Northeast Indian State Research Articles

CONSERVATION STRATEGIES OF BUILT HERITAGE OF ASSAM

Assam is a state in north-east India located on the crossroads of Southeast Asian and Indic culture. In the close contest of the two, the Indic culture prevailed however the conflict continues. The appearance of mainland Indic culture had a lasting impact on the socio-cultural landscape of Assam. To propagate and present the magnanimity of mainland Indic culture among the natives, edificial brick and stone structures were raised. However being located in highly active geological and extreme climatic region these structures were continuously under the threat of these forces. In addition there are also anthropogenic and biological threats. The present article deals with the threats and remedies suggested for the structures dating up to 1200 AD. It is to be noted that almost all the structures are in ruins and under the protection of certain agencies hitherto they are in pitiable condition. The present study notes the nature of deterioration faced by the structure and possible remedies in detail

Barriers in quest for cancer care access in two states of northeast India.

The cancer burden in northeast India is high, with low survival and low case detection. Despite the availability of cancer institutes in the region, existing literature remarks on the increasing travel outside the region for cancer care. However, research is sparse on identifying impediment factors to the access of state cancer institutes. To examine the barriers to cancer care in five common cancer sites: oral, lungs, stomach, breast and cervix. Following a descriptive multiple-embedded case study design integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches, 388 participants were selected in phase one by stratified random sampling. In phase two, by purposive sampling, 21 semi-structured interviews were conducted. The result suggests that family decision is the central factor in cancer care access. Treatment initiation is delayed because the existing government health insurance scheme does not cover diagnostic tests. Adverse steps are taken to fund cancer treatment. Besides, opting for alternative medicines were due to fear of surgery, chemotherapy and recommendations by relatives. Arranging accommodation, transportation and infrastructure shortage was another hurdle. In contrast, the lack of awareness of the state cancer institutes was a barrier to its access. This paper identifies and describes factors that hinder access to state cancer institutes. The findings could enhance policy interventions for efficient cancer care access in the region. Integration with NGOs working at the state level for cancer services would support ease of access by providing funds for diagnostic tests, accommodation and transportation, especially for those who cannot afford it.

Diversification of Livelihood from Animal Waste and by-Product for Small and Marginal Farmers in India

Background: Utilization of livestock waste and by products are always considered to be an important source of livelihood for environment protection and agricultural development. The study explores the prospective scope of livestock waste utilization by dwelling into the livestock holdings and their health profile, waste management and bio-security practices for sustainable livelihoods of small and marginal livestock farmers of tribal belts. Methods: With an empirical survey, an analysis is made on the waste management practices in selective states of North East India (Assam, Meghalaya and Nagaland). The percentage and average method were applied to understand the management practices of pig production system. In the qualitative tools mainly Focused Group Discussion (FGD) and Interview methods were used to understand the perception of people on waste management. Result: It is found that the untreated waste is utilized in field and only 2% of farmers use the manure in pisciculture where waste is used in its integrated form. A comprehensive model of treating and marketing the livestock waste and by products with the application of modern technology can not only contribute in augmenting the income but will also help in quality restoration of natural resources in rural areas.

Evaluating the Magnitudes of Finance Availed by Farmers from Different Financial Agencies in the North-East Indian State of Tripura

The current research was carried out in the West Tripura district of Tripura to examine the magnitude of agricultural financing availed by borrowers. A total of 120 farmers were chosen by implementing a multistage random sampling design to conduct a comprehensive analysis. Sector-wise advances of banks in West Tripura showed an increasing trend, and the percentage share to the agricultural sector was 34.27 %, whereas it was 65.72 % in the non-farm sector in 2020-21. The amount of loans availed by sample borrowers from Regional Rural Bank (42.88%) was the highest, followed by public sector banks (34.48%), cooperative banks (19.80%) and least from private sector banks (1.84%). Loans for both crop and allied activities were obtained by the beneficiaries from the selected bank branches of the district.

