Gujarat Research Articles

Microplastics occurrence in commercial crab (Portunus segnis) from the western coast of India and pollution indices: First investigation and evidence

Microplastic (MP) pollution has increased drastically due to improper plastic waste management. The present study aimed to investigate the MPs contamination in the commercially important brachyuran crab Portunus segnis of Gujarat State, India. One hundred fifty crab specimens were collected from three principal fishing harbors in Gujarat. The collected specimens were analyzed for MP extraction using a previously documented protocol. The chemical composition of extracted MPs was assessed with ATR-FTIR. The average abundance of MPs contamination was recorded as 0.82 ± 0.58 MPs/g and 2.02 ± 1.48 MPs/individual. Findings of Contamination Factor (CF) revealed that study site Jakhau was identified as a low-contamination site, while Okha and Veraval were considered moderately contaminated. The H index has identified study sites Jakhau and Veraval as class IV risk categories, while study site Okha fell into the class V risk category. PRI value revealed the very high contamination of MPs in all the study sites. The guts were recorded as being more contaminated with MPs than the gills. The average abundance of MP contamination in males (0.77 ± 0.14 MPs/g in Jakhau, 1.19 ± 0.77 MPs/g in Okha, and 0.82 ± 0.43 MPs/g in Veraval) was recorded higher than in females (0.33 ± 0.11 MPs/g in Jakhau, 0.8 ± 0.49 MPs/g in Okha, and 0.75 ± 0.41 MPs/g in Veraval) in all the study sites. The average abundance of MP contamination varied significantly between males and females. Fibers were found dominantly in all study sites, followed by fragments, films, and foams. Black and blue-colored MPs with 1–2 mm sizes were found more abundantly. The chemical composition of the extracted MPs revealed polyethylene, nylon, polyurethane, and polystyrene as polymer compositions. Overall, the present study highlighted the MP contamination in commercially important crabs that can be used as a basis for further studies on ecotoxicology and seafood safety.

A Study of Sensing (S) and Intuition (N) Personality Characteristics in Selected Business School Students in Gujarat State

Personality is one of the utmost important assets of an individual which aids in categorizing the bounds of success, happiness and achievement in our life[1]. The study explores the sensing and intuitive personality dimensions of selected business school students across Gujarat state. Further, the study explores statistical differences in terms of various demographic aspects. NERIS Type Explorer® Scale was used to check the personality type of a total of 1067 management students. 69.5 per cent (742) of the respondents have a Sensing (S) personality dimension compared to 30.5 per cent (325) Intuition (N) personality dimension as dominating type. The conclusions of this research study are also reinforced by past research work which confirms that there are noteworthy differences between Sensing (S) and Intuitive (N) personality dimensions regarding selected demographic variables.

Spatiotemporal change in socioeconomic inequality in hygienic menstrual product use among adolescent girls in India during 2015–2019

BackgroundThe use of hygienic products, such as sanitary napkins, tampons, and menstrual cups, to absorb menstrual blood is vital for the health and well-being of adolescent girls in India. However, the degree of inequity in the use of such products among this subpopulation remains inadequately explored. To fill this critical knowledge gap, this study aims to investigate the spatiotemporal dynamics of hygienic product use among adolescent girls in India from 2015 to 2020.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, we analyzed data from 117,749 to 114,839 adolescent girls aged 15–19, obtained from two consecutive rounds of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) conducted in India during 2015-16 and 2019-21. Our approach involved utilizing Erreygers’ Concentration Index (ECI) and Concentration Curve to quantitatively assess and visually represent socioeconomic inequality in hygienic product usage. Additionally, we investigated the spatiotemporal variation in this inequality over the study period and decomposed the ECI to identify the key contributing factors.ResultsThe findings reveal that hygienic product usage among adolescent girls in India has increased by 13 percentage points (PP), from 37% in 2015-16 to 50% in 2019-21. This increase is also visible across all household wealth quintiles. However, the bottom quintiles experienced a greater rise (+ 15 to 16 PP) than the top quintile (+ 8 PP). During the study period, the ECI reduced marginally, from 0.48 in 2015-16 to 0.43 in 2019-21. However, the extent of this reduction varied across different states. The greatest reduction in ECI was recorded in Punjab (-0.23 points), Telangana (-0.16 points), and West Bengal (-0.14 points). In contrast, there were a number of states with high socioeconomic inequality (ECI > 0.30) in 2015-16, where inequality reduction was minimal (< 0.05 points) over the study period. This included more developed states of Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat and relatively less developed states of Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, and Assam. Some states, such as Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, recorded an increase in socioeconomic inequality over the study period, with ECI rising to 0.31 and 0.46 (highest in the country) in 2019-21. The decomposition analysis revealed that the inequality in using hygienic products was primarily explained by place of residence, exposure to mass-media, education, and region of residence.ConclusionsThe findings suggest the need for targeted policies to reduce existing socioeconomic inequality in the usage of hygienic products among adolescent girls in India. Specifically, interventions should target regions with low use of hygienic products, economically disadvantaged groups, and poor and vulnerable populations. State-specific policies and programs are also necessary to address the disparities in socioeconomic inequality. Additionally, efforts to reduce inequality should address the underlying factors contributing to inequality.

