Government Of Assam Research Articles

Survey on Quality of Life Profiling of Frontline Forest Personnel of Manas National Park

<p><strong>INTRODUCTION</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Manas National Park is a UNESCO Natural World Heritage site and a Project Tiger reserve, an elephant reserve and a biosphere reserve in Assam, India. Located in the foothills of the Himalayas, it is contiguous with the Royal Manas National Park in Bhutan. The park is known for its rare endangered and endemic wildlife such as the Assam roofed turtle, hispid hare, golden langur and pygmy hog. Manas is also famous for its population of the wild water buffalo.</p><p>Presently, Aaranyak is implementing working on a project viz. The Manas Tiger Conservation Programme (MTCP). It is led by Aaranyak and being implemented in partnership with the Forest Department BTC, Wildlife Conservation Trust, Panthera and Awely. The project has been supported by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The Goal of the Project is to achieve 50% increase in tiger population in the next 10 years with enhanced protection measures, research and working on livelihood on the fringe area communities of MNP.</p><p>The scope of the survey is to understand the knowledge, skills and attitude of the target group in relation to their work place environment and job responsibilities. The objective is to assess their needs and quality of life in so far as conditions prevalent within the camps and the community in the fringe areas are concerned. The data collected will enable the framing of appropriate measures to enhance holistic growth and efficiency in the functioning of the frontline staff and better protection of MNP. </p><p><strong>GEOGRAPHICAL COVERAGE</strong></p><p><strong></strong>The project covered 500 sq. km area of the park, more than 300 forest personnel are engaged spreading over 60 Camps to protect the rich flora and fauna of this World Heritage Site.</p><p><strong>OBJECTIVES</strong></p><p><strong></strong>To understand the quality of life in so far as conditions prevalent within the camps and the community in the fringe areas are concerned.</p><p>To understand the gap in knowledge, skills and attitude of the forest workers in relation to their work place environment and job responsibilities.</p><p><strong>TARGET GROUP</strong></p><p><strong></strong>The survey included frontline forest personnel working in Manas National Park, under Bodoland Territorial Council, Government of Assam.</p>

Role of Media and Government towards Sustainable Development in Assam

<p>The North-East of India has been a hotly debated territory of India with voices coming up from different states such as Nagaland, Manipur and Assam demanding separate nations for themselves. These separatist agitations have got further confounded with a constant influx of Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh which began to impinge on the local cultural identities and demographics. This resulted in a prolonged militancy coupled with agitations yielding space for the Pakistani/Sri Lanka/Bangladesh based militants to infiltrate into India through porous borders of the North East and engage some disgruntled ultra outfits in the North East to wage a battle against India. In fact, Naga agitation for separate country bears a lot of similarity with the LTTE’s struggle for separate Eelam in Sri Lanka. Both have a lot of diaspora support and web-based campaign movements (Maya Ranganathan, 2010: 127-149). All these developments have complicated the prospects of the economic and industrial growth in this region. This resulted in the staggering illiteracy and unemployment for over a decade. Towards addressing the problems of the region, the government of India has taken a political decision to establish as many as seven central universities under its direct funding to ensure that the region gets the best education which might contribute further for enhanced employment opportunities in the region. Also, various department under Assam Government such as the Tourism Department, Health Department, Education Department, Social welfare Department etc has been provided with e-governance facilities for the users. The study assumes significance from the point of view that how far the e-services of various departments leads to the sustainable growth of the state and what is the role of media, government and educational institutes to improve the sustainable growth of the states through e-services.</p>

Factors Determining the Membership of Farmer’s in Producer Organization (PO) a Study in the Assam State of India

