Northeast India Research Articles

Westiellopsis tiwarii sp. nov., a New Cyanobacterium from North-East India Soils

Westiellopsis tiwarii sp. nov., a New Cyanobacterium from North-East India Soils

Two new species and a new record of Bactrocera Macquart (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacinae: Dacini) from India with an updated key to species of subgenus Bactrocera

Two new species of genus Bactrocera Macquart, namely Bactrocera (Bactrocera) ettinanhuja Abhishek and David, sp. nov. and Bactrocera (Bactrocera) kyrdemkulai Abhishek & David, sp. nov., are described from Western Ghats and Northeast India, respectively. Bactrocera (Bactrocera) wuzhishana Lin & Yang, is recorded for the first time from India. An updated key to Indian fruit flies of subgenus Bactrocera Macquart is also provided.

New species of the leafhopper tribes Agalliini and Macropsini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) from north and northeast India with checklist of species of the tribes from the Indian subcontinent

One new species of Agalliini, Nandigallia serratistyla sp. nov. and one new species of Macropsini, Oncopisis (Parasitades) ramanii sp. nov. from Arunachal Pradesh, India are described and illustrated. New locality records for Durgades nigropicta Distant, Igerna priyankae Viraktamath, I. shillongensis Meshram, I. wilsoni Viraktamath and Varicopsella elegans Viraktamath are given and most of these species are illustrated. A revised key to species of Nandigallia Viraktamath is provided. In addition, checklists of genera and species of the tribes Agalliini and Macropsini recorded from the Indian subcontinent are also provided.

An Assessment of Social Media Usage Patterns and Influences among Tribal Naga Women of North East India

Social media platforms have been acclaimed as providing immense potential for the empowerment of diverse societal groups regardless of gender, caste, class or race. But studies on women’s online experiences have authenticated the hindrances faced by women in access and engagement in social media discourses. This study aimed to assess the pattern of social media use, influences and hindrances faced by tribal Naga women of North East India in their engagement in social media public platforms. Data was collected through a questionnaire survey of 360 female respondents from the States of Nagaland and Manipur. The results showed that WhatsApp Messaging is the most popular platform (n=338) among Naga women, followed by YouTube (n=298) and Facebook (n=286). About seventy-four per cent (74.55%) of the respondents stated that they access social media several times daily. Using social media for news and information ranked the highest (95.93%) followed by social relationships (92.51%). It was observed that social media exposure and usage has positively increased Naga women’s gender awareness (97.16%) as well as their awareness of political and civic issues (96.15 %). However it has not significantly increased their public opinion expression (20%) on socio-political and civic issues. The main hindrances in engagement on social media discussions were Lack of Knowledge about issues (73.98%), followed by a Lack of Interest (71.13%) and a Lack of Time (62.14%). Based in the findings, despite the hindrances and low level of engagement in social media public discourses, it was concluded that Naga women’s information seeking behaviour being the main motivation behind social media could be a positive indicator for the development of their agency.

Quantification of physiological and mental workloads of faster and slower finishers of a long-distance military training activity

BackgroundLong-distance runs with equipment are practised in military training establishments to develop physical stamina and prepare for battles. A study was planned to quantify and compare the physiological and mental...

The ‘Secret Killings’ in Assam: Counterinsurgency and Censoring Perpetrator Information

In the late 1990s, a protracted armed conflict between the Indian government and the insurgent organization, United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) in the Northeast Indian state of Assam escalated to include ‘secret killings’ of family members, close aides, and sympathizers of ULFA among its many violent manifestations. The killers primarily targeted insurgents’ families to persuade their underground kin to surrender, and to create fear among community members who sympathized with the movement or sheltered its cadres. The 2007 report of the Justice K. N. Saikia Commission pointed out the role of the surrendered insurgents, and the state police behind the secret killings, where the army was kept in the loop in some cases. Surprisingly, over 300 people were killed between 1998 and 2001 under common circumstances but no one was convicted. This article describes the challenges I faced in conducting ethnographic fieldwork on this sensitive event, which continues to draw political and media attention in the region. I focus on the challenges of interviewing survivors, families of victims, and police officers about the secret killings in Assam. I particularly reflect on my fieldwork experience of what to ask, what to write and what to censor about my participants, and consider the ethical dimension of making those decisions. I argue that these decisions were often made spontaneously in response to emergent situations and my ethical principles. I let the responses of my participants guide me in the field, and did not carry any predetermined strategies to guide the interviews.

