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The present research paper deals with the amphibian diversity of Shikari Devi Wildlife Sanctuary located in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh state, India. The objective of the study includes evaluating species diversity, IUCN status, population trends, and elevation from sea level. A total of 5 amphibian species belonging to 2 families have been recorded from the sanctuary for the first time. According to IUCN, 4 species were included under the Least Concern (LC) category and only 1 species i.e. Nonorana minica was in the Near-threatened (NT) category. The population trends and elevation from sea level are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Himalayas are the major and earliest mountain system. Himachal Pradesh is part of the western Himalayas divided into four biogeographical regions Shiwalik Himalayas, Lesser Himalayas, Greater Himalayas and Trans-Himalayas. Mandi district is a land of valleys and mountains, serves as a transition zone between the Lesser Himalayas and the Greater Himalayas, resulting in unique climatic conditions and varied altitudes. 57 species of reptiles are recorded from Himachal Pradesh belonging to 15 families and 2 orders. The present study of Mandi district revealed the presence of 14 reptile species belonging to 6 families and one order. The Colubridae family has the highest reptilian species diversity, with a total of six species. According to IUCN, four species the (Himalayan stripted necked snake) Leopeltis rappii, (Banded cat snake) Boiga multifasciata, Cyrtodactylus Fasciolatus (Banded Bent-toed Gecko) and Cyrodactylus Lawderanus (Lawder's Bent-toed) are classified as vulnerable also found in Mandi district. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the educational and livelihood trajectories of mainly upper caste youth in the quickly changing Shanti Valley, Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh. This, against the backdrop of economic liberalisation, and the spread of urbanisation and higher education in India in the last two decades. It shows that while higher education has limited attraction for area youth in terms of work and livelihood, what is really transformational is the metamorphosis of the valley from a space dominated by horticulture and agriculture to a site with expanded tourist arrivals. Youth entry points into tourism appear to follow family trajectories, as young people move away from farming as a sole and primary occupation, via such new non-farm employment. Further, as young people and their families come to engage with tourism, the knowledge for such endeavours comes from numerous sources, with higher education being only one route to such learning. Tourism, and the spread of mediated encounters mean that 'urbanised' forms of life and living are increasingly visible as the valley is reconstructed as a hybrid global-local space. However, as the local landscape metamorphoses, there are widespread concerns about ecological futures, raised by youth and their families alike. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fact is well known that fruits provides important vitamin and minerals, in some cases fruits are even considered as the healer for various diseases. Among all these benefits horticulture industry provides great benefit to the GDP of the country. Horticulture products plays and important role in commerce trade and food processing industry. However currently horticulture industry is not delivering according to its potential due to the problem and challenges it has with respect to the distribution and marketing channels in the state. Not only in the state, when it comes to the marketing and distribution of horticulture crop, it has been a major problem in India as well. Marketing is the process of movement of goods from produces to consumer at the desired time, place and form. In view of this, this research paper tries to express the dynamics of horticulture produce marketing in the state of Himachal Pradesh. This research paper also tries to put some emphasis on the marketing aspects of horticulture produce of the state as it is not to mention that livelihood of the state depends on it. The focus on the marketing aspect will enhance the potential of this industry and will generate enormous amount of opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analysed the research publications of Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur published between 2019 and 2023. The study used bibliometric method to analyse the research publications data retrieved from the Scopus database. Microsoft Excel, Google Spread Sheet and Biblioshiny were used for analysis and visualisation. A total of 751 records were retrieved from the Scopus database and the analysis aimed to assess the institution’s annual research productivity, explore the diversity in publication types, identify the top ten research areas by subject, determine the most frequently utilised publication journals, and demonstrate the patterns of international collaboration and affiliations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Indian Himalayan region is one of the largest biodiversity hotspot in the world. In IHR most of the communities are lived in remote or rural area and are totally dependent on natural resources to fulfill their daily needs. Natural resources such as plant diversity is used as food, medicine, fodder, dye yielding, fuel, timber, rituals and various other function. Shri Naina Devi conservation reserve situated in Bilaspur districts of Himachal Pradesh has not been yet explored for plant diversity. The present study is carried out to assess the plant diversity and their utilization pattern and indigenous uses of the plants. A total 121 species recorded belonged from 107 genera and 57 families. Among these species shrub (26 spp.), tree (48 spp.), herb (47 spp.) were present. The families, Fabaceae (11 spp.), Asteraceae (10 spp.), Moraceae (8 spp.), Poaceae (7 spp.), Lamiaceae (4spp.), Solanaceae (4 spp), Myrtaceae (4spp.) Brassicaceae (1 spp.); Euphorbiaceae (3 spp.); Rosaceae (3 spp.) were rich species. Among genera, Ficus (7 spp.), Allium (2 spp.), Bauhinia (2 spp.), Acacia (2 spp.), Cassia (2 spp.), Phyllanthus (2 spp.), Rumex (2 spp.), were the dominant genera. 