Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Ch. Vasantha Rao


 * The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the article below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review).  No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was   delete. Despite the fact that there were numerous editors who argued that the subject is notable enough for an article on account of his publications, there do not appear to be enough sources or notability proven to meet WP:PROF or WP:BIO. NW ( Talk ) 18:47, 16 March 2010 (UTC)

Ch. Vasantha Rao

 * – ( View AfD View log  •  )

This article fails WP:PROF. The subject is the principal of a theological college, and has been a visiting lecturer at Harvard Divinity School. Yet these do not make him notable, and although there is a lot of material in this article, we have here an ordinary academic who has a doctorate and has published a few papers. StAnselm (talk) 05:23, 9 March 2010 (UTC)


 * Note: This debate has been included in the list of Academics and educators-related deletion discussions.  —David Eppstein (talk) 05:48, 9 March 2010 (UTC)
 * Note: This debate has been included in the list of India-related deletion discussions.  -- &mdash; Spaceman  Spiff  05:51, 9 March 2010 (UTC)
 * Note: This debate has been included in the list of Christianity-related deletion discussions.  -- &mdash; Spaceman  Spiff  05:51, 9 March 2010 (UTC)
 * Comment: the subject's name seems to be Chilkuri Vasantha Rao. -- Radagast3 (talk) 08:53, 9 March 2010 (UTC)
 * I'm not finding any citations on GS or GB, however -- Radagast3 (talk) 12:45, 9 March 2010 (UTC)


 * Entry made on article talk page by single-purpose account Puzul (talk | contribs), 12:35, 9 March 2010:
 * "keep the article, the notability of the person is already established with his being a Senior Visiting Scholar at the Harvard University's Divinity School, Cambridge, USA, his contribution in the field of ecology from the biblical perspective is noteworthy,see reviews of his books in various journals, what one calls trivial may not be taken as trivial, they are facts and establish the person, I strongly vote the article to be kept and not disturbed"
 * Two other single-purpose accounts, Ceseo (talk | contribs) and Bingiri7 (talk | contribs) have added similar comments: see Talk:Ch. Vasantha Rao. -- Radagast3 (talk) 14:34, 9 March 2010 (UTC)


 * Delete. The most notable thing here is the principalship, which I don't think satisfies WP:PROF: see the discussion at Articles for deletion/R. Yesurathnam. -- Radagast3 (talk) 15:13, 9 March 2010 (UTC)
 * Delete. A clearly worthy person but sources of notability are not apparent. Xxanthippe (talk) 23:26, 9 March 2010 (UTC).
 * Delete per nom. Drmies (talk) 01:28, 10 March 2010 (UTC)
 * KeepOn the norms of "verifiable" the following reviews and studies have been published just recently, I publish them here for information -
 * Rao, Chilkuri Vasantha, Ecological and Theological Aspects of Some Animal Laws in the Pentateuch, Delhi: ISPCK, 2005, xvii + 364 – Reviewed by Arun Kumar Wesley, In: Asia Journal of Theology, Vol. 21, Number 1, April 2007, pp. 170-172.
 * Ecological and Theological Aspects of Some Animal Laws in the Pentateuch, by Chilkuri Vasantha Rao, Delhi: ISPCK, 2005, xvii, 364, Rs. 3000.00; ISBN 81-7214-911-5 - Reviewed by Jesudason Baskar Jeyaraj, MA, M.Th, PhD (Sheffield), former Professor and Head of OT Dept., TamilNadu Theological Seminary, Madurai, Adjuct Faculty at SAIACS, Bangalore, Visiting Professor, ACTS Academy of Higher Education, Bangalore, Hon. Director, Jubilee Institute, Madurai, India, In: Dharma Deepika: A South Asian Journal of Missiological Research, Issue 30, Vol. 13, No. 2, July – Dec. 2009, pp. 88-90.
 * Ecological and Theological Aspects of Some Animal Laws in the Pentateuch. By Chilkuri Vasantha Rao, Delhi: ISPCK, 2005. Pp xvii + 364, ISBN 81-7214-911-5 – Reviewed by Fr. Mathew PALACHUVATTIL, Holy Trinity Regional Major Seminary, Jalandhar, In: Vidyajyothi Journal of Theological Reflection, Vol. 73, No. 12, Dec. 2009, pp. 66-67.
 * Chilkuri Vasantha Rao, Let the Mother Bird God... Preservation Motif in Pentateuch (Delhi: Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2007), xx + 112, - Reviewed by Vincent Castilino, In: Mission Today (earlier known as Indian Missiological Review) Vol. XII, No. 1, Jan-March 2010, p. 85.
 * Bible Study 1: Chilkuri Vasantha Rao, “Ecological Concept in Genesis Chapter One”, In: Green Gospel, edd. Thomas Samuel and Mathew Koshy Punnackadu, Tiruvalla: Jointly published by Christava Sahitya Samithy & CSI Synod Ecological Concerns Committee, 2010, pp. 11-17.
 * Bible Study 2: Chilkuri Vasantha Rao, “No Way Different: Genesis 2:4-9 & 19”, In: Green Gospel, edd. Thomas Samuel and Mathew Koshy Punnackadu, Tiruvalla: Jointly published by Christava Sahitya Samithy & CSI Synod Ecological Concerns Committee, 2010, pp. 118-122, the article may be retained, these sources may be added.
 * --Puzul (talk) 21:24, 10 March 2010 (UTC) — Puzul (talk • contribs) has made few or no other edits outside this topic.
 * You appear to be saying that his books have had book reviews. I'm not sure that counts as notability under WP:PROF. If many people bought them, or if many libraries had a copy, or if they were widely cited, that would count. -- Radagast3 (talk) 22:00, 10 March 2010 (UTC)


