Zero after Nine is not just a collection of random poems, It is a repertoire of myriad facets of our lives ,our emotions and our worldly beings. The Poet Kaushik Banerjee was a class fellow during our Ravenshaw days .He was known for his doggerel even then. It is a delight to notice that the sporadic libretto from his pen have finally blossomed into this beautiful anthology of poems. The abilities required of a good poet are that of Observation and Description .The leading emotion which underlines this collection is that of melancholy sometimes craftfully masked in nostalgia ,sometimes in desolation and desire and at times in a sense of dj vu. Whether it is Zero After Nine,Years Before and Ordeal the reader is left with a desire to peep a little more,to long a little longer and to wallow more than awhile. While devouring Kaushiks verse a thought which stands out distinctly is the ability of the poetic narration to follow a meticulous observation of things otherwise mundane .The poems like Two Puffs and a Cup and Two Gods One Saturday makes you feel as if you were right there amidst the scene of the poem. In poems such as The Known Tale the poet has also gives wings to his articulate fantasy.
This book addresses the acoustic signal analysis and spectral dynamics of the tanpura, an Indian plucked string instrument. In addition, it strives to provide a logical and objective explanation of Indian classical musicians’ cognitive experience. Issues of relevance in this regard include the rich, mellifluous sound; the undulation of the loudness; the somewhat cyclical variation of the timbre, which is strongly related to these undulations; and the occasional perception of virtual notes to which no strings are tuned. The book analyses the materials used in the tanpura, the instrument’s simple structure, the intricacies of the lower bridge, and the theory of string vibration with variable string length. Cognitive experiments to provide the basis for perceptual quality assessment, as well as a methodology for ranking, are described. This is followed by acoustic analyses, both temporal and spectral, for sounds produced by male and female tanpuras, for each individual string and the combined one. An important aspect related to the naturalness of perceived sound, namely the intrinsically associated random perturbations, is also discussed. The apparent irregularities perceived in the acoustic signal produced by the tanpura reveal the importance of examining the signal from the perspective of non-linear analysis, an aspect that is also covered in the book. Given its scope, the book will appeal to students and researchers in the fields of music acoustics, artificial intelligence, and cognitive science, as well as musicians and musicologists around the world.
Geriatric neuropsychiatry is an integrative activity bridging the fields of psychiatry, neurology, neuroscience and geriatrics. It reflects commitment to the principles that, improved understanding of brain-behavior relationships can lead to a higher quality of life for older individuals. Psychiatric manifestations of neurological disorders and the neurobiological basis of psychiatric disorders are the two pillars standing apart to hold erect the concept of neuropsychiatry. Neuropsychiatry is devoted to understanding the neurobiological basis of human behavior. Measurement of cognitive functio.
One of the central tenets of mainstream economics is Adam Smith's proposition that, given certain conditions, self-interested behavior by individuals leads them to the social good, almost as if orchestrated by an invisible hand. This deep insight has, over the past two centuries, been taken out of context, contorted, and used as the cornerstone of free-market orthodoxy. In Beyond the Invisible Hand, Kaushik Basu argues that mainstream economics and its conservative popularizers have misrepresented Smith's insight and hampered our understanding of how economies function, why some economies fail and some succeed, and what the nature and role of state intervention might be. Comparing this view of the invisible hand with the vision described by Kafka--in which individuals pursuing their atomistic interests, devoid of moral compunction, end up creating a world that is mean and miserable--Basu argues for collective action and the need to shift our focus from the efficient society to one that is also fair. Using analytic tools from mainstream economics, the book challenges some of the precepts and propositions of mainstream economics. It maintains that, by ignoring the role of culture and custom, traditional economics promotes the view that the current system is the only viable one, thereby serving the interests of those who do well by this system. Beyond the Invisible Hand challenges readers to fundamentally rethink the assumptions underlying modern economic thought and proves that a more equitable society is both possible and sustainable, and hence worth striving for. By scrutinizing Adam Smith's theory, this impassioned critique of contemporary mainstream economics debunks traditional beliefs regarding best economic practices, self-interest, and the social good.
