Search results

This paper describes a participatory plant-breeding (PPB) program for maize in a rural development project financed by the United Kingdom's Department of International Development (DFID) and the Government of India and executed by the Krishak Bharati Cooperative (KRIBHCO). The program was targeted at low-resource farmers of the Panchmahals district of Gujarat. Farmers were given a range of maize varieties to try in a participatory varietal-selection program. However, none of these proved to be overwhelmingly popular with farmers, although maize variety Shweta from Uttar Pradesh was adopted by some farmers for more fertile fields. Hence, in 1993 a breeding program was begun by crossing yellow- and white-endospermed maize varieties, all of which had some acceptance or positive attributes identified in participatory trials. The breeding program targeted trails identified by farmers, and in some generations, selections were carried out by farmers in the populations grown on land rented by the project. Soil-fertility management was lower than that normally used on research-station land. The breeding program has produced several successful varieties. One of them, GDRM 187, has qualified for release and yielded 18% more than the local check in research station trials, while being seven days earlier to silk. In farmers' fields, where average yields were lower, the yield advantage was 28%. Farmers perceived GDRM 187 to have better grain quality than local landraces.

This paper pilots an approach to identifying, categorizing, and mapping public land owned by the central, state, and local government in urban developed areas of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. The methodology uses information on plot sizes, location, and ownership that is publicly available for all areas covered by town planning schemes. The study examines the extent of unutilized and underutilized public land, which excludes all cemeteries, parks and gardens, heritage buildings, slums, utilities, infrastructure land, and industrial estates. Unused land already earmarked for public purposes were also excluded from the valuation exercise. The potentially marketable land so identified was valued at both official rates and estimated market rates. The value of potentially marketable excess land is significant -- in per capita terms, the high-value scenario substantially exceeds the estimate of total infrastructure investment needs for the next 20 years prepared by an expert committee of the Ministry of Urban Development of the Government of India.

Abstracts Background Understanding Role Stress is important as health service providers, especially nurses experience high levels of Role Stress which is linked to burnout, poor quality of care and high turnover. The current study explicates the concept of Role Stress and assesses the Role Stress experienced by the Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) working with rural government health centres from Gujarat, India. Methods The study included 84 ANMs working with government health centres from one district in India. A structured instrument with established reliability and validity was used to measure 10 dimensions of Role Stress namely: Inter-role distance, role stagnation, role expectation conflict, role erosion: role overload, role isolation, personal inadequacy, self-role distance, role ambiguity and resource inadequacy. The study instrument was based on 5 point Likert rating scale that contained 50 unidirectional negative statements, 5 for each dimension. Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk test were carried out to assess if the data were normally distributed. Cronbach's alpha test was carried out to assess reliability of the instrument. The study data was analyzed using descriptive statistics mainly using mean scores with higher scores indicating higher Role Stress and vice versa. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 19. Results Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk test indicated that the data were normally distributed. Cronbach's alpha test indicated values of 0.852 suggesting high reliability of the tool. The highest Role Stress among ANMs was experienced for resource inadequacy. Role overload, role stagnation and inter-role distance were among the other important role stressors for ANMs. The study results suggests that ANMs frequently feel that: they do not have adequate amount of resources, facilities and financial support from the high levels authorities; people have too many expectations from their roles and as result they are overloaded with work and have very limited opportunities for future growth. Conclusion The current study has the potential to provide a useful and a comprehensive framework to understand the Role Stress among the health service providers that could be further useful in designing interventions specifically aimed at reducing Role Stress in order to prevent burnout thereby addressing the productivity and retention.

AbstractSweeping generalizations are often heard about 'the rural impact' of some developmental intervention: one notable case is that of dairy cooperatives in India. This paper examines the dairy cooperatives in 11 villages of one sub‐district in western India, and finds such great variations between them that it could be argued that the cooperative was 11 different institutions in these villages. Generalizations can, however, be put forward about the relation of dairy cooperatives in these villages to hierarchies of caste, agrarian class and gender, but through a focus on the latter variables rather than on dairy co‐operatives as prime movers of change.

Purpose: This study examines the relationship of socio-economic characteristics of start-ups with their size in Gujarat, India. It also assesses the determinants affecting the annual sale of start-ups. Methods: It includes primary information based ona survey of120 founders of start-ups. Linear and semi-log linear regression models havebeen applied to assess the determinants of start-ups. Probit regression models have been consideredto assess the factors affecting the annual sale of the start-ups. Results: Stage of start-up, the participation of founders in conferences, educational qualification, and new products launched by start-ups, professional connections of founders, source of funding, and support from incubator/accelerator/supporting organizations are found crucial determinants of start-up size in Gujarat. The annual sales of the start-ups are positively associated with stage of start-up, support from a mentor, team members, founder's academic qualification, and collaboration with national or international organizations, unskilled workers. Implications: Technology transfer and commercialization, development of new products, government regulations, the requirement of costumers, free rights for entrepreneurs, appropriate financial support for new entrepreneurs, transparency and clarity in government policies, the establishment of high-tech start-ups, and development of digital infrastructure, increase in R&D spending in research academia, and association of research institutions with entrepreneurs would be conducive to create an appropriate start-ups ecosystem and to reduce regional development disparities across Indian states. Subsequently, it would be helpful to increase sustainable development in India. Originality: This study has used primary information of 120 founders of start-ups to assess the determinants, and the factors affecting annual sales of start-ups using the regression model in, Gujrat, India. Thus, it has an empirical contribution to the body of knowledge. Limitations: This study could not provide rational justifications on most factors that show an insignificant impact on start-ups due to the small sample size. Further research, therefore, may be considered to identify the association of start-up size with the variables using a large sample size in India.

Agricultural cooperatives have been promoted in India's economic development programme as a means of production while enhancing community cooperation and equity. Focusing on sugar cooperatives in Gujarat state of western India, the author shows that these cooperatives have been successful in promoting large-scale agricultural production and in improving the economic and social standing of their members. As a result, there has been an increased differentiation of the peasantry in South Gujarat. (DSE/DÜI)

During 1985 a bitter conflict erupted in India over the "reservation" system, which allocates quotes of educational and government employment positions to the Schedule castes, Scheduled tribes and other backward classes. In Gujarat the Congress Government attempted to legislate an increase in backward class reservations after winning a strong mandate to do so in the state elections. The author describes the political upheavels in Gujarat following the government's legislation attempts and discusses the dilemmas facing those who seek to establish an all-India reservation policy. (DÜI-Sen)

This paper examines youth digital cultures in rural/small town Gujarat, India and brings forth a perspective from the Global South in understanding the net generation. We examine how the location and dