Development Studies, Vol. 1 (Hardbound - 2007)

The Volumes cover an extensive range of critical areas that have one common theme of questioning the accepted parameters of development from different angles influenced by multiple academic backgrounds. An attempt has been made to accommodate conflicting points of view that would facilitate the reader to arrive at his/her own understanding of the problems under purview. Contributors to these Volumes have tried to argue the different issues and concerns of development paradigms. Their chapters indicate the different choices of development that are necessarily context-bound and issue-driven in approach. Choices entail alternatives from among a range of viable options that tend to determine and influence development projects. Both primary and secondary stakeholders are required under the imperatives informed by the project to choose among this or that in order to optimize their given baskets of utilities. Development projects more often than not involve the politics of choice that is underpinned by the who gets what, how, when, where and why scenario.

These Volumes will be of interest to social and natural scientists, civil servants, policy-makers, environmentalists, economists, ecologists, civil society organizations, think tanks, non-government organizations and development consultants.

Prasenjit Maiti is a political sociologist. He earlier taught and researched at the University of Burdwan during 1995-2002 and was on secondment at the Institute of Federalism of the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, as a Doctoral Fellow. Dr Maiti joined the Development Sector in 2003. He initially worked on the Kolkata Environmental Improvement Project funded by the Asian Development Bank while employed by The Energy and Resources Institute. He later served as a Consultant to the Consumer Unity and Trust Society. He was also professionally associated with ActionAid and the West Bengal Pollution Control Board.

Dr Maiti later joined Consulting Engineering Services as a Sociologist. His first book Problems of Governance in India was published in 2002 while his next work Development Discourses was brought out in 2005. Both of his works have received overwhelming response.