Punjab State Of India Research Articles

From cotton to paddy: Political crops in the Indian Punjab

Unlike the rest of the state of Punjab in India, cotton remained the dominant monsoon crop in the southwest region till the 1990s. As it has been increasingly replaced by paddy in recent decades, this paper asks what this shift in cropping pattern reflects about the state’s agrarian capitalism. Towards an analysis of this question, it builds on James Scott’s idea of ‘political crops’ in the earliest states and places it in conversation with scholarship in critical agrarian studies, political ecology and commodity studies to account for relations of power under contemporary capitalism. Drawing on intensive primary research in the region, the paper contrasts the power relations generated by the production and circulation of the two crops. It shows that larger farmers are more likely to cultivate paddy due to better access to irrigation, and that the shift to paddy is threatening to make redundant the labour of landless Dalit women, who do cotton-picking, and increasing dependence on migrant male labour for paddy-transplanting. It also demonstrates how the different end uses of the two crops and the predominance of the private sector in the cotton markets versus the hitherto state-led nature of the paddy markets produce differential risks for farmers and traders. The paper concludes by suggesting that the shift from cotton to paddy represents capital intensification in response to Punjab’s mature capitalist conditions in agriculture but also results in new contradictions and axes of political struggle.

Abstract #974467: Prevalence of Disturbed Eating Behaviours In Subjects with T2DM in the Indian State of Punjab

Disturbed eating behaviours (DEB) encompass extreme dieting behavior, binge eating attacks, and compensatory behavior for weight control and can have a potentially life-threatening impact on the health status of affected individual. DEB are frequent in type 1 diabetes and are associated with remarkable impairment of metabolic control. However there is less data regarding the prevalence of eating disorders in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and that too with variable results. There is hardly any data regarding the disordered eating behaviours in subjects with T2DM in the Indian state of Punjab which has the prevalence of diabetes around 10%. This study was done to evaluate the prevalence of DEB and their association with glycaemic control and metabolic parameters in adult subjects with T2DM in Punjab.

Prevalence of erectile dysfunction among the subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the indian state of punjab

Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology ISSN 1470-3947 (print) | ISSN 1479-6848 (online)

The ‘Good Indian Queer Woman’ and the Family: Politics of Normativity and Travails of (Queer) Representation

ABSTRACT Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga (dir. Shelly Chopra Dhar, 2019) is touted as the mainstream commercial venture that cemented Bollywood’s journey from creating queer homosocial and homoerotic moments on screen to representing a queer relationship between two women for the first time. This paper tries to understand how the film’s liberal messaging about queer acceptance and anti-discrimination, through the coming out narrative of its queer protagonist, is made possible through the embodiment of sanitized class and caste markers, how Indian queer femininity is encoded in the film and what its relationship with the heteronormative biological family reveals about the film’s messaging. It also tries to explore the figuration of Sweety, an upper-class feminine queer woman in small town Moga (in the North Indian state of Punjab), who is portrayed as the quintessentially ‘good’ queer woman. Even though Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga offers a queer visual and imaginative landscape, it limits itself by constructing discursive, narrative, and visual terrains where Sweety’s dissidence is deemed acceptable on grounds of her class privilege, her reverence for her family, her respectable femininity, and the embeddedness of her queer subjectivity in the family and culture. This paper interrogates the nature of queer representation in the film, how it tackles anxieties around acculturation, queer opposition to the nation-state and the visual and narrative means by which it domesticates queerness by sanitizing and inviting it into culture, family, nationalism and the nation-state.

Determinants of financial literacy: Empirical evidence from micro and small enterprises in India

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the determinants of general financial literacy, specific financial literacy and overall financial literacy among the Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) entrepreneurs. The data has been collected from 309 respondents from three districts in the Punjab state of India. Using ordered logit model, the results depict that the age of the entrepreneur has positive and significant effect on different types of financial literacy for the MSEs in Punjab. The findings also show that the micro and small-service enterprises have significantly higher level of financial literacy than its other manufacturing counterparts. The study also found that entrepreneurs with higher level of education have significantly higher level of all types of financial literacy. The most influencing determinant that affects the financial literacy of the entrepreneurs is found to be the level of gross profit ratio of the enterprise. Higher the gross profit ratio of the firm, significantly higher will be the level of all three types of financial literacy of the entrepreneurs. For policy perspectives, the present study recommends that firms should keep some portion of their profits to educate their employees that enhance the financial literacy. Government should help the MSEs to educate the firms to improve their level of financial literacy.

Elements of stress relieving strategies amongst engineering students.

