LIRC @ A GLANCE: JULY 2019

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LIRC AT A GLANCE AS ON 31/07/2019
Name of Library Software: LibSuite 6.5
U.G. BOOKS Total Titles: 10411 Total Volumes: 27212 Editions : 337 Ref.Books : 3466(UG= 3175 PG=291 )	P.G. BOOKS Total Titles: 292 Total Volumes: 1187 Editions : 02
Books in the BOOK BANK: 1443	Faculty Publications: 305 E-Books : 55
Doctoral Theses : 10 Project Reports: 1799	CDs: 3134 VIDEO DVD: 64
PERIODICALS Total Journals for UG = 39 UG Courses: 37 (National) UG Courses: 02 (International) Total Journals for PG = 10 PG Courses: 10 (National) Total Subscribed Magazines: 19 Technical : 07 Non-Technical Magazines: 12 Total Gratis Magazines: 8 Technical : 02 Non-Technical Magazines: 06	E-PACKAGE : IEEE/IET Electronic Library (IEL)The full-text of IEEE content published since 1988 with select content published since 1872 from: IEEE journals, transactions, and magazines, including early access documents IEEE conferences IET journals IET conferences IEEE published standards IEEE Standards Dictionary Online
Membership of: IIT Bombay Library National Digital Library
Area: 482.39 Sq. meters	Seating Capacity: 260

ALL
Summary of Library Visit count (Duration from 2019-07-01 00:00 to 2019-07-31 23:59)
Month	Total Members	Visited Members	%	Unique Members	%
2019/7	1976	2843	143.88	903	45.7
STAFF
Summary of Library Visit count (Duration from 2019-07-01 00:00 to 2019-07-31 23:59)
Month	Total Members	Visited Members	%	Unique Members	%
2019/7	164	144	87.8	73	44.51
STUDENTS
Summary of Library Visit count (Duration from 2019-07-01 00:00 to 2019-07-31 23:59)
Month	Total Members	Visited Members	%	Unique Members	%
2019/7	1812	2699	148.95	830	45.81
INFT
Summary of Library Visit count (Duration from 2019-07-01 00:00 to 2019-07-31 23:59)
Month	Total Members	Visited Members	%	Unique Members	%
2019/7	546	1014	185.71	294	53.85
CMPN
Summary of Library Visit count (Duration from 2019-07-01 00:00 to 2019-07-31 23:59)
Month	Total Members	Visited Members	%	Unique Members	%
2019/7	553	701	126.76	239	43.22
EXTC
Summary of Library Visit count (Duration from 2019-07-01 00:00 to 2019-07-31 23:59)
Month	Total Members	Visited Members	%	Unique Members	%
2019/7	518	705	136.1	221	42.66
ELEC
Summary of Library Visit count (Duration from 2019-07-01 00:00 to 2019-07-31 23:59)
Month	Total Members	Visited Members	%	Unique Members	%
2019/7	83	182	219.28	38	45.78
MECH
Summary of Library Visit count (Duration from 2019-07-01 00:00 to 2019-07-31 23:59)
Month	Total Members	Visited Members	%	Unique Members	%
2019/7	112	83	74.11	31	27.68

TOI 270: new planetary system about 73 light years away from Earth

In this system, TOI 270 b is the innermost planet. Researchers expect it to be a rocky world about 25 per cent bigger than Earth.

To read the full article, please visit:

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/toi-270-new-planetary-system-about-73-light-years-away-from-earth-nasa-5864907/ (Accessed on August 2, 2019)

Dabholkar to head leading physics body founded by Abdus Salam

India-born Dabholkar, 53, will succeed Fernando Quevedo in the role in November, according to an ICTP announcement welcomed by the London-based family of Salam, who passed away in 1996 after a path-breaking career in theoretical physics.

