Indian National Research Articles

Alignment of India's National Education Policy 2020 with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals: A Path towards Quality Education for All

This research paper endeavors to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the intricate alignment existing between India's National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) and the globally endorsed United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The primary focus of this analysis is directed towards the concerted pursuit of furnishing universally accessible quality education, transcending all barriers. Through a meticulous dissection of NEP 2020's fundamental tenets and an astute juxtaposition with pertinent SDGs, this paper strives to offer profound insights into the trajectory of India's advancement in its mission to establish an educational landscape characterized by inclusivity and equitable opportunities for all learners. The elucidation of this alignment underscores the symbiotic relationship between national policy frameworks and the overarching global agenda for sustainable development. Moreover, this exploration sheds light on the strategies and paradigms that underpin India's multifaceted efforts to forge a cohesive pathway towards fostering an educational milieu that is not only conducive to learning but also empowers individuals to become active contributors to the sustainable development narrative.

Review on the recent infectious diseases in the State of God’s own country

The burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases is increasing in Kerala. Despite the State’s past success in keeping a variety of communicable diseases under control, the recent research of Dengue, Malaria, Leptospirosis, Hepatitis, Chikungunya and H5N1 has resulted in a marked rise in morbidity and mortality. Infectious diseases continue to be the main causes of morbidity and mortality in humans and animals with enormous healthcare costs in India. Over the past few years, Kerala, a state in the nation of India, has conflicted with nature. The nation’s diverse terrains, extreme geoclimatic variations, and unequal population distribution exhibit distinctive patterns of viral illness dispersion. The state of Kerala has faced a significant public health issue over the past decade due to the resurgence of infectious illnesses, resulting in elevated rates of both mortality and morbidity. Methodology: This review article aims to investigate and discuss epidemics that are known to have happened during the 21st century. For this purpose, the investigator has done a literature review through Google Scholar and PubMed. All articles pertaining to reported infections in the state of Kerala and factors contributing to the outbreak of an infection were chosen for inclusion in the review. Results: From a number of sources, we culled a selection of articles covering the topic of viral infections. We found that many people in the Kerala state have fallen victim to and suffered many deaths from bacterial infectious diseases like chikungunya fever, scrub typhus fever, rotavirus diarrhea, the break bone fever, Nipah virus, Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFDV), leptospirosis, COVID-19 and monkeypox in the past decade. The people of Kerala are fortunate to have access to excellent medical care, and the government has recently begun to prioritize illness prevention and control. Conclusion: This report emphasizes the Kerala’s infectious disease management strategy and the necessity for other Indian states to emulate it. States can prevent disease spread and protect residents by taking comparable steps.

Of histories (un)shared: India – Pakistan, postage stamps, and 1857

ABSTRACT While much has been written about how imperialist and Indian nationalist historiographies have approached 1857, scant attention has been paid to how it has been remembered in Pakistan. This article endeavours to explore the ways in which 1857 has been articulated by the state in India and Pakistan through a study of their commemorative postage stamps. On the face of it, India's emphasis on nonviolence and Pakistan's quest for an Islamic history make 1857 a misfit within the historiographies of both states. However, the paper outlines that during the centenary in 1957, both India and Pakistan commemorated 1857 while maintaining some discursive distance from it. While Pakistan chose to memorialise it as the beginning of its struggle for independence, India recessed it within the broader framework of independence itself. The paper goes on to demonstrate how this position has changed drastically over the years. In order to weave a composite and inclusive history of the country, India now celebrates the legacy of 1857 by appropriating it within the frames of national unity, patriotism, and anti-imperialism. Pakistan, on the other hand, uses 1857 merely as a means to segue into a discussion of reform efforts led by the subcontinent's Muslim elite, thereby relegating it to the background of the Pakistan movement.

