International Conference on Global Interdependence in Decision Sciences
28-30 December 2009 Opening Remarks by the Director General, ASCI
Shri S.R. Rao, Prof Chandrasekhar, Distinguished participants from India, Georgia, Hong Kong, Korea, New Zealand, Portugal, Thailand, the USA, the United Arab Emirates, and fellow participants from ASCI:
It gives me great pleasure to add my words of welcome to those of Prof Chandrasekhar to all of you who have come from far and near to participate in this Conference. You represent diverse disciplines, backgrounds and countries – and, apart from promoting contact and friendship across borders, this diversity can only enrich the quality of discussions at this Conference.
I am particularly pleased that we have with us Sri S.R. Rao, Additional Secretary to the Government of India, to whose Inaugural Address we greatly look forward to listen.
And we have many distinguished civil servants or academicians or scientists – Prof Karuna Jain, Sri Naresh Kumar, Prof Indrani Bose, Prof Raj V. Ponnaluri - who shall be addressing the full gathering after tea break following this inaugural session.
Decision Sciences are an important breed of our thought. They are relevant to a wide number of areas in which, one way or the other, we are confronted with the task of taking decisions that have a profound impact on our lives.
A particular challenge that we, as managers and policy makers, face is how to formulate some approaches to deal with the problem of decision making under conditions of uncertainty.
This is a problem that is most particular in the context of social, rather than, natural, sciences. Following Karl Popper, as George Soros, the Fund Manager, observed, ‘in natural phenomena, there is a causal chain that links one set of facts directly with the next’. In social affairs, however, the course of events is more complicated – as human beings have both a cognitive role and a manipulative role: that is to say, human beings, as participants, both seek to understand the situation they are in, and influence it at the same time. This leads to uncertainty, for we cannot always predict with certainty how human beings will react in any situation.
Part of the uncertainty is rooted in imperfect understanding of the situations in which human beings are operating, and also because of the indeterminacy of the impact of one participant’s decision on the other and the complicated loops of reaction that it results. We are, therefore, forced to operate in an environment that is indeterminate to different degrees – as can be seen in the behaviour of financial markets.
John Maynard Keynes, the British economist, who started his academic life by doing the Mathematics Tripos at Cambridge, and wrote a ‘treatise on probability’, was much seized with the question of whether one can take rational decisions in conditions in which it is not possible to determine numerically definite possibilities of future states of the world – that is under conditions of ‘uncertainty’, that typically inform the social condition of human beings.
As we all know, a difficulty with establishing numerically definite possibilities or mathematical expectations about the future course of events is that the ‘inductive’ or the frequency theory of probability is possible only when we have either the historical data to garner lessons from, or can conduct experiments, and note the results.
However, even when we have such results at our disposal, we cannot, alas, assume that human beings have not learnt from their previous experience, or that they will behave in exactly the same way as they had previously behaved, because humans learn from experience.
We often assume that there is full information before making a decision, but full information is often a rarity in life.
There is also the difficulty that where knowledge is available, the inductive knowledge that we have can only cover the situations that have already happened – not to situations that are in the realm of possibility but have not yet happened.
The question, then, is: is it possible to have a framework in which one can take decisions which one can consider ‘rational’ or ‘reasonable’?
Keynes’ view is that in such situations, it is quite legitimate to supplement ‘inductive probability’ with ‘intuitive probability’. That is, given the range of situations that one is likely to confront in which there is no evidential weight necessarily available to guide us, we have to use our intuition on how events might shape up given our knowledge of the material and human world.
Indeed, the use of conventions to fill in the gaps left by numerical weights of probability is an instance of this.
He also attached weight to the general state of ‘pessimism’ or ‘optimism’ – or what he called ‘the animal spirits’ – in a nation in understanding or predicting the course of future events, and, therefore, for taking decisions on what to do in the present – for example, whether to take a risk in undertaking investment or not.
I believe the approach of Keynes to dealing with decision making under conditions of uncertainty has implications for contexts other than narrow economics.
We should also remember that, when we face a multiple choice of options, there is a cost to not taking decisions on the ground that we do not know whether we are taking the right decision or not!
I believe it is for reasons such as these that we see many societies fall back on conventions – such as using the astrological calendars that set out what are auspicious or not auspicious moments. There may be considerable risk associated with these decisions, but it is better than the risk of not taking any decision at all!
I would like to conclude by wishing the Conference every success. And I hope all of you will have an enjoyable and fruitful stay at ASCI.
S.K. Rao
28 December 2009
January 4 th 2010
ASCI-PROFESSOR HONORED WITH BEST TEACHER IN RETAIL MANAGEMENT AWARD
Dr.Anirban Sengupta, Professor (Marketing) has been honored with Best Teacher In Retail Management award at the 17th Business School Affaire & Dewang Mehta Business School Awards held at Taj Lands End, Mumbai on November 5, 2009.
The Dewang Mehta Business School Award recognizes talent and leadership amongst the Business schools across India. The Awards are supported by Ms. Shaila Mehta-Director, Onward Foundation for Dewang Mehta awards.
