UGC’s norms lead to thriving ‘pay and publish’ business, HRD ministry to remove all bogus journals

The “publish or perish” criterion in the university system has to led to a very high volume of low quality publications, a problem that lowers India’s image in the international academic domain.

A requirement that scholars get at least two research papers published in a University Grants Commission-approved journal before submitting their doctoral theses, coupled with pressure on university teachers to get their research published regularly in academic periodicals, has produced an unexpected side-effect: It has led to a proliferation of dubious journals.
A study to be published in the March 25 issue of Current Science notes a spurt in the number of predatory and dubious journals offering ‘pay and publish’ services to gullible authors.
For the study titled “A critical analysis of the ‘UGC-approved list of journals’”, a team of six researchers, in association with the human resource development (HRD) ministry, analysed 1,336 academic periodicals randomly selected from a list of 5,699 journals in the so-called university-source component. Their conclusion: “Over 88% of non-indexed journals in the university source component of UGC-approved list could be of low quality.”
While the UGC website lists 32,659 journals, university-source journals (5,699) are those which are recommended by various universities in the country, the paper notes. UGC has admitted that it received several complaints about the inclusion of low-quality journals soon after the release of its approved list of journals on June 2, 2017. The UGC has removed a few journals after an evaluation, the paper said.
The dubious publications were identified by the team of researchers that included Bhushan Patwardhan, a professor at the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), a special invitee member on the UGC Standing Committee for Notification of Journals and former vice-chancellor of Symbiosis International University. The other academicians who worked on the analysis were Shubhada Nagarkar (Department of Library and Information Science, SPPU), Shridhar R Gadre (Interdisciplinary School of Scientific Computing, SPPU), Subhash C Lakhotia (Department of Zoology, Banaras Hindu University), Vishwa Mohan Katoch (Rajasthan University of Health Sciences, Jaipur) and David Moher (Centre for Journalology, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa).
Out of the 1,336 journals studied, 897 were disqualified from the UGC- approved list of journals by the human resource development ministry for providing false information such as an incorrect ISSN (International Standard Serial Number), making false claims about the impact getting published in their pages would have, indexing in dubious databases, poor credentials of editors and non-availability of information such as an address, website details and names of editors. Papers published in the disqualified journals will not be considered valid.
 “It is an alarming situation that such a huge percentage of the journals are bogus. Globally, it hampers the image of our country,” Patwardan said.
The HRD ministry has adopted a very positive approach to dealing with the issue “and has decided to remove all the bogus journals from the UGC list shortly,” Patwardhan said .
The paper also cites two research studies published in Nature and Nature India last year which found that “a large number of predatory journals and associated articles originate in India” after analysing 1,907 articles published in 200 journals.
The UGC regulations, modified in 2013, mandated publication of at least two papers in journals prior to submission of a doctoral thesis. The “publish or perish” criterion also applies to career advancement in the university system.
Reports of unethical practices in publishing of research papers, leading to an increase in the number of predatory, dubious and low-quality journals have been surfacing over the years, which was why the study was initiated,Patwardhan said.

Source: Hindustan Times dated 25/03/2018

Source Link: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/ugc-s-norms-lead-to-thriving-pay-and-publish-business-hrd-ministry-to-remove-all-bogus-journals/story-K3YkthqMjH35Dxl6r7cCOM.html

H-1B visa application to begin from April 2, premium processing stopped

Petitions for H1-B visas, popular among Indian IT professionals, will be accepted from April 2, a federal agency announced on Wednesday.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) also announced the suspension of premium processing of all H-1B petitions, which are subject to the annual caps.

