SOUTH INDIA JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
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Assessing Digital Financial Service Awareness, Usage and Impact on Tribal socio-economic Condition
Get PDFDigital financial services (DFS) as services that are delivered and made available to customers through digital technology. Tribal communities in the digital age are embracing the transformative potential of digital financial inclusion in addition to maintaining their traditional practices. They are creating new avenues for economic development while preserving their cultural legacy through creative technology and inclusive approaches. The main purpose of the study are, to assess the level of awareness of the scheduled tribes about digital financial services and to identify the factors influencing scheduled tribes to use digital financial services towards the socio-economic transformation. Purposive sample strategy has been used to gather data. A well-organized interview schedule has been gathered from the Coimbatore district's indigenous respondents. Four hundred tribe respondents make up the study's sample size. The gathered data has been analyzed using frequency, percentages, mean, and PLS software. The findings revealed that, the highest awareness is associated with ATMs, which received a mean score of 4.95, indicating that most respondents are extremely aware of this service. SEM result revealed, several relationships are statistically significant and demonstrate strong positive effects. Notably, Attitude towards Use significantly influences Behavioral Intention to Use, and Actual Use has a strong impact on Socio-economic Transformation, suggesting that usage directly contributes to socio-economic changes. DFS has aided in the socioeconomic change of tribal tribes by facilitating banking access. But the socioeconomic transition is clear since tribes now have better access to government subsidies, loans, and savings, raising their standard of living
Exploring the Recent Social Security Pension Schemes of the Government of West Bengal: A Study of West Bengal, India
Get PDFIn response to the significant aging population in West Bengal and the insufficient pension coverage for vulnerable groups, particularly older adults, the Government of West Bengal has implemented several social security pension schemes. This study investigates the awareness and utilization of these pension schemes and their impact on the elderly population in West Bengal. A representative sample of 220 older adults was selected using a stratified random sampling method that encompasses diverse caste groups. The research employed both quantitative surveys and qualitative in-depth interviews. Principal Component Analysis was conducted on selected indicators to assess the impact of these schemes on pensioners. The findings reveal that the pension schemes have generated positive outcomes for older adults, especially older women and individuals from economically disadvantaged backgrounds residing in rural areas. These schemes have improved mobility, increased self-esteem, fostered financial independence, and enhanced overall quality of life. Policymakers may consider leveraging these insights to formulate targeted strategies that promote increased awareness and utilization of these schemes, with a particular focus on reaching and supporting the most vulnerable segments of the elderly population. Such initiatives have the potential to significantly enhance individual well-being and contribute to the broader socioeconomic development of the community
A Quantitative Evaluation of Severity of Disease Index due to Consumption of Arsenic contaminated Groundwater in Assam, India
Get PDFThe study endeavour sought to undertake an economic evaluation of groundwater contamination by arsenic in the districts of Jorhat and Nalbari, situated in the state of Assam. The research encompassed a total of twelve remote villages spanning across two districts of Assam viz. Jorhat and Nalbari. A comprehensive sampling strategy was employed to select a total of 175 households from the Titabor block in the esteemed Jorhat district, and an additional 180 households from the Paschim Nalbari block in the illustrious Nalbari district. These particular blocks were chosen due to their notable prevalence of elevated arsenic concentrations, which in turn resulted in a significant impact on the local population within the respective districts. The comprehensive assessment of the socio-economic landscape encompassed various factors, including educational achievement, household size, occupational categorization, and monthly expenditure patterns. The assessment of the household's overall economic status was based on the economic wellbeing as a fundamental indicator. The Severity Incidence Index (SII) quantifies the gravity of the occurrence resulting from the ingestion of potentially arsenic-contaminated water. It has been observed that there exists a positive correlation between the concentration of arsenic in water and the corresponding SII values. This elucidates the direct correlation between the escalating levels of arsenic in water and the escalating magnitude of individuals susceptible to potential ailments associated with arsenic contamination. The present index exhibits a diminished numerical representation for the region afflicted by a relatively modest concentration of arsenic
IASLIC Bulletin as a Channel of Research Communication: A Bibliometric Analysis (1956-2016)
Get PDFThe present study investigates the research productivity and scholarly trajectory of the IASLIC Bulletin, a leading journal in the field of Library and Information Science (LIS), over a sixty-one-year period from 1956 to 2016. The primary objective is to evaluate the journal’s academic impact, discern publication trends, and understand the evolving patterns of research communication within the LIS domain. This bibliometric analysis draws upon data from the cumulative index “Sixty-One Years of ‘IASLIC Bulletin’: A Cumulative Index, 1956–2016”, serving as the primary data source. Employing both statistical methods and visualization tools, the study examines core bibliometric indicators such as annual publication output, authorship trends, and patterns of research collaboration. The findings reveal a steady increase in the volume of published articles over the decades, reflecting the journal’s sustained relevance and the dynamic nature of LIS research in India. Notably, single-author contributions constitute the majority of publications, highlighting the tradition of individual scholarship in the field. However, a discernible rise