91 species were of multipurpose utility and 30 species were monotypic. The species were used as medicine (107 spp.), food (27 spp.), fuel (37 spp.), fodder (57 spp.), ornamental (24 spp.) timber (9 spp.) and religious (6 spp.) by the inhabitants of the area. This paper gives the scientific name of wild plants along with common names, local names, family, life form, indigenous uses and plant part used by the local inhabitants of the area. Plant parts used such as whole plants, roots (including rhizomes and tubers), leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds and stems by the local people for curing various diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the characterization and methane generation potential of municipal solid waste (MSW) generated in four nonengineered landfill sites in Himachal Pradesh located in Solan, Sundernagar, Mandi, and Baddi. The study was conducted over three seasons, including summer (April-May 2017), the rainy season (July-August 2017), and winter (November 2017) to account for seasonal variation of the waste generated. Physical characterization of the MSW generated at the study locations showed high percentages of organic waste for all three seasons. The average values of organic fractions were 55.35% (Solan), 51.87% (Sundernagar), 54.20% (Mandi), and 50.40% (Baddi). The average moisture content and density of the MSW generated varied between 42% and 51% and 465 and 552 kg=m3, respectively, over the three seasons. The average C:N ratios over the three seasons were 32.03, 30.14, 26.57, and 23.92 for Baddi, Solan, Mandi, and Sundernagar, respectively, and hence were amenable for composting because for composting, the C:N ratio should vary between 20 and 30. The average calorific values were 2,626, 2,580, 2,476, and 2,352 kcal=kg for Baddi, Sundernagar, Mandi, and Solan, respectively, and were suitable for energy generation because the waste is suitable for waste to energy (WTE) procedures when the calorific value is greater than 2,000 kcal=kg. Further, the average methane generation varied between 11.57 and 15.78 ppm CH4=g waste generated, making it suitable for recovery due to the presence of high organic fraction in the waste and potential waste to energy methods as discussed. The presence of methane gas indicated the potential for biogas generation from the waste and its biodegradability under the existing dumping conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ventilago Gaertn. (Rhamnaceae) is widely distributed in pantropical areas of Africa, Asia, and Australia. However, fossil records of this taxon are sparse, which limits understanding of the evolution and biogeographic history of the genus. In the present study, we report and describe two new fossil species of Ventilago, V. siwalika sp. nov. from the Miocene sediments of Himachal Pradesh, western Himalaya, and V. pliocenica sp. nov. from the Pliocene sediments of Jharkhand, eastern India based on single‐winged samaras. Ventilago pliocenica is characterized by a prominent midvein, obtuse to sub‐round apex with mucronate tip, longitudinal secondary veins extending the full length of the fruit, and reticulate nature of higher‐order veins, the presence of equatorial rim, the hypanthium, and short pedicel. On the other hand, V. siwalika is characterized by a prominent midvein, obtuse to sub‐round apex with mucronate tip, longitudinal secondary veins extending the full length of the fruit, and reticulate nature of higher‐order veins. Our discovery represents the first unambiguous fossil record of single‐winged samara of Ventilago from India and provides valuable insights into the evolution of this genus. In this paper, we also review its biogeographic history and add new information to understand its hypothetical migration route. Present and earlier records of Ventilago also suggest that this genus was a common forest element during Neogene (Miocene time) in Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The three core developmental challenges, namely economic poverty, social inequality and environmental non-sustainability appear to be inextricably linked with livelihoods. At the same time, despite huge investments and genuine intentions, livelihoods of a large number of people in India, including in the mountainous state of Himachal Pradesh, are not yet stable. Promotion of local green livelihoods (LGLs) are the need of the hour which assumes more salience in the current context of COVID 19. This paper attempts to present findings of a series of in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted with 16 key informants in order to understand perspectives of practitioners engaged in promotion of LGLs pertaining to the journey of promotion of LGLs in the state of Himachal Pradesh; facilitative and prohibitive factors for the promotion; and, imperatives for policymakers, practitioners and researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper is an attempt to evaluate the structural aspect of self-help groups in Hamirpur and Una district of Himachal Pradesh. The paper examined the role of SHG micro-credit as a tool of capacity development and women's empowerment in rural areas of Hamirpur and Una districts in Himachal Pradesh, India. It is based on primary data collected from a random sample of 518 members. The capacity of women is built up in spheres that were previously not their domain, for example, opening and