Articles by K P Kannan

This article attempts to formulate and examine two hypotheses: (i) the presence of modern labour institutions as trade unions and protective legislation is not incompatible with the objectives of economic growth and efficiency, and (ii) the presence of such traditional labour institutions as casteand gender-based segmentation of the labour markets is supportive of neither growth nor distribution and constitutes itself as a formidable constraint in the process of economic development. On the basis of empirical evidence implications for labour policy are discussed.

K P Kannan Implicit in the development experience of Kerala is the question of the capability of low income agrarian societies to achieve high quality of living levels. This issue is crucial for two reasons. One is related to the sustainability of the kind of social development achieved and the other is the imperative of a more all-round pattern of development.

The idea of a People's Science Movement evolved as a result of the tremendous response of the common people to the Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad and today the idea of conscious application of science in social activism is taking roots.

An Exploratory Analysis K P Kannan K Pushpangadan This paper attempts to explain the agricultural stagnation that set in Kerala since the mid-seventies. The phenomenon is attributed to ill-conceived development of critical factors such as water management and land development which has been exacerbated by increasing environmental degradation.

Towards a People's Science Movement Anwar Jaffry Mahesh Rangarajan B Ekbal K P Kannan A LARGE number of groups are working, mostly on a voluntary basis, in areas which may be said to fall on the interface of science and society. Some are attempting to popularise the natural sciences; some are engaged in focusing attention on the unscientific attitudes and policies towards such basic issues as health; some are engaged in highlighting the adverse impact of development activities as a result of inadequate and often wrong application of science and technology, particularly in the field of environment; a few are engaged in demonstrating innovative and interesting ways of teaching science, while quite a number are' engaged in' development activities in the areas of health, nonformal education, appropriate technology, housing, etc, bused on their scientific knowledge. Apart from such specific activities, attempts are also under way, as in Kerala, to develop a People's Science Movement (PSM for short) fusing the numerous activities listed above with the help of the spoken and the printed word as well as the various art forms of the people. The. underlying motive for such a PSM has arisen from the need to enhance the people's capability to understand and analyse social issues in a scientific framework, It is the use of science, in one way or the other, in the activities of these various groups which -has created a common thread bringing them together under the banner of PSM.