JNU could do with guidance on research topics

NEW DELHI: Research at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is getting stranger by the day. Many of the topics of research appear to have little relevance, even if academic and are often picked up for bizarre reasons — at times merely due to availability of adequate material (read books) on the topic.
Sample this: ''Emerging Social Formation and Democracy in Post Colonial Senegal.'' A thesis on this PhD topic has been submitted in 2004 at the Centre for West Asian and African Studies at the School of International Studies (SIS).In 2004 only, the Centre also saw the submission of another thesis on Senegal titled ''Civil Society in Senegal: Emergence and Challenges in Post Independence Period (1960-2004)''. "It is puzzling to note the emphasis on civil society and social formations of a country which completes 44 years of independence, this year," wonders a research scholar.
Argues Subodhnarayan Malakar, associate professor at the centre, "Research into the social composition of countries such as Senegal is important. It gives us a better understanding of a region and there are many policy-level lessons that we can draw from these." Only if the government has a mechanism for this. Malakar agrees that there is "very little interaction with government."
There are topics like ''Engaged Buddhism in The Modern World,'' ''Colonised Rivers of North Bihar'', ''Aviation Insurance: A Survey of Passengers and Third Party Liability'', ''The Translation of English Literature into Mizo'' that raise the question of relevance.
"For many of us, the purpose of research was to retain a hostel seat. In the process, selection of topic became the biggest casualty," recalls Amitabh Shrivastava, a JNU alumni. Also, says Percy Fernandez, "Mostly the topic selection is determined by the availability of materials." Fernandez who completed his PhD in sociology adds, "There was a tendency among many of my friends to merely pick up few key books and articles for research." In the process, he says, the essence of research was lost.
Skeptics also frown upon the "subtle connivance" of supervisors in this process. "While students may write a thesis on vague topics in order to avail UGC research fellowship, what is surprising is the acceptance of such topics by the supervisors," says a SIS professor.
Prof Madhavan K Palat, dean, School of Social Sciences, however refutes such notions. "To a layman, every research appears useless. In reality, they contribute to the knowledge bank enormously." This is true, if there are elements of relevance in research, says Fernandez.
But, how much of such academic explorations are contributing to the knowledge repository is debatable, given the recycling of similar topics. In 2003, a thesis on ''Premchand Ke Upanyason Ki Bhasha Katha'' (Language of discourse in Premchand''s novels) was submitted at the Centre for Indian Languages. "There is certainly not much of novelty in this topic. At least 100 scholars would have worked on this earlier," says a professor at the centre.