Dabholkar is the second Indian appointed to the position after Katepalli Sreenivasan, who was Quevedo’s predecessor. (Photo: International Centre for Theoretical Physics)

Atish Dabholkar, a theoretical physicist known for research on string theory and quantum black holes, has been appointed the next director of the Italy-based International Centre for Theoretical Physics founded in 1963 by Nobel laureate Abdus Salam of Pakistan.

India-born Dabholkar, 53, will succeed Fernando Quevedo in the role from November, according to an ICTP announcement welcomed by the London-based family of Salam, who passed away in 1996 after a path-breaking career in theoretical physics.

Dabholkar is the second Indian appointed to the post in ICTP history after Katepalli Sreenivasan, who was Quevedo’s predecessor. Dabholkar is currently the head of the High Energy, Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics section of ICTP based in Trieste, north-east Italy.

Ahmad Salam, son of Abdus Salam, said: “The four directors since my father have been from developing countries and have been first class physicists in their own right. But more than this the nationality of the director is totally irrelevant”.

‘Dabholkar a strong physicist, has empathy and understanding’

“The fact that he (Dabholkar) is a strong physicist and has empathy and understanding, and background from the developing countries is key. Naturally we are delighted the steering committee has chosen a renowned physicist and someone who knows the ICTP family and system so well”.

“We are delighted to welcome Atish and look forward to working with him on the Spirit of Salam Award and supporting Atish in any way that we can”, Salam added.

Dabholkar’s research includes investigations that build on Abdus Salam’s Nobel-winning work on electroweak unification: “Salam’s work was an important milestone leading to the questions I’m working on”, he says.

Winner of the 2006 Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award for Science and Technology, Dabholkar is a graduate of the IIT, Kanpur, and earned a PhD in theoretical physics from Princeton University, followed by postdoctoral and research positions at Rutgers University, Harvard University and the California Institute of Technology.

Until 2010, he was a professor of theoretical physics at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, and has been a visiting professor at Stanford University and a Visiting Scientist at CERN. He joined ICTP in 2014 on secondment from Sorbonne Université and the National Center for Scientific Research.

‘Great honour to be chosen as ICTP’s next director’

Dabholkar said on his appointment: “It’s a great honour and responsibility to be chosen as ICTP’s next director. ICTP is a dynamic organization with a very high level of research and a unique global mission for international cooperation through science”.

“It was envisioned as an international hub for excellence in science and as an anchor for building scientific capacity and a culture of science around the globe. This vision remains valid today, more than 50 years since its founding, but requires flexibility to meet changing realities and priorities.”

The ICTP said Dabholkar’s appointment comes at a time of its expansion. Over the past 10 years, the current director, Quevedo, has reinforced its commitment and contribution to world-class theoretical physics research by hiring more researchers and creating new research initiatives in quantitative life sciences, high performance computing, renewable energies and quantum technology.

“Directing ICTP is a once in a lifetime opportunity due to its unique mission and its big impact in developing countries. I am glad that when I leave in November the institute will be in very good hands,” said Quevedo.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/dabholkar-to-head-leading-physics-body-founded-by-abdus-salam/story-WoPMeDfyr9JK54OjXW8V2K.html (Accessed on August 2, 2019)

The Most Valuable College Majors Are Where The Jobs Are

A shortage of data science and analytic skills stands out as one of the nation’s most urgent of skill gaps.

New job postings in the field are expected to reach more than 2.7 million by 2020, according to 2017 a report from the Business Higher Education Forum and Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC).

In a direct response to the growing impact of computing and data in an ever-changing digital world, universities across the nation are opening schools, forming research centers and offering new data-driven majors to meet the demands of the workforce. And they are betting that students will follow.

To read the full article, please visit:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/mariaclaracobo/2019/07/31/the-most-valuable-college-majors-are-where-the-jobs-are/#39c162d278a0 (Accessed on August 2, 2019)

UGC moots open book exams, case studies, question bank

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/ugc-moots-open-book-exams-case-studies-question-bank/articleshow/70474614.cms (Accessed on August 2, 2019)

Indians top contributors to fake journals, UGC to crack down

Stop considering publications in predatory journals to hire teachers: Panel

Alarmed by the rise in Indian research contributions to fake journals, a UGC committee has recommended stern measures to preserve academic ethics and deter plagiarism.

