FROM THE EDITOR SOCIAL SCIENTIST has entered its third year of publication. We take this opportunity to thank our readers, contributors and well-wishers for their continuous support and encouragement. During the last two years there has been a steady rise in the number of readers and the problem now is not so much of circulation as of meeting the phenomenal increase in the cost of printing paper and materials. We have been forced to raise the single copy price from Rs 2 to Rs 3 with comparable adjustments to annual and overseas rates. Social Scientist will continue to present the problems of our society in a scientific socialist perspective. From now on we intend to lay particular stress on analysis of specific current issues: the general tendency so far has been to concentrate on more theoretical and historical topics. In addition we have decided to bring out annually some thematic special numbers. This year we added a number of new writers to our pages. We assure present and prospective contributors that the Social Scientist will extend full co-operation to those who want to publish studies and analyses