Ajai R. Singh
Encyclopedia
Ajai R. Singh M.D. is a psychiatrist and editor, Mens Sana Monographs
[MSM]. He has written extensively on issues related to psychiatry, philosophy, bioethical issues, medicine, and the pharmaceutical industry. MSM is a journal who editor belongs to the World Association of Medical Editors
.
, and past, present and future psychiatric research in India, including what does one do with obsession with the most recent in psychiatric research. He has also written on biological psychiatry, research and industry. Alongside serious writings, Singh has written spoofs on psychiatrists and clinical psychologists, on ladder climbing in academic psychiatry, and a bitter-sweet one called, 'Childhood buddy hangs up.
a monograph called Medical practice, psychiatry and the pharmaceutical industry : and ever the trio shall meet on the connection between academia and industry, he calls it a 'double-edged sword, for it carries with it the potential of an exciting future as much as the prospect of misappropriation and malevolence'. Along with co-author Shakuntala Singh
, he holds the opinion that 'while mainstream medicine and research are booming, as is connected industry, concerns about professional commitment to patient welfare are growing too. Increasing corporate influence is challenging certain long held and fundamental values of patient care, which will have far reaching implications for biomedical care and the future progress of mainstream medicine'. Writing further in the same year on whether to promote the corporate research agenda or the public welfare agenda, they believe,'Conflicts of interest between academia and industry are inevitable at times is acceptable as a statement of fact but not as a state of affairs . The crucial point is that the goals of academia and industry differ. It is academia which has to call the shots, it is industry which has to play second fiddle, and make its millions playing it. Issues like risk, adjuncts, maintenance, discontinuation and transfer to clinical use concern practitioners, but are not likely to motivate industry-sponsored research. It means research agendas of industry are out of tune with needs of clinicians and patients, but still manage to determine what research gets done'.
In the Mens Sana Monographs
in 2007 he, along with his co-author Shakuntala Singh
, edited the monograph, Medical practice and the pharmaceutical industry : and ever the duo shall meet which dealt extensively with topics like the Image of Pharma, Clinical Practice Guidelines and Industry, Guideline Standardisation, Cost Effectiveness, Industry Needs and Conflict of Interest, Foundations And Task Forces, Concerned Journals, Editors And ICMJE, Ethical Obligation Towards Research Subjects, Useful And Marketable, New And Traditional, Biological Psychiatry, Research And Industry, and What Propels The Pharma Industry?. They concluded, 'The process of self-correction set into motion due to greater clout of conscientious researchers, unrelenting expose by medical journalists and supportive editors, patients right activism and law suits against industry will, hopefully, help tilt the balance towards value-based advance, even if belated, and done grudgingly. Major industry players may soften the offensive of such self-correction only by playing the game according to the rules. The earlier the major players understand this, the better it is for all concerned.
[in short, WAME] forum, he has written there on various topics like Peer Review of Editorials, The Purpose of ISSN and ISBN Classifications, Lessons of the Recent CMAJ Episode, Commercial Interests and Editorship, Declaring Authors’ Financial Conflicts of Interest, What Medicine and Medical Journal Editing Mean to Me, Editorial Withdrawal of an Article Posted on the Journal Web Site, A Sponsor as Author on an "Independent" Study, Photo of the Author in Scientific Literature, Rewarding Peer Reviewers: Payment vs Other Types of Recognition, Evaluating Editors, Appropriate Use of Other Authors’ Sentences, Removing An Author’s Name on Proof, How Does Scientific Research Progress?, The Bigger Picture: Arms or Health?, Editorial Actions in Response to Personal Misconduct of Authors, Publishing an Article Despite Commercial or Legal Threats, Defining Who Is the Plagiarist, Anonymity for Authors?, The Role of Indexing Systems, An Arab-Israeli Journal to Promote Peace, Should a Specific Number of References Be Required? etc. Singh recently wrote that scientific names giving should replace geographic/racial names giving, and the name PCM must replace the name NDM-1
In historiography, Singh critiqued D.P. Chattopadhyaya's and Surendra Sheodas Barlingay
's positions in 'A peep into Histority: the lssons for today'.
Writing on the Rabindranath Tagore
-Mahatma Gandhi
controversy based on a call by philosopher K.J. Shah for a national debate, Singh co-authored two seminal works,'Tagore-Gandhi Controversy Revisited, Or, Further In Search of Development-I, and II'.
‘Sleep disorders: what can you do to help yourself’(2010).
, and one of its Speciality Editors. He sits on the Honorary Advisory Board, Research Center in Philosophy, VPM's Joshi-Bedekar College, Thane, Maharashtra.