Peliosanthes meghalayensis (Asparagaceae), a new species from Meghalaya, NE India, and synonymization of P. bipiniana with P. subspicata

Peliosanthes meghalayensis, a new species from Wari Chora gorge in Meghalaya, NE India, is described and illustrated. It is similar to P. pumila from Khasia, NE India, in its small habit and having flowers fewer than 10, but differs chiefly by the knobby rhizome, broader leaf blades with closer transversal veinlets, slightly larger cernuous flowers, and pistils with 6 distinct ridges. On the other hand, in Assam, NE India, we rediscovered P. subspicata, which had been known only by old collections made in NE India and Bangladesh in the 19th century. We supplementarily describe and illustrate it based on living collections. We treated P. bipiniana as conspecific with P. subspicata.

Meitei Agroecology: nurturing sustainable food systems and cultural conservation in North-East India

ABSTRACT This study explores the intricate link between agroecology and sustainable food systems, centering on Meitei society in biodiverse Manipur, North-east India. Utilizing mixed methods, including interviews and surveys, we investigate how Meitei foodways, deeply rooted in cultural customs, preserve plant diversity. Our findings reveal the incorporation of 43 plant species into Meitei socio-cultural practices, enriching local gastronomy and presenting potential for gastronomy tourism. Traditional festivals emphasize the fusion of local ecological knowledge into Meitei cuisine, underscoring cultural heritage’s role in biodiversity conservation. Identifying seven key rituals, our research underscores the value of biocultural approaches, guiding sustainable interventions to maintain a delicate balance between human communities and the natural world.

Study on ethnoveterinary medicinal plants used by local people inhabiting char area, Kamrup District, Assam, North-East India

The inhabitants of char areas of Kamrup district, Assam (India) have relied on medicinal plants to treat various livestock diseases. Due to the lack of proper documentation, these plants have received little attention. Therefore, studying these plant species' diversity, utilisation, and phytochemistry is crucial. By doing so, we can preserve their traditional knowledge and comprehend the possibility of using these plants to develop new drugs. The present investigation documented 30 medicinal plant species belonging to 29 genera and 22 families. These plants were used against the treatment of 12 disease categories. The families Fabaceae and Zingiberaceae, with three species for each, were dominant, while the leaf (22%) and seed (16%) were the most frequently used plant parts. The informant consensus factor (Fic) was found to be highest in neurological disorders and neglected tropical diseases (NTD) with a value of 1.0 each. In contrast, the relative frequency of citation (RFC) was found to be highest in Curcuma longa L. (0.41) and Zingiber officinale Roscoe (0.37). This study provides reliable data on medicinal plants and indigenous ethnoveterinary knowledge that could act as a reference for future researchers dealing with new drug discovery.

Preparedness and Competencies of Higher Education Teachers to Teach Online: A Study in North-East India

This study explores the significance of the online teaching ability of higher education teachers, and how teachers perceived their level of competence in teaching online in north-east (NE) India. The Faculty Readiness to Teach Online (FRTO) instrument developed by Martin et al. (2019) was adapted to conduct a study from 130 teachers in higher education institutions across NE India. The ability to teach online was categorised into four categories, i.e., course design, course communication, time management, and technical competence. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was carried out to do direct and indirect path analysis of the proposed conceptual model. Multiple regression analysis was used in analysing the demographic profiles of the teachers and their perceptions of the importance of online teaching competencies. The findings indicate that the perceived readiness to teach online was not significantly influenced by course design, course communication, time management and technical competencies. Furthermore, regression analysis showed that both age and gender negatively impacted perceptions towards readiness to teach online, with older and female teachers having lower perception scores.

Clinicopathological Study of Gastroduodenal Biopsies and Correlate with Endoscopic Findings in Northeast India- One- Year Cross-sectional Study in a Tertiary Care Centre

Background: The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is a hollow muscular tube extending from the oral cavity to the anus. Acid peptic disease is among the most common disorders affecting this region globally, caused by an imbalance between acid secretion and gastric mucosal defenses. Endoscopy has enhanced the accuracy and early histologic diagnosis of mucosal lesions. This cross-sectional study examines 100 gastroduodenal biopsies over a one-year period. Methods: The study categorized histopathological findings from gastro-duodenal biopsies collected via endoscopy and analyzed their correlation with endoscopic results. Results: Gastroduodenal lesions were more prevalent in males, particularly in the fifth decade of life. Endoscopic findings included 12 normal cases, 31 ulcers, 15 erosions, 4 polyps, and 38 malignancies. Among the 38 malignancies, 10 were premalignant, 23 were diagnosed as gastric carcinoma, and 4 as duodenal carcinoma, demonstrating a strong correlation between endoscopic and histopathological findings. Conclusion: Endoscopic gastroduodenal biopsies are instrumental in diagnosing both benign and malignant lesions across various age groups and sites. The combination of endoscopy and histopathological analysis provides a powerful diagnostic tool for better patient management.