Comparison of anti-hypertensive medication compliance between the tea tribe community and the non-tea tribe community seeking treatment from mobile medical units of Assam

BackgroundHypertension is the priority non-communicable disease, whose prevalence ranges from 10% to 55% and an estimated pooled prevalence of 16.1% within the tribal communities of India. Poor compliance to medication is a barrier to control hypertension levels and is an emerging public health challenge. Available evidence suggests varying prevalence of medication non-compliance in different parts of the country. To address the access challenge, National Health Mission supported Mobile Medical Units (MMUs) as one of its key strategies to deliver health services to the remote population. But the role of MMUs in medication compliance is underexplored. Paucity of medication compliance evidence is noted from the North-East states of India. ObjectivesTo assess medication compliance to oral medications among hypertensive Tea-tribe (TT) and Non-Tea-tribe (NTT) patients of the MMUs; Understand the ecological factors that may influence medication compliance. MethodsA comparative cross-sectional mixed-method study was conducted among the TT and NTT of Assam. A sample size of 196 was derived for the quantitative data and a random number of 6 per district was selected for qualitative data. Multi-stage Simple Random Sampling and Purposive sampling were used to recruit participants. ResultsAround 2(2%) of TT and 6(6.1%) of NTT reported moderate level of medication compliance. Medication compliance reported unequal distribution in the categories of education with minimum effect size. The qualitative findings reported patient and provider factors influencing medication compliance significantly. ConclusionEnsuring uninterrupted access to medication, patient and provider factors which affect medication compliance should be identified and addressed.

Role of Vocational Education and Training in Empowering Aatmanirbhar Bharat - A Study of Industrial Training Institute in Assam State of North East India

A Nation’s real success depends on its skilled work force. The skilled workforce gives an added advantage for running the wheel of the manufacturing and service operations. In order to focus more on competitive priorities, organizations give more emphasis on skilled workforce and thus skill development. Skill development has been considered one of the critical aspects for job creation in India. Hence Government of India has been working on long term strategic plans for skill development of Indian youth from rural and urban areas for their employment and empowerment. Without the required opportunities the challenges of unemployment in the country will never get resolved. Post-independence there were establishment of Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), thus ITIs are one of the pioneering steps towards ensuring a steady flow of skilled workers in different trades for the industry. At present there is around 14,886 affiliated ITIs which are active in India catering 143 number of technical and non-technical trades accrediting post- secondary unemployed youths to secure a decent job and also empowering them for self-reliant. In 2018, employability among Industrial Training Institutes graduates across India was about 29.46 percent, a drastic decrease from 42.22 percent in 2017. In the North Eastern state of Assam the situation is grimmer. In Govt. ITIs of Assam student admission has been drastically reduced primarily effecting MSME sector of the state which is contributing significantly in the economic and social development of the state by generating large employment opportunities and fostering entrepreneurship. Due to shortage of skilled workforce in Assam, the local factories have to hire skilled manpower from other parts of the country. The current paper aims to identify the causes behind decreasing trend of admission in vocational courses in Govt. ITIs with special reference to Assam and suggests measures to address the issues in a broader perspective. The paper also highlights the bold reforms and initiatives by both Central and State Govt. to upgrade Govt. ITIs through PPPs to build Govt. ITIs as world class skill centres to meet the growing demand in the local and international market.

First record of Tanaorhinus viridiluteata Walker, 1861 (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Geometrinae) from Mizoram, India

Very little work has been done to document the moth fauna of the Mizoram state in northeast India. An emerald moth collected from three localities in Aizawl District of Mizoram was identified as Tanaorhinus viridiluteata Walker, 1861 based on morphological and molecular studies. This species has been described briefly with colour photographs of male and female genitalia. Partial mitochondrial COI gene was amplified from these specimens for molecular analysis. This study represents a first record of the genus Tanaorhinus and species T. viridiluteata from Mizoram State.

Awareness, media, and mitigation actions for climate change: a study among the students of higher education in Tripura

Scientific research has revealed that global warming is getting irreversible with the passage of time and it is largely a human-induced phenomenon. India is one of the top three emitters of carbon dioxide in the world. However, the general public in India is unaware of what actually causes anthropogenic (human-induced) climate change. This study is undertaken to assess the level of climate change awareness and willingness to adopt mitigation actions by the students (N = 657) of higher education in Tripura, a small state in North East India, bordering Bangladesh on three sides. In addition, the study also attempts to draw whether there exist any correlations between the level of media usage with the level of climate change awareness and the level of climate change awareness with the level of willingness to adopt climate change mitigation actions. The results show that students of higher education in Tripura have a high level of climate change awareness, and the primary sources for climate change-related information are the Internet, TV, and newspapers. The scientists were the most trusted sources of climate change-related information followed by the mass media. The findings also establish that the students are willing to adopt climate change mitigation actions, even if it costs them something extra. The students who are willing (7.6%) and extremely willing (65.4%) to embrace climate change mitigation actions constituted more than 70% of the total respondents of the survey. The paper concludes that the level of willingness to adopt climate change mitigation actions was found to be significantly correlated with the level of awareness of the consequences of climate change when media are key actors in the dissemination of information; however, the level of understanding about solutions for climate change is not correlated with the level of awareness about the causes of climate change.

