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Social enterprises strive to create social value by providing innovative solutions to various socio-economic and developmental problems. Given the harsh economic terrain, the key question is how these organizations traverse the path to financial sustainability to fulfil their social mission. Thus often challenged to either change scope or shut down. There is a dearth of research on micro-social enterprises and their strategies for financial sustainability. This study gathered data through an online survey platform from 121 social enterprises, which were more than 3 years of age based in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Further, crucial insights were obtained by analyzing this data using two statistical software: Jamovi and PROCESS Macro of SPSS for serial mediation. The findings demonstrate that growth orientation positively and significantly influences financial sustainability, both directly, and indirectly through; product & service innovation, social capital and external funding, which was observed individually and in serial mediation. Thus revealing that all these factors have partial mediation on financial sustainability. However, the influence of growth orientation with all these factors is way higher than it does individually. There are several crucial paths for financial sustainability, however, the most crucial one is when growth orientation is in tandem with product & service innovations. By harnessing the synergies between growth-oriented strategies and intermediary variables, social enterprises can navigate challenges, seize opportunities, and advance their dual mission of financial sustainability as well as their social mission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the gender differences in sleep problems among older adults in India. We also examined the role of socioeconomic status in determining the gender differences in sleep. Individuals aged 50 years and above (N = 6560) from the first wave of WHO's Study on global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE) – 2007 were studied using bivariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression. In the fully adjusted regression model, older women in India were 46% more likely to report sleep problems than men. Educated and wealthier older adults had fewer sleep problems compared to their counterparts. Further, the gender difference in sleep problems is largely driven by lower socioeconomic status. There are no gender differences in sleep problems among older adults in 6–9 and 10+ years of schooling as well as middle, fourth and fifth wealth quintile (richest) categories. Gender differences could be explained further with women's mental health (cognitive function, depressive symptoms, stress etc.) and managing their overall physical health and multiple roles demands at the household level in India. Interventions focusing on women in lower socioeconomic strata will be beneficial to reduce the sleep problems in the context of the population ageing in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty is a product of various deprivations. Gender discrimination is linked with deprivation in terms of socio-economic and political opportunities. This study explores the link between female-headship of a household and its vulnerability towards urban poverty. Further, the most vulnerable sub-sections among the urban female-headed households are identified. The study is based on the 68th round of Household Consumer Expenditure, and Employment and Unemployment Survey, India. Female-headed households were found to have higher odds to be urban poor as compared to their male counterparts. However, this gender-based difference in odds to be urban poor disappears once educational attainment of household-head is controlled for. This highlights that the discrimination in terms of educational attainment is major cause and solution to urban poverty among female-headed households. Further, female-headed households are not a homogeneous group and exhibit significant differences in their vulnerability to urban poverty across different socio-economic and demographic subgroups. The negative impact of COVID-19 pandemic on female education in India is expected to create a long-term gender gap in terms of poverty. Thus, the public policy should stress on skill and educational attainment of females and target the poverty alleviation programmes on vulnerable sub-section of the female-headed households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India's expectation of a demographic dividend owing to an increase in the working age population necessitated government measures aimed at skilling youth. Considerable emphasis was therefore placed on skill development policies and programmes, including revamping formal vocational education and training (VET) institutions that provide skills to students completing secondary schooling and opting vocational training. Although the number of VET institutions in India more than doubled in the last decade, their underutilisation calls for an analysis of underlying reasons. This paper analyses socio-economic factors influencing participation in VET using data from nationally representative survey on education. Findings of a multinomial logit analysis in the paper suggest that students in upper secondary VET institutions tend to belong to socially disadvantaged households, and that students in vocational courses are more likely to be male, urban, and from households whose principal occupation is blue-collar. Children from households belonging to higher socio-economic status and pursuing white-collar jobs are more likely to participate in general and professional education as compared to VET because of higher status assigned to the former in the society. These findings call for fine-tuning of current polices of promotion of VET in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Age is one of the predominant reasons for perceived discrimination in developing world where older people are considered a non-contributing burden. The present study explores the prevalence and correlates of perceived age discrimination among older Indian adults.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a large representative survey data from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India conducted during 2017-18. Participants included 31,464 older adults aged 60 years and above. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to test the associations between selected background characteristics and perceived age discrimination.Results: The analysis revealed that 10.33 percent of older adults perceived their age as the main reason for discrimination, which was 11.86% among the oldest-old. Older adults with more than 10 years of schooling were 32% [adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 0.68; confidence interval (CI): 0.51-0.89] less likely to perceive age discrimination compared to their uneducated counterparts. The odds of perceived age discrimination were higher among older adults who earlier worked [AOR: 1.73; CI: 1.46-2.05] and currently working [AOR: 1.61; CI: 1.31-1.96] as compared to those who never worked. Further, having difficulty in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) [AOR: 1.43; CI: 1.25 -1.65] and having one chronic condition [AOR: 1.16; CI: 1.02 -1.34] were associated with increased odds of perceived age discrimination among older adults.Conclusion: Older adults with lower socioeconomic status, currently working, having more chronic conditions, difficulty in IADL and belonging to rural areas were found to perceive higher age discrimination than their counterparts. The findings of the study have important implications for policy makers with respect to strategies such as making the vulnerable populations aware of their legal rights that help in the prevention of age-based discrimination in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Karl Polanyi argues that the discipline of economics has emerged from the observations of human beings and their practices existing in a society. Since humans are perceived primarily as social beings rather than