 * Comment. I point out that many hundreds of citations are usually considered necessary to qualify under WP:Prof #1. Xxanthippe (talk) 22:06, 10 March 2010 (UTC).
 * Keep Considering the fact that the field of ecotheology in India is in its fledgling stage, I think Rev. Dr. Chilkuri Vasantha Rao's contributions are very crucial, and therefore this article should not be deleted. Thank you!Savethebluemarble (talk) 03:39, 11 March 2010 (UTC) — Savethebluemarble (talk • contribs) has made few or no other edits outside this topic.

Title: Let the mother bird go -- : preservation motif in Pentateuch Author: Vasantha Rao, Chilkuri Accession Number: 166317655

Libraries Worldwide: US,IL	JKM LIBR US,IL	UNIV OF CHICAGO US,IL	UNIV OF ILLINOIS US,IL	WHEATON COL US,CA	ALIBRIS US,CA	UNIV OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY US,CA	UNIV OF CALIFORNIA, N REG LIBR US,CT	YALE UNIV LIBR US,DC	LIBRARY OF CONGRESS US,GA	EMORY UNIV US,HI	UNIV OF HAWAII AT MANOA LIBR US,IA	UNIV OF IOWA LIBR US,KY	ASBURY THEOL SEMINARY US,MA	GORDON-CONWELL THEOL SEMINARY US,MA	HARVARD UNIV, DIVINITY SCH LIBR US,MA	HARVARD UNIV, HARVARD COL LIBR US,MI	UNIV OF MICHIGAN LIBR US,MN	UNIV OF MINNESOTA, MINNEAPOLIS US,NC	BAKER & TAYLOR INC TECH SERV & PROD DEV US,NC	DUKE UNIV LIBR US,NJ	PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY US,NY	NEW YORK PUB LIBR RES LIBR US,OH	UNITED THEOL SEMINARY US,PA	LUTHERAN THEOL SEMINARY US,PA	PALMER THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY US,WI	UNIV OF WISCONSIN, MADISON, GEN LIBR SYS Hong Kong	HONG KONG BAPTIST UNIV India	D.K. AGENCIES LTD South Africa	UNISA: MUCKLENEUK MAIN CAM

Title: Ecological and theological aspects of some animal laws in the pentateuch Author: Vasantha Rao, Chilkuri Accession Number: 85016857

