Delhi National Capital Region Research Articles

Predicting Taxpayers Attitudes towards of Indian Tax Payers towards the E-Return Filling: An Empirical Study of Delhi, NCR, India

The aim of the present study is to examine the attitude, awareness, perception of the individual tax-payers in Delhi, National Capital Region (NCR) towards the e-filling tax portal started by Government of India (GOI). The study is based on the quantitative variables in which different dimension of Technology acceptance model [1], are taken for assessing the individuals behaviour towards e-filing. The data is collected from 200 individual tax payers through purposively sampling method from Delhi NCR region. The findings of the study indicate that the e-tax filling has reduced the cost, time, convenience, improve the efficiency, and better from traditional method of tax filling procedures. The study reveals that age, education level and gender of the individuals are affecting the attitude, perception and awareness towards the e-tax filling tax system. This study makes a novel attempt to identify or to examine the tax payers’ satisfaction, problems they face in filing ITR online, awareness levels, and their perception towards E-filing system. The work has a relevant practical justification, to evaluate the user’s satisfaction with Online Import Declaration system, used to make it more transparent and secure, both for taxpayers and for the government. In this way, the study contributes to increasing the efficiency of the collection system, making the financing of the public projects more viable, without the need to increase the tax burden.

Online teaching in Delhi-NCR schools in India during Covid-19 pandemic

Objectives: The spread of Covid 19 brought a sudden closure of schools in India, forcing them to take teaching completely online. This was an unprecedented situation in Indian schools where virtual teaching was never the norm. The pace of this technical intervention was so fast that it practically brought an educational revolution in the country. This led the researcher to conduct a survey for the teachers as well as students with the objectives to understand : 1. The major challenges faced by both the teachers and students, 2. The opportunities offered by the online teaching platform, 3.The attributes of online classes that can enhance the learning process, and 4. The lessons to be learnt about the efficacy of virtual classes. Methods: A survey was conducted for more than 500 teachers and approximately 1700 students of ten schools in Delhi National Capital Region in India. A questionnaire was administered to them through google forms. These schools were geographically scattered in the national capital region of Delhi and cater to different socio-economic backgrounds. Findings: Online teaching in Indian schools is still in its infancy and is gradually getting more popular since it is now the need of the hour. Technical issues are the biggest challenge for teachers and students and connectivity causes major problems. The pedagogy required for online teaching needs refinement. Both teachers and students have expressed that they have faced health issues with greater exposure to screen time. Absence of face-to-face interaction of teachers and students affects the teaching learning experience. Novelty: This study provided valuable insight into refining the practices of online teaching and learning, a hitherto less explored field, in Indian scenario. It gives the perception of both teachers and students regarding the procedure of online teaching. Keywords: Online teaching; elearning; virtual classes; synchronous learning; asynchronous learning

Temporal role of crop residue burning (CRB) in Delhi’s air pollution

The National Capital Region of Delhi in India is one of the most polluted urban areas in the world, and its intense pollution episodes are attributed to crop residue burning (CRB). However, existing studies are limited in time and pollutant type, and do not often control for non-biophysical factors. We used ground-measured pollutant levels and aerosol optical depth (AOD) data to understand the role of CRB in Delhi’s air pollution from 2015 to 2018. While the CRB peak in October–November is associated with pollution episodes, biophysical conditions in the April–May CRB period allow the pollutants to disperse. Elevation in SO2 and ozone is associated with CRB from more distant source areas than elevations in PM2.5 and PM10: gaseous molecules such as SO2 may travel further than particulate matter; and NO2 may convert to ozone during long-range transport. Pollution levels are very high in December–January despite low CRB in this period. Given the high contribution of biomass burning in this period in source apportionment studies, it is unclear whether the sharp elevation in pollutant levels with temperature drop in this period can be explained only with meteorological conditions, or whether there are unquantified sources contributing to pollutant load in December–January, such as small-scale CRB that is undetected by the MODIS active fire product or local burning for heat. There are limitations to the substitution of ground-measured pollutants with AOD in analyzing drivers of pollution since AOD, unlike ground-measured pollutants, is unable to identify fine-scale drivers such as construction. Further studies that use seasonal emissions inventories, particularly for waste and household burning for heat, are required to understand their contribution to pollution in December–January as they may have a disproportionate impact on pollution and human health.

