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Dr.
S.R. Sen Prize Endowment Award for the Best Book Published
during
the years 2003 and 2004
The
Indian Society of Agricultural Economics has instituted in 1996,
under Dr. S.R. Sen Prize
Award Endowment Scheme, a biennial prize award of Rs. 15,000 for
the best book/monograph on Agricultural Economics and Rural
Development published by Indian authors under 45 years of age on
the date of publication of the books. The selection of the best
book for prize award is done by a Screening
Committee and the Jury constituted for the purpose.
For
the Fifth Biennial Prize Award, books that have made significant
original contribution to theoretical and empirical studies in
the field of agricultural economics and rural development and
published by Indian authors during the calendar years 2003 and
2004 are being considered. Edited books by authors are not
considered for the prize award.
Professor
Ramesh Chandra Agrawal Prize Award
The
Indian Society of Agricultural Economics has instituted in 2004
Professor Ramesh Chandra Agrawal Award of Excellence for
contribution to Agricultural Economics. The Second biennial
award will be made to an Indian author who has made significant
outstanding contribution to theoretical or empirical studies in
the field of Agricultural Economics. The award will consist of a
citation and a cash prize of Rs. 25,000. A three member jury of
eminent scholars will select the awardee. The name of the
awardee will be announced and the presentation will take place
at the 68th Annual Conference of the Indian Society
of Agricultural Economics to be held at Andhra University,
Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) in November/December 2008.
Dr.
D.K. Desai Prize Award for the Best Article published in the
IJAE in 2006
Under
Dr. D.K. Desai Prize Award Scheme instituted by the Indian
Society of Agricultural Economics, nine articles published in
the three regular issues of the Indian Journal of Agricultural
Economics during the year 2006 were considered for prize by the
Prize Awards Committee. On the recommendations of the Prize
Awards Committee, the Society awarded a prize of Rs. 5,000/- to
the following full length article which was adjudged the best :
“Regional Convergence in
Indian Agriculture” by Madhusudan Ghosh (published in
the October-December 2006 of the Journal).
Dr.
Anamitra Saha Prize Award for the Best Article published in the
IJAE in 2006
Under
Dr. Anamitra Saha Prize instituted by the the Indian
Society of Agricultural Economics nine articles published in the
three regular issues of the Indian Journal of Agricultural
Economics during the year 2006 were considered for prize by the
Prize Awards Committee. On the recommendations of the Prize
Committee, the Society awarded a prize of Rs. 5000 (Rupees Five
thousand only) to the following full length article which was
adjudged the best:
“Extent and Source
of Instability in Foodgrains Production in India” by H.R.
Sharma, Kamlesh Singh and Shanta Kumari
(published in the October-December 2006 of the Journal).
The announcement of these awards was made at the 67th
Annual Conference of the Society held at Bankers Institute of
Rural Development, Lucknow on November 7, 2007.
68th
Annual Conference of the Indian Society of Agricultural
Economics
The
68th Annual Conference of the Indian Society of Agricultural
Economics will be held under the auspices of Andhra
University, Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) sometime
during November/December 2008. The exact dates will be announced
shortly. Dr. N.S. Jodha, Senior Associate Scientist, Agriculture
and Rural Income Diversification, International Centre for
Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Kathmandu, Nepal has
been elected to preside over the Conference. The following three
subjects have been selected for discussion at the Conference.
The
following subjects are selected for discussion:
1)
Triggering Agricultural Development Through Horticulture
Crops
2)
Environmental
Degradation and Its Correctives in Agriculture Sector
3) 3)
Rainfed Agriculture
Research
Papers on the above three themes are invited from members and
other paper-writers for discussion at the Conference. The scope
of each of the three themes is spelt out in the enclosed
Indicative Outlines below.
Research
papers not exceeding 10 pages each (typed in double space – A4
size – on one side only) including tables, annexures,
reference, etc., are invited for discussion at the Conference.
Three
copies of each paper (not exceeding 3500 words or 10 pages),
with its Summary in triplicate not exceeding 250 words need to
be submitted. The
last date for the receipt of the papers at the Society’s
office is May 15, 2008. In
the case of papers accepted for publication in full length in
the Conference Number of the Journal, the authors should email a
copy each of their papers at: isae@bom7.vsnl.net.in
or send the floppies of their papers in Microsoft Word for quick
conversion.
SUBJECT
I
TRIGGERING
AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH HORTICULTURE CROPS
India's agriculture
development strategy over the years has shifted from enhancing cereal
production (green revolution), to increasing acreage (investment
in semi-arid and arid agriculture research and watershed
management) to diversification (plantation boards, special
mission on horticulture). In the process the focus has shifted
from one of ensuring food security to one of creating exportable
surpluses which could be traded in the global
agriculture commodity market, this, while not compromising food
security of the toiling millions below the poverty line through
state supported PDS and subsidy in input use.