Malaria hotspots and climate change trends in the hyper-endemic malaria settings of Mizoram along the India–Bangladesh borders

India has made tremendous progress in reducing malaria mortality and morbidity in the last decade. Mizoram State in North-East India is one of the few malaria-endemic regions where malaria transmission has continued to remain high. As Mizoram shares international borders with Bangladesh and Myanmar, malaria control in this region is critical for malaria elimination efforts in all the three countries. For identifying hotspots for targeted intervention, malaria data from 385 public health sub-centers across Mizoram were analyzed in the Geographic Information System. Almost all the sub-centers reporting high Annual Parasite Index (> 10) are located in Mizoram’s districts that border Bangladesh. Getis-Ord Gi* statistic shows most of the sub-centers located along the Bangladesh border in the Lawngtlai and Lunglei districts to be the malaria hotspots. The hotspots also extended into the Mamit and Siaha districts, especially along the borders of Lawngtlai and Lunglei. Analysis of terrain, climatic, and land use/land cover datasets obtained from the Global Modelling and Assimilation Office and satellite images show Mizoram’s western part (Lawngtlai, Lunglei, and Mamit districts) to experience similar topographic and climatic conditions as the bordering Rangamati district in the Chittagong division of Bangladesh. Climatic trends in this region from 1981 to 2021, estimated by the Mann–Kendall test and Sen's slope estimates, show an increasing trend in minimum temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, and the associated shift of climatic pattern (temperate to tropical monsoon) could facilitate malaria transmission. The quasi-Poisson regression model estimates a strong association (p < 0.001) between total malaria cases, temperature range, and elevation. The Kruskal–Wallis H test shows a statistically significant association between malaria cases and forest classes (p < 0.001). A regional coordination and strategic plan are required to eliminate malaria from this hyper-endemic malaria region of North-East India.

A community based comparative study on menopausal health issues of urban and rural women of tripura, North-east india

Background: Menopause health issues may differ in diverse socioeconomic groups and among the urban and rural populations. Objectives:The present cross-sectional study was carried out on a small population of urban and rural menopausal women from Tripura, a Stateof North-East India, to evaluate the average age of menopause and to examine prevalence and variations in menopausal featuresbetween the rural and urban women above the age of 40 years. Methods: Data on socio-demographic variables, reproductive historyand menopausal symptoms were collected from 400 menopausal women of Tripura by questionnaire method. Observation: Variationsin menopausal symptoms among rural and urban women were observed. Muscle and joint pain were the most common symptoms inrural (86%) and urban (80%) women, and 32% of both groups reported having breast pain. Hot flushes followed it, sleep disturbancesand night sweating. Due to lack of awareness, the majority of rural women thought that menopausal symptoms are very natural andneed not require any attention until severe complications arise. Conclusion: Such regional studies thus helped to corroborate data withhealth status of menopausal women and also created awareness among middle-aged women regarding self-care for better managementof their menopausal discomforts.

A descriptive study on local street vendors: a case study in dimapur district nagaland

The term “street vendor” refers to those who are unable to get regular jobs in the formal sector on account of their low level of education and skills. Street vending is an important activity for the urban areas. The study focuses on the street vending of Nagaland State. Nagaland is a mountainous state in northeast India, bordering Myanmar, and it is home to diverse indigenous tribes. It occupies about 70 percent of the total area under cultivation and constitutes about 75 percent of the total food production in the state. In Nagaland majority of the street vendors are women, belonging to diverse tribes and sell a variety of products ranging from vegetables to meat, fast food, handicraft, second-hand clothing, etc., to urban consumers. The study population in Nagaland is around 22.8 lakhs and around 30,000, people are street vendors. Street vending gives platform to earn income to the illiterate, low-class, and unemployed to sustain their life.

Seroprevalence of scrub typhus and other rickettsial diseases among the household rodents of Mizoram, North-East India.

In the last decade, scrub typhus, a zoonotic disease has emerged as a major health concern in Mizoram, a North-East Indian state that shares international borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh. Mizoram is a biodiversity hotspot and >85% of the state is under forest cover, which provides an ideal ecological niche for the rodents and mites to transmit scrub typhus and other rickettsial infections. Using the Weil-Felix test, a serosurvey of household rodents from 41 villages spread across all the 11 districts in Mizoram was undertaken to gather important insights on their role in disease transmission. Furthermore, the chigger and flea indexes were calculated from the captured rodents. The 163 rodents captured belonged to five species; the highest numbers were from Rattus tanezumi (87), followed by Rattus rattus (41), Mus musculus (17), Suncus murinus (16), and Bandicota bengalensis (2). The rickettsial seropositivity of the captured rodents was 66.26% (108 out of 163 were positive). Among the 163 rodents, sera of 75 (46.01%), 61 (37.42%), and 73 (44.78%) were reactive to OXK, OX19, and OX2 antigens, respectively. The chigger and flea index were 17.92 and 0.16, respectively. Overall, the study has given important insights into the risk of multiple rickettsial infections that household rodents could transmit in Mizoram. These findings indicate the need for the urgent implementation of effective rodent control strategies in Mizoram.

