Mizoram University Research Articles

Leaf and soil nutritional composition of purple passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims) as influenced by organic nutrients amended with biofertilizer consortium

The use of organic nutrient regimes is regarded as holistic and ecological approach for agricultural sustainability. It offers improved soil health, increased crop growth and enhanced fruit quality, whilst minimizing costs and sustaining the use of natural resources. The present investigation was conducted over two consecutive seasons, viz. 2021–22 and 2022–23 at Mizoram University, Aizawl, India to study the effect of different combinations of organic manures along with consortium of biofertilizers on leaf and soil characteristics of purple passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims). The investigation comprises of fourteen treatments of various combinations of organic manures along with consortium of biofertilizers, viz. farmyard Manure (FYM) vermicompost (VC) pig manure (PIM), poultry manure (POM), Azospirillum, phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB), potash solubilizing bacteria (KSB), and vesicular arbascular mycorrhiza (VAM). The results demonstrated that the use of organic amendments in combination with biofertilizers enhanced leaf nutrient status as well soil properties in the passion fruit orchard. Among the different treatment combinations used in the investigation, POM + Azospirillum + PSB + KSB + VAM was the most efficient in improving the leaf and soil nutrient status of passion fruit. This consortium may achieve high microbial load, high nutrient availability for soil which results in better growth of the crop. This treatment may therefore be recommended as an alternative option to meet the demand for long term maintenance of soil fertility as well agro-ecosystem conservation and sustainability.

Effects of bio-fertiliser enriched organic amendments on flowering and fruiting behaviour, yield and quality attributes of Khasi mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco)

ABSTRACT Organic farming has emerged as an important priority area in view of the growing demand for safe and healthy food and long-term sustainability of agricultural systems. This case study investigated the effects of organic amendments on growth, flowering and fruiting behaviour, yield and quality attributes of Khasi mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco) grown at Mizoram University, Aizawl, India. The study included 13 treatments comprising of various combinations of organic amendments, farm-yard manure (FYM), vermicompost (VC), pig manure (PM), mustard oil cake (MOC), and bio-fertilisers Azospirillum, Azotobacter, phosphate solubilising bacteria (PSB), potash solubilising bacteria (KSB) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). The results revealed that bio-fertiliser enriched organic amendments enhanced flowering and fruiting, yields and quality attributes of Khasi mandarin. Among the different combinations, the greatest plant height, girth, canopy spread, canopy volume, fruit weight, length, diameter, fruit volume, pulp weight, pulp-to-peel ratio, pulp thickness, number of segments and lowest unmarketable yield were obtained with VC + Azotobacter + AMF + KSB. The treatment with FYM + Azotobacter + AMF + KSB recorded the highest fruit set, fruit retention, marketable fruits, fruit yield and lowest fruit drop, and for the fruit quality parameters, the maximum TSS, reducing sugar, non-reducing sugar, total sugar, sugar:acid ratio, ascorbic acid and lowest acidity. It was concluded that these two treatments can be recommended to achieve significant improvement in flowering and fruiting behaviour and yield and quality of Khasi mandarin.

PERCEPTION ON SEMESTER SYSTEM BY COLLEGE TEACHERS OF MIZORAM

The present study was conducted on 221 undergraduate college teachers selected randomly from the undergraduate colleges affiliated to the Mizoram University to find out their perception towards semester system with respect to their teaching experience. Self constructed perception scale revealing the overall perception on semester system and their perception towards five components of semester system - general observation, course of study, evaluation, method of teaching and choice based credit system was administered. The perception scale consists 57 items especially for college teachers. The data collected were analyzed through using mean, sd, percentage as well as t test. The study revealed that most of college teachers had neutral perception on the semester system, yet there were more teachers who had satisfying perception than those who had unsatisfactory perception. The study also revealed that short experienced teachers had a more favourable perception on semester system than the long experienced teachers.

Pre-service Teacher’s Perceptions on Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK)

This is 21st century, an era of aligns standardized curriculum, advanced technologies and integrated knowledge. To meet the challenges of this changing world there is a need to enhance the certain core competencies of teachers such as collaboration, digital literacy, critical thinking, problems solving and the knowledge of teaching and technology to achieve the goals of quality of education and students’ achievement. Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) is a technical framework of collective and composite knowledge required for teachers teaching practices in the classrooms with technology integration. So, in this study the perceptions of pre-service teacher’s about TPACK were assessed through cross sectional survey. Sixty-five secondary school pre-service teachers from Department of Education, Mizoram University were selected as sample of the study. A five-point Likert scale was used in this study to collect the information from the respondents. The research reveals that majority of pre service teachers has average level of professional knowledge of technology integration and its use in their teaching practices and there was no significant difference in their perceptions of TPACK with reference to their gender.

