Arunachal Research Articles

Exploring Fearism in Literature: A Critical Study on Select Women Writers of the North East India

The present paper aims to study some of the prose fictions of the select Northeast women writers from a very new perspective in literary theory that is ‘The Philosophy of Fearism’. Fearism , propounded by Desh Subba ,is regarded as the first east-west dialogue, an emerging philosophy that deals basically with the issues of fear and its impact in human life. Mamang Dai from Arunachal Pradesh, Temsula Ao from Nagaland and Arupa Patangia Kalita from Assam have been so vocal female voices from this region and this paper will study some select works by them from a fearist perspective. Their works highlight the concern about ecology, social issues and the traumatic conflicts in human life; nonetheless, we can delineate these philosophical visions of Fearism in the portrayal of characters. Desh Subba, the founder of Fearism asserts that human beings go through fearmorphosis, they are being watched by panopticans and sometimes man himself scapegoat not only the innocent people, even the nature with arms and gun powder. This paper will study ‘Stupid Cupid’ by Mamang Dai, ‘The Curfew Man’ by Temsula Ao and Arupa Patangia kalita’s ‘The Girl with a long Hair’ and will try to interpret with this perspective because the characters dwelling in different situations are the victim of a fear Sisyphus, who are always under the multiple eyes of fear and this fear destabilizes their life being.

The Impact Assessment of Front Line Demonstrations on Sesame: A Case Study in Tirap District of Arunachal Pradesh, India

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is an important oilseed crops. The sesam’s productivity in the Tirap district is low and attempts were made to increase the area and improve the productivity by adopting high yielding variety along with integrated crop management (ICM) practices. The ICM practices including sowing of improved variety (Kaliabar), seed treatment with mancozeb @ 3 g/kg seed + neem oil application at 25-30 days after sowing + spraying of carbendazim for control of leaf spot (caused by Cersospora sesame) was demonstrated in farmer’s field. Similarly farmers were also sown at same time but they could not follow the scientific method of its cultivation. The results revealed that increase in seed yield over farmers’ practice was 30.96 and 31.26 per cent during 2017-18 and 2018-19, respectively. In terms of economics, it was observed that demo practices recorded higher net returns/ha compared to farmer’s practice during the both years. The benefit cost ratio of demo plots; during both years was 2.20 and 2.36, respectively. The technology index varied between from 42.25 per cent to 36.50 per cent; which depicting that farmers has to educate for adoption of economically viable technologies of oilseed crops in Tirap district.

Impact of Cluster Front Line Demonstrations on Yield and Economics of Toria in Tirap District of Arunachal Pradesh, India

The Cluster Front Line Demonstration (CFLD) program, launched by Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer's Welfare, Government of India, New Delhi nder the National Mission on Oilseed and Oil Palm (NMOOP). The KVK Tirap carried out CFLD on Toria on 80 ha between 2017 and 2018, benefiting 200 individuals spread over 18 villages in the district that was specifically chosen. Primary data served as the study's primary source. The purpose of the study is to examine how the Cluster Front Line Demonstration by Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Tirap, has affected the district's socioeconomic situation, adoption and technology gap, and adoption patterns of both beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries. According to the study, cluster front-line demonstrations of tested technologies can significantly improve the yield potential and net income from oilseed farming while also raising the income levels of the participating farmers. In comparison to farmers' practices, the CFLDs reported higher average gross returns (Rs. 38560 and Rs 44812) and net returns (Rs. 18686 and Rs 19991) with a cost: benefit ratio (2.12 and 2.34); indicating the technology's economic viability.