Soft Skill-Based Training Model for Employee Retention

This study aims to assess the role and importance of Soft skills-based training in the hotels of Delhi NCR (national capital region). Such skill sets are required to motivate the employees so that they can work effectively and efficiently. The study signifies that such essential skills (e.g., team management skills, problem solving and conflict resolution, technical skills, communication and presentation skills, self-discipline, computer skills) are not only important for the personnel associated with hospitality industry but at the same time such skills helps in employee retention also. Data was collected through a questionnaire on Likert scale of 5 during a period of 9 weeks between October and November 2019. The findings suggested that employee retention which is a major issue in hospitality industry can be tackled when the service employees through proper training are coupled with the above-mentioned skillsets. This in turn can contribute significantly towards increased guest satisfaction, retention of both guests and employees and hence leading to increased revenue generation.

Simulation of strong ground motion due to active Sohna fault in Delhi, National Capital Region (NCR) of India: an implication for imminent plausible seismic hazard

Delhi, National Capital Region (NCR) of India, falls in the seismic Zone IV (Zone factor 0.24) on the seismic zoning map prepared by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), and this region may experience devastating intensities in case of plausible moderate to the major earthquake in the vicinity. The strategic geological, geomorphological, and geographic characteristics make this seat of administrative power more vulnerable toward the earthquake disaster right from the ancient periods. Therefore, we study the impact of the M 6.0 earthquake sourced at Sohna fault in the neighborhood of the capital region by generating synthetic accelerograms through semiempirical envelop technique. The observed accelerograms of November 25, 2007 ( $$M_{w}$$ 4.7) earthquake have been modeled to utilize the reliability of the semiempirical approach. To analyze the actual scenario, the ground motions at the surface have been generated after the incorporation of the site effects because different soil conditions of NCR fascinate different degrees of damage in case of a destructive earthquake. As a result, the obtained peak ground acceleration (PGA) varies between 100 and 600 cm/s2, and some of the sites exhibit even higher PGA values being situated on the sediments of river-oriented plain areas and proximity of the source. The spatial distribution of estimated values of PGA and spectral accelerations at different periods show that sites in NCR like Delhi (600 cm/s2), Sonipat (633 cm/s2), Gurgaon (461 cm/s2), and Faridabad (300 cm/s2) exhibit high to severe seismic hazard in case of M 6.0 at Sohna fault and it is suggested that a population of about 4.78 million along with the infrastructure of this region is exposed to high risk. The estimated seismic exposure of the population is important to utilize the resources properly before the destructive earthquake incidence. The hazard maps for PGA and different structural periods in the NCR region reveal the level of seismic hazard and risk of the study region. These hazard maps are very helpful for administrators, stakeholders, and civil engineers to construct earthquake-resistant structures to minimize the risk generated by the future impending earthquakes. The exponential growth of the buildings, industries, businesses, etc., attracts the attention of urban area planners because of high seismic risk due to the damaging earthquakes, and its severity must be understood to save the life and property to mitigate the natural disaster like an earthquake by proper disaster mitigation plans, especially in the metropolitan cities like Delhi NCR.

Can We Vacuum Our Air Pollution Problem Using Smog Towers?

In November 2019, the Supreme Court of India issued a notification to all the states in the National Capital Region of Delhi to install smog towers for clean air and allocated INR 36 crores (~USD 5.2 million) for a pilot. Can we vacuum our air pollution problem using smog towers? The short answer is “no”. Atmospheric science defines the air pollution problem as (a) a dynamic situation where the air is moving at various speeds with no boundaries and (b) a complex mixture of chemical compounds constantly forming and transforming into other compounds. With no boundaries, it is unscientific to assume that one can trap air, clean it, and release into the same atmosphere simultaneously. In this paper, we outline the basics of atmospheric science to describe why the idea of vacuuming outdoor air pollution is unrealistic, and the long view on air quality management in Indian cities.

