The programme, organised under the guidance of CUJ’s acting Vice Chancellor Prof K B Panda, focused on strengthening research culture and widening access to quality scholarship.
Photo: SNS
The ongoing India Research Tour 2025, a collaborative initiative of Springer Nature and the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) under the Ministry of Education, reached Jharkhand Central University (CUJ) this week. The one-day event aimed to take research awareness and integrity discussions beyond metropolitan campuses.
The programme, organised under the guidance of CUJ’s acting Vice Chancellor Prof K B Panda, focused on strengthening research culture and widening access to quality scholarship. A research awareness bus touring campuses across India was flagged off from CUJ with the national flag, symbolising a commitment to research excellence.
Advertisement
Prof Panda said the initiative would help bridge the gap between India’s research institutions and the public by fostering inquiry, openness, and ethics.
Advertisement
The event featured discussions on promoting research integrity, open access publishing, One Nation One Subscription, e-book accessibility, and the growing role of artificial intelligence in academic publishing. Venkatesh Sarvasiddhi, Managing Director, Springer Nature India, emphasised the importance of open science, transparency, and quality in publications. He said India’s growing research output must be matched by rigorous peer standards and ethical practices.
Mallika Shankar, Deputy Director, ICSSR, spoke about the Council’s efforts to fund, mentor, and collaborate with researchers across disciplines. She said such tours strengthen the interface between institutions and the wider research ecosystem.
The event also recognised women faculty members who have contributed to an inclusive research environment at CUJ. Those felicitated included Dr Nirmali Bordoloi (Environmental Science), Dr Tanushree Kundu (Geography), Dr Shikha Chaurasia (Civil Engineering), Dr Sanhita Sucharita (Economics and Development Studies) and Dr Pragya Shukla (English Studies). Prof Arun Kumar Padhi, Head of the Department of Chemistry, said the recognition encourages more women to take leadership roles in research.
Experts highlighted the importance of such initiatives for states like Jharkhand, where research infrastructure is emerging. By engaging students, faculty, and administrators, these programmes build academic capacity and align local universities with national goals under the National Education Policy 2020.
Dr Sujit Kumar Pandey, Librarian, CUJ, delivered the vote of thanks, acknowledging Prof. Ashish Sachan, Dr Bairagi Charan Mallik, and Dr Pradeep Parida.
As the research bus moved to its next destination, the CUJ event reinforced that India’s research growth depends on technology, funding, and the integrity, inclusivity and curiosity of its researchers.
Advertisement
