Latest news with #GokhaleInstituteofPoliticsandEconomics
Time of India
29-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
New VC aims to make GIPE ‘go-to place' for economics education
Pune: Umakant Dash, the new vice-chancellor of Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (GIPE), said his focus would be on quality, transparency and inclusive governance, after taking charge on Tuesday. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Dash said he would remain sensitive to both legacy and current challenges, and aim to balance tradition with necessary reforms, prioritising the interests of the institute and its stakeholders. While holistic development of GIPE students would be his objective, he said placements were a key concern, especially for postgraduate PG) students. "For undergraduates, the focus is on preparing them for higher studies and ensuring the institute's brand value helps them. For the PG students, the plan is to engage with employers and analyse systems to improve their market acceptance," he said. Acknowledging the recent controversies surrounding the institute, Dash said for him, the institute's interests were of priority. Going forward, he would focus on consultation, consensus-building and inclusiveness among all stakeholders, including faculty, staff, students, employers and society. "I plan to look into introspecting and learning from the institute's alumni and historical case studies. We also need to critically analyse international models before adopting them to suit Indian contexts. The quality of students and value in education are very important to me. The quality of teaching as well as the quality of life of students on the campus and various facilities are equally important," said Dash, expressing hope to make the institute a "go-to place" for economics education in India. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He said he would draw from his experience at IIT Madras and other institutes, and stressed on the need to make processes smooth and transparent. "It is important to have inclusiveness in decision-making so that there is a collective sense of responsibility. Tomorrow (Wednesday) I plan to meet with students, faculty, staff and committees to understand issues of each stakeholder," said Dash, whose tenure would be five years. Dash has nearly two decades of experience in academia and research with institutes of national and international repute. Before joining IRMA, he was professor and head of the department of humanities and social sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, and adjunct professor at the Indian Institute of Management, Tiruchirappalli. GIPE has been without a full-time VC since last year, when questions were raised about the appointment of then VC, Ajit Ranade, culminating in then chancellor Bibek Debroy's resignation. Ranade also resigned, citing personal reasons. Shankar Das from TISS then took over as the interim VC, but controversies didn't leave GIPE. Earlier this year, the Servants of India Society (SIS), the parent body of GIPE, raised questions over alleged irregularities in appointments within GIPE by Das, which then led to SIS removing the chancellor, Sanjeev Sanyal, from his post and then reinstating him. This was followed by both parties — SIS and GIPE — trading allegations against each other. GIPE registered a case in April against SIS for misuse of its funds, resulting in the arrest of the SIS secretary, now out on bail. In June, GIPE wrote to the charity commissioner seeking suspension of SIS and appointment of an administrator.
Indian Express
04-07-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
Who is GIPE's new V-C Umakant Dash?
Umakant Dash, the new Vice Chancellor of the Pune-based Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (GIPE) is an economist with extensive research and teaching experience. His work about universal healthcare as well as evaluation of healthcare facilities present have seen him deal with issues like poverty, policy and interventions to tackle the same. Appointed as the director of Institute of Rural Management (IRMA) based in Gujarat's Anand in 2021, Dash has a PhD in Applied Economics from IIT Kanpur. He completed his graduation from BJB College in Bhubaneshwar in Economics and Mathematics. Dash also has a DHS from Tualane University in USA. Before he was appointed as the director of IRMA, Dash worked as the professor at the department of Humanities and Social Sciences in IIT Madras, Chennai. He has also worked in institutes like Utara University of Malayasia, IIT Madras, Chennai, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani and Xavier Labour Relations Institute Jameshdpur. A career academician, Dash has guided many PhD scholars in institutions. During his tenure in IIT and BITS Pilani, Dash worked extensively on topics like Macro Economics, Finanacial Economics and Health Economics as well as Derivate Markets and Health Management. Dash also worked as consultant to WHO India, Access Health International and Department of Public Health Government of Tamil Nadu, to name a few. As an economist, Dash has led investigations that studied the effect of health care among the poor as well as health care among the ageing in India. He has authored and co-authored articles about health and health care in numerous national and international journals of repute. Dash's work about poverty reduction and development benefits of 'within country migration' was published by the EPPI Centre, Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education, University College of London. His work about public health systems in Tamil Nadu have been citied in several journals too.
