[Letter to Mr Minoo Masani]

Summary

This undated two-page letter from Russell W. Volckmann, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of California, Berkeley, to M. R. Masani outlines Volckmann’s academic background and proposed doctoral research in Orissa. His specializations include South Asian political systems, public administration, comparative analysis, and socio-economic change in developing countries. The proposed thesis examines how the introduction of a capital-intensive public-sector steel industry affects social, economic, and organizational life in the previously primarily rural district of Sundargarh.

Key points

• Volckmann identifies South Asian political systems, public administration, comparative analysis, and socio-economic change as his areas of specialization.
• His doctoral research focuses on the impact of capital-intensive investment on district administration in Sundargarh, Orissa.
• The study proposes collecting indicators of social and economic change, including education, literacy, language, geographic origins, employment, and religion since 1951.
• Volckmann seeks information on development projects and the allocation of public resources from district and state agencies.
• He plans to examine the personnel, structure, functions, and interrelationships of district administration since 1951.
• The research also calls for interviews with administrators, election-data collection, and engagement with voluntary organizations in the district.