Libraries worldwide: US,IL	JKM LIBR US,CA	ALIBRIS US,DC	LIBRARY OF CONGRESS US,MA	HARVARD UNIV, DIVINITY SCH LIBR US,NC	BAKER & TAYLOR INC TECH SERV & PROD DEV US,NJ	DREW UNIV LIBR US,NJ	PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY US,OH	OCLC TRAINING & ILLIAD PARTICIPANT US,PA	LUTHERAN THEOL SEMINARY US,PA	PALMER THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY India	D.K. AGENCIES LTD

Title: Jathara : a festival of Christian witness Author: Vasantharao, Chilkuri Accession Number: 299028522

US,IL	JKM LIBR US,CA	FULLER THEOL SEMINARY US,MA	BOSTON COL US,NY	COLUMBIA UNIV India	D.K. AGENCIES LTD Netherlands	UNIVERSITEIT UTRECHT

Title: Heads and tales Author: Vasantha Rao, Chilkuri Accession Number: 368252173

US,IL	JKM LIBR US,MA	HARVARD UNIV, DIVINITY SCH LIBR US,PA	LUTHERAN THEOL SEMINARY US,PA	PALMER THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY —Preceding unsigned comment added by Kneemail (talk • contribs) 21:06, 11 March 2010 (UTC)  — Kneemail (talk • contribs) has made few or no other edits outside this topic.


 * KEEP I have been reading Dr. Vasantha Rao's books and have known him for years and was glad meeting him at Harvard. He has truly contributed a lot to the world of Theology. His work, his associations, his writings, speak volumes about his impeccable personality and contributions. I totally disagree with the statements above, that clearly reflects personal humiliation and drawing conclusions with false justifications. I strongly feel, either one should respect other's work irrespective of caste, culture, nationality and religion or in-case of not agreeing, should have a dialogue to stand corrected on the wrong perceptions. Some how it feels, that some one is trying to demean Dr. Rao's work and i think one can easily make out that it is a purposeful effort to insult him. Dr. Rao contributed a lot for the upliftment of Dalit Christians, & Rural areas in AP. Dr. Rao: We support you and you are worthy to be in Wikipedia where we can continue to learn from your works. God Bless.--Ambrose2010 (talk) 10:58, 12 March 2010 (UTC) — Ambrose2010 (talk • contribs) has made few or no other edits outside this topic.
 * Nobody is denying that Dr. Vasantha Rao is a very worthy person. However, what we are discussing here is whether the article on him satisfies Wikipedia guidelines, especially the guidelines in WP:Notability (academics). Several of the statements made in support of the article do not address this issue. Kneemail is one of the few people who have put forward relevant information: the library holdings of Dr. Vasantha Rao's books, though not extremely high, are still an argument in favour of keeping the article. You raise an interesting point by saying "Dr. Rao contributed a lot for the upliftment of Dalit Christians, & Rural areas in AP." Regrettably, we cannot take your personal opinion on this into account, and this point is not discussed in the article. However, if you were to add a discussion of this to the article, backed up by WP:Reliable sources, this would also be a point in favour of keeping the article. One likely problem here is that the article probably does not do justice to Dr. Vasantha Rao's work, and probably does a poor job of explaining his importance. Those of us discussing the article have done our best to find additional information about him on Google, but there is not very much to find. In the end, the decision on whether to keep or delete the article will be made largely on the basis of the article as written. StAnselm has tried to improve the article, but not many other people seem to have assisted in this. -- Radagast3 (talk) 12:57, 12 March 2010 (UTC)


 * Keep -- Principal of a theological college (though currently perhaps not yet in office); one of a team of Bible translators. Seems notable to me.  I do not think we should expect the same level of coverage for an Indian academic as for a Western one.  Peterkingiron (talk) 00:28, 13 March 2010 (UTC)
 * Oh, I don't think we should relax the notability requirement for Indian academics. That would be a little patronizing. But we should be aware that (1) a smaller percentage of sources will exist in English, and (2) a smaller percentage will exist online. For that reason we rely on local editors to dig up sources that Google can't find.
 * And, once again, the subject of the article may not be a notable academic, but still meet general notability requirements. It has been suggested that his work with Dalit Christians falls into that category, although following up the links from Dalit theology I find no mention of his name. -- Radagast3 (talk) 01:37, 13 March 2010 (UTC)
 * And this is why AfD discussion last for a week. But nothing new has been added to the article. StAnselm (talk) 04:32, 14 March 2010 (UTC)


