New Delhi: A six-day workshop on 'Research and publications in social sciences' to promote and strengthen social sciences in India started on Monday at the Jamia Millia Islamia, a press statement said.

"This workshop is part of a new initiative by the University Grants Commission (UGC) to promote and strengthen social sciences in India. Thirty-five faculty members from different universities and colleges of the country are participating. They belong to a range of disciplines: from economics, history, sociology, political science and philosophy," said the media coordinator of Jamia.

S.K. Thorat, chairman of UGC, inaugurated the workshop. He emphasized the need to promote such programmes in colleges and universities.

"Under the UGC recommendations of the 6th Pay Commission, research and publication by professors is an important criterion for promotion," said Thorat.

The workshop will introduce to the participants the skills required to prepare research papers for publication in journals and guidelines and norms related to publication.

A total of 350 faculty members applied of whom 35 have been selected.

The workshop is jointly being conducted by the Economic and Political Weekly and the Academic Staff College of Jamia. IANS