Nutrition education and counselling by frontline health and nutrition care workers is associated with improved iron adherence among pregnant women: evidence from the National Family Health Surveys, 2015-21

Background: Anaemia is a global public health problem affecting developing and developed countries with major consequences for human health and social and economic development. Methods: This paper attempted to understand the determinants of iron adherence among women of reproductive age during their last pregnancy in India and states/union territories, the iron deficiency being associated with anaemia, using multiple logistic regression analyses of data from the fourth (2015-16) and fifth (2019-21) rounds of the India National Family Health Survey. The individual unit-level data were analysed using Stata 17 software. Results: After adjusting for standard covariates, it was found that those who reported receiving counselling by a frontline health worker and/or antenatal care visits were much more likely to consume at least 90 days of iron-containing supplements. Results shows that for NFHS-4 women who had received counselling from a frontline health and nutrition care worker were 1.489 times (95% CI: 1.429-1.553) to adhere to at least 90 days of iron tablets or syrup after adjusting for potential confounders and for NFHS-5 women who had received counselling from a frontline worker were 1.162 times (95% CI :1.124-1.200) more likely to adhere to IFA supplements or syrup for at least 90 days. Conclusions: Based on insights from these analyses, it appears that counselling seems to be effective in making women aware of the benefits of IFA, thus increasing the likelihood of intake of iron-containing supplements. Counselling seems to be an important predictor of adherence to iron intake in India.

Cross-country comparison of sustainable e-commerce entrepreneurship impact on sustainable development goals implementation: The case study of Germany and India

E-commerce plays a significant role in driving global economic growth, and the integration of sustainable practices into business has given rise to the concept of Sustainable E-commerce Entrepreneurship (SEE). As the number of SEE initiatives continues to grow, examining their impact on implementing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) becomes crucial. This study aims to explore the disparities between German and Indian SEEs regarding their perspectives on SDG implementation. This study presents a unique approach by comparing the viewpoints of e-commerce entrepreneurs in the Indian National Capital Region of New Delhi and the Berlin-Brandenburg Region in Germany regarding SDG implementation through SEE activities. The interviewees from both countries were asked about three key aspects: (1) the current impact of SEE on SDGs implementation, (2) the future impact of SEE on a specific category of SDGs, and (3) whether e-commerce should be seen as a source of global patterns for SDGs implementation or should be tailored to local needs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather data, and the scripted interviews were analyzed with the assistance of ATLAS.ti software. The study collected semi-structured interviews with ten Indian and nine German SEEs. The study’s findings indicate that German SEEs place a greater emphasis on SDGs related to the biosphere compared to their Indian counterparts. This divergence in prioritization aligns with the socio-economic challenges currently faced by Indian society, which influences their focus on social and economic SDGs. Indian SEEs do not foresee significant contributions to improving the biosphere through SEE activities in the future. In contrast, German SEEs demonstrate an idealistic perspective on SDG implementation, with a stronger emphasis on the biosphere category of SDGs.

Evaluation of The Indian National Education Policy 2020 With Regard to Achieving Its Goals

The advantages of various innovations and the anticipated effects of NEP 2020 on the Indian higher education system are explored

Post-Colonial Consumer Respect and the Framing of Neocolonial Consumption in Advertising

Abstract This study of the production, representation, and reception of post-colonial advertising in India reveals a politics of consumer respectability. The post-colonial politics of consumer respectability is located at the intersection of center–periphery relations, class divisions, and colorism in a way that it frames neocolonial consumption. Advertisers depict middle-class consumer respectability by asserting Indian nationalism and by degrading the West as a symbol of colonialism. Such depictions are class- and color-based and show under-class and dark-skinned consumers in subordinate positions. Furthering such neocolonial frames of consumption, Indian advertising advances the middle-class desire for Eurocentric modernity by reinforcing the colonial trope of India as temporally lagging behind the West. Finally, middle-class consumer respectability involves a neocolonial whitening of self with epidermalized shaping of inter-corporeality and agency. In uncovering the theoretical implications of advertising as a site of avenging degradation, desiring modernity, and whitening of self, this study contributes by offering insights into how the politics of post-colonial consumer respectability furthers neocolonial frames of consumption.

