Search

Manchadikkari is a region in central Kerala occupied primarily by Dalit Christian communities. The majority of the people in the area are agricultural daily wage workers who have been economically and culturally marginalized. Caste discrimination and exploitation mark their past and present. The people in Manchadikkari articulate powerful anti-caste politics through their creative cultural productions like songs, stories, and plays that take shape in their community groups. The remembrance and reiteration of caste experiences in these community groups keep alive the history of caste exploitation and transmit these memories to the next generation. This paper analyses the play Azhakante Kutil ('Azhakan's Hut'), authored by Thankamma Titus from Manchadikkari in 2021 and performed by a group of women who are members of the community group 'Sanjeevani.' This study considers the processes of conceptualization, production, and performance of the play to show how these processes embody anti-caste politics. The play dwells on the community's caste history to show that caste is not an anachronism of the feudal era but actively determines the present cultural and material conditions. When contextualized in the community, the play exists as a moving narrative of the community's cultural activism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the importance of progeny testing (PT) of bulls in tropical smallholder dairy sector that helps in the improvement of cattle farming in Kerala, India. It mentions that major source of subsidiary income for the rural sector including smallholding, comes from dairying. It mentions that a cattle improvement programme was started in 1951 with various village schemes and later the Intensive Cattle Development Project (ICDP) was launched.

This paper discusses the present scenario of automation activities of university libraries in Kerala. The survey findings mainly cover various aspects of library automation such as information technology infrastructure, in-house activities, information services and their usage, manpower development, and budget. The paper briefly describes the role of INFLIBNET Centre in accelerating the automation activities of university libraries, especially in the context of the recently introduced UGC-lnfonet programme. The problems encountered in this process are identified and possible suggestions are stated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eucalypt plantations in India are an important source of fiber for paper making and fuel for local villagers. Large areas of land have supported eucalypt plantations for several rotations, and productivity has generally been declining through successive rotations. In 1997, we initiated a project to examine site management options as a way to improve the productivity of these sites. We established a large experimental infrastructure at each of four sites in Kerala, consisting of up to five separate fully randomized block experiments at each site, examining inter-rotation management options (organic matter manipulation, N and P fertilizer input, legume cover cropping, weed control). Two of the sites were typical lowland plantations with Eucalytus tereticornis, and the other two sites were typical upland plantations with Eucalytus grandis. Following treatments, we monitored plantation productivity and impacts on soil and nutrient cycling for one full rotation (6.5 years). We found it is possible to increase the volume growth of E. grandis by up to 48%, and E. tereticornis by up to 268% through a combination of optimum site practices (mostly weed control and nutrient addition), hut productivity responses are dependent on site-specific factors. Key outcomes of this research are presented, with special reference to application in the broader context of tropical eucalypt plantations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the patterns of the representation of Adivasis or aboriginals - known as 'tribals' in common parlance - in Malayalam language films. Film as a medium of representation is continuously engaged in constructing images and thus the process becomes an ideological enterprise contributing to the relentless practice of defining and redefining the society and its various components in terms of several binaries. The film industry of Kerala, a southern state of India, is affluent and more influential than other art forms and production. Though the tribal population of Kerala is around 400 thousand and they belong to as many as 43 subgroups, they are underrepresented in films and that too is in a stereotypical manner. These groups are considered to be largely distinct with each tribal group identifying themselves with their own mythologies, tales of origin, and distinctive religious and ritualistic practices. This paper critically analyses the politics of representation using the example of tribals in Malayalam films as it has evolved over the past decades and attempts to trace a whole gamut of aesthetic and ethical issues at stake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper outlines the involvement of the government of the state of Kerala in India in the promotion of sport. The organizational arrangements. the policies, and the specific programs facilitating such involvement are described and discussed. The correspondence between the programs of the Government of India and the Kerala government is highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the ancient perennial water abstraction structures-Keni-developed by the tribal communities in Wayanad district, Kerala, southwest coast of India. Keni is shallow wooden abstraction structure built in the soil zone where the water table is near or above the ground level. These traditional water abstraction structures are perfect example of water harvesting and water purification. As a preliminary assessment, a detailed survey of the Keni in the district is conducted and the result of the chemical analysis of water from the Keni is presented in this paper. Water from Kenis meet the drinking water quality standards prescribed by the BIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper looks at the role of gender in the shaping and exercise of political authority. Its empirical focus is a slum in central Trivandrum, Kerala's capital city, which is undergoing a phased process of formalisation and rebuilding funded through a flagship Indian national programme, the JNNURM. The upgrade project should offer a dense network of 'invited' spaces for female participation within urban governance, both through women's presence within democratically elected municipal councils, and the deliberate linking of its implementation to Kudumbashree, Kerala's network of womenonly neighbourhood groups that are responsible for implementing various antipoverty interventions throughout the state. Drawing on oral histories of the slum's evolution, interviews with project participants, and detailed ethnographic observation, we highlight the contests