IAAP, 2008

Overall, the program is running well under the leadership of Dr. Jayanti Basu.   In the inauguration at National Library, some speakers pointed at use of statistics in writing research papers. Simple qualitative data analysis is not sufficient as it fails to assess multivariate properties of research decisions. Dr. Madhabi Chatterjee of US presented a nice model where in we can use nested properties of psychological variables. She proposed such model during therapy or interventions. I added difference in the nested properties of pre during and post intervention periods. Those who are using cognitive behaviour therapy can use this model. Recently, I published one article on this issue but not nested properties using box-plot analysis. The reference is given below:

Dutta Roy, D. (2008). Assessing Validity of Web-Based Computer Adaptive Training Modules, Journal Of The Indian Academy of Applied Psychology, Vol. 34, No.1, January, 127-136.

 For last few months, I am thinking to organize one workshop on " Statistical modeling in Psychotherapy" . I got inspiration to organize such after listening the talk of Dr. Chatterjee.
   Professor Olav Skille of Norway presented music therapy. He was not given much time. However, he developed music behaviour scale following the principles of music intelligence. Later on I discussed with him about neuroplasticity.
    Yesterday, I was shocked by presentation of HIV-AIDS issue. In stead of strong data base, psychiatrists talked about prevalance of HIV among the cross section of population. Without using any standardized scale, they are relating HIV incidence to different psychiatric diagnostic groups. However, I have learnt one interesting thing from them that knowledge and attitude are non linearly related. This issue is very interesting, one can study on it. They want psychologists having knowledge of statistics as I assume.
    Professor Giriswar Mishra of Delhi University presented indigenous psychology. We often depend upon western scale based on western cultural mileau  ignoring our own cultural roots. I have strong belief in it. We have to propagate research methodology so that we can develop psychological instruments based on our own culture. I expected some studies but due to unavailability of time,  he failed to show his study. However, he pointed out some methodological issues. He is the editor of well known Indian journal -  'Psychological Studies'.
    At the General body meeting, it was decided that next conference will be held in Ourangabad, Maharashtra. The place is close to Ajanta and Illora. The GB meeting selected 3 persons from Bengal as Executive Member of IAAP - Prof. Hiren Gupta, Dr. Jayanti Basu and me. So, we have large task ahead. Every body appreciated my web page of the conference. They treated it as excellent. I have made this page on my own desire without thinking of any recognition. When our institute was involved with this conference, I proposed website as I thought that providing adequate information at the right moment is very much needed and it could avoid many hassles. . I have learnt many things by designing the web page. It gives me another pleasure as I find some relation between 'nishkam' and achievement out of it. Below is the website. Pl. look at it.
http://www.iaapconf 2008.org/

We read psychology book but have we thought of application of psychology to earn money ? If we want to earn money, we have to design new approach. This is learnt from Professor Kaliappan. He has own personality development trust in Chennai. He retired from Dept of psychology, Madras university.Several times  he  visited  our  psychology dept as examiner or as speaker. I get opportunity to meet him very close in Chennai when he awarded me the best paper award. Yesterday, in his workshop on personality development, he pointed out several innovations of his trust. Some interesting areas are : psychological adoption, personality matrimony, gifted personality schools, personality clubs, Investment, psychological astrology, psychological courts, personality and spiritual services. He collects  Rs. 500 to Rs.5000 from participant in each workshop. From that trust he gave Rs.1 lakh to IAAP.
      He told me to teach his regular 67 students about web designing with some charges. I told him that I could teach but I could not take money from students. He tried to motivate me to take some money but I could not compromise my existing value system. May be I am backward in this period. I do not know when my realization will come.
    Another interesting lecture was given by Professor Avijit Ganguly on HRM practices in China. He pointed at strong conformity to the law is the key aspect for development in China.
He wants to share more, but limited time is there.
   Finally the curtain dropped with declaration that next conference will be held in Ourangabad. Jayanti and her colleagues nicely finished valedictory session. She was very meticulous in giving vote of thanks.

 

relation between Psychoanalytic approach of Freud and Shrimad Bhagwad Gita

One student (Deepa Shah) of the Dept of Psychology asked me this question. This is about that discourse.

 

Dear Deepa,

I never faced such challenges in my life to explain relation between Psychoanalytic approach of Freud and Shrimad Bhagwad Gita. Thank you very much to ask me such question.

Well, I am trying to write based on my own interpretations. Please tell me if I am wrong any where. I have studied Freud long ago.

I have told before that I do not find much relation between Freudian psychodynamics and Shrimad Bhagwad Gita. Both tried to explore the roots of anxiety.Freud assumes that anxiety occurs due to repressed energies. Repressed energies are coming out in  disguise to consciousness from unconsciousness. And when individual feels the actual image of repressed energies, anxiety occurs. Han's phobia is one example. To Freud, unconsciousness is reservoir of energy.

In Gita, we find that consciousness is reservoir of energy.  Energy comes through 'Nishkam karma'. In Mahabharata, we have seen Eklabya character who actually follows principles of nishkam karma. When man acquires knowledge and skills through nishkam karma, he becomes more confident. His self-efficacy level will be very high. Drona has understood so he exploited Eklabya. In Ramayana, I find Hanuman character as the nishkam karmi.

Person who does not acquire knowledge or skills through nishkma karma, he feels feeling of insecurity, fear of failure in front of challenges.

Freud highlighted testing the reality principle of Ego. Nishkam Karmi people always try to test the reality by accepting challenges.

Arjuna possessed all the skills, knowledges for war. I do not think that Arjuna was nishkam karmi. His initial attitude towards the competitors does not support it. He got chance to test his power of knowledge and skills against many people but not against  Karna (his strong competitor), Drona (his Guru), and Bhisma (his grand father). He could not think that his existing skills and knowledge were sufficient to fight against them. So  expressed his anxiety in the following slokas:

" Bepathushcha sharira me, romaharshacha jayate" (anxiety symptom)

Shri Krishna tried to enlighten  immense power within Arjuna through different suggestions but he failed. Finally, he showed his Biswarup. After Biswarup darshana, Arjuna was sure of his  competitors' defeat. He became confident and his anxiety was gone. The total process occurred in consciousness level.

Biswarup principle is not feasible for common men. So Krishna developed concept of 'Nishkam Karma' which is almost equal powerful to Biswarup principles.

Related to Freudian approach of defense mechanisms, Arjun used rationalization by saying that there were many elders so how could he fight against them. Shri Krishna understood the inner meaning of this words so he highlighted the principles of 'Nishkam karma' what Arjuna followed later.

Both Freud and Shri Krishna used individualistic approach of psychotherapy. Both analyzed human mind from different angles. Both explored several new constructs and their principles  to explain different phenomenon of anxiety.

Population Density in NE states

It is funny to find that though Tripura is smaller state, it's population density is very high. Arunachal pradesh is a big state but its density is least. On the other hand density is higher than national average in the very big state - Assam. Density of population indicates high immigration.

Problem of workers in North-East

Problem of workers in north-east can not be separated from the problems of North - East states.
N-E states suffer from followings :

Geographical

• Difficult terrain, wide variations in slopes and altitude
• Depletion of forests, degradation and erosion of soil, loss of bio-diversity, silting and raising of riverbed, increase in flood frequency and seismic prone environment.
• North East India is vulnerable to number of disasters. It is in highest Seismic Zone,Brahmaputra valley is prone to flood, landslide/flashflood is common to the whole region. Agricultural sector (land-man ratio = .66ha, National average = .32ha)
• Rain fed and mono cropped agricultural land
• Wide spread jhum cultivation due to lack of transport, storage and marketing infrastructures
• Dearth of location specific and system based technology, and no use of high yielding variety seeds, fertilizer and irrigation in most part of the regions.
• Unexplored rich mineral, plant and vegetable resources

Infrastructure in education, health care and communication systems

• Poor infrastructure facilities like transport, communication, input supply, marketing, credit and extension services;
• Lack of scope for higher education in different specialized fields.
  

Culture

• Crisis of tribal identity
• Apprehending loss of traditional livelihood
• Apprehending loss of inherited skills
• Difficulty in adoption of modern technology
• Rural workers felt crisis in following urban culture as their own culture is assumed to be at stake.
  

Health

• Rural
  Although tribesmen live close to nature, invariably their health and physique are poor. They suffer from various diseases such as malaria, yaws, tuberculosis, small pox, and venereal diseases and skin and eye diseases. In the main, to a large extent these are due to lack of clean drinking water, nutritive food, and of protection against extremes of climate.
• Urban
  Drug addiction and HIV
  Easy access to narcotic drugs
  Freedom in sexual relations

Organized sector does not absorb more labour force like past resulting sizable increase of unemployed labour force.

• Reduce unit cost of production
• Improve quality of products
• Augment purchasing power of consumers
• Improving skill of labour force through education and training.
• Development of labour intensive sectors- agriculture and allied services, food processing, rural non-farm sector like khadi and village industries, service sectors like health, education, information technology and communication,
  

Work Culture

• Discipline life
• Punctuality
• Cleanliness
• Quality consciousness
• Honesty
• Work as worship
  

Facilitating Inherited Skill

• Tribesmen have considerable inherited skill and it is essential that their arts and crafts should receive encouragement and support and they should be given facilities for vocational training.
• There are large number of subsidiary industries such as bee-keeping, basket-making, sericulture, spinning and weaving, fruit preservation and the manufacture of palm-gur which can be developed. Demonstration-cum-training are useful.
  

http://planningcommission.nic.in/plans/planrel/fiveyr/2nd/2planch28.html

National extension Movement

• Encouragement of settled forms of agriculture in place of shifting cultivation,
  improvement of agriculture,
• Provision of medical and public health services,
• Improvement of communications,
• Development of arts and crafts,
• Organisation of cooperatives
• Establishment of community welfare centres.
  Such centres are a valuable method for developing local participation and leadership and are specially suited for associating the best type of local workers as well as others from more advanced areas.
  
  

Population
Multilingualism
Culture difference between plain and hill areas
Mis link between education and economy
Very high unorganized labour force

Seven Sisters of India

The North East of India constitutes the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.
Flanked by hills and with the mighty Brahmaputra river slashing a central path between its north and south, the North East is bounded by the States of Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura with Assam comprising the heart. Arunachal Pradesh lies to its north and Sikkim a little away in the North West bordering China and Bhutan. Bangladesh and Myanmar lie to its southwest and east. The torrential Brahmaputra deposits its rich alluvial silt along the banks of the plains of Assam. Tropical rain forest, rich in flora and fauna, spread their arms across Arunachal Pradesh into Assam. It is a land where tea is an industry, handicrafts a major occupation and martial arts a favoured sport.

Globalization and Career guidance

Classical approach of career guidance is at stake as we are passing through job unstructuring due to globalization. We are moving from local to domestic, domestic to international and international to transnational, therefore each job responsibility becomes more unpredictable. Since labor market or career market is unpredictable, one should redefine the concept of career.

 

Career is not mere a job for which individual intends to train him or herself. Now career is nothing but role or constellation of roles having some marketing value.

 

It is a time to think how to export career, how to reconfigure existing skills, how to engineer a new career.

 

Career is just like Ganges river having many branches with different names. Like Ganges career is a flow of information, capital, labor, product and services. Due to its value, people come to the Ganges. Like that due to its high marketing value, people come to the different phases of career.

 

The above is some of the excerpts of my today's talk in the Rotary club, North Calcutta.

Few memorable events

On 24th September, Phoebus house in association with All India Seishinkai Shito-Ryu karate-do Federation (24pgs-N) gave me memento for invaluable guidance to them.

 

 

Few memorable events

On 24th September, Phoebus house in association with All India Seishinkai Shito-Ryu karate-do Federation (24pgs-N) gave me memento for invaluable guidance to them.