SHORT TAKES

ONE of the major objectives of Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie, which imparts training to Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, is not only to sensitise them towards the plight of rural people but also to equip them with an indepth understanding of rural issues. The IAS officers trainees are required to prepare a village study report as a part of their district assignments after conducting extensive questionnaire based household survey.

The volume-II of the Socio-Economic Profile of Rural India, Series-III contain state papers of the States of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana and Bihar, prepared by eminent scholars. The basic ingredients of these state papers are borrowed from the village study reports of the IAS officer trainees. Undoubtedly, the state papers are of high quality because these are enriched by inputs from the long-experiences of the authors in the field of rural development.

A journey of thousand miles must begin with a single step..." Drawing on the riveting anecdotes of a solo Indian woman traveller, Notes from a Spanish Diary is a personal account of discovering the aura and flavour of Spain. Munching on the local cuisine and rambling along the lanes of Spanish history and culture, Ranjita Biswas has unfolded her indomitable experiences of travelling beyond her comfort zone, making this book an excellent choice for a tourist as well as an armchair traveller. 

The author in her very own journalistic style, has set forth her chronicles of Spain her stories are poignant and tender, familiar and bizarre. The book may even send you off on your own adventure as you turn the pages and find her ambling on the trail of Flamenco and Mudejar art in Andalusia, discovering the stark resemblances of the Moorish architecture at Granada with that of Egyptian, Persian, Roman, Greek and even Japanese art forms, and savouring a paella at the fascinating cities of Barcelona and Madrid.