over identifying the list of JNNURM beneficiaries who would ultimately be granted a government-built flat at the project's completion. This key task in the project's implementation has been devolved to the local level, and therefore offers important insights into the practical efficacy of these invited spaces. The contests over this list show how 'actually existing' urban governance unfolds, and in particular highlight the interplay of formal and informal practices at work in 'fixing' a list that had local legitimacy. They also illustrate the ways in which power and authority are contested, and the role gender plays within performances of leadership. Women's political agency and efficacy are hampered both by Kerala's restrictive gender norms and by the high stakes and highly masculinist struggles present within its urban politics. The paper's theoretical contribution is to broaden our conceptualisation of leadership and claims making in the Global South, and within this to pay proper attention to the gendered nature of political space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economic importance of financial literacy among individuals necessitates policy intervention. Estimation of financial literacy is a prerequisite for strategies to improve financial literacy. This paper, using data collected from the educated young adults in Kerala, the most literate state in India, builds a predictive model for financial literacy employing logistic regression. The study reveals the low level of financial literacy in the state. The model points to the significance of gender, age, religion, discipline of study, occupation, and personal income as determinants of financial literacy. The findings have implications for policies aimed at improving the financial literacy of young adults in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The disastrous tsunami of December 26, 2004, exposed the urgent need for implementing a tsunami warning system. One of the essential requirements of a tsunami warning system is the set up of tsunami inundation models which can predict inundation and run-up along a coastline for a given set of seismic parameters. The Tsunami Warning Centre and the State/District level Disaster Management Centres should have tsunami inundations maps for different scenarios of tsunami generation. In the event of a tsunamigenic earthquake, appropriate decisions on issue of warnings and/or evacuation of coastal population are made by referring to such maps. The nature of tsunami inundation and run-up along the Kerala coast for the 2004 Sumatra and 1945 Makran, and a hypothetical worst-case scenario are simulated using the TUNAMI N2 model and the results are presented in this paper. Further, scenarios of tsunami inundation arising out of possible rise in sea level as projected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 2001) are also simulated and analysed in the paper. For the study, three representative sectors of the Kerala coast including the Neendakara-Kayamkulam coast, which was the worst hit by the 2004 tsunami, are chosen. The results show that the southern locations and certain locations of central Kerala coast are more vulnerable for Sumatra when compared to Makran 1945 tsunami. From the results of numerical modelling for future scenarios it can be concluded that sea level rise can definitely make pronounced increase in inundation in some of the stretches where the backshore elevation is comparatively low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Income diversification continues to be a key strategy for poor rural households, including those that are progressively developing and those operating under increasing distress. The ability of a household to diversify has been shown to depend upon its demographic and economic characteristics and its physical and social context. This paper considers the effects of intra-village social networks on household income diversification in one of the poorest and most ethnically diverse areas of the Indian state of Kerala. Using techniques adapted from spatial econometrics, we find that social connections within a village magnify the impacts of household characteristics such as education and number of adults by a factor of 3.6 times. Models with alternative measures of network centrality (degree and eigenvector) indicate that the number of network connections that a household has is more important than the centrality of those connections. Finally, we use social contact information to calculate assortative mixing based on caste. The results suggest social stratification in these villages, with higher levels of stratification associated with lower levels of income diversification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India ranks first in milk production in the world. Government of India plans to increase the milk production at the rate of 23% per year. The various cost effective and practically feasible strategies which can be implemented for increasing milk production in India especially Kerala, are reviewed in this paper with emphasis on technologies such as unconventional and complete feed. The problems and solutions in Iced and fodder sector in India are reviewed separately. Several general recommendations, which can be practically implemented in the field for the betterment of the sector in India especially Kerala, arc also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid waste management is one of the major urban problems in cities today. The issue is often most pressing when city governments have to manage in challenging financial, managerial and cultural contexts. Cities in India are no exception. Although some town and cities have implemented and reported good practices, the situation is far from resolved. This paper looks at solid waste management practices in one ward in the city of Kochi, Kerala. The findings from this case suggest a systemic organising principle – a fractal configuration – as conducive to solid waste management. This paper further suggests that the recurring principle in this fractal system can be extended to other systems that involve distance decay or time decay functions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Summary: This paper challenges the conventional wisdom that ethnic diversity negatively influences public goods provision through a longitudinal study of the Indian state of Kerala, which has attained exceptional levels of social development despite high fragmentation along religious and caste lines. This paper argues that it is not objective diversity but a subjective sense of “we-ness,” which is the key determinant of the level of public goods provision and social development. A historical analysis of Kerala illustrates how a cohesive subnational community generates progressive social policy as well as societal monitoring of schools and clinics, which together give rise to relatively high levels of education and health outcomes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Thermal