Vikalpa: The Journal for Decision Makers

In this feature a caselet with rich policy implications is presented to a panel of academics and practitioners. The panelists diagnose the problem or problems, analyse their causes and make policy-level recommendations that go beyond the immediate situation presented in the case.

Readers are requested to send their interpretations and recommendations with respect to the situation presented and analysed, and also for the caselet to be discussed in the next issue of Vikalpa.

To facilitate the editorial process, please send three type written double-spaced copies of your responses. The length may be kept to not more than three typed pages.

In recent years there has been a steadily growing awareness that to increase agricultural output, the efficiency and productivity of irrigation water at the on-farm level must be increased. The author visited India in January- February 1982, as Chief of Party for a team of specialists invited by the India Mission, U.S. Agency for International Development and the Central Water Commission, Ministry of Irrigation, to advise on the development of a long-term irrigation water management special studies and training project.

From his study in India, he concludes that if new and existing irrigation projects must succeeld, then the operation and management of total irrigation systems must improve. This requires training inputs in irrigation engineering and basic agricultural sciences for all concerned personnel and also training in system management skills. It is in this that the state training centres and Indian management institutes will be of help.

“The whole in nutshell I” That is Frontiers of management research abroad. To expose Indian readers to management research abroad we present in this new feature jargon free summaries of recent research published in some of the world's leading management journals. These capsule summaries would, we hope, induce the enthusiastic readers to still wider reading. And also, to contribute to this feature themselves.

Readers are requested to give detailed information regarding the article condensed such as its publication details, etc., to Professor Samir Barua.

The paper reviews the literature on stress experienced by organizational members. Based on a questionnaire study of a sample of manager trainees from two public sector corporations, the paper identifies major management and work related correlates of anxiety-based stress.

Perspectives presents abstracts of select articles by'wellknown practitioners and academicians. Readers are welcome to contribute their own thought-provoking pieces or those of others that they have come across.

Please send us three type-written copies of the articles.

Correspondence for Perspectives may be sent to Professor Ranjit Gupta.

The paper reviews Antyodaya the programme of the Government of Rajasthan to raise the income of the poorest citizens. The analysis is based on a survey of 50 beneficiaries. The involvement of the village community in identifying the beneficiaries was a notable feature of the programme. However, like many such programmes, in this one too, quantitative targetry overshadowed solid achievement and the goal of economic self-reliance for the poorest. The implications of the Antyodaya experience for the Integrated Rural Development Programme of the Government of India, involving an annual expenditure of over a billion rupees, are sketched, and some suggestions for its more effective management made.

The purpose of these abstracts is to provide reference facilities in the management field. These abstracts have been sponsored by the Indian Council of Social Science Research.

These abstracts cover books and articles on empirical studies, experiences of people involved in the management process, and concepts and theories based on Indian data and environment written by Indian or foreign authors and published in India or abroad.

The following areas of management are covered:

Financial Management, Management Accounting, and Control (FM)

Books and articles published after January 1974 are covered in Vikalpa. Abstracts of publications between 1970 and 1973 have been published in two volumes by the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. For reprint of articles abstracted in Vikalpa please contact the original journals. For further details please write to Professor Shekhar Chaudhuri.

Innovative management features brief accounts of novel, off-beat management. These are accounts of creatively managed organizations or of innovative handling of management issues.

As for the others, we invite contributions and comments from readers for this feature too.