Aim of this study to document the factors that influence farmer’s participation in producer organizations. To address these issues, the Government of Assam decided to mobilize farmers in the form of Producer organization (PO). Producer organization meant for effective management of agriculture in a specific crop field. The history of Producer Organizations indicates that after performing successfully for a period of time it almost defunct. For sustainability of Producer Organizations, factors influencing its membership pattern need to be studied. Therefore, this study was conducted in Jorhat District of Assam to address this issue. Total 240 respondents were selected (120 members and 120 non-members of Producer Organizations) by using multistage sampling technique. The instrument for data collection was questionnaire that consists of two sections. Section one contained Individual level information i.e. Age, Education, Gender, Caste, Organizational participation, Extent of public extension contact. Section two had Family level/ house hold information i.e. Primary source of income, Size of the family, annual family income, Size of operational land holding. The t test indicated that there were significant difference between age, operational land holding, the extent of government extension contact, the primary source of income and annual family income of members’ and non-members’ means in these characteristics, both the groups were heterogeneous. From forward stepwise regression analysis, it was found that extension contact, operational land holding, annual family income and caste influences the membership pattern of Producer Organization. These variables together explained 67.50 per cent (Adjusted R2 =0.675) of the variance of effective factors on farmer’s membership pattern toward producer organizations. The study recommended that extension machinery should give emphasise on these factors and manipulate these factors for enrolling more farmers.

Maternal mortality: scenario, causes and prevention of the tragedy in Indian context with special consideration to Assam, India

Though child birth gives joy to mother and family, yet this joy may transform to tragedy in the event of maternal death. Maternal mortality has been identified as a priority on health policy and research agendas for developing countries. MMR has been decreased from 398/100,000 live births in 1997 to 178 in 2013 India and 347 in 2011 to 301 in 2013 in Assam, India. Maternal death may occur during antenatal, intranatal or postnatal period thus necessitating services during these periods. For pregnant women during antenatal, intranatal or postpartum period – ante natal care services, institutional delivery, access to basic emergency obstetric care (BEmOC) and comprehensive emergency obstetric care ( CEmOC), post natal care, referral services should be provided. In the event of injection oxytocin not being available due to constraints of optimal storage conditions or other logistical barriers, misoprostol is recommended to be given for prevention of PPH. Government of India policies and strategies (NPP/RCH II) have focused on enhancing-access and availability of comprehensive abortion care services in both the public and private sector. Maternal death review should be done in case of any maternal death to find out the associated factors. “Maternal near miss” surveillance is an effective tool for improving safe motherhood programs. Government of Assam has kept goal 2 under Assam bikas yojna: reduction in maternal mortality ratio to 210 per 100000 live births. Some planned strategy taken for achieving this goal. But for success in reducing maternal death the community will need to be involved not only through educating them about the signs and symptoms of emergency but also to develop appropriate mechanisms for ensuring that women in distress get the quality care .

Teaching learning materials in the early childhood care and education centre in Golaghat district of Assam

The Early Childhood Care and Education favour on the holistic development of the child and prepares child for school. It is expected to provide necessary maturational and experimental readiness to the child for meeting the demands of primary school curriculum. Early childhood development is therefore globally acknowledged as a significant input for lifelong development and successful completion of primary education. The objective of the study is toassess the availability of the teaching learning materials in the early childhood care and education center and to assess the acceptability of teaching learning materials by young children. The schools were from both the urban areas and the rural areas of Golaghat district of Assam. For selection of the samples 20 numbers of schools from each of the five educational blocks were selected.Achecklist has been preparedfor the teachers ofthe earlychildhood care and education centers. For analysis of surveyed data the interview schedule was thoroughly coded and appropriates tables were designed. Preliminary analytical devices expressed in frequency and percentages were used. The observation method was mainly used in the study to see the acceptability of teaching learning materials by young children. 98 per cent of the schools were having the teaching learning materials for the early childhood care and education. 60 per cents replied that the teaching learning materials were locally prepared, 92 per cent of the teachers also replied that the teaching learning materials was supplied from the Government of Assam. The children are more involved with activities when the teaching learning materials are administered to them. It has been observed that the children acceptance is more and learning is more effective with the use of teaching learning materials and the environment created is more joyful and child centric.