comfort studies on traditional residential buildings of Kerala that is known for its use of natural and passive methods for a comfortable indoor environment, are under progress. Scientific analyses of the environmental parameters determining thermal comfort have already been reported. Similar studies on modern residential buildings are underway. In order to compare the results of the scientific analysis with the user responses from the residents of traditional as well as modern residential buildings, a questionnaire survey was conducted during various seasons such as winter, summer and monsoon. A questionnaire was prepared in detail to understand the effect of factors which affect thermal comfort such as temperature, humidity and air flow in the evaluation of thermal comfort. This paper is based on the compilation of responses from the conducted survey. A comparison of the study results with that of scientific analysis already reported is also incorporated at the end of this paper. This study further confirms that Kerala traditional residential buildings are very effective in providing comfortable indoor environment irrespective of various seasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a comparative reading of two Malayalam films The Journey (Sancharram, 2004) and The Wandering Bird Does Not Cry (Deshadana Kili Karayarilla, 1986) as representative of differing trajectories of queer politics in the Kerala public sphere. It uses an analysis of the representative strategies of these two films, to interrogate the limits of a universal language of sexual identity politics. The paper places the two films in the different historical contexts in which they are produced, and deploys a film from an earlier time period to problematize some of the assumptions of contemporary queer politics. For this purpose it undertakes a close reading of the cinematic codes of both these films, especially the spatial arrangements in the films. I argue that the location of Sancharram in the LGBT discourse in India and abroad makes it so enmeshed in setting up an established meaning for the term 'queer' that the process of queering becomes one of stabilizing a chosen form of desire as the ideal one. In this process of setting up a stable trajectory for queer desire, it also freezes the spatial and social terrains of Kerala. The process of queering that Deshadana Kili Karayarilla undertakes is not one that attempts to set up a particular subject position as the queer subject position. It sets out to trouble the naturalized construction of the heterosexual couple and injects a sense of instability into the social sphere itself. The paper examines how some of the taken-for-granted assumptions of transnational queer politics, like the celebration of visible bodies, gets radically questioned when we turn to non-metropolitan sites of analysis. It aims to look at how cultural texts can embody different modes of sexual politics, as activists struggle to coin strategies to articulate the political possibilities of non-normative sexual practices in Kerala today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates the unique development record of Kerala, India. Despite slow economic growth, the state has experienced unprecedented social growth: increased literacy rates, reduced infant mortality rates, higher life expectancy, and improvements in various other social indicators. The aim of this paper is to examine whether the social expenditures of Kerala are economically sustainable. In order to maintain the current level of social development in Kerala, the state must make adjustments to its policies to focus on equitable economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores and analyses how local ecological knowledge as a component of culture facilitates sustainable resource management practices among riverine fishing communities in Kerala, India. The paper is based on a comparative ethnographic analysis between a heterogeneous fishing village and a homogeneous fishing village within the Pamba-Achankovil River Basin. Key observations from analysis show that various groups of fishermen give emphasis to different knowledge spheres based on the nature of the resources and the type of fishing gear they are familiar with. Local knowledge among the fishing communities plays a crucial role in the sustainable management of fishery resources. However, this local knowledge serves the purpose of sustainable resource management only when it is supplemented by the other components of culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Status of growth especially in early childhood is not only the most important determinant of health of a child but also a reflection of the well-being of the entire society. The extent of malnutrition in India is very high, but the exact magnitude varies considerably depending on which indicator is used. Child health in this paper is measured through chronic malnutrition (termed as stunting). Three states were selected, namely Bihar, West Bengal and Kerala. These three states represent the three stages of development. Bihar is one of the least and Kerala is one of the most developed states in India. Aim: The present paper aims to investigate the degree of chronic malnutrition in the context of socio-economic, demographic and other characteristics of the children and their households in the three selected states in India. Subjects and methods: The data for this study were taken from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-2) conducted by the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, in 1998-1999. The NFHS-2 sample covers ever-married women in the age group 15-49 years from 26 states in India. Besides collecting information on health, the survey collects data on socio-economic and demographic characteristics at individual and household level. Results: The percentage of stunting of children in Bihar, West Bengal and Kerala was found to be 54, 39 and 23%, respectively. Regression analysis showed that the major factors that significantly influenced the status of health in the children in all three states were women's education and the household condition index. Months of breastfeeding and birth interval also had some association with health status. The effect of the above-mentioned variables was most prominent in Bihar and least in Kerala in terms of statistical significance. Conclusion: There is a close positive link between the nutritional status of pre-school children and the stages of development of the states. Mothers' education and household condition are important influences on children's health status irrespective of the stage of development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