 * Delete. Despite being long and heavily sourced, most of the sourcing is very poor and shows no evidence of passing WP:GNG. And the only real shot of passing WP:PROF, the college presidency, seems dubious to me. —David Eppstein (talk) 19:36, 14 March 2010 (UTC)
 * Keep:Many libraries have a copy.--Pavani (talk) 03:39, 15 March 2010 (UTC)
 * Can you provide evidence to support the above claim? Xxanthippe (talk) 05:44, 15 March 2010 (UTC).
 * Someone dug out what seems to be a complete list of library holdings for his books (see box above). I'm not sure what threshold we normally use for library holdings as an indicator of notability. -- Radagast3 (talk) 06:52, 15 March 2010 (UTC)


 * Keep:keep the article, the notability of the person is already established with his being a Senior Visiting Scholar at the Harvard University's Divinity School, Cambridge, USA, his contribution in the field of ecology from the biblical perspective is noteworthy,see reviews of his books in various journals, what one calls trivial may not be taken as trivial, they are facts and establish the person, I strongly vote the article to be kept and not disturbed--Bingiri7 (talk) 09:14, 15 March 2010 (UTC) — Bingiri7 (talk • contribs) has made few or no other edits outside this topic.


 * KEEP :Dr.Vasantha Rao's books in favour of keeping this article.Dr Vasantha Rao contributed a lot for the upliftment of Dalit christian ,and rural areas in Andhra Pradesh .I have been reading Dr Vasantha Rao's books and know him for years and was glad meeting him at Harvard. He has truly contributed a lot to the world of Theology. This person is a very accomplished theologian in India and has made innumerable contributions to the topic of religions in India ,especially rural India.I voch for Rev.Dr.Chilkuri Vasantha Rao and strongly feel that this article should be kept so that many like me may be inspired by his work.--Stafa80 (talk) 09:59, 15 March 2010 (UTC) — Stafa80 (talk • contribs) has made few or no other edits outside this topic.
 * I believe Ambrose2010 has already made similar points. We would certainly appreciate a reliable source on his "upliftment" work. -- Radagast3 (talk) 10:11, 15 March 2010 (UTC)


 * KEEP :Saw the deletion flag go up on Dr. Vasanth last week. I have known him personally and also as an alumnus of ACTC. But that is not good enough to recommend a 'keep' on his page. So here is what I could put together over the weekend. Hope the following list of his writings through the years stand in good stead for the 'keep' recommendation.

“Be the Church God Meant You to Be, in: Golden Jubilee Souvenir, ed. P. A. Solomon Raj, Hyderabad: Church of South India Wesley Church Musheerabad, 1989, no date, 3 pages.

“Church Music in Andhra Pradesh with Special Reference to Medak Dicoese, in: Cross the Only Hope, ed. N. S. Prakasham, Hyderabad: Medak Diocese, No Date, Pages 15-18.

“Christ the High Priest”, in: A Handbook of Sermon Outlines, ed. G. Dyvasirvadam, Madras: Pastoral Aid Department, Church of South India, 1994, pp. 60-63

“Pentecost I & II”, in: A Handbook of Sermon Outlines, ed. G. Dyvasirvadam, Madras: Pastoral Aid Department, Church of South India, 1994, pp. 64-69

“Trinity Sunday”, in: A Handbook of Sermon Outlines, ed. G. Dyvasirvadam, Madras: Pastoral Aid Department, Church of South India, 1994, pp. 70-72

“The Call of God”, in: A Handbook of Sermon Outlines, ed. G. Dyvasirvadam, Madras: Pastoral Aid Department, Church of South India, 1994, pp. 73-75

“Ascension Day”, in: A Handbook of Sermon Outlines, ed. G. Dyvasirvadam, Madras: The Pastoral Aid Department, Church of South India, 1994, pp. 166-168

“Preservation Motif in Pentateuch”, National Christian Council Review, Vol. 116, (1996), pp. 740-755.

