Majority of the Research Project Proposals are Rejected

[Saba Sarasvdy]

Recently a major Indian research funding body has selected project proposals for funding. Out of the 116 proposals submitted only 2 are selected. All the proposals sent by LIS professionals are rejected. More than 50. Why?

Lack of Originality, novelty and new content

Low-level presentation

Poor language 

Ill-conceived ideas

Stereotyped proposals

Lack of knowledge of the 'research writing' and many more...

No one reads the literature and likes to learn. The culture needs to be changed. LIS teachers in the last decade do not produce quality literature and the LIS schools' output is not qualitative. 

When LIS professions will increase their level?

[Siddhartha Shankar Ray]

Dear Ms. Sava Sarasvdy,

Thank you for your post and concern. Actually, this is not an isolated picture for LIS only. By and large this is what prevails now-a-days for most subjects barring a few.

Owing to the present trend of objective type questions in NETs, people who are incapable to write (an answer) even twenty sentences flawlessly are also judged to be "qualified" and entering service mostly to College Libraries because of the benefits of UGC pay scales. Most among them are doing Ph.Ds, undertaking 'projects' or venturing for paper publications only for the sake of scoring for API.  If tomorrow  the UGC withdraws such mandates, you will see that only a very limited number of people who have genuine urge and capability, will be involved into such activities. There is no denying that quantitatively there will be a significant decrease but the quality will be better.

Earlier, in our days, we were mentally/temperamentally prepared to realise & accept our limitations. There was a distinct division between two groups; one was those who were "Extremely Capable" and the other was who were "Not So Capable" . However, we were fortunate in two aspects; One: the ratio of pass-out students and job opportunities were better than present days and Two: Political patronization or influence was no so acute. As such, good students were more or less 'assured' of better opportunities. In those days, the best destinations were jobs in Foreign Diplomatic Missions like British Council, American Centre and National Research Institutes. I guess, if anybody checks the authors' affiliations in Journal Articles/ Conference Proceedings till, say, early 90's, s/he will opine with my statement.

I must add here that in the present days, we are bestowed with a stream of excellent IT savvy LIS professionals and they have brought a sea-change in service potentiality but, as I said many times earlier, the academic flavour in our profession has eroded to a considerable extent.

Sincerely,

Siddhartha S. Ray, Calcutta           

[Saba Sarasvdy]

Dear Ray

Your observations do reflect the current defacto environment in our country. I do agree completely with your views. 

Saba