Sustainable Management of Land, Water and Crop in Hills of North East India

Hill agriculture in Northeast India has tremendous potential to grow and contribute towards improving productivity, enhancing food and nutrition security, reducing rural poverty and accelerating the overall economic condition of the region due to its rich land, abundant water resources and favorable climate. The North-eastern region lying between 21.5oN - 29.5oN latitudes and 85.5oE - 97.3oE longitudes comprises eight states - Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim. The growth potential of hill farming has remained under-exploited due to various reasons like lack of system-specific production technologies, poor infrastructure (transport, markets, processing) and underdeveloped institutions (credit, extension, information, insurance), inaccessible habitations, diverse socio-cultural and fragmented land holdings. In hilly areas, jhum cultivation provides a basis for subsistence farming, maintenance of cultural values and social stability at low population density. But in the present context, this system cannot sustain increased demographic pressure. Moreover, shifting cultivation also causes problems of land degradation, accelerated deforestation, out of control forest fires ultimately affecting climate change. Therefore, adoption of various agro techniques as an alternative to jhuming may prove to be a boon for the overall growth of the region. Cultivation of plantation crops and orchards established on hill slopes will prevent soil erosion. Watershed development also plays an important role in sustaining the natural resource base and improving the productive potential of hill states. The hill states have the potential for production of vegetables in off-season that has greater demand in neighboring plains when there is scarcity of supply as this region is bestowed with the most congenial climatic conditions for the production of under-exploited agricultural and horticultural crops that provides many fold employment opportunities in agro-based industries, packaging, storage, preservation, canning and transportation.

Taxonomic significance of megaspores in some species of Selaginella from Arunachal Pradesh in India.

The present study was carried out to record the color, size, and ornamentation of megaspores in 18 species of the family Selaginellaceae from Arunachal Pradesh using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and light microscope (LM). Electron microscopic study of the spore features revealed the type of ornamentation and microsculptural detail. SEM study on megaspore of Selaginella pentagona (S. pentagona), Selaginella tenuifolia, Selaginella semicordata, and Selaginella chrysorrhizos is presented for the first time. Variation in the megaspore ornamentation is noted at the interspecific level and intraspecific level in some cases. Examination of the megaspores under study found all the megaspores as trilete, with a size ranging from 116 to 560 μm in diameter. Taxonomic key is prepared to differentiate the species. Short descriptions of megaspores are provided and supported by photo plates. New features are recorded for seven species. The study contributes to the separation of species within the genus Selaginella based on the spore feature and brings forward the use of spore as a diagnostic tool in the taxonomy of the genus. These works contribute to the systematic of the family Selaginellaceae and provide useful information in the field of palynology. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Study on megaspore features of Selaginella species collected from Arunachal Pradesh, using SEM and LM. Taxonomic key is provided for each species based on megaspores features. New megaspore features are recorded for the seven species. The study brings forward the use of spore as a diagnostic tool in the taxonomy of the genus. These works provide useful information in the field of systematic and palynology.

A new species of Begonia (Begoniaceae) from Mishmi Hills of Arunachal Pradesh, India

A new species of the genus Begonia (sect. Platycentrum, Begoniaceae) from Mishmi Hills of Arunachal Pradesh, India, Begonia naraharii B.Hajong, N.Bhat & P.Bharali is described and illustrated. A detailed taxonomic description, accompanied by photographs, as well as notes on distribution, conservation status, and a table of comparisons with allied species, are provided.

Enhancing Productivity of Rajma (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) by Managing Soil Acidity and Organic Nutrient Management under Arunachal Hill Conditions

A study was conducted at farmers’ field of Tirap District of Arunachal Pradesh to test the effect of organic sources of soil nutrient management with Lime for soil acidity management and for yield improvement of Rajma (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) variety Chitra. The experiment was conducted by following 3 treatments: T1: (Lime @ 350 kg/ ha+ FYM @ 4 t/ha + Neem cake @300 kg/ha+ vermicompost @ 4 t/ha + Azospirillum 10kg/ha, T2: FYM @ 4 t/ha + Neem cake @ 300 kg/ha + vermicompost @ 4 t/ha + Azospirillum 10 kg/ha. T3: (Farmers’ Practice) -FYM + N: P2O5: K2O: 40:20:15 kg/ha (imbalance doses of fertilizers) with 5 replications following randomized block design during 2021-22. From the results it is revealed that T1: (Lime @ 350 kg/ ha+ FYM @ 4 t/ha + Neem cake @300 kg/ha+ vermicompost @ 4 t/ha + Azospirillum 10kg/ha, had showed significantly higher seed yield (10.2 q/ha), gross return (Rs 1,53,000/), net return (Rs 106,824) and B:C ratio (2.31), followed by T2 (FYM @ 4 t/ha + Neem cake @ 300 kg/ha + vermicompost @ 4 t/ha + Azospirillum 10 kg/ha), seed yield 9.3 q yield, Rs. 1,39,500/ gross return, Rs 95,620 net return and 2.17 B:C ratio. While, lowest yield and B:C ratio was recorded (7.1 q/ha, B: C ratio 1.84) with T3 (Farmer’s practice). Moreover, improved soil nutrient status was achieved in T1 followed by T2 and T3.