‘Gender paradox’ in Kerala refers to the ‘contradiction’ whereby women’s high showing in socio-demographic indicators of development exists simultaneously with their low public participation and the increasing incidence of violence upon them. Given that ‘gender paradox’ has become the overwhelming context for imagining women in Kerala today, this paper seeks to examine its anatomy. The paper argues that there are two divergent descriptions of contemporary Kerala which circulate with comparable energy – Kerala as utopia and as dystopia. Theorisations of paradox bring these two worlds together, but without having sufficiently reckoned with their internal dynamics. Consequently, the paper explores the interiors of these worlds. It examines utopia through two discrete, yet intersecting social discourses – (a) the Kerala model of development and (b) tourism. It then proceeds to examine dystopia through the discourses around AIDS and sexual violence, which tend to be configured in analogous ways. The paper focuses on how women are gendered in these two worlds and concludes that they evoke two very different kinds of women. In the light of these explorations the paper goes on to lay out some of the implications and inadequacies of using gender paradox as the condition for speaking about women in Kerala. It argues that, instead of serving as a site for radical critique and productive feminist politics, gender paradox often become an occasion for conservative re-telling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both Kerala and Finland have made notable achievements in the realm of literacy: Kerala has one of the highest rates in the developing world and Finland ranks first in literacy among developed countries. Both also share a cultural history of granting women a high status in their respective societies. Using Kerala and Finland as examples, this paper explores the status of women in highly literate societies in both the developing and developed worlds, looking not only at the historical circumstances in which these conditions developed but also at the outcomes associated with them. This paper argues that literacy rates and female status are interconnected: each impacts on the other, as high female status contributes to improved literacy rates and educational and life opportunities, while high female literacy rates result in increased social standing for women. Such synergy produces outcomes beneficial to a society, regardless of its developmental status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Public participation is generally assumed to be a necessary if not fundamental condition for development. Most studies do not, however, question the kind and level of collective action that would be desirable. This paper provides a novel empirical analysis of the impact of collective action on economic development using data for South India. The paper models collective action as endogenous to economic development and distinguishes between its static and dynamic properties. The results show that while excessive activism may harm state income, collective action in the context of responsible bargaining systems may contribute toward increased economic development. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: India''s coastal resource complexes were traditionally characterized by a continuum of ‘common property resources’ or ‘commons’ that stretched from the shores to the seas. The continuum aided the existence of sustainable livelihood systems for local communities. Today, fragmented policy approaches and economic welfare schemes have caused the disintegration of community control over the continuum. As a consequence, livelihood systems of local communities have declined. The introduction of coastal management guidelines in the 1990s has exacerbated the situation. With reference to a coastal village located in the State of Kerala in South West India, the paper describes the trajectory of unsustainable change that has taken place in the coastal area resource complexes of the country. The paper argues for restoring the continuum of commons in the study area through community driven systems of natural resource management that are based on networks of nested institutions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The paper attempts to work out the link between the structuring of the public domain and hegemonic masculinities in contemporary Kerala, South India. Using the debates around an incident of sexual harassment that happened in 1999, it argues for a conjunctural understanding of the contemporary where various events and moments in history are replayed through narrativization and popular memory. The paper goes on to analyse the debates around the incident that produce a ‘narrative public domain’, to foreground the various notions of masculinity that construct and structure it in relation to notions of female sexuality and changing structures of family. These notions of masculinity could be, the paper argues, a starting point for a historical inquiry into Kerala's modernity – an inquiry that would throw light on the past and the ways in which the contemporary is produced through its historical legacies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While most research about globalization and development has focused on the impact of globalization on development, this paper considers the impact of development on globalization (understood to be a tool of American hegemony). The paper uses a Gramscian analysis as the theoretical basis for understanding both hegemony and counter-hegemony. Focusing primarily on case study of Kerala (including field research), with reference and comparison to case studies of Porto Alegre and Chiapas, the paper suggests that communities around the world are using a particular form of participatory/democratic development as a tool of resistance against the negative effects of globalization and, by extension, American hegemony. The paper ultimately suggests that these alternative forms of development may constitute the 'concrete alternative' that those opposed to globalization are often criticized for not providing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An attempt is made in this paper to assess the present status, particularly structure, cost of construction, long-term economic benefits and socio-cultural acceptability of traditional bamboo houses in Kerala and Karnataka states of India. It also examines the major constraints and policy changes required for the promotion of bamboo houses in the study areas. This study is based on a sample survey conducted among 360 selected households dwelling in bamboo houses. Although bamboos are widely available in the study areas, the housing sector experiences severe shortage of bamboos for construction, as the pulp and paper industry purchases bamboos on a large scale by offering higher prices. In the study areas, bamboo houses are either thatched with grass or leaves or tiled using country tiles. It is reported that about 95% of the dwellers prefer tiled houses because of its durability and low maintenance cost. It is also observed that the economic benefits and sociocultural acceptability of tiled bamboo houses are higher. Poor economic conditions of the dwellers, low availability of bamboos in the construction sector, high prices of bamboo and lack of title deeds of the land are some of the major constraints identified for the promotion of bamboo houses. It also suggests that bamboo houses in the study areas may become more popular by providing more amenities and better appearance for aesthetic satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hindu fisherfolk of Kerala are segmented into the Hindu Marine Fisherfolk, the Hindu Backwater Fisherfolk and the Hindu Marine cum Backwater Fisherfolk. In this paper an attempt has been made to describe and analyse the cultural profile of the Hindu fishing communities of Kerala. The Hindu fishing community is divided into fourteen subcastes and they have been hierarchically arranged in the social hierarchy on the basis of mythological origin, occupation and purity and pollution ideas. The paper also focussed on the intercaste relations among the Hindu fishing communities on the one hand and the Hindu fishing communities and other castes in the region on the other. The paper concludes by analysing social stratification among the Hindu fishing communities of Kerala. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rainfall, like all other natural phenomena is highly unpredictable. Traditionally, principal component analysis and spectral analysis are used to understand trends in rainfall over long periods. In this paper, we present a new method that appears to be better than existing methods to understand the long-term behavior of rainfall phenomena. Using a case study on the rainfall in Kerala State, the southern part of Indian Peninsula, we show that a new kind of neural network known as the adaptive basis function network is a promising tool for climatic studies, especially rainfall analysis. The paper also reveals that in spite of the fluctuations resulting from the nonlinearity in the system, the trends in the rainfall pattern in Kerala state have remained unaffected over the past 87 years from 1893 to 1980. We also successfully filter out the chaotic part of the system and illustrate that its effects are marginal over long-term predictions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

As per Hindu Law of India, 'stridhan' refers to all valuables - movable and immovable property, gifts, etc - a woman receives in her lifetime, including before and at marriage and during the birth of her child. But in the Syrian Christian culture of Kerala in India, streedhanam is not seen as a gift but falls under the category of prestations. Symbolically, it meant the severing of economic ties for a woman from her natal home and her incorporation into the conjugal household. The Travancore Christian Succession Act which governed this community was repealed by the Supreme Court in 1986. Hence streedhanam is no longer treated as severing of economic ties because now the woman is also entitled to a share in the estate of her father along with her brothers on intestacy. This has prompted the continuance of the practice of streedhanam in the community and ultimately claiming of the woman's share in her father's property resulting in double profiting for the groom of this community and double burden for the bride's family. The paper highlights the veiled form of dowry system prevelant in the community in the name of erstwhile practice of streedhanam. Cultural Materialism as a theoretical approach is adopted using the literary text of Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things (1997) to reflect the gender conflicts that arise as a result of these social practices. (230 words). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that Indian farmers’ suicides may fruitfully be described as public deaths. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in the South Indian district of Wayanad (Kerala), it shows that farmers’ suicides become ‘public deaths’ only via the enumerative and statistical practices of the Indian state and their scandalization in the media. The political nature of suicide as public death thus depends entirely on suicide rates and their production by the state itself. But the power of representations complicates the ethnographic critique of statistical knowledge about suicide. In a context like Wayanad, which had been declared a suicide-prone district by the Indian state, public representations of suicides have taken on a life of their own; statistical categories and the media interpretations of these statistics have had a curious feedback—mediated by development encounters—onto the situated meanings of individual suicides. Local interpretations of individual suicides mostly commented on personal failures of the suicide and on the perils of speculative smallholder agriculture. Ethnography of farmers’ suicide based on case studies alone, however, would soon encounter limitations equally grave as the limitations of statistical analysis. Not only is the meaning of suicide (intentions, causes, motives) at the actor level off limits for ethnography, but in addition to that the (public) meaning of suicide is co-determined by state practice including statistical accounting. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The paper presents detailed studies on the radiation levels and the seasonal variation and vertical profiles of activity of natural radio nuclei in sand samples of Chavara beach, a high background radiation area of Kerala on the south west coast of India. The elevated levels of Th and Ra activity were observed in the region with highest activity of 18,515 Bq kg for Th. The study on vertical profiles of radionuclides showed a significant variation of activity along with the depth. The higher activity of radionuclides was observed in postmonsoon season. The effective dose rate was evaluated and statistical analysis of the results was performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The state of Kerala in India is known for its active civil society and the massive decentralization campaign launched in 1996. However marginalization of tribal communities hampers the state's decentralized environmental management strategies. The proposed construction of a dam along the Chalakkudy River will displace two colonies of the Kadar tribe in Chalakkudy and Athirapilly towns, destroy habitats of local wildlife and devastate unique riverine vegetation endemic to the region. This brings to light issues of social and environmental justice as well as a wider responsibility to protect and preserve unique flora and fauna. The state's decentralization strategies, as they relate to tribal communities, lack consideration of local power distribution and cultural conditioning. This raises questions about the state's role in social justice as well as biodiversity conservation. In 2010 and 2011, the author's interviews in Chalakkudy and Athirapilly towns reveal that tribal communities perceive that their place in society restricts their contribution regarding natural resource management and use. The paper