Happiness and Impacts of Various Factors on the Happiness of Physicians Working in a Cancer Institute, North East India

Objective: To identify how happy are the physicians working in an Oncology setup and how different factors influence the happiness levels of these doctors working in this challenging setup. Materials and methods: This is an observational study designed to be carried out at a Tertiary Cancer Care Centre. The survey was conducted from 1st July to August 30th, 2023. Self-administered Oxford Happiness Questionnaire was used, which is a closed-ended questionnaire. Those who were not willing to participate and whose work/ course duration was less than 6 months were not included in the study. Stephen Wright scoring was used. A score between 1-2 was interpreted as not happy, 2-3 meant somewhat unhappy, 3-4 was for not particularly happy, 4 represented somewhat happy, 4-5 was interpreted as rather happy or pretty happy, a score between 5-6 means very happy, 6 meant too happy. Results: Out of 93 study subjects, 54 were men (58%) and 39 (42%) were women. Of 93 doctors, 68 (73.1%) were happy. Of 68 doctors, a somewhat happy category was 31 (33.3%) doctors, followed by 29 (31.2%) being pretty happy, and 8(8.6%) doctors who were very happy. Twenty-five (26.9%) doctors were unhappy. Conclusion: The majority of doctors working in an oncology set-up were happy with no difference in gender. However, men were more likely to be very happy compared to women.

First report of Phytopythium vexans causing gummosis and root rot of Khasi Mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco) in north eastern states of India.

Khasi mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco) is the most economically important crop among the citrus growing region in the north-eastern India (Singh et al. 2016). An extensive survey was conducted to identify the causal agent of citrus root rot and gummosis in north eastern states (Meghalaya, Tripura, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Nagaland and Assam) of India during October 2021-23. The gummosis disease incidence ranged from 5 to 95 % in 10 to 25 years old Khasi mandarin plants showing relatively more chronic symptoms on mature trees. Yellowing and dropping of leaves, twigs die back, gum oozing from infected bark and loss of feeder roots were the typical symptoms of the disease. Infected bark tissue and young lemon leaf baits in rhizosphere soil were plated on corn meal agar medium supplemented with pimaricin (10 µg/ml), ampicillin (250 µg/ml), rifamycin (10 µg/ml) and 300µg/ml carbendazim and incubated at 26℃. Fifty isolates were purified and maintained on Carrot agar medium. These isolates showed similar cultural and morphological characteristics. Two representative isolates from Arunachal Pradesh (AP21 and AP26) were selected for further experiments and deposited to Indian Type culture collection (ITCC), New Delhi with accession no. 9156 and 9157 respectively. The colonies were fast growing, showing rosette pattern along with whitish blooming mycelium appearance with no visual sporulation at the surface. The hyphae were coenocytic with initially right-angled branching. Sporangia were globose or sub globose and papillated. Oogonia were smooth and globose (16.29-21.09 µm) in diameter. Antheridia were irregular, cylindrical and broadly attached to oogonia. Empty sporangia were also observed. Multilocus phylogenetic analysis using internal transcribed spacer region (Das et al. 2011), β tubulin (Blair et al. 2008) and Cytochrome oxidase II gene (Noireung et al. 2020) showed that these isolates formed a stable clade with Phytopythium vexans (CBS119.80) sequence retrieved from NCBI database. BLAST analysis showed that ITS sequence of AP21 (OQ372986) and AP26 (OQ381083) had >99 % identity with P. vexans isolate NS-3 (ON533631). Further, BLAST analysis of β tubulin (AP21 OQ446053, AP26 OR405377) and Cox II gene (AP21 OQ473414, AP26 OR552422) sequences showed that our Indian isolates showed >99 % similarity with P. vexans voucher strain CBS119.80. To fulfil Koch's postulates, Khasi mandarin (Citrus reticulata) seedlings were inoculated by adding 100 ml zoospore suspension of P. vexans (1x105 spores/ml) in sterilized soil (Thao et al. 2020). The experiment was carried out in triplicate. Yellowing of leaves and leaf drop were observed 7 days post inoculation while 30 days post inoculation, treated plants started showing symptoms of root rot, including mild root decay. No symptoms were observed in control treatment. The pathogen was reisolated from symptomatic roots and confirmed through colony and sporangium morphology. Recently, it was reported that P. vexans is associated with apple and pear decline in the Saiss plain of Morocco (Jabiri et al. 2021), root rot on mandarin in Thailand (Noireung et al. 2020) and on Durian in Vietnam (Thao et al. 2020). As per our knowledge, this is the first report of P. vexans causing root rot and gummosis in Khasi mandarin from north eastern states of India. This finding is significantly important for the development of a successful disease management strategy in India.