Dr. Sengupta holds his PhD in the area of evolution and growth of organized retail in India. He has published and presented papers on retailing at the international level and over the last five years have been invited by several business schools including IIM Kozhikode; IIM Indore; XIM Bhubaneshwar; FLAME Pune; ISB&M Pune; GITAM Vizag; DC School of Management, Trivendrum; Goa University, etc. to teach the subject Retail Management. Besides, he served as core faculty at Goa Institute of Management before joining ASCI - wherein also he has taught this subject.
Dr. Sengupta has played leadership roles across industries. Prior to retail, he spent eight years in the credit-rating industry – initially with CRISIL and then with FITCH Ratings as Vice President. And currently he holds the position of Director, Center For Healthcare Management at ASCI.
January 4 th 2010
ASCI Public Lecture by Prof. Mukul Asher: 7 January 2010
Prof. Mukul Asher, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, had delivered a public lecture on Social Security Reforms in India—The Way Forward, on 7 January 2010, at ASCI, Bella Vista, CR-1, 5.45 pm.
December 22 nd 2009
ASCI Faculty Member Wins Social Science Research Award 2009
Dr Subodh Kandamuthan, Assistant Professor, at the Administrative Staff College of India, has won the IDRC India Social Science Research Award 2009 in the area of Equity in Health systems, for the paper ‘Equity in Health: A Study of the Fishing Community in Coastal Kerala in South India’.
The IDRC India Social Science Research Award 2009 is about celebrating best research practices in social sciences in India on the occasion of 25 years of IDRC’s regional office presence in India. The Award seeks to recognize young talent and celebrate research that has demonstrated impact on policy and practice, or has enhanced public understanding of behavioral & social science principles.
The IDRC India Social Science Research Award was given out for best research practices in the following five areas: Enhancing Food Security, Climate Change and Adaptation, Rural Innovation Systems, Equity in Health Systems, and Social Inclusion.
The paper by Dr Subodh Kandamuthan studied the equity in health issues among the Fishing Community of Coastal Kerala in South India. The study looked into the costs of illness among members of the fishing community in Kerala and their willingness to pay for health insurance. It concludes that, apart from improving the existing health systems, there is a need for the government to look at alternate financing mechanisms like health insurance and also encourage public- private partnerships.
The award was presented to Dr Subodh Kandamuthan at the Award Gala Function on 19th December 2009 in New Delhi. The Award includes a Winner Certificate, Winner’s Medallion and a Cash Award of Rs. 40,000.
December 15 th 2009
Shri Kamal Kumar, Adviser at ASCI, submits Recruitment Plan for the Indian Police Service
The one-man Committee on “Recruitment Plan (2009-2020) for the Indian Police Service” headed by Shri Kamal Kumar, currently Adviser at ASCI, and formerly Director-General of the SVP National Police Academy, Hyderabad, submitted its Report to the Ministry of Home Affairs on 15 October 2009.
The Report pointed to the grave neglect in determining the number of candidates to be recruited to the Indian Police Service in the Civil Service Examination over several years in the past – resulting in a significant shortfall in recruitment. The Report recommended that that the annual recruitment between 2009-10 and 2019- 20 be fixed at 130 and that a limited competitive examination also be conducted for seven years to recruit an additional 448 candidates. This limited competitive examination will be open only to directly recruited Dy. Supdts of Police of the various State & Central Police Organisatios, providing a fast-track channel to them for induction into the IPS.
The Home Minister of India received the Report and directed that it be processed expeditiously for implementation with immediate effect.
Shri Kamal Kumar, who has an Office at ASCI, participates in several ASCI programmes on issues dealing with security and public order.
December 12 th 2009
Seminar on Renewable Energy Projects in South Asia
ASCI, Hyderabad, India 20-21 December 2009
At the request of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Energy Centre (SEC), established by SAARC, a group of experts drawn from SAARC countries led by Mr T L Sankar, Visiting Honorary Professor at the Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI), Hyderabad, completed a study on ‘Critical Factors in Determining the Success of Renewable Energy (RE) Projects in South Asia’.
Founding member countries of SAARC are: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Afghanistan has since joined SAARC.
The study has the following objectives:
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To review the renewable energy initiatives taken by the SAARC countries during the past 30 years.
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To identify the factors that have primarily been responsible for their success or their failure with primary focus on stand-alone wind power, solar photovoltaic and other renewable energy projects especially those in the remote locations.
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To disseminate experience of success as well as failure of RE projects among the key stakeholders involved in development of renewable energy in the region.
The study drew on the experiences of participating countries.
To promote discussion on the findings of the Study, a Seminar will be held at the Administrative Staff College of India, Hyderabad, on 20 and 21 December, 2009. Those interested in participating in the Seminar may kindly contact:
Internship Placements of ASCI PGDHM Final Year Students
The Administrative Staff College of India runs an AICTE-approved Two-year Full Time Post-graduate Diploma Program in Hospital Management (PGDHM). The program is run in a semester format by the Center for Healthcare Management of ASCI. The last and final semester comprises of a full-time Internship - each student has to undertake this Internship with a hospital or healthcare organization.