operating bank accounts, visiting local offices, accessing loans and so on. It is considered as the first step for microenterprises. It is used by a number of Governmental agencies, nongovernmental organisations and voluntary organisations to reach the poor people and ameliorate their poverty. These agencies help people organise themselves to improve their capability through training, monitoring and guidance for initiating and operating gainful microenterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Handlooms, Cottage or Small-Scale businesses produce ornaments, garments, and commodities with distinctive designs and long-lasting durability throughout the Himalayan ranges, which are associated with many regions and states. In India, the state of Himachal Pradesh is located in the Himalayan region, one of the country's seven states. Hispanic and worldwide importance is accorded to the products manufactured by cottage and small-scale enterprises in Himachal Pradesh. Among the international treasures are handkerchiefs from the Chamba district, shawls from Kullu, Shimla (Rampur Bushahar) caps, and Kangra paintings, among others. Due to the effects of industrialization on large-scale highly mechanised industrial production, cottage and small-scale industrial activities in India have suffered significantly during the postindependence period, whereas small-scale industrial activities have relevance to the vast majority of the population in terms of entrepreneurialism, employability, and locally consumed goods. Micro, Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs) in Himachal Pradesh face a number of issues today, which the study paper attempts to address in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study empirically estimates the impact of COVID-19, and lockdown on the most affected sectors of Himachal Pradesh. Based on secondary data, the study aims to calculate the sector wise loss to the Gross State Domestic Product and status of employment in the state. The paper estimates that 75 to 80 per cent of GSDP contributing sectors register negative growth rate in the year 2020-21 (A). The state being a major tourist destination registered a drastic fall in tourist inflow which translated into a major fall in the GSDP contribution from hotels and restaurants and transport. A large gap has been observed between the registrations of eligible workers on State employment exchanges and placements. Despite the pandemic, the state expenditure on health and education increased only meagrely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indic rites of purification aim to negate the law of karma by removing the residues of malignant past actions from their patrons. This principle is exemplified in the Kahika Mela, a rarely studied religious festival of the West Himalayan highlands (Himachal Pradesh, India), wherein a ritual specialist assumes karmic residues from large publics and then sacrificed to their presiding deity. British officials who had 'discovered' this purificatory rite at the turn of the twentieth century interpreted it as a variant of the universal 'scapegoat' rituals that were then being popularized by James Frazer and found it loosely connected to ancient Tantric practises. However, observing a recent performance of the ritual significantly complicated this view. This paper proposes a novel reading of the Kahika Mela through the prism of karmic transference. Tracing the path of karmas from participants to ritual specialist and beyond, it delineates the logic behind the rite, revealing that the culminating act of human sacrifice is, in fact, secondary to the mysterious force that impels its acceptance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The state of Himachal Pradesh, over the past decades, has seen a marked surge in accelerating the development leading to remarkable growth and plethora of livelihood opportunities. This paper brings out the case of a village, Gagal, depicting the fortunes that the development has brought in the quotidian life of people and changing the picture of the village giving it a new dimension. The paper compiles selected case studies that .reflect on the success of development programs initiated in the area and how the people have drawn benefits from them. It also throws light on definite flaws and loopholes that have led to people lose their faith in these initiatives and explains how these programs have failed to accomplish their goals on the ground reality. The paper explores how the development has transformed the silhouette of the village encountering development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research pinpoints the primary socio-economic issues and inherent circumstances of rural development in Himachal Pradesh, India. It provides a critical analysis of 289 households based on the surveys conducted in 5 villages of Sirmaur district, adopted under the UBA ('Unnat Bharat Abhiyan', transl. 'Developed India initiative'). This study highlights and evaluates the significant socio-economic concerns and rural development challenges based on key factors such as population, education, employment, rural development schemes, livestock assets, property distribution, essential services and transport connectivity. The findings from this study are crucial for identifying priority areas for community capacity building and sustainable rural development including literacy rates, healthcare, and agricultural products. The study emphasizes the prudent use of existing resources and the maximisation of benefits from centrally and state-sponsored schemes for the comprehensive development of the adopted villages under UBA. Although the current initiative is based on the UBA-adopted villages, it may be applied to other rural villages of Himalayan states. This article highlights inter-variations in socio-economic issues