment for solving communal problems and inspires bigger thinking.

“One of the greatest things taught to me throughout my journey at Alliant was not from a textbook, or even from a lecture from the professors, it was the ability to understand by experience…This gift taught throughout my experience allows me to understand how impactful I can be both within my professional life and within my community.”
Jessie Ramirez
Alliant Alumna

Alliant 2022

Here is Alliant\’s 5-year Strategic Plan, which outlines how we plan to grow and change and become the best version of Alliant we can be by the year 2022.

Click here to download the pdf

Areas of Study

Find the Alliant International University Program that is right for you.
VIEW AREAS OF STUDY

Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine College

ABOUT AIMC BERKELEY

Welcome to AIMC Berkeley! We are happy you are curious about our unique college. We promote an integrative approach to medicine by offering strong Western medicine courses and cutting edge clinical experiences in Western medicine settings. We offer a diversified curriculum that incorporates mind body and spirit. We are extremely proud of our successful Masters program and our Professional Doctorate program that started in 2019.

We provide a supportive culture for you to realize your unique mission as a healer—to create for yourself what I call “tailor-made-medicine.” We offer an environment that encourages each student to put their singular imprint on medicine.

One of my core values is my commitment to our students’ needs. Sometimes that is quite literal: I provide our students with snacks every day and lunches during finals. This is just one of the ways I welcome students into our warm and inviting community.

Sincerely,
Yasuo Tanaka
President & CEO

PAST & PRESENT

The Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine College-Berkeley formerly known as Meiji College of Oriental Medicine (MCOM) was established in San Francisco, California in 1990 by the Meiji School of Oriental Medicine in Japan and its alumni. The first class was enrolled in September of 1991. In January 1999, the school relocated to Berkeley, California in order to provide its students with a higher quality facility and a better educational environment. In 2002, Dr. Shuji Goto assumed an appointment as a chairman of the board for the MCOM. In April 2003 the name of the school was changed to Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine College, Berkeley (AIMC, Berkeley) and new management has started under the new chairman’s leadership. Through the introduction of curriculum of Japanese Acupuncture and Kampo Medicine, the goals were set to take a leadership role for further development of Asian Medicine in the US. It was accredited by ACAOM under its new name in May 2004.

Today AIMC continues to develop its programs and professional affiliations. In 2017 we launched a new MSOM that improved the curriculum and streamlined the program so that it could be completed in 10 terms, or a little over 3 years. We have recently developed a First Professional Doctorate degree that launched in 2019.

“AIMC Berkeley prides itself on our accomplished faculty, our inclusive student community, and our integrated approach to medicine.”
INSTITUTIONAL MISSION & VISION

The mission of Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine College, Berkeley is to develop caring, proficient, and successful practitioners who serve our communities and the East Asian medicine profession by treating illness and promoting health and wellness. AIMC Berkeley promotes patient-centered integrative medicine focused on treating the whole person (mind/body/spirit), with consideration for both traditional and contemporary medical models and other factors that influence health, wellness, and disease.

AIMC Berkeley supports the following vision:
To serve as a center for international collaboration in the development of acupuncture and East Asian medicine within the concept of integrative medicine
To serve as a center for the promotion of health and wellness and care of the community through education, outreach, and patient care

AIMC Berkeley’s Strategic Plan outlines the institution’s goals and strategies
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

At AIMC Berkeley we believe that a diverse community of students, faculty, staff and board members strengthens our capacity for empathy, compassion, and cultural humility and prepares us to be of best service to the rich plurality of the Bay Area and beyond.

We celebrate and strive to create an inclusive culture for all people of all identities. This includes, but is not limited to, sexual orientation, gender identity and presentation, racial identity, nationality, ability, belief system or religion, citizenship, socioeconomic status, and any identity that faces institutionalized oppression.

We honor the ancient East Asian roots of this medicine and aspire to practice in alignment with its original intent, while respectfully integrating it with allopathic medicine. We strive to learn from and live in harmony with the natural world and to recognize one another as varied and equal expressions of nature. We honor the Ohlone peoples whose land we occupy, as well as the long legacy of skilled practitioners who came before us.
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS & OBJECTIVES

AIMC offers the Master of Science in Oriental Medicine degree program and the Doctor of Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine degree program. These programs comprise the primary academic focus of AIMC Berkeley. Our faculty, curriculum, and clinical instruction promote the education and training of compassionate, successful, well-rounded practitioners; and our learner-centered, competency-based educational philosophy fosters lifelong learning and personal
improvement.