, whose mission statement is to 'help the evolution of bathroom singers into living room singers, and living room singers into stage singers'. He has also written its definitive text called the Swara Sampada Sourcebook on Music, ISBN 81-901406-2-0.
, with whom he has co-authored many papers in philosophy, philosophy of psychiatry, and the pharmaceutical industry.
as co-author]
as co-editor]
as Editor in chief
Mens Sana Monographs
The Mens Sana Monographs is an open-access peer-reviewed medical journal-cum-monographic series. It is Devoted to the Understanding of Medicine, Mental Health, Mind, Man and their Matrix. The Mens Sana Monographs (MSM) is an open-access peer-reviewed medical journal-cum-monographic series. It is...
[MSM]. He has written extensively on issues related to psychiatry, philosophy, bioethical issues, medicine, and the pharmaceutical industry. MSM is a journal who editor belongs to the World Association of Medical Editors
World Association of Medical Editors
The World Association of Medical Editors or WAME is a nonprofit voluntary association of editors of peer-reviewed medical journals from countries throughout the world, established in 1995...
.
Writings in psychiatry 2003-2010
His writings in the last decade [2003-2010] in psychiatry have concentrated on the fourth psychiatric revolution, psychiatric consequences of the WTC collapse and the Gulf war, moving towards a suicide free society, resolution of the polarisation of ideologies and approaches in psychiatry, the task before the discipline today, covert treatment in psychiatry, the philosophy of psychiatry, philosophical issues is schizophrenia rehabilitation, the Indian Journal of PsychiatryIndian Journal of Psychiatry
The Indian Journal of Psychiatry is the official journal of the Indian Psychiatric Society. This scientific journal publishes original work in all fields of psychiatry. All papers are peer-reviewed before publication. The language of publication is English....
, and past, present and future psychiatric research in India, including what does one do with obsession with the most recent in psychiatric research. He has also written on biological psychiatry, research and industry. Alongside serious writings, Singh has written spoofs on psychiatrists and clinical psychologists, on ladder climbing in academic psychiatry, and a bitter-sweet one called, 'Childhood buddy hangs up.
Writings on medicine and the pharmaceutical industry 2005-2007
In 2005, writing in the Mens Sana MonographsMens Sana Monographs
The Mens Sana Monographs is an open-access peer-reviewed medical journal-cum-monographic series. It is Devoted to the Understanding of Medicine, Mental Health, Mind, Man and their Matrix. The Mens Sana Monographs (MSM) is an open-access peer-reviewed medical journal-cum-monographic series. It is...
a monograph called Medical practice, psychiatry and the pharmaceutical industry : and ever the trio shall meet on the connection between academia and industry, he calls it a 'double-edged sword, for it carries with it the potential of an exciting future as much as the prospect of misappropriation and malevolence'. Along with co-author Shakuntala Singh
Shakuntala Singh
Shakuntala A. Singh is an Indian educational administrator, professor of philosophy and deputy editor of the Mens Sana Monographs. She is principal and head of the Department of Philosophy and director of the Research Center in Philosophy at Joshi-Bedekar College of Arts and Commerce, Thane ,...
, he holds the opinion that 'while mainstream medicine and research are booming, as is connected industry, concerns about professional commitment to patient welfare are growing too. Increasing corporate influence is challenging certain long held and fundamental values of patient care, which will have far reaching implications for biomedical care and the future progress of mainstream medicine'. Writing further in the same year on whether to promote the corporate research agenda or the public welfare agenda, they believe,'Conflicts of interest between academia and industry are inevitable at times is acceptable as a statement of fact but not as a state of affairs . The crucial point is that the goals of academia and industry differ. It is academia which has to call the shots, it is industry which has to play second fiddle, and make its millions playing it. Issues like risk, adjuncts, maintenance, discontinuation and transfer to clinical use concern practitioners, but are not likely to motivate industry-sponsored research. It means research agendas of industry are out of tune with needs of clinicians and patients, but still manage to determine what research gets done'.
In the Mens Sana Monographs
Mens Sana Monographs
The Mens Sana Monographs is an open-access peer-reviewed medical journal-cum-monographic series. It is Devoted to the Understanding of Medicine, Mental Health, Mind, Man and their Matrix. The Mens Sana Monographs (MSM) is an open-access peer-reviewed medical journal-cum-monographic series. It is...
in 2007 he, along with his co-author Shakuntala Singh
Shakuntala Singh
Shakuntala A. Singh is an Indian educational administrator, professor of philosophy and deputy editor of the Mens Sana Monographs. She is principal and head of the Department of Philosophy and director of the Research Center in Philosophy at Joshi-Bedekar College of Arts and Commerce, Thane ,...