suggests that unless the culture of planning and decision making in the state are changed, decentralized strategies will be ineffective, resulting in a predominately top-down approach towards natural resource management, and will negate Kerala's goal of democratic decentralization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the 2019 general elections and the by-elections that followed in the state of Kerala, India, to discern the changing gender dynamics that produced certain kinds of 'desirability' and 'approval' around the candidature of women politicians. By tracing the historical trajectory of women's engagement in public politics in the state, this paper attempts to identify the coordinates of evolving gender dynamics that decidedly shape women's political representation. It identifies three specific frameworks such as 'honorary masculinity, "relaxed honorary masculinity,' and 'welfarist feminine altruism' in and through which three generations of women politicians entered into public politics and carved out their niches. However, what is striking is that the framework of 'welfarist feminine altruism', originated at the local level during the mid-1990s in the context of decentralisation, is getting extended to the state level. It incorporated specific markers of 'desirability' that accommodates the current caste and religious identity politics. This has led to effectively push women politicians further towards the margins of mainstream politics. The study thus raises the question of intersectionality in women's political leadership, which is relevant to the contemporary analysis of women's political representation. • Examines how gender ideologies and gendered frameworks are shaping opportunities for women in public politics • Attempts to capture the question of intersectionality (caste & religious identities) in political representation • Highlights the need for more evidence-based research from varied locations to explore these questions further [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy conservation behaviour of people is a significant issue given the growing global concern about environmental issues. The current study is part of a larger intervention project aimed at changing the energy use behaviour of people living in rural households in Kerala, India. Preliminary activities of the project started in early 1997. The management and administration of the project spread over a period of 8 years. The study explores the extent of energy saved by these rural households when awareness, availability and training about the technologies are present, and thereby examines the impact of attitudinal variables and contextual factors on the energy-saving behaviour of people. This paper revisits the theories of behavioural change in the context of energy-saving behaviour and investigates whether Attitude, Behaviour, Context theory can be used to predict environmentally significant human behaviour. Findings revealed that traditional habits and beliefs influenced attitude formation in rural households and hence should be treated as an important consideration in changing energy conservation behaviours in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The present paper describes a detailed study on the distribution of radionuclides along Chavara -- Neendakara placer deposit, a high background radiation area (HBRA) along the Southwest coast of India (Kerala). Judged from our studies using HPGe gamma spectrometric detector, it becomes evident that Uranium (238U), Thorium (238Th) and Potassium (40K) are the major sources for radioactivity prevailing in the area. Our statistical analyses reveal the existence of a high positive correlation between 238U and 232Th, implicating that the levels of these elements are interdependent. Our SEM-EDAX analyses reveal that titanium (Ti) and zircon (Zr) are the major trace elements in the sand samples, followed by aluminum, copper, iron, ruthenium, magnesium, calcium, sulphur and lead. This is first of its kind report on the radiation hazard indices on this placer deposit. The average absorbed dose rates (9795 nGy h-1) computed from the present study is comparable with the top-ranking HBRAs in the world, thus offering the Chavara-Neendakara placer the second position, after Brazil; pertinently, this value is much higher than the World average. The perceptibly high absorbed gamma dose rates, entrained with the high annual external effective dose rates (AEED) and average annual gonadal dose equivalent (AGDE) values existing in this HBRA, encourage us to suggest for a candid assessment of the impact of the background radiation, if any, on the organisms that inhabit along this placer deposit. Future research could effectively address the issue of the possible impact of natural radiation on the biota inhabiting this HBRA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient flood alarm system may significantly improve public safety and mitigate damages caused by inundation. Flood forecasting is undoubtedly a challenging field of operational hydrology and a huge literature has been developed over the years. In this paper, we first define ordered ideal intuitionistic fuzzy sets and establish some results on them. Then, we define similarity measures between ordered ideal intuitionistic fuzzy sets (OIIFS) and apply these similarity measures to five selected sites of Kerala, India to predict potential flood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased rural diversification has seen a number of changes in farming livelihoods in developing countries. The paper explores the gender dimensions of the changing nature of agricultural households in northern Kerala, India. Rural livelihoods are constructed through differences of gender and class, riddled with complex and multiple negotiations and processes. As household livelihood strategies are increasingly based on male migration and non-agricultural diversification, gender roles are reconstituted and renegotiated, which may then challenge prevailing gender ideologies. Nevertheless, gender-specific constraints need to be taken into account in the light of changed social roles, and institutions and policies should be responsive to the needs of local farmers, particularly in the milieu of the diverse and complex nature of farming households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evapotranspiration and evaporation are important parameters in water resource management and environment studies. This paper analyses six models for estimating pan coefficient (Kp) values in the humid tropical zone of Kerala. Estimated pan coefficients were not statistically accurate enough to be used for pan-to-ETo conversion, A significant increasing trend was observed for pan coefficient, whereas for evaporation and evapotranspiration, significant decreasing trends were observed over time. For the humid climate condition, the best Kp value for estimation of ETo is the constant value method and this constant value of Kp is to be