economic ones, embeddedness is a necessary and basic condition of the economy. This paper is an attempt to observe study and understand the inter-sectional application of these concepts of embeddedness and ethnic solidarity, in the socio-economic context of the Tibetan refugee community residing in India. Our study's fieldwork was focused on observing the functioning of the local Tibetan economy in Mcleodganj (Dharamshala), where two Tibetan knowledge systems: the Thangka art and the Tibetan healing system were closely studied, reflecting Tibetan culture, and the community's effort to preserve and promote these knowledge systems in different economic forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conflict caused by wild herbivores damaging crops is an almost universal problem in conservation. We designed and implemented a game‐theory‐based system for supporting farmers whose crops were being heavily damaged by wild herbivores. In this community‐operated system, farmers self‐report their production, which is endorsed by neighboring farmers. The average deficit in production is compensated for by a payment that is directly proportional to the average deficit in production of the group and to the individual farmer's productivity. As a result, farmers are compensated for the average damage (support) and rewarded for individual productivity (reward) (i.e., support cum reward [SuR]). The design of the game is such that only honest reporting gives maximum returns. Farmers who underreport receive less payment because the SuR amount is proportionate to their self‐reported productivity. The endorsing farmers, in their own self‐interest, prevent overreporting. The system involves multiple game situations, the combined result of which is a stable strategy based on honesty and hard work. In 2 villages along the western boundary of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve in central India, we tested the system with 75 farmers over 6 crop seasons. After a few initial attempts to cheat, honesty prevailed throughout the group. Average crop productivity increased 2.5‐fold, in spite of damage, owing to increased effort by farmers. Apart from wildlife conflict resolution, the model offers a promising alternative to crop insurance and a potential behavioral green revolution in agriculture. Article impact statement: A novel scheme of payment for damage and reward for productivity helped resolve farmer–wildlife conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigates the socio-economic problems of the labors in Brick Kilns which are situated in the vicinities of district Hyderabad (Rural). Eighty three respondents from twenty five brick kilns were selected for interview. It is found that majority of the respondents was illiterate and never visited educational, technical and religious institutions. The economic categorization of the labors revealed that majority was categorized as ‘poorest of poor’ (living below poverty line), having semi-pacca houses, earning less than 10,000 rupees per month to manage their entire family. Due to very low income they spent least amount on education and health while more on food and utilities. The general problems reported by the labors are: poor quality of drinking water, no shelter at work place, child labor, low and late payment of wages, long working hours etc. Besides these, both male and female labors informed about misbehave and use of abusive language by the owner/manager, even few of them also complained about physical abuse. Stomach problem was found as common disease in men followed by Anemia whereas in women Anemia was ranked first followed by Backache. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Most Indian studies on menstruation include only girls/women as participants, making it a 'women's' topic. This exclusion of adolescent boys fails to understand menstruation as a social epidemiological entity with existing gender inequalities. For engaging boys to play a meaningful role in improving women's health, studying their knowledge, beliefs regarding topics such as menstruation and socioeconomic characteristics influencing their menstruation-related experiences need attention. Addressing this is an essential step for reducing gender disparities in adolescent health. Thus, we explore boys' knowledge, beliefs and attitudes regarding menstruation and the impact of social determinants on their menstruation-related experiences.Methods: A sequential mixed-methods study comprising 21 semi-structured interviews, 5 Focus Group Discussions and 12 key respondent interviews; followed by a cross-sectional survey of 744 boys from Nashik district, India was conducted. We employed thematic analysis for qualitative data and multivariable regression to model risk ratios for outcomes.Results: An amalgam of curiosity and awkwardness regarding menstruation was observed. Many lacked accurate knowledge and possessed misinformation. Social and individual-level determinants influenced boys' menstruation related experiences. Fully adjusted models revealed that being admitted in private unaided schools; having mothers with at least a college education; and comfort with teacher positively influenced boys'knowledge, attitudes and beliefs (incidence rate ratios at 95% CI: 2.67 [1.02, 6.95], p < 0 0.05; 3.16 [1.35, 7.38], p < .05 and 1.92 [1.24, 2.99],p < .01, respectively).Conclusion: Our study highlights the need of improving Indian boys' understanding and beliefs about menstruation by addressing the social determinants that influence their menstruation-related experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is an attempt to document the perturbing socioeconomic and developmental issues of the Korku tribe, one of the most deprived tribal populations found in the state of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, India. The article is a product of extensive ethnographic fieldwork conducted in 10 villages of Melghat region of Maharashtra for a period of 1 year. A close examination was done on the life, lifestyles, and the socioeconomic and developmental indices of the community. The reflections from the fieldwork underline discouraging trends and show the ubiquitous social and development issues of the community. The major shifts in the socioeconomic and cultural life of the Korkus are detailed along with the state of basic amenities, livelihood, health, education, and political affairs. Further, child- and women-related issues are emphasized. The evidence from the study urges the need for focused attention on the developmental strategies for the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The renewable energy policies of many countries have actively endorsed Local/Domestic Content Requirements (LCR/DCR) on the assertion of providing protection to their niche technology markets. However, potential usefulness and legality of local content requirements (LCRs) are regularly contested on the premise of their trade distorting impacts and lower allocative efficiencies. The initial Indian solar policy also provided differentiated incentives for ground mounted grid connected solar deployments using domestically manufactured Crystalline-Silicon (C-Si) panels (DCR) over the imported ones. This study maps socio economic impacts of the two categories of deployment using Input Output (IO) analysis. The methodology introduces solar generation as a new production activity into Indian economy. An independent solar I-O block is constructed and integrated as a new sector in 35x35 national input output table (2011) obtained from world input output databases (WIOD). The analysis involves tracking Inter industry transactions involved in installing a unit of grid connected ground mounted photovoltaic solar power capacity in India. Both solar blocks compile data at purchasers' price for PV module, mounting structure, power conditioning unit, construction and preoperative costs of the power plant. Followed by adjustments for existing fiscal elements like applicable subsidies, VAT, excise duty and incurred transportation costs. The DCR block is differentiated by dissociation of solar panel manufacturing Industry into inputs for manufacturing