The Eastern Sector Border in Relations Between India and China in the 21st century: An Analysis

This Paper basically aims to discuss about the contemporary discourse of the India-China border dispute in the eastern sector in the beginning of the 21st century. It includes the study of changing patterns of India- China border dispute in the eastern sector and about the official attempts to settle border dispute, particularly in the eastern sector. Because, in the last century, both India and China had taken considerable measures for settlement of boundary question in several times. Also, both the country had agreed and forwarded their will to boundary settlement, ensuring peace and tranquilities across the border areas. It was extended in the beginning of the 21st century for resolving boundary dispute with a permanent solution between India and China. But, after all these significant events, the world’s longest and most complex boundary dispute had not been resolved till today. Rather, China has increased their aggressive territorial claim over Indian jurisdictions. As such, this environment directly affects in the both countries’ relationship that has been challenged the stabilities and peace across the Asian theatre. Thus, it provides tremendous scope to study the political geography of the India- China border dispute in the eastern sector as the Chinese has started claiming their territorial rights aggressively in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, in the eastern sector borderland.

The genus Athyrium (Woodsiaceae) in Arunachal Pradesh state, India

This paper deals with the diversity and distribution of Athyrium in Arunachal Pradesh, N.E. India. 28 species are reported here from the state. The first authentic report of Athyrium flabellulatum from Arunachal Pradesh is also made here. Taxonomic details of the species are given. The distribution pattern of species by districts is also studied using exploratory data analysis.

A new species Begonia ziroensis and a new record of Begonia siamensis from Arunachal Pradesh, Northeast India

ABSTRACT A new species, Begonia ziroensis D.Borah, Taram & M.Hughes is described herein based on collections made in Ziro Valley of Lower Subansiri District of Arunachal Pradesh. It is distinct from all other species in the region in having a combination of small deeply lobed leaves with very dense fleshy short hairs covering the ovary. Another species, Begonia siamensis, collected from Papum Pare district of Arunachal Pradesh is newly recorded for the flora of India.

An integrated FoodNet in North East India: fostering one health approach to fortify public health

BackgroundFood safety is a critical factor in promoting public health and nutrition, especially in developing countries like India, which experience several foodborne disease outbreaks, often with multidrug-resistant pathogens. Therefore, implementing regular surveillance of enteric pathogens in the human-animal-environment interface is necessary to reduce the disease burden in the country.ObjectiveTo establish a network of laboratories for the identification of major food and waterborne pathogens prevailing in the northeast region of India through integrated surveillance of animal, food, human, and environment and investigate the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of the pathogens of public health significance.MethodsThe Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has identified FoodNet laboratories; based on their geographical location, inclination to undertake the study, preparedness, proficiency, and adherence to quality assurance procedures, through an 8-step process to systematically expand to cover the Northeastern Region (NER) with comprehensive diagnostic capacities for foodborne pathogens and diarrhea outbreak investigations. Network initiated in the NER given the unique food habits of the ethnic population.FindingsThis surveillance network for foodborne enteric pathogens was established in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, and Sikkim, and expanded to other four states, i.e., Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, and Nagaland, thereby covering the entire NER by including nine medical and three veterinary centers. All these centers are strengthened with periodic training, technical support, funding, capacity building, quality assurance, monitoring, centralized digital data management, and website development.ResultsThe ICMR-FoodNet will generate NER-specific data with close to real-time reporting of foodborne disease and outbreaks, and facilitate the updating of food safety management protocols, policy reforms, and public health outbreak response. During 2020-2023, 13,981 food samples were tested and the detection of enteric pathogens ranged from 3 to 4%. In clinical samples, the detection rate of the pathogens was high in the diarrheal stools (8.9%) when 3,107 samples were tested. Thirteen outbreaks were investigated during the study period.ConclusionFoodborne diseases and outbreaks are a neglected subject. Given the frequent outbreaks leading to the deaths of children, it is crucial to generate robust data through well-established surveillance networks so that a strong food safety policy can be developed for better public health.