Riverbank Erosion and Vulnerability Assessment for the Alluvial Section of Barak River in North-East India by In-situ Approach

Riverbank Erosion and Vulnerability Assessment for the Alluvial Section of Barak River in North-East India by In-situ Approach

Chronological and Archaeometric Evaluation of Bricks from Archaeological Sites of Upper Assam, Northeast India: Estimation of the Firing Temperature and Civilization History

Chronological and Archaeometric Evaluation of Bricks from Archaeological Sites of Upper Assam, Northeast India: Estimation of the Firing Temperature and Civilization History

Identification and Ecological Study of Algal Species in the Polluted Stretch of Bharalu River, Guwahati, Assam, India

Guwahati city, the gateway of the Northeastern India has been facing major environmental threats due to various anthropogenic pressures, thus making the city prone to water hazard especially in the form of water pollution and flash floods. The Bharalu river, flowing through the Guwahati city is notoriously known for its critically polluted water quality as reported by the Central Pollution Control Board. Although the river is highly polluted, still a few organisms including microbes, such as algae are found to thrive in it. The purpose of the present research is to study and identify the pollution tolerant algal species present in the polluted water of Bharalu river, so that their bioremediation potential can be explored subsequently. During the study, altogether 33 species of phytoplankton distributed in four different families were recorded. Chlorophyceae has been represented by 20 species followed by Bacillariophyceae, Cyanophyceae and Euglenaceae with 8, 3 and 2 species, respectively. Scenedesmus was the most dominant genera with a total of 11 species. Phytoplankton peaks were observed during Jan- Feb (19×103 units/l).

Radon levels in Bengaluru during monsoon season.

A study on the dynamics of Radon and meteorological parameters was conducted in Bengaluru (12056'44'' N, 77030'25″ E, 840m AMSL) during monsoon of 2014. All measured parameters exhibited a clear diurnal pattern, except for pressure, and are attributed to morning temperature inversion and afternoon enhanced vertical mixing. Concentration of Radon is higher during north eastern monsoon compared with south western monsoon and is due to the presence of continental air mass from north east of India. Monthly average Radon activity has exhibited a positive link with long wave radiation while displaying a negative correlation with ambient temperature, accumulated rainfall and soil temperature. During the study, ambient gamma dose rate of 190.8 nSv hour-1, shortwave radiation of 184.4 Wm-2, longwave radiation of -40.4 Wm-2, soil temperature (at 10cm) of 26.3°C, humidity of 62.9%, pressure of 918.1mbar and radon activity of 8.4±0.5Bq m-3 were recorded.

Long-term trend analysis of surface temperature over North-East India and adjoining regions based on CRU and ERA5 reanalysis

Long-term trend analysis of surface temperature over North-East India and adjoining regions based on CRU and ERA5 reanalysis

Identity and Ethnic Conflict in Northeast India: A Historical and Comparative Approach

Identity and Ethnic Conflict in Northeast India: A Historical and Comparative Approach

Tradition of Performing Ritual in Galo Tribe of Arunachal Pradesh, Northeast India

Article aims to trace out the beginning of ritual system and nature of performing various rituals in galo society. The society perform numbers of ritual with a view of maintaining balance with nature or to stay away from unwanted incidents and diseases. Traditionally, nyibu is only a person who served as a channel of communication between spiritual world and physical world. Before performing any ritual, nyibu used to study the nature of ritual through chicken liver exam, local grain exam, and egg yolk exam. To gather the desire information, the researcher relies on both primary and secondary sources.