Indian Village Research Articles

Service Quality Gap of Rural Customers Towards Banking Services in Karur Vysya Bank of Virudhunagar District

There are many villages in India, but they are not developing as quickly as the cities. Because of the lack of technology availability and infrastructure and other factors, customers in rural and urban areas have very different expectations and perceptions of products and services. Using the SERVQUAL test, we aim to determine the KVB rural customers' expectations and perceptions of service quality. Service quality expectations and perceptions differ from person to person and bank to bank. Service quality leads to customer retention and prospective customer base. We discovered that there is a big gap between the rural customer’s expectation and perception. Further we provide suggestion to karur vysya bank to put research and development team among rural customers and improve the bank services accordingly.

Polity Size and Local Government Performance: Evidence from India

Developing countries have increasingly decentralized power to local governments. This paper studies the implications of a central element of decentralization (polity size) using population-based discontinuities that determine local government boundaries for over 100,000 Indian villages. Over the short and long run, individuals allocated into local governments with smaller populations have better access to public goods. We provide suggestive evidence that these results are related to heightened civic engagement and stronger political incentives, but not to other mechanisms such as elite capture. (JEL D72, H41, H75, H76, O17, O18, R50)

Government schemes empowering Indian women: A study in the reference of Bihar

Many schemes being run by the government to empower women are now bearing fruit. These schemes are not only empowering the women of villages in India but they are also becoming aware of their rights. Bihar is the best example of this. Where today women's status has increased not only in jobs but also in the family. Women's respect and self-respect have both increased. Calling women weak is now a thing of the past. Women's interference and their participation has increased in every field of society and family. Today no family will be able to live happily by ignoring women. The schemes being run by the Government of India and the Government of Bihar to make women empowered and self-reliant have a big role behind this. In a developing state like Bihar, where earlier women not only used to go out under the veil but they also used to have less participation in the decisions of the family and society, but now this has become a thing of the past. Now women have become aware of their rights. Many laws have been made at the government level to protect their safety and their rights, which have proved to be a boon for the interests of women. After the liquor ban in Bihar, the safety of women has improved further. It is known that there is a liquor ban in Bihar since the year 2016. The effect of which has proved to be significant in the progress of women. In India, the population of women in the year 2024 is 48.4 percent. At the same time, the population of men is 51.6 percent. In India, there are 1,020 women for every 1,000 men. This is the first time that the population of women in India has exceeded that of men. Many schemes of the central government are only for women. At the same time, the Nitish government of Bihar is also running many schemes for women empowerment. The Modi government has taken many steps towards women empowerment. The benefits of which have been received by the women of the country on a large scale. Gender justice is an important commitment of the government enshrined in the Constitution of India. Several steps have been taken by the government in the last few years to promote a gender-just society and increase the representation of women in various sectors. In the last few years, India has been witnessing a rapid shift from women-led development to women-led development in the vision of a new India. Towards this end, the government has adopted a multi-pronged approach to address women's issues on a life-cycle continuum, encompassing educational, social, economic and political empowerment, so that they can become equal partners in rapid and sustainable national development. India is currently one of the 15 countries in the world to have a woman head of state. Several schemes for women empowerment in Bihar are being run by the Government of Bihar and the Government of India. Many of these schemes are related to sectors such as employment, agriculture and health. These schemes have been formulated keeping in view the situation of women in Bihar so that their participation in society can be increased. Without women empowerment, women cannot get the place in Bihar, country and society, which they have always been entitled to. Without women empowerment, she cannot fight centuries old traditions and evils. She cannot free herself from bondages and take her own decisions.

Nephrocalcinosis, distal renal tubular acidosis and skeletal abnormality in two siblings with ROGDI-related Kohlschütter-Tönz syndrome.