A Study on Gross Profit Ratios of Leading Dairies of Gujarat

In general economy of any of the nation is tends to the three sectors – agriculture, industries and territory services. Food industry is one of the leading part an agriculture sector. Moreover, Gujarat is the leading player in milk production worldwide. This research is targeted to examine profitability in terms of Gross profit of the dairy sector of the Gujarat state. In this research the secondary data of all leading dairies of Gujarat have been collected to evaluate the gross profit of the industry. In sense of accounting technique an application of gross profit is examined to know the financial growth of the sector. An application of descriptive statistics and inferential statistics are used to derive the results. The results are compared bases on mean, standard deviation and ANOVA. It is observed that Amul is the leading player amide all the dairy. Thus, Amul model is approached to all other dairy.

Prevalence of Haemoglobinopathy among Young College Students in Anand-Gujarat: A Premarital Screening Program for Carrier Detection of Hemoglobin Disorders

Background: Hemoglobin disorders are the leading health concern in the World including India. Effective screeningprograms, awareness campaign and proper prenatal diagnosis are the only ways to eradicate the disease. Verysparse data are available on the spectrum of haemoglobinopathies in the central part of Gujarat state. Hence, thisstudy was undertaken to find out the prevalence of haemoglobinopathies among the students of Anand People’sMedicare Society, Anand District, Gujarat, India.Methods: In this prospective study, total 2195 students were screened for haemoglobinopathies after takingclinical and familial history. A complete hemogram report was obtained by an automated hematology counterand hemoglobin variants were quantitated by performing HPLC on Bio-Rad Variant II. The prevalence ofhemoglobinopathies was 7.06%, which includes β-thalassemia trait (2.73 %), sickle cell trait (3.82%), homozygoussickle cell disease (0.09%), Hb D trait (0.22%), Hb E (0.09%) trait and other haemoglobinopathies (0.08%).Conclusion: Population groups with high gene frequency of haemoglobinopathies requires a routine premaritalscreening program, awareness and education for identification, prevention of high-risk marriages and birth ofthalassemic homozygotes.

Future Pharmacological Prospectives and Multiple Diagnostic Recognition of Traditional Medicinal Plant Ficus racemosa

A significant medicinal plant called ‘Ficus racemosa’ of the Moraceae species can be found in Southeast Asia, Australia, and India, Mainly in the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. It is frequently referred to as “gular.” Due to the presence of bergenin as a flavonoid, it acts as an anticancer. Numerous isolated active components from various portions of this plant have been discovered to possess advantageous pharmacological characteristics. According to a literature review, it has various pharmacological actions, including liver-protective activity, anti-HIV, antidiabetic, antidiarrheal, antioxidant, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, anticancer and antibacterial activities. This review study does a good job of discussing this particular plant’s traditional usage, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicity.

In Vitro Evaluation of Botanicals Against Fusarium Oxysporum Causing Wilt of Cumin

Cumin (Cuminum cyminum L), known as Zeera or Jill, belongs to the Apiaceae family. Cumin is an essential seed herb in India. The most feared disease of cumin plants is Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum, and it is a significant production constraint for growing cumin crops in Gujarat as in India. Seven different plant species have been used for the environmentally friendly treatment of this disease. Crude plant extracts were prepared with water, acetone, and cow urine as solvents at different concentrations (5%, 10%, and 15%). The in vitro antifungal activity of these plant extracts was determined by the poisoned food method. The highest inhibition was recorded with plant extracts prepared in acetone followed by cow urine. All plants showed significant antifungal activity. The highest inhibition was found with Senna alexandrina (85.53%) extract with acetone followed by Azadirachtaindic (82.72%) extract with acetone and 77.70% by Psidium guajava prepared with cow urine (at p ≤ 0.01). The lowest inhibition was recorded for Aloe barbadensis miller (35.49%) and Asparagus racemosus 48.74% with water extract. This study might be the first report of Fusarium oxysporum as a causal agent of cumin wilt in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat in India. A plant extract prepared with cow urine may be the first report of this study.