Revenue Mobilization Effort of Special Category States: The Case of Assam in North-east India

Liberal resource transfer from the centre to economically backward states in India has ensured overcoming the mismatch between revenue generated and expenditure commitments of the states. From the point of view of long-term fiscal sustainability of states, however, greater effort to generate enough resources as per the potential of individual states is important, which makes the issue of revenue effort significant. Based on secondary data, this article is an attempt to analyze revenue mobilization efforts of the Government of Assam during 1991–2010. By examining the issues of arrears of uncollected tax and non-tax revenue, cost of collection of different taxes and duties, and cost recovery of different services, the study confirms low-revenue efforts on the part of the state government. The time series regression analysis between ‘per-capita own tax revenue’ and ‘per capita GSDP of the state’ and ‘per-capita revenue expenditure of the state in the previous year’ also confirms low-revenue efforts, necessitating the need of extra tax effort on the part of the state government. JEL Classification: H20, H27, C4

Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology, Paschim Boragaon, Garchuk, Guwahati 781 035

Established in the year 1979 by the Assam Science Society and subsequently supported by the Assam government, IASST was adopted as an autonomous R&D institute by the Department of Science and Technology in March 2009. Research achievement during the year 2014 has been highlighted under its various programmes.

Rural Tourism Development: A Study on Perception Local Community and Tourist of Durgapur Rural Tourism Project in the Golaghat District of Assam

Rural tourism includes a range of activities, services and amenities provided by farmers and rural people to attract tourists to their area in order to generate extra income for their business. This type of tourism enhances the revenue of government of a country as well as earnings of the rural community. The Assam government at present introduced four rural tourism projects at four resourceful villages of Assam. The present study makes an attempt to evaluate the performance of Durgapur Rural Tourism Project with a view to examine the potentialities and challenges of the project. The study observed that although the village has resourceful commodities but the site has been suffering since its inception to attract the tourist affecting into sustainability of the project and strategy of the government. To ensure the increase in the revenue of the project as well as local community, it is necessary to moderate the site with resourceful rural activities that can attract the tourist easily and also adopt steps for monitoring the site regularly by appointing some agency. The study also recommended that advertising and promotional campaign must be introduced to ensure the rise of number of tourist.

An Analytical Study of the Procedures Followed in Admitting Students to the Medical and Engineering Courses in Assam

Government of Assam holds a Combined Entrance Examination (CEE) for admission to the MBBS/BDS/BAMS/BE and B.Tech. programmes in different government and private medical and engineering colleges/institutions of Assam. Admission of students in these programmes is done on the basis of the scores obtained in the CEE only. The performance in the +2 level Board examination is taken only as the eligibility criterion. As a result, a number of students securing high positions in the Board examinations conducted by Assam Higher Secondary Council (AHSC) or CBSE fails to qualify in the CEE. They cannot pursue engineering or medicine in spite of securing high positions in the Board examination. Moreover, the Combined Entrance Examination (CEE) put emphasis basically on theoretical knowledge, whereas the programmes in engineering and medicine demand practical skills along with the theoretical knowledge. Thus a need is felt to re-examine the criteria for admission to the engineering and medical courses offered in different institutes of Assam. The study reveals that no minimum cut-off marks in CEE is specified for a candidate taking admission in the BE/B.Tech courses. A candidate may be placed in the merit list even if she/he gets zero in the CEE. There is a provision of awarding bonus marks to the sons and daughters of the employees of the Department of Technical Education for admission to the engineering courses. However, such provision is not given in case of medical admission.

Scalable, sustainable cost-effective surgical care: a model for safety and quality in the developing world, part I: challenge and commitment.