updated for different climatic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contributes to the literature on 'transnational agrarian movements' by drawing upon the 'fishworkers' movement' in the 1960s in India's Kerala state, and the subsequent role it played in the formation of national and transnational networks. Against the prevailing teleology of movement network organization from local to national to transnational, I suggest that transnational and transregional flows produce the local and national as spaces of action. Instead of an unproblematic inclusion of fishers' movements into the general rubric of 'transnational agrarian movements', I argue that considering differences between agriculture and fishing, and within fishing, allows a better explanation of the potential and limits of solidarity within the transnational network of fishers' movements. I show that transnationality is not only about solidarity between movements but also about engaging with 'transnational regimes', which provide resources for network formation as well as produce stresses within networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indian beach placer sand deposits are, in general, ilmenite-rich. However, some concentrations are dominated by pyriboles. The Chavakkad-Ponnani (CP) area along the northern Kerala coast is one such deposit. This paper deals with the general character of the heavy minerals of CP with special emphasis on the characters of ilmenite. Most Indian beach sand ilmenites are of good quality. However, our observations on the ilmenites of CP using Optical Microscope, SEM and EPMA reveals that these are mineralogically very complex. The CP ilmenite varies from pure ilmenite to highly impure variety having intergrowths and inclusions of other oxide and silicate minerals. Ilmenite occurs as mixcrystals and forms intergrowth structure with hematite and Ti-hematite/ulvöspinel; contains inclusions of hematite, quartz, and monazite. On the other hand ilmenite also occurs as inclusions within hematite and garnet. The pyriboles are dominantly amphiboles with hornblende-composition. Interestingly an inclusion of gold has been recorded within amphibole of hornblende composition. Garnets are mostly of almandine and pyrope type. Subordinate heavy minerals are sillimanite, zircon and rutile. Characteristic morphology, mineralogy and chemistry of amphibole, garnet and ilmenite together indicate that the placer sands of CP area are derived from the amphibolites, granite gneisses and basic igneous rocks lying in the hinterland towards the eastern border of Kerala. Though the overall quality of ilmenite is poor, highgrade ilmenite concentrate can be generated (of course with lower yield), by adopting precise mineral processing techniques. The CP deposit can be considered as a second-grade deposit but it has potential for future exploitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Universal health coverage through the removal of financial and other barriers to access, particularly for people who are poor, is a global priority. This viewpoint describes the many pathways to catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) for patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) based on two case studies and the thematic analysis of field notes regarding 210 patients and their households from a study based in Kerala, India. Discussion: There is evidence of the severe financial impact of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which is in contradiction to the widely acclaimed Kerala model: Good health at low cost. However, it is important to look beyond the out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) and CHE to the possible pathways and identify the triggers that make families vulnerable to CHE. The identified pathways include a primary and secondary loop. The primary pathway describes the direct path by which families experience CHE. These include: 1) factors related to the prevent period that increase the likelihood of experiencing CHE, such as being from the lower socio-economic strata (SES), past financial losses or loans that leave families with no financial shock absorber at the time of illness; 2) factors related to the acute event, diagnosis, treatment and hospitalization and expenditures incurred for the same and; 3) factors related to the post-event period such as loss of gainful employment and means of financing both the acute period and the long-term management particularly through distress financing. The secondary pathway arises from the primary and includes: 1) the impact of distress financing and; 2) the long- and short- term consequences of CHE. These factors ultimately result in a vicious cycle of debt and poverty through noncompliance and repeat acute events. Summary: This paper outlines the direct and indirect pathways by which patients with ACS and their families are trapped in a vicious cycle of debt and poverty. It also contradicts the prevailing impression that only low-income families are susceptible to CHE, distress financing and their aftermaths and underscores the need for a deeper understanding at the micro-level, if Kerala and India as a whole are to undertake the difficult exercise of achieving universal health coverage to successfully tackle its growing NCD burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The health and well-being of widows in India is an important but neglected issue of public health and women's rights. We investigate the lives of Indian women as they become widows, focussing on the causes of their husband's mortality and the ensuing consequences of these causes on their own lives and identify the opportunities and challenges that widows face in living healthy and fulfilling lives. Methods: Data were collected in a Gram Panchayat (lowest level territorial decentralised unit) in the south Indian state of Kerala. Interviews were undertaken with key informants in order to gain an understanding of local constructions of 'widowhood' and the welfare and social opportunities for widows. Then we conducted semi-structured interviews with widows in the community on issues related to health and vulnerability, enabling us to hear perspectives from widows. Data were analysed for thematic content and emerging patterns. We synthesized our findings with theoretical understandings of vulnerability and Amartya Sen's entitlements theory to develop a conceptual framework. Results: Two salient findings of the study are: first, becoming a widow can be viewed as a type of 'shock' that operates similarly to other 'economic shocks' or 'health shocks' in poor countries except that the burden falls disproportionately on women. Second, widowhood is not a static phenomenon, but rather can be viewed as a multi-phased process with different public health implications at each stage. Conclusion: More research on widows in India and other countries will help to both elucidate the challenges faced by widows and encourage potential solutions. The framework