Eminent labour economist and professor, human resources management area at XLRI-Xavier School of Management, K.R. Shyam Sundar’s two edited books titled-‘Perspectives on Neoliberalism, Labour and globalisation in India’ and ‘Globalisation, Labour Market Institutions, Processes and Policies in India’ were released recently.
The two books, comprising essays exploring different perspectives on Labour Studies in Indian Perspective, have been edited by Dr. K.R. Shyam Sundar in honour of his mentor Prof. Lalit K. Deshpande, former director, Department of Economics, Mumbai University and published by internationally well-known publisher, Palgrave Macmillan.
Prof. Alakh N Sharma, eminent labour economist and editor of the Indian Journal of Labour Economics, praised the book, Perspectives on Neoliberalism, Labour and Globalization in India. She said, “This volume, edited by Dr. K. R. Shyam Sundar, has contributions from some well-known scholars, both from India and abroad, on various aspects relating to the political economy of labour and industrial and labour relations in the wake of globalisation. These articles cover a wide range of issues and will certainly make a good contribution to the study of political economy of labour. It is a befitting tribute to Professor L. K. Deshpande for which Dr. K. R. Shyam Sundar deserves appreciation.”
The event comprised two panel discussions in the backdrop of launch of each of the books where experts analysed the contributions in the two books which in general focused on issues and aspects relating to the impact of globalisation on the labour market and the industrial relations system with special reference to India.
The panelists and the experts praised the two books for making significant contribution in aiding an understanding of the pitfalls of neoliberal globalization, for making a serious attempt to provide alternatives to it and for providing comprehensive and insightful analyses of labour market institutions and policies in the post-reform period in India. The two books are seen as a fitting tribute to the lifelong scholarship of Prof. Lalit K Deshpande.
Talking about the books, Prof. K. R. Shyam Sundar said, “The aforementioned two sets of books constitute an organic whole in not only critically analysing through different conceptual lenses the very nature of and dynamics arising out the competitive market economy and their impact on labour institutions, processes and policies in the industrial relations system but also unravelling the disturbingly precarious plight of labour who is seen not so much as human beings worthy of respect and dignity but merely as a factor of production. The two books essentially argue for institutional, managerial and labour policy corrections to strike a golden balance between decent work and competitive policy dynamics and the contributions in the two books assume high significance in the current debate on high unemployment, rising informalisation of labour and labour market reforms.
The two books released today are my humble homage to the vast and pioneering contribution made by Prof. Lalit Deshpande in the field of labour economics”.