This shift in focus appears to be
commensurate with acceleration of agricultural growth, as is
reflected in high growth of country's GDP, especially during the
mid 90s (5.8 percent during 1980-81 to 1989-90; 6.8 percent
during 1993-94 to 1995-96), despite intermittent setbacks.
However, achieving an ambitious target growth of 8 percent for
GDP and 4 percent for agriculture in the coming plan period is a
Herculean task given the slowing down of production growth rate
of several commodities including that of cereals. In contrast,
the horticultural crop sector has been registering a growth rate
of over 4 percent per annum, suggesting yet another shift in
focus towards diversification of Indian agriculture.
Horticulture comprising of fruits,
vegetables, flowers, medicinal and aromatic crops, plantation
crops, spices, coconut and cashew with 15.71 million hectares
and a production of 152.7 million tones, has emerged as a core
sector in India over the last two decades. This sector
contributes to about 24 to 28 percent of agricultural GDP,
provides employment for around 19 percent of the country's
agricultural work force. It besides earning value foreign
exchange to the economy is poised to provide the nations
nutritional requirements within the changing lifestyle of a
growing economy (where in service sector is setting the trends
of consumption.). These set of crops with their sheer tenacity
to adapt to diverse agro-climate hold the potential not only to
fit into to crop diversification models, but provide the much
needed farm level sustainability as well.
Despite India's unique
comparative advantage in production of variety of horticulture
crops (for local, national and international markets) its
development is constrained by marketing and related factors.
Unorganized and inefficient marketing triggering high price
spread, poor infrastructure and non transparent price discovery,
high wastage due to poor logistics and the absence of cold
chains; Lack of market access, absence of innovative marketing
arrangements and facilities for value addition to mitigate
production and marketing risks etc., are of significance, to
name a few. While ensuring an inclusive growth strategy in
agriculture, most of these areas are found to be
under-investigated and under-invested requiring effective
research support.
a) Farm level diversification in
with horticultural crop based farming systems which addresses
the food security and income surplus at the household level.
· Changing
pattern of acreage and production Growth of cereals vs.
horticulture crops across the growing regions over the
last few decades
· Pattern of
crop diversification through horticultural crops across
different farm size categories and the impact there of on
farm income and employment generation.
b) Issues around
production arrangements and market intelligence which
triggers production and reduce the producer risk.
· Assessment
of post harvest losses and other marketing risks of
horticultural crops in comparison to other field crops.
· Assessment
of the status of policy interventions to mitigate risk in
different crops and their effectiveness across regions.
c) Efficiency and effectiveness of the
marketing channels, their institutionalization and
re-organization where the need be.
· Contract farming as a risk
averting strategy and the constraints there of in
extending it across different crops and agro climatic
regions
· Market access and means of
linking farmers to markets with illustrative success
stories and models
d) Research in new product development to tap
emerging opportunity and changing consumer taste.
· Processing and value addition
as a means for enhancing profitability of horticultural
crops.
· Assessing the scope of income
and employment generation through production of value
added products in horticultural crops
Papers are solicited on each of the above
topic which would trigger a constructive debate on
"triggering agriculture development through horticultural
crops". The emphasis being one of innovation in authoring
as much in the content.
SUBJECT
II
ENVIRONMENTAL
DEGRADATION AND ITS CORRECTIVES IN AGRICULTURE SECTOR
More than three-quarters of India’s
population depends directly for their livelihood on activities
based on natural resources and the remainder of the population
relies on these resources indirectly for food, fuel, industrial
output and recreation. Their economic well-being is inextricably
tied to the productivity of natural resources. Sadly, most of
the natural resources including environment in India are in a
serious state of degradation. For example, both area and
productivity of forests are declining. Agricultural lands suffer
from erosion, water-logging, salinity and general loss of
fertility, making them less productive. Water for drinking and
irrigation is increasingly getting scarce and polluted. Fishery
yields are falling, and air quality is deteriorating. Increasing
levels of air, water and land pollution pose a serious threat to
human health and longevity. Good management of natural resources
and the environment is essential to attain and sustain economic
growth and development. It is not, as is sometimes mistakenly
asserted, just a luxury for wealthy countries concerned with
aesthetics. It is imperative for sustainable livelihoods of the
poor to enhance and sustain the productivity of natural
resources, arrest environmental degradation, and protect the
integrity of eco-systems.
The contributors may choose any of the
following aspects of the problem of natural resources and
environmental degradation:
i) Air pollution: Why is air polluted? How
"clean" should the air be? What are policy measures
that could reduce air pollution? Case studies of innovative
interventions to reduce air pollution.