such as healthcare, sanitation, waste management, unsustainable agriculture methods, drug misuse, unemployment, and sanitation in the UBA adopted villages in the Sirmaur District, Himachal Pradesh, India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper demonstrates the assessment of slope stability analysis between Rampur to Jhakri road section along National Highway (NH-22), Himachal Pradesh, India. The different types of slope failures have affected most part of slopes which causes considerable loss of life and property, inconveniences such as disruption of traffic along highways. The poorly designed rock slopes for road widening or construction purposes may weaken the stability of the slopes. A detail field investigation has been carried out to collect the representative rock samples for determination of physico-mechanical properties of rock and joint data for kinematic analysis. The rocks exposed in the area are highly jointed quartzite and quartz-mica schist of Rampur-Larji Group of Palaeoproterozoic age. The continuous slope mass rating (CSMR) technique has been applied for the assessment of slope stability analysis at five vulnerable locations and the results shows slopes are partially stable to unstable. Kinematic analysis mainly shows wedge type of failure along with few toppling and planar failures. The existing slope required immediate treatment to prevent the failure for its long term stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper quantifies and reviews the natural resource use in the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh (HP). Twenty-five percent of the geographical area of HP is under forests and harbour ca. 3,400 plant species. The available bioresources not only support the livelihood of nearly 6 million people but also fulfill the forage requirement of 5.2 million livestock. Thus, dependence on bioresources is manifold. Based on field surveys to different localities of HP and analyses of published information, two types of resource use patterns have been identified. One, the direct use of forest resources which is represented by extraction of timber, fuelwood and fodder; and the second represents indirect resource use from the forest that is represented by activities related to agriculture, tourism and industry. Amongst the direct resource use, annual timber requirement of the local people works out to be 310,063 m. On the other hand, annual fuelwood and fodder requirement of local people is to the tune of 3,646,348.8 and 10,294,116.5 tons, respectively. Extraction of fodder therefore appears to be one of the main reasons for forest degradation in HP as opposed to timber and fuelwood extraction. However, compared to direct resource use, indirect resource use and pressures have far more pronounced effect on the forests. Of the indirect pressures, shifts in agriculture patterns and increased tourism seem to be the most prominent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development activities in mountainous region though provide comfort to the human being and enhance the socioeconomic status of the people but create pressure on the bio-resources. In this paper, the current status of land use/landcover and the vegetation communities of the Solang valley watershed in Himachal Pradesh of Indian western Himalaya has been mapped and presented using remote sensing. This watershed area was dominated by alpine and sub-alpine pastures (30.34%) followed by scree slopes (22.34%) and forests (21.06%). Many tree, shrub, and herb species identified in the study area are among the prioritized species for conservation in the Indian Himalayan Region. Thus, scientific interventions and preparation of action plans based on ecological survey are required for conservation of the Solang valley watershed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bumblebees are splendid pollinators of various crop plants; they are known to improve fruit productivity by enhancing its biophysical and biochemical properties. In the present investigation, the impact of bumblebee (Bombus haemorrhoidalis Smith) pollination was recorded in comparison to honey bee pollination, open pollination and control (crop devoid of pollinators) in strawberry grown under caged conditions in Nauni, Himachal Pradesh. Bumblebee pollination resulted in higher fruit set (87.16%), longer fruits (39.88 mm/fruits), higher fruit breadth (30.94 mm/fruit), heavier berries (14.26 g/ fruit) and higher fruit yield per plant (402.26 g/ plant) in strawberry cv. Sweet Charlie which accounted for an increase of 10.38 and 7.87, 25.64 and 17.74, 16.22 and 13.41, 35.29 and 31.18 and 33.11 and 20.74%, respectively over control and open pollination. Bumblebee pollination was observed superior to control, open/ natural pollination and was equally good (at par) to honey bee pollination, in terms of all production parameters. These results signified the role of bumblebee pollination in enhancement of the quality and quantity of strawberries grown under caged conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sex ratio is defined as the number of females per 1,000 males in the population. It is the basic biological characteristic of a population that exercises considerable influence on the various aspects of the composition and structure of a population. The sex ratio at conception, birth and mortality are primary, secondary and tertiary respectively. The sex ratio of Himachal Pradesh is 972 in 2011 census which is more than sex ratio of India. The objective of present paper is to study the sex ratio pattern of Himachal Pradesh and to analyzing urban and rural sex ratio of the state. The study is based on the secondary data collected from census of India. The study shows that the sex ratio of Himachal Pradesh for the last twelve decades shows a constant improvement in the favor of female. District