Sambit Mallick | Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (original) (raw)
Books by Sambit Mallick
The Intellectual Property Rights regime has brought about a new set of interests, meanings, value... more The Intellectual Property Rights regime has brought about a new set of interests, meanings, values, norms, etc. that have a potential to influence the practices of the scientific community in India. The research community in plant molecular biology, which is no exception to this, seems to be increasingly influenced by considerations of the potential of research for attaining patents. The study captures the emerging institutional framework of scientific research contingent upon the protocols of the IPRs and changing scientific practices. Attention is paid to the views of plant molecular biologists in India and the changing relationship between scientists and boundary organizations. This new regime is marked by the advent of the customer-funder-policymaker nexus as a prominent element in science forcing the plant molecular biologists to (re-)negotiate scientific boundaries. The commodification of science alters the idealized identities of its practitioners. The disciplines that can contribute to map different dimensions of the problem should collaborate to identify a shared perspective and suggest workable or deliverable solutions.
Papers by Sambit Mallick
Journal of Asian and African Studies, Feb 24, 2022
This paper examines the emergence of biofuels and its changing institutional mandates having impl... more This paper examines the emergence of biofuels and its changing institutional mandates having implications for India’s renewable energy policy. Biofuels have commanded much attention in research and policy circles as a renewable energy source providing energy security, creating sustainable livelihoods, mitigating climate change and fostering international trade. Diverting land for biofuels might compromise food security and health for the poor and vulnerable. The NMB was inaugurated in India in 2003 to produce biodiesel from jatropha, a biofuel crop, on unutilized wastelands, and promoted jatropha as a workable solution to this food-versus-fuel quandary owing to the plant’s supposed ability to grow and produce oil-rich seeds on poor quality soils deemed unsuitable for food production. Jatropha’s ability to thrive on barren lands might have been overstated, thus examining whether industrial and agricultural research institutions follow the global demand-pattern of biofuels and raising the concerns over their necessity, funding resources vis-à-vis differing mandates.
Asian journal of social science, 2009
... Across the Atlantic in the United States, stem cells were also on the national political agen... more ... Across the Atlantic in the United States, stem cells were also on the national political agenda, although here the issue was entangled with presi ... are only one of a series of flash points that also include contro-versies about the risks of transgenic crops, transatlantic battles over the ...
Science Technology & Society, Nov 15, 2022
Perspectives on Global Development and Technology, Jun 15, 2022
The handloom industry in India is an ancient cottage industry with a decentralized setup that pro... more The handloom industry in India is an ancient cottage industry with a decentralized setup that provides jobs to about 35 million people. Handloom established its reputation in the global market long before the industrial revolution. Today, India’s handloom and spinning wheel produces the largest variation of designs. It continued to flourish despite the oppression of the British Government. In India the powerloom sector is the dominant player in the weaving process. It contributes more than 60 percent of the total textile production. The powerloom units are meeting the textile products required for the domestic market as well as for the export of the same. Against this backdrop this article dwells upon the history of the handloom and powerloom industry in India in general, and Odisha in particular. This article is based on only secondary data.
Comparative Sociology, Aug 11, 2022
Journal of Asian and African Studies, Oct 11, 2022
There was an uncritical transition from handloom clusters to powerloom clusters initiated by the ... more There was an uncritical transition from handloom clusters to powerloom clusters initiated by the Government of Odisha in 1972, having a debilitating effect on both handloom and powerloom. This article examines the factors contributing to the plight of powerloom clusters in Odisha. In-depth personal interviews were conducted with various stakeholders of Siminoi powerloom clusters of Dhenkanal District in Odisha. A lack of planning in powerloom, education, government patronage, competitiveness, product diversification, marketing, infrastructure bottleneck, and so on is responsible for the plight of powerloom sector in the state. Hence, there is a need to critically integrate both handloom and powerloom in Odisha.