module, wafer and cells with in the economy while in case of non DCR solar blocks, solar panels feature in the imports column. Direct and indirect impacts in terms of output, employment and income generation are estimated followed by distributive efficiencies of the sectoral wage generation associated with the two categories of deployment. The results reveal that direct and indirect output (GDP generation) of DCR deployments is 24.74% higher than of open category projects. The DCR projects also produce 36.64% more economy wide employment when compared to open category projects. Further, distributive efficiencies associated with quality of employment generated favors DCR deployments in India. This study thus provides initial evidence and policy guidance on usefulness of domestic content requirement in promoting regional green growth for the growing solar sector in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper highlights the issues in the prominent copyright case between some big publishers and a Delhi University photocopy shop. The paper also addresses the question whether the present copyright system in India requires a relook in view of the changing socio-economic conditions of our society and the world at large. Concludes that supporting students and researchers in their study and research are essential and some changes are required in the present copyright toward this end. Open Access (OA) publishing is a step in that direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-criteria based prediction models are gradually finding places in the social and economic sciences to assess, locate, and address the complicated socio-economic issues arising around the globe. The incidence of any such issues may be treated as an output of complex interactions between a range of variables linked with ambient physical, socio-cultural, economic as well as the political system. The income insecurity is associated with the malnutrition, economic inequality, poverty, and several other socioeconomic hazards. At present, several studies are aiming to develop the ‘tools and techniques’ of demarcating the areas with some degree of vulnerability to a particular socioeconomic hazard and to examine the internal functions of the interactive variables linked with the hazard. In the present study, we tried to apply the algorithm of Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) in demarcating the areas susceptible to income insecurity in the district of Purulia, which is a backward district in the state of West Bengal, India, in terms of the overall level of human development achieved so far. The training dataset for developing the AHP model is based on the available secondary data. The model has been validated by running the modeled algorithm on a test dataset and applying the correlation and test of significance between the model output and the collected primary field data. The present model uses fifteen variables and is applicable to most of the subsistence agro-economic systems in tropical areas. The modification of the range of the variables and addition or alteration of variables within the similar structural framework will allow the model getting befitted with the other social and economic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: High frequency of low birth weight (LBW) is observed in rural compared with urban Indian women. Since maternal BMI is known to be associated with pregnancy outcomes, the present study aimed to investigate factors associated with BMI in early pregnancy of urban and rural South Indian women.Design: Prospective observational cohort.Setting: A hospital-based study conducted at an urban and a rural health centre in Karnataka State.Subjects: Pregnant women (n 843) aged 18-40 years recruited in early pregnancy from whom detailed sociodemographic, environmental, anthropometric and dietary intake information was collected.Results: A high proportion of low BMI (32 v. 26 %, P<0·000) and anaemia (48 v. 23 %, P<0·000) was observed in the rural v. the urban cohort. Rural women were younger, had lower body weight, tended to be shorter and less educated. They lived in poor housing conditions, had less access to piped water and good sanitation, used unrefined fuel for cooking and had lower standard of living score. The age (β=0·21, 95 % CI 0·14, 0·29), education level of their spouse (β=1·36, 95 % CI 0·71, 2·71) and fat intake (β=1·24, 95 % CI 0·20, 2·28) were positively associated with BMI in urban women.Conclusions: Our findings indicate that risk factors associated with BMI in early pregnancy are different in rural and urban settings. It is important to study population-specific risk factors in relation to perinatal health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate trends and socio-economic determinants of suicide in India over the period of 2001-2013.Method: Suicide rates between 2001 and 2013 were calculated using suicide statistics provided by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) and census data provided by Census of India, stratified by sex, age group, and geographical region, to investigate trends in suicide over the study period. Multilevel negative binomial regression models were specified to investigate associations between state-level indicators of economic development, education, employment and religious factors and sex-specific suicide rates.Results: Male suicide rates remained relatively steady (~ 14 per 100,000) while female suicide rates decreased over the study period (9 to 7 per 100,000). The age group of 45-59 years had the highest suicide rate among males while the age group of 15-29 years had the highest suicide rate among females. On average, higher male and female suicide rates were observed in states with: higher levels of development, higher levels of agricultural employment, higher levels of literacy, and higher proportions of people identifying with Hinduism. Higher male suicide rates were also observed in states with higher levels of unemployment.Conclusion: The process of modernization might be contributing towards higher suicide risk in more developed parts of India. Also, increase in farmer suicides since economic liberalization might be contributing towards higher suicide rates among more agricultural regions. Furthermore, ancient sanctions towards religious suicide are possibly still influencing modern Hindu suicides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seasonally flooded wetlands are often neglected due to their ephemeral and erratic appearance and small size, however, their hydro-ecological importance, socio-economic values are equivalent to the permanent wetlands. Using dual-season Landsat multi-spectral imagery, this study highlights a comprehensive monitoring of the hydrological dynamics of wetlands in the lower reach of the Mayurakshi River at a 14-year temporal resolution with the seasonal mode of 1987–2014 time frames. Our results demonstrate the seasonal and periodic hydrological variability of water presence frequency (WPF) in six wetland complexes defined for this study. The Hijal, Ghambira and Maldah wetland complexes are highly affected by the change of WPF, while Dwarka complex is relatively stable. The assessment of WPF change analysis showed that the method is proficient in identifying stable and physically vulnerable wetland patches and absolute loss of wetland inundation frequency resulting from various anthropogenic causes like regulation of river, dry farming practices and other integrated developmental works. The outcome of our study provides a robust basis for the fundamental hydrological and ecological studies and helpful for the conservation and management of seasonally flooded wetland resources in the tropical monsoon climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A survey was conducted to assess socio-economic disparity in the prevalence of anemia among schoolchildren (11-17 years) in few regions of Punjab. Two hundred and ten children from government schools of Punjab were selected and their blood hemoglobin levels were estimated; clinical examination was done for various signs/symptoms of anemia; and dietary iron intake was analysed and