Hamirpur have highest sex ratio in the state while Kinnaur have lowest sex ratio. The study shows that rural areas of Himachal Pradesh have high number of females than the males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Pyxine cocoes (Sw.) Nyl., foliose lichen is widespread in the region and grows luxuriantly on the various substrata. For the elemental concentration and biochemical parameters, P. cocoes were collected from the Mandi district and were analysed to assess their tolerance to heavy metals. Six parameters were estimated, including total chlorophyll concentration, carotenoid, protein, flavonoid, phenolic content, and heavy metals (Arsenic, Lead, Cadmium, Nickel, Copper), that are commonly used to determine pollution levels. At a heavily contaminated site, the species accumulated maximum amounts of Pb > Ni > Cu > As > Cd. Most metal concentrations at various sites were significant when compared to the control site. Moreover, total chlorophyll concentration, carotenoid, protein, flavonoid, and total phenolic seem to be the most effective and interesting variables for estimating the level of air pollution in an area. Total chlorophyll, flavonoid, and total phenolic were significantly greater at the moderately polluted site, whilst carotenoid or protein was high at the non-polluted site. The current research concludes that P. cocoes is resistant to inorganic contamination and can be used as a biomonitoring tool for air quality in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines India's response to the global soil health crisis. A longstanding centre of agricultural production and innovation, India has recently launched an ambitious soil health programme. The country's Soil Health Card (SHC) Scheme intervenes in farm-scale decisions about efficient fertiliser use, envisioning farmers as managers and soil as a substrate for production. India is also home to one of the world's largest alternative agriculture movements: natural farming. This puts farmer expertise at the centre of soil fertility and attends to the wider ecological health of soils. Despite emerging as a mode of resistance to dominant agricultural systems, natural farming is now being delivered in increasingly bureaucratic ways by India's state governments. This article offers Himachal Pradesh as a case study in how the soil is governed, drawing on 38 semi-structured interviews with scientists, agricultural officers, non-governmental organisation leaders, and activists. Rather than assess approaches to soil health according to their ecological bottom line, we examine the differing forms of knowledge, expertise and 'truth' in the SHC and Natural Farming approaches. Our analysis reveals discontinuities in how farmers are imagined, as well as continuities in how quasi-spiritual language combines in a bionationalist project, positing assumptions about the correct arrangement of life in nationalist terms. We point to a shift toward hybrid and pick-and-mix approaches to soil health, as farmers and their organisers are increasingly invested with the capacities to combine multiple options. We see a fracturing of expertise and the opening up of epistemic pluralism in responses to the soil fertility crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid growth of travel trade in India has propelled the demand for well-trained and qualified personnel. To foster the quality skills and knowledge among the potential workforce, the role of teachers/trainers has been indispensable. Therefore, it is essential to properly address the needs of educators. The present study aims to identify and analyze the challenges of vocational (tourism) trainers imparting skill-based training in the schools and colleges of Himachal Pradesh (India). The data collected from 91 vocational trainers of Himachal Pradesh through semi-structured interviews was analyzed qualitatively using content analysis supported by NVivo software. The study resulted into 34 perceived challenges which were grouped under 7 distinct categories: teaching-related challenges, student-related challenges, society-related challenges, challenges at the end of outsourcing companies, challenges at the end of Government, syllabus-related challenges, and school's location. The findings imply the urgent need to improve the system of vocational education by timely addressing the varied challenges of vocational trainers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We here report a new assemblage of microvertebrate and arthropod faunas from the Nurpur region of Himachal Pradesh, which erstwhile was known for mega mammalian fauna. The present assemblage consists of rodents such as Karnimata cf. K. darwini and Murinae indet; reptiles such as Crocodylia indet, 'Colubrinae' indet. or 'Natricinae' indet.; fishes such as Cyprinidae indet. and Perciformes indet.; and crab Sartoriana indet. Microvertebrate fauna are well known from the Indian Siwalik deposits but the report here from the Nurpur is the first occurrence. Further, the presence of Karnimata cf. K. darwini from Nurpur has the potential to extend the Last Appearance Datum (LAD) of Karnimata darwini up to 8.2 Ma or younger in the Indian Siwalik. The microfaunal assemblages of this locality indicate freshwater and an open terrestrial environmental condition with tropical to subtropical open grassland separated by woodland forest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ethno-botanical data of total nine Gymnosperms belonging to three families were collected from the local people of the Karsog area and outer Seraj region of Himachal Pradesh. A complete list of the plants is given with their name, family and ethno botanical use, distribution and occurrence. Indigenous knowledge of local inhabitants about the use of native plants were collected during field trips through questionnaire The inhabitants of