I think Sree Jampala's explanations of the lengths of various forms of
stories is not only reasonable but probably conforms to editorial practice.
As for kathAnika and katha are concerned I've seen the terms used
interchangeably.
How many of you have heard of a literary form (sAhitii prakriya) called
"galpika"?
I have a collection of _KuTumbaravu sAhityam_ edited and compiled by kEtu
viSwanAtha reDDi and publishhed by viSAlAndhra Publishing House. In the
introduction to the first volume, sodum rAmmOhan writes that there is a
difference between short stories and galpikalu: short stories improve
one's civility (samskAram) while galpikalu increase one's knowledge
(vij~nyanamu). In this sense a galpika aims to educate the reader. May
be Sree Vemuri's short stories should be called galpikalu?
pANini