Irish Journal of Sociology, Nov 1, 2009
Comparative Sociology, 2013
Asian Journal of Social Science
Perspectives on Global Development and Technology, 2017
The construal of genetically modified (gm) crops is not just scientific or technological, but als... more The construal of genetically modified (gm) crops is not just scientific or technological, but also inherently political. This article attempts to understand the implications of proprietary technologies in agriculture in India where two gm crops namely Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton and Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) brinjal are analyzed. It critically examines how different normative institutional frameworks and ideologies are deeply embedded in the way diverse actors select their research questions. Further, an attempt is made to unfurl the debates on the policies of biotechnology, in general and Bt crops, in particular. It then moves onto capturing the networking between the government, academia and industry with reference to gm crops, particularly Bt cotton and Bt brinjal. In-depth personal interviews with 81 plant biotechnologists in the government, academic, and private research and development (R&D) institutions in India were conducted to ascertain the views of various stakeh...
Sociological Bulletin, 2020
Asoke Basu and Saibal Datta, Indigenous Roots of Modern Science in Colonial Bengal: From Canon to... more Asoke Basu and Saibal Datta, Indigenous Roots of Modern Science in Colonial Bengal: From Canon to Criticism (c. 1750–1950). Kolkata: The Asiatic Society, 2019, 294 pp., ₹650 (hardback). ISBN: 978-93-81574-82-9.
Journal of Asian and African Studies, Jan 31, 2023
Perspectives on Global Development and Technology
The state of Assam alone produces nearly 53 percent of the total tea production in India. Around ... more The state of Assam alone produces nearly 53 percent of the total tea production in India. Around one million workers are engaged in the tea industry in India. Tea – as a commercial product first cultivated and expanded by the British – is an outcome of the toil and struggle of the Adivasi workers or indigenous people of central and east India who were made to migrate to Assam under extremely brutal conditions, and they form one of the most oppressed communities in the state. This section of the population has been waging struggles to protect its rights in the state. Tea production is a labor-intensive enterprise in which trade unions should ideally play an assertive role at every stage. However, trade unions in the tea estates are gradually being questioned on their functionality in shaping industrial relations and upholding the rights of the workers. The key respondents, comprising plantation workers, trade union members, owners of the tea estates, and management staff, belong to t...
Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-bst-10.1177_0270467621995700 for Interests, Norms, Meanings: A S... more Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-bst-10.1177_0270467621995700 for Interests, Norms, Meanings: A Study of Rice Biotechnology in India by Avinash Kumar and Sambit Mallick in Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society
Indian Historical Review, 2008
Eurocentrism, sometimes described as the cardinal peccadillo of the comparative method, is the pr... more Eurocentrism, sometimes described as the cardinal peccadillo of the comparative method, is the practice of studying and manufacturing judgments about other societies in terms of the cultural assumptions or bias of Europe (and, generally Western). Conceivably, these cultural assumptions or bias are very often super-imposed by their improved mode of production. Eurocentrism refers to the praxis, conscious or otherwise,. of placing emphasis on European concerns, culture and values at the expense of those of other cultures. Eurocentrism often involves claiming cultures that are not white or European as being such, or denying their existence at all. It is the worldview fabricated by the dominance of Western capitalism that claims that European culture reflects the unique and most progressive manifestation of the metaphysical order of history. Thus, it is an ideological distortion, an inconceivable mythology, and a historical and moral travesty. It illegitimately appropriates Greek rationality and Christianity to legitimize and rationalize its newly created capitalistic social order-its economic, political, cultural and moral conquest of the world and its exploitation of non-European humanity. In the light of this, recently, a need to think seriously of an alternative social science, grounded in the perspective of the Third World!Asiatic/ indigenous/native, etc. has become shriller. Syed Farid Alatas' book, participating in this debate, seeks to foreground the problematic of alternative discourses in social science to counterpoise the half-baked Eurocentric claims. The compilation of Alatas' earlier works published in the Alternatives, the Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography, the American Studies International, the Current Sociology, the Current Anthropology, etc. reflects a wider reach within the academic circle.
International Journal of Biotechnology, 2016
Inter-institutional collaborative networking in the area of plant molecular biology has become th... more Inter-institutional collaborative networking in the area of plant molecular biology has become the hallmark of the intellectual property rights (IPR) regime. As research in plant molecular biology has potential for attaining patents, the practitioners seem to reorient their approach towards their own research vis-a-vis the protocols enshrined in the IPR. The plant molecular biologists located in various institutional settings in India seem to be engaged in collaborative networking with the industry. The present study, through in-depth personal interviews with 68 plant molecular biologists in India, attempts to capture the transition in scientific practices reflected in the attitudes, interests, values and ideologies of the scientific community in India.