Stress relieving strategies (SRS) are quite significant to get rid of stress in engineering students. The objective of this study is to determine the SRS factors in the engineering universities in Punjab state of India. This effort also aims to check the determinants of SRS. The data is collected through a questionnaire survey conducted on engineering students of two different universities. The collected data out of 400 surveys is subjected to factor analysis and Anova. The factor analysis exposed various factors that influence the SRS. The study has projected the effects of SRS on gender, age, engineering streams, nature of universities. It is found that the SRS in students is partially influenced by engineering streams and gender of the engineering students.

A Gap Analysis to Measure Service Quality of Agricultural and Medical University Libraries of Haryana and Punjab States of India through Users’ Perspectives: Applying LibQUAL+ Model

The study is aimed at investigating the gaps in user’s perception of quality of services provided by the agricultural and medical university libraries of Haryana and Punjab. This study is conducted with the help of locally modified questionnaire based on LibQUAL+ tool. Findings of the study revealed wide gaps on all the dimensions of LibQUAL+ tool across universities under study. However, among the agricultural universities, the users at HAU were happier with the library services as compared to the users of PAU. On the other hand, among the medical universities, users of BFUHS were more satisfied with the library services as compared to the users of PBDSUS. Overall, the agricultural university libraries were providing good quality services as compared to medical university libraries.

Consumer attitude towards green products: revisiting the profile of green consumers using segmentation approach

PurposeOver the last few decades, there has been a substantial increase in environmentally conscious consumers' willingness to switch their preferences from mainstream products to green products. Hence, it becomes essential for academicians and marketers to understand the notion, attributes and a comprehensive profile of green consumers. Since consumer attitude towards green products is not widely studied in developing countries, the present study aims at exploring the profile of green consumers in India (Punjab State) based on the same in the Indian context.Design/methodology/approachThe study used the survey method, and a sample of 400 respondents was selected from the Punjab State of India. Initially, principal component analysis was employed to reduce the dimensions. Following this, cluster analysis was applied to segment consumer market in distinctive segments. Results of cluster analysis were validated with discriminant analysis and finally, differences amongst the segments of green and non-green consumers were examined to build on the profile of green consumers.FindingsThe study segmented the consumer market based on consumer attitude towards green products. Results of the study revealed four distinct segments. “Dynamic Green”, the largest cluster, presents truly green consumers who exhibit a positive attitude towards green products. Finally, the study highlighted the attitudinal profile of green and non-green consumers and differences amongst the segments were explained.Research limitations/implicationsSimilar study should be conducted in other developing/developed countries. Furthermore, cross-cultural studies can be undertaken to contrast consumer attitude towards green products. The study may also be extended to probe the connection between consumers' attitude and actual behaviour towards green products.Originality/valueThe study examined the role of consumer attitude towards green products in identifying the distinct segment of green consumers and determining different configurations of consumer characteristics to build on the profile of green consumers.

Innovation orientation and its relationship with business performance: moderating role of firm size

PurposeThe study aims to test the relationship between innovation orientation (INO) and business performance. It also explores the moderating effect of firm size on the relationship between INO and business performance.Design/methodology/approachA purposive sample of 278 firms (manufacturing and service) was taken from the National Capital Region and the Punjab state of India. The survey questionnaire was administered to two to three managerial-level employees from each of the 278 firms. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to validate the INO and business performance scales. The hypotheses were tested using multi-group moderation analysis and structural equation modeling.FindingsThe study shows that INO has a significant positive effect on business performance. The results have indicated that firm size (based on the number of employees) moderates the relationship between INO and business performance. However, firm size (based on investment) does not moderate the relationship between INO and business performance.Originality/valueThe study is an attempt to synthesize the fragmented results testing innovation–performance relationship using firm size as a moderator on the relationship between INO and business performance and provides insights for both academicians and practitioners.

Prediction of ecological and geological niches of Salvadora oleoides in arid zones of India: causes and consequences of global warming