Acoustic and Spectral Analysis of Adi Triphthongs

Adi, a zero-resource indigenous tribal language of Arunachal Pradesh, originated in Tibeto-Burman. According to the “UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger of 2017” report, Adi is critically endangered. In this research, two new Adi triphthongs, /uai/ [uai] and /oai/ [ɔai], are proposed in the phoneme set of the Adi language. Adi has 51 phonemes, including 14 monophthongs (7 short and 7 long vowels), 19 diphthongs, two triphthongs, and 16 consonants. This research analysed Adi triphthongs’ spectral and acoustic properties, including intensity variation, long-term average spectrum (LTAS), and formant distribution. The mean of the first four formant frequencies of male and female Adi speakers is measured, which may be the identification of these two phones in the Adi speech recognition systems. Four different Adi words for each triphthong are recorded from 68 individual native Adi speakers (32 males and 36 females) in Arunachal Pradesh. This study may be helpful for phonetic modelling to build speech recognition applications for the Adi language.

Bodo Conflicts and Signing of Accords

India’s North-East region (NER), comprising of eight states- Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim, is inhabited by a large number of ethnic groups. The region is juxtaposed with a large number of challenges simultaneously- armed conflict, ethnic conflict, poverty, inequality, etc. A multicultural, poly-ethnic region, ethnicity and the ethno-nationalists sentiments of the numerous communities of the region have often led fanning political and ethnic conflicts. Ethnic violence can be categorised in three different types- first, there is violence fabricated by armed ethnic organisations in order to achieve their goals, often targeted against the government, involving rival organisations in the same ethnic groups or even against civilians belonging to other ethnic groups. Second, violence is set up by student (and other) organisations, including protests against the government through road blockades, the burning of bridges, and sometimes clashes with police or para-military forces. Third, there are inter-group clashes. Assam, the second largest state of the NER has been in turmoil and agitation since long. The Bodoland region is one of the most disturbed areas in Assam. Inhabited by various ethnic groups like the Bodos, Gorkhas, Assamese, Santhals, Bengali speaking Muslims etc., this region has witnessed several conflicts.

The Cancer Mukt Jagrukta Abhiyan-Arunachal Pradesh

The Cancer Mukt Jagrukta Abhiyan-Arunachal Pradesh is a joint project by Government of Arunachal Pradesh, Mon Indigenous Culture & Welfare Society, Chabbi Sahayog Foundation and Dev Desh Vaidyakiya Shaikshanik Samajik Pratishthan with the aim to create awareness about cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment among the residents of Arunachal Pradesh. The project will involve conducting awareness campaigns, providing training and education to healthcare professionals, and establishing cancer screening and treatment center's in the state. Cancer incidence and its related mortality has been a public health concern for Arunachal Pradesh in India. However, there is a lack of evidence about the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) for cancer risk factors, screening programme and preventive behavior – especially among indigenous tribal populations. A health camp based survey was conducted from 21st November 2023 to 28th November 2023 among an indigenous population of Tawang District Arunachal Pradesh. Snowball sampling was used to enroll 705 participants (233 were male and 472 were female). Univariate and bivariate analyses were conducted using SPSS version 23 to test the hypothesis of KAP. (There is no difference in the level of knowledge / in the attitude / level of practice among study participants with respect to any independent (socio-demographic and other) factors.) The Papumpare Cancer Registry reported the highest cancer density among women and the second highest among men among all population-based cancer registries in India (Indian Council of Medical Research, Report of National Cancer Registry Programme, Bengaluru, India 2020). Knowledge about the cause of cancer and risk factors was poor among the respondents. Attitude towards screening was negative . Practice levels to prevent cancer were also low. More than 50% of the cases were treated outside the state and at private hospitals. Knowledge about cancer symptoms and risk factors was limited in the population. There is a need for more effective health promotion services in the state. Mass screening facilities and behavioral change activities are required and could be disseminated through social media platforms. Our analysis of a north-eastern region of India, which has unique geographical and cultural characteristics, informs future policy designs and other related studies for controlling cancer in the area