This book charts the course of Kaushik Basu’s career over seven years, as he moved out of the cloisters of academe to the frenetic world of policymaking, first in India as Chief Economic Adviser to the Indian Government and after that as Chief Economist at the World Bank in Washington. The Indian years were a period of high inflation, growth challenges (as the global financial crisis arrived in India), and also a remarkable growth recovery story, with India moving past China’s GDP growth rate. There were corruption scandals breaking, causing widespread street protests, a lot of late-night decision-making, which one knew would rock the stock market the next day, and getting to know politicians who were outstanding as statesmen in the midst of all this, and also many who were not. The World Bank years weren’t that close to actual policymaking, but nevertheless breath-taking in their scope. They ranged from interacting with policymakers in tiny remote countries like Samoa to gigantic nations with comparable heft, such as China. It entailed sitting down with leading researchers to compute and announce global numbers on extreme poverty and rankings on how easy it is to do business in different countries (fully aware that there would be calls from irate finance ministers as soon as these were published). And there was the handling of politics within the World Bank, which could actually be as enjoyable as any global economic problem! This book is a revised version of the diary that Kaushik Basu kept for seven years. Revised because he often wrote the diary in a hurry at the day’s or even week’s end. He has now inserted some reflections in retrospect, without altering any descriptions of what actually happened.
Mainstream economics was founded on many strong assumptions. Institutions and politics were treated as irrelevant, government as exogenous, social norms as epiphenomena. As an initial gambit this was fine. But as the horizons of economic inquiry have broadened, these assumptions have become hindrances rather than aids. If we want to understand why some economies succeed and some fail, why some governments are effective and others not, why some communities prosper while others stagnate, it is essential to view economics as embedded in politics and society. Prelude to Political Economy is a study of this embeddedness; it argues for an 'inclusive' approach to institutions and the state. Modern economics recognizes that individuals' pursuit of their own selfish ends can result in socially suboptimal outcomes - the Prisoner's Dilemma being the stark example. It has been suggested that what we need in such an eventuality is 'third-party' intervention, which can take the form of imposing punishment on players. Kaushik Basu objects to this method of wishing third parties out of thin air. He argues that if a third party that could impose its will on others were available, then it should have been modeled as a player to start with. The adoption of such an inclusive approach has implications for our conception of the state and the law. It means that the law cannot be construed as a factor that changes the game that citizens play. It is instead simply a set of beliefs of citizens; and, as such, it is similar to social norms. What the law does for an economy, so can social norms. The book discusses how the nature of policy advice and our conception of state power are affected by this altered view of the state and the law. As corollaries, the book addresses a variety of important social and philosophical questions, such as whether the state should guarantee freedom of speech, whether determinism is compatible with free will, and whether the free market can lead to coercion.
‘Philosophy has to be deductive, poetry romantic, plays and fiction humorous, and politics intriguing if they are to catch my attention,’ writes Kaushik Basu. All these interests are on display in An Economist’s Miscellany, which brings together an eclectic collection of writings on the world of academe, politics, policy, travel, and more. This book offers unique glimpses of the author’s engagement with the world: his opinions on contemporary policies and economic issues; his exploration of different parts of the world; and his reflections on people, ideas, and books that have influenced him. An Economist’s Miscellany also puts on display his literary forays—translations of two hilarious Bengali short stories and a four-act play on academe, love, and cultural misunderstandings. This second and much-expanded edition of the book features a new set of essays that reflects the author’s dual perspective of the world: one from the groves of academe and one from the olicymaker’s perch. In the world of policymaking, he was not just an observer but an active participant, and many of the new essays dwell on ideas gathered from this hands-on engagement.
India is the world's tenth largest economy and possesses the world's fourth largest military. The subcontinent houses about one-fifth of the world's population and its inhabitants are divided into various tribes, clans and ethnic groups following four great religions: Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam. Framing the debate using case studies from across the region as well as China, Afghanistan and Burma and using a wealth of primary and secondary sources this incisive volume takes a closer look at the organization and doctrines of the 'shadow armies' and the government forces which fight the former. Arranged in a thematic manner, each chapter critically asks; Why stateless marginal groups rebel? How do states attempt to suppress them? What are the consequences in the aftermath of the conflict especially in relation to conflict resolution and peace building? Unconventional Warfare in South Asia is a welcomed addition to the growing field of interest on civil wars and insurgencies in South Asia. An indispensable read which will allow us to better understand whether South Asia is witnessing a 'New War' and whether the twenty-first century belongs to the insurgents.
