The Central University of Rajasthan introduces a new interdisciplinary Academic Department, Department of Society-Technology Interface (DSTI) to cultivate research and teaching to the post-graduate and research programme to the students from diverse educational backgrounds by linking two advanced streams of knowledge- Science and Technology and Social Sciences to look for better career opportunities and stay competitive.  Indian society and economy is completely transferred owing to the intrinsic role played by the ICTs.

The country is progressing exponentially towards reaping the developmental dividends arise out of the fast process of digitalization of society. The social-cultural-political-economic-policy narratives are completely shaped and consolidated around the uses of digital tools and technologies. Undoubtedly the country is in the midst of ‘digital society’. Reflection is felt around the development of futuristic academic discourses on “what can be” and “what ought to be” of that transformative process.  Such Academic Department also envisaged with the larger understanding of modern-day technology and big-data and analytics that they play in public policy and society. 

We now stand at the brink of data-driven transformation where these data can be harness to derive meaningful insights that can help Business organizations, Government, Science, Technology and various other fields for better functioning. Data science, or data-driven science, is an interdisciplinary field that uses scientific methods, processes, algorithms and systems to extract knowledge and insights from data in various forms for the purpose of decision making. The need to translate the impacts of data sciences and digital technologies on the society, polity, politics, culture, the policy has driven the formation of the Department.

The Department provides two very innovative programmes to the students and academic community, the first time ever in any Indian Universities: Two Year M.Sc in Digital Society and Two Year MA in Cultural Informatics. While M.Sc in Digital Society started with the active academic collaboration with International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Bangalore, MA in Cultural Informatics started in collaboration with Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), New Delhi.

 

News & Announcements

Ph.D. Digital Society
online workshop on "The Art of Presenting Your Skills in a Job Interview '' on 21st February 2023
Webinar- Digital Marketing: An Emerging Paradigm and Career Prospects on 20.12.2022 from 11.00 am to 12.00 noon
Webinar- Digital Marketing: An Emerging Paradigm and Career Prospects on 20.12.2022 from 11.00 am to 12.00 noon
Webinar-Exploring Cultural Informatics on 1.7.2022
Webinar on Exploring Digital Society: A New Age Interdisciplinary Programme on 23 May 2022 at 11:30AM – 12:30PM
M.Sc Digital Society Admissions 2022
M.Sc Digital Society Admissions 2022
Two Day's Workshop on Critical Understanding of Digital Landscape of India in Collaboration with Digital Empowerment Foundation of India, New Delhi on 12-13th February 2020
First Batch Students of M.Sc in Digital Society (2018-20) Bags Six Months Internship in National Institute of Rural Development & Panchayti Raj (NIRD&PR), Hyderabad from 16th January 2020 to Rest of Semester

Important Links

M.Sc in Digital Society (2 Years)

Objectives of the program:

The Central University of Rajasthan in collaboration with International Institute of Information Technology – Bangalore (IIIT-B) has started a Two-year Masters Programme in Digital Society with effect from Academic Year 2017-18, similar to the one being offered at IIITB.

The programme introduces to the students from diverse educational backgrounds the academic interlinkages between the two advanced streams of knowledge- Science and Technology and Social Sciences for better career opportunities and staying competitive.

Digitalization is shaping almost all aspects of our professional and working lives. Career opportunities include work as internet researcher, digital media researcher, software development professional, digital consultants, ICT consultants, policy experts, etc. Students passing out from the programme will be working in ICT industries, research organization, private companies, public sector, consultancy services industry, and international organization and also in non-governmental organization. Both the Institutes: CURAJ and IIIT-B  will conduct combined Placement activities as per the Placement Rules exiting at the respective Institutions.

The Two Years Masters in Digital Society would fulfill the following objectives:

  • To help the students to appreciate and understand the digitalization ideas, tools and technologies from the perspectives of society at large.
  • To enable students to think innovative and generate ICT based solutions intended to address developmental deficits and challenges in the society.
  • To help the society to find out ways of strengthening system mainly to counter the laggards performances in the social and economic sectors of the economy.
  • To engage in evidenced-based policy-making process and advocates for deployment of digital technologies for the effective policy-implementation process.
  • To promote and enrich interdisciplinary research on the digital society by interlinking ICT and Social Sciences.

 Intake and eligibility: 30

  • The Two Years Masters in Digital Society is open to candidates with a Graduate degree (Three/Four Years) in any disciplines from recognized University possessing minimum of 55% marks. The Graduate Degree may be in any of the following areas: Sciences, Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities, Computer Sciences, and Engineering.
  • Admission to this course will be through the Common University Entrance Test (CUET). 
  • The CUET examination will test numerical / quantitative, analytical, and verbal abilities, as well as design, social, and information technology awareness.
  • The selection process will include the entrance examination of CUET score.
  • The admission criteria, tuition fees and other fees for the programme will be administered by rules and regulations as approved by the academic / administrative bodies of the University.

MA in Cultural Informatics

About the course

This interdisciplinary course is a study about Communication Arts, Information Technology, Society, Culture, and Creative Arts. Cultural informatics is about the application of media technology for production, curation, restoration and dissemination of cultural heritage. India, because of having rich historical past and civilization, is rich for her cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible. This course has prime objective of understanding the rich cultural heritage of India and using Information technologies for its preservation and conservation. The course gives emphasis on research-based production and dissemination through modern media. 