“Nature Eco-Concern: Plants”, in: Wing of Faith, Invitation, Vol. Two, ed. B. D. Prasad, Chennai: Christian Education Department, Church of South India, 1999, pp. 31-33.

“Nature Eco-Concern: Trees”, in: Wing of Faith, Invitation, Vol. Two, ed. B. D. Prasad, Chennai: Christian Education Department, Church of South India, 1999, pp. 36-38.

“Nature Eco-Concern: Animals”, in: Wing of Faith, Invitation, Vol. Two, ed. B. D. Prasad, Chennai: Christian Education Department, Church of South India, 1999, pp. 39-41.

“Nature Eco-Concern: Birds”, in: Wing of Faith, Invitation, Vol. Two, ed. B. D. Prasad, Chennai: Christian Education Department, Church of South India, 1999, pp. 42-44.

“Nature Eco-Concern: Lakes, Rivers and Seas”, in: Wing of Faith, Invitation, Vol. Two, ed. B. D. Prasad, Chennai: Christian Education Department, Church of South India, 1999, pp. 45-48.

“Nature Eco-Concern: Hills and Forests”, in: Wing of Faith, Invitation, Vol. Two, ed. B. D. Prasad, Chennai: Christian Education Department, Church of South India, 1999, pp. 49-51

“Come, Let Us Renew and Reconcile Our People”, in: Unite – Liberate – Celebrate, ed. P. Surya Prakash, Chennai: The Pastoral Aid Department, Church of South India, 2007, pp. 25-28.

“M. M. Thomas’ Biblical Interpretation and the Use of the Old Testament”, National Christian Council Review, Vol. 117, (1997), pp. 311-319

“The Medak Diocese”, in: United to Unite – History of the Church of South India 1947-1997, ed. J. W. Gladstone, Chennai: CSI Synod, 1997, pp. 293-304

“Glimpses of Subaltern History of Medak Diocese: A Women’s Perspective”, in: CSI Women’s Fellowship Golden Jubilee Souvenir, ed. Sunitha, Hyderabad : Women’s Fellowship Medak Diocese, 1998, pp. 80-84

“The Plight: Dalit Awareness”, in: Struggles to Celebrate Life: Biblical Reflections on Women, Dalits & Media, ed. Moses Paul Peter, Bangalore: Students Christian Movement of India, 1998, pp. 19-26

“The Fight: Dalit Struggle”, in: Struggles to Celebrate Life: Biblical Reflections on Women, Dalits & Media, ed. Moses Paul Peter, Bangalore: Students Christian Movement of India, 1998, pp. 27-32

“The Fight: Dalit Emancipation”, in: Struggles to Celebrate Life: Biblical Reflections on Women, Dalits & Media, ed. Moses Paul Peter, Bangalore: Students Christian Movement of India, 1998, pp. 33-37

“Ecumenism in a Pluralistic Context: An Old Testament View”, in: Ecumenism Prospects and Challenges, Festschrift to the Rev. G. Dyvasirvadam, edd. V. Victor, L. Nathaniel and P. S. Prakash, Delhi: India Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, for the Church of South India Synod Youth Department & Synod Pastoral Aid Department 2001, pp. 180-192

“Dalit Participation in the Lectura Popular Project”, in: Interkulturelle Hermeneutik und Lectura Popular- Neuere Konzepte in Theorie and Praxis, edd. S. Joneleit-Oesch und M. Neubert (Beiheft zur Oekumenishchen Rundschau, Vol. 72), Frankfurt a.M.: Verlag Otte Lembeck, 2002, pp. 65-82

“Indegenous and Foreign Influences on the Church in Andhra”, Ashram Mitra, ed. Vasant Bawa, Vol. 6, (2003), pp. 5-7.

“The Division of the Kingdom: Its Causes and Consequences”, Indian Journal of Theology, Vol. 45, No. 1 & 2, (2003), pp. 41-50

“The Right to Life in Human Discourse: Emphasis on Animal Life”, Religion and Society, Vol. 50, No. 4, (December 2005), pp. 13-30

“Ascension of our Lord”, in: Oasis, ed. Mathew Varkey, Chennai: The Pastoral Aid Department, Church of South India, 2006, pp. 94-96

“Courage in God’s Service”, in: Oasis, ed. Mathew Varkey, Chennai: The Pastoral Aid Department, Church of South India, 2006, pp. 190-191.