The Intellectual Property Rights regime has brought about a new set of interests, meanings, value... more The Intellectual Property Rights regime has brought about a new set of interests, meanings, values, norms, etc. that have a potential to influence the practices of the scientific community in India. The research community in plant molecular biology, which is no exception to this, seems to be increasingly influenced by considerations of the potential of research for attaining patents. The study captures the emerging institutional framework of scientific research contingent upon the protocols of the IPRs and changing scientific practices. Attention is paid to the views of plant molecular biologists in India and the changing relationship between scientists and boundary organizations. This new regime is marked by the advent of the customer-funder-policymaker nexus as a prominent element in science forcing the plant molecular biologists to (re-)negotiate scientific boundaries. The commodification of science alters the idealized identities of its practitioners. The disciplines that can contribute to map different dimensions of the problem should collaborate to identify a shared perspective and suggest workable or deliverable solutions.
Journal of Asian and African Studies, Feb 24, 2022
This paper examines the emergence of biofuels and its changing institutional mandates having impl... more This paper examines the emergence of biofuels and its changing institutional mandates having implications for India’s renewable energy policy. Biofuels have commanded much attention in research and policy circles as a renewable energy source providing energy security, creating sustainable livelihoods, mitigating climate change and fostering international trade. Diverting land for biofuels might compromise food security and health for the poor and vulnerable. The NMB was inaugurated in India in 2003 to produce biodiesel from jatropha, a biofuel crop, on unutilized wastelands, and promoted jatropha as a workable solution to this food-versus-fuel quandary owing to the plant’s supposed ability to grow and produce oil-rich seeds on poor quality soils deemed unsuitable for food production. Jatropha’s ability to thrive on barren lands might have been overstated, thus examining whether industrial and agricultural research institutions follow the global demand-pattern of biofuels and raising the concerns over their necessity, funding resources vis-à-vis differing mandates.
Asian journal of social science, 2009
... Across the Atlantic in the United States, stem cells were also on the national political agen... more ... Across the Atlantic in the United States, stem cells were also on the national political agenda, although here the issue was entangled with presi ... are only one of a series of flash points that also include contro-versies about the risks of transgenic crops, transatlantic battles over the ...
Science Technology & Society, Nov 15, 2022
Perspectives on Global Development and Technology, Jun 15, 2022
The handloom industry in India is an ancient cottage industry with a decentralized setup that pro... more The handloom industry in India is an ancient cottage industry with a decentralized setup that provides jobs to about 35 million people. Handloom established its reputation in the global market long before the industrial revolution. Today, India’s handloom and spinning wheel produces the largest variation of designs. It continued to flourish despite the oppression of the British Government. In India the powerloom sector is the dominant player in the weaving process. It contributes more than 60 percent of the total textile production. The powerloom units are meeting the textile products required for the domestic market as well as for the export of the same. Against this backdrop this article dwells upon the history of the handloom and powerloom industry in India in general, and Odisha in particular. This article is based on only secondary data.
Comparative Sociology, Aug 11, 2022
Journal of Asian and African Studies, Oct 11, 2022
There was an uncritical transition from handloom clusters to powerloom clusters initiated by the ... more There was an uncritical transition from handloom clusters to powerloom clusters initiated by the Government of Odisha in 1972, having a debilitating effect on both handloom and powerloom. This article examines the factors contributing to the plight of powerloom clusters in Odisha. In-depth personal interviews were conducted with various stakeholders of Siminoi powerloom clusters of Dhenkanal District in Odisha. A lack of planning in powerloom, education, government patronage, competitiveness, product diversification, marketing, infrastructure bottleneck, and so on is responsible for the plight of powerloom sector in the state. Hence, there is a need to critically integrate both handloom and powerloom in Odisha.