compared with the recommended dietary allowances of ICMR (2010). Analysis of variance followed by Tukey's post-hoc test was applied to assess socio-economic disparity in the prevalence of anemia. Overall, 97% of the children were anemic, out of which 80 vs. 17% were moderately and mildly anemic, respectively. Statistically, no significant difference was found in the mean hemoglobin level of the subjects with respect to family income, parent's education and religion, whereas, substantial disparity was noted with respect to caste. Scheduled caste subjects had the highest prevalence rate than general category and Backward Class and Other Backward Class subjects. Dietary iron intake of the children was grossly inadequate, ranging from 35 to 41% of the ICMR (2010) recommendations. Therefore, it can be established that anemia prevalence depends more on food habits and dietary behaviour of the children than on socio-economic factors. Dietary diversification should be canvassed at the root level, as anemia is likely the result of predominantly starch-based monotonous poor quality diets with minimal amounts of meat, vegetables and fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Since the first decade of the 2000s, there has been serious concern that public interest litigation (PIL) in India, which was launched by the Supreme Court in the late 1970s to protect the rights of weaker sections of the society, has come to be occasionally used against them instead. Can PIL in India truly serve as a model for other developing countries in promoting the basic rights of their citizens? Reconsidering the conditions that enable the judiciary to engage in judicial activism through PIL, this paper argues that writ jurisdiction is the key factor in considering the peculiarity and sustainability of Indian PIL, as the unique development of its jurisdiction has contributed to increased power for judges in delivering social justice to society and has also opened the possibility of judges pursuing their own agendas through the resulting informalization of procedure and remedy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: India faces multiple challenges to mitigate a high burden of psychiatric disorders. The risk of developing psychiatric disorder among the rural Indian population is poorly investigated. This study aims to understand the factors associated with probable psychiatric disorder (PPD) among a select rural Indian population.Methods: Data from the Birbhum population project of the society for health and demographic surveillance, West Bengal, India, were utilized. Cross-sectional data covering a sample of 31,135 respondents (male 15,384 and female 15,751) aged ≥ 16 years were used. The General Health Questionnaire-28 was administered and the responses were computed into three categories: psychological case, psychological caseness, and normal. Bivariate and multivariate ordered logit regression analyses were applied to attain the study objective.Results: Of the total population, 26% of respondents were identified with PPD. People aged ≥ 60 years, females, divorced/separated/widowed individuals, the unemployed and people with no formal education, individuals from the poorest economic group, and people with a history of selling or mortgaging assets towards their healthcare expenditure had a higher prevalence of psychiatric case within their respective group.Conclusions: A high burden of PPD was estimated in the select rural community. While designing an intervention for measuring and addressing psychiatric disorders, the socioeconomic gradient of PPD could be helpful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health inequalities have been observed among older people in many developing countries, particularly among those with least social protection and low socio-economic (SES) status. This study attempted to examine effects of SES on the health of older adults, and related gender differences, in two rural sub-districts - Matlab, Bangladesh and Vadu, India. The study utilised the WHO SAGE-INDEPTH Wave 1, 2007 Matlab, Bangladesh and Vadu, Pune District, India datasets. Both gender and SES indicators were strongly associated with all health indicators of older adults in the Bangladesh site, whereas in India, education and asset quintiles were not consistently associated with self-rated health, quality of life and functional ability score but gender was consistently associated with all health indicators except the quality of life score. The SES-health gradient was noticeably higher amongst older adults in Matlab, Bangladesh than in Vadu, India. Education was also found to be an important predictor of health outcome in both sites. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Summary This paper explores the recent fall in female labour force participation and its socio-economic determinants in India. The major contribution of this paper is: to explore both micro- and macro-level factors which determine female labour force participation rate (LFPR); to examine the “U shape” female LFPR, by examining the likely income and substitution effects of the real wage increase, to identify the sub-sectors within manufacturing and service sectors that could create jobs for new female job aspirants and those older women displaced from agriculture in recent years; and thus to understand the conditions under which female LFPR could be raised. Using both macro-level and household survey (NSS) data, we find that the recent fillip in the process of structural transformation has pushed a large number of females out of agriculture. The growing mechanization in agriculture and rising capital intensity in manufacturing sectors together have limited the opportunity for females because of their low education and skill and due to other cultural constraints. We also found that the rise in real wages in rural areas and the consequent improvement in the standard of living has produced a strong negative income effect which outweighs the positive substitution effect and as a result female LFPR has declined substantially. However, with the massive increase in female enrollment in secondary and higher levels of education, it could be expected that the substitution effect of the increase in real wage would become stronger if appropriate measures are taken by the government, which are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small tiny hands can grip a pen well not a tool. But the diffusion of child labour is one of the critical snags threatening the world at great. It is a matter of abundant alarm to many emerging Countries like India. It's become a socio-economic problem which robs children of their infantile, impending and composure. In many cases child slog is primarily compelled by fiscal pressures of the parents. The foremost aspect which gives surge to child labour is extensive redundancy. India is the second largest populace country but it has prime figure of child labour. The pivotal gardens of child labor encompass scarcity, redundancy and surplus populace but poverty is the key root behind this production. Employed children are the stuffs of punishing manipulation in terms of slogging for long hours of negligible compensation and usually these labors toil in lethal workshops. So, the utmost needed part in this regard is the effective execution of rules and strict implementation of labour laws in India. Now the government of India has also reserved numerous other superiorities to remove child labour problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Animal studies have demonstrated poor cognitive outcomes in offspring in relation to maternal vitamin D deficiency before and/or during pregnancy. Human studies linking maternal vitamin D status during pregnancy with offspring cognitive function are limited. We aimed to test the hypothesis that lower maternal vitamin D status during pregnancy is associated with poor offspring cognitive ability in an Indian population.Methods and Study Design: Cognitive function was assessed in children from the Mysore Parthenon birth cohort during childhood (age 9-10 years; n=468) and adolescence (age 13-14 years; n=472) using 3 core tests from the Kaufman