“Devuni Rajyamu Neethi Rajyamu” (Telugu), in: Karimnagar Adyaksha Mandalam, ed. B. Sadanamdam, Karimnagar: Dakshana India Sangham, Karimnagar Adyaksha Mandalam, December 2007, pp. 9-10.

“Biblical Teaching on Sensitivity towards People of Other Faiths”, Aikyatha: A Publication of the Student Christian Movement of India, March 2007, pp. 46-49.

“Arohanamu” (Telugu), in: Karimnagar Adyaksha Mandalam, ed. P. Baburao, Karimnagar: Dakshana India Sangham, Karimnagar Adyaksha Mandalam, Jan.-Feb. 2008, pp. 16-17.

“Church’s Ministry of Education”, in: Rhema, ed. U. Gandhi, Chennai: The Pastoral Aid Department, Church of South India, 2008, pp. 145-147.

“Ascension Day: Christ – Lord of All”, in: Fotizei, ed. S. Jayaseelan, Chennai: The Pastoral Aid Department, Church of South India, 2009, pp. 53-55.

“Education: Search for True Knowledge”, in: Fotizei, ed. S. Jayaseelan, Chennai: The Pastoral Aid Department, Church of South India, 2009, pp. 62-64.

“Ecological Crisis: Scientific Technology and Religious Indictment”, in: National Conference on Science and Religious Technological Advancement in Science and its Socio-Religious Impact, edd. Jagdhari Mashi, Samuel Richmond, et al. Allahabad: University Publication Division, AIIDU, 2009, pp. 31-45

“Ecological Concept in Genesis Chapter One”, in: Green Gospel, edd. Thomas Samuel and Mathew Koshy Punnackadu, Tiruvalla: Jointly published by Christava Sahitya Samithy & Church of South India Synod Ecological Concerns Committee, 2010, pp. 11-17. “No Way Different: Genesis 2:4-9 & 19”, in: Green Gospel, edd. Thomas Samuel and Mathew Koshy Punnackadu, Tiruvalla: Jointly published by Christava Sahitya Samithy & Church of South India Synod Ecological Concerns Committee, 2010, pp. 118-122. Theghostwhodied (talk) 14:30, 15 March 2010 (UTC) — Theghostwhodied (talk • contribs) has made few or no other edits outside this topic.
 * Delete, per nom. Being a college principal is not enough for passing WP:PROF; not much else in the record to indicate academic notability. Nsk92 (talk) 20:01, 15 March 2010 (UTC)

KEEP! I have been reading Dr. Vasantha Rao's writings. He is an academician in every sense of the term. He taught for several years and in various continents. He wrote numerous articles and books in English, German and Telugu. I hope race is not a factor for these cries for deletion of this entry.Cicero2010 (talk) 22:29, 15 March 2010 (UTC) — Cicero2010 (talk • contribs) has made few or no other edits outside this topic.
 * One editor above suggested that standards for notability of Indian academics should be lower than for others but this was not supported. A feature of this AfD debate is that the arguments for delete are mostly from established editors while those for keep are mostly from spas. It is time for this debate to be closed. Xxanthippe (talk) 23:37, 15 March 2010 (UTC).


 * Delete Nothing I've seen in the very spirited defense of this academic by his friends convinces me that he passes our thresholds for WP:PROF or any other WP:BIO guideline. The "principal" aspect of his position is a subordinate position inside a larger university; furthermore, by special arrangement it is a strictly term-limited rotating position, and hence is insufficient for notability. Ray  Talk 03:25, 16 March 2010 (UTC)
 * KEEP: Ray's Above comment dose not hold good  since he is no longer a member on Wikipedia--Ceseo (talk) 14:48, 16 March 2010 (UTC) — Ceseo (talk&#32;• contribs) has made few or no other edits outside this topic.
 * Do you have any idea what you're talking about? Woogee (talk) 18:33, 16 March 2010 (UTC)
 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.