Kohlschütter-Tönz (KTS) is a rare autosomal recessive, genetically heterogeneous disorder characterized by a triad of early-onset seizures, global developmental delay or regression, and amelogenesis imperfecta of both temporary and permanent teeth. To date, 66 cases have been reported in the literature, of which 44 with genetic confirmation. Here we report the observation of sibling pairs in a family from a small village in India who presented with nephrocalcinosis, distal renal tubular acidosis, and skeletal abnormality. Nephrocalcinosis has only been reported once before in an individual affected with KTS. Trio exome sequencing revealed a novel, homozygous, likely pathogenic variant, c.646-2_649del, in exon 9 of the ROGDI gene (NM_024589.3) in the first child. Sanger sequencing confirmed homozygosity in both children. Both parents are heterozygous carriers of the same variant. Further research needs to be done to identify the exact mechanism by which ROGDI-encoded protein deficiency leads to nephrocalcinosis and distal renal tubular acidosis.

Water scarcity and public health concerns in rural India: a case study of Nongpok Sekmai and surrounding villages

This study examines the critical issue of water scarcity and its impact on public health in Nongpok Sekmai and surrounding villages in India. Despite government initiatives to provide universal tap water access by 2024, these villages lack safe drinking water. Traditional sources like open wells are contaminated, and the primary river is drying up due to illegal sand mining and gravel extraction activities upstream. This situation results in a significant public health burden, with villagers facing financial strain due to waterborne diseases and the need to purchase water for basic needs. The study also examines the negative link between on-premise access to safe water and mothers' time spent on water collection. The study highlights the need for a multi-pronged approach. Renewed government efforts to implement the tap water initiative or provide alternative clean water sources like filtration plants or community wells are crucial. Additionally, stricter enforcement is needed to curb illegal mining activities and ensure river sustainability. Furthermore, exploring community-based solutions like rainwater harvesting and raising awareness about waterborne diseases and sanitation practices can empower the population. Addressing this water crisis demands a collaborative effort from the government, local communities, and environmental agencies. This study employed a mixed-methods approach, utilizing visual photographic analysis and community engagement to investigate water contamination in Nongpok Sekmai river, Manipur. The findings highlight key contamination indicators such as turbidity, algae blooms, and floating debris, while also addressing the health and social impacts perceived by the local population.

Design and Performance Analysis of a Hybrid Solar Photovoltaic System With Battery Energy Storage in a Government School of Indian Village

ABSTRACTIn India, energy security and electrification of rural area remains significant challenges. In addressing energy changes, solar photovoltaic (SPV) systems will play a major role, particularly in remote and rural areas. This research presents the design and performance assessment of a hybrid SPV plant integrated with battery energy storage system (BESS) at a government school within an Indian village. This hybrid SPV system is designed to utilize grid electricity when available, switch to solar power during the day when it is available, and use stored battery power at night time. The designed SPV system is of 1785 Wp, capacity coupled with a 560 Ah battery pack. The performance metrics, energy production, and storage efficiency, are analyzed using simulation data from PVsyst software. The results shows that system produces an annual energy of 2149.28 kWh/year and shows a performance ratio (PR) of 72.75% and a solar fraction (SF) of 98.31%. This proposed hybrid SPV system ensures continuous power supply, reduces dependency on the grid, and significantly lowers CO₂ emissions.

Locally brewed alcohol induced rhabdomyolysis: A case report

Background. This case report aims to present an occurrence of Rhabdomyolysis following locally brewed alcohol consumption. We describe the clinical features, diagnostic evaluation, treatment, and outcomes of a patient diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis and secondary to locally made alcohol consumption. Case report. The patient, a 31-year-old male, known alcoholic since 13 years, presented with sudden-onset bilateral lower limb weakness for 4 days, h/o inability to walk, h/o leg pain for 4 days, non-progressive, no aggravating and relieving factors following alcohol consumption. Investigations revealed critically high levels of CPK, deranged renal parameters and liver parameters. Prompt intervention and mechanical hemodialysis were initiated along with administration of supportive care. The patient demonstrated gradual improvement of symptoms and renal parameters. Conclusions. This case highlights the importance of recognizing the potential muscle injury with acute kidney and liver injury following locally brewed alcohol consumption. In many villages in India locally brewed alcohol is still being consumed. Early diagnosis and prompt management are crucial for good prognostic outcome.

