PCI JOURNAL

Greetings from the Policy Change Initiative!  

We are delighted to announce that the Policy Change Initiative has started an issue based online ISSN notified journal of governance and public policy. PCI Journal is one of the crucial arms of PCI aspiring to publish and disseminate rigorous theoretical, applied and empirical research that augments our existing understanding of public policies and their impact. It welcomes original and unpublished essays from all social science disciplines and all shades of intellectual persuasions. We are therefore glad to invite research papers for our very first issue for online journal publication. The articles should be contemporary in nature and should be able to contribute insightful knowledge and enhance the public policy discourse.

The broader theme of the issue is

‘‘Challenges of policy and governance in North East India.’’

Sub-themes-

• Issues in governance and politics
• Problems of insurgency
• The synergy between North-East and Act-East Policies
• Natural Resources, Water and Energy
• Flood control, erosion and landslide
• Connectivity and Physical Infrastructure
• Education, Health and Tourism
• Opportunities for sustainable livelihood generation
• Entrepreneurship, skill development and capacity building
• Technical education and employment generation
• An issue of illegal immigration

Northeast India is a conglomeration of eight states in India which is economically and politically segregated from the rest. Being part of a vast geographical divide, it has hampered not only the lanes of communication but also results in a cultural divide. The distinct culture, language, customs, etc., has also played a massive role in the national divide. The question arises as to why these problems occur even after 71 years of independence. Can we blame the national government or let alone be the local government, the fact of the matter which cannot be denied is that there are serious problems in the policy and governance of the region. Being farfetched from the rest of India the place has been left out not only from the developmental parlance but also from the dimensions of academic narrative. Today with the advent of the globalized world India should be seen in its national objective to treat the region individually and not to lure it away from the interest of party politics.

Why has the local government not been successful in streamlining the region to stability? It is understood that there are challenges like an insurgent and Naxalite movement, but these too can be solved with appropriate policies to cater specifically to the needs of the region. We do understand the conceive notions of anti-India movement since the independence of India, but it’s been 71 years and still the region deficit itself from all forms of developmental aspect. The national government has not been able to deliver the priorities and aspirations of the people in the region.

When we look at the context of literacy rate, it performs much better than the rest of India, but it does show that literacy has not been the quantifier to solve the developmental problems within the region. To be economically reliable and self-sufficient first we need to have a good system at place. That good system comes with good governance that is ready to outlay its role by dwelling to the region needs. Without a sound and stable governance mechanism in place, a state is bound to face extreme challenges in every aspect. Therefore, the paper submitted should aim at the problems and challenges revolving around the region.

GUIDELINES FOR INITIAL SUBMISSION:

The participants are requested to kindly stick to the central theme within the context of public policy. The article will have to showcase the topic by being critically analytical of the theme. Plagiarism is strictly prohibited and shall lead to immediate rejection. Papers must be written solely by the candidate, in English, and may not have been submitted for publication elsewhere.

• The title page should have title, authors’ name and contact information
• 250 words abstract which should include 4-5 keywords
• Submit in a word document,
• Use 12-point Times New Roman or similar font.
• All figures (include relevant captions)
• All tables (including titles, description, endnotes, no footnotes)
• Ensure all figure and table citations in the text match the files provided
• Supplemental files (where applicable): this would include the clean coded primary data. The data would be published on the website. If you do not want to send the data, the valid explanation is needed
• A manuscript has been ‘spell-checked’ and ‘grammar-checked’
• All references mentioned in the Reference List are cited in the text, and vice versa
• A competing interest’s statement is provided, even if the authors have no competing interests to declare
• Ethical clearance: provide the necessary documents related to ethical clearance whenever primary data collection is involved
• One author has been designated as the corresponding author with contact details (email id)

BROAD GUIDELINES:

Your paper your style: while the submitting the first version of the draft, one needs to follow the broad instructions provided below; need not necessarily adhere to the detail journal style (reference journal style). PCI Journal follows Times New Roman style with 12 font size, 1.5 spacing and follows the bibliographic manual of APA style with endnotes.

THE REVIEW PROCESS & OTHER INFORMATION

• It is the author’s responsibility to ensure that all references and citations are correct, and the submissions do not contain any material that infringes copyright or is defamatory, obscene or otherwise unlawful or litigious.
• The copyright of the manuscript will vest with the policy change initiative. Due accreditation will be given to the authors.
• The submissions will undergo a double-blind peer-review process.
• The revised paper would be sent back to the reviewer for further scrutiny and authors may be asked to make further changes.
• Final decision to publish rests on the editorial team, in consultation with the reviewer.
• The Editorial Board reserves the right for modification of the manuscript to maintain the standard and quality of the submission. The board will notify its decision and other relevant information through email.
• The editorial team do not undertake language editing. The authors might be required to take editorial assistance.

SUBMISSION COULD BE OF THREE KINDS:

1. Original research articles (5000-8000 words, excluding references and appendix, but inclusive of tables and figures),
2. Perspectives (3000-4000 words)
3. Commentaries (2500-3000 words)

IMPORTANT DATES

Submission Deadline: Jan  31, 2019.

Extended deadline: 10 February 2019 (announced on 26 January 2019)

Intimation of Acceptance: Feb 15, 2019.

Submit here: Info@pciindia.in

The best three papers shall be awarded a monetary prize of Rs. 3000, 2000, and 1000 respectively.  If you have any query, you can contact us at info@pciindia.in or call us at +91-9654480046.

*Note, the suitable articles would be considered for policy report under PCI banner and will put forward to the concerned authority. PCI would try its best to come up with a print edition soon.

Scholars are also invited to share their ideas or work in the form of article/book review/opinion/perspective/insight/commentary in varied social science realm inclined toward governance and policy.