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Micro enterprises contribute significantly to an economy's balanced growth by creating and providing employment opportunities, thereby contributing to income generation. Financial performance is a subjective indicator of how well-run businesses can leverage their assets to generate future cash inflow (Ahmad & Jamil, 2020). The purpose of this paper is to investigate the variables that affect the financial performance of micro businesses. To that end, an empirical study was conducted in the Indian context, with a focus on the state of Kerala. A multistage random sampling technique was used to select 180 micro enterprises operating under the Kudumbashree Mission (KM) in three districts. The study examined the factors affecting the profit and sales performance of the group micro enterprises using a panel data regression approach with a pooled OLS model. The findings indicated that sales revenue, enterprise region, and product type all had a significant impact on profitability performance. However, the age of the enterprise, its location (rural/urban), and the product category had no effect on its profitability performance. While the age of the enterprise and the region had a direct positive relationship with sales revenue, the location of the enterprise and the product category had no significant effect on sales revenue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entrepreneurship enables to eradicate poverty, utilise resources for productive purposes, delivers goods and services to people, thereby promote economic development and growth. Along with various broad socio-economic advantages, it also provides source of livelihood for the individuals. Employment generation is the one of the important objectives of any form of entrepreneurship. MSMEs are considered as highly labour intensive form of entrepreneurship. In a State governed by same set of rules and regulations is supposed to have uniform development of entrepreneurship throughout. However, the research paper proves that in Kerala State there is regional difference in the employment generation by MSMEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper asks whether the Forest Rights Act (FRA) passed by the Government of India in 2006 could provide effective access and ownership rights to land and forests for the adivasi communities of Kerala, thereby leading to an enhancement of their entitlements. The study was conducted in Wayanad district using qualitative methods of data collection. The FRA, it would seem, raised high expectations in the State Government circles and the Adivasi community. This was at a time when the Government of Kerala was grappling with a stalemate in the implementation of its own laws on adivasi land rights, due to the organized resistance from the settler-farmers and the non-adivasi workers employed in the plantations that were established to provide employment for adivasis. Our analysis shows that due to the inherent problems within the FRA as well as its complex and contested implementation, the FRA could not achieve the promised objectives of correcting historical injustice and provide effective land rights to the adivasis of Wayanad. The role played by the conservation lobby in thwarting the efforts of the Left government is discussed. While granting nominal possession rights (Record of Rights) to the dwelling sites of a small community of adivasis (Kattunaicker, who were traditional forest dwellers), the FRA has failed to provide them with substantive access and ownership rights to land and forests. The adivasis who were able to gain some rights to land have been those who were involved in land occupation struggles. The study reiterates the importance of struggles in gaining effective rights in land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domestic workers constitute one of the largest segments of unorganised workers in India and it is one job where men are outnumbered by women. Domestic workers lack respect and recognition from their employers and are mostly underpaid, prevailing in a state of dependency. This paper, based on a qualitative study, aims to find out the nature of work and work related problems of women domestic workers, and to uncover the factors which contribute to their entry into paid domestic work. Samples are purposively selected from the domestic workers' groups promoted by Ernakulam Social Service Society, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) based in the Ernakulam District. The data was collected through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions and analysed using interpretive methods. Eight major themes, namely, working hours, place of employment, type of work performed by the domestic workers in employer's home, the employee and employer relationship, problems experienced at work place, income, occupational health, and family support, emerged in this study to explain the nature of work, and work related problems of paid women domestic workers. The domestic workers' perceptions about factors that contribute to their entry into paid domestic work is discussed under socio-economic backwardness and educational status. The findings of the study will help to identify vulnerability in paid domestic work and frame a strategy for organising and globalising domestic workers in the context of the International Labour Organisation's latest efforts in promoting decent work for domestic workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]