The Print
04-07-2025
- Business
- The Print
Umakant Dash named new VC of Pune's Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics
The position of Vice-Chancellor of GIPE had been lying vacant since economist Ajit Ranade's resignation from the post in November 2024. Dr Shankar Das is currently holding the interim post of VC at the institute. Dash will assume office for a term of five years effective from July 29, 2025, the institute said in a release. Pune, Jul 4 (PTI) Academician Dr Umakant Dash has been appointed the new Vice-Chancellor of the Pune-based Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (GIPE), the institute said on Friday. The GIP was established in 1930 by the Servants of India Society, a body founded by freedom fighter Gopal Krishna Gokhale in 1905. The 95-year-old institute has been in the eye of the storm for the last few months. It saw dramatic developments over the chancellor's post as well as the arrest of a functionary for alleged misappropriation of funds. According to GIPE website, it is the oldest research and training institute in economics in the country. The institute is dedicated to research into the socio-economic dimensions of Indian society and carries forward the legacy of Gokhale. Over the decades, the institute has established strong credentials in empirical and analytical research, said the website. The institute, registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, and the Bombay Public Trusts Act, 1950, was awarded the status of deemed to be a university in 1993. PTI SPK RSY This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Mint
02-07-2025
- Business
- Mint
Quad counter-punch: Allies unite to break China's critical minerals grip
As China weaponizes its rare earth dominance and sparks fears over a similar threat in critical minerals, Quad members US, Japan, Australia and India have launched a Quad Critical Minerals Initiative, pledging to work together to secure and diversify supply chains. The demonstration of common purpose comes at a time when India, Japan and Australia are also in bilateral trade talks with US. China dominates the world's critical mineral supply chain, with interests in mines across the globe and has developed the midstream segment of refining and processing. These form key components in the strategic sector including defence, electric mobility, telecommunications and electronics. A joint statement by the Quad strategic partners on Wednesday also described the initiative as "an ambitious expansion of our partnership to strengthen economic security and collective resilience by collaborating to secure and diversify critical minerals supply chains". 'Coercion, price manipulation' "Reliance on any one country for processing and refining critical minerals and derivative goods production exposes our industries to economic coercion, price manipulation, and supply chain disruptions, which further harms our economic and national security," the statement said, making a veiled reference to China. The statement underscored the importance of diversified and reliable global supply chains. China's ongoing export curbs on rare earths have disrupted global supply chains, slowed industries, and prompted countries to seek alternative sources. Sankalp Gurjar, professor of geoeconomics at the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics said: "This is a significant statement of intent from the Quad countries. China dominates the critical mineral supply market. Chinese dominance has been deployed as a geoeconomic tool. For the Quad countries, supply chain security and critical mineral security are interlinked. The statement is important as it is a strategic signal to China." Emphasizing on the need for effective implementation of the initiative, Gurjar said: "The real test will be how the Quad countries act on their objective." Mineral search The Quad announcement comes at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi has left for a five-nation tour to Ghana, Trinidad & Tobago, Argentina, Brazil and Namibia, and critical minerals are expected to feature in his bilateral meetings in these countries. P. Kumaran, secretary (east), in the external affairs ministry told reporters on Monday: 'Argentina's rich reserves of critical minerals such as lithium, copper and other rare earth elements complement India's growing need for secure and sustainable supplies to these elements for its clean energy transition and industrial growth. India's public sector Khanij Bidesh India Ltd.(KABIL) has already won a few concessions in Argentina since 2024. Our leaders will be discussing more on this subject." Critical minerals and rare earth elements have of late assumed importance in public discourse. The development comes at a time when a Japanese business delegation is in India. During a meeting of key businesses from both the countries in the battery and critical minerals supply chain on Wednesday, the industry representatives suggested that India can be a manufacturing and demand hub for critical minerals. Under a possible partnership of Quad countries, Australia can act as a raw material supplier while Japan and US can provide key technological support for the partnership to succeed. Delhi meeting Some Australian and American businesses in the critical minerals supply chain were also part of the discussions which were held in the national capital. Australia is the world's largest lithium producer and is a major player in resources exploration, extraction, production and processing of several key minerals including bulk minerals like coal, iron ore and gold. Amid tension with China in the South China Sea, Japan is also trying to diversify sources of critical minerals. In 2023, the US and Japan signed a critical minerals agreement covering five key minerals related to the production of batteries for clean vehicles. Abhishek Saxena, former public policy expert at Niti Aayog said Quad has been focusing on resilient supply chain in a way that the four countries can dominate the supply chain. "Take Australia for example. China is dominating the mining and refining of critical minerals there. All the four countries do not want this situation. Critical minerals are going to be a key for all the countries involved. Coming on the background of the rare earth crisis, this can prove to be a crucial partnership initiative," Saxena said. Galwan and after Post the diplomatic tussle and military confrontation in 2020 at Galwan, India has made efforts to diversify its sources of critical minerals along with steps to establish a local refining and processing industry for these minerals. In January this year, the government approved the National Critical Mineral Mission, which focusses both developing mines locally, acquiring mines abroad and incentivizing processing of these minerals within the country. In 2022, Centre came up with a list of 30 minerals which the union ministry of mines described as critical to the economy. India is already is a member of the US-led elite grouping Mineral Security Partnership (MSP). In June 2023, it became the 14th member of the MSP along with the US, Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, the Republic of Korea, Sweden, the UK and the European Commission. MSP seeks to bolster critical minerals supply chains and ensure that these ores are produced, processed and recycled by catalyzing investments from governments and private sector across the full value chain.