Salvadora oleoides is a keystone and economically important species in the desert biome of the Indian subcontinent. However, species decline has been observed during field surveys (2016–2019) conducted in the Indian states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat. For species distribution mapping, geospatial data of 683 trees were recorded, out of which 70.28% were used for training and the rest to validate the MaxEnt model. The statistically significant AUC value ranged from 0.92 ± 0.02 (LGM) to 0.93 ± 0.01 (RCP 2.6_70) with an average of 0.92 ± 0.00. The bioclimatic variables, namely precipitation of warmest quarter (Bio 18), annual precipitation (Bio 12), altitude (Alt), precipitation of wettest month (Bio 13), precipitation of coldest quarter (Bio 19) and maximum temperature of warmest month (Bio 5), contributed significantly for predicting the species distribution, which ranged from 60.3% (Last Glacial Maximum, LGM) to 85.5% (Current) with an average of 75.82%. For the climate change scenario (2050s and 2070s), a sharp decline in the species distribution area was observed for all RCPs (when compared with the current estimate of 8638.01 km2), which ranged from 2102.90 (RCP 2.6_70) to 5494.23 km2 (RCP 8.5_70). The model output revealed that the distribution is in accordance with the Koppen-Geiger climate classification system and the geological map of northwestern India. In relation to the geological variables, distribution of S. oleoides occurrence is conditioned to the presence of calcium-rich bedrock, which is used as a mechanism of compensation for the high salinity of desert soils. Overall, the study provides an eco-geo-distribution map and the potential use of MaxEnt in prediction modelling of the species. Furthermore, the research led to insights for suitable conservation and management plans for S. oleoides in arid zones of south Asian sub-continental climatic conditions.

Cost-effectiveness and budget impact analysis of facility-based screening and treatment of hepatitis C in Punjab state of India

ObjectiveDespite treatment availability, chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) public health burden is rising in India due to lack of timely diagnosis. Therefore, we aim to assess incremental cost per quality-adjusted...

Internationalisation of Indian SMEs: problems and prospects

The purpose of this research is to find out the factors that initiate and hinder the process of internationalisation of small and medium enterprises with reference to state of Punjab in India. The factors which initiate internationalisation of Punjab SMEs were divided into internal and external factors. The data was collected through questionnaire from 100 SME exporters from Punjab. The firms were selected from the top five industries which contributed maximum to the exports. With the help factor analysis and multiple regression technique, the findings indicate that the factors initiating internationalisation are international direction, resource capability, managerial competencies, technology Up gradation, competitive industry, international networks and government support whereas, the barriers faced were operational and governmental problems. The results of the study provide us with various factors which should be kept in mind while entering into foreign markets and will help the policy makers to make strategies regarding internationalisation of SMEs.

Role of government in sustainable growth and eco-development of economy

From the past decade concept of sustainable development must be seen as one of the big tales of India. Degradation of the environment has always been a point of worry not only for India but almost from all over the world. Unless ecological issues are not solved or not taken care; the future generations may find earth worth not living. The present research work has been carried out to analyse the factors affecting the role of government in sustainable growth and eco-development of economy in Punjab state of India. The sample of the study was 300 general masses. Confirmatory factor analysis was applied on the primary data and six factors were confirmed.

Detection of delay in post-monsoon agricultural burning across Punjab, India: potential drivers and consequences for air quality

Since the Green Revolution in the mid-1960s, a widespread transition to a rice–wheat rotation in the Indian state of Punjab has led to steady increases in crop yield and production. After harvest of the summer monsoon rice crop, the burning of excess crop residue in Punjab from October to November allows for rapid preparation of fields for sowing of the winter wheat crop. Here we use daily satellite remote sensing data to show that the timing of peak post-monsoon fire activity in Punjab and regional aerosol optical depth (AOD) has shifted later by approximately two weeks in Punjab from 2003 to 2016. This shift is consistent with delays of 11–15 d in the timing of maximum greenness of the monsoon crop and smaller delays of 4–6 d in the timing of minimum greenness during the monsoon-to-winter crop transition period. The resulting compression of the harvest-to-sowing period coincides with a 42% increase in total burning and 55% increase in regional AOD. Potential drivers of these trends include agricultural intensification and a recent groundwater policy that delays sowing of the monsoon crop. The delay and amplification of burning into the late post-monsoon season suggest greater air quality degradation and public health consequences across the densely populated Indo-Gangetic Plain.

Factors Affecting Subjective Well-Being Among Older Adults in India

India has a rapidly expanding aging population whose unique mental health needs remain largely unexplored. Existent preliminary data however, show a significant association between life satisfaction and depressive symptoms within this population. Yet, little is known regarding the specific social and behavioral factors that may influence this relationship. Using data from the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI) Pilot survey, the current study aimed to examine demographic and psychosocial factors associated with life satisfaction and subjective well-being among older adults 45+ years of age in the Indian states of Punjab, Rajasthan, Kerala and Karnataka. Results from the multivariate analyses indicated that age, household resources, neighborhood safety, religion, literacy status and participation in social activities are significantly associated with life satisfaction. Belonging to a southern state (β=.156; p<0.001), being financial provider status (β=-.073; p<0.001) and not being a care provider (β=.105; p<0.01) were significant predictors of greater life satisfaction. These findings are consistent with previous exploration of state level disparities regarding accessible resources and quality of life, and similarly the need to better understand the role of financial difficulties and care-giving burden among this population. These findings suggest the need to use qualitative assessment that explores the role additional factors such as social engagement and perceived neighborhood support have on this population’s subjective well-being; thereby shaping public policy, focus resources, and form the foundation of intervention programs.