This book analyses 100 years of Hindi cinema, India’s principal film industry, to explore how much space it has given to Mahatma Gandhi, the most prominent leader of the Indian struggle for freedom, and his principles. It compares films on Gandhi with the written literature on him, and juxtaposes the celluloid Gandhi with the man who walked on the earth ‘ever in flesh and blood’. From his childhood through his legal practice in South Africa to his non-violent struggle against the British Empire in India, the book covers all major events of his life and their portrayal on the silver screen.
This book traces the evolution of theories of warfare in India from the dawn of civilization, focusing on the debate between Dharmayuddha (Just War) and Kutayuddha (Unjust War) within Hindu philosophy. This debate centers around four questions: What is war? What justifies it? How should it be waged? And what are its potential repercussions?
This book deals with every aspect of oceanography in detail including various aspects of physical, chemical, geological, and biological discourse. ‘Earth and Planetary Science’ is perhaps the oldest, dynamic, and ever-evolving subject. Oceanography is one of its domains, which has become important in the present date, given the ubiquitous and undeniable climate change that we are experiencing. The subject domain of oceanography encompasses several environmental issues, which need serious attention from the present scientific community. Despite the ocean’s significant role in the collective well-being of the human race, a multitude of anthropogenic activities has drastically polluted and degraded several crucial oceanic ecosystems within a short span. This book aims to present a concise yet succinct introduction to Oceanography as a subject and at the same time highlight the cutting-edge topics of research encompassing marine pollution, coastal processes, and many other associated phenomena. Oceanography is an interdisciplinary emerging subject and students all over the world who come from varied disciplines are pursuing it as higher studies. Long sections are devoted to ocean–atmosphere interaction, tides, waves, and related coastal processes. The book represents a comprehensive idea of human activities bestowing the ocean with particular reference to Indian examples. This book helps to understand marine pollution and the behavior of oil, plastic, and other agents in the light of real-world examples and empirical models. Harnessing electricity from waves and tides is a technological advancement in the field of unconventional energy. The vast resources of the ocean like oil, mineral, methane hydrate, and their proper estimation and exploitation is the topic of discussion in the third part of the book. This book is designated to meet the essential needs of the students studying oceanography and marine science. It may be helpful to professional oceanographers also.
This book focusses on the spacer engineering aspects of novel MOS-based device–circuit co-design in sub-20nm technology node, its process complexity, variability, and reliability issues. It comprehensively explores the FinFET/tri-gate architectures with their circuit/SRAM suitability and tolerance to random statistical variations.
This volume traces the historical roots and evolution of insurgencies and counter-insurgencies in modern Asia. Focusing on armed rebellions and use of armed forces by both Western powers and indigenous states from the nineteenth century till present day, the volume unravels the problematic of change–continuity and addresses key questions on the nature of warfare. The book looks at eight different regions of Asia: US counter-insurgencies in Philippines; the British initiative in Indonesia and independent Indonesia’s counter-insurgency against its domestic populace; post-World War II Malaya; French and US war in Vietnam; British and Indian counter-insurgencies in North-East India between the nineteenth and early twenty-first century; Indian and Sri Lankan operations in Sri Lanka during late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries; British and US-NATO war in Afghanistan from the nineteenth century till 2014; and British and US counter-insurgency in Iraq during the twentieth and first two decades of the twenty-first centuries. The volume will greatly interest scholars and researchers of modern Asian history, military and strategic studies, politics and international relations as well as government institutions and think-tanks.
The brief primarily focuses on the performance analysis of CNT based interconnects in current research scenario. Different CNT structures are modeled on the basis of transmission line theory. Performance comparison for different CNT structures illustrates that CNTs are more promising than Cu or other materials used in global VLSI interconnects. The brief is organized into five chapters which mainly discuss: (1) an overview of current research scenario and basics of interconnects; (2) unique crystal structures and the basics of physical properties of CNTs, and the production, purification and applications of CNTs; (3) a brief technical review, the geometry and equivalent RLC parameters for different single and bundled CNT structures; (4) a comparative analysis of crosstalk and delay for different single and bundled CNT structures; and (5) various unique mixed CNT bundle structures and their equivalent electrical models.