Influence of Korean Culture on Buying Behaviour among youths in Mizoram

Examining the entrance behaviour to look for similarities in buying behaviour in the international market has been an interesting field area for marketing research. This paper examines the influence of Korean culture in northeast India and the entrance of the market through social similarity, lifestyle similarity, cultural similarity and product acceptance, cuisine similarity and product purchase. The study analyses the data collected from youngsters of Mizoram state in northeast India and moderation and mediation analysis was carried out. The moderation analysis was based on gender and mediation analysis with the variables of Korean cultural proximity, cultural adaption and purchase of Korean products. The study finds that the inclusion of cultural influence mediates the relationship between the factors of cultural proximity and Korean product purchase.

Pathogenic and genetic diversity of chilli veinal mottle virus associated with U-morok (Capsicum chinense) decline in Manipur state of North East India

Pathogenic and genetic diversity of chilli veinal mottle virus associated with U-morok (Capsicum chinense) decline in Manipur state of North East India

The 2020 earthquake sequence and seismic hazard scenario of Mizoram state in northeast India

The Mizoram state of India lies in close proximity to the active Indo-Burma subduction zone and had experienced several moderate to large earthquakes, including the M7 event in 1938. Since 2015, only two events with 5&amp;lt;M&amp;lt;6 have occurred in the area, however, a sudden enhancement of earthquake activity (M3.0–M5.7) was observed from June to August 2020 in the eastern part of the Mizoram state, including the four events of M ≥ 5.0. We analysed the waveform data of 21 events recorded by the local and regional BBS to estimate the source parameters. The focal depth of these events varies from 13 to 45 km, while other parameters such as corner frequency, source radius, stress drop, and scalar seismic moment of the events are found in the range of 0.45–3.36 Hz, 0.77–5.58 km, 1.3–193 bars, and 3.98107E+13 to 6.30957E+17 Nm, respectively. The seismicity pattern shows two distinct clusters along the well-demarcated faults in the region, and most of them are generated by strike-slip movements. The Churachandpur-Mao Fault (CMF) is found to be the most active tectonic element in the study area. Hence, an M8 event has been simulated on the same fault using the stochastic simulation technique. The technique was validated by simulating the three M+5 events on the same source zone and comparing the simulated PGA, frequency, and response spectrum with the observed data. The simulation reveals that a PGA ∼480 gals is expected near the fault zone. The easternmost districts of Mizoram, such as Champai, Serchhip, Lunglei, Saiha, and Aizawl, may experience severe PGA (250–450 gals). The response spectral acceleration corresponding to single-storey, double-storey, 3–4 storey, and 5–6 storey buildings has also been estimated in the present study and it is found to vary in the range of 1,400–200 gals. The result of the present study will be useful in various engineering applications and help reduce the loss of lives and damage to infrastructure due to future large events in the region.

The length and breadth of Rongmei scattering in the three state of North East India, namely Assam, Manipur and Nagaland

The length and breadth of Rongmei scattering in the three state of North East India, namely Assam, Manipur and Nagaland

Strategies for Sustainable Utilization of Openwater Fisheries Resources of Meghalaya: A Way Forward

The Northeast Indian state of Meghalaya with its vast inland fishery resources in the form of rivers (5,600 km), floodplain wetlands (500 ha), reservoirs (650 ha), lakes (50 ha) and ponds (0.02 lakh ha) offers tremendous scope for developing its fisheries sector, but lags behind in harnessing the potential. The state is deficient in fish production; it depends on additional fish supplied from Andhra Pradesh and other neighbouring states to fulfil its demand. There is an urgent need to increase fish production from available resources to fill the gap. To increase fish production, there is a need to utilize openwater fisheries resources of the state in a sustainable manner besides pond aquaculture. Sustainable development requires necessary initiatives in right direction at the right time with appropriate technological interventions. Right direction can result in holistic fisheries development based on proper planning taking into account contribution from all fisheries resources. Implementation of strategies in time with indicators of development can be worked out with proper planning. Strategies to prioritize the developmental work with realistic targets and guidance to achieve the goals are also required. Strategies also clearly depict priority action to be taken on immediate, medium term and long term basis along with milestones to track the progress and to achieve the goal. In this paper, we discuss strategies for sustainable enhancement of fish production from open water fisheries of Meghalaya based on the present scenario along with required infrastructural and human resources development with a realistic approach.