The H1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/h-1b-visa-application-to-begin-from-april-2-premium-processing-stopped/story-NLw7Irchj1V7UWC4FjoM2L.html

To read more: Hindustan Times dated March 21, 2018

In a historic decision, 60 Higher Educational Institutions granted autonomy by UGC : Shri Prakash Javadekar

In a historic decision today, the University Grants Commission has granted autonomy to sixty Higher Educational Institutions which have maintained high academic standards. This was announced by the Minister of Human Resource Development, Shri Prakash Javadekar at a media briefing in New Delhi today. Shri Javadekar said that the Government is striving to introduce a liberalized regime in the education sector and emphasis is on linking autonomy with quality. 

Giving further details, Shri Prakash Javadekar said that the sixty Higher Educational Institutions which have been granted autonomy includes 52 Universities i.e. 5 central universities, 21 state universities, 24 deemed universities, and 2 private universities. Shri Javadekar explained that these universities will remain within the ambit of  UGC but will have the freedom to start new courses, off campus centers, skill development courses, research parks and any other new academic programs. 

They will also have the freedom to hire foreign faculty, enroll foreign students, give incentive based emoluments to the faculty, enter into academic collaborations and run open distance learning programmes.

Source: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=177751

To read more: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=177751

March 21: International Day of Forests

Image Source: https://viralknot.com/slogans-save-trees/ (Accessed on 21/03/2018)

International Day of Forests: 21 March 2018. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 March the International Day of Forests (IDF) in 2012. The Day celebrates and raises awareness of the importance of all types of forests.

References:

www.greeningtheblue.org/event/international-day-forests (Accessed on 21/03/2018)

For More Information:

International Day of Forests (Accessed on 21/03/2018)

Forest Survey of India (Accessed on 21/03/2018)

Workshop on High Impact Presentation Skills

A half day workshop on” High Impact Presentation Skills” was organized by BKC Knowledge Network and Bai Ratanbai Gharda Memorial Library on 16 March, 2018.

The well attended event sourced together nearly 33 participants from most of the well known premier institutions.

Shiv Khera has aptly said “Leadership is about persuasion, presentation and people skills” and this suits all of us in every walk of life and especially in the academic sector.

As we all might agree, our library profession also encompasses all the three P’s stated above by Shiv Khera. We create presentations for orientation to new students, faculty and various committees. A presentation, in essence, could also be a brochure which says “Know Your Library”. Most of us include more of text (textual matter) and less of images. The success of any presentation depends upon the way information is captured (understood) by the audience. So, you might agree that the presentation should be appealing at all times. Very often, we tend to use the same format, layout, design, colour combination, bullets for strong points and our presentation lasts longer in time rather than in the minds of the people.

This workshop which I attended beautifully focused on the art and science of presentation and changed my whole perspective about it.

Dr. Dhanashree Date (Head - IRC, TCS - Mumbai) was the invited speaker for this workshop. Dr. Date shared her insights about “Presentation”. Few very important points shared by her are as follows:

1. Create a story using the 5 W’s - Why, Where, When, Who, Which
2. Make a mental note of the audience and the space of presentation
3. Do not be too loud while presenting as you might drain out the end of the session
4. Take a break after 10 minutes as watching the same presenter for more than 10 minutes dilutes interest
5. During this break, make your presentation interesting by including relevant images or videos
6. Minimize text, use infographics
7. Acknowledge and give due credit to the resources you have used

The workshop was focussed on Presentation Using Pecha Kucha format.

Pecha Kucha is essentially a presentation (software format ) style in which 20 slides are shown for 20 seconds each. This presentation format was devised by Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham of Klein Dytham Architecture.

Pecha Kucha is a very engaging style. I feel that this style of presenting can also be applied to our regular MS Power Point Presentations and Prezi too.

I was fortunate to be a participant of this workshop. Thanks to SFIT and BKCN!