Assessment of urban area dynamics in world's second largest megacity at sub-city (district) level during 1973–2016 along with regional planning

Unplanned and rapid urbanization leads to land-use heterogeneity, which is difficult to be captured in detail through city-level panoramic studies and thus warrants sub-city level assessment. The current study quantifies and assesses district-level urbanization in the world's second largest megacity, Delhi (India). The study extends on temporal scale from year 1973–2016 and utilizes urban expansion intensity, gravity centre model and landscape expansion index and regional context of planning. The findings of the present research are aligned with Master Plan of Delhi. The spatial patterns and level of urbanization is different in districts, thus, zonation of 11 districts into four categories is done for both individual and conjoint planning. The urban expansion in Delhi is observed mainly due to edge-expansion followed by outlying and infill. A tremendous increase in the number of urban clusters at outskirts is observed during year 1999–2005 and in subsequent years, expansion is observed in the area of existing urban clusters. The regions expanded by infill have shown congested and compact urban form. Over the years, urban land gravity centres of districts are found to move outwards in four directions whereas that of the city is moving in north-west direction and is expected to move in north-west or south-west in future. The more developed satellite towns are found in close proximity of the more urbanized districts of Delhi, thus indicating spatially distorted planning in Delhi national capital region (NCR). The findings are in accordance to the census data which has been used for validation. With unprecedented increasing urbanization across the world, this research has wider scope with various global cities, analysed at sub-city level to examine their spatial planning disparities and promote equitable development.

PM2.5 diminution and haze events over Delhi during the COVID-19 lockdown period: an interplay between the baseline pollution and meteorology

Delhi, a tropical Indian megacity, experiences one of the most severe air pollution in the world, linked with diverse anthropogenic and biomass burning emissions. First phase of COVID-19 lockdown in India, implemented during 25 March to 14 April 2020 resulted in a dramatic near-zeroing of various activities (e.g. traffic, industries, constructions), except the “essential services”. Here, we analysed variations in the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) over the Delhi-National Capital Region. Measurements revealed large reductions (by 40–70%) in PM2.5 during the first week of lockdown (25–31 March 2020) as compared to the pre-lockdown conditions. However, O3 pollution remained high during the lockdown due to non-linear chemistry and dynamics under low aerosol loading. Notably, events of enhanced PM2.5 levels (300–400 µg m−3) were observed during night and early morning hours in the first week of April after air temperatures fell close to the dew-point (~ 15–17 °C). A haze formation mechanism is suggested through uplifting of fine particles, which is reinforced by condensation of moisture following the sunrise. The study highlights a highly complex interplay between the baseline pollution and meteorology leading to counter intuitive enhancements in pollution, besides an overall improvement in air quality during the COVID-19 lockdown in this part of the world.

Change in prevalence of Coronary Heart Disease and its risk between 1991-94 to 2010-12 among rural and urban population of National Capital Region, Delhi

ObjectivesWe aimed to measure the change in prevalence of Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) and Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) risk among those aged 35–64 years in urban and rural areas of National Capital Region (NCR) of Delhi, between 1991-1994 (survey 1) and 2010–2012 (survey 2). MethodsBoth surveys used similar sampling methodology and mean ages of participants were similar. A total of 3048 and 2052 subjects were studied in urban Delhi and 2487 and 1917 participants recruited from rural Ballabgarh in survey 1 and in survey 2 respectively. CHD was diagnosed based on a Minnesota coded ECG and Rose angina questionnaire. Data on behavioural, physical, clinical and biochemical parameters were collected using standard methods. CVD Risk of participants was calculated using the gender specific Framingham risk equation. ResultsThe age and sex standardised prevalence of CHD in urban Delhi increased from 10.3% (95% CI: 9.2–11.4) to 14.1% (95% CI: 12.6–15.6) between the two surveys as compared to an increase from 6.0% (95% CI: 5.0–6.9) to 7.4% (95% CI: 6.3–8.6) in rural Ballabgarh. The highest increase in the prevalence of CHD was reported among urban women (10.1% to 16.6%).The proportion of population with high 10-year CVD risk increased to 4.1% from 1.2% in rural areas as compared to 4.8% from 2.5% in urban areas. ConclusionsThe CHD and CVD risk has increased over 20 years period in and around Delhi and the increase was more in rural population and women, traditionally considered to be at low risk.

An emerging pest of radish, striped flea beetle Phyllotreta striolata (Fabricius), from Northern India: incidence, diagnosis and molecular analysis

Severe incidence of striped flea beetle, Phyllotreta striolata (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in radish is being reported from Delhi National Capital Region and Haryana. The larvae and adult of this species were found to damage both roots and leaves of radish, respectively. Overall there was an average 63.02 percent leaf infestation and 53.96 percent root infestation in the radish fields surveyed, which was above the economic threshold level (25% infestation). Infestation was also observed on other cruciferous crops like turnip, mustard, cabbage and cauliflower in National Capital Region and Haryana. In the present study, we have furnished the species diagnosis, sexual dimorphism, nature of damage and illustrations of various stages of the pest. DNA barcoding was employed to confirm the species identity and molecular phylogenetic studies based on mt CO I sequences from across the world showed that there were two clusters; the Old World and the New World. The biology of the pest and the importance of studies on area specific population dynamics for formulating management strategies are discussed.