Contrasting Distribution of SARS-CoV-2 Lineages across Multiple Rounds of Pandemic Waves in West Bengal, the Gateway of East and North-East States of India.

ABSTRACTThe evolution of viral variants and their impact on viral transmission have been an area of considerable importance in this pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We analyzed the viral variants in different phases of the pandemic in West Bengal, a state in India that is important geographically, and compared the variants with other states like Delhi, Maharashtra, and Karnataka, located in other regions of the country. We have identified 57 pango-lineages in 3,198 SARS-CoV-2 genomes, alteration in their distribution, as well as contrasting profiles of amino acid mutational dynamics across different waves in different states. The evolving characteristics of Delta (B.1.617.2) sublineages and alterations in hydrophobicity profiles of the viral proteins caused by these mutations were also studied. Additionally, implications of predictive host miRNA binding/unbinding to emerging spike or nucleocapsid mutations were highlighted. Our results throw considerable light on interesting aspects of the viral genomic variation and provide valuable information for improved understanding of wave-defining mutations in unfolding the pandemic.IMPORTANCE Multiple waves of infection were observed in many states in India during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID19) pandemic. Fine-scale evolution of major SARS-CoV-2 lineages and sublineages during four wave-window categories: Pre-Wave 1, Wave 1, Pre-Wave 2, and Wave 2 in four major states of India: Delhi (North), Maharashtra (West), Karnataka (South), and West Bengal (East) was studied using large-scale virus genome sequencing data. Our comprehensive analysis reveals contrasting molecular profiles of the wave-defining mutations and their implications in host miRNA binding/unbinding of the lineages in the major states of India.

E-Panchayat as a catalyst for empowering PRIs in Tripura

Tripura is a landlocked state in Northeast India, consisting of seven contiguous states: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. The state government of Tripura has implemented the e- governance in different parts of administration and e-Panchayat is one of them. E-Panchayat is not a replacement of e-Governance but a sub domain and supplement to bring transparency in the Panchayat Raj Institutions in Tripura. The notion of e-panchayat offers a lot of potential for rural people all around the country since it intends to turn institutions of the Panchayati Raj have been transformed into icons of modernity, transparency and efficiency. The main aim of this study is to look into how e-Panchayat can help the Panchayat raj system to work more efficiently in Tripura, especially addressing the needs of the people.

An analysis of government-sponsored health insurance enrolment and claims data from Meghalaya: Insights into the provision of health care in North East India.

The Megha Health Insurance Scheme (MHIS) was launched in 2013 in the North-East Indian state of Meghalaya to reduce household out-of-pocket expenditure on health and provide access to high-quality essential healthcare. Despite substantial expansion of the MHIS since the scheme's inception, there is a lack of comprehensive documentation and evaluation of the scheme's performance against its Universal Health Care (UHC) objectives. We analysed six years of enrolment and claims data (2013-2018) covering three phases of the scheme to understand the pattern of enrolment, utilisation and care provision under the MHIS during this period. De-identified data files included information on age, sex, district of residence, the district of provider hospital, type of hospital, date of admission, status at discharge, claimed category of care, package codes, and amount claimed. Descriptive statistics were generated to investigate key trends in enrolment, service utilisation, and Government health spending under the MHIS. Approximately 55% of the eligible population are currently enrolled in MHIS. Enrolment increased consistently from phase I through III and remained broadly stable across districts, gender, age group and occupation categories, with a small decline in males 19-60 years. Claims were disproportionately skewed towards private provision; 57% of all claims accrued to the 18 empanelled private hospitals and 39% to the 159 public sector facilities. The package 'General Ward Unspecified' was responsible for the highest volume of claims and highest financial dispensation across all three phases of the scheme. This likely indicates substantial administrative error and is potentially masking both true burden of disease and accurate financial provision for care under the MHIS. Anti-rabies injections for dog/cat bite contributed to 11% of total claims under MHIS III, and 1.6% of all claims under MHIS II. This warrants investigation to better understand the burden of animal bites on the Meghalayan population and inform the implementation of cost-effective strategies to reduce this burden. This paper describes the first analysis of health insurance enrolment and claims data in the state of Meghalaya. The analysis has generated an important evidence base to inform future MHIS enrolment and care provision policies as the scheme expands to provide Universal Health Coverage to the state's entire population.