The mission of AIMC Berkeley’s Master of Science in Oriental Medicine (MSOM) and Doctor of Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine (DAIM) programs are to educate students to become knowledgeable, skilled, and professional practitioners of acupuncture and Integrative medicine. Upon completion of the MSOM program, graduates of AIMC Berkeley will be able to:
Demonstrate knowledge of the principles and practices of acupuncture and Chinese medicine
Apply the principles and practices of acupuncture and Chinese medicine to patient care
Describe the broad traditions in both Chinese and Japanese medicine
Demonstrate clinical effectiveness in patient assessment, diagnosis, and treatment
Make informed and appropriate referrals to other healthcare providers
Practice within established ethical, legal, and professional guidelines
Apply the principles of successful practice management

In addition, graduates of the DAIM program will be able to:
Utilize research methodology for research projects
Creatively synthesize the theories of traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine with a scientific viewpoint
Collaborate with a broad range of health care providers on incorporating the modalities of Chinese and Japanese medicine in patient care
ONGOING LEARNING

AIMC Berkeley advocates for continuing education after graduation and licensure. We provide a variety of certificate programs and CEU courses, as well as classes, seminars, and workshops for professionals, students, and community members interested in enhancing their understanding of East Asian Medicine and the art of healing.
SUCCESSFUL PRACTITIONERS

AIMC Berkeley-trained practitioners are successful because they attain MSOM and DAIM degrees, pass state and national certification exams with high first-time pass rates, and gain licensure. Furthermore, AIMC Berkeley-trained practitioners enjoy success because they graduate as skilled, confident, and compassionate healers who truly love what they’re doing with their lives, are happy serving in their communities, and are dedicated to making a difference in the world – one patient at a time.
COMMUNITY & PARTNERSHIPS
AFFORDABLE PATIENT-BASED HEALTHCARE

AIMC Berkeley endeavors to maintain the therapeutic treatment of patients in our community at the highest level of our activities. Our educational programs, research, and student and professional clinics target the beneficial, effective, holistic, and compassionate treatment of individuals rather than merely the fighting of disease. AIMC Berkeley is dedicated to providing effective healthcare to under-served populations, including women, children, youth, students, the elderly, minorities, and those who are economically disadvantaged and without access to medical insurance. Our Community Acupuncture Clinic and Herbal Dispensary offer office visits, treatments, services, and prescriptions at below local market rates.
OUR COMMUNITY

AIMC Berkeley recognizes the diversity of the community it serves. The people of Berkeley, Oakland, and Alameda County comprise our societal center; however, our patients, and especially our students, are drawn from throughout the entire Bay Area, Northern and Southern California, the United States, and many other countries. The participation with and interchange between our sister schools in Japan and China broaden and deepen our alliance with and commitment to Integrative Medicine. As an academic community, AIMC Berkeley finds within itself a vibrant and dynamic society composed of patients, students, faculty, administrators, and directors.
SISTER SCHOOLS

AIMC Berkeley has developed international partnerships and study-abroad programs in China and Japan as a part of ongoing collaborations with Goto College of Medical Arts and Sciences in Japan, Shikoku Medical College in Japan, and Tianjin University in China.

Goto College Japan

Shikoku Medical College

Tianjin University China

These programs give AIMC Berkeley students the opportunity to spend several weeks studying in China or Japan and to learn from leading international practitioners of Chinese and Japanese medicine.
INTERNATIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Japanese Society of Acupuncture & Moxibustion (JSAM)
Kampo, Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine (KAIM)

What technology we want to live our daily life?

Transformers.

Yup , the transformer which are used to increase or decrease the alternating voltages in electric power appliances .

As we all know without electricity we all return to the Stone age . No bulbs , no fans , no computers , no machines nothing . Everything depends upon the electricity and effective electricity distribution or we can say propagation depends upon the transformer .

We need high voltage for effective power transmission but we can’t use that high voltage to charge our mobile phones ,hence presenting the transformer . It’ll step down that voltage to the value suitable for your phone’s charging .

Depending upon where they are used they can be of two type step up and step down . When we need more output voltage we use step up and vice versa.

So thank you all the brains that were involved in the invention of such beauty.