The Cause and Effects of a Sudden Blackening of the River Kameng/Jiya Bharali in October 2021

A disastrous sudden blackening of the river Kameng in Arunachal Pradesh, known as the river Jiya Bharali in Assam, was studied to find its cause and effects. The water of the river suddenly turned turbid and black on October 29, 2021, causing a large-scale death of fish for several days creating panic among the surrounding people. Samples of water and sediment were collected from different locations of the river and were analysed. The results indicate an increase in TSS consisting of aluminosilicates and oxides of Fe, Mn, Co, Ni, etc., mixed with water due to landslides. Coloured metal oxides were found to cause the blackening while toxicity and suffocation due to excess of suspended microscopic particles may have led to the death of fish. Preventive and curative measures for the disaster have been suggested.

Opsarius siangi, a new Chedrinae fish species from the Brahmaputra drainage, India

Opsarius siangi sp. nov., a previously undocumented species, has been identified from Siang River, Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh, India. This newly described species is distinguished by a suite of unique morphological characteristics, notably including a complete lateral line, consisting of 65–77 scales, 32–39 pre-dorsal scales, 12–15 scales positioned between dorsal fin origin and lateral line, presence of two pairs of barbels, body depth ranging from 18.80% to 27.42% of standard length and a distinct pattern of 8–15 vertical bars adorning the body. A comprehensive genetic analysis was conducted by scrutinizing 78 Cytochrome oxidase I (COI) sequences extracted from Chedrinae fishes, with particular focus on Opsarius and Barilius genera. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that O. siangi sp. nov. occupies a distinctive clade, displaying close affinity with O. shacra. Intraspecific K2P genetic divergence, assessed at 0.02, falls well within established species delineation thresholds, while interspecific divergence in comparison to O. shacra was recorded at 0.112. Complementary species delimitation methodologies, including BIN and bPTP, further underscore taxonomic uniqueness of O. siangi sp. nov., within Chedrinae family. This description enriches our understanding of biodiversity within Siang River ecosystem and underscores the merit of employing multi-pronged approaches in taxonomic investigations.

Demonstration of lentil cultivation in rice fallow under CFLD programme by Krishi Vigyan Kendra - Tirap, Arunachal Pradesh

Demonstration of lentil cultivation in rice fallow under CFLD programme by Krishi Vigyan Kendra - Tirap, Arunachal Pradesh

Impact assessment of trainings and front-line demonstrations in black gram (Vigna mungo) cultivation of Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh

Impact assessment of trainings and front-line demonstrations in black gram (Vigna mungo) cultivation of Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh

The Orchestra Nocturne: Description For Six New Katydid Species From India (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae).

The paper describes six new species from three genera of Tettigoniidae. The paper evaluates the status of Hexacentrus Serville 1831, Phyllomimus Stl 1873 and Euconocephalus Karny 1907. Diagnostic characters for new members of each genus are described along with additional information about the ecology and distribution of species. Keys to all species of each genus is presented. Of the six, three namely H. sylavanus sp. nov., E.helleri sp. nov and E. brevicornis are recorded only from Assam. One species, E.latipennis is recorded from Arunachal Pradesh and one species P.midoriyae is recorded from both locations. One species E. malabaricum is recorded from the Alappuzha district, in Kerala. The paper also demonstrates the importance of acoustic signals in taxonomic studies.

A record of Chestnut-and-Black Royal Tajuria yajna istrodea De Nicéville, 1887 (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) from Arunachal Pradesh, India

The current study reports the first sighting and photographic evidence of Chestnut-and-Black Royal Tajuria yajna istroidea De Nicéville, 1887 from Arunachal Pradesh, India.