Irish Journal of Sociology, Nov 1, 2009
Comparative Sociology, 2013
Asian Journal of Social Science
Perspectives on Global Development and Technology, 2017
The construal of genetically modified (gm) crops is not just scientific or technological, but als... more The construal of genetically modified (gm) crops is not just scientific or technological, but also inherently political. This article attempts to understand the implications of proprietary technologies in agriculture in India where two gm crops namely Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton and Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) brinjal are analyzed. It critically examines how different normative institutional frameworks and ideologies are deeply embedded in the way diverse actors select their research questions. Further, an attempt is made to unfurl the debates on the policies of biotechnology, in general and Bt crops, in particular. It then moves onto capturing the networking between the government, academia and industry with reference to gm crops, particularly Bt cotton and Bt brinjal. In-depth personal interviews with 81 plant biotechnologists in the government, academic, and private research and development (R&D) institutions in India were conducted to ascertain the views of various stakeh...
Sociological Bulletin, 2020
Asoke Basu and Saibal Datta, Indigenous Roots of Modern Science in Colonial Bengal: From Canon to... more Asoke Basu and Saibal Datta, Indigenous Roots of Modern Science in Colonial Bengal: From Canon to Criticism (c. 1750–1950). Kolkata: The Asiatic Society, 2019, 294 pp., ₹650 (hardback). ISBN: 978-93-81574-82-9.
Journal of Asian and African Studies, Jan 31, 2023
Perspectives on Global Development and Technology
The state of Assam alone produces nearly 53 percent of the total tea production in India. Around ... more The state of Assam alone produces nearly 53 percent of the total tea production in India. Around one million workers are engaged in the tea industry in India. Tea – as a commercial product first cultivated and expanded by the British – is an outcome of the toil and struggle of the Adivasi workers or indigenous people of central and east India who were made to migrate to Assam under extremely brutal conditions, and they form one of the most oppressed communities in the state. This section of the population has been waging struggles to protect its rights in the state. Tea production is a labor-intensive enterprise in which trade unions should ideally play an assertive role at every stage. However, trade unions in the tea estates are gradually being questioned on their functionality in shaping industrial relations and upholding the rights of the workers. The key respondents, comprising plantation workers, trade union members, owners of the tea estates, and management staff, belong to t...
Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-bst-10.1177_0270467621995700 for Interests, Norms, Meanings: A S... more Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-bst-10.1177_0270467621995700 for Interests, Norms, Meanings: A Study of Rice Biotechnology in India by Avinash Kumar and Sambit Mallick in Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society
Indian Historical Review, 2008
Eurocentrism, sometimes described as the cardinal peccadillo of the comparative method, is the pr... more Eurocentrism, sometimes described as the cardinal peccadillo of the comparative method, is the practice of studying and manufacturing judgments about other societies in terms of the cultural assumptions or bias of Europe (and, generally Western). Conceivably, these cultural assumptions or bias are very often super-imposed by their improved mode of production. Eurocentrism refers to the praxis, conscious or otherwise,. of placing emphasis on European concerns, culture and values at the expense of those of other cultures. Eurocentrism often involves claiming cultures that are not white or European as being such, or denying their existence at all. It is the worldview fabricated by the dominance of Western capitalism that claims that European culture reflects the unique and most progressive manifestation of the metaphysical order of history. Thus, it is an ideological distortion, an inconceivable mythology, and a historical and moral travesty. It illegitimately appropriates Greek rationality and Christianity to legitimize and rationalize its newly created capitalistic social order-its economic, political, cultural and moral conquest of the world and its exploitation of non-European humanity. In the light of this, recently, a need to think seriously of an alternative social science, grounded in the perspective of the Third World!Asiatic/ indigenous/native, etc. has become shriller. Syed Farid Alatas' book, participating in this debate, seeks to foreground the problematic of alternative discourses in social science to counterpoise the half-baked Eurocentric claims. The compilation of Alatas' earlier works published in the Alternatives, the Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography, the American Studies International, the Current Sociology, the Current Anthropology, etc. reflects a wider reach within the academic circle.
International Journal of Biotechnology, 2016
Inter-institutional collaborative networking in the area of plant molecular biology has become th... more Inter-institutional collaborative networking in the area of plant molecular biology has become the hallmark of the intellectual property rights (IPR) regime. As research in plant molecular biology has potential for attaining patents, the practitioners seem to reorient their approach towards their own research vis-a-vis the protocols enshrined in the IPR. The plant molecular biologists located in various institutional settings in India seem to be engaged in collaborative networking with the industry. The present study, through in-depth personal interviews with 68 plant molecular biologists in India, attempts to capture the transition in scientific practices reflected in the attitudes, interests, values and ideologies of the scientific community in India.