With an estimated backlog of 4,000,000 patients worldwide, cleft lip and cleft palate remain a stark example of the global burden of surgical disease. The need for a new paradigm in global surgery has been increasingly recognized by governments, funding agencies, and professionals to exponentially expand care while emphasizing safety and quality. This three-part article examines the evolution of the Operation Smile Guwahati Comprehensive Cleft Care Center (GCCCC) as an innovative model for sustainable cleft care in the developing world. The GCCCC is the result of a unique public-private partnership between government, charity, and private enterprise. In 2009, Operation Smile, the Government of Assam, the National Rural Health Mission, and the Tata Group joined together to work towards the common goal of creating a center of excellence in cleft care for the region. This partnership combined expertise in medical care and training, organizational structure and management, local health care infrastructure, and finance. A state-of-the-art surgical facility was constructed in Guwahati, Assam which includes a modern integrated operating suite with an open layout, advanced surgical equipment, sophisticated anesthesia and monitoring capabilities, central medical gases, and sterilization facilities. The combination of established leaders and dreamers from different arenas combined to create a synergy of ambitions, resources, and compassion that became the backbone of success in Guwahati.

Adivasis in Assam Issues and Concent

Adivasis of Assam, whose forefathers had migrated to Assam Tea Gardens in search of their food and livelihood as the labourers, today, they are popularly known as Tea Tribes. These tea tribes are not enlisted in the list of Scheduled tribes by the Assam government, though; their brethrens are scheduled tribes in Chotanagpur of central India. Surprisingly, the Scheduled tribes of Assam also do net recognize them as the tribe; and their agony and apathy often results into conflict and bloodshed. This paper deals with the background of Adivasis in Assam in the first part, and the second part deals with the Socio-economic situation of Adivasis of Assam. In the third part, a discussion on the concept of tribe as understanding the tribe has been done, and finally some issues and concern for Adivasis have been discussed.

English

Neonatal tetanus is a fatal disease of newborn acquired when the spores of the bacterium Clostridium Tetani infect a wound or the umbilical stump. Neonatal tetanus can be prevented by immunization of pregnant women with two doses of tetanus toxoid, and clean delivery practices. A neonate presented to a tertiary care hospital with neonatal tetanus. The baby was born to an unimmunized mother, with no aseptic measures taken during delivery and application of goat excreta and mustard oil in umbilical stump but residing within reach of health care services. Government of Assam, under National Rural Health Mission and Janani Suraksha Yojana has taken all efforts to ensure complete immunization of pregnant mothers and to increase institutional delivery. Inspite of all efforts, failure of the health care services to reach the parents of the present case shows that much remains to be done to prevent neonatal tetanus.

Mortality pattern in non human primates in Assam, India

Aim: The study was conducted to know the mortality pattern in non human primates in Assam. Materials and Methods: A total of 27 deaths were recorded in six different species of non human primates of Assam State Zoo and Department of Forest and Environment, Government of Assam during the period from August, 2009 to December, 2009. The cause of death was determined on the basis of gross and histopathological examinations conducted at Department of Pathology, College of Veterinary Science, Assam Agricultural University, Khanapara, Guwahati, Assam. Results: The causes of death attributed to specific diseases in non human primates were tuberculosis (22.22%), pneumonia (18.57%), enteritis (11.11%), encephalitis (11.11%), nephritis (11.11%), septicaemia (03.7%), malignant neoplasm (03.7%), zygomycotic gastritis (03.7%), traumatic injury (03.7%), poisoning (03.7%), stress (03.7%) and senility (03.7%). Conclusion: The study viewed that it is important to know the causes of death of non human primates for preservation and conservation of these endangered wild species.

Pathological changes in nephritis cases of non‐human primates in Assam

ABSTRACTBackground and aim: Occurrence of nephritis in non‐human primates is not common. The present study examined 27 carcasses of non‐human primates of Assam State Zoo and Department of Forest and Environment, Government of Assam, during the period from December 2007 to November 2009. Methods: Tissue samples were collected in 10% formol saline solution to be processed, sectioned and stained by routine histopathological procedures. Whenever warranted, special staining such as Brown and Brenn, Zeihl‐Neelsen's and modified Periodic Acid‐Schiff stains were used as per standard techniques. Results: Out of 27 non‐human primates, two rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) and one slow loris (Nycticebus coucang) died due to nephritis. At postmortem examination, grossly the kidneys were enlarged and pale in colour and the microscopic picture revealed acute glomerulonephritis characterized by increased cellularity of glomeruli. The swollen glomerular tufts with leucocytic infiltration completely occupied the Bowman's capsular space. Conclusions: Death due to nephritis was 11.11% in non‐human primates of Assam State Zoo and Department of Forest and Environment, Government of Assam.