The current batch of final year students will be starting their Internships from end December 2009. ASCI is pleased to announce that leading hospitals from around the country including the Apollo Hospital, the Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences and Yashoda Superspecialty from Hyderabad, Narayana Hrudalaya and Wockhardt from Bangalore, Escorts, FORTIS and Max Healthcare from New Delhi, Medica Synergie from Kolkata, Hinduja Hospital and Bhatia Hospital from Mumbai, Kovai Medical College & Hospitals from Coimbatore - have offered placements to the ASCI trainees with good stipends.
December 1 st 2009
ASCI Completes a Study for National Council for Rural Institutes, Hyderabad
To provide opportunities for education and acquisition of skills for rural population, who often finds them expensive and inaccessible, the National Council of Rural Institutes (NCRI), Hyderabad, an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India, has been networking with institutions that are seeking to implement Gandhiji’s ideas of rural development and rural transformation.
At the request of the NCRI, the Administrative Staff College of India, (ASCI), Hyderabad took up the task of monitoring and evaluating such projects. The study covered the activities of 13 rural institutes in eight states in rural higher education, vocational studies, Gandhian studies, entrepreneurship development and networking of rural institutes. The study offered a new framework for monitoring ongoing projects and for evaluation of completed ones and for developing strategies for capacity building programmes in:
Teacher training (with focus on children);
Peace and conflict resolution (with focus on youth);
Micro planning (with focus on Panchayati Raj institutions)
Dr. Pitabasa Sahoo, Associate Professor at the Centre for Poverty Studies and Rural Development of ASCI, carried out the study.
Dr. V. Krishnamurthy,Member,ASCI Court of Governors, and Chairman, National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council, Min. of Commerce, Govt. of India, had delivered the ASCI Foundation DayLecture on Development of a Competitive Manufacturing Industry on 4 Dec 2009, Friday, at 5.30 p.m. in Conference Room-1, ASCI, Bella Vista.
December 1 st 2009
Foundation Day Lecture by Dr. V. Krishnamurthy: 4 Dec 2009
Dr. V. Krishnamurthy, Member,ASCI Court of Governors, and Chairman, National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council, Min. of Commerce, Govt. of India, had delivered the ASCI Foundation DayLecture on Development of a Competitive Manufacturing Industry on 4 Dec 2009, Friday, at 5.30 p.m. in Conference Room-1, ASCI, Bella Vista.
November 26 th 2009
Panel discussion on, “Internationalization of Indian Higher Education: The Impact of Foreign Universities in India”
Will the entry of foreign universities increase the gap between the rich and the poor students? How will it affect Indian culture and ethos? Is the entry of foreign universities just another moneymaking proposition? How will the entry of foreign institutions impact the curricula and content, admissions and fees, opening up or protectionism, equity and access, and quality? These were the issues that were discussed as part of a very lively panel discussion on Internationalization of Indian Higher Education: The Impact of Foreign Universities in India at ASCI’s Bella Vista Campus on Friday, November 20th, 2009.
Prof. Arun Nigavekar, eminent educationist and former Chair, University Grants Commission, and Mr. Cornelius M Keur, Consul General of the United States in Hyderabad, made presentations on the subject and also led the panel. Academia from local universities, former Fulbright Fellows, officials of the State Council for Higher Education, participated in the discussion. While some pointed to the value that foreign universities could bring to India, several other participants have also expressed serious concerns regarding the impact that the presence of foreign universities may have on Indian educational institutions and on the citizen’s education. In the end, the over extended discussion ended on the Gandhian note that India and Indians must be open to ideas and opportunities from everywhere but not be swayed away by any one of them.
The event was designed to kick-start and push ASCI’s engagement with current themes in higher education, leadership and governance.
November 26 th 2009
ASCI’s Programme on Results Based Management at Dhaka
At the invitation of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Administrative Staff College of India conducted a Programme on Results Based Management at Dhaka, Bangladesh for the officials of the Food Processing and Monitoring Unit of the Govt. of Bangladesh, and 11 Administrative Ministries working with FPMU. Twenty participants attended this programme with designations ranging from Research Directors, Senior Assistant Chief, and Senior Assistant Secretary etc. The programme was delivered as part of the activities of the National Food Policy Capacity Strengthening Programme (NFPCSP), which is jointly implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN and the Food Planning and Monitoring Unit (FPMU), Ministry of Food and Disaster Management, Government of Bangladesh with financial support from the European Commission and USAID.
The main aim of the programme was to help the officials responsible for implementing the National Food Security Policy and Strategy of Bangladesh to develop plans with focus on results.