in co-authored papers in recent years signals a shift toward collaborative research practices, aligning with global trends in academic publishing. This study offers a comprehensive and focused analysis of a single journal's bibliometric profile, thereby filling a critical gap in LIS literature. The rigorous methodology—featuring systematic data extraction and quantitative evaluation—lends credibility and replicability to the research. Beyond its retrospective assessment, the study highlights the IASLIC Bulletin's pivotal role in disseminating LIS knowledge and fostering academic discourse over the past six decades. The insights derived are pertinent for LIS researchers, policy-makers, and information professionals aiming to map scholarly communication patterns or inform strategic publishing practices. By charting the journal’s evolution and scholarly contributions, this research advances our understanding of the publication's influence within the Indian LIS community and contributes a valuable resource for further bibliometric inquiry and academic planning in the discipline
Beyond the Human: Posthuman Identity, AI Consciousness, and Techno-Evolution in Speculative Literature
Get PDFBiotechnology, artificial intelligence and immersive virtuality have arrived, and with them, a fundamental reconsideration of humanity has become essential. This shifting terrain is explored in posthuman literature, particularly in speculative fiction and cyberpunk fiction, which extensively deals with ideas of transhumanism, artificial intelligence consciousness, cyborg identity, synthetic life, body modification, fluid identity, and techno-evolution. These portrayals do not promote a remarkable path to a utopia or dystopia, but explore how technological enhancement, disembodied subjectivity and hybrid bodies deconstruct the humanist lineage and establish new replica of life.
This study explores the extensive theoretical and imaginative landscape of the posthuman literature through the analysis of works that incorporate mind uploading, conscious transfer, and the development of human-machine symbiosis. These narratives question anthropocentrism and re-construct identity as contingent, distributed and modifiable. The figure of the cyborg, the sentient AI, and the digitized self function not as gimmicks but as philosophical probes into agency, ethics, and the fragility of consciousness. Drawing from the theories of Donna Haraway, N. Katherine Hayles, Rosi Braidotti, and others, the study constructs a layered analysis of how posthuman themes complicate questions of morality, embodiment, and autonomy. Through the fusion of narrative and theoretical frameworks, this analysis highlights how speculative fiction acts as a site for ethical speculation and ontological experimentation. Ultimately, the posthuman condition is proposed not as a destination but as a contested process in which becoming-other through technology is both a perilous and promising path toward redefining identity, agency, and existence itself
Understanding the Socio-Economic Dynamics of the Marginalized Meo Community in Ujina Village of Nuh District, Haryana
Get PDFThis study investigates the socio-economic dynamics of the marginalized Meo community in Ujina village, Nuh District, Haryana, a historically disadvantaged group facing systemic exclusion. The objectives are to examine the community's socio-economic status, focusing on factors such as income, employment, education, and social mobility, and to identify the challenges and resilience patterns within the community. The research employs a quantitative methodology, using purposive and snowball sampling techniques to select 120 participants. Data collection involved face-to-face in-depth interviews and electronic surveys, analyzed using SPSS 27.0.1 software. Bivariate analysis was conducted to explore relationships among socio-economic variables. Findings reveal significant gender disparity, with males constituting 64.1% of the sample. Education levels are low, with 72.5% lacking formal education, affecting socio-economic mobility. Employment data indicate a heavy reliance on agriculture (44.1%), with minimal representation in formal sector jobs (2.5%). The income distribution shows a modest economic standing, with the majority earning between 30,000 and 39,999 rupees monthly. Correlation analyses suggest that higher educational attainment is linked to better occupational opportunities and greater participation in household decision-making; although the impact on mobility and asset ownership is limited. This research highlights the compounded effects of historical marginalization and systemic discrimination on the Meo community. The study underscores the need for targeted interventions to improve educational access, enhance skill development, and create economic opportunities to foster social inclusion and economic empowerment for this marginalized group
In-Charge Financial Distress/Financial Well-Being Scale: Score interpretation and reliability in the context of informal construction workers in West Bengal
Get PDFInformal construction labourers in India significantly contribute to the industry’s Gross Value Addition (GVA). For instance, in India the unorganized segment was 75.9 per cent of the industry’s total GVA in 2020-21(NSO report). Despite this fact, informal construction labourers suffer from a high degree of economic distress amid rising inflation and uncertainty in income. This has intensified hardships as well as created immense financial distress among such labourers. For measuring their financial well-being/distress, Prawitz et al. (2006) developed In-Charge Financial Distress/Financial Well-Being (IFDFW) scale consisting of eight self-reported items, each of which assigns scores ranging from 0 (overwhelming stress) to 10 (low stress). Using this IFDFW scale the paper evaluates financial distress among different groups of construction workers in the few selected blocks in North and South Bengal. The overall average score of informal construction labourers is found to be 2.06 signifying a very high level of distress among them. This degree of distress is found to be different for different groups of informal labourers in the industry, i.e., self-employed labourers (highest in the class with a mean value of 1.89), from wage employed category, non-migrants and migrants, having the mean value of 2.09 and 2.22 respectively. Moreover, the scale demonstrated strong validity and reliability, with Cronbach’s alpha at 0.811, and, thus, the overall result concerning distress position of labourers could guide policy initiatives to support and uplift such workers.