An Analysis of Revenue Mobilization Effort of Government of Assam in Recent Decades

India is a federal state with constitutional demarcation of financial powers and responsibilities between the center and the states.. To perform its function effectively, state governments need sufficient amount of revenues which depend on the fiscal health of the states. Deterioration in the fiscal health disrupts the normal functioning of the economy and creates macroeconomic instability (Olekalns and Cashin, 1998; Lledoh, 2009). The state governments have larger expenditure responsibilities compared to its revenue sources (Lahiri, 2000). The constitution thus directs the central government to transfer resources.As Assam is a backward state heavily dependent on Central Transfers for developmental works, it is necessary that the revenue mobilization effort of the state government should be adequate to gain more benefit from central transfers. Along with that, the state should improve its revenue mobilization efforts to increase its own tax and non-tax revenue collection. The paper is an attempt to analyze the revenue mobilization efforts of the government to mobilize more resources from own revenue sources and central transfers for developmental effectiveness of the state government.

The Bitter Brew

Assam, a state in Northeast India, has been experiencing the problem of militancy for over two decades. Tea was a major industry in the state and due to its pivotal position, militants had been excessively harassing it. Tata Tea Limited (TTL), a subsidiary of a 125-year old and well respected conglomerate, the House of Tatas, was one of the largest players in the tea industry in the region. The company had never succumbed to militants' pressure of parting with money but had acted as a responsible corporate citizen by involving itself in substantial community development initiatives. Under one such initiative — the Special Medical Assistance Scheme — a leader of a militant outfit has been treated for pregnancy and accompanying life-threatening health problem in a hospital in Mumbai. After childbirth and treatment, when she was about to board a flight to Delhi, the Assam government with the help of Mumbai police arrested her on a tip off. The arrest led to the controversial allegation that TTL had been funding terrorists in Assam. Based on press and published reports, this case unfolds the whole episode with relevant background and raises debatable ethical issues that are universally relevant for business in today's environments.

Book Reviews : Arun Chandra Bhuyan and Sibopada De, eds. Political History of Assam, Volume Two, 1920-1939. Gauhati: Government of Assam, Department for the Preparation of Political History of Assam, 1978. Pp.xxii+394. Price Rs 30.00

Book Reviews : Arun Chandra Bhuyan and Sibopada De, eds. Political History of Assam, Volume Two, 1920-1939. Gauhati: Government of Assam, Department for the Preparation of Political History of Assam, 1978. Pp.xxii+394. Price Rs 30.00

Book Reviews

THE IRISH COUNTRYMAN. AN ANTHROPOLOGICAL STUDY. By CONRAD M. ARENSBERG. London: Macmillan. 8½ × ½. Pp. xi + 2l6. 10s. 6d. Reviewed by J. H. H. LIFE IN A HAITIAN VALLEY. By MELVILLE J. HERSKOVITS. Illustrated. Pp. 350 + xi + xix. A.A.Knopf. New York, London. $4.00 net. Reviewed by E. Dora Earthy. HANDWÖRTERBUCH DES DEUTSCHEN ABERGLAUBENS, Ed. by HANNS BÄCHTOLD-STÄUBLI, Vol. VII, Walter de Gruyter & Co., Berlin. 1935–1936. Reviewed by M. Gaster. MOTIF-INDEX OF LITHUANIAN NARRATIVE FOLK-LORE ; by JONAS BALYS ; Folk-Lore Studies, vol. II (Publications of the Lithuanian Folk-Lore Archives); pp. xxxvii and 295 ; Kaunas, 1936 ; price not stated. Reviewed by Kenneth Jackson. THE FOUNDATIONS OF FAITH AND MORALS. Riddell Memorial Lectures at Armstrong College, Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the University of Durham. By B. MALINOWSKI. Oxford University Press. Humphrey Milford. 2s. 6d. net. Pp. 62. 1936. Reviewed by E. O. James. THE RENGMA NAGAS. By J. P. MILLS. Published by direction of the Government of Assam. Pp. x + 381 +17 plates. 8½ × ½. (Macmillan, London, 1937.) 25s. Reviewed by J. H. Hutton.