Improving children's foundational learning through community-school participation: Experimental evidence from rural India

Due to almost-universal enrolment in primary schools, policy focus has shifted towards improving learning outcomes. One important way of doing this is to enhance accountability, especially in the case of public provision of education. In this context, we examine the effectiveness of two different strategies of increasing accountability – one involving only the community, and the other which builds collaboration between the schools and the community. We implement a randomized controlled trial in 400 villages in India, and find: (i) both interventions led to a significant enhancement in children's foundational literacy and numeracy skills, (ii) we observed limited differences between the impacts of the two interventions, and (iii) the community-school intervention exhibited significantly greater effects when parents reported visiting the school, underscoring the vital role of parent-teacher interactions and their shared responsibility in shaping children's learning outcomes. In terms of mechanism, we find that direct learning inputs play a major role in mediating the observed effects of both interventions. Additionally, parent-teacher engagement and children's studying habits outside of the school are potential important channels through which the observed effects operate in the community-school intervention.

Political Socialisation and Capacity Building through Decentralisation Rural Local Leadership

After attaining Independence in 1947, a committee headed by Balvantrai Mehta studied the problems of local government, like the absence of people’s participation, and suggested ways and means for improving the execution of ‘Community Development Programme’ (CDP) and ‘National Extension Service’ (NES) scheme, launched on 1952 and 1953 respectively, in a phased manner. The partial success of both CDP and NES led to the formation of a three-tier arrangement, which is the process of democratic decentralization. The political socialization process is through every human being learning the essentials of socio-political life science he or she comes into the world. The behavioral movement has sensitized scholars in comparative politics to shift their research area from the static aspects of structural, legal, and historical analysis of the rural local governments to the dynamic aspect of the functions of these institutions. This area has received impetus, especially from scholars who have been oriented toward the methodology of functionalists. India is acknowledged for its local administration through the ages. The present local government structure has its roots in Lord Mayo’s strategy of decentralization of 1870, followed by Lord Ripon’s enunciation of local government in 1884, which had heralded a new trend of bringing people to the centre-stage in managing their own affairs. Mahatma Gandhi said that “the centre of power is not in Delhi or Calcutta or Bombay or in big cities; it should be distributed among the seven hundred thousand villages of India.” The significance of local government in India has considerably increased in the post-independent India. There is a paucity of research work on political socialization aspects of the rural local body leaders at the national and international levels. This research work would add to the multidisciplinary research literature relevant to Politics and Public Administration, Social Work, Sociology, Rural Development, Economics, etc. The present research paper examines the political socialization aspects of the rural local body leaders from Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu, India.

Remembering Girmitiyas: tracing the past of indentured migrants in their homeland

ABSTRACT This paper looks at the reminiscence of the family members of girmitiyas from north Indian villages who, in post-slavery circumstances, were transported under an indenture contract to overseas plantation colonies during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. While the memories and experiences of the departed migrants are extensively chronicled in history writing, historians have rarely looked into the memories of the family members who were left behind. This essay tries to address this gap in historical literature, by examining the memories documented in the colonial reports, as well as songs and narratives of the families of indentured Indians in their home communities. The paper makes the argument that the acute sense of loss and pain of family members recorded during the nineteenth century, no longer persists in the form of ‘communicative’ memory, but has instead become ‘cultural’ memory as time passed, and that the descendants now view this past differently.

340 Investigating the Effectiveness of Folic Acid-Fortified Iodized Salt on Serum Folate Concentration- a Primary Prevention Strategy for Spina Bifida in India

Abstract Aim Investigate the effectiveness of folic acid-fortified iodized salt in increasing serum folate concentrations among non-pregnant and non-lactating women of reproductive age Method All households in four rural Indian villages agreed to consume FA-fortified iodized salt (study salt) in a pre- and post-intervention study. Pre- and post-intervention serum folate levels were analysed from 83 eligible participants. A cohort study was done after consumption of approximately 300 mcg of FA daily using double fortified salt (FA + Iodine). We assessed the differences in median serum folate concentrations at baseline and 4 months. Results The median serum folate concentration increased from 14.6 nmol/L at baseline to 54.4 nmol/L at end of study. Two-tailed Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test showed the difference to be highly significant (p-value = 1.8 × 10-14). The villagers found the salt acceptable in color, taste and cooking properties. No untoward effects related to the study salt were noted. Conclusions Folic Acid for the prevention of Spina Bifida has over 3 decades of evidence to support it. In 2023, the World Health Assembly unanimously recommended FA to prevent incidence of Spina Bifida. India, currently estimated to bear a third of the global Spina Bifida burden, poses a unique challenge to mandatory fortification due to the heterogeneity in population, culture, and dietary patterns. FA-fortified salt presents an equitable opportunity to reach the entire population of India and avert a significant burden of Spina Bifida and its associated morbidity and mortality. Moreover, salt fortification infrastructure currently exists so FA-fortified salt poses a cost-effective primary prevention method.

Humanizing the Line: Indo-Pak Border in Ashvin Kumar’s Little Terrorist

India and Pakistan are neighboring countries in the South Asian region, bearing centuries of united history, culture and collective struggle against colonial rule. The end of the colonial era of this subcontinent with partition to adhere to the separate nation demanded for Hindus and Muslims created massive havoc to these countries that were once united. Furthermore, the partition of the sub-continent has become the genesis of the severed relationship between these nations. This article delves into discussing the idea of the India and Pakistan border visualized in Ashvin Kumar’s critically acclaimed Hindi short film Little Terrorist (2004). The film presents an alternative viewpoint to the presence of borders and the separation of humans based on nationality by showing the border villages of India and Pakistan. The short film forges a path for friendship between the two nations by reminiscing the shared history through the characters Jamal and Bhola. The film, by showing the border village, is subverting the idea of the Indo-Pak border for the people who once lived together. This article analyzes the concept of borders in the film using the research on Indo-Pak border studies.

Towards right to work: A reflexive analysis on an action research

This article explores the potential of action research by evaluating the research process, methodological nuances and experiential learnings of an action researcher involved in the action research conducted at Dudhera, a rural village in India on Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). It documents the struggles and resistance of MGNREGA workers of Dudhera. They came together and decided to claim rights under MGNREGA when they felt powerless and starved - of both information and influence over the key decisions that affected their lives. The article critically examines the implementation failure of MGNREGA and the malpractices perpetuated by the Panchayat. It also portrays the community’s determination to bring change by claiming their right and challenging the status quo. The article also presents a reflexive analysis of action research, including the role of action researcher, community engagement and subjective transformation of both self and community in the action research process. The article advances knowledge about participatory action research and its potential for transformative change.

Geriatric health care in rural India: HR issues and public policy constraints

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to emphasize the need for holistic geriatric health care in rural India. Many older people in Indian villages suffer from chronic ailments without any relief or intervention because of inaccessible and unaffordable health-care services. This paper explores how holistic health care can be assured for older people in Indian villages.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is based on reflections of the authors who have had experiences as caregivers to older persons within their respective families rooted in the Indian villages. Besides, they interacted with 30 older persons (18 males and 12 females in the age group of 60–80 years) living in the villages in three states of India, namely, Haryana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh to develop a comprehensive viewpoint on the need of geriatric health care in rural India. Relevant reports, newspaper articles and research papers were also reviewed while developing viewpoints on such an important topic.FindingsGeriatric health-care facilities in rural India are abysmal. The older people in the villages cannot leverage health-care facilities that are generally inaccessible, inadequate and unaffordable. Even the government support for medical treatment is minuscule. Furthermore, there is lack of trained health-care professionals at all levels, namely, doctors, nurses and paramedic personnel. Training opportunities in geriatrics are also negligible. The scenario vis-à-vis geriatric health care in rural India can be upturned by increasing public spending on health-care infrastructure, increasing numbers of health-care professionals and expanding training programmes in geriatrics.Originality/valueThis paper is based on the critical reflections of the authors as well as their informal interactions with some of the older people in the Indian villages.