Effects of organic amendments, biofertilisers and biodynamic preparations on soil properties and leaf nutrient concentrations in grapevine

ABSTRACT Excessive and unbalanced use of chemical fertilisers can lead to depletion of physical and chemical properties of the soil and have negative impacts on the environment. This investigation was conducted at Mizoram University, Aizawl, Mizoram, India and aimed to evaluate effects of organic amendments, biofertilisers and biodynamic preparations on soil properties and leaf nutrient status of grapevine. The experiment was laid out in randomised block design with 14 treatments consisting of different combinations of organic amendments, biofertilisers and biodynamic preparations viz. farmyard manure (FYM), vermicompost (VC), pig manure (PIM), neem cake (NC), Azospirillum, phosphate solubilising bacteria (PSB), potash solubilising bacteria (KSB), Trichoderma harzianum, cow pat pit (CPP) and biodynamic preparations BD500 and BD501. The results demonstrated that the use of organic amendments in combination with biofertilisers and biodynamic preparations enhanced leaf nutrient status as well soil properties in the vineyard. Among all the tested combinations, the highest concentrations of Mn, Zn, chlorophyll a, b and total chlorophyll in the leaves and concentrations of soil organic carbon, inorganic carbon, total carbon, total N, available N, P, K, Mn and Zn, cation exchange capacity (CEC) and abundance of bacteria and Actinomycetes in the soil were recorded with application of PIM + Azospirillum + PSB + KSB + T. harzianum + CPP + BD 500 + BD 501. This treatment was therefore recommended as a suitable option to meet the demand for long-term maintenance of soil fertility as well agroecosystem conservation and sustainability.

Examining Digital Literacy Skills Among Gen Z Students of Mizoram University

This study examines Digital Literacy Skills (DLS) among Generation Z or “Gen Z” students and the impact of the Internet in the academic environment. The paper analyses the effects of the Internet on academics and shows how Gen Z students at Mizoram University use their overall proficiency and digital literacy abilities for their studies. A total of 250 Gen Z Students were targeted in the present study. The responders were chosen by using a nonprobabilistic sample. A structured online questionnaire was distributed among students to gather the data. Further, the data was analyzed and scrutinised using SPSS version 26. The study reveals that digital literacy includes the capacity to utilise digital technologies for analysis, research, and communication, access online resources efficiently and critically assess information. However, the Internet emphasises the significance of digital literacy skills among Gen Z. The Internet has significantly impacted the academic environment by opening up access to a large amount of information and encouraging the growth of technological skills.

Repercussion of Using Internet Sources: Dilemma for Research Communities

Objectives – Consultation of internet sources for educational and research purposes is the new normal. As a result of information communication technology, information creation and access are more convenient. The current study was carried out to investigate the proportion of use of internet sources for research purposes by research scholars of three central universities of North East India, namely Tezpur University, Mizoram University, and Rajiv Gandhi University. Methods – The researchers collected data from 123 respondents through an online questionnaire that was distributed through different social media platforms. The study was conducted among Research Scholars (PhD and M.Phil) of Mizoram University, Rajiv Gandhi University, and Tezpur University. Results – The research results show that research communities are moving toward digital platforms for searching and consulting their required resources. Most of the respondents consult internet sources for writing their research reports, but they do not format the references properly. Some research scholars do not follow any referencing style for citing web documents, and respondents do not have much awareness about the differences between URLs and DOIs. Research communities also face problems due to the inaccessibility of online documents cited by former researchers. Conclusion – Since most of the respondents are not familiar with the use of web archives, the current study suggests that higher education institutions should arrange awareness programs on the use of web archives. Research communities should follow the proper referencing formats to acknowledge others’ works. Publishers should mandate a citation style for authors and verify the accuracy of the references before publishing articles or other works.

Leaf nutrient status and soil properties in Khasi mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco) cultivation as influenced by bio-fertiliser enriched organic amendments