Breastfeeding Practices among Mothers at Birth and at 6 Months in Urban Areas of Delhi-Ncr, India

The objective of the present was to potray the breastfeeding practices followed by breastfeeding mothers, at birth and at 6 months, in urban areas of Delhi-National Capital Region. For this, 185 dyads of motherinfant aged 6 months were selected from Pediatric Outpatient Department of a government and a private hospital. A questionnaire-cum-interview was designed to collect the participants’ information on breastfeeding practices. It was found that only 29.7% infants had early initiation of breastfeeding despite the high (78.9%) institutional deliveries. Around 40.5% infants were given feeds apart from breast milk, mainly infant formula (81.3%) at the hospital after birth. There were 13% infants who received pre-lacteal feeds, mainly as a traditional family custom. The practice of exclusive breastfeeding for first six months was followed by 62.2% mothers. Complementary feeding or top feeding was received by 71.9% infants, but only 45.1% mothers initiated complementary foods at the recommended age of 6 months. It can be concluded that in the urban areas of India breastfeeding practices remains poor even after rigorous work done for promotion and protection of breastfeeding. Hence strong institutional care and support for breastfeeding is required at birth and efficient counseling for appropriate feeding of the infant is needed to intensify breastfeeding.

Impact of COVID-19 on post-graduate orthopaedic training in Delhi-NCR

Purpose of the studyThe Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had profound effects on healthcare system including medical training and education in India. The study was aimed to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on post-graduate teaching and learning amongst candidates pursuing higher qualification in orthopaedics, in the Delhi-National Capital Region in India. DesignAn online cross-sectional survey of 29 questions was circulated amongst post-graduate students pursuing higher orthopaedics degree to evaluate (i) Impact on PG teaching (ii) Impact on surgical training (iii) Impact on Dissertation (iv) Future implications on PG training programme (v) Mental wellbeing. Results138 (77.5) PG trainees contributed in the survey, and 65.1% of them stated that no clinical classes are being held presently. The majority (94%) confirmed that COVID-19 has affected their surgical and clinical training. A large number (71.6%) had problems in completing their dissertations and 96% had concerns about mental health. ConclusionCOVID-19 pandemic has severely disrupted the education and training of the Orthopaedic PG students, in Delhi-NCR region and perhaps elsewhere similarly too. The Government and Teaching organisations should take serious consideration of the plights of PGs and devise satisfactory mechanisms to overcome their problems and provide reasonable solutions also.

Thumb Rule for Nowcast of Dust Storm and Strong Squally Winds over Delhi NCR using DWR Data

Squally winds are the natural hazards and are often associated with the severe thunderstorms (TS), which mostly affects plains of North West India during pre monsoon season (March to May). Squally winds of the order more than 60 kmph are very devastating. Under influence of these strong squally winds trees, electricity poles, advertisement sign boards fall, sometimes human life is also lost. The main objective of this study is to find out the thumb rule based on Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) Data to Nowcast the squally winds over a region. To detect thumb rule, five cases of thunder storm accompanied with squally winds ranging from (55 kmph to 110 kmph) are taken in to consideration. These TS’s occurred over Delhi NCR (National Capital Region) during May - June 2018. Maximum reflectivity (Max Z) data of Delhi DWR, Cloud Top Temperature (CTT) data from INSAT and squally winds along with other weather parameters observed at Safdarjung and Palam observatories are utilized to find out the Thumb Rule. Based on the analysis, it is concluded that presence of a western disturbance (WD), presence of East-West trough from North-west Rajasthan upto East UP through south Haryana and very high temperature of the order of 40 degree Celsius over the nearby area are very conducive for occurrence of squally winds accompanied with thunderstorms. Thumb rule find out in this study is that, squally winds of the order of 55 kmph or more will effect a station if a thunderstorm (having Max Z echo with vertical extension of cell >7 km, reflectivity >45 dBz and at a distance of more than 100 km from the station) moving towards station is present in one to two hour before images of Doppler Weather Radar.