So, what else would you like to include in this because I guess for that to you need an electricity. Think.

See yaa..

Book Review:- Good to Great

Experts say that books are portable magic. They’d transform you from an ordinary, demotivated soul to an extravagant fighter.

Books are a sanctuary for every individual with a spontaneous imagination; they are friends in the loneliest of times and they are teachers.

They are proof that time travel does exist because a book enables the voice of the writer to escape the shackles of time and speak out to the reader through its pages.

1. Good to Great: Why some companies make the leap…and others don’t

Summary:

This book is definitely one of the best books to read, known to open doors for those who are struggling to make the leap and add a little extra to their ordinary and become extraordinary; it has proven to generate a lot of revenue.

This book has been written and based on a lot of research and carries careful evaluations.

The author of “Good to Great: Why some companies make the leap … and others don’t”, Jim Collins, was very curious about the factors that make a company sustainable. Good to Great has been constructed on the basis of his hard work and the results of his findings; which makes the book all the more amazing.

The book enabled six companies to take the leap from good to great! The book includes the six ingredients that the transit from good to great require. They are bound to change your life.

Want to know what the book is all about?

It is based on the best Management strategies out there!

“Some of the key concepts discerned in the study,” comments Jim Collins, “fly in the face of our modern business culture and will, quite frankly, upset some people.”

Reviews:

Perry Leon talked about the influence the book had on her life while writing her Campaign Blog and talked about how she would rate it as probably the top three business books of all times.

She went to reply to a question about what she had taken from the book, “I took from it that you should focus on key competencies and not get distracted by the other stuff.”

She rates it as one of the top books of all time and goes on to say that it should be included in every piece written on business books and self-help books because it has really helped her.

PROS:-

Helps you deal with people from corporate world

Motivate entrepreneurs towards valid conversation.

Covers a broad spectrum of management practices

CONS:-

Does not cover anything other than management

Too long to read the same content over and over
Slight theoretical; less motivational

Have a look and share your views on my review.

See yaa..

Don’t let that kid die inside you, please.

I know you must be thinking about abortion or something related to parenting thing, but, no. Don’t get yourself wrong, as we say “Don’t judge a book by its cover” the same applies here, don’t judge a blog by its title. Then why title is there, huh!

Hello fellows, don’t be so rude that I called you a fellow. I called you because you didn’t even tried to think what title is saying about. There’s a kid in every one, in every gender, in every person. Some of them just forgot about it like time forces them to forget. No! Time always take test, but, how to pass it and how to live after passing the test is always on you. You planned to forget that kid for sake of your future. So, did you got that future?? I guess not, then atleast have one thing for life time.

You are also aware of it that keep the child alive will always keep you interesting, creative and more importantly happy. And do you know why I added happy in the last, because that’s true. Happiness comes from the mysterious ways. And a child can only enjoy that other wise you may have seen an adult asking questions from where this happiness arrived.

There’s one more reason why I ask you keep that child alive, it is because I personally think that child represent your whole life. That child remains in you from starting till end of your life. No Matter how hard your life gets or how strong you become, if you couldn’t save that kid inside you. You technically failed in this life.

So, think and start saving that child inside you.

See yaa..



WAYS TO EARN MONEY IN LOCKDOWN:

 

Students can start earning very easily and efficiently with all the jobs listed below. They can earn money with a little to no investment by them. The ways of these money making are effective and student friendly.

So instead of wasting a lot of time in binge watching let’s earn some money and be productive during this pandemic all around. Because it’s said that “a creative mind is the house of all new innovations”.

TOPS WAYS TO EARN MONEY FOR STUDENTS:

  1. YOUTUBE CHANNEL:

With the art and creativity of doing anything good you could start your very own YouTube channel. And with the passage of time and increment in subscribes you would start earning greatly. Whether you have good culinary skills, poem, recitation, dancing, singing, fashion, motivational speaker or any other skills can be out shown on YouTube and lead to a source of good income.

  • FREELANCER:

Using the websites like UPWORK, FIVERR you can easily become a freelancer. In this job you could easily choose with which client to work and with whom not to. This can help you earn from rupees 1000 to up to a six -digit money. The money you earn is totally based on the experience you have and the clients that approaches you.

  • RESEARCH WORK:

On the basis your skills to do research you can earn up to rupees 2000-5000 per hour of study.