The panel constituted to recommend ways to improve university research in India has proposed to the government to stop considering publications in predatory journals or presentations in predatory conferences for academic credit for selection to teaching positions, confirmation, promotion, appraisals, award of scholarships or academic degrees or credits in any form.

“Research publications only from journals indexed in CARE Reference List of Quality Journals should be used for all academic purposes,” the committee has said in its report to the HRD Ministry, which has placed the document in public space for wider consultations. The expert committee report records alarming trends in respect of deteriorating research at university level in India.

Although it shows that the number of admissions to PhDs has almost doubled between 2010 and 2017, it also reveals that the purpose of higher enrolment at research level is the rule that mandates a PhD for teaching assignments in universities.

The report notes that the mandatory requirement of publications in journals/conference proceedings for award of doctoral degrees and as a metric in evaluating faculty under the overall academic score is resulting in a proliferation of predatory journals and conferences, which have abandoned classical peer review as a method of quality control.

• 11,000 Total fake journals

• 35% Articles by Indians

• Maximum articles in engineering journals, followed by biomedicine and social sciences

• Year          :     PhD admissions

• 2010-11  :     77,798

• 2017-18  :    1,61,412

• Maximum enrolments in science, engineering and technology, followed by social science and humanities

Source: https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/indians-top-contributors-to-fake-journals-ugc-to-crack-down/811604.html (Accessed on August 2, 2019)

Indian academics have contributed 35 per cent of all articles published in various kinds of fake journals lately, says the report, adding that independent sources have identified over 11,000 fake journals. Studies have also found that from a total article volume published in predatory journals, the large share is of articles in engineering journals, followed by biomedicine and social sciences. “Plagiarism and data manipulation are issues of great concern, which damage the credibility of research emanating from our institutions. This has to stop,” the committee said.

CURRENT STATS

10% growth/yr

UGC proposes sweeping changes in PhD admissions, course module

The suggestions have been put together by a four-member committee, headed by former Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, director P Balram.

A-

NEW DELHI: India’ university education regulator has proposed radical changes in the way research scholars are enrolled and PhD programmes are conducted that include a mandatory two-stage selection process even in private institutions and compulsory internships with policy organisations during the course period.

Through the proposed minimum standards and procedures for the award of M Phil and PhD degree regulations, the University Grants Commission wants to ensure that research scholar should have at least 55 per cent marks and get enrolled through a national or state or university level entrance test.

The suggestions have been put together by a four-member committee, headed by former Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, director P Balram. The panel was tasked with recommending ways to improve the quality and standard of research. The regulations, compiled by the committee, have now been released in public domain by the UGC before they are notified.

The committee, in its report, has noted that while the number of students opting to pursue research doubled from 77,798 in 2010- 11 to 1,61,412 in 2017-18, the percentage of PhD enrolments showed a declining trend in government-run institutes — both central and state — as well as institutes of national importance such as the IITs.

The number of enrolments in private deemed universities, on the other hand, has risen significantly.

“This may have a reflection on the quality of research produced at the doctoral degree level,” the committee noted.

It highlighted that the primary reason for this surge is mainly due to making PhD as one of the pre-requisites for entry for faculty positions in universities and also for career advancements.

Educationists have welcomed government intervention to raise the quality of research in India.

“It’s a matter of shame that in a country of nearly 1.35 billion so little quality research is happening that could be acknowledged globally,” said a professor of mathematics at Zakir Hussain College in Delhi University.

Source: http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2019/aug/02/ugc-proposes-sweeping-changes-in-phd-admissions-course-module-2012882.html (Accessed on August 2, 2019)