, edited the monograph, Medical practice and the pharmaceutical industry : and ever the duo shall meet which dealt extensively with topics like the Image of Pharma, Clinical Practice Guidelines and Industry, Guideline Standardisation, Cost Effectiveness, Industry Needs and Conflict of Interest, Foundations And Task Forces, Concerned Journals, Editors And ICMJE, Ethical Obligation Towards Research Subjects, Useful And Marketable, New And Traditional, Biological Psychiatry, Research And Industry, and What Propels The Pharma Industry?. They concluded, 'The process of self-correction set into motion due to greater clout of conscientious researchers, unrelenting expose by medical journalists and supportive editors, patients right activism and law suits against industry will, hopefully, help tilt the balance towards value-based advance, even if belated, and done grudgingly. Major industry players may soften the offensive of such self-correction only by playing the game according to the rules. The earlier the major players understand this, the better it is for all concerned.
Writings in journalology 2006-2011
Singh has written in 2006 on topics in journalology like the summary dismissal of the editor of the CMAJ, John Hoey. He has also written in 2007 on 'Academia, Journal Publishing and the Bio-Medical Industry', 'Guidelines, Editors, Pharma And The Biological Paradigm Shift', and 'Concerned Journals, Editors And ICMJE'. An active discussant on the World Association of Medical EditorsWorld Association of Medical Editors
The World Association of Medical Editors or WAME is a nonprofit voluntary association of editors of peer-reviewed medical journals from countries throughout the world, established in 1995...
[in short, WAME] forum, he has written there on various topics like Peer Review of Editorials, The Purpose of ISSN and ISBN Classifications, Lessons of the Recent CMAJ Episode, Commercial Interests and Editorship, Declaring Authors’ Financial Conflicts of Interest, What Medicine and Medical Journal Editing Mean to Me, Editorial Withdrawal of an Article Posted on the Journal Web Site, A Sponsor as Author on an "Independent" Study, Photo of the Author in Scientific Literature, Rewarding Peer Reviewers: Payment vs Other Types of Recognition, Evaluating Editors, Appropriate Use of Other Authors’ Sentences, Removing An Author’s Name on Proof, How Does Scientific Research Progress?, The Bigger Picture: Arms or Health?, Editorial Actions in Response to Personal Misconduct of Authors, Publishing an Article Despite Commercial or Legal Threats, Defining Who Is the Plagiarist, Anonymity for Authors?, The Role of Indexing Systems, An Arab-Israeli Journal to Promote Peace, Should a Specific Number of References Be Required? etc. Singh recently wrote that scientific names giving should replace geographic/racial names giving, and the name PCM must replace the name NDM-1
Writings on philosophy of medicine and health 2003-2010
Singh has written in 2003 on 'The goal: Health for all -the commitment: All for health'; in 2005 on 'The two revolutions in bio-medical research'; on 'Emphasising prevention, developing therapies, complementing approaches'; and on 'Medicine as a corporate enterprise, patient welfare centered profession, or patient welfare centered professional enterprise?'. In 2006, he defines the essence of medicine as 'To cure sometimes, to comfort always, to hurt the least, to harm never'. In 2008 he wrote on 'Diseases of Poverty and Lifestyle, Well-Being and Human Development', and in 2010 espouses the movement of modern medicine away from mere control and palliation to prevention, cure, well being and longevity.Earlier writings in 1980s and 1990s
In metaphilosophy, Singh has written critiques of philosopher Rajendra Prasad's position on the comparative and the creative, concluding the comparative could be creative, and the creative had nothing to lose by being comparative.In historiography, Singh critiqued D.P. Chattopadhyaya's and Surendra Sheodas Barlingay
Surendra Sheodas Barlingay
Surendra Sheodas Barlingay Nagpur, India) was an Indian logician and Marathi writer. He earned his Ph.D in philosophy at Nagpur University. He taught at University of Pune prior to 1962, and 1970-79, and Zagreb University, from 1962 -1963. He was chair of the philosophy department at Delhi...
's positions in 'A peep into Histority: the lssons for today'.
Writing on the Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
-Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
controversy based on a call by philosopher K.J. Shah for a national debate, Singh co-authored two seminal works,'Tagore-Gandhi Controversy Revisited, Or, Further In Search of Development-I, and II'.