ABSTRACT Intensive use of synthetic fertilisers in fruit crops has resulted in negative impacts on the environment and biodiversity. The use of organic nutrient regimes is regarded as an alternative solution for agricultural sustainability and human health. This case study investigated effects of organic nutrient regimes on soil properties and nutrient status of leaves of Khasi mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco) at Mizoram University, Aizawl, India. The experiment included 13 treatments: T1: farm yard manure (FYM); T2: vermicompost (VC); T3: pig manure (PM); T4: mustard oil cake (MOC); T5: FYM +Azospirillum + phosphate solubilising bacteria (PSB) + potash solubilising bacteria (KSB); T6: VC + Azospirillum + PSB + KSB; T7: PM + Azospirillum + PSB + KSB; T8: MOC + Azospirillum + PSB + KSB; T9: FYM + Azotobacter + arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) + KSB; T10: VC + Azotobacter + AMF + KSB; T11: PM + Azotobacter + AMF + KSB; T12: MOC + Azotobacter + AMF + KSB and T13: Control (RDF). The results demonstrated that the application of organic amendments and bio-fertilisers enhanced leaf nutrient status as well soil health parameters. The highest concentrations of total N, K, Fe and Zn in the leaves and concentrations of organic, inorganic and total carbon, total N, available N, K, Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn and abundance of bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes in the soil were recorded with T10. Thus, T10 was considered the most effective in terms of increasing leaf nutrient status and soil physico-chemical properties in the Khasi mandarin production system.

Measurement of neutron capture cross section on 71Ga at 2.15 and 3.19 MeV and uncertainty propagation and covariance analysis* *Under the financial assistance of the B.R.N.S., DAE, Mumbai (Sanction No. 2012/36/17-BRNS Dated 14.08.2012), this research was carried out as part of a collaborative research project between the Department of Physics, Mizoram University and BARC, Mumbai. One of the authors (R.P.)

The cross section values of the Ga()Ga reaction are measured, which are mb and mb at 2.15 and 3.19 MeV, respectively. The detailed uncertainty propagation and covariance analysis are also given. The Li()Be reaction was used to generate the neutrons, and the neutron flux was normalized using the In()Inmonitor reaction. The measured cross section data are compared with the data available in the EXFOR database, the data obtained using nuclear reaction model codes EMPIRE-3.2 and TALYS-1.95, and also the evaluated nuclear data from ENDF/B-VIII.0 and JEFF-3.1/A. The comparison shows that our result at 3.19 MeV is in good agreement with those of EMPIRE-3.2 and JEFF-3.1/A. Since there are no other measurements available at 3.19 MeV, our data could not be compared with literature data at 3.19 MeV, but they are consistent with the cross section values available at and MeV. Our result at 2.15 MeV is slightly higher than the literature value available in EXFOR, evaluated value, and theoretically predicted result.

Citation Analysis of References Appended in Doctoral Theses in Library & Information Science Submitted to Shodhganga

Citation analysis is one of the popular techniques of bibliometric study that aids scholars in the identification of core journals in their respective domains. The present study is based on 1399 citations used in the 10 doctoral theses of the library and information science department of the University of Calcutta, Mangalore University, Manipur University, Mizoram University, and Gauhati University that are deposited to Shodhganga from 2020. The purpose of this study is to determine the most favored information source, and year-wise distribution of citations as well as to prepare a ranking list of core Journals in the library and information science based on the citation frequency of that journal. Data were gathered and analyzed based on pre-determined criteria. Finally, the conclusion has been drawn from the data analyzed.

Women’s Empowerment through Skill Education and Entrepreneurship Development in the Handloom Sector in Mizoram

Handlooms not only represent the rich cultural heritage of India but are also important from the point of view of their size and employment potential. It is the second-largest provider of employment in India after agriculture. The handloom workforce in India is largely outside the realms of formal education in India, impeding their empowerment. This article probes into the extent of empowerment among students of the Bachelor of Vocation (B.Voc) (Handloom Weaver) and the impact of this unique course conducted at Mizoram University on women’s empowerment. Drawing on Naila Kabeer’s concept, the article examines women’s empowerment among students as an impact of the B.Voc course at Mizoram University. The B.Voc course provides skill-based education as well as prospects of employment through entrepreneurship with the promotion of the ‘Hnatlang Handloom Producer Company Ltd’ by the students. The study revealed that the B.Voc Handloom course provided valuable education and knowledge on hands-on handloom skills, entrepreneurship and leadership experience, exposure to marketing and networking, and fund management. However, students continue to subscribe to some of the stereotypical mindset. There is a need for sensitisation sessions on ‘Women’s Empowerment and Gender Studies’ to enable them to reconstruct structural inequalities and patriarchy.