The programme was led by Dr. B. Kinnera Murthy, Professor and Chairperson of Strategic Management Area, along with Dr. A A Firdausi, Professor, Human Resource Management. The programme was designed with a practical orientation. The approach of ASCI faculty in relating to Bangladesh ground realities was highly appreciated. The programme was a great success not only as evident from the feed back of the programme, but also because of the unprecedented attendance in the training programme, as compared to all the other training programmes which FPMU has undergone earlier. A couple of participants remarked that the practical orientation made all the concepts of Results Based Management such as impacts, outputs, outcomes, risks and assumptions very clear to them for the first time, even though they were introduced to these concepts earlier.
The programme is likely to lead to more training interventions both at Dhaka and in Hyderabad. It is even more gratifying that this has replicated our earlier intervention with the FAO project in Syria a couple of years back, where training by ASCI was appreciated for its utility and delivery.
November 17 th 2009
Panel Discussion on Internationalization of Indian Higher Education: 20 Nov 09
What does the entry of foreign universities in India mean for Indian students? Will it mean better or more expensive education? Can Indian universities meet the challenge that foreign universities pose?
These issues will be discussed and debated during a panel discussion on Internationalization of Indian Higher Education: The Impact of Foreign Universities in India at the Administrative Staff College of India, Bella Vista, on Friday, 20 November 2009, at 5 p.m. Prof. Arun Nigavekar, eminent educationist and former Chair, University Grants Commission, and Mr. Cornelius Keur, Consul General of the United States in Hyderabad, will be leading the discussion. Dr. S. K. Rao, Director General of ASCI, will also participate in the panel discussion.
Also attending the meeting will be a large number of Vice Chancellors, academics and Fulbright Fellows, who will gather as part of the International Education Week, 16-20 November. The discussion will kick-start a longer engagement by intellectuals and the larger community on the key issues-such as access, equity, quality and resources-that affect Indian higher education today.
For more details, contact Prof. Usha Vyasulu Reddi, Professor and Chair, Human Development,
at ASCI on 66534260; ureddi@asci.org.in
November 12 th 2009
ASCI hosts a Round Table on “Eco Industrial Parks"
In collaboration with the German Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), ASCI has hosted a Round Table on “Echo Industrial Parks” on 31st October, 2009. The Round Table facilitated sharing of lessons learnt and experiences from the on-going efforts in developing Echo Industrial Parks. The participants in the Round Table included the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Limited (APIIC), Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB), GTZ, Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and public and private companies involved in providing services such as CETPs, waste management facility, industrial park logistics, etc.
Mr B.P. Acharya, Chairman and Managing Director, APIIC, in his keynote address, emphasized the need to go beyond ‘tokenism’ to field actions. He said that APIIC is willing to develop services and industrial parks to world class standards. The Round Table discussed a number of themes related to the development of industrial infrastructure, management of environment, effluent treatment plant and cleaner production process. Other institutions that participated in the Round Table, included the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board, GTZ, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and various public and private companies.
ASCI conducts an MDP for Small and Medium Enterprises
The Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are a significant and growing sector in many developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. In recognition of the fact that many of them can gain from enhanced skills in the management of finance, marketing, human resources and operations, the Administrative Staff College of India in collaboration with the Commonwealth Secretariat in London and Norfund-Aureos, has been organizing training programmes for managers and entrepreneurs of SMEs. The latest example of this is the programme it conducted for SMEs of the Pacific region at Madang, Papua New Guinea from 26th to 30th October, 2009.
Twenty participants from PNG, Tonga, Vanuatu and Fiji representing SMEs at middle to senior management levels, participated in the programme. The programme was designed to provide the participants an insight into the globally benchmarked best practices in management with learning focus on integrating functional business processes with enterprise level strategy.
The programme was led by Dr. Hemnath Rao, Professor & Director, Centre for Poverty Studies and Rural Development, with support from Prof. Raj V. Ponnaluri, Area Chairperson, Procurement, Operations, Materials and Project Management and Information Systems and Dr. B. Lakshmi, Professor, Centre for Public Policy, Governance and Performance. Mr. David Ashiagbor from the Comonwealth Secretariat, London, Mr. Howard ARU from Center for Development of Enterprise, Vanuatu and Mr. Andrew Crompton from Pacific Capital Partners, Brisbane, served as observers.
Three members of the faculty from the Divine Word University, Madang in PNG also participated in conducting the programme.
The programme received a positive feedback and was widely appreciated.
November 4 th 2009
ASCI Completes a Study for Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board
ASCI, commissioned by the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board (RSPCB), had developed an expansion and restructuring plan for the Board.
The study was completed in two phases.
Phase I
A SWOT analysis was conducted keeping in view multi-dimensional responsibilities;
A review, of the existing systems and procedures followed in discharging statutory responsibilities, was undertaken;
Necessary suggestions were given to improve upon the identified areas.
Phase II
A study of the existing manpower and structure was conducted;
Recommendations for suitable organizational restructuring, keeping in view the mandate of RSPCB, were given.
The study was undertaken to help RSPCB:
Implement different statutory mandates, under the given provisions of environmental laws;
Strengthen the organization, for evolving an effective delivery and monitoring system.