Virtually all industrialized nations have annual per capita incomes greater than $15,000; meanwhile, over three billion people, more than half the worlds population, live in countries with per capita incomes of less than $700. Development economics studies the economies of such countries and the problems they face, including poverty, chronic underemployment, low wages, rampant inflation, and oppressive international debt. In the past two decades, the international debt crisis, the rise of endogenous growth theory, and the tremendous success of some Asian economies have generated renewed interest in development economics, and the field has grown and changed dramatically. Although Analytical Development Economics deals with theoretical development economics, it is closely grounded in reality. The author draws on a wide range of evidence, including some gathered by himself in the village of Nawadih in the state of Bihar, India, where—in huts and fields, and in front of the village tea stall—he talked with landlords, tenants, moneylenders, and landless laborers. The author presents theoretical results in such a way that those doing empirical work can go out and test the theories. The book is a revision of Basu's The Less Developed Economy: A Critique of Contemporary Theory (Blackwell, 1984). The new edition, which has several new chapters and sections, incorporates recent theoretical advances in its comprehensive, up-to-date treatment of the subject. It is intended primarily as a textbook for a one-semester graduate course, but will also be of interest to researchers in economic development and to policymakers.
Aims to do behaviour modification of mentally ratarded through their parents. Several parental training techniques have been experimentally analysed one at a time. Demonstrates that given parent training technique, the parents can be trained to become successful change agents. The parent training approach can then become a viable substitute to chronic institutionalization of the mentally retarded.
A substantial amount of work has been carried out to explore the military systems of Western Europe during the early modern era, but the military trajectories of the Asian states have received relatively little attention. This study provides the first comparative study of the major Asian empires' military systems and explores the extent of the impact of West European military transition on the extra-European world. Kaushik Roy conducts a comparative analysis of the armies and navies of the large agrarian bureaucratic empires of Asia, focusing on the question of how far the Asian polities were able to integrate gunpowder weapons in their military systems. Military Transition in Early Modern Asia, 1400-1750 offers important insights into the common patterns in war making across the region, and the impact of firearms and artillery.
This book presents an overview on security and privacy issues in dynamic sensor networks and Internet of Things (IoT) networks and provides a novel tamper evident technique to counter and defend against these security related issues. The mission of this book is to explain the evolution of techniques and strategies in securing information transfer and storage thus facilitating a digital transition towards the modern tamper evident systems. The goal is also to aid business organizations that are dependent on the analysis of the large volumes of generated data in securing and addressing the associated growing threat of attackers relentlessly waging attacks and the challenges in protecting the confidentiality, integrity and provenance of data. The book also provides a comprehensive insight into the secure communication techniques and tools that have evolved and the impact they have had in supporting and flourishing the business through the cyber era. This book also includes chapters that discuss the most primitive encryption schemes to the most recent use of homomorphism in ensuring the privacy of the data thus leveraging greater use of new technologies like cloud computing and others.
This book is written in a lucid and systematic way for advanced postgraduates and researchers studying applied mathematics, plasma physics, nonlinear differential equations, nonlinear optics, and other engineering branches where nonlinear wave phenomena is essential.In sequential order of the book's development, readers will understand basic plasmas with elementary definitions of magnetized and unmagnetized plasmas, plasma modeling, dusty plasma and quantum plasma. Following which, the book describes linear and nonlinear waves, solitons, shocks and other wave phenomena, while solutions to common nonlinear wave equations are derived via standard techniques. Readers are introduced to elementary perturbation and non-perturbation methods. They will discover several evolution equations in different plasma situations as well as the properties of solitons in those environments. Pertaining to those equations, readers will learn about their higher order corrections, as well as their different forms and solutions in non-planar geometry. The book offers further studies on different types of collisions between solitons in plasma environment, phenomena of soliton turbulence as a consequence of multi-soliton interactions, properties of large amplitude solitary waves which are discovered via non-perturbative Sagdeev's Pseudopotential Approach, as well as the speed and shape of solitons. Finally, the book reveals possible future developments of research in this rich field.