(ii) Water pollution: Why are rivers, lakes,
and groundwater aquifers polluted? How "clean" should
rivers be? What policy measures could reduce water pollution?
Why do farmers over-irrigate their crops from public canals and
what policy measures could be used to motivate them to avoid the
wasteful use of water?
(iii) Land degradation: Why is land degraded?
Which type of land is degraded most and why? Why do farmers not
adopt the required conservation measures on their private land?
What policy measures could reduce land degradation? What is the
optimum level of soil conservation?
(iv) Deforestation: Why are forests degraded?
Why do people living in or around forests resort to illicit
felling of trees and grazing of animals in the forests? What
policy measures could promote afforestation of degraded forest
lands?
(v) Loss of biodiversity: What is the value
of biodiversity conservation? Why do forest dwellers not
appreciate the need for biodiversity conservation? What policy
measures could promote biodiversity conservation? How should the
biodiversity conservation programmes be financed?
(vi) Climate change: Why are people not
concerned over global warming, droughts, and floods? How can the
emissions of greenhouse gases be reduced? Why do nations not
cooperate and act collectively to reduce the emissions of carbon
dioxide and other greenhouse gases? What policy measures at
national and international levels are necessary to improve the
global climate?
(vii) A critical examination of the National
Environment Policy 2006 of India with special reference to the
compatibility of its objectives and the measures and the
requirements of an ideal public policy.
SUBJECT
III
RAINFED
AGRICULTURE
1. Conceptual and definitional issues—terminology: dryland
or rainfed?—should ranfed agriculture refer to all types where
irrigation is nil or minimal?—is there a continuum from
arid,semi-arid to humid and excessive rainfall areas?
2. Typology of rainfed agriculture areas. Some attempt has
been made to define rainfed agriculture by a combination of two
criteria: irrigated area less than 25% and rainfall between
1000mm and 500 mm. It will be useful to develop the typology in
more concrete details such as: identification of districts and
their mapping, sub-categorisation by intensity of water stress,
present development status of agriculture in these districts.
3. A review of regionalisation of Indian agriculture- Agro
Climatic Regional Planning Studies of of Planning Commission and
regions/zones delineated by ICAR- Are these of help in bringing
out the spatial and regional features of rainfed agriculture and
in developing a monitoring framework for changes occurring in
rainfed agriculture in different regions/zones.
4.. National and regional trends in rainfed
agriculture—output growth, trends in land, labour, capital and
their productivities—changing composition of crops-- trends in
high value crops—State-specific studies where rainfed
agriculture dominates--improvements needed in data bases for
aggregative analyses of rainfed agriculture.
5.. Expansion of irrigation—water-saving technologies in
irrigation—impact of these on rainfed agriculture--two
contrasting situations: where irrigation transforms rainfed
agriculture and where it bypasses rainfed agriculture—the
contours of rainfed agriculture when the irrigation potential is
fully exploited—likely scenarios over the next two or three
decades—linking of rivers: feasible or only a dream?
6. Implications of these scenarios for growth and development
strategies for rainfed agriculture—Experiences so far with
measures to support and promote rainfed agriculture and their
lessons for the future— gaps between potential and actual
yields--limits to growth in rainfed agriculture-- scope for
diversification and non-agricultural activities—international
cooperation and sharing of experiences.
7.Local-cum-district level planning for rainfed agriculture
areas—watershed development and a time-frame for completing
it—success stories and their replication —institutional
innovations for sustained development of economic activities in
rainfed agricultural communities—linking the local with region
and larger areas.
8. Promotion of high value crops and value addition in
rainfed agriculture—Investment needs—role of corporates—scope
for exports and present status.
9. Research and extension for rainfed agriculture—current
status, priorities—is the potential created by research fully
utilised?—bottlenecks and prospects
10. Social and economic change in rainfed communities--
poverty, marginalisation of holdings, casualisation of labour—safety
nets, social security and human development programmes—how to
nurture and promote upward mobility among the farmers,
particularly the small and marginal farmers—protection against
weather and market risks.
( This outline is intended to be suggestive and indicative
rather than restrictive. The papers could combine more than one
group of issues listed above so long as they remain within the
size limit prescribed for conference papers)
Prepared
by Sudha Mysore, Scientist,
Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Hessarghatta
Lake Post, Bangalore-560
089 (Karnataka)
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Guidelines for Organisation
of Regional Seminars
The Indian Society of Agricultural Economics has a scheme for
organising Regional Seminars, from time to time, on topics of
current importance. Senior agricultural economists working in
agricultural universities/social science research institutions
would be assigned full responsibility to hold such Seminars
under the auspices of the sponsor University/Department of
Agricultural Economics and Indian Society of Agricultural
Economics. The organisers will need to submit a detailed
synopsis of the subject selected for the Seminar and identify
persons in the region who will be able to submit research-based
papers on the subject. This preparatory work is essential before
the Society could consider financial assistance. The idea is to
promote analysis of region-specific issues supported by field
level research ongoing in the region on selected subjects. The
guidelines for the organisation of the regional Seminars can be
had from the Honorary Secretary of the Society.