the area have to use the medicinal plants for various purposes and have for a long time been dependent on surrounding plant resources for their food, shelter, fodder's, health, care and other cultural purposes. Pinus roxburghii, P. wallichiana, Cedrus deodara, Abies pindrow and Taxus wallichiana are prominent gymnosperms of outer Seraj region which are not only source of timber but also utilized as fuel wood and for medicinal purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human-wildlife conflicts are typically treated as emergent dilemmas related to wildlife management and anthropogenic encroachment into forest land. However, conflict events are rarely discrete, localized phenomena with direct cause-effect relationships, and a better understanding of how historic changes in social and cultural practices and politico-economic decisions impact human-nature relationships would lend greater insights into the development and unfolding of conflict events. We employ a political ecology framework to investigate the case of human-Rhesus macaque conflict in Himachal Pradesh, northern India, to show that human-rhesus macaque interactions originate in structural changes in the region's socio-economic systems because of global and national economic policies that have shaped the ecological stability of the region. Our analysis highlights that human-wildlife conflict needs to be examined as a complex interplay of multiple competing factors ranging in scale from the global to the local. It is therefore imperative that any strategy to mitigate human-wildlife conflict must account for the socio-ecological-economic stability of the region wherein the interaction occurs rather than merely addressing the visible cause of the conflict event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate prediction of the reference evapotranspiration (ET0) is vital for estimating the crop water requirements precisely. In this study, we developed multi-layer perceptron artificial neural network (MLP-ANN) models considering different combinations of the meteorological data for predicting the ET0 in the Beas-Sutlej basin of Himachal Pradesh (India). Four climatic locations in the basin namely, Kullu, Mandi, Bilaspur, and Chaba were selected. The meteorological dataset comprised air temperature (maximum, minimum and mean), relative humidity, solar radiation, and wind speed, recorded daily for a period of 35 years (1984–2019). The datasets from 1984 to 2012 and 2013 to 2019 were utilized for training and testing the models, respectively. The performance of the developed models was evaluated using several statistical indices. For each location, the best performed MLP-ANN model was the one with the complete combination of the meteorological data. The architecture of the best performing model for Kullu, Mandi, Bilaspur, and Chaba was (6–2-4–1), (6–5-4–1), (6–5-4–1), and (6–4-6–1), respectively. It was observed, however, that the performance of other models was also relatively good, given the limited meteorological data utilized in those models. Further, to appreciate the relative predictive ability of the developed models, a comparison was performed with four existing established empirical models. The approach adopted in this study can be effectively utilized by water users and field researchers for modelling and predicting ET0 in data-scarce locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geranium indicum, a new scapigerous species of Geranium subg. Robertium collected from two states of India i.e. Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand is described. In addition, a distribution map, micro and macro morphological photographs, conservation status and a taxonomic key is provided for the species of G. sect. Trilopha. The new species is morphologically similar to G. ocellatum and G. mascatense, but can be easily distinguished by its acaulescent habit, persistent rosette leaves, scapigerous cymose inflorescence, cleistogamous flowers and entirely eglandular indumentum on vegetative parts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The beet army worm Spodoptera exigua (Hubner) was found to infest the foliage and tubers of potato in Himachal Pradesh. Initially the larvae made large irregular holes on the leaves, and with severity, led to complete defoliation, and stems were also injured. After defoliating, the larvae entered the soil and made numerous circular holes in the tubers causing considerable damage. Its biology was studied under laboratory conditions. It was observed that the egg, larva, pupa and adult periods last for 2.2± 0.13, 9.7± 0.45, 4.3± 0.15, and 9.3± 0.15 days, respectively. Pupation occurred in soil. The total life cycle (egg to adult emergence) was completed in 18.9± 0.62 days, with fecundity being 450.2± 31.08 eggs/female. This is perhaps, the first report of S. exigua on potato tubers under field conditions in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Western Himalayan region is rich in wild mushrooms. The people living in this area have extensive traditional mycological knowledge. The wild edible mushrooms have been consumed from the earliest history and also possess medicinal properties. The seasonal collections of wild edible mushrooms constitute a food with nutritional value and a source of income for the rural local inhabitants. In the present day, mushrooms are valued as popular food because of low in fat, carbohydrate, and cholesterol-free, and rich in vitamins. The lifestyle change is now responsible for a severe reduction in the collection of these mushrooms. The knowledge in the local environment gets lost when it is not gathered. The study aimed to investigate the knowledge and use of wild edible mushrooms in Pabbar Valley, Himachal Pradesh. A total of 13 species of mushrooms belonging to 11 families were identified as edible from the area. Morchella