Recent advances in semiconductor technology offer vertical interconnect access (via) that extend through silicon, popularly known as through silicon via (TSV). This book provides a comprehensive review of the theory behind TSVs while covering most recent advancements in materials, models and designs. Furthermore, depending on the geometry and physical configurations, different electrical equivalent models for Cu, carbon nanotube (CNT) and graphene nanoribbon (GNR) based TSVs are presented. Based on the electrical equivalent models the performance comparison among the Cu, CNT and GNR based TSVs are also discussed.
This book presents a comprehensive survey of warfare in India up to the point where the British began to dominate the sub-continent. It discusses issues such as how far was the relatively bloodless nature of pre-British Indian warfare the product of stateless Indian society? How far did technology determine the dynamics of warfare in India? Did warfare in this period have a particular Indian nature and was it ritualistic? The book considers land warfare including sieges, naval warfare, the impact of horses, elephants and gunpowder, and the differences made by the arrival of Muslim rulers and by the influx of other foreign influences and techniques. The book concludes by arguing that the presence of standing professional armies supported by centralised bureaucratic states have been underemphasised in the history of India.
Military Thought of Asia challenges the assertion that the generation of rational secular ideas about the conduct of warfare is the preserve of the West, by analysing the history of ideas of warfare in Asia from the ancient period to the present. The volume takes a transcontinental and comparative approach to provide a broad overview of the evolution of military thought in Asia. The military traditions and theories which have emerged in different parts of Eurasia throughout history are products of geopolitics and unique to the different regions. The book considers the systematic and tight representation of ideas by famous figures including Kautlya and Sun Tzu. At the same time, it also highlights publications on military affairs by small men like mid-ranking officers and scattered ideas regarding the origin, nature and societal impact of organised violence present in miscellaneous sources like coins, inscriptions, paintings and fictional literature. In so doing, the book fills a historiographical gap in scholarship on military thought, which marginalises Asia to the part of cameo, and historicises the evolution of theory and the praxis of warfare. The volume shows that the ‘East’ has a long unbroken tradition of conceptualising war and its place in society from the Classical Era to the Information Age. It is essential reading for those interested in the evolution of military thought throughout history, particularly in Asia.
The cost of drug development is increasing, and investment returns are decreasing. The number of drugs approved by FDA is in decline in terms of the number of new molecular entities (NMEs). Amongst the reasons noted for this are the adverse side effects and reduced efficiency of many of the potential compounds. This is a problem both for the pharmaceutical industry and for those suffering from diseases for which there are no or few available treatments. Advances in computational chemistry, computer science, structural biology and molecular biology have all contributed to improved drug design strategies and reduced the time taken for drug discovery. By interfacing cheminformatics and bioinformatics with systems biology we can create a powerful tool for understanding the mechanisms of patho-physiological systems and identifying lead molecules for various diseases. This integration of drug design approaches can also play a crucial role in the prediction and rationalization of drug effects and side effects, improving safety and efficacy and leading to better approval rates. Addressing the lack of knowledge on the fundamental aspects of the various computational tools for drug discovery, this book is a compilation of recent bioinformatics and cheminformatics approaches, and their integration with systems biology. Written primarily for researchers and academics in chem- and bioinformatics, it may also be a useful resource for advanced-level students.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has emerged as a global health threat. Unfortunately, there are very limited approved therapeutics available with established efficacy and safety profiles against SARS-CoV-2. COVID-19 vaccines aim to actively induce systemic immunization; however, the possibility or fear of side effects decreases or discourages their use. Alternative therapy via natural products, especially essential oils, could be considered safe and effective to improve health, cure ailments, and soothe your body and mind. Essential oils, which have been known for their anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, bronchodilatory, and antiviral properties, could possibly be useful for the symptomatic management of COVID-19. This book is vital in respect of designing approaches to protect humanity from further losses and harm due to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Role of Essential Oils in the Management of COVID-19 offers a complete outline of the recent novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) infection, its biology, and associated challenges for the prevention and treatment of novel COVID-19, with a