Sucheta

March 20: World Story Telling Day

It's World Storytelling Day And We Give You Fun Ways To Enjoy Books

Mar 20, 2018, 08:37 IST | Trina Chaudhuri

On World Storytelling Day, Change The Way You Look At Books And Make Every Time, Story Time, With These Apps

 

The one thing that sets Mumbai apart from the rest of the country is its speed. And caught in that speed, it's very difficult to find some time for a good old storybook. But on World Storytelling Day, no excuse is going to be enough for all the stories that you don't read or listen to, at least not for the day. So, if getting hold of a paperback is difficult or reading from the Kindle not all that favourable while on your commute, here's a suitable and very affordable alternative — audio books. All it takes is for you to download the apps, and hit go. Headphones recommended, please.

Storytel
Headquartered in Stockholm, the app operates in 14 countries, among which are Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Holland, Finland, Russia, Spain, Poland and India. A subscription-based app, it allows you to download as many books as you want for a `499 monthly subscription. The first 14-day trial period is free. The best part about Storytel is that besides promoting audio versions of classics such as Mitro Marjani, The Tale of Two Cities and Pride and Prejudice, and those for children like Little Red Riding Hood and Adventures of Stoob, the app also focuses largely on literature in regional languages. For starters, it has now a number of titles across Hindi and Marathi, and a tie-up with publishing houses such as Rajkamal Prakashan, Vaani, Karadi Tales, Penguin, Duckbill Publishing and HarperCollins. 
Available: Android, iOS

Audible
Launched by Amazon, this is an app to look out for. Just like Amazon Prime, this one comes with a library of books that you can download and listen to anytime you want. There are basically two options available — you either use the app for free and buy the books you want to read, or you avail a month's free trial and then subscribe to a one-month, six-month or 12-month membership. With its collection that has over 1,80,000 audio titles to choose from, it seems unlikely that you will not find your favourite here. 
Available: Android, iOS

Downpour
Specifically for purchases, this one works exactly how a library back in school used to. Only in this case, there's no overtime, regardless of how desperately you want to hold on to a book. This app allows you to buy an audio book, that will cost you one credit and a sum that's nearly around `800. But they also offer discounts on rentals, and sometimes these are offers too good to refuse. In that case, you can borrow a book at a discounted rate, and keep it for 30 days (to finish or re-listen). After your rental period is up, the book disappears.
Available: Android, iOS

Read stories, besides Kindle

Juggernaut Books
This app allows you to access more than 5,000 titles and 3,000 authors in English and Hindi, and read all that you can or love. It's an app that made digital publishing accessible for public consumption, and now with the app on your phone, click and read.
Available: Android, iOS

Pratham Books
Looking for a story that might keep your little ones occupied while you finish your work? Storyweaver by Pratham Books has made that possible. For kids who'd rather stay put with the phone than a paperback, its vast library across regional languages and genres teaches and entertains at the same time.
Available: Android, iOS

Source: Mid-Day dated 20 March, 2018

Link: http://epaper2.mid-day.com/epaper/20-mar-2018-252-edition-Mumbai-Page-1.html

Infographic on Entrepreneurship Books

This is our first attempt at "Infographic" and it is beautifully curated by your library trainee - Ms. Ankita Tiwari (M.L.I.Sc. Student at SHPT School of Library Science, Churchgate, Mumbai).

SFIT LIRC has more than 70 books on Entrepreneurship - a few on its basics, some highlighting its financial section and many others on start-ups, their founders and their success stories. We had organized a display of all these books to complement PRAGATI 2018 which is an annual event of SFIT hosting an inter college innovation competition and startup talks for students.

We thought of creating this Infographic so that our students get to know exactly what genres are available and what is to be read...

Have a look here - INFOGRAPHICS ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Infographics......
Infographics are a better way of guiding people visually. There are many posters available for Infographic on Libraries. Libraries have so much of information to be shared but at many times if it is not presented in an attractive manner, our work and services offered by the libraries go unnoticed.

References:
https://www.sfitengg.org/event_pragati.php

https://www.innov8social.com/
https://www.koozai.com/
https://visual.ly/users/koozaimike/portfolio
http://coolinfographics.com/blog/2014/8/13/shelf-help-best-business-books.html