Sumanta Banerjee

Bio: Sumanta Banerjee is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Secularism & Hegemony. The author has an hindex of 3, co-authored 14 publications receiving 42 citations.

Need of the Hour

Abstract: In order to undo the damage that had been inflicted on us by the previous regime, it is necessary to go beyond the immediate task of cleansing the crucial institutions. Merely shunting out the heads of institutions and bureaucrats will not do.

Indo-Bangladesh Border:Radcliffe's Ghost

Abstract: Cyril Radcliffe's sloppy surgery which has left behind our subcontinent as a mangled body is still held sacrosanct by the rulers of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. As a result, border conflicts continue to plague India and Bangladesh - the latest being the tragic clash between the Border Security Force and the Bangladesh Rifles on the Meghalaya and Assam border.

Revisiting Kolkata As An 'NRB'

Abstract: Two Victorian colonial trends continue to persist in modern Kolkata - the miserable existence of the city's poor on its pavements and a rejuvenated fascination for the glory of the raj on the other; both are sustained by the prerogatives and compulsions of the ruling party. The party's efforts to establish its hegemony over all spheres of civic life has fostered a symbiotic relationship with a rising criminal class - a class that feeds on and, in turn, also sustains the different socio-economic groups who have chosen to make Kolkata their home.

Not in the National Interest

Abstract: 'Not in the National Interest' Sumanta Banerjee IN the new Indian political vocabulary, the word 'clean' has apparently become synonymous with suppression of truth and shielding the guilty.

Chitosan-coated mesoporous MIL-100(Fe) nanoparticles as improved bio-compatible oral nanocarriers.

Abstract: Nanometric biocompatible Metal-Organic Frameworks (nanoMOFs) are promising candidates for drug delivery. Up to now, most studies have targeted the intravenous route, related to pain and severe complications; whereas nanoMOFs for oral administration, a commonly used non-invasive and simpler route, remains however unexplored. We propose here the biofriendly preparation of a suitable oral nanocarrier based on the benchmarked biocompatible mesoporous iron(III) trimesate nanoparticles coated with the bioadhesive polysaccharide chitosan (CS). This method does not hamper the textural/structural properties and the sorption/release abilities of the nanoMOFs upon surface engineering. The interaction between the CS and the nanoparticles has been characterized through a combination of high resolution soft X-ray absorption and computing simulation, while the positive impact of the coating on the colloidal and chemical stability under oral simulated conditions is here demonstrated. Finally, the intestinal barrier bypass capability and biocompatibility of CS-coated nanoMOF have been assessed in vitro, leading to an increased intestinal permeability with respect to the non-coated material, maintaining an optimal biocompatibility. In conclusion, the preservation of the interesting physicochemical features of the CS-coated nanoMOF and their adapted colloidal stability and progressive biodegradation, together with their improved intestinal barrier bypass, make these nanoparticles a promising oral nanocarrier.

The Performance of Public-sector Housing in Kolkata, India, in the Post-reform Milieu:

Abstract: The public sector has been a prominent actor in the urban housing sector in the State of West Bengal for the past three decades. Reform measures introduced since 1990 have led to a shift in the mode of public housing delivery from direct provision to providing housing in the market model. The concept of private-sector participation in construction and finance has emerged as a natural response to meet the colossal demand for housing within government's dwindling budgetary capacity and a need for a catalyst to boost macroeconomic conditions. Paradoxically, the public-sector agencies are leading the reform initiatives by assuming the role of a real estate developer. The paper reviews the housing output in Kolkata in the pre- and post-reform eras in terms of housing quantity, quality, price and affordability. It is argued that new reforms have been successful in stimulating the overall housing market, but more targeted programmes are needed to improve the supply, quality and affordability for low-income famil...

Psychological Effects of Social Isolation Due to Quarantine in Chile: An Exploratory Study

Abstract: As we all know, COVID-19 has impacted the entire world. Quarantine disrupts people's lives, with high levels of stress and negative psychological impacts. Studies carried out mostly in the Far East, Europe, or the United States have started to provide evidence on survivors, frontline healthcare workers, and parents. The present study is the first survey to be carried out in Latin America (in Santiago, the capital of Chile). It aims to (a) explore the perceived psychological impact and future concerns; (b) evaluate vulnerability factors; (c) describe the perceived psychological impacts on participants whose psychological help and actual online psychotherapy was interrupted; and (d) explore the future need for psychological help. Procedure: An online survey was carried out (the first 2 weeks of lockdown in Santiago), which included sociodemographic data, perceived psychological impact, future concerns, and questions about psychological support. Participants: A total of 3,919 subjects answered, mostly women (80%). Results: The main perceived psychological impacts were concern (67%) and anxiety (60%). Future concerns were: general health (55.3%), employment (53.1%), and finances (49.8%). Younger participants had a greater perceived psychological impact (p's < 0.01) and concerns about employment, finances, mental health, stigma, and general health (p's < 0.001). Women reported more perceived psychological impact than men (p's < 0.05). Men reported mainly boredom (χ2 = 11.82, gl = 1, p < 0.001). Dependent employees experienced more boredom, anxiety, distress, sleep problems, an inability to relax, and a lack of concentration than the self-employed (p's < 0.05). While the latter reported future concerns about employment and finances (p's < 0.001), dependent employees reported them on their general and mental health (p's < 0.001). Regarding psychological support, 22% of participants were receiving it before lockdown. They showed more perceived psychological impact than those who were not (p's < 0.01), and 7% of them had online psychotherapy, reporting excellent (32.1%) or odd but working (65.2%) results. Finally, of the total sample, almost half of the participants (43.8%) felt they would need emotional support after this pandemic, and these are the ones that also showed higher perceived psychological impact (p's < 0.001). This study confirms the presence of perceived negative emotional impact and concerns about the future. Also, there are vulnerable groups, such as women, younger people, the self-employed, and people with psychological processes that were interrupted.

Postcolonial theory and the specter of capital

Abstract: Penny for the old guy.1Alexandre Aspel told me that I should always try to see what is best in what I read. Jacques Derrida taught us to say ‘yes’ twice to a text. I have tried to read Vivek Chibbe...

Higher Education Co-operation and Western Dominance of Knowledge Creation and Flows in Third World Countries.

Abstract: This paper outlines the Western models of university development with its accompanying Eurocentric knowledge systems adopted by Third World countries. It discusses the various productive and counterproductive effects of these alien features to Third World universities, their research institutions and the knowledge output of their academic communities. It goes on to discuss the possible contributions that can be made within the ambit of South-South educational interchange for the development of a self-reliant higher education system among Third World nation states accompanied by an interdependent and more equitable world knowledge order. The final part of the paper examines the prospect of a self-reliant higher education and knowledge-generation system, developing in Third World countries, in the light of rapidly growing information technology which is dividing the world into “information-rich” and “information-poor” countries.