If this proposed plan gets fructified, We the blind researchers will be more delighted while undertaking research projects. Our Attempt should be directed to make this proposed website accessible to us. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130522/jsp/nation/story_16924810.jsp#.UZxzV8_rbIU
BASANT KUMAR MOHANTY New Delhi, May 21: Access to a broad range of economic and social data will soon be a click away. The data to be available on a proposed website in four months will include information on human development, industrial growth, agriculture, census, price index and household expenditure, to name a few. The Indian Council for Social Science Research (ICSSR), the government agency promoting research in social sciences, has decided to set up the National Data Service for Social Science Researchers (NDSSSR) as one-stop portal where students and public can easily access data free of cost. “The NDSSSR will be set up on the lines of UK Data Service (UKDS) which is the agency in Britain to compile and disseminate statistical information pertaining to social, economic, political and cultural aspects of the economy,” ICSSR chairperson professor Sukhadeo Thorat told The Telegraph. He said multiple agencies, such as the National Sample Survey Organisation, Registrar General of India, various ministries and the National University of Educational Planning and Administration, are involved in collecting and publishing data on various issues. At present, researchers have to approach these agencies for the data. The NDSSSR, to be set up in collaboration with the ministry of statistics and programme implementation, will collect data from various agencies and publish them in a usable format, Thorat said. He said the NDSSSR will compile available data — on any particular issue, whether the socio-economic condition of tribals in India or the participation of Muslims in education — from all agencies and put them on the website. Social scientists have hailed the initiative. G. Hargopal, a faculty at the Centre of Human Rights in the University of Hyderabad, said the proposed agency would facilitate researchers to focus more on their research work. “A researcher need not put any effort or time to search various websites or visit organisations for data. He will get comprehensive data relevant for his research,” said Hargopal. Jayati Ghosh, the director Women’s Studies, School of Social Sciences at Jawaharlal Nehru University, said several private institutions are involved in collecting data and they charge fee to provide it to users. “Researchers can save on money also. They may not have to pay if NDSSSR provides data free,” she said. Private agencies such as India Stat collect information from government and supply to users for a fee. Throat said the UKDS, supported by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) of the UK, serves as a single point of access and support to broad range of high-quality economic and social research data. The UKDS also helps the social science community to develop the skills necessary to use the available data. The proposed NDSSSR will provide training to researchers on how to best interpret the data and use them, said Thorat, who left for the UK today to discuss the NDSSSR plan with the ESRC. It may be set up in four months. The ICSSR also has plans to set up an Indian Social Sciences and Humanities Academy on the lines of the British Academy to advise the government on social science policies. -- Avinash Shahi MPhil Research Scholar Centre for the Study of Law and Governance Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi India Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of mobile phones / Tabs on: http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ To unsubscribe send a message to [email protected] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list..