Assessment Battery for children and additional tests measuring learning, long-term retrieval/ storage, short-term memory, reasoning, verbal fluency, visuo-spatial ability, and attention and concentration. Maternal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration was measured at 30±2 weeks of gestation.Results: During pregnancy 320 (68%) women had 'vitamin D deficiency' (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration <50 nmol/L). Girls scored better than boys in tests of short-term memory, reasoning, verbal fluency, and attention (p<0.05 for all). Maternal vitamin D status (low as well as across the entire range) was unrelated to offspring cognitive function at both ages, either unadjusted or after adjustment for the child's current age, sex, maternal age, parity, season at the time of blood sampling, gestational age, the child's birth and current size, socio-economic status, parents' education, maternal intelligence and home environment.Conclusions: In this population, despite a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy, there was no evidence of an association between maternal vitamin D status and offspring cognitive function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Acute viral hepatitis (AVH) caused by enterically transmitted hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) poses a major health problem in developing countries such as India. Despite improving sanitation, heath awareness, and socioeconomic conditions, these infections continue to occur both in sporadic as well as in epidemic forms in different parts of India. AIMS: The aim of this study is to determine the total as well as age-specific prevalence rates of HAV and HEV in the outbreaks of waterborne hepatitis in districts surrounding Amritsar region of Punjab. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted in the Virology Research and Diagnostic Laboratory, Government Medical College, Amritsar, during the study period of January 2015-March 2016. Samples from suspected outbreaks of AVH occurring in various districts around Amritsar were included as a part of the study. A total of 95 sera were tested for IgM antibody to HEV and HAV using IgM capture ELISA kit. RESULTS: Out of the total 95 samples received, 73 samples (76.84%) were positive for HAV/HEV. Out of the total positive cases, 65 (68.42%) had HEV infection, 2 (2.1%) had HAV, and 6 cases (6.31%) were coinfected with both HAV and HEV. The 21-30 years age group (25 cases) was identified as the most susceptible group for HEV infection. The coinfected subjects presented a wider range of age distribution (1-10 years: 1; 11-20 years: 3; 21-30 years: 1; 31-40 years: 1). Seasonal distribution of data revealed bimodal peaks for HEV infection. CONCLUSION: There should be some surveillance system to regularly monitor the portability of drinking water from time to time to avoid such preventable outbreaks in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Livestock plays a significant role in the rural economy of Tamil Nadu. Every rural household is associated with livestock. The present study was endeavored to know about the profile of dairy farmers and its association with information dynamics. The study was conducted in Villupuram and Salem districts representing two diverse agro climatic zones of Tamil Nadu. The results of the study revealed that 76.67 per cent of the respondents belonged to old and middle aged categories, 45.00 per cent belonged to illiterate, 78.33 per cent and 21.67 per cent of the respondents had agriculture and dairying as their primary occupation respectively. Most of the respondents (70.83 per cent) belonged to nuclear family. More than half (64.16 per cent) of the respondents had high dairy farming experience. Nearly three-fourth (73.30 per cent) had medium livestock possession and 74.16 per cent adopted innovations after seeing the results of adoption by other farmers. Less than half (40.00 per cent) of the respondents had membership in one organisation and belonged to cosmopoliteness category. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hindus and Muslims together account for 94% of the population of India. The fertility differential between these two religious groups is a sensitive and hotly debated issue in political and academic circles. However, the debate is mostly based on a period approach to fertility change, and there have been some problems with the reliability of period fertility data. This study investigated cohort fertility patterns among Hindus and Muslims and the causes of the relatively higher level of fertility among Muslims. Data from the three National Family Health Surveys conducted in India since the early 1990s were analysed using a six-parameter special form of the Gompertz model and multiple linear regression models. The results show a gap of more than 1.3 children per woman between those Muslim and Hindu women who ended/will end their reproductive period in the calendar years 1993 to 2025. The socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of Muslims explain 31.2% of the gap in fertility between Muslims and Hindus, while the desire for more children among Muslims explains an additional 18.2% of the gap in fertility. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Climate change has been affecting people around the world, threatening the basic elements of life – access to water, food, health and use of land, and the basic environment. In the case of a developing country like India and her states, climate change is an additional burden because ecological and socio-economic systems are already facing pressures from rapid population, industrialization and economic development. It is in this context, this study is an overview of the climate change scenario in Odisha, its impacts, policy options available so far, and the road ahead. In view of the 1999 super cyclone that broke the economic backbone of the State, and floods, droughts and heat waves being the constant visitors to State, the State has been relatively more vulnerable to climate change over the years. These issues have the potential to derail the growth strategy and deepen poverty in the State. Climate change has the potential to exacerbate inequality and prevent economic growth. Thus, it is essential that the private sector units, civil society and government should work together to improve environmental performance while pursuing goals of sustainable economic development in Odisha. This would certainly foster a carbon-conscious, and climate resilient development path in the State. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mean and extreme matrices of the monsoon rainfall in India not only play an important role in depicting the global monsoon climate, but also their spatiotemporal patterns influence the socio-economic profile of a major proportion of the country's huge population. Given the reported conflicting trends at the global and national scales, the present study investigates the 20th century (1901–2004) changes in monsoon rainfall of India, particularly focusing the indices developed by the Expert Team on Climate Change Detection and Indices (ETCCDI) to facilitate a global comparison. Result of this comprehensive analysis, which includes the response of fifteen indices over two study periods (i.e., 1901–1940 and 1961–2004), indicates clear signals of change with respect to the period and region of study and the choice of the ETCCDI indices. While wet day frequency, low-to-moderate events and consecutive wet days (CWD) exhibit a prominent transition from a pre-1940 wetting to a post-1960 drying tendency over a large part of the central-north India (CNI), both the wet and dry extremes have occurred in a spatially less consistent manner during the recent decades. For consecutive dry days (CDD), the reported less clear global signals could be related to the timescale of analysis, as our sub-seasonal scale results display consistent changes compared to that of the seasonal and annual scales. The Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) provides clear indications of a post-1960 non-stationarity, showing changes in the mean as well as variance. Based