Using websites like RESPONDANT AND USER INTERVIEWS one could start.

  • ONLINE TUTOR:

In this time of lockdown when all the educational institutes are nit working students can come forward and help the other students in their academics and earn some money.

One can use skype, WhatsApp, google-meet, MS-TEAMS and also could use FIVERR.COM, TUTOR.COM, TUTORVISTA etc.

  • CREATING COUSES:

By creating courses online on SLIISHARE, UDEMY, COUSRERA also you could earn money.

  • BLOGGER:

Become a blogger by creating a domain name and creating different articles and write-uos combatable to your  niche. Divert people towards you site and can also add revenues on the article to earn some money.

  • PHOTOS, DESIGN, LOGOS:

By clicking photos of nature, roadside, people around. And also, by creating design and logos and uploading them on SHUTTERSTOCKS, FOTOLIA etc. you can earn money.

  • TUTOR OF TEST APPS AND WEBSITES:

Register yourself in the test apps LIKE CHEGG so that you could solve the doubts and earn money.

Human Rights Law Essay Help

 Every person on the planet has the right to exercise their human rights regardless of their race, ethnicity, sex or religious beliefs. Unfortunately, not everyone has the opportunity to do so as the governments of some countries pass discriminating laws that make the situation with exercising human rights much worse.


In other words, human rights are fundamental rights and every one should be able to exercise every single one of their rights whenever they want. 

According to the International Human Rights Law, the governments of the countries have the obligation to promote human rights, as well as to make certain every citizen of their country has the ability to exercise each of them at any time. Speaking about the role of the United Nations in the process of protecting human rights in the world, the biggest achievement is the creation of the body of human rights law. This law is both internationally protected and universal. What is more, the United Nations organization has managed to create a number of mechanisms with the help of which it is easier to control whether people are able to exercise their human rights. It has also become easier to spot any violations of the law. 

What To Do If I Need Law Essay Help?

If you have decided to study law at college or university, you will spend lots of hours learning more about different branches of law, as well as find out more about all possible legal options in case a certain law is violated. In addition to that, you will also have to write law essays which is usually a time-consuming process. If you are looking for a way to make academic writing at least a little bit easier, check out the website called academicexperts.com. These guys have been working in the field of law essay writing assistance for years. It means that their team knows how to deal even with the most complicated topic. Having received a sample paper from them, the process of working on your task will get much simpler. Besides, you will have an example law paper done by an expert who has tons of experience in the field of academic writing. Isn’t that great? Take a closer look at the service and you will be surprised how awesome the company is. Besides, it is a great option if you are lagging behind. Their team of experienced writers can deliver a custom written sample law essay within the shortest period of time. Clearly, you have chosen to study law because you are passionate about it. However, you are not always able to do everything on your own. Why not use a reliable service and make your life easier? You never know when you are going to need law essay help. Luckily, you know exactly what to do when you find yourself in times of trouble. Law is a complex major, and it is totally understandable why you sometimes need assistance with your essay writing tasks. Rely on experts and you will have it all under control. 

How to find a reliable business ghostwriter?

 Would like to publish a book but have no idea how to do it, as well as do not have any writing skills? Consider yourself an expert in the field of business and want to share your knowledge but feel frustrated every single time somebody mentions the option of writing a book?


The good news is that you no longer have to do everything on your own. If you are interested in publishing a book but do not have any writing talent, you can simply hire a business ghostwriter and solve this problem quickly.

Where should you search for a highly qualified, experienced and trustworthy business ghostwriter? Well, the first thing you should do is to ask your friends or partners if they know anyone who has hired a business ghostwriter.

The next step will be to search for a business ghostwriter online. Surely, you need to be very attentive when you do it as you are looking for a person who will be responsible for the quality of content in your book. That is the reason why it is so significant to hire a writer who has already achieved a lot in this area. In other words, what you need to do is to take a look at their previous work. Familiarizing yourself with their writing style and the ability to conduct a thorough research study will help you determine whether this ghostwriter is suitable for your project or not.

In case there is an opportunity to contact the people who a particular ghostwriter has worked for, you should definitely do it as you will help you get a full picture of the person you are about to work. What is more, you need to be very clear about the kind of book you expect them to write for you as not specifying all details leads to getting a draft of the book you are completely dissatisfied with. If this is your first time hiring a business ghostwriter, you should definitely read more on the subject on the internet. You will come across lots of interesting articles online including tips on how to find a perfect ghostwriter for you book no mater what subject it will be dealing with.