Analyses of land use land cover (LULC) change and built-up expansion in the suburb of a metropolitan city: Spatio-temporal analysis of Delhi NCR using landsat datasets

During past four decades, in post economic reforms period, Delhi and its surrounding regions has attracted a large number of populations which led to the rapid transformation of its LULC pattern. Therefore, this study is aimed to analyze the LULC changes during 1990–2018 as well as the growth and pattern of built-up surfaces in relation to the population growth and migration in the suburbs of Delhi metropolitan city which is also known as the National Capital Region (NCR). The Landsat 5 (TM) and Landsat 8 (OLI/TIRS) data has been used for the LU/LC classification of Delhi NCR. The K means clustering technique was applied on the Landsat data for the LULC classification and then the change detection technique was used to quantify the LULC change. The result shows that the considerable changes in LULC have occurred with continuous increase in built-up area and open/fallow land and decrease in agriculture land and vegetation over the study time period. Built-up area increased by about 326 percent and open/fallow land by 44 percent while the agricultural land and vegetation cover have decreased by 12 percent and 34 percent of the total area of study respectively during the study period. Built-up area has mostly increased at the expense of agricultural land and vegetation cover while vegetation cover has been transformed into Built-up area, Ridge and Agriculture. The statistical analysis shows that the association between built-up expansion and the population and migrants varies from weak to high but the coefficient of determination was always positive.

E-readiness of senior secondary school learners to online learning transition amid COVID-19 lockdown

In the backdrop of recent COVID-19 lockdown, the school learners across the country have had the opportunity to experience online mode of learning. This study attempts to find out e-readiness of senior secondary school learners for transition to online learning along with their views on this mode of learning transaction. Quantitative descriptive survey method was used for the purpose of this study. A questionnaire comprising 20 Likert-type items covering four dimensions, viz. access, digital literacy and e-readiness, delivery of online learning, and online load, was administered on a 100-student sample from different schools of Delhi using non-probability sampling. Access to online learning and online load on learners were found to be high. The study also revealed that only 35.2% learners found online classes as effective as face-to-face classes. The delivery of online learning by teachers and digital skills of learners were found lacking. The geographical scope of the study is limited to National Capital Region of Delhi which has better smartphone penetration and internet access as compared to other states in India. The study concludes that online pedagogy and digital skills of teachers and learners need to be strengthened for a possible roadmap ahead. The study may provide useful insights into the challenges of online learning and areas for further improvement.

VARIATIONS IN HEMATOLOGICAL PROFILE DURING DIFFERENT TRIMESTERS OF PREGNANCY

Objectives: The present study was aimed to determine the hematological parameters in pregnant women during different trimesters.
 Methods: This is the case–control study, conducted to assess and compare the hematological profile among 120 pregnant (each trimester n=40) and 40 non-pregnant women attending the obstetrics and gynecology department, Santosh Medical College and Hospital, National Capital Region Delhi. SPSS software 17.0 was used for data statistical analysis. Unpaired Student’s t-test used to compare various hematological parameters between different trimesters of pregnancy and non-pregnant females. It is considered that p<0.05 is statistically significant. Analysis of variance with a post hoc test was used.
 Results: It has been observed in this study that significant differences found in parameters such as systolic blood pressure (SBP), pulse pressure (PP), heart rate, white blood cell (WBC), hematocrit (HCT), Hb%, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (Hb) (MCH), and MCH concentration (MCHC). Significant differences in mean hematological values in between the trimesters (p<0.05): 1st trimester (WBC, HB, and HCT), 2nd trimester (SBP, diastolic blood pressure [DBP], PP, WBC, HB, HCT, and MCHC), and 3rd trimester (SBP, DBP, PP, WBC, HB, HCT, MCV, MCH, and MCHC) were seen, but no significant difference in age and erythrocytes count.
 Conclusion: A considerable change in some hematological values between different trimesters evaluated, also decreased Hb, HCT values, and increased leukocyte values observed in the present study. These changes suggesting that it is very important to follow up hematological parameters of pregnant females during all trimesters of pregnancy so that any late complications can be avoided.