Development of a 2D hydrodynamic model for inundation assessment and flood early warning system: a case of depressed Ghed region, India

Abstract Ghed region is located in the deep western part of Gujarat state, having the cup shape geometry. The Ozat River begins near the Gir forest's hilly part and moves towards the river mouth near Navi Bandar. The part before the river mouth is called Ghed, near the coastal line. The inundation in this region occurred due to higher coastal line and cup shape geometry with an area of more than 200 km2. This research emphasized early warning of the local community aside from the region during the peak flow condition. The hydrological engineering centre-river analysis system software developed the hydrodynamic model for FEWS (flood early warning system). The model has been validated with observed water depth data at four locations from the river reach area for more precision. In this regard, various statistics have been performed to compare the observed and modelled data. The result depicts the 19 h of leg time available to evacuate the local community. After that, water takes 115 h more time to reach the river mouth due to cup-shaped region filling. This research helps the administration with the decision-making system and establishes new hydraulic structures.

A robust De-Noising Autoencoder imputation and VMD algorithm based deep learning technique for short-term wind speed prediction ensuring cyber resilience

The intermittent and stochastic characteristics of wind speed make its predictions difficult. Further, forecasting systems are dependent on the communication network for coordination and control that are far more susceptible to cyber-attacks. In order to ensure system reliability, safety & cyber resilience, different situations that may arise as a result of cyber-attacks like unexpected device power outages, sensor or communication failures, etc. which may further lead to corrupted data/outliers in datasets/missing of actual values in the datasets required for forecasting, are investigated and addressed here with the help of De-Noising Autoencoder (DAE) algorithm. Afterwards, with the aim to increase the forecast accuracy, Variational mode decomposition (VMD) algorithm is coupled with the Bidirectional long short term memory (BiDLSTM) deep learning algorithm. In order to evaluate the precision of suggested forecasting approach, this research scrutinizes number of datasets related to wind speed for two Indian cities i.e. Sadodar and Bhogat, located in State of Gujarat. In comparison to other hybrid decomposition-based forecasting algorithms presented in the literature, empirical findings acquired using the suggested hybrid DAE-VMD-BiDLSTM approach is found to be more significant and accurate.

Pharmacological and Therapeutic Potential of Cucumis callosus: a Novel Nutritional Powerhouse for the Management of Non-communicable Diseases.

Cucumis callosus (Kachri) is an under-exploited fruit of the Cucurbitaceae family, distributed majorly in the arid regions of India in the states of Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. The fruit is traditionally used by the native people at a small scale by home-level processing. It is a perennial herb that has been shown to possess therapeutic potential in certain disorders. In several studies, the antioxidant, anti-hyperlipidaemic, anti-diabetic, anti-cancerous, anti-microbial, and cardioprotective properties of Kachri have been reported. The fruit has a good nutritional value in terms of high percentages of protein, carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, phenols, and various phytochemicals. Also, gamma radiation treatment has been used on this crop to reduce total bacterial counts (TBC), ensuring safety from pathogens during the storage period of the fruit and its products. These facts lay down a foundation for the development of functional food formulations and nutraceuticals of medicinal value from this functionally rich crop. Processing of traditionally valuable arid region foods into functional foods and products can potentially increase the livelihood and nutritional security of people globally. Therefore, this review focuses on the therapeutic and pharmacological potentials of the Kachri fruit in the management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) namely, diabetes, cancer, and hyperlipidemia. Graphical abstract of the review.