Estimation of 238U and 232Th in soil and water of prominent fault region of Mizoram

The study investigates radon and thoron concentrations in soil and water at one of the most prominent faults in Mizoram state, India. The obtained isotope pair data were consequently used for estimating the uranium and thorium content of the region. An indigenously developed and calibrated ZnS(Ag) alpha based scintillation counter (Model: SMARTRnDuo, BARC, India) was deployed for assessing radon and thoron data. Thoron concentration was found to be higher than radon concentration in both soil and water. The isotope pair and their parent nuclei concentration in water were found to be higher than in soil. The uranium and thorium content in soil were estimated to be 17.5 and 22.6 Bqkg-1 respectively, but in water, they were estimated to be 41.6 and 124.8 Bqkg-1 respectively. Comparisons with global averages were also presented in detail and no radiological risk has been observed for the region. A continuous radon data was generated at Mizoram University, Aizawl, Mizoram (India) for cross-analysis with data at Mat fault. It was observed that radon data of the two locations behave similarly during geophysical phenomena, indicating that the region was seismically active. No geophysical properties of thoron were observed.

Correlation of in-situ online 222Rn data at Mat fault with geophysical process

This study aims to correlate radon concentration anomalies with geophysical phenomena along the Indo-Burman subduction region. The soil radon production rate and exhalation rate of four different sampling depths were generated at Mat fault, Mizoram (India) between May 2018 and October 2018 and correlated. The nature of the obtained correlation coefficient was then further correlated with geophysical phenomena of the region. A ZnS(Ag) based scintillation counter named SMARTRnDuo (Model: SMARTRnDuo, BARC, India) was deployed for all 222Rn measurements. To categorize the 222Rn data into the anomaly and non-anomaly period data a meteorologically free radon data whose peaks being attributed only by geophysical phenomena was simultaneously generated at Mizoram University, Aizawl, Mizoram (India). A strong correlation coefficient was observed during the non-anomaly period between the radon production rate and exhalation rate while a weak or insignificant correlation coefficient during the anomaly period. The adopted method seems to be significant for premonitory of radon anomaly due to geophysical of the region.

Role of human resource management on employee's well-being: A case study of central library, Mizoram University

Role of human resource management on employee's well-being: A case study of central library, Mizoram University

Faculty induction program for newly recruited teachers of higher education: a case study

ABSTRACT Teaching is a profession in which the newly appointed teachers learn different methods of teaching skills, pedagogies of teaching and conducting research and should know the role and responsibilities of different academic leaders. The Faculty Induction Program (FIP) includes all these components. This article aims to study the perceptions of the newly appointed assistant professors or early-career faculty (ECF) regarding FIP, conducted by the Faculty Development Center (FDC) of Mizoram University, India. Out of 202 participants, 100 were selected by simple random sampling procedure. A self-constructed questionnaire was used for the collection of data. Focus group discussion was also conducted. The findings revealed that FIP conducted by the FDC was well organized. The participants benefitted by learning micro-teaching and its uses, the development of teaching-learning material, comprehensive and effective lesson planning, Bloom’s taxonomy, and the constructivist teaching approach.

A Thermomechanical Leak Valve for Ion Source

Our study aims to design and manufacture a robust, low-cost, reliable leak valve and, study the working characteristics to deliver a stable flow of gas. As a result, a simple thermomechanical leak valve has been developed at the Particle Accelerator Laboratory, Department of Physics, Mizoram University. The leak valve uses a mechanically actuated, stainless steel ball that provides seals against a polished stainless steel seat. Our study shows that the methodology employed in previous studies results in a varying leak rate over time, which is undesirable. Therefore, a new method is introduced for controlling the leak valve. The new methodology helps us maintain a stable leak rate/gas flow as long as we maintain the operating parameters. The amount/leak rate of molecular gas required to produce an efficient yet stable high ion beam current has also been optimized.

Use of rbcL and ITS2 for DNA barcoding and identification of Solanaceae plants in hilly state of Mizoram, India

Solanaceae is an important angiosperm family having high economic and commercial importance being used as sources of food, spice, and medicine. The traditional method of plant identification using morphological characters often leads to inaccurate and unreliable results because of genetic and environmental factors. In Solanaceae family, highly similar morphological traits among the species also make the identification difficult. The present study evaluated the viability of employing DNA barcodes, ITS2 and rbcL regions to identify Solanaceae species. DNA barcoding is a rapid and reliable tool to identify and study the genetic relationship among plants and animals. The present study for the first time was conducted during 2017 to 2019 at the Department of Botany, Mizoram University to analyze the applicability of two DNA regions-rbcL (Ribulosebisphosphate Carboxylases) and ITS2 (Internal Transcribed Spacer gene), as the barcodes for the identification of Solanaceae species of Mizoram, India. Fifteen Solanaceae species were analyzed at ITS2 and rbcL regions. The success rates of PCR amplification and sequencing of ITS2 and rbcL were 100% and MEGA 7.0 was used to align the sequences and to compute genetic distances. The results from BLAST and nearest-distance methods revealed that ITS2 and rbcL can be used to identify all the studied species and high divergences at taxonomic levels were also found using K2P (Kimura 2-parameter) model. Hence, our study reveals that rbcL and ITS2 regions are suitable DNA barcodes for the identification of Solanaceae species and therefore can be successfully used to monitor the adulteration of plants.