Determinants of Profitability: An Empirical Study of SMEs in India
Get PDFThis research examined the effect of firm-specific factors on the profitability of Indian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The analysis depended on secondary data from 17 textile SMEs in Tamil Nadu over the period 2010 to 2020. The researchers used panel data estimation methods to analyze the connection between the dependent (profitability) & independent variables. The findings indicate that the random effects model was the most appropriate estimation technique, as confirmed by the Hausman test. Key results show that leverage and GDP growth positively and significantly influence the profitability of the sampled SMEs, while firm size has a strong, negative effect. Growth was found to negatively impact profitability, but the significance was relatively weak. Interestingly, liquidity and asset tangibility were not identified as significant determinants of profitability. The insights from this study offer practical implications for policymakers and SME managers. The outcomes may inform the development of suitable approaches and policies to progress the financial performance of SMEs in India
Reassessing The Wood Charcoal Production in The Wake of Poppy Cultivation Menace In Manipur, India
Get PDFCharcoal is one of the important energy sources in Manipur. The production and consumption charcoal in Manipur is an old age practice. In the state of Manipur, the production of charcoal is one of the significant unorganised forest-based industry. This industry has a close tie to the traditional Jhum cultivation practices, which involve slash-and-burn. The demand for charcoal is particularly high in urban and semi-urban areas of Manipur. Charcoal has a wide range of traditional applications in the state, including heating, cooking, blacksmithing, and dry fish processing. The charcoal industry is confronted with challenges that are associated with practices that are un sustainable, market dynamics that are not equitable, and a lack of governance, all of which contribute to the overexploitation of resources. The paper is an attempt to find out the possible way to chart out the traditionally viable means to re-assessing the benefit of charcoal production in a scientific way for a sustainable livelihood, in the wake of political ecology of poppy cultivation menaces in the state. Newly emergent threat of conversion of huge area of land to poppy cultivation is a reality, which is more environmentally damaging than charcoal production needs to analyse properly. Efforts are needed being made to promote more sustainable methods of producing charcoal. These methods include the utilization of renewable resources and the improvement of production technologies. Additionally, policy initiatives are needs in order to regulate the green charcoal chain market
Exploring the Literary Urban Imagination in India: A Historical Overview of Cities, Culture, and Storytelling Through Time.
Get PDFThe literary urban imagination in India serves as a dynamic lens through which cities are reimagined, narratives are shaped, and cultural identities are constructed. This paper explores the evolution of urban spaces in Indian literature, offering a historical perspective on the interdependent relationship between cities, their socio-political realities, and the stories they inspire. From ancient epics and medieval chronicles to colonial accounts, Indian writers have consistently redefined the city as both a setting and a character that mirrors the complexities of human life. By examining the portrayal of cities such as Varanasi, Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata, this study unpacks the intersections of urbanization, migration, and modernity in shaping literary expression. In pre-modern texts, cities often symbolize divine order, pilgrimage, or grandeur. The colonial era introduced new dimensions, including urban alienation and resistance, as writers grappled with the upheavals of industrialization, partition, and globalization. Modern works further expand the urban imagination, highlighting issues of inequality, identity, and environmental degradation. This study situates the literary urban imagination within broader cultural and historical contexts, illustrating how narratives of urban spaces not only reflect but also critique societal norms, political structure, and historical transitions. Drawing from works by authors such as Premchand, Rabindranath Tagore, Mulk Raj Anand, and Khushwant Singh, the paper explores recurring themes of displacement, aspiration, and nostalgia, while also considering regional and linguistic diversity in representations. Ultimately, this research underscores the city's role as a crucible of change and creativity in Indian literature. It illuminates how urban storytelling transcends geographical boundaries. fostering a deeper understanding of the fluid interplay between individual and collective identities in an ever-evolving urban landscape.