Social Anthropology at Cambridge

DR. JOHN HENRY HUTTON, of St. John's College, Cambridge, who is to succeed Prof. T. C. Hodson, was educated at Chigwell School, and Worcester College, Oxford. Dr. Hutton was appointed lecturer in the Faculty of Archaeology and Ethnology at Cambridge last year, on his retirement from the Indian Civil Service. He entered the Service in 1909, serving under the Government of Assam, and being awarded the honour of C.I.E. in 1920. In addition to his administrative duties, Dr. Hutton was responsible as honorary director for the ethnographic survey of the tribes of Assam, and himself produced two volumes, one on the Angami Nagas (1921) and one on the Sema Nagas (1929) in the series of monographs on the Naga tribes published under the auspices of the Assam Government. Dr. Hutton's abilities as an anthropologist and as an organizer of survey work in anthropology and demography were recognized when he was seconded from the service of the Assam Government to take charge of the Census of India, 1931. As superintendent of the Census, he wrote an introductory study of the ethnic problem involved in the composition of the population of India, summing up and analysing the evidence which has accrued since the publication of Sir H. H. Risley's Census of 1901 and calling for modification in the views then put forward. Reference was made to Dr. Hutton's work in NATURE of September 5, 1936, p. 394. Mr. Gregory Bateson, of St. John's College, Cambridge, has been elected to the William Wyse studentship in social anthropology in the University of Cambridge for a period of three years. Mr. Bateson is the author of the recently published work “Naven” (see NATURE of March 13, p. 454) in which he gives an account of some of his observations among the latmul tribes in an expedition to the Sepik River, New Guinea, in 1933, and elaborates an extension of the ‘functional’ method in sociological investigation.

Dr. J. H. Hutton

IT is announced that Dr. John Henry Hutton has been appointed a lecturer in the Faculty of Archaeo logy and Anthropology in the University of Cam bridge, for a period of three years as from October 1. When the intention to appoint a lecturer in this Faculty was notified in the course of last term, it was intimated that a special knowledge of the peoples of India would be a requirement. In this respect, Dr. Hutton's qualifications are beyond question. As a member of the Indian Civil Service, which he entered in 1909 after taking his degree at Worcester College, Oxford, Dr. Hutton has made a special study of the ethnography of the Nagas of Assam. Not only is he himself the author of two of the volumes in the series of monographs published under the auspices of the Government of Assam, one dealing with the Angami Nagas (1921) and the other with the Sema Nagas (1922), as well as a contributor of numerous papers on Naga culture to scientific periodicals, but he has also so stimulated and organized the researches of his colleagues that the hill tribes of Assam are now as well, or even better known to anthropological science than any other comparable population of India. When Dr. Hutton was seconded under the Government of India to take charge of the Census of India, 1931, it was generally felt that no more suitable selection could have been made. His introduction to the Report marked him as no unworthy successor to the late Sir Herbert Risley. However much opinions may differ as to the validity of the conclusions on the racial history of India at which Dr. Hutton arrived in that remarkable document, it cannot be denied that he has shown a notable breadth of out look in grasping the essentials of his problem in their archaeological and historical perspective, combined with a detailed knowledge of the multifarious facts, which is without rival in the Indian field.