India’s Role in SAARC

SAARC has come a long way since 1980 when the late president ZiaurRahman of Bangladesh first issued a formal call for regional co-operation, envisaging a meeting of heads of the State or Government of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Srilanka. That the imperatives for such a call stemmed from Bangladesh and that it received instant support from the smaller states of South Asia gave rise to speculation in some quarters about the impulse among the smaller states for gaining additional multilateral setting. India’s efforts towards regional co-operation and integration are particularly noticeable. It was during the Indian struggle for freedom that closer collaboration with fellow Asians became one of the basis objectives of Indians. It was as early as 1920, C.R. Das, President of the Indian National Congress, urged Indian participation in an Asian Federation which he regarded as inevitable. The need for Asian Federation was again stressed in the Congress Session of 1926. A resolution this effect was adopted by the organization in 1928.

High-risk pregnancy in India: Prevalence and contributing risk factors - a national survey-based analysis.

High-risk pregnancies (HRP) place women and their offspring at the highest risk for morbidity and mortality. Maternal and medical risks increase pregnancy risk and complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Here, we reported the current prevalence of high-risk pregnancies among Indian women, which is defined through various factors such as maternal, lifestyle, medical, current health risk and adverse birth outcomes. This is a cross-sectional study based on secondary data from India's National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5). A total of 23 853 currently pregnant women were considered for analysis after considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The prevalence and contributing factors of high-risk pregnancies were estimated using descriptive statistics and logistic regression, respectively. The prevalence of high-risk pregnancies among Indian women was 49.4%, with 33% of women having a single high-risk, and 16.4% having multiple high-risk pregnancies. Notably, pregnant women from Meghalaya and Manipur states had 67.8% and 66.7% with one or more high-risk factors, respectively. About 31.1% of women had short birth spacing, and 19.5% of women had adverse birth outcomes during the last birth. Logistic regression analysis showed that women with no education (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.02; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.84-2.22) and the poorest wealth quintile (AOR = 1.33; 95% CI = 1.04-1.29) had significantly higher odds of having HRP than those with higher education and the highest wealth quintile, respectively. Nearly half of all pregnancies in India have one or more high-risk factors, which is a matter of concern, and the risks were higher among the vulnerable population such as no educated, poorest groups etc. The leading high-risk factors such as short-birth spacing, adverse birth outcomes, and caesarean deliveries should be addressed through the health policy and programmes.

Associating dietary quality and forest cover in India

With the global population expected to reach almost 10 billion by 2050, there is growing concern for how increasing demands for high-quality, sustainable diets will be met. Whilst food production and environmental conservation are often viewed as competing land uses, a growing body of literature supports the importance of forests in providing food and nutritional security. This study used data from India's National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) on food consumption and nutritional status in infants and young children aged 6–59 months and tree cover data to examine the statistical associations between tree coverage and indicators of nutritional health in India – a country home to >200 million of the world's undernourished, a rising double burden of malnutrition, and with vast forest and tree cover. In analyses conducted, tree cover was positively associated with higher dietary diversity in infants and young children aged 6–23 months, and with reduced likelihood of stunting and wasting in children aged under 5 yrs. in areas with the highest tree coverages, after controlling for other possible variables. These relationships do not always hold at regional level; further work is needed to explore the mechanisms underlying the relationships examined within given contexts. Overall, these findings indicate the potential for forests and trees to contribute to quality diets in India. In emphasising the potential complementarity between environmental conservation and food provisioning, this work has important implications for food security and environmental policy.

Somnath Mandir in a play of mirrors: heritage, history, and the search for identity of the new nation (1842–1951)