Lived Experiences of the Indian Stigmatized Group in Reference to Socio-Political Empowerment: A Phenomenological Approach

The authors present the lived experiences of the stigmatized castes in the context of the opportunities made available by the government of India for their Socio-Political Empowerment. The study aimed to gain an understanding about the respondents’ unique experiences of caste-based stigmatization at their workplace, their overall experience of empowerment at work and the other spheres of their lives, and to capture their perceived importance of, and the success of reservation policy as well as several other initiatives taken by the Government of India for empowering the marginalized castes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 male Schedule Caste/Schedule Tribe respondents working at respectable positions in the government organizations situated in the National Capital Region of Delhi. The phenomenological approach (Langdridge, 2007) was used to unearth the essence of the participant’s experiences of stigma driven treatments. The overall perceptions and experiences of the respondents included experiencing direct and indirect forms of caste-related discrimination at workplace; experiencing economic, social and psychological empowerment but not at the workplace; favouring the policy of reservation for Schedule Caste/Schedule Tribe in government jobs; and believing in the improper implementation of policies in India. The research findings indicate the incomplete success of the governmental policies for the holistic empowerment of the Indian marginalized castes.

Selection of sustainable solutions for crop residue burning: an environmental issue in northwestern states of India

The main purpose of the paper is to find the sustainable solutions for crop residues burning in the northwestern states of India. Pre- and post-monsoon burning of the crop residues in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and western Uttar Pradesh increases the particulate matter significantly in the environment. During this period, the wind remains stagnant in Delhi NCR (National Capital Region) which creates an airlock situation in this region. The air quality during this period becomes very poor. It is a major health issue in the northern part of the country, especially in NCR Delhi which is densely populated and industrialized. It has become a major concern for the state as well as central government. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to review the factors forcing the farmers to burn the crop residues in the field and analyze the solutions considering the social and economic sustainability of the farmers. A focus group discussion composed of farmers, academicians, and industry experts has been used to get the opinion regarding the solutions for crop residues burning in the field. For an analysis of the information collected, a hybrid approach of analytic hierarchy process and elimination and choice expressing reality have been used. Based on the analysis, it is observed that use of crop residues for the preparation of biogas, biochar, and bioethanol is the most preferred substitute, whereas use as fuel for the thermal power plant is the second preferred substitute for use of crop residues.

Influences on purchase intentions of organic food consumers in an emerging economy

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the determinants of organic food buying behaviour in an emerging economy like India, where organic food yet has low market share in spite of its potential. Using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) as the underlying basis, it attempts to explain the effect of attitude, subjective norms and the perceived behaviour control (PBC) on buying intention towards organic food among respondents in Delhi-National capital region, India. Additionally, it attempts to discriminate functional and constructive attitudes.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative questionnaire survey approach was used on 306 respondents and multiple linear regression was used to validate the research model.FindingsAttitudes and PBC have a significant positive impact on the intention to purchase organic food. This paper found subjective norms to be weak and barely significant to intention. The results conclude that health motives, past purchase behaviour, knowledge, affordability and trust in organic certification label are the main facilitators in organic food purchase. Primarily, the respondents see buying organic food regularly as being of value and enjoyable to them. A more favourable appearance vs conventional food was negatively related to behavioural intention.Originality/valueThis research could aid all stakeholders in the organic food sector, particularly emerging economies like India where the organic market is still nascent. It could be an essential driver to improve customer involvement and thus aid them in the decision-making process to choose organic food over conventional food. It also attempts to establish the usability of TPB in assessing functional attitudes based on constructive attitudes for organic food purchase.

Understanding Child Sexual Abuse: Findings from an Ethnographic Research Among the Mothers in Delhi National Capital Region (India)

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a widespread problem against children in India. Data suggest that every hour four children are being sexually abused in the country. In this context, the current qualitative research intends to explore the awareness, beliefs, and perceptions about the CSA among the mothers from the lower economic sections of the society. Using in-depth interviews, 30 females aged 18–54 years were interviewed from five marginalized communities in Delhi National Capital Region (NCR), India. The sampling was purposive and convenient, and the data collected were thematically analyzed using the interpretive paradigm. The findings reveal that awareness about CSA is quite high among the research participants. However, the testimonies of the participants reflect limited and narrowed understanding of CSA as most of the participants believed that only penetrative sexual assaults such as rape or sodomy qualified as sexual abuse, thereby underestimating the other non-penetrative sexual abuses such as verbal abuses, voyeurism, contact abuses such as fondling, sharing pornographic materials, or internet-based sexual abuse. The data further reveal that the participants were quite aware of the potential threat of CSA; however, they were uninformed of the preventive measures to prevent and stop the CSA. The results reveal the dire need for intervention in the form of education and awareness for the mothers using suitable Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials to accomplish CSA prevention.