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Nov 8, 1999

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D for ...Decline?
Amartya Sen was here. He will be again next month. But when the Nobel laureate delivers a talk at the Delhi School of Economics (D School to most) on November 14 as part of its golden jubilee celebrations, followed by fellow economist Jagdish Bhagwati, a decrepit institute will meet their eyes. The cracks on the ceiling of the Vivekananda lecture hall run right through the facade of this institution. Among other things, there is no modernised cartography lab for the geography department; the library follows an outdated classification system; valuable journals lie in dusty heaps; and only half the publications available 10 years ago are now on the shelves. "The country's best social sciences library is in the dark ages," rues D School Director Badal Mukherji.

The good news is that it could get better. The Tatas, though yet to make a commitment, have examined a proposal to modernise the library. Books of the late 19th and early 20th century have already been stored on microfilm with a 1993 grant of Rs 5 crore from the Finance Ministry. Last year the University Grants Commission chipped in with Rs 15 lakh to set up a computer centre. Point is, why did so little take so long in coming for one of India's best-known institutions. Perhaps Sen will have a theory about that.

-Sayantan Chakravarty

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