Status of vector protection measures and awareness regarding vector borne diseases in families residing in a "Nirmal Gram Puraskar" village in India.

Mosquito-bome diseases are increasing problems in various parts of the world, causing high mortality and morbidity for humans. This study was done to assess the vector protection measures taken by rural below poverty line (BPL) families, and to assess the awareness about vector-borne diseases along with Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) in rural BPL families. A cross-sectional study was conducted in a rural area which won "Nirmal Gram Puraskar" Award i.e., "clean village" among 96 below BPL families for a period of three months. These families (every 5 th ) were selected by systematic random sampling until we reached a sample size. Basic socio-demographic details, status of vector protection measures, solid waste management, vector-borne diseases and total sanitation campaign details were collected from the study participants. Pretested, semi-structured questionnaire was applied to the head of the families which included sanitation status at home by house-to-house visit. Data collected was analysed using SPSS version 20 and presented as frequency, percentages, mean and standard deviation. Among 96 families studied (454 adults and children), 84 (87.5%) were males and 12 (12.5%) were females. Among these, 291 (64.1%) were using one or the other mosquito protection measures, 52 (54.2%) were using bednets and 23 (23.9%) used coils. 12 families (12.5%) were not using any mosquito protection measures. In our study, 66 (68.8%) families had individual household latrine (IHHL) and 50 (52.1%) had open drainage. Even though 314 participants had an access to individual household latrine, 20 (6.36%) had practice of open air defecation compared to 127 (90.7%) who practiced open air defecation without an access to individual household latrine. When asked about the awareness regarding vector-borne diseases, 56 (58.3%) were aware about chikungunya, 47 (48.9%) about dengue, 46 (47.9%) about malaria, 14 (14.6%) and only 5 (5.2%) families were aware about Japanese encephalitis. In this study, 37 (38.5%) were aware about the total sanitation campaign and 40 (41.6%) about the government support for sanitation. While there is a general awareness of vector-borne diseases, the implementation of vector protection measures is not uniform across the village. There is a need for targeted interventions to improve the effectiveness of vector protection measures and increase awareness among the community.

E-Farming Management System

The main objective of this project is building a website which will help farmers from Indian villages too sell their products to different cities. Here if suppose some village farmers want to use this facility and want to learn how is it possible and how they can use e-farming to sell their products. If they have knowledge of computer then they can directly register in the site and sell their agricultural products otherwise they can contact company's computer professional who will schedule classes to teach them basics of computers and internet like how they can open this site and register with it and sell their products online etc. On the other side, wholesaler from town can also register and buy products as per their needs. E-farming means not whole farming done electronically instead whole transaction is managed electronically through web-site. Farmer did not do anything only he had to register on website. The main objective of this project is building a website which will help farmers from Indian villages too sell their products in different cities to different customers. The purpose of this paper is to help farmers optimize their product sales for profit. The project is developed using Visual Studio Code for the front end, and the back end is implemented using SQL Server configuration. Farmers will get all the new ideas to improve their productivity and they can buy and sell their products online. Keywords: E-Farming, Agricultural Products, Costumer, Information, Farmer

Does reliable electricity mean lesser agricultural labor wages? Evidence from Indian villages