AbstractThe story of the Somnath temple, in the northwestern Saurashtra peninsula, has often been taken as an example of the contentious legacies of the penetration, settlement, and political establishment of Muslims in India. Its history testifies to the complex relationship between history, heritage, and the consolidation of collective memories of past events and processes.This article focuses on two key moments in the temple's recent history: the retrieval of the Somnath gates by Lord Ellenborough in 1842 and the reconstruction of the temple between 1947 and 1951. At these two moments—one during colonial times and the other at the creation of the independent state—Somnath became the battlefield for questioning how the state should be positioned with regard to religious places, histories, symbols, and practices.While the temple was apparently dealt with as a tangible place of heritage, both episodes show how the value endowed upon the temple had far more complex meanings. The analysis proposed in this article ends with the reconstruction of the temple. This shows the way in which architects of independent India addressed the country's history, directly or indirectly engaging with the construction of a heritage for the new state. Their efforts aimed to strengthen a shared memory of the past, which could in turn consolidate membership and a sense of belonging to the new nation. Advocates and promoters of the temple's reconstruction, among whom were Vallabhbhai Patel and K. M. Munshi, envisioned that the reconstruction would embody the long-awaited liberation of India from centuries of continuous domination by ‘foreign’ powers. In contrast, secular politicians, with Nehru at the helm, opposed the reconstruction, fearing that Somnath might become the symbol of a sectarian vision of the nation and, in the wake of partition, derail efforts to characterise independent India as an inclusive country. While the reconstruction did eventually take place, the entire episode invites us to question the relationship between the framing of Indian nationalism and the heritagisation of Indian history. Following a critical theoretical approach to Heritage studies, where heritage has less to do with the item that is preserved than with the value with which it is endowed, this article proposes to investigate the meanings that heritage preservation, conservation, and reconstruction acquired as part of the project of nation- and state-building.

Understanding the Decline and Downfall of the Indian National Congress in Manipur: an Analysis of the Factors for Its Defeat in the State Assembly Elections of 2017 and 2022

The Indian National Congress that have been dominating the politics of one of India's Northeastern state of Manipur, has decline so much so that in the latest Assembly election 2022 got just 5 seats out of 60 seats. So this paper is an attempt to analyse the factors for its Decline and Downfall.

Barriers to access health facilities: a self-reported cross-sectional study of women in India

Background: Accessing healthcare facilities by the women is one of the biggest challenges in the low- and middle-income countries. The present study aimed to understand the barriers to access health facilities for women in India and examine the various determinants that interplay healthcare accessing behaviour among women in India. Methods: The study utilised the Indian National Family Health Survey 4 data from all the 29 member states and seven union territories and performed cross-tabulations with chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression. Results: The disparity in access to health facilities for Indian women still exists for minorities and lower-income groups. Women aged 40+, living in urban areas, belonging to rich families, and women who hold bank accounts have shown better access to healthcare facilities. Women’s education was an important factor for accessing healthcare facilities. Conclusions: This significant difference in the rate of healthcare utilization among women suggests that it may contribute to more prevalent and severe health decrements among the disadvantaged group. It is also worth mentioning that the cultural and educational differences in health measures may further explain women's low utilization of healthcare facilities. Women's experiences regarding access to healthcare facilities raise essential questions about policymakers’ priorities that increasingly allow women and their families to bear the brunt of poverty and poor health.

The Experience of Telerehabilitation in Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: Observations from Physiatrists of an Indian Neurorehabilitation Desk

Abstract Context: The coronavirus disease pandemic heralded a global ‘new normal’. India responded with a complete lockdown. Simultaneously, the release of the Indian National Telemedicine Practice Guidelines led to a surge in telemedicine. The authors share their experience of launching an indigenous telerehabilitation service, a largely unexplored area in India. Aims: This study aimed to determine the socioclinical characteristics of the population availing telerehabilitation. Settings and Design: A retrospective chart review was done in a physiatrist-led neurorehabilitation department of a unispeciality tertiary care hospital. Subjects and Methods: Before the launch, a strategic promotional campaign was designed. Consent forms were structured following the national guidelines with institutional modifications. A combination of the ‘real-time’ and ‘store-and-transfer’ models was used. Teleconsultation by a physiatrist was followed by telerehabilitation by therapists. Satisfaction scales were used for feedback. Statistical Analysis Used: Data are described as frequency and percentages for qualitative data. Results: Between 8 April 2020 and 30 September 2020, there were 561 teleconsultations, of which 224 patients consulted the physiatrist. Stroke (46 patients, 20.53%), low back pain (40 patients, 17.85%) and spinal cord injury (27 patients, 12.05%) were the most common diagnosis. A majority of 93 patients belonged to the age group of 40–60 years. A comparable number of patients within and outside the city availed of the service. Conclusions: Telerehabilitation with simply available resources is feasible and useful. The digital divide, security concerns and restrictions in the execution of treatment are its imitations. Technology and creativity can be combined to develop further viable telerehabilitation models.