Information Literacy Skills among the Masters Students of Social Sciences Departments of Mizoram University and Tezpur University A Comparative Study

This paper highlights the comparison of information literacy skills among the master’s students of social sciences departments of Mizoram University (MZU) and Tezpur University (TZU). The primary data collected by using survey method and a structured 595 questionnaires were distributed among the respondents in which 522 (87.73 %) of questionnaires were received. The majority of the respondents were female in both the universities in compared to male respondents. Mizoram Universty students have more awareness of using library services in comparison to Tezpur University respondents. It has been also found that there is no significant difference in the information literacy skills of the students of both the Universities. Mizoram University students preferred ‘author-wise’ i.e. (59.32 %) search while Tezpur University students preferred ‘title-wise’ i.e. (39.38 %) search technique for searching the information. It has been also found that a maximum respondents of both universities i.e. (MZU, 55.97 %) and (TZU, 54.75 %) preferred the simple keyword search technique to search the electronic information. The maximum students of both universities were preferred print media for fulfil their needed information. In both of the Universities’ respondents were aware with fair use of information and plagiarism with 79.09 per cent of students at MZU and 84.5 per cent of students at TZU. The maximum 39.16 per cent of students were mostly given the references at MZU while in TZU, a large number 57.53 per cent of students were always giving references when they reproduce other work or ideas. Based on a two-sample t-test, as p<0.05, it was found that no significant difference in the information literacy skills of the students of both the Universities. After testing with Scheffe’s test, it has been shown that the mean of the satisfaction level of respondents was significantly different (P <.05) as the absolute value of the calculated t is smaller than the critical value (0.0737<2.201), which shows that there is no significant difference in the satisfaction level of students of both the Universities towards their library orientation program on the use of library resources and services.

Monitoring of PM10 Concentration and Evaluation of its Effect on Respiratory Diseases in Aizawl City, Mizoram

Particulate matter (PM), a primary component of air pollution has been implicated in various respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and was found to be the 13th leading cause of mortality worldwide by the World Health Organisation. The concentration of PM10 (Coarse particulate matters with aerodynamic diameter between 2.5–10 μm ) was assessed for Aizawl City, Mizoram for a period of two years from June 2014–May 2016. The annual mean concentration of PM10 was found to fall within the permissible limit of the National Ambient Air Quality Standard and was highest in Khatla station (71.67 µg/m3) followed by Bawngkawn station (39.75 µg/m3) and Laipuitlang station (33.25 µg/m3) and the lowest annual mean concentration was seen in Mizoram University station (0.85 µg/m3). Seasonal variations have been observed in the mean concentration of PM10 with the highest concentration in winter season (51.3µg/m3±28.27)and the lowest in monsoon season (22.58 µg/m3 ±2.37). Despite the low concentration of PM10, a strong association was found between PM10 exposure and three types of respiratory diseases namely Corrosion of respiratory tract (CORT), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and vasomotor rhinitis (VR).

Higher education students' behaviour and mental health during Covid-19 lockdown: a pilot study.

BackgroundThe flare-up of Covid-19 in India caused open turmoil and pressure on emotional wellbeing among university students. At first, it was about course finishing; later, the issues moved to assessment. This scourge increases mental issues, stress, dissatisfaction, sorrow, and nervousness.AimThe aim of this study was to assess the mental health and behaviour of Mizoram University students during the Covid-19 lockdown period.MethodsThis study was a cross-sectional investigation, and a snowball method sampling technique was utilised for obtainging information from the students.ResultsThere were 65.2% of students who revealed that they were giving more consideration to their emotional wellbeing during this pandemic. More than half of the participants (67.2%) reported no expanded worry of stress from scholastic work, and 65.2% reported that they were paying more attention to their emotional wellbeing and mental health following the pandemic. Further, 69.7% reported that they were spending more time exercising. Nearly 55% of students took part in Zoom classes, with a length of 35 to 40 min. About 65.7% of students gained proficiency in their course by means of a learning management system. Students performed activities at home during the lockdown period, watching TV (75.4%), reading books (38.7%), and on writing assignments (34.8%); and 34.5% of the students viewed news from TV, newspapers, and social media about the Covid-19 pandemic each day.ConclusionThe positive effects on psychological wellbeing may have helped the students adapt to other negative effects and expanded pressure on emotional wellbeing. This pandemic impact will probably be engraved on every individual surveyed.