Indian Express
23-06-2025
- General
- Indian Express
As monsoon and wildlife cause damages, how the government can protect farmer incomes
Written by Gurudas Nulkar and Milind Watve As farmers across India grapple with unpredictable monsoons and fluctuating market prices, a silent predator is devouring their livelihoods, one crop at a time. Fleeting blackbucks and dancing peacocks might charm city folk, but are turning into a nightmare for farmers. Since the beginning of settled agriculture, wild animals have been known to trample farms and raid crops. Human attacks by carnivores, particularly tigers, are newsworthy, but financial losses inflicted by wild herbivore raids are often underreported. At the Centre for Sustainable Development at the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune, we surveyed over 1,200 affected farmers from the different agro-climatic regions of Maharashtra and conducted in-depth interviews of farmers in the coastal belt of Konkan. Using a mixed-method approach that integrated qualitative and quantitative data, we accessed multiple data sources and used Fermi estimates. Our study noted crop damages by macaques, langurs, blackbucks, chinkaras, Indian gaur, deer, nilgai, sambar, wild boars, giant squirrels, porcupines, elephants, peacocks, and parakeets. Most earlier studies employed a visual inspection to estimate crop damages, but the losses extend beyond that. Farmers face increased expenses for protective measures such as guarding and fencing, and seasonal delays can inflict losses. Indirect impacts include farmers abandoning agriculture or specific crops, shifting to suboptimal farming patterns, and reducing expenses in better agricultural practices due to the impending risk. Even the traditional practice of cultivating kitchen gardens, a vital source of food for many rural families, has been significantly curtailed in regions like Konkan due to wildlife raids, forcing families to incur additional expenses by purchasing vegetables from markets. Then there are losses to society. Farms employ labour, which is a crucial source of income for landless and land-owning individuals. When a crop is destroyed in mid-season, labourers and other downstream stakeholders also face a loss of income. Using these data, we arrived at reasonably fair estimates of net farmer income losses. By accounting for invisible damages and protection costs incurred by the farmers, our study estimates the net agricultural loss in Maharashtra due to wildlife raids to be between Rs 10,000 and 40,000 crore per year. Compared to this, in the period 2020-24, the forest department disbursed a total compensation of Rs 210 crores. Lack of standardisation of damage assessment procedures, farmers' ignorance of protocols, complex bureaucratic procedures, and the fact that compensation covers only conspicuously visible damages while neglecting the indirect losses. The government compensation is a fraction of the actual loss, and the amount does not reveal the enormity of the problem in the state. We studied the Maharashtra Payment of Compensation for Loss, Injury, or Damage Caused by Wild Animals Act, 2023, Government Resolution (GR), and the compensation protocol. For claiming compensation, the GR requires a panchnama in the presence of one official each from the departments of forest, revenue, and agriculture. This is neither easy nor timely, as the procedure sets a 14-day timeline for the panchnama. There is poor awareness among farmers, especially the illiterate ones, and some farmers are hesitant to indulge in the time-consuming bureaucratic claim procedures. Government data between 2020 and 2024 shows that only 48 per cent of the claims were accepted and 37 per cent were paid. The affected farmers were highly dissatisfied with the compensation protocol of the Forest Department of Maharashtra and stated that the damages are often undervalued, and in some instances, the amount recorded on the panchnama is also not fully reimbursed. Some other findings from this study are noteworthy. Among the 1,200 respondents, 24 per cent said that wildlife crop raids are the primary reason for their income loss, while 54 per cent reported discontinuation of at least one crop. In the Konkan survey, our estimates suggest an annual loss of between ₹1,17,000 and ₹1,33,000 per hectare is inflicted upon farmers. When we include damages to kitchen gardens, the combined annual losses in Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts are estimated at ₹5,677 crore per annum. Studies from around the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve suggest that crop yields could nearly double at a distance of 5 km from the forest boundary compared to those closer to it. Even with active guarding, there is a 50 per cent loss due to wild animals. Experiments by Watve and his team using his 'support cum reward' method showed that agricultural output near protected areas could increase by 2.5 to 4 times with appropriate support and incentives. As the government confronts the challenge of doubling farmer incomes, a fair, simple, and timely compensation protocol can lead to significant improvement in farmer incomes. Moreover, as three departments are involved in the compensation process, it needs more accountability. Innovative approaches like the 'support cum reward' method can reduce the load on the officials of the forest department. There is an urgent need for empirical research to find the root causes of herbivore raids and assess long-term mitigation measures. India is a megadiverse country. Formulating a clear policy for human-wildlife coexistence and establishing a practical management system are critical for wildlife conservation and securing farmers' future. Every wildlife conflict weakens the trust between farmers and forest officials. This is not a clash between economics and ecology, but rather a call for integrated conservation policies that holistically alleviate the burden borne by farming communities. Successful conservation and coexistence necessitate a balanced economic perspective to ensure justice for those who suffer. Our experience shows that farmers are willing to participate in resolving the conflict and finding long-term solutions, and the forest department will be happy to reduce their administrative work of handling conflict issues, which leaves them more time for conservation. Nulkar is director, Centre for Sustainable Development, Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics and Watve is retired professor, IISER Pune, and an independent researcher