Cost-minimization analysis of escitalopram, fluoxetine, and amitriptyline in the treatment of depression.

Escitalopram, fluoxetine, and amitriptyline are the drugs commonly used in the treatment of depression. The pharmacoeconomic evaluation of these drugs becomes relevant as they are prescribed for a long period of time, and depression causes a significant economic burden. The cost-minimization study would contribute to bringing down the annual treatment costs, leading to better medication adherence and ultimately better patient outcomes. All drug prices are mentioned in Indian National Rupee (INR). All expenses are based on 2022 pricing. No cost discounting was used because all expenditures were calculated over a year. We considered hypothetical scenarios where the patient was prescribed the lowest possible dose for depression, an equivalent antidepressant dose, a defined daily dose, and the maximum acceptable therapeutic dose for depression. Annual average treatment costs of amitriptyline, escitalopram, and fluoxetine in patients with depression at baseline with equivalent dosing as mono-drug therapy were 2765.53, 2914.78, and 1422.72 rupees (INR), respectively. Savings were high when the patient was shifted to fluoxetine from either escitalopram or amitriptyline. The savings from switching to fluoxetine were 50.66% and 56.42% from escitalopram and amitriptyline, respectively. The choice of an antidepressant depends on multiple aspects, among which the cost of treatment plays a crucial role. Among the drugs compared, fluoxetine seems to offer greater value for money. The study emphasizes that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are the most commonly prescribed antidepressants not only because of their favorable pharmacological profile but also because of their affordability.

The Birth of Indian National Congress: A Safety Valve for Colonial India

Abstract: The Indian National Congress (INC) has been around longer than any other Indian political party, having been founded in 1885. In the fight for Indian independence from British colonial control, the establishment of the Indian National Congress was a critical factor. The Congress's formation was not, however, without debate. The "safety valve theory" was at the centre of one such debate; this theory proposed that the British established the Congress in order to alleviate the strain of rising Indian nationalism. The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between the emergence of the Indian National Congress and the concept of a safety valve. The Indian National Congress (INC) is one of India's oldest and most influential political parties, having been instrumental in the country's fight for freedom from British colonial authority. This organisation, known as the Congress, had its origins in the late 19th century, when a group of Indian intellectuals and professionals sought to organise in order to better express their discontent with the British colonial government. In 1885, Indian nationalists banded together to form the Congress in the hopes of bringing about sweeping political and social change in the country. The 'Safety Valve' theory, however, argued that the Congress was formed to unleash the mounting anger among the Indian masses and forestall revolutionary outbreaks. This paper will examine the formation of Indian national congress and the role of safety valve theory.

Exploring the challenges and facilitators in the adoption of e-HRM practices in Indian higher education institutions: a qualitative exploration

PurposeDue to government policies, accreditation demands, competition, digital India reforms and National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the need for electronic human resource management (e-HRM) has increased considerably in the Indian higher education (HE) sector, but the literature has revealed that the adoption of e-HRM practices in Indian HE institutions (HEIs) is still in its embryonic stage; therefore, the purpose of the current qualitative study is to explore the challenges and facilitators of e-HRM adoption in the Indian HE sector through interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA).Design/methodology/approachThe present study incorporates IPA, to capture the personal lived experiences of the HR executives employed in the Indian HEIs. Using purposive sampling, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the HR executives employed in Indian universities and institutions to know the perspectives on the adoption of e-HRM practices in Indian HEIs.FindingsThe study identified two superordinate themes, namely, challenges and facilitators of e-HRM adoption in the Indian HE sector. The superordinate theme “challenges” comprises eight sub-themes. Further, the theme “facilitators” consists of six subthemes.Practical implicationsThe study has implications for the stakeholders of the HE sector, i.e. HR practitioners, top executives of the HE sector, government and HE regulators and other stakeholders of the HE sector.Originality/valueThis study has given deep insights into the challenges and facilitators in the adoption of e-HRM practices in the Indian HE sector, and to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no study till date has filled this knowledge gap through qualitative exploration using IPA.