spp. are collected mainly for trade purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional alcoholic beverages are part and parcel of indigenous communities worldwide since ancient ages. These beverages are very common and popular among the indigenous communities residing in rural and tribal areas of India. In view of this, The present study has been conducted to document the traditional alcoholic beverages and their indigenous uses by Kinnaura tribes of Himachal Pradesh. Kinnaura, the tribal communities of Kinnaur district, Himachal Pradesh are famous for their own unique traditions, culture, history and lifestyle. The usage of local alcoholic beverages especially Angoori, Moori, Rashi, Brandi, Shudang, Chhang and Zanashang are quite common among Kinnaura tribes. These are important part of their customary rituals, festivals, diet and health since time immemorial and prepared by the tribal communities in every village across the Kinnauar district for their own use by following indigenous methods using fruits, grains and bulbs of 15 locally available species. The information on collection time, processing and production was gathered through interviews. Production of these traditional beverages are limited to household level and the methods involved for their preparation are almost similar all across the Kinnaur district. These indigenous practices are also being followed by the present generations through the knowledge gained from their elders. Legal permission for mass production, branding and popularization of traditional beverages and adoption as livelihood option has been suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of Oligodon Fitzinger, 1826 is described based on specimens collected from Churah Valley of Himachal Pradesh. The new species is related to O. arnensis based on molecular as well as morphological data, however differs from it in several aspects. The new species shows a pairwise sequence divergence of 6-20% from congeners for mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. Lack of pterygoid and palatine teeth of the new species suggests that the diet may largely comprise of eggs. Discovery of the new species is not surprising, as the Western Himalayas has been poorly explored in terms of its herpetofaunal diversity. Considerable genetic di-vergence in the sampled sequence suggests Oligodon arnensis is a species complex, likely represents multiple species and a revision of the group would be desirable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed at assessing the epidemiology and associated risk factors of ixodid ticks from Shivalik hill zone of Himachal Pradesh, India. A total of 602 cattle of different age, breeds, and sex were screened for the occurrence of ixodid ticks from six districts from March, 2019 to February, 2020. The associated data were recorded for the risk factor assessment. The overall tick prevalence was recorded to be 66.4%. Three tick species were found prevalent viz., Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (68.4%), Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus (30.85%), and Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum (0.74%). The highest prevalence was recorded during the monsoon season (74.9%) (OR: 1.25; 0.65–1.86) followed by summer (65.3%) and lowest in winter season (59.4%) (OR: 0.64; 0.26–0.79). Agewise, tick infestation was observed to be highest in age group >1 year (76.5%) (OR: 6.37; 3.32–12.21) followed by age group >6 months–1 year (38.8%) (OR: 9.09; 4.67–17.69) and the lowest in ≤6 months age (29.3%). The prevalence rate was found to be more in female cattle (71.6%) in comparison to males (23.4%). Breedwise, the highest tick infestation was observed in cross-bred Jersey (69.8%) (OR: 3.51; 1.59–7.76) followed by cross-bred Holstein Friesian (69.6%) (OR: 0.95; 0.51–1.75) and lowest in indigenous cattle (45.0%). The risk factors related to management practices revealed that the prevalence of ixodid ticks was significantly (P < 0.05) less when the animals were kept in pucca sheds with acaricide application done both on body and shed with reapplication in 3 months. The odds of tick infestation were high in cattle population in Solan (OR: 2.29; 1.05-5.02) and least in Hamirpur in comparison to Kangra region (reference district) when the regression analysis of the risk factors associated with tick prevalence was studied. The current study represents the first report determining the epidemiological status of ixodid ticks in Shivalik hill zone region and findings of the study would provide a basis for generating new and effective control strategies for management the management of ticks in cattle population of the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and Himachal Pradesh (HP) are the two northern states of the Indian union. The two neighbouring states are mountainous and backward as compared to the rest of the country. Of the two, J&K has more natural resources and population. On the contrary, HP, over time, has demonstrated higher outcomes in terms of basic indicators, gross state domestic product (GSDP) and economic growth. This article examines these two economies and attempts to compare them on the basis of their respective efficiencies in industrial production. Although data on GSDP show that HP has grown over time and has surpassed that of J&K in 2017–2018, technical efficiencies of the two regions, as drawn from Annual Survey of Industries (2017), are low and converging. Stochastic frontier results demonstrate that industrialisation in both regions is labour-intensive. Tobit regression results point to low contribution of inputs towards technical efficiency. Also, minimal use of communication and technology, low profits and weak policies contribute negatively in the direction of the technical efficiency of the firms in the two regions. The results specifically