on the partial Mann–Kendall test (PMK), some of the identified rainfall trends during 1961–2004 are found to be influenced more by the tropical Indian Ocean sea surface temperatures than the El Niño–Southern Oscillation index. These results have important implications for formulating the water resource management strategy, particularly over the drying central and northern parts of the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The indigenous food environment, dietary intake and nutritional status of women in the Santhal tribal community of Jharkhand were assessed. Contribution of indigenous foods to nutritional status and nutrient intakes was explored. Design: Exploratory cross-sectional study with a longitudinal dietary intake assessment component. Household and dietary surveys were conducted to elicit information on socio-economic and demographic profile and food consumption patterns at household level. A 24 h dietary recall for two consecutive days (repeat surveys in two more seasons) and anthropometric assessments were carried out on one woman per household. Setting: Households (n 151) with at least one woman of reproductive age in four villages of Godda district of Jharkhand, India. Subjects: Women aged 15-49 years. Results: Almost all households owned agricultural land and grew fruits and vegetables in backyards for household consumption. A wide variety of indigenous foods were reported but dietary recalls revealed low intake. Women consumed adequate energy and protein but micronutrient intake was inadequate (less than 66% of recommended) in the majority (more than 50%) for Ca, Fe, vitamin B2, folate and vitamin B12. Women consuming indigenous foods in the past 2 d had significantly higher intakes of Ca (P=0·008) and Fe (P=0·010) than those who did not. Varying degrees of underweight were observed in 50% of women with no significant association between underweight and consumption of indigenous foods. Conclusions: Promotion of preferential cultivation of nutrient-dense indigenous food sources and effective nutrition education on their importance may facilitate better micronutrient intakes among women in Santhal community of Jharkhand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores how language policy affects the socioeconomic development of nation states through two channels: the individual’s exposure to and (in reference to an individual’s mother tongue) linguistic distance from the official language. In a cross-country framework the article first establishes a robust and sizeable negative relationship between an official language that is distant from the local indigenous languages and proxies for human capital and health. To establish this relationship as causal, we instrument language choice with a measure of geographic distance from the origins of writing. Next, using individual level data from India and a set of 11 African countries, we provide microempirical support on the two channels—distance from and exposure to the official language—and their implications for educational, health, occupational and wealth outcomes. Finally, we suggest policy implications based on our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An estimated 70,000 personnel are annually released at the prime of life from the Indian armed forces to maintain a youthful service profile. The migration of veterans in search of a second career to civil society involves managing crucial socioeconomic needs. This article examines the resettlement needs of veterans using survey research which measured resettlement needs of air force veterans in two distinct districts (regions) in India (N = 400). The analysis reveals that the educational needs of dependent children are on top of the agenda followed by the need to find civilian employment. This study also develops a socioeconomic need continuum and a motivation model of resettlement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article probes the intersection of spatial, caste, and gender axes of power in shaping contemporary inequalities in Kerala, through mixed-method research in an urban slum. Relying largely on qualitative data, it constructs a history of work in the slum for lower caste men and women against the backdrop of Kerala politics from the 1940s until the present. It examines the role of widening gender gaps, the persistence of secularized caste, and flagging working-class politics and discourse in shaping contemporary socioeconomic exclusion in urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Despite substantial strides to improve cancer control in India, challenges to deliver oncology services persist. One major challenge is the provision and accessibility of adequate infrastructure. This paper offers ethnographic insight on the conceptual and material conditions that are currently shaping the delivery of oncology in Mumbai, focusing specifically on the way India's socio-economic context necessitates non-biomedical acts of voluntarism or 'seva' (selfless service). Developing the premise that hospitals are not identical clones of a biomedical model, detailed attention is paid to the way 'care' emerges through 'praxis of place' (Casey, 2003) within the cancer hospital as a multi-scalar 'heterotopic' (Street and Coleman, 2012) site. Such a perspective enables global/local tensions to come into view, together with the heterogeneous confluence of juxtaposing materialities, imaginations, social practices and values that both propels and constrains the everyday delivery of care. The paper reflects on the theoretical implications of hospital seva in Mumbai in light of social science studies of hospital ethnography and health activism and contributes important ethnographic insight into the current global health debates regarding effective implementation of cancer services in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An attempt was made to document various constraints faced by Ahir community goat keepers by selecting 300 goat keepers from Valsad and Navsari districts of south Gujarat using multistage random sampling technique. The data was collected by interview schedule on five point agreement scale. The analyzed data revealed nine management related, ten socio-economic and five region specific constraints. Among them high feed cost and more illness and mortality emerged as the most important management related constraints. Lack of credit facility and high wage rate emerged as top socio-economic constraints. The region specific constraints identified were heavy rainfall condition and floods/natural disasters. It was suggested that the above said most important constraints must be considered for developing remedial package for profitable goat farming in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe the results of a survey of farmers' perceptions of and satisfaction with the performance of watershed development activities on socioeconomic, agriculture and livestock, and environmental attributes. We administered a questionnaire to 120 farmers randomly interviewed in the Morni Hill area of the Siwalik Himalayas in India. Our results show that the farmers have considerable knowledge about the implementation of watershed development activities and their impact on the economy, agriculture and the environment. Our respondents generally agreed or strongly agreed with most investigated parameters, with a few exceptions such as employment opportunities in the dairying sector, rise in panchayat funds, milk production, fuel wood availability, grazing lands and use of mechanical inputs in agriculture. Water availability has resulted in a positive change in the cropping pattern, which has shifted to more remunerative crops, such as paddy, pulses, vegetables and high yielding wheat. Approximately 45 % of respondents were highly satisfied with the results of the watershed development activities. The overall level of satisfaction pertaining to different socioeconomic, agriculture and livestock, and environmental parameters was approximately 56 %, which reveals that respondents are well aware of the impacts of the watershed development activities. Therefore, we suggest that farmers' perceptions could usefully be incorporated into decision-making processes for targeting land and water management interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