Women and Nationalism: A Study of Manju Kapur’s Novels

The paper will examine the nationalist perspectives of women in the novels Difficult Daughters and A Married Woman by Manju Kapur. It will also present the issues in the Pre- independence India and post- independence India. The focus is to understand and analyse the representation of women in Indian Nationalism by focusing on the active participation, ideology and resolution of social conflicts in presenting the idea of love for the nation. The embattled narrative of secular nationalism in A Married Woman encourages communal harmony and condemns the ideological entrenchment based on religion. On the other hand Difficult Daughters highlights the elevated and involved role of women as a leader of the freedom movement. It challenges the traditional roles of women and projects women as equal to men . It also magnify the role of single woman Sakuntala ,who seeks to contribute for the nation by refraining from the constructed role of women.

Decoding the enigma of 100-year record-breaking rainfall over Tamil Nadu using wavelet analysis

There have been increasing trends of short-intensive rainstorm events, which lead to urban flood disasters in many coastal areas of India. The relationship between regional rainfall and global large-scale climate indices has shown high teleconnections in terms of recurrence and covariance. We have examined the teleconnection between the November and December 2015 rainstorm events (100-year record breaking rainfall) with the Oceanic Nino Index using the dataset from the Indian Meteorological Organisation (NEMR) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (ONI). The study has found out not only the existence of the cause-and-effect relationship but also the recurrences of these high rainfall events. The climatological trend of northeast monsoon rainfall (NEMR) and Oceanic Nino Index (ONI) is calculated, and the correlation for a period of 71 years (1951–2021) is quantified using Pearson's correlation method. We observed that Chennai, Nagapattinam, Cuddalore, Kancheepuram, Thiruvarur, and adjoining coastal districts are more prone to torrential rains during El Niño years as compared to La-Niña years which is unusual but not exceptional. Wavelet analysis is performed on the NEMR and ONI signals to decipher the teleconnections at different temporal scales. Wavelet coherence shows an in-phase relationship between the ONI and NEMR signal and high covariance (0.8–0.9 at 5% significance level using Monte Carlo generated noise), between the two in 2015 the year which broke the 100 years rainfall record for Chennai. The study highlights the crucial linkage (cause and effect relationship) between the regional rainstorms and the large-scale global index (ONI), and wavelet analysis can explain the distant relationship in the northeast monsoon. The study provides quantified insights especially in the present era of climate change, where the hydrological extremes are persistent. The study does not only connect ONI with NEMR but also quantifies the in-phase strength of the relationship which can guide the scientific community towards accurate predictions and develop disaster mitigation strategies.

What socio-demographic factors support disposable vs. sustainable menstrual choices? Evidence from India's National Family Health Survey-5.

For over a decade, improving menstrual hygiene among poor girls and women in low-and-middle-income-countries has been a prominent global goal. Towards this, governments in the Global South have worked to promote the uptake of disposable sanitary pads. Despite this, we continue to see a high prevalence of period poverty mainly because disposable pads require monthly purchasing that may be burdensome for many women. Not only are pads financially unsustainable but also represent a heavy environmental burden which has kindled an interest in re-usable innovations like menstrual cups that present a sustainable solution. However, there is little understanding of factors that promote the take-up of disposable vs. sustainable products at population levels. In this paper, we draw on India's National Family Health Survey-5 to understand the socio-demographic determinants of period product usage among girls and women, differentiated by their sustainability quotient. Our findings suggest that awareness of sustainable products and cultural factors are the key driver to promote their use. Women with exposure to menstrual cups either via education or mass media were more likely to use them. Belonging to urban areas and to disadvantaged social categories are other driving factors, at least partly because taboos of vaginal insertion are less of a concern among these groups. These findings suggest that improving the uptake of menstrual cups requires a paradigm shift in menstrual health policies from the promotion of disposable pads alone to spreading awareness of sustainable period choices among women via innovative use of mass media and community networks. Some micro-level evidence of change supports our conclusions.