All in all, there is no doubt that finding a highly qualified and experienced ghostwriter may take weeks or even months which is why you should mentally prepare yourself that it will not happen overnight. Simply allocate enough time on the process of searching a business ghostwriter and you will definitely find the person who will help you write your first book. What is particularly beneficial about the times we live in right now is that you do not necessarily need to have exceptional writing skills in order to publish an impressive and useful book.

The Importance of Publication in an Academic Career

 The Importance of Publication in an Academic Career

“Publish or perish.” That’s the mantra that academics have drilled into their heads from the moment they start their quest for an academic career. In today’s academic world, publishing in an academic journal isn’t just an important way to improve one’s reputation or make a dent in the intellectual community. Instead, it’s a life-or-death factor in determining each step on the career ladder. Let’s take a look at some of the ways that the modern university system has turned academic articles into the most important measurement of a professor’s worth.

Publication in Academic Career.jpg

The phrase “publish or perish” was coined in 1932 to describe the pressure that academics faced to place research articles in scholarly journals. But now, almost nine decades later, publication is the measurement by which universities judge the value of scholars for hiring and promotion. The reason for this is a series of perverse incentives tied to publicity. 

Originally, academic articles were designed to share research with other scholars in order to further the intellectual development of academic fields. However, over time, academic articles came to be seen less as a way to share information than as a way to promote one’s own research skills and ability to generate groundbreaking new information. 

Universities, in turn, saw journal articles as a way to call attention to the quality of the research work done in their institutions, and a way to gain mainstream media attention, and thus to attract new sources of fundraising and revenue. There are a lot of websites which offer custom academic writing services for students. Such online writing companies hire professional freelance writers to prepare essays and research projects for money.

This, in turn, has led administrators to see scholarly publications as a way to determine which professors offer the school a good return on investment. According to a study released in 2010, a growing number of universities evaluate potential new hires based entirely on the length of their publication list, without consideration of other factors, such as teaching experience and quality.

However, because many administrators have no background in the subjects taught by the professors they are evaluating, this has created a perverse incentive to simply publish anything, no matter the quality, in order to rack up publication credits to pad a C.V. To that end, the number of scholarly journals has exploded in recent decades. Currently, there are now more than 28,000 scholarly peer-reviewed journals, publishing an astonishing 2.5 million articles each year.  The number of published articles has grown at a steady rate of 4-5% per year, according to the International Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers. 

Obviously, that volume cannot represent unalloyed quality. The more papers that are published each year, the more papers that will have quality problems.

The glut of publishing is driven by the university system, in which the number of scholarly publications determines a professor’s fitness to advance through the ranks and to gain tenure. Recently, impact scores—referring to the quality of the journal in which a paper is published, how many other scholars cite a paper, or how many news articles refer to it—have come into vogue as a way to distinguish between an academic with high quality work and one who churns our hack work for credits, but the overwhelming pressure remains to produce volume over quality. This has led to a bizarre phenomenon known unofficially as “salami slicing,” where professors will divide their research into the smallest units possible so that they can wring extra articles out of a topic that previously would have been covered in a single paper. This makes it harder for future researchers to gather the applicable information, but it means that the author ends up with extra papers on his or her C.V.

What makes the explosion of articles as a metric of success so disturbing is that most universities do not pay professors to write them, nor do journals, which typically seize the writer’s copyright and then profit from the articles themselves. Instead, professors are asked to squeeze article writing into their free time outside of their professional teaching and research obligations, or else to fit a growing number of articles into limited annual research periods.

The resulting distortion of priorities has unintended consequences: Universities that prioritize publications end up with professors who must place writing articles—their unpaid labor—above their official job of teaching undergraduate and graduate students and conducting research. Consequently, both purposes of the modern university—teaching and research—suffer as professors scramble to prioritize whichever and whatever subjects can generate the most articles and the most media attention, rather than the research that will result in the greatest impact on the world. 

While most academics would prefer to do important work over voluminous work, the consequences of not publishing are daunting: An academic who does not publish regularly will not receive tenure, and will quickly find that his or her position has been replaced by someone with a longer C.V. Academic publishing is less about sharing knowledge than an arms race to pad a C.V. for the benefit of administrators who will never read the articles listed on it.

