“Is caste race?” Discourses of Racial Indianization

This paper investigates how the official discourse of race and caste are constructed in response to the Dalits’ claims that casteism is racism and caste should be included in the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, and Xenophobia (WCAR held in Durban in 2001). The research question driving this project probes into discursive strategies and logics, which deny any association of caste with race in the Indian context and the significance of race denial. The paper also questions whether the denial of association of race and caste is indicative of racial Indianization. I argue that in India, race lives through the category of caste as a form of racial Indianization.     

Field Note: A Disease Specific Expert System for the Indian Mango Crop

Abstract

This paper examines new organizational arrangements that have emerged in the context of a privatized extension system. It investigates the positioning and embedding of a network broker aimed at enhancing interaction in the privatized agricultural knowledge and information system (AKIS), to assess whether tensions reported in other sectors also manifest in agriculture and inform theory and policy on collective functions in pluralistic extension systems. It employs a case study approach using semi-structured interviews, observations, a closed questionnaire and secondary data analysis. Results show that a demand-driven way of working may prevent network brokers losing their neutrality in farmers’ eyes, but that a network broker nevertheless can be perceived as disruptive by extension service providers. Furthermore, it appears hard to make the network brokerage function self-sufficient. The paper shows that a social dilemma manifests, that is, the collective benefits are recognized, but private interests do not support the brokers’ continued existence. This prompts consideration of the need for continued public support. Public support for network broker appears to be needed, but possible (market-disturbing) interference with the activities of private extension service providers prompts critical examination of the mandates of publicly funded network brokers.     

Measurement of Attitudes of Rural Women Towards Self-Help Groups

Abstract

Self-help groups (SHGs) have emerged as an effective mechanism of empowerment and development of women as well as being on efficient mode of promoting group action and technology dissemination. Initiatives were undertaken at the Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering and Technology (CIPHET), Ludhiana to facilitate the formation of women's SHGs and to develop their capabilities through training programmes for harnessing the benefits of value addition and processing technologies for employment and income generation. The study attempts to assess the attitude changes in women about SHGs as a result of training. The evaluation of SHGs was conducted at attitude construct. A Likert Likert, R. 1932. A Technique for the Measurement of Attitudes. Archives of Psychology, 140: 44–53.  [Google Scholar]-type scale consisting of 26 items was developed, for which Cronbach's alpha coefficient of reliability was observed as 0.85. The survey instrument contained five sections; namely, socio-economic upliftment; education and training; marketing and entrepreneurship qualities; technology adoption and participatory research; and banking/credit aspects. The training group consisting of 30 participants of SHGs responded to five-section survey instrument. Significant t-test results for mean values of attitude of women before and after the training showed a significant change in attitude of women in all the five areas as a result of training. Positive orientation towards a task paves the way for success. The study exemplifies the impact of training in instilling positive orientation. For addressing the issues of rural poverty, enrichment of the system with social capital through empowerment and formation of women SHGs; provision of financial and credit support; creation of market-driven and decentralized extension system; use of media-mix for technology transfer and informal education at rural level; conduction of need-based training and strong political will need to be emphasized.     

Beyond Access to Information: Understanding the Use of Information by Poor Female Mobile Users in Rural India

Digital inclusion research has focused overwhelmingly on access to information. But access to information by itself is of limited value unless the intended beneficiary has the capacity to use it. It is the use of information that delivers the benefits. However, in information and communication technologies for development literature, there is little empirical work on the process by which use of information delivers benefits. This study fills the gap by studying information use by poor female mobile phone users in rural India. It identifies six stages in the information use process and models them.     

Diagnostic Role of Tumour Markers CEA, CA15-3, CA19-9 and CA125 in Lung Cancer

The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic yield of the tumour markers carcinoembryonic antigen, carbohydrate antigen 15-3, carbohydrate antigen 19-9 and carbohydrate antigen 125, in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in a group of patients with bronchogenic carcinoma. Serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples were collected in a group of 90 patients with benign or malignant pulmonary diseases. After appropriate processing, tumour markers were determined by enzyme immunoassay. The diagnostic yields (sensitivity, specificity and predictive values) in each environment (serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid) were obtained by using "Receivers operating characteristic" curve. Determined individually, carcinoembryonic antigen, carbohydrate antigen 19-9 and carbohydrate antigen 125, showed the greatest diagnostic accuracy in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Carbohydrate antigen 15-3 did so in serum. Carcinoembryonic antigen was the most relevant marker in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. For the factors evaluated in this study, determination of carcinoembryonic antigen, carbohydrate antigen 19-9 and carbohydrate antigen 125 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were clinically more useful markers in comparison with serum, although the latter may also be helpful in certain situations. Although there is no specific tumour marker for lung cancer, the combination of several can be used to diagnose most patients with lung cancer and also to rule out false positive and negative cases.     

Effect of insulin on serum lipids in relation to nutritional status in diabetics

Serum levels of cholesterol, triglyceride, free fatty acid (FFA) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were studied in 10 undernourished and 10 better nourished diabetic patients at different periods of insulin treatment and in non-diabetic controls. Serum concentrations of cholesterol, triglyceride and FFA were significantly higher in untreated diabetic patients than in control but the elevated lipid levels gradually shifted towards normal on insulin treatment. The HDL cholesterol, on the other hand, was significantly lower in untreated diabetic subjects than those in controls and the HDL cholesterol also gradually modified on insulin therapy. However, the improvement of all the lipid parameters on insulin treatment was somewhat delayed in undernourished compared to those of better nourished diabetics. These results, therefore, suggest that malnutrition interferes with the serum lipid improvement in diabetics on insulin treatment and may make them more prone to develop vascular complications.     

Impact of iodine deficiency on thyroid function in pregnant African women — A possible factor in the genesis of ‘small for dates’ babies

The effect of iodine deficiency (ID) on thyroid function in African women during pregnancy and postnatal period was examined, for which very limited information is available. Serum T₄, T₃, TSH, TBG, thyroxine binding capacity (TBK), free thyroxine index (FT₄I=T₄/TBK) and T₄/TBG were determined by ELISA technique in 32 pregnant women (resident of Plateau state, Nigeria- an ID zone) through pregnancy upto term delivery, and in 5 women up to 6 weeks post delivery. Urinary iodide level was measured at delivery to determine the degree of iodine deficiency. Results were matched with a non pregnant control comprising 44 subjects. 5555 birth weights (BW) of term babies in the region were analysed to determine the prevalence of ‘small for dates’ (SFD) babies in the population. Results show that the level of serum FT₄I was elevated very significantly at late gestation (P<.001) but the women were not hyperthyroid, suggesting a marked disturbance in binding of T₄ with TBG during pregnancy. Five women with SFD babies were found in ‘compensated hypothyroid state’ and showed a significant depression (p<.01) in serum T₄/TBG, T₄, FT₄I and T₃ levels to a low normal range, with a concurrent significant rise (p.<.001) in TSH level (above normal range) throughout pregnancy. Incidence of SFD babies was higher (p.<.001) in ID zone (Bassa 15.2%) compared to control zone (Jos 9.8%). It is concluded that a state of maternal ‘subclinical (compensated) hypothyroidism’ during pregnancy possibly plays an important role in the aetiopathogenesis of SFD babies in Africans. A normal reference range for thyroid parameters at various stages of pregnancy in healthy African women is established for the first time.