A team of experts led by Mr. G Bala Subramanyam, Advisor, Environment Area, and Prof V S Chary, Center Director, EEUG&ID, had undertaken the assignment.
October 26 th 2009
ASCI’s implementation of 24X7 Water supply programme reported by ‘Down to Earth’
Down to Earth is a monthly magazine of Centre of Science and Environment and has an extensive circulation amongst environmentalists, policy makers and academia. The October 2009 edition of this magazine contains an article that refers to the extensive work done by ASCI in the implementation of 24X7 Water supply programme. The same can be accessed by clicking on the link
Resettlement and Rehabilitation Projects in Orissa
ASCI completes an impact assignment study of the Resettlement and Rehabilitation Projects in Orissa
At the request of the UNDP, ASCI had undertaken an impact assessment study on Resettlement and Rehabilitation of projects in Orissa. A few important objectives of the study are:
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To assess the impact of the projects on the living standards of the displaced people following resettlement and rehabilitation;
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To assess the effectiveness of various service delivery mechanisms, including mechanisms that deal with grievances, compensation and rehabilitation of the people affected;
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To ascertain whether the rehabilitation and resettlement of the people affected led to sustainable livelihoods, and to strengthen the participative processes in the implementation of resettlement and rehabilitation in future.
It is expected that the study, that reaches significant conclusions, would be of wider help in addressing issues of resettlement and rehabilitation. The project was led by Dr Anand Akundy, Area Chairperson, Health Studies Area, in the Center for Human development at the Administrative Staff College of India.
September 18th 2009
B. R. Ambedkar Memorial Lecture by Justice M. N. Rao:
Justice M. N. Rao, Member,ASCI Court of Governors and former Chief Justice, High Court of Himachal Pradesh had delivered the Dr. B. R. AmbedkarMemorial Lecture on Ambedkarism: Its Impact on the Constitution of India, on Friday, 18 Sep 2009, at 6.00 p.m. in Conference Room -1, ASCI, Bella Vista.
September 17th 2009
ISDSI - 3rd International Conference on Global Interdependence and Decision Sciences
About the Conference
The Indian Subcontinent Decision Sciences Institute Region (ISDSI), Centre for Innovation and Technology (CIT) at the Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI), India, and, the Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management (SJMSoM) at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, India are jointly organizing the 3rd Annual Conference of the ISDSI at ASCI, Hyderabad, India from 28th to 30th December 2009.
Practicing professionals and students from the academia, government, industry and research establishments as well as members from the student community are invited to submit competitive papers, proposals for symposia, tutorials, and/or workshops on current topics in all areas of decision sciences.
Types of Submissions
Competitive Papers
Authors may submit competitive papers or abstracts for review. The submission of a competitive paper means the author certifies that the paper has not been copyrighted, published, or, presented (or submitted for presentation) at any other professional forum. Any professional submitting a paper should have the intent to register for and attend the Conference to present the paper, if it is accepted. Outstanding papers will be suitably recognized and rewarded. In case of multiple authors, at least one author should register for the Conference for the submission of the final accepted paper, for it to appear in the Conference program schedule.
Student Papers
Papers submitted in the student track (and thus considered in the student paper competition) should be solely of student authorship. The Conference (Registration) fee is waived for those students whose papers are accepted. Students will not be reimbursed any travel expenses by the Conference organizers. Student papers will be subject to the same review process as with the papers from other sources. All student papers accepted by the referees will be scheduled in the program.
Symposia, Tutorials, and Workshops
Any potential participant wishing to conduct a symposium, tutorial, or workshop, should submit a summary of at least two pages, demonstrating the importance of the theme to the members of the ISDSI and the participants of the Conference. The guidelines given below for submissions are to be followed. Considerable latitude and flexibility is, however allowed, as to the content and conduct of the sessions. Need for any specific equipment and/or audio-visual aids should be taken care of, by the presenters themselves. All participants of the symposia, tutorials, and workshops too should register and attend the Conference.