- The scholars/institutions proposing to organise such
Seminars are at liberty to select the subjects but the focus
should be on aspects of importance to the region; and on
giving an opportunity to scholars in the region to discuss
their work among themselves and with select senior scholars.
- The scholars proposing to hold such Seminars should submit
to the Society well structured and focused synopses on
regional themes along with a list of the proposed
paper-writers from the concerned region(s). On the basis of
this information the Society would be able to decide on the
financing of the Seminar.
- The number of papers invited for discussion at a Seminar
should be restricted to about 10 to 12 and the number of
participants be limited to about double the number of papers
accepted for discussion but not exceeding 25. The duration
of the Seminar shall be limited to 2-3 days. The organisers
of the Seminar would have the freedom to decide about the
selection of paper-writers from the region concerned as well
as the participants.
- Abstracts of the proposed papers on the subject selected
for the Seminar should be submitted within three months
after they are solicited by the organisers so that they can
form the basis for selection of the
paper-writers/participants. Besides, some invited papers may
also be commissioned.
- The scanning of the Abstracts, and the selection of
paper-writers on the basis thereof will be the
responsibility of the scholars/institutions proposing to
organise the Seminar. Copies of the Abstracts and the list
of selected paper-writers will be submitted to the Society
by the Organisers. The Society will then publish the
detailed synopsis of the proposed Seminar in the ensuing
issue of the Indian Journal of Agricultural Economics.
- It is desirable to ensure that the invitation to
paper-writers is issued well in advance, say about one year
in advance of the holding of the Seminar.
- A first draft of the paper should be submitted by the
selected paper-writers to the organisers within three months
of the approval of the Abstracts. The draft papers would be
peer reviewed and returned to the paper-writers with the
comments of the referees, if any, for revision. The
reference of the first draft of the papers will be made to
the senior scholars experts by the organisers.
- The revised papers should reach the host institution
before 2 months of the date fixed for holding the Seminar,
so that they can be circulated well in advance to all
participants. Copies of the revised papers will be sent to
the Society by the organisers as soon as they are received
from the paper-writers.
- The Society would nominate a senior scholar from the
region to guide the organisation and conduct of the Seminar.
The organisers of the Seminar and the nominated expert
should conduct, guide, and monitor the discussions at the
Seminar, advise the authors to revise their respective
papers in the light of the comments made at the Seminar and
the comments offered by the nominated senior expert for
possible publication by the Society.
- The organisers of the Seminar should also prepare a
summary of the Proceedings of the Seminar and send it to the
President of the Society, immediately after the holding of
the Seminar.
- The Society would provide financial assistance to the host
institution, the proposal of which is accepted by the
Society, to the extent of Rs. 50,000 to meet the expenses of
the Seminar. The organisers of the Seminar should send to
the Society item-wise statement of accounts duly certified
by the head of the Department of the host institution or its
auditors.
- The Society may consider publication of the papers
submitted at the Seminar along with the proceedings. In such
an eventuating, the editing of the papers and proceedings
will need to be done by the organisers.
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Information
on Completed Ph.D. Theses in Agricultural Economics: 2007-2008
The Society publishes a list of approved Ph.D. Theses in
Agricultural Economics in the last issue of the Journal every
year. The Chairman/Heads of the Department of
Economics/Agricultural Economics in Universities and other
institutions in India are requested to kindly send us a list of
completed Ph. D. Theses in their Departments/Institutes during
the academic year 2007-2008 giving the details about the titles
of the Ph.D. theses, name of scholars and Superiors, University
to which the thesis was submitted and the year of acceptance of
the thesis for the Ph.D. award.
Library:
The Library of the Society regularly receives 107 periodicals
on complimentary basis, 135 books and reports etc. were added
during the year 2006-07 bringing the total number of
publications in the Library to 22051.
The Society regularly prepares abstracts of Indian
periodicals as well as of articles published in Indian Journal
of Agricultural Economics for inclusion in World Agricultural
Economics and Rural Sociology Abstracts (WAERSA), Oxon, England.
During the current year 125 abstracts of selected books and
articles published in academic Journals in India during the
years 2006 and 2007 were prepared and sent to CAB International,
Oxon, England for publication in their captioned monthly
Abstract Journal.
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