Impacts of the COVID Lockdowns on Consumption: Household Data from India

The COVID-19 pandemic and policy responses to control it have together created a major, but unusual, economic shock. In March 2020, India instituted a severe lockdown, which was relaxed only slowly, leading to a severe decline in GDP. In this paper, we analyze household survey data for consumption expenditure, from the Indian state of Punjab. Punjab by itself would constitute the world’s 50th most populous nation. We analyze the effects of the pandemic and lockdown on household consumption expenditure levels and composition. We separate the effects on rural versus urban households, and by socio-economic characteristics, particularly occupation and the gender of the household head. While the urban population cut back expenditure across all categories, rural households shifted toward basic commodities and cut back more on other expenditure. Rural female-headed households were the most severely affected.

First record of the genus Hennegoides Lom, Tonguthai and Dyková, 1991 from Punjab (India) infecting the catfish, Sperata seenghala (Sykes, 1839).

Sperata seenghala (Sykes, 1839) the Giant river-catfish, is one of the largest freshwater catfish of Indian sub-continent and commonly called as singhara and seenghala. Catfish is a favourite food fish due to its palatability with high nutritional value. S. seenghala (25–27 cm in length) were procured from Chamkaur Sahib, a sub divisional town in the district of Rupnagar in the Indian State of Punjab. Prominent pale, thread-like plasmodia of Hennegoides seenghalae n. sp. were observed on the gills and histological examination located them in the epithelial lining of the gill filament (Intrafilamental epithelial type, FE). The prevalence was 32% (12 fish were infected out of 37 examined). The total myxospore length of He. seenghalae was 46.6 μm with myxospore body length 7.5 μm strongly vaulted from one side with caudal appendage length of 39.1 (25.5–45) μm. The myxospores were closely compared morphologically with five known species of the genus from Indo-Malayan region and another recently reported from the USA. Molecular analysis based on 18S rDNA sequence (1947bp) indicated 80%–91% sequence similarity with other myxozoan parasites (Myxobolus, Henneguya, Hennegoides and Unicauda). The most closely related species was Hennegoides pangasii, and was placed with the present species in the same subclade. The present study is the first report the genus Hennegoides from India.

Structural Change and Economic Growth in India: A Comparative Study of Punjab

More than five decades after the Green Revolution transformed agriculture in the Indian state of Punjab, with positive spillovers to the rest of India, the state’s economy has been struggling. Punjab has fallen behind in rankings of per capita state output, and is experiencing environmental and social problems, in addition to economic woes. Understanding the trajectory of Punjab’s economy has important lessons for all of India. Economic development is typically associated with changes in economic structure, but Punjab has remained relatively reliant on agriculture, rather than shifting economic activity to manufacturing and services, where productivity growth might be greater. This paper empirically examines structural change in the Punjab economy, in the context of the linkage between structural change and economic growth across the states of India. Panel regressions and time-varying-coefficient regressions suggest a significant positive influence of structural change on state-level growth. There is also evidence that growth positively affected structural change across India’s states. Overall, the lack of structural change in Punjab’s economy is implicated in its relatively poor recent economic growth performance. We also compare Punjab’s experience with a handful of comparator states. These comparisons reinforce our conclusions: Punjab’s lack of economic diversification is a plausible explanation for its lagging economic performance.

Proactive case finding for severe mental illness in a rural area in the Indian Punjab: findings and lessons

People with severe mental illnesses may experience barriers in accessing community mental health services. We used the key informant method to detect people with untreated severe mental illness in seven villages in the Indian state of Punjab. The key informant was a local community leader. We were able to contact 11 patients who were identified as suffering from severe mental illness by the key informants. On assessment, eight of them had intellectual disability and three had psychotic and affective illness. We discuss the barriers and opportunities for providing mental health services in the community.

The Deadly Cost of Informal Lending: An Economic Model of Agrarian Suicide in Punjab

The Indian state of Punjab, which initially benefited greatly from the Green Revolution, has suffered from a dramatic rise in agrarian suicides for several decades. We use a carefully constructed sample of over one thousand farmers in the epicenter, and build a three-stage model of agricultural production decisions across multiple input and multiple output choices, indebtedness from multiple sources, and suicide via an IPWRA (inverse probability weighted regression adjustment) treatment model to trace the potential roots of the situation. Results show that the use of informal credit from commission agents by farmers accounts for ten percentage points (or twenty percent) of all suicides in our sample, regardless of other household factors and choices.