Using a panel of 1,171 villages in rural India that were surveyed in the India Human Development Surveys, I perform a difference-in-differences analysis to find that improvements in electricity reliability have a negative effect on the increase in casual agricultural labor wage rates. Changes in men’s wage rates are found to be affected more adversely than women’s, resulting in a smaller widening of the gender wage gap. I find that better electricity reliability reduces the time spent by women in fuel collection substantially which could potentially increase labor supply. The demand for labor remains unaffected by reliability, which could lead the surplus in labor supply to cause wage rates to stunt. However, I show that electrical appliances such as groundwater pumps considerably increase labor demand indicating that governments could target increasing the adoption of electric pumps along with bettering the quality of electricity to absorb the surplus labor into agriculture.

Improving the lives of rural Indians through social innovation

India is a country of villages, and a significant proportion of the population lives in the rural area. There are several fundamental challenges in the Indian villages. There is a requirement for a holistic approach to participatory development. This study addresses important facets of the interconnected problems that Indian rural society has experienced in recent decades, highlighting the dysfunctional relationships between an innovation policy that is grounded on an economically and technologically oriented, one-sided understanding of innovation. There are two aspects, first, possibilities within the village or contributions from the local community, and second the state's role in innovation. The social capital, use of local resources, and participation of stakeholders can be seen as a base for the sustainable development of the village. The study recommends the state enable rural areas in the affordable agriculture system and other small occupations, information and communication technology (ICT), communication, vocational skills courses, self-help groups, and microfinance.
 Keywords: Information and communication technology (ICT); rural development; social capital; social innovation.

Fragments of the Rural: Land dispossession and transformed livelihoods in India’s villages

This study investigates how the partial industrial transformation of the Indian village—the decoupling of the farmer from their farmland and their incomplete absorption into industrial labour—changes the rural dynamics of social relations. It further analyses if and how the partial-proletarianization of farmers has changed rural women’s interactions with their surrounding socioeconomic structures—both within the home and in the public space of the market. Literature on the subject shall be studied in conjunction with the case of Asawarpur, in Sonipat district of Haryana, and interviews from the field site shall be used to understand the nature of changes caused by land-acquisition-based private development. The nature of land dispossession shall be studied through Michael Levien’s problematic of accumulation by dispossession. The analysis of changes in social groups—households, castes, and classes—shall follow Henry Bernstein’s understanding of fragmented livelihoods in developing countries. This essay shall specifically focus on the impact of land dispossession and the arrival of new economic pursuits on traditional livelihoods and existing inequalities. Case studies by various scholars, read with evidence from Asawarpur, shall be used to show the fragmented nature of livelihoods and aggravated inequalities in the transformed economy of India’s countryside.

Rural Tourism In India - Scope And Perspectives

Rural India is a personification of indian culture.About 70% of indian population resides in villages. Indian villages showcase true image of indian custom and traditions which are diverse from one region to another spreading from mountainous region of north to the desert region of west stretching to the hot humid climate of south to the coastal region adjacent to Arabian sea. Tourism in such rural countryside present live demonstration of study indian culture but also act as an open gallery of indian ancient historic past. Each region has their own costume, folk song, folk dances and religious ceremonies which are largely promoted by Tourism Dept to boast national income and development of rural infrastructure. Beside infrastructure development there few challenges also to cope with like environmental degradation, destruction of fragile Ecosystem, flora and fauna a of the place,over carrying capacity, the emphasis should be lead on sustainable tourism with preservation of environment and cultural value and ethos of the places as well. The biggest challenges today is environmental pollution where heap of garbages leftover by visitors which not only mar the beauty of the place but also bring havoc to native flora and fauna which goes on the brink of extinction, like in Uttrakhand and other mountainous tourist destinations where govt. banned plastic to make it plastic free places.Smilarly there is dire need to preserve dwindling culture and tradition of the places which also struggling to thrive due to the negative impact of western culture brought by foreign tourists.