Intake capacity: 23

Course duration: 4 Semesters (2 Academic years)

Eligibility: Graduate in any discipline with 50% marks in their bachelor’s degree for General and OBC category and 45 % marks for SC& ST candidates

Admission: Through an All-India Entrance Examination - CUET

Regular

Dr. Gyana Ranjan Panda

Assistant Professor and Joint Faculty

Masters in Political Science (Ravenshaw University), M. Phil, and Ph. D from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), UGC-NET.

gyana_pplg@curaj.ac.in

->More

Dr. Jaya Kritika Ojha

Assistant Professor

Ph.D. (IIT Roorkee), MA (Sapienza University of Rome, Italy), M.Sc. (GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar), FDPM-IIM Ahmedabad

jaya.kritika@curaj.ac.in

->More

Dr. Jugal Kishor

Assistant Professor

Ph.D.- Digital Marketing., MBA-Marketing, UGC-NET-Management, UGC-JRF

jugal.kishor@curaj.ac.in

->More

Dr. Kumar Sambhav Pareek

Associate Professor and Head

Ph. D., UGC-NET, SLET, LL.B.

ks_pareek@curaj.ac.in

->More

Dr. NICHOLAS LAKRA

Assistant Professor and Joint Faculty

Ph.D. in Journalism and Mass Communication, Banaras Hindu University (BHU); Varanasi; Master of Journalism, Makhanlal Chaturvedi Rashtriyavidyalaya, Bhopal; NET Journalism and Mass Communication; PG. Diploma in Human Rights, Indian Institute of HR, Delhi

Lakra.nicholas@curaj.ac.in

8503888507

->More

Dr. WAIROKPAM PREMI DEVI

Assistant Professor

PDF (NTU, Singapore), PDF (Centre for Policy Research-EDII, DST), PhD and MPhil (CSSTIP Central University of Gujarat), M.A. (Sociology, MSU).

wairokpam@curaj.ac.in

->More
Arranged alphabetically

A computer laboratory is available with internet facility for the students of Department of Society Technology Interface (presently sharing with department of Economics and Public Policy, Law and Governance). There are 24 computers for the students, which are mainly used for the Dissertation/ research work by the masters’ students and research scholars. In this Lab, the Students are expected to learn computer programming languages like PYTHON, R, SAS, and other Data Visualisation techniques.  In each Semester, there are 4 Credit Compulsory course works that are Lab centric.

The Students of the M.Sc in Digital Society would be undertaking their internship and dissertation work in the last Semester of the Programme with external industry and organisation, where there are expected to use external lab/field facilities besides the Research Lab of Central University of Rajasthan to write their project work.

Research projects of DSTI:

 1. Project Title: DST-CPR STI Financing Understanding and Investment Priorities for STI Sector at the Sub National Levels

  • Project Co-PI: Dr. Jaya Kritika Ojha
  • Project amount: Rs 28,88,292
  • Funded by: Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt. of India
  • Year of Project Sanctioned: 2023

2. Title: Digital Ecosystem for Rural Women Artisans of Thar Desert

  • Project Director/ PI: Dr. Jaya Kritika Ojha
  • Project amount: Rs. 2,00,000/-
  • Funded by: Mahatma Gandhi National Council of Rural Education (MGNCRE), Hyderabad
  • Year of Project Sanctioned: 2021

3. Project Title: Mapping the Customary Practice of Nata Pratha amongst Tribal Communities of Rajasthan​

  • Project Co-PI: Dr. Wairokpam Premi Devi
  • Project amount: Rs. 14,05,800
  • Funded by: National Commission for Women
  • Year of Project Sanctioned: 2021

 

    Achievement Title Attached File
    • The First Batch of the M.Sc in Digital Society Programme (2018-20) have studied at International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT-Bangalore) as part of the completing their first semester course works under students exchange programme.
    • The First Batch Students of the M.Sc in Digital Society Programme have undergone their Winter School Training Programme in IIIT-Bangalore (December 2018).
    • Gandepalli Rajesh, M.Sc. Digital Society student, participated in The Guinness World Record Event- participants to take an Online Computer Programming module in 24 Hours, organised by GUVI, AICTE, NEAT, BUDDI.AI (24-25 April 2021).
    • Nikhil Raj, M.Sc. Digital Society student, presented a paper titled “Analysis of ICT Infrastructure and Policies for continuation of Businesses in Informal Sector during COVID -19 Pandemic” in Virtual International Conference on Innovative Practices in Commerce and Management during Pandemic Era organized by Department of Commerce, School of Commerce and Management, Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer, 25th - 26th November 2021.
    • Nikhil Raj, M.Sc. Digital Society student, has been shortlisted for N. S. Ramaswamy - Pre Doctoral Programme (2022 - 2023) at Indian Institute of Management Bangalore. 
    • Rahul Shekhawat, M.Sc. Digital Society student, participated in “Online session on Blockchain Technology and Cryptocurrency”, organised by National Productivity Council, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, GoI (30 June 2021).

     

    Department of Society-Tech & Interface

    CENTRAL UNIVERSITY OF RAJASTHAN
    NH-8, Bandar Sindri,
    Dist-Ajmer-305817, Rajasthan [INDIA]

    Email: hod.dsti@curaj.ac.in
    : +91-1463-238755