GJG-9: A high yielding and stem rot tolerant Spanish bunch groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) variety for Gujarat state

A Spanish bunch groundnut genotype GJG-9 was identified based on the mean pod yield from the state level trials. It has recorded higher pod yield of 1632 kg/ha as compared to the checks viz., GG-2 (1255 kg/ha), GG-5 (1355 kg/ha) and GG-7 (1413 kg/ha). The genotype was also tested in Spanish bunch trials of AICRPG and performed better than GG-2 by 9.95% and 12.20% during kharif, 2007 and 2008, respectively with a mean increase of 11.00%. But, it was comparable with GG-7 and TG-37A. Average kernel yield of GJG-9 was 1183 kg/ha as against the checks viz., GG-2 (935 kg/ha), GG-5 (997 kg/ha) and GG-7 (1026 kg/ha). GJG-9 had recorded an average 100 kernel weight of 36.89 g, average 100 pod weight of 96.70 g and average shelling out-turn of 72.49%. The reaction against tikka, rust and collar rot, the variety was comparable to the check varieties under field conditions. However, GJG-9 was found tolerant to the stem rot as compared to the check varieties. Whereas, the damage due to thrips and jassids of GJG-9 was comparable to the check varieties. Based on the superior performance, GJG-9 has been released in 2010 for general cultivation in the kharif bunch groundnut growing areas of Gujarat State.

Patterns of tobacco use among patients visiting primary health centers in India: An exploratory study

Abstract Background: Tobacco is a public health concern at global and national levels. The state of Gujarat has 28.6% prevalence of tobacco use, 22% in males and 8% in females. Rajkot, the fourth largest and fastest growing city in Gujarat, is not free from the burden of tobacco use. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the patterns of tobacco use and utilization of tobacco cessation services in the city of Rajkot. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional observational study conducted on adult tobacco users attending rural and urban primary healthcare centers (PHCs) in Rajkot. At least 16 participants were recruited from all 75 PHCs (a total of 1152) using probability sampling. Study instruments comprised semi-structured proforma, Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence, and readiness to change questionnaire. Responses were analyzed using SPSS version 26.0. Results: A total of 1161 participants were included. Smokeless tobacco (n = 967, 83.3%) was preferred over smoking. Mava was the most common smokeless tobacco preparation consumed. The median age of onset was 28 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 22–37), and the median duration of use was 5 years (IQR: 4–10). Males had a significantly greater duration of abstinence (U = 1218.6, P = 0.002), greater readiness to quit (χ 2 [df] = 35.66 [8], P = 0.001), and anticipated success (χ 2 [df] = 28.71 [8], P = 0.004) in abstaining. While utilization of tobacco cessation services was poor overall, counseling (32.5%) and nicotine replacement therapy (19%) were the most commonly used. Conclusion: There is a need for in-depth research on tobacco use among smaller communities, upscaling harm reduction services for tobacco use. Prevention and IEC initiatives need to be revamped considering the special needs of female tobacco users.

A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY OF CHALLENGES AND BARRIERS OF PSYCHO SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT TO HIV POSITIVE STATUS FACED BY HIV POSITIVE ADOLESCENTS IN JAMNAGAR DISTRICT

Background: Adolescents constitute 22% of Indias population.There are total 5.8 million people living with HIV in India, 2018. Over 35% of all reported AIDS cases in India occur among young people in the age group of 15-24 years. Aim &amp; Objectives: To document the factors affecting the psycho- social adjustment to HIV Positive status among HIV Positive adolescents. Material &amp;Method: It was a hospital based cross sectional study (quantitative component).There were 108 HIV positive adolescents registered upto February, 2020 at ART Centre, Jamnagar (Tertiary care institute), Gujarat. Out of 108 HIV positive adolescents, I approached 84 adolescents during their regular monthly follow up visit for treatment and counselling at ART center. 24 subjects from ART register were not included in this study because either lost to follow up at ART center or death. Out of 84 subjects only 77 were disclosed their HIV status and consented to be enrolled and interviewed under the study. Pretested semi-structured questionnaire provided to participants which containing socio-demographic information, issues during transition for adjustment within the family and society and status disclosure were filled up for quantitative data. Study was approved by Institutional Ethical Committee, shrim.p.shahgovt medical college, Jamnagar, gujarat and also approved by Gujarat state AIDS Control Society, Ahmedabad. Results:Mean age of participants was 14.88 years (SD± 2.52). Most of them were boys (55.80%) and Hindu by cast (92.20%). Majority of the participants belonged to Nuclear type of family (87.01%) and living with biological parent/parents (87.01%). Majority participants had their mother positive (80.51%) followed by father (66.23%). Majority of the participants were disclosed about their status by first degree relative (mostly mother or father) (75.32%). Only 1(1.31%) participants, reported problem in consuming medicine after transition to adult clinic. Conclusion: Stigma and Discrimination plays a pivotal role in the psychological health of HIV adolescents and loss of parents was found to have a significant impact on the psycho-social adjustment among these adolescents. The knowledge regarding the spread of HIV &amp; its various routes of transmission was found to be low in some study participants.