prime focus on the possible role of essential oils in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. This book is written for everyone who needs to be thoroughly familiar with the appropriate and safe use of essential oils in COVID-19 therapy. As per the objectives of the book: The first seven chapters cover various aspects of COVID-19 infection, including epidemiology, origin, morphology, genome organization, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, diagnostic approaches, preventive measures, and treatment strategies. The remaining chapters elaborate on the various aspects related to essential oils, such as chemistry, extraction methods, dispensing methods, stability, quality control, mechanism of action, therapeutic effects, pharmacokinetics, aromatherapy, and safety profiles. Prof. Ahmed Al-Harrasi is Vice Chancellor for Graduate Studies, Research and External Relations, Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center, and Professor of Organic Chemistry, University of Nizwa, Oman. Prof. Ahmed received his M.Sc. degree in Chemistry followed by his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Berlin. He then pursued his postdoctoral research at Cornell University. Afterward, he continued his research rigor at the University of Nizwa, where he founded the Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center, which has now become a center of excellence in natural and medical sciences. While enduring his research aptitude, he has authored and co-authored more than 400 scientific papers, 2 books, and 12 book chapters of high repute. Dr. Saurabh Bhatia graduated from Kurukshetra University, followed by postgraduation from Bharati Vidyapeeth University. He received his Ph.D in Pharmaceutical Technology at Jadavpur University. He now works as an Associate Professor at Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, Oman. He has 12 years of academic experience; has authored 75 articles and 9 books of repute; and filed 11 patents.
‘IAF Strikes @ 0328 hours’ is a comprehensive account of the events that unfolded that night. I want to express that whatever surfaced following the attacks in the Indian media is largely true. On the other hand, whatever surfaced in Pakistan is imaginative, at best. I want to congratulate Mr. Mukesh Kaushik and Mr. Sanjay Singh, for this book. Their efforts and attention to detail is highly commendable.—Air Marshal C. Hari KumarFormer Chief of Western Air Command
Basu writes from a unique perspectiveneither that of the career bureaucrat nor that of the traditional researcher. Plunged into the deal-making, non-hypothetical world of policymaking, Basu suffers from a kind of culture shock and views himself at first as an anthropologist or scientist, gathering observations of unfamiliar phenomena. He addresses topics that range from the macroeconomicfiscal and monetary policiesto the granulardesigning grain auctions and policies to assure everyone has access to basic food. Basu writes about globalization and India's period of unprecedented growth, and he reports that at a dinner hosted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, President Obama joked to him, {28}You should give this guy some tips.
This book comprises of thoughts focusing towards helping others, act of humanity/kindness. This book was made with a believe to help the government in the lieu of COVID-19 pandemic in upscaling donations.
Effective policymaking is based on economics which is a blend of empiricism as well as theory. It needs to be grounded not only in data, statistics, and the regularities observed therein, but also analytics, deductive reasoning, and logic, which are the constituents of theory. Published during 2009–16, the seven years that Basu spent as a policymaker—first as chief economic adviser to the Government of India and then as chief economist of the World Bank—this volume draws on the work done by empirical economists and is rooted in analytics, even while addressing practical, down-to-earth problems. The papers having a direct bearing on economic policymaking in this quintessential compilation range from topics such as financial regulation, global policy coordination, aspects of the Indian economy like fiscal and monetary policy design, inflation management, food-grain policy and, more generally, the influence of theory on government policymaking. The volume addresses some of the most compelling challenges of our times, from the global financial crisis and sub-prime mortgage breakdown to corruption control and the design of interventions to provide subsidized food to the disadvantaged segments of society.
The Book is an anthology of 52 poems. The title ‘Rhyme of the Century’ is a takeoff from a progressive rock album by the British Band ‘Supertramp’ called Crime of the Century (1974), which was hailed globally on release. Even today after almost 50 years of release, the album is widely hailed as one of the top 200 albums of all time. The book contains 3 sections, Places/ People and Thoughts. The places have mostly been visited by the author and the people are all real, with fictitious names. Thoughts are emotions felt by the author at various times, more so after his training as a qualified personal counsellor and dealing with clients/ groups. The book is thus structured in a manner so that the reader reads one poem a week, absorbs the contents and is made to think about the topic. This way, reading the complete book would take one full year.
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