developed in this paper could be used to guide future research on widows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work investigated the activity concentrations of natural radionuclides Ra, Th and K in beach sand samples along coastal Kerala including high background radiation area. The activity of Th ranges from below detectable level to 23029.9 Bq kg with a mean value of 2660.2 Bq kg for 0-10 cm depth interval. For 10-20 cm depth, the Th activity ranged from below detectable to 4452.2 Bq kg with a mean value of 815.5 Bq kg. The variation of Ra activity with depth is parallel with the Th activity distribution in beach sand. Its activity varied from below detectable to 5169.5 Bq kg with a mean value 487.6 Bq kg at 0-10 cm depth. For 10-20 cm depth interval, the Ra activity ranges from below detectable to 1823.6 Bq kg with a mean value 296.0 Bq kg. Similarly the activity varies from below detectable to 1826.6 Bq kg with a mean value of 211.0 Bq kg for a depth interval of 20-30 cm. The activity of K at different depth is also discussed. Statistical analysis of radioactivity was also carried out . The results of these investigations are presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the distribution of Po in the river bank soil samples of three major rivers namely Bharathapuzha, Periyar and Kallada river of Kerala. The dependence of Po activity on organic matter content in the samples was also studied. The soil samples were collected and analyzed for Po radionuclide using standard radiochemical analytical method. Activity of Po increases with increase in organic matter content in samples. Along the Bharathapuzha river bank the Po activity ranges from 2.96 to 12.48 Bq kg with mean 5.62 Bq kg. The organic matter percentage in the samples ranges from 0.4 to 2.8 and a good correlation with correlation coefficient 0.9 was found between activity and organic matter percentage. In the Periyar river environs Po activity ranges from 3.47 to 13.39 Bq kg with mean value 9.27 Bq kg. Organic matter percentage in these samples ranges from 1.20 to 4.10 and the correlation coefficient between Po activity and organic matter percentage was found to be 0.8 In the Kallada river bank soil samples Po activity ranges from 4.46 to 6.45 Bq kg. The organic matter percentage ranges from 1.4 to 3. The correlation coefficient between Po activity and organic matter percentage in the samples was found to be 0.9. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents systematic studies on the vertical profiles of Po, an important decay product of U, in soils along coastal Kerala. Soil samples collected from different depth intervals 0-10, 10-20, 20-30 cm were analyzed for Po activity concentration by radiochemical methods. The activity Po in soil samples were counted using a ZnS(Ag) alpha scintillation counting system. The mean values of activity concentrations of Po in soil of various depths were found to be 8.66, 5.63 and 4.95 Bq kg for depth intervals of 0-10, 10-20 and 20-30 cm, respectively. The overall activity concentration of Po in soil was found to vary from 2.26 ± 0.19 to 14.02 ± 0.12 Bq kg with a mean value of 6.43 Bq kg. Maximum activity concentration was found in soil samples of Kollam region with the mean value of 10.08 ± 0.92 Bq kg. The activity of Po was found to be comparatively high in surface soil. The variation of Po activity concentration with organic matter contents was studied.Polonium activity concentration was found to increase with increasing organic matter content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, historical analysis and qualitative fieldwork are combined to question the belief that recent efforts in Kerala to induct women into local governance and mobilize poor women into self-help groups implies continuity with the earlier history of women's mobility into the spaces of paid work and politics. For a longer view, the histories of gender-coding of spaces and of women's mobility into paid work and politics are examined. In the twentieth century, while the subversive potential of paid work was contained through casting it within ‘feminine terms’, politics was unquestionably ‘unfeminine space’. However, recent efforts have not advanced women's mobility in any simple sense. The subversive potential of women's mobility towards work in self-help groups is still limited. In local governance, unlike the experience of an earlier generation of women, the ability to conform to norms of elite femininity now appears to be a valuable resource. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Climate change has the potential ability to alter the occurrence and severity of extreme events. Though predicting changes of such extreme events is difficult, understanding them is important to determine the impacts of climate change in various sectors. This paper presents the change in rainfall extremes in the monsoon season in south-west Indian peninsula. Daily rainfall data were analysed for the entire Kerala state in India to determine if the extreme rainfall had changed over the 50-year period. Several indices were derived from the data to identify the extreme rainfalls. The trends of all the extreme indices were assessed by parametric ordinary least square regression technique, which were tested for significance at 95% level. Results showed significant decrease in monsoon rainfall extremes in Kerala that would affect the tendency of change in seasonal total rainfall. This study provides a comprehensive knowledge on extreme monsoon precipitation in Kerala, which could also be employed to study changing climate at local scale in other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use and land cover change, perhaps the most significant anthropogenic disturbance to the environment, mainly due to rapid urbanization/industrialization and large scale agricultural activities. In this paper, an attempt has been made to appraise land use/land cover changes over a century (1914-2007) in the Neyyar River Basin (L=56 km; Area = 483.4 km2) in southern Kerala - a biodiversity hot spot in Peninsular India. In this study, digital remote sensing data of the Indian Remote Sensing satellite series I-D (LISS III, 2006-2007) on 1:50,000 scale, Survey of India (SOI) toposheet of 1914 (1:63,360) and 1967 (1:50,000) have been utilized to map various land use/land cover changes. Maps of different periods have been registered and resampled to similar geographic coordinates using ERDAS Imagine 9.0. The most notable changes include decreases in areas of paddy cultivation, mixed crops, scrub lands and evergreen forests, and increases in built-up areas, rubber plantations, dense mixed forests, and water bodies. Further, large scale exploitation of flood plain mud and river sand have reached menacing proportions leading to bank caving and cut offs at channel bends. Conservation of land and water resources forms an important aspect of ecosystem management in the basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]