Coastal Zones and its legal management in State of Gujarat, India

India is one of the major coastal nations in the world it has 7516.6 km. The 5422.6 km. the mainland coastline and 2094 km of island territories. The Coastal Governance is based on accordance with central and state legislation, rule, notification, guidelines issued by the competent authorities from time to time. The Coastal Regulation Zone rules and notifications are prepared by Union Environment Ministry under section 3 of the Environment Protection Act, 1986 and it's implemented by the State Coastal Management Authorities (SCMA) of the particular coastal state. The Government revised the 1991 CRZ rules and come up with CRZ 2011 even in CRZ 2011 were unable to make satisfactory provisions related to the Coastal Development and Coastal Communities. For looking at the issue related to CRZ the Government of India appointed former secretary Dr Shailesh Nayak of the Ministry of Earth Sciences formed a committee in 2014, Shailesh Nayak Committee submitted its report to the MoEF in 2015. The 6 Member Committee as per the recommendation of the committee new CRZ rules were come in to picture in the year 2018 based on the Shailesh Nayak Committee dealing with the issue of Sustainable Development based on scientific principles and global warming, hazards, coastal and marine hazard. This research paper is any analysis of various laws and regulations governing and coastal management in state of Gujarat, India.

An Assessment of Microplastic Contamination in a Commercially Important Marine Fish, Harpadon nehereus (Hamilton, 1822)

Microplastic (MP) pollution is a prevalent and global threat to fish. MP contamination was investigated in Harpadon nehereus collected from the principal fishing harbors of India’s northwest coast. A total of 213 specimens were collected from the major fishing harbors of Gujarat state (Jakhau, Okha, and Jaffrabad) and Maharashtra state (Mumbai). In the laboratory, the morphometric parameters of the specimens, such as total length and body weight, were measured. The collected specimens were analyzed for MP isolation using the previously documented protocol. MPs were quantified under a stereomicroscope, and physical parameters were recorded. All the examined specimens were found to be contaminated with MPs, with an abundance of 6.98 ± 6.73 MPs/g. The maximum contamination of MPs was recorded at the study site in Jaffrabad, followed by Jakhau, Mumbai, and Okha. Morphometric analysis of MPs revealed threads to be the most dominant shape. Black and blue MPs with a 1–2 mm size were the predominant recorded types. The chemical composition of extracted MPs revealed polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), and polyurethane (PU) as polymer compositions. Conclusively, the findings highlighted a greater menace to seafood safety due to trophic transfer, which causes a hazardous effect on human health.

A Study of Unjha Market Yard (APMC): Financial Performance

The growth of farmers is greatly aided by APMCs. The actions of the farmers in terms of selling and purchasing might be significantly impacted by APMC. The major activity to enhance the trade cycle is carried out by APMC Unjha, one of the most active APMCs in Gujarat and India. It is located in Gujarat state's Mehsana district. It belongs to a charity. In this study, we examine Unjah APMC's balance sheet and profit and loss statement. Different ratios can be utilised for financial performance analysis and generated on the basis of translating APMC terminology into corporate terms. The financial performance of APMC Unjha is gauged using a variety of factors, including the net profit ratio, current ratio, debt equity ratio, different income and expenditure ratios, and fixed asset turnover ratios. This study's primary goal is to determine the financial status using a ratio analysis.

District-level heterogeneity in overweight or obesity among women of reproductive age: A geo-spatial analysis in India.