imply that in the region of J&K, government support and interventions are needed to address both endogenous and exogenous factors contributing to firms' inefficiencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An updated analysis of the diversity of rust fungi in Himachal Pradesh is provided herein as a product of field surveys, of mycological analysis, and of all forms of published documentation and literature. The results of all forms of analysis revealed that Himachal Pradesh has 167 species of rust fungi belonging to the class Pucciniomycetes. The class is represented by 11 families, 23 genera with 167 species. The Pucciniaceae (96 species) followed by Phragmidiaceae (14 species) are the largest families of rust fungi reported from the state. Rest of the families were found associated with 1-10 species of rust fungi. The rust fungi (19 species) with uncertain placement are placed in incertae sedis. The rust genera reported from Himachal Pradesh so far are Aecidium, Chrysomyxa, Coleosporium, Frommea, Gymnosporangium, Kuehneola, Kweilingia, Melampsora, Monosporidium, Ochrospora, Peridermium, Phakopsora, Phragmidium, Pileolaria, Puccinia, Pucciniastrum, Pucciniostele, Ravenelia, Skierka, Uredinopsis, Uredo, Urocystis, and Uromyces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was undertaken with the objectives to document knowledge about the process/preparation of traditional foods i.e Sepu-bari of Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh and to evaluate the selected food recipes in relation to nutritional quality and consumer acceptability. Five blocks viz. Mandi-sadar, Karsog, Sundernagar, Chauntra and Seraj were selected. The selected traditional food samples were analysed for their physico-chemical chemical analysis showed that moisture content was highest in B3 (8.80%) followed by B2 (8.46), B5(8.36) B4(8.29) and B1(6.39%) . Reported data showed highest amount of crude fat in B4 (26.96%), and protein in B3 (23.60%) and lowest fat content in B2 (21.75%) and lowest protein content in B1(21.74%) respectively. Crude fiber was maximum in B3 & B1 with same value (2.21%) & lowest in B2 with value of 1.91%. Reducing sugars were calculated highest in B4 (0.39%) and lowest in B1 (0.27%). Organoleptic scoring revealed that maximum scores for taste, flavor, texture, and overall acceptability were obtained by B3 sepu badi as 8.30, 8.20, 8.40 and 8.22 respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Iodine deficiency (ID) is the preventable causes of mental retardation worldwide. Himachal Pradesh (HP) state is a known endemic region to ID. Objective: the objective was to assess the current status of iodine nutrition in a population of HP, India. Methodology: There are three regions in HP namely: Kangra, Mandi, and Shimla. In each region, one district was selected namely: Kangra, Kullu, and Solan. In each district, 30 clusters were identified by utilizing population proportional-to-size cluster sampling methodology. A total of 5748 school-age children (SAC) (Kangra; 1864, Kullu; 1986, Solan: 1898), 1711 pregnant mothers (PMs) (Kangra; 647, Kullu; 551, Solan: 513), and 1934 neonates (Kangra; 613, Kullu; 638, Solan: 683), were included in study. Clinical examination of thyroid of each child and PM was conducted. Casual urine samples were collected from children and PMs. Cord blood samples were collected for estimation of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) among neonates. Results: In SAC, total goiter rate (TGR) was 15.8% (Kangra), 23.4% (Kullu), and 15.4% (Solan). Median urinary iodine concentration (UIC) level was 200 µg/l (Kangra), 175 µg/l (Kullu), and 62.5 µg/l (Solan). In PMs, TGR was 42.2% (Kangra), 42.0% (Kullu), and 19.9% (Solan). Median UIC level was 200 µg/l (Kangra), 149 µg/l (Kullu), and 130 µg/l (Solan). In Neonates, TSH levels of > 5 mIU/L were found in 73.4 (Kangra), 79.8 (Kullu), and 63.2 (Solan) percent of neonates. Conclusion: As per, UIC level (<100 µg/l) in SAC, ID was found in district Solan. In Kullu and Solan districts, there were ID (UIC level < 150 µg/l) among PMs. TSH levels indicated ID in all districts surveyed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 352 species of phenerogams comprising 251 dicotyledons, 97 monocotyledons and four species of gymnosperms belonging to 85 families collected from Nohra Forest Block of Churdhar Wildlife Sanctuary, District Sirmaur, Himachal Pradesh are reported as additions to the district. This includes 13 threatened species under different Red List assessments, both global and regional and 35 species are endemic to western Himalaya. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A chiropteran inventory of Himachal Pradesh, northwestern India is presented. Based on field observation and the study of museum collections and published literature, the occurrence of 28 species within 14 genera and five families is affirmed. The study also provides observations on ecology and biology of selected species, and ecological, zoogeographical and conservation aspects of the chiropteran fauna of Himachal Pradesh are also discussed. Considering the lack of studies on the bat fauna of Himachal Pradesh, it is expected that systematic and intensive field surveys will refine significantly our knowledge of diversity and distribution of Chiroptera in the state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

new fossil leaf impression is described from the Early Miocene sediments of Kasauli-Kalka road section, Himachal Pradesh. The characteristic leaf venation pattern suggests that it has a close affinity with Ficus L., particularly with F. racemosa L. (= F. glomerata Roxb.). Its presence indicates a warm and humid climate in the region during the deposition of sediments, in contrast to the present day cooler and less humid climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]