Living in the times of globalisation, it becomes all the more necessary for academics to try and make sense of the complexities involved in global politics, economy and trade. It is this effort which reflects in “Globalisation & Voices from Indian Practitioners”, edited by Dr. Amna Mirza.
The book was released this week at the India Habitat Centre by the Minister of State for Human Resource Development Jitin Prasad who lauded the effort of the contributors that helped the book to capture the intricacies of the global world.
The Minister said it was essential to develop a global mindset and usher in a process of dialogue to learn from each other’s diversity and also factor in plurality as a reality of the current times. “The need of the hour is to put together all the voices and comprehend the notional reality of the present era — which is simple yet complex with interdependence and trade-offs as its hallmarks,” said the minister.
The book covers a broad canvas in its writings — bringing to light how a practitioner of a discipline makes an attempt to test its experience against the academic vision. Such a dialogue is essential to comprehend an ever-changing and complex process like globalisation.
An assistant professor in Delhi University, Mirza roped in contributors from different fields like economics, politics, administration, tourism and hospitality, the corporate world and the legal sector.
Mirza traces the term ‘globalisation’ back to the 1960s, when Marshall McLuhan foresaw that electronic dependence was creating a new form of social life, captured by the term ‘global village.’ Globalisation has also led to major reconfiguration of social geography which has affected all social structures. It has generated an interplay of continuity and change and is driven by international trade and finance, facilitated by communication and technology.
The writings in the book are presented with a view to respond and react to the intellectual earnestness to know where we are heading. Contributors include Ashok Tanwar, S.M. Khan, Sandeep Jajodia, Rachna Sharma, Sujay Shad, Simar Suri and Archana Bahl Sapra.
Director-General of Doordarshan News S.M. Khan pointed out that with the role of the State undergoing a change today, bureaucracy cannot be immune to the process. The global forces have made it imperative for the State and government to make policies that enshrine increasing links between nations and their economies.