Conference Chairs
Prof. (Ms.) Karuna Jain
President, Indian Subcontinent Decision
Sciences Institute Region
Professor & Head
Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management
Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay
Powai, Mumbai – 400 076, India
Prof. M. Chandrasekhar
Director, Centre for Innovation &
Technology
Administrative Staff College of India
Bella Vista, Rajbhavan Road
Hyderabad – 500 082, India
Dr. Naresh Kumar
Head, R&D Planning Division
Council of Scientific & Industrial Research
2, Rafi Marg, New Delhi – 110 001, India
Conference Co-Chairs
• Prof. Bidya S Sahay, MDI, Gurgaon
• Prof. Jatinder (Jeet) N D Gupta, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, USA
• Prof. R Nat Natarajan, Tennessee Tech University, USA
Program Chairs
• Prof. S V Joshi, UoH, Hyderabad
• Prof. Kaushik Sengupta, Hofstra University, USA
• Prof. Rahul Patil, IIT, Bombay
Programme Committee
• Prof. R K Bagga, IIIT, Hyderabad
• Prof. N Sambandam, NITIE,Mumbai(*)
• Prof. Y L R Murthy, IIM, Bangalore
• Prof. S Chatterjee, MDI, Gurgaon
• Prof. V N Sastry, IDRBT, Hyderabad
• Prof. S K Ghosh, IIM, Indore
• Prof. D D Chaudhuri, IIM, Indore
Technical Committee
• Dr. N Sarat Chandra Babu, CDAC,Hyd
• Dr. K R Muralimohan, DST, Delhi
• Dr. P Arora, DST, New Delhi
• Prof. V Ravi, IDRBT, Hyderabad
Organizing Committee
• Prof. Vilas Shah, ASCI, Hyderabad
• Prof. Nirmalya Bagchi, ASCI, Hyderabad
• Prof. B V N Sachendra, ASCI, Hyderabad
(*) = Confirmation Awaited
Conference Coverage / Tracks,
Common Thread of Decision Sciences
Governance
Public Policy and Performance
Economics, Accounting and Finance
- Trade and Industry,
- Public Finance,
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Planning and Budgeting,
Money,
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Banking and Corporate Finance,
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Corporate Governance
Resources and Infrastructure Management
- Energy Management
- Environment Management
- Urban Governance
- Infrastructure Development
Human Development
- Education
- Health
Innovation & Technology
- R&D, Technology and Innovation Management
- Manufacturing Management
- Information and Communication Technologies
- e-Business
- Business Process Reengineering
- Management Information Systems
Functional Management
- Operations Management
- Materials and Supply-chain Management
- Transportation and Logistics Management
- Project Management
- Quality and Productivity Management
- Maintenance Management
- Quantitative and Statistical Tools and Techniques
Human Capital Management
- Forecasting HR needs
- Strategic HR Planning
- Benchmarking
- Performance Measurement and Management
- Competence Management
- Organization Behavior
Sector-specific Aspects of Decision making for the following sectors
- Agriculture and Rural Development
- Urban renewal
- Banking, Financial Services and Insurance
- Education
- Energy
- Manufacturing and Engineering
- Health care
- Technology, including Information Technology
- Medicine and Pharmaceuticals
- Retail
Instructions for Contributors
The 3rd ISDSI Conference will select papers based on a peer review of the full paper. Length of papers should not exceed six pages. Authors intending to submit a paper to the Conference should send an extended abstract not exceeding 2 printed pages by July 15, 2009.
Instructions for submission of abstracts / full text papers
Full text papers / abstracts should be submitted in Microsoft Word, in
double line space, on one side of A4 size sheets, in Times New Roman, 12
font size.
Decision on acceptance of the papers will be communicated within one month from the submission of the abstract / full text paper. Final camera-ready paper should be submitted by email or CD-ROM.
Primary (first named) authors will receive a detailed advisory on paper presentations, by late August 2009.
Proceedings
The ISDSI would publish the Conference proceedings containing all papers and abstracts presented, as well as a summary of all symposia, tutorials, workshops etc. Publication in the Proceedings would subject to a set of norms and deadlines, as would be communicated in due course.
Conference (Registration) Fee
Registration for the Conference is mandatory. The Conference (Registration) Fee provides for:
- Participation in the Conference (all three days) including paper submission (if any)
- A copy of the Conference Proceedings
- Reading Material
- Conference Kit
- Use of Conference facilities and on-campus recreation facilities
- On campus board and lodging in air-conditioned single occupancy rooms
Pre Conference Welcome Dinner, Valedictory Cocktails and Dinner, Working lunches, Tea/coffee with Biscuits.
Conference (Registration) fees is payable in full, in advance of the Conference. Cancellations received no later than three months prior to the Conference date will be eligible for full refund of the fee paid. Notifications of cancellations received thereafter but prior to at least two weeks from the commencement of the Conference would be eligible for 50% refund of the fee paid.
The Fee structure
Category of Participation
Registration Dates & Fee
By Sep. 30, 2009
After Sep. 30, 2009
Students from abroad
US$100
US$150
Students from India
INR 3,000/-
INR 3,500/-
Delegates from abroad
US$330
US$440
Indian participants (from the academia)
INR 6,500/-
INR 7,500/-
All other participants from India
INR 8,000/-
INR 9,000/-
For those not wanting to avail of on- campus board and lodging, a lump sum concession of Rs.1,000/- or US$ 25 would be allowed.
More details about the Conference venue (ASCI) will shortly be hosted on http://www.asci.org.in.
How to Register
Registration for the Conference can be made online as well as offline. Online registrations can be made on the Conference website, accessible by clicking on the ‘3rd ISDSI Conference’ icon on the websites of ASCI (http://www.asci.org.in) and SJMSoM (http://www.som.iitb.ac.in). The online registration form needs to be filled in and submitted along with payment details. For potential participants and delegates from outside India, online registration is strongly recommended. Confirmation for registration will be sent by email, after the fee is received.