Globally by 2030, 38% of the world's population would be overweight, and another 20% would be obese. This has led to rising concerns regarding how swiftly and substantially the world is moving towards this epidemic of "globesity". India too is facing an increased burden of overweight and obese population. The changing dietary patterns are significantly associated with the increasing prevalence of overweight/obesity and related complications, especially among women. Hence, the present study aims to observe the spatial patterns of overweight or obesity among women in reproductive age group in India and factors associated with it. The study analyzed data from a cross-sectional nationwide household survey, i.e. National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4), 2015-16. The primary outcome variable of this study was overweight/obesity among reproductive-age women, which was measured through the body mass index (BMI) of the women. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the data. Additionally, for spatial analysis in terms of overweight/obesity among women in India, univariate and bivariate Moran's I index measurements were used along with the usage of spatial regression models. The value of spatial-autocorrelation for overweight or obese was 0.64, which depicts the moderately high prevalence of the overweight/obesity coverage over districts of India. The overall prevalence overweight/obesity among women in India is around 25% and higher proportion of women from urban areas (37.8%), and non-poor (33.4%) economic group reported to be overweight or obese. From spatial lag model, the lag coefficient was found to be 0.28, implying that a change in the prevalence of overweight/obesity among women in a certain district may statistically lag the prevalence of overweight/obesity by 28% in the neighbouring districts. There were significantly high clustering of overweight/obese women and non-poor wealth quintiles in 132 districts, mainly from states of Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Additionally, there was high-high clustering of overweight/obese women and those who ever had caesarean in 82 districts, mostly from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. The spatial patterns on the prevalence of overweight and obesity in India show that the women belonging to the southern states' districts are more overweight or obese in comparison to other states. The determinants like older age, higher education, urban residence, higher economic status are the key factors contributing to the prevalence of overweight or obesity among women in the reproductive age group. The study concludes and recommends an urgent need of interventions catering to urban women belonging to higher socio-economic status, to reduce the risks of health consequences due to overweight and obesity.

Soil Related Issues of South Gujarat, India

The soil related issues have been ever since farming on soils initiated. But, it is critically intensified in recent decades because of growing population which posing serious threat to the sustained agricultural production and food security. South Gujarat faces formidable challenge with its lengthy coastal line, salt affected soils, high rainfall areas, hilly undulated territory, irrigated plains and highly industrialize. These challenges will be much severe in the next decades due to issues related to land resources and declining water availability. The South Gujarat has 21.01 lakh ha total geographical area (10.75% of state TGA) which sustains 122.90 lakh populations i.e. 20.36% of the Gujarat state. More than 25 per cent land of total geographical area of south Gujarat is affected with various soil issues which are comparatively much higher than the state (15.95%). The issues are related to soil degradation mainly by soil erosion through water, followed by exclusive salinity, decline in the above ground biomass resulted from deforestation/overgrazing and human interventions that include mining, industrial activities and urbanization. The present paper delivers a brief account of soil issues and causes with special reference to the South Gujarat.

Quantifying the influence of climate, host and change in land-use patterns on occurrence of Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) and development of spatial risk map for India

Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), is an emerging zoonosis globally and in India. The present study focused on identifying the risk factors for occurrence of CCHF in the Indian state of Gujarat and development of risk map for India. The past CCHF outbreaks in India were collated for the analyses. Influence of land use change and climatic factors in determining the occurrence of CCHF in Gujarat was assessed using Bayesian spatial models. Change in maximum temperature in affected districts was analysed to identify the significant change points over 110 years. Risk map was developed for Gujarat using Bayesian Additive Regression Trees (BART) model with remotely sensed environmental variables and host (livestock and human) factors. We found the change in land use patterns and maximum temperature in affected districts to be contributing to the occurrence of CCHF in Gujarat. Spatial risk map developed using CCHF occurrence data for Gujarat identified density of buffalo, minimum land surface temperature and elevation as risk determinants. Further, spatial risk map for the occurrence of CCHF in India was developed using selected variables. Overall, we found that combination of factors such as change in land-use patterns, maximum temperature, buffalo density, day time minimum land surface temperature and elevation led to the emergence and further spread of the disease in India. Mitigation measures for CCHF in India could be designed considering disease epidemiology and initiation of surveillance strategies based on the risk map developed in this study.

Impacts of Training Rural Dairy Producers in India: Role of Dairy Vigyan Kendra

The state of Gujarat, home to a vibrant network of dairy cooperatives, plays a significant role in milk production, accounting for 7.69% of the country’s total milk output. It ranked fifth in milk production among all Indian states and union territories in 2017–18. The state piloted a unique and specialised dairy extension program for dairy farmers through Dairy Vigyan Kendra (DVK) to promote dairy farming in its Panchmahal district. The DVK aimed to train rural dairy farmers and improve their socio-economic conditions. This study examines how DVK interventions increase the income from dairy, the herd size and milk production of the beneficiary farmers in the Panchmahal district. The result shows that farmers’ participation in DVK training increased their income from dairying. Further, the results highlighted that DVK intervention significantly increased milk production in the Panchmahal district. Our results conclude that the government can replicate the DVK training model in other districts of Gujarat, helping millions of dairy farmers enhance their skills and obtain more output and income from dairy farming.