STEM education faces an interesting conundrum. Western countries have implemented constructivist inspired student centred practices which are argued to be more engaging and relevant to student learning than the traditional, didactic approaches. However, student interest in pursuing careers in STEM have fallen or stagnated. In contrast, students in many developing countries in which teaching is still somewhat didactic and teacher centred are more disposed to STEM related careers than their western counterparts. Clearly factors are at work which impact the way students value science and mathematics. This review draws on three components that act as determinants of science education in three different countries – Australia, India and Malaysia. We explore how national priorities and educational philosophy impacts educational practices as well as teacher beliefs and the need for suitable professional development. Socio-economic conditions for science education that are fundamental for developing countries in adopting constructivist educational models are analysed. It is identified that in order to reduce structural dissimilarities among countries that cause fragmentation of scientific knowledge, for Malaysia constructivist science education through English medium without losing the spirit of Malaysian culture and Malay language is essential while India need to adopt constructivist quality indicators in education. While adopting international English education, and reducing dominance of impact evaluation, India and Malaysia need to prevent losing their cultural and social capital vigour. Furthermore the paper argues that Australia might need to question the efficacy of current models that fail to engage students’ long term interest in STEM related careers. Australian and Malaysian science teachers must be capable of changing the personal biographies of learners for developing scientific conceptual information. In addition both Malaysia and Australia need to provide opportunities for access to different curricular programmes of knowledge based constructivist learning for different levels of learner competencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When social and economic conditions change dramatically, status hierarchies in place for hundreds of years can crumble as marketization destabilizes once rigid boundaries. This study examines such changes in symbolic power through an ethnographic study of a village in North India. Marketization and accompanying privatization do not create an independent sphere where only money matters, but due to a mix of new socioeconomic motives, they produce new social obligations, contests, and solidarities. These findings call into question the emphasis in consumer research on top-down class emulation as an essential characteristic of status hierarchies. This study offers insights into sharing as a means of enacting and reshaping symbolic power within a status hierarchy. A new order based on markets and consumption is disrupting the old order based on caste. As the old moral order dissolves, so do the old status hierarchies, obligations, dispositions, and norms of sharing that held the village together for centuries. In the microcosm of these gains and losses, we may see something of the broader social and economic changes taking place throughout India and other industrializing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Education is a long process of bringing up or training an individual who is culturally refined, emotionally stable, mentally alert, morally upright, physically strong, economically independent and socially efficient. Every aspect of the present society or the present economy directly or indirectly comes as a product of education . In the present age of globalization, education has got a lot change. Education now acts as the chief engine to all solutions of the prevailing problems of our country. Education today however has to do a lot more in socio-economic perspectives. Its inability to improve the socio-economic condition of the remote villagers is in true sense regretful. Its main key lies behind the uneducated section and the lowly educated section of our society. No doubt, the highly educated section does a lot in this regard and they have somehow been enjoying a good socio-economic condition even in rural areas. Here in this study an attempt has been made to assess the relationship between education and socioeconomic condition of the rural population of kamrup District. 600 adult population, 400 educated and 200 uneducated were taken as sample from Kamrup (R) District of Assam, India. To collect first hand data, standardized scale has been used. The present study tried to investigate the importance of education in the socio-economic condition enjoyed by the rural inhabitants of Kamrup District. Statistical techniques like percentage and Chisquare test based measure Crame's V were used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Iodine deficiency disorders have been known to mankind since antiquity and various researchers elucidated the role of iodine in its causation. However, recent evidence shows that the entire control program ignored multi-causality and association of increased iodine intake with hypothyroidism. This study was conducted to assess differences of iodine intake as measured by urinary iodine excretion (UIE) between cases of hypothyroidism and healthy controls. Methods A case-control study was conducted with three groups (cases, hospital controls and community controls) in two cities of India. Patients with overt hypothyroidism were cases ( n = 150) and were compared with age, sex and socioeconomic status-matched hospital ( n = 154) and community ( n = 488) controls. Thyroid function tests (T3, T4, TSH) were used as diagnostic and inclusion criteria. TPOAb and UIE estimation were carried out for all study participants. Results Mean values of TPOAb and UIE were higher in cases as compared to hospital controls as well as community controls ( p <0.05). With a cut off of 34 IU/mL for TPOAb, more cases had an anti-TPO level >34 as compared to hospital controls ( p <0.001) as well as community controls ( p <0.001); OR, 0.06 (95% CI, 0.03, 0.12) and 0.08 (0.05, 0.12), respectively. For UIE cut-off of 300 μg/L, more cases than hospital controls ( p = 0.090) and community controls ( p = 0.001) had higher levels; OR, 0.671, (0.422, 1.066) and 0.509, (0.348, 0.744), respectively. Conclusion The study has clearly shown that cases of hypothyroidism are associated with excess iodine intake. Cohort studies to generate further evidence and an eco-social epidemiological approach have been suggested as the way forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports an objective criterion for the real-time extended-range prediction of monsoon onset over Kerala (MOK), using circulation as well as rainfall information from the 16 May initial conditions of the Grand Ensemble Prediction System based on the coupled model CFSv2. Three indices are defined, one from rainfall measured over Kerala and the others based on the strength and depth of the low-level westerly jet over the Arabian Sea. While formulating the criterion, the persistence of both rainfall and low-level wind after the MOK date has been considered to avoid the occurrence of 'bogus onsets' that are unrelated to the large-scale monsoon system. It is found that the predicted MOK date matches well with the MOK date declared by the India Meteorological Department, the authorized principal weather forecasting agency under the government of India, for the period 2001-14. The proposed criterion successfully avoids predicting bogus onsets, which is a major challenge in the prediction of MOK. Furthermore, the evolution of various model-predicted large-scale and local meteorological parameters corresponding to the predicted MOK date is in good agreement with that of the observation, suggesting the robustness of the devised criterion and the suitability of CFSv2 model for MOK prediction. However, it should