For offline registration, duly filled in registration form should be sent by postal mail / courier to:
Organizing Secretary: ISDSI-3
Office of the Director –
Centre for Innovation & Technology
Administrative Staff College of India
Bella Vista, Rajbhavan Road
Hyderabad - 500 082, India
Tel.: + 91 40 6653 4285 / 4210
Fax: + 91 40 6653 4356
Email: Conf1209@asci.org.in Conf1209@gmail.com
Remittance of Fee
In the case of all online as well as offline registrations, the Conference (Registration) Fee is to be remitted as follows:
By wire transfer / via SWIFT
- These will be displayed in detail on the Conference website.
By Account Payee Banker’s Cheque or Demand Draft.
- Payee / favoring:
- “Administrative Staff College of India”
Payable at:
- “Hyderabad, India”
Important Dates
Last date to submit extended abstract
Notification of abstract acceptance
Last date for submission of Full Paper
Notification of Acceptance/Rejection of the paper
Last date for submission of Final Paper
About the Organizers
The Indian Subcontinent Decision Sciences Institute (ISDSI) Region
Indian Subcontinent DSI Region has been constituted recently in India with the objective to promote excellence in teaching and research, and seeks to serve current and future developmental needs of graduate students, faculty and practitioners from the industry and government through the application of quantitative and behaviour methods. The region has its own elected officers and representative on the board of directors and holds annual meetings. The Decision Sciences Institute (DSI) - www.decisionsciences.org – is a professional organization of academicians and practitioners interested in the application of quantitative and behavioural methods to the problems of society. Through national, international and regional conferences, competitions, and publications, the Institute provides an international forum for presenting and sharing research in the study of decision processes across disciplines. The Institute also plays a vital role in the academic community by offering professional development activities and job placement services. Five regional subdivisions in the United States, as well as regions representing Mexico, Asia-Pacific and the Indian subcontinent, operate independently within the Institute. The Institute, an independent non-profit educational organization, is located in Atlanta, Georgia, where it receives extensive support from the J. Mack Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University.
Shailesh J Mehta School of Management (SJMSoM), Indian Institute of Technology, IIT-Bombay, Mumbai, India
The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay has established itself as a premier teaching and research institution in engineering, science and interdisciplinary programs. The institute has produced engineers who have made significant contributions in academia, industry, R&D institutions and the government. The dynamism of the institute is evident from its manpower development to meet the rapidly changing needs of the industry and R&D organizations.
The SJMSoM at IIT-Bombay has been set up with the mission of developing professionals who manage the business activities in a dynamic environment in which technology is a key determinant of organizational success. Its mission is also to play a vital role in those areas of industry, government and public activity where technology is a key strategic component. The School offers a two-year Master of Management degree with focus on technology and manufacturing management, a three year Master of Management degree for working professionals and a Ph.D. program.
Centre for Innovation & Technology (CIT), Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI), Hyderabad
ASCI is a self-supporting, public-purpose institution of national importance established in 1956 at the initiative of the Government and Industry. It is been a pioneer in the field of post-experience management development, applied research and consulting. ASCI fills the role of a think tank for the Government and Industry and functions with the objective of catalyzing and facilitating solutions on issues of topical interest and current concern. It thus offers capacity-building, technical assistance and advisory services spanning general and functional management areas, theme-specific domains as well as sectoral disciplines. The policy advocacy, initiatives and interventions of ASCI foster improved managerial practices in the client/sponsor organizations leading to better financial performance, good governance and long-term effectiveness.
The Centre for Innovation and Technology at ASCI was formed in 2005, arising out of the recommendations of the ASCI Vision Committee. Since then, it has carved out a niche for itself in the activity profile of the College. Over the past 3 years, the Centre has taken up new and innovative research and consulting projects of varied scale, scope and specialization and brought significant value-addition into the capacity-building programmes for scientists, technologists, researchers and science managers. Areas of focus for the Centre are: S&T policy, building institutional capability in technology management, technology valorization, decision support tools & techniques, science audit, S&T performance measurement & indicators, and, research management.
Key Contacts
Professor (Ms.) Karuna Jain
President, Indian Subcontinent Decision Sciences Institute Region
Professor & Head
Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management
Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
Powai,
Mumbai - 400076, India
Tel: +91 22 2576 7781/7785
Fax: +91 22 2572 2872
Email: kjain@iitb.ac.in
Prof. M. Chandrasekhar
Director - Centre for Innovation & Technology
Administrative Staff College of India
Bella Vista
Rajbhavan Road
Hyderabad - 500 082, India
Tel.: + 91 40 6653 4285 / 4210
Fax: + 91 40 6653 4356
Email: chandrasekhar@asci.org.in
Dr. Naresh Kumar
Head, R&D Planning Division
Council for Scientific & Industrial Research
2, Rafi Marg
New Delhi - 110 001, India
Tel.: + 91 11 2371 0453
Fax: + 91 11 2371 0340
Email: headrdpd@csir.res.in
September 16th2009
Interactive Session with Mr. N. K. Singh
Mr. N. K. Singh, Rajya Sabha MP and Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Govt. of Bihar, had an interactive session with ASCI course participants on Improving Parliamentary Oversight, on Wednesday, 16 September 2009, at 3.00 p.m. in Conference Room-1, ASCI, Bella Vista. The session had been chaired by Dr. Y. V. Reddy, former RBI Governor.