India and ADB Sign $300 Million Loan to Develop Rajasthan’s Secondary Towns

The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB)  today signed a $300 million loan to finance inclusive and sustainable water supply and sanitation infrastructure and services in 14 secondary towns of the state of Rajasthan.The signatories to the Rajasthan Secondary Towns Development Sector Project were Shri Sameer Kumar Khare, Additional Secretary (Fund Bank and ADB), Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance who signed for the Government of India, and Mr. Takeo Konishi, Country Director of ADB’s India Resident Mission, who signed for ADB.

Shri Khare said the project aims to provide better quality and more sustainable water supply and sanitation (WSS) services in the project towns that will improve quality of life in these towns, including for the poor and vulnerable after signing the loan agreement. The investments in WSS with 10- year operation and maintenance contracts will ensure improved and sustainable service delivery in line with the state government’s urban sector development plan.

Mr. Konishi said ADB incorporated practical lessons from the three earlier urban sector projects it has funded in Rajasthan since 2000 and included innovations such as the use of smart technologies and cost-effective systems.  The project will empower urban local bodies, and strengthen their institutional capacity; deepen sector reforms, and build resilience of communities to manage health pandemics.

Through the project, water supply systems in at least eight project towns are expected to improve by 2027, benefiting more than 570,000 people. Citywide sanitation systems will benefit about 720,000 people in at least14 secondary towns. 

The project will strengthen the institutional capacity of the local governments and the Rajasthan Urban Drinking Water, Sewerage, and Infrastructure Corporation Limited, a corporate entity established with ADB’s technical support. Enhanced support to women and vulnerable groups will be provided through skills training, paid internships, and community engagement and awareness activities.

ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49 from the region.

Shri Gadkari to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for 8 NH projects in Kerala

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for 8 National Highway projects in Kerala tomorrow. The event will be attended by the Governor Shri Arif Mohammed Khan, Chief Minister Shri Pinarai Vijayan and Union MoSs Gen (Retd) Dr V K Singh and Shri V Muraleedharan, Ministers from the State, Members of Parliaments, MLAs and senior officers from the Centre and the State.

Details of the projects:

Inauguration: Kazhakoottam to Mukkola, 27 km, Rs 1,121 Crore.

Foundation Stone Laying:

Sr. NoName of ProjectLength(km)Total ProjectCost (Rs. in Cr.)
1Six laning of Thalapady  Km. 17.200 to Changala Km. 57.200  of  NH-66 (Old NH-17)391981.07
2.Six laning of Changala Km. 57.200 to  Neleshwaram Km. 95.650 of NH-66  (Old NH-17)37.271746.45
3.Six laning of Neleshwaram town to Thalipparamba  Km  96.450   to Km. 137.900 NH-66  (Old NH-17)40.113041.65
4.Six laning of Thalipparamba to Muzhapilangad Km 137.900   to Km. 170.600 NH-66 (Old NH-17)29.952714.6
5.Six laning of Paloli Palam and  Moodadi Bridge & allied works NH-66 (Old NH-17)2.1210.21
6.Six laning of Kozhikode Bypass km.230.400 to km 258.800 NH-66 (Old NH-17)28.41853.42
7.Construction of High Level Bridge over Cheruthoni River at km 32/500 on NH-1850.3023.83
TOTAL177 Km.Rs. 11,571 Cr.

PM to release autobiography of Dr. Balasaheb Vikhe Patil and rename Pravara Rural Education Society in his honour

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will release the autobiography of Dr. Balasaheb Vikhe Patil and rename Pravara Rural Education Society as ‘Loknete Dr. Balasaheb Vikhe Patil Pravara Rural Education Society’, on 13th October at 11 AM via video conferencing.

Dr. Balasaheb Vikhe Patil served as Member of Lok Sabha for multiple terms. His autobiography is titled ‘Deh Vechwa Karani’ which means ‘dedicating one’s life for a noble cause’, and is aptly named as he dedicated his entire life to the benefit of society through his path-breaking work in various fields, including agriculture and cooperatives.

Pravara Rural Education Society was established in 1964 at Loni in Ahmednagar district, with the aim to provide world class education to the rural masses and  empower the girl child. The Society is currently serving with the core mission of educational, social, economical, cultural, physical and psychological development of students.