be noted that the criterion proposed in the present study can be used only in the dynamical prediction framework, as it necessitates input data on the future evolution of rainfall and low-level wind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India has experienced rapid growth and development in the past years. The role played by women in the socioeconomic growth of families and the country is significantly visible. Starting from giving birth to a child till holding hands of elders when they need it the most, are two most grateful roles every woman performs to maintain the social health of the family. This article is an effort to emphasize the key role of women in conserving the social health of family. Some guidelines for women to enhance the social health of their loved ones have also been included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary The unbalanced nature of India’s growth has caused considerable concern but little is known about its causes. We use a new data set of district-level income and socio-economic data to explore the determinants of transitional growth at the district level. We find that there is absolute divergence across districts but conditional convergence once we allow for district characteristics, particularly urbanization and the distance from a major urban agglomeration. State-level effects have also significantly contributed to India’s unbalanced growth. The results suggest that while geography is important, policy differences may also account for much of India’s uneven growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The city of Guwahati has a rich historical past and finds frequent mention in medieval historical sources and epics. From the pre-historic existence, the city has evolved through various stages of development and lately, the city has entered a phase of vigorous growth changing remarkably its fabric of settlement and the overall morphology of the urban landscape. Throughout the history of growth and development of Guwahati city, the river Brahmaputra has played the most important role in shaping the socio-economic life of its dwellers and the land use pattern of the city. The river still continues to play a unique role in maintaining the city's scenic beauty, grandeur, health and prosperity. In fact the nourishing presence of the river in the heart of the city provides a variety of facilities and opportunities to the city dwellers, some of which are, however, directly visible, while many others need careful observation for assessing their contribution. Of late, this eco-city has also been witnessing a severe demographic hazard because of migration of people from other parts of Assam and the Northeast as place of opportunity. The growing urban congestion and extension of human settlement, roads and other constructions to the marginal and delicate areas like the hill slopes, fringes of the beels, wetlands and rivulets have now made the city's drainage highly complicated and increasingly inefficient. These have caused some severe problems such as killer landslide, erosion, water logging and flash flood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Behavioral risk factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet, insufficient physical activity and the harmful use of alcohol are known and modifiable contributors to a number of NCDs and health mediators. The purpose of this paper is to describe the distribution of main risk factors for NCDs by socioeconomic status (SES) among adults aged 50 years and older within a country and compare these risk factors across six lower- and upper-middle income countries. Methods: The study population in this paper draw from SAGE Wave 1 and consisted of adults aged 50-plus from China (N=13,157), Ghana (N=4,305), India (N=6,560), Mexico (N=2,318), the Russian Federation (N=3,938) and South Africa (N=3,836). Seven main common risk factors for NCDs were identified: daily tobacco use, frequent heavy drinking, low level physical activity, insufficient vegetable and fruit intake, high risk waist-hip ratio, obesity and hypertension. Multiple risk factors were also calculated by summing all these risk factors. Results: The prevalence of daily tobacco use ranged from 7.7% (Ghana) to 46.9% (India), frequent heavy drinker was the highest in China (6.3%) and lowest in India (0.2%), and the highest prevalence of low physical activity was in South Africa (59.7%). The highest prevalence of respondents with high waist-to-hip ratio risk was 84.5% in Mexico, and the prevalence of self-reported hypertension ranging from 33% (India) to 78% (South Africa). Obesity was more common in South Africa, the Russia Federation and Mexico (45.2%, 36% and 28.6%, respectively) compared with China, India and Ghana (15.3%, 9.7% and 6.4%, respectively). China, Ghana and India had a higher prevalence of respondents with multiple risk factors than Mexico, the Russia Federation and South Africa. The occurrence of three and four risk factors was more prevalent in Mexico, the Russia Federation and South Africa. Conclusion: There were substantial variations across countries and settings, even between upper-middle income countries and lower-middle income countries. The baseline information on the magnitude of the problem of risk factors provided by this study can help countries and health policymakers to set up interventions addressing the global non-communicable disease epidemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioshields or coastal vegetation structures are currently amongst the most important coastal habitat modification activities in south-east Asia, particularly after the December 2004 tsunami. Coastal plantations have been promoted at a large scale as protection against severe natural disasters despite considerable debate over their efficacy as protection measures. In this paper, we provide an interdisciplinary framework for evaluating and monitoring coastal plantations. We then use this framework in a case study in peninsular India. We conducted a socio-ecological questionnaire-based survey on government and non-government organizations directly involved in coastal plantation efforts in three 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami affected states in mainland India. We found that though coastal protection was stated to be the primary cause, socio-economic factors like providing rural employment were strong drivers of plantation activities. Local communities were engaged primarily as daily wage labour for plantation rather than in the planning or monitoring phases. Application of ecological criteria has been undermined during the establishment and maintenance of plantations and there was a general lack of awareness about conservation laws relating to coastal forests. While ample flow of international aid has fuelled the plantation of exotics in the study area particularly after the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, the long term ecological consequences need further evaluation and rigorous monitoring in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dairying has an acknowledged role to play in socio-economic transformation and sustainable rural development in India. Indian dairying is the best example for production by masses rather than mass production. Milk is the second largest agricultural commodity (140 million tonnes) produced in our country next only to rice. The Indian dairy industry is rapidly growing, trying to keep pace with the galloping progress around the world and offers opportunities galore to entrepreneurs worldwide. The demand of milk in India is projected to increase to 191.3 million tonnes in 2020. At the existing growth rate in milk production, supply is likely to fall short of the demand in next ten years. Consistent efforts are needed to bring the small holders under an umbrella to ensure the milk produced is safe and meets the standards. Technological intervention at the grassroot level coupled with synergy of technological and organizational improvements at all levels of dairying would assist to improve milk quantity, quality and competitiveness of Indian dairying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]