September 13th 2009
Dr. Shankar Acharya: New ASCI CoG Member
Dr. Shankar Acharya, one of India’s leading policy economists, is a new member of the ASCI Court of Governors. As Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India (1993–2000), he was deeply involved in the economic reforms of the 1990s as well as with the overall macro-economic management of the economy. He also served on the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), where he participated in the reform and development of India’s capital market. He was a member of the Twelfth Finance Commission (2004).
Dr. Acharya worked in the World Bank from 1971 to 1982 and held several senior positions including Director, World Development Report, 1979 and Research Advisor (1979–82). He joined the Finance Ministry in 1985 as Economic Advisor and served in that capacity till July 1990 when he became Senior Advisor and Additional Secretary.
Currently, Dr. Shankar Acharya is Honorary Professor with, and a board member of, the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), New Delhi. He also serves on the governing boards of other national research organizations (including NCAER and NIPFP). He is a member of the National Security Advisory Board and RBI’s Advisory Committee on Monetary Policy. He also serves on a number of corporate advisory committees.
Dr. Acharya has authored several books and writes regularly in the Business Standard. His three most recent books are: Essays on Macroeconomic Policy and Growth in India (Oxford University Press, 2006), Can India Grow without Bharat? (Academic Foundation, 2007) and India and Global Crisis (Academic Foundation, 2009).
September 4th 2009
One day workshop on 'The Transition to Accrual Accounting in Governments' - Sep 4th 2009
The Twelfth Finance Commission had recommended transiting of government accounts from a cash basis (recording revenue, when cash is received, and expenditure when payment is paid) to accrual basis of accounting. Government of India has accepted the recommendation of the Finance Commission and the transition process has commenced. Twenty one State Governments have also decided to take steps in the direction of accrual accounting.
Accrual accounting will provide more meaningful financial information, so as to enhance the quality of Government's financial decision-making process. It will provide a better and a comprehensive understanding of the overall financial health of the Government and provide a basis for long term financial planning, in such areas as asset replacement planning and cash flow predictions. It will also enhance the transparency of financial management.
The introduction of Accrual Accounting will be a major change in the way the recording of financial business of Government takes place. It will have positive impact on its day-to-day financial administration. However, such public sector reforms take years of carefully planned implementation. The willingness and ability of participating organizations and other key stakeholders to provide resources and allow adequate time for reform implementation, and the creation or focus of adequate technical capacity to implement and sustain the reforms are both critical to success.
It is in this context that Administrative Staff College of India is happy to announcea strategic one day workshopon‘The Transition to Accrual Accounting in Governments’ on 4th September 2009 at its Bella Vista campus, Hyderabad. This, high level workshop is supported by the Government Accounting Standards Advisory Board (GASAB).
GASAB was set up by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India with the support of Government of India and is the vanguard of accounting reforms in India, both for the Union and State Governments. It has been entrusted with the task of spearheading and guiding the transition to accrual accounting. Accordingly, it has prepared a roadmap and operational framework; and is developing accrual basis accounting standards for Governments. GASAB will be providing technical support for this workshop.
As the intended participants (Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Finance Secretaries of State Governments and Secretaries, Joint Secretaries of Union Ministries) will be driving the process of transition to accrual accounting without being engaged in the nitty gritty of implementation, the workshop is planned at a conceptual and strategic level. It is directed at acquainting participants with
Accrual accounting in Governments - concepts, challenges
GASAB’s road map and operational framework
Financial reporting under accrual system
Developing accrual basis accounting standards
International experience as well as that of pilot studies undertaken by some state governments
Accrual accounting and change management
The workshop will be of an interactive nature and will include a panel discussion: ‘Spearheading the Transition to Accrual Accounting’.
We believe that the workshop will be of immense use to senior officers entrusted with driving the process of reform. The administrative details of the workshop as well as nomination forms are given below.
I invite you to take advantage of the workshop.
Parveen Mehta
Advisor, Centre for Economics and Finance
09848092738
Email id: parveenmehta@asci.org.in
Administrative Details
Venue
The workshop is fully residential and the participants will be accommodated in single air-conditioned rooms in the Bella Vista at Hyderabad. The college does not provide accommodation for the family. Transport between Airport / Railway Station and Campus will be arranged by the college.
Duration
The workshop is for one day i.e., on Friday, September 04, 2009. The participants are expected to arrive a day before the commencement and may leave after the conclusion of the workshop.
Fee
Rs. 5,800/- per participant will be charged to cover tuition, board and lodging, courseware and other facilities of the college including Internet usage.
Administrative Staff College of India
Bella Vista,
Raj Bhavan Road,
Hyderabad - 500 082
Andhra Pradesh.