Writings in 2004-2009
Singh has written on Gandhi and his views on religion, faith and conversion and also the challenge before modern day HinduismAwards for scientific papers
Singh has received best papers awards for papers on topics like,‘Psychology of dying and the psychotic patient’, (1980), 'Withdrawal: a prognostic indicator for paranoid schizophrenia’(1986),‘Death, Dying and near death experience’ (1987 and 1988),etc.Some recent lectures to learned societies
Singh has delivered lectures to learned societies on topics like, 'Scientic temper, faith, and religion’ (2006),‘Music as a therapeutic agent’(2006), ‘Medicine and the pharmaceutical industry’(2006, 2007), ‘End of life care: psychiatric and philosophical issues’(2009), and 'The need to integrate knowledge from diverse disciplines’(2010).Recent orations
Singh has also recently delivered orations on ‘The road ahead: for Indian, psychiatric and medical research’(2010), and‘Sleep disorders: what can you do to help yourself’(2010).
Member and advisor
He is a member of the Journal Committee of the Indian Journal of PsychiatryIndian Journal of Psychiatry
The Indian Journal of Psychiatry is the official journal of the Indian Psychiatric Society. This scientific journal publishes original work in all fields of psychiatry. All papers are peer-reviewed before publication. The language of publication is English....
, and one of its Speciality Editors. He sits on the Honorary Advisory Board, Research Center in Philosophy, VPM's Joshi-Bedekar College, Thane, Maharashtra.
Founder president, Swara Sampada
He is also the Founder President of a non-profit music organisation called Swara SampadaSwara Sampada
Swara Sampada is a Mumbai, India based non-profit organisation with the mission statement 'To Help the Evolution of Bathroom Singers Into Drawing Room Singers; And Drawing Room Singers Into Stage Singers.-History and brief outline:...
, whose mission statement is to 'help the evolution of bathroom singers into living room singers, and living room singers into stage singers'. He has also written its definitive text called the Swara Sampada Sourcebook on Music, ISBN 81-901406-2-0.
Editorials republished
His 2006 MSM editorial ("What is a good editorial?") has been republished in the Indian Journal of Pharmacology, while the 2010 MSM editorial ("Modern Medicine: Towards Prevention, Cure, Well-being and Longevity") has been translated in Portuguese and republished as "Medicina moderna: rumo à prevenção, à cura, ao bem-estar e à longevidade"Occasional poet
Singh has occasionally published some poetry like 'A case of identity', 'More smoke', 'Woman' 'Silences', 'Parliament' etc.Co-author and marriage
He is married to Shakuntala SinghShakuntala Singh
Shakuntala A. Singh is an Indian educational administrator, professor of philosophy and deputy editor of the Mens Sana Monographs. She is principal and head of the Department of Philosophy and director of the Research Center in Philosophy at Joshi-Bedekar College of Arts and Commerce, Thane ,...
, with whom he has co-authored many papers in philosophy, philosophy of psychiatry, and the pharmaceutical industry.
Monographs written
[Along with Shakuntala SinghShakuntala Singh
Shakuntala A. Singh is an Indian educational administrator, professor of philosophy and deputy editor of the Mens Sana Monographs. She is principal and head of the Department of Philosophy and director of the Research Center in Philosophy at Joshi-Bedekar College of Arts and Commerce, Thane ,...
as co-author]
- Psychiatric consequences of WTC collapses and the Gulf war (May 2003). ISBN 978-81-89753-00-9
- Towards a suicide free society: Identify suicide prevention as public health policy. (July-Aug 2003) ISBN 978-81-89753-01-6
- What shall we do about our concern with the most recent in psychiatric research? (Sept-Oct 2003). ISBN 978-81-89753-02-3
- Replicative nature of Indian Research, Essence of scientific temper, and the future of scientific progress (Nov-Dec, 2003). ISBN 978-81-89753-03-0
- Gandhi on religion, faith and conversion: secular blue print relevant today (Jan-Feb 2004). ISBN 978-81-89753-04-7
- The goal: health for all – the commitment: all for health (Mar-April 2004). ISBN 978-81-89753-05-4
- Psychiatry science, religion and health (MSM annual May-Oct 2004). ISBN 978-81-89753-06-1 http://locatorplus.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v1=5&ti=1,5&SC=Author&SA=Singh%2C%20Ajai%20R%2E&PID=Hut-01Ag68f9lN7zxpRELCFRXMEp8&SEQ=20110318082527&SID=2
- Resolution of the polarisation of ideologies and approaches in psychiatry (Nov 2004-Feb 2005). ISBN 978-81-89753-08-5 http://locatorplus.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v1=6&ti=1,6&SC=Author&SA=Singh%2C%20Ajai%20R%2E&PID=Hut-01Ag68f9lN7zxpRELCFRXMEp8&SEQ=20110318082527&SID=2
- Medical practice, psychiatry and the pharmaceutical industry; and ever the trio shall meet (Mar-Oct 2005). ISBN 978-81-89753-11-5 http://locatorplus.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v1=2&ti=1,2&SC=Author&SA=Singh%2C%20Ajai%20R%2E&PID=Hut-01Ag68f9lN7zxpRELCFRXMEp8&SEQ=20110318082527&SID=2
- Medicine as a corporate enterprise, patient welfare centered profession or patient welfare centered professional enterprise? (Nov 2005- Feb 2006). ISBN 978-81-89753-12-2 http://locatorplus.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v1=3&ti=1,3&SC=Author&SA=Singh%2C%20Ajai%20R%2E&PID=Hut-01Ag68f9lN7zxpRELCFRXMEp8&SEQ=20110318082527&SID=2
Monographs edited
[Along with Shakuntala SinghShakuntala Singh
Shakuntala A. Singh is an Indian educational administrator, professor of philosophy and deputy editor of the Mens Sana Monographs. She is principal and head of the Department of Philosophy and director of the Research Center in Philosophy at Joshi-Bedekar College of Arts and Commerce, Thane ,...
as co-editor]
- What medicine means to me (Mar-Dec 2006). ISBN 978-81-89753-13-9 http://locatorplus.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v1=7&ti=1,7&SC=Author&SA=Singh%2C%20Ajai%20R%2E&PID=Hut-01Ag68f9lN7zxpRELCFRXMEp8&SEQ=20110318082527&SID=2
- Medical practice and the pharmaceutical industry: and ever the duo shall meet (Jan-Dec 2007). ISBN 978-81-89753-14-6 http://locatorplus.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v1=1&ti=1,1&SC=Author&SA=Singh%2C%20Ajai%20R%2E&PID=Hut-01Ag68f9lN7zxpRELCFRXMEp8&SEQ=20110318082527&SID=2
- Medicine, mental health, science, religion and well being (Jan-Dec 2008). ISBN 978-81-89753-15-3. http://locatorplus.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v1=4&ti=1,4&SC=Author&SA=Singh%2C%20Ajai%20R%2E&PID=Hut-01Ag68f9lN7zxpRELCFRXMEp8&SEQ=20110318082527&SID=2
- Some issues in women’s studies, and other essays (Jan-Dec 2009). ISBN 978-81-89753-16-0
- Psychopharmacology Today: Some Issues (Jan-Dec 2010). ISBN 978-81-89753-17-7
Executive editor
Along with Shakuntala SinghShakuntala Singh
Shakuntala A. Singh is an Indian educational administrator, professor of philosophy and deputy editor of the Mens Sana Monographs. She is principal and head of the Department of Philosophy and director of the Research Center in Philosophy at Joshi-Bedekar College of Arts and Commerce, Thane ,...
as Editor in chief
- Proceedings of the International Seminar on Mind, Brain and Consciousness ISBN 978-81-89753-18-4
Book chapters
- Singh Ajai R., (2006), Rehabilitation in schizophrenia, the is-aught and rights duty dilemma. In: Thought and reflections: selected papers in mental health [Ed Hema Shah], Vora Med Pub, Mumbai, p501-513. ISBN 81-86361-96-0
Commmemorative volume chapters
- Singh, Ajai R.; Singh, Shakuntala A. (2009), Notes on Some Philosophical Issues in Psychiatry. In: Culture, Personality and Mental Illness: A perspective of Traditional Societies [Vijoy K. Varma, A.K. Kala, Nitin Gupta eds], JaypeeBros Med Pub, New Delhi, p37-76. 2009. ISBN 978-81-8448-536-3 http://www.jaypeebrothers.com/contents/978-81-8448-536-3.pdf Retrieved 13 February 2011.
- Singh Ajai R., (2008), Indian Journal of Psychiatry (IJP): Moving Forward. In: Indian Journal of Psychiatry: commemorative volume. [T.S.S Rao, G. Swaminath eds], IJP, p60-67.
External links
- Editor, Mens Sana Monographs
- List of publications
- Research and publications: a synoptic overview
- Collections of the National Library of Medicine Ajai R. Singh
- Collections of the National Library of Medicine Mens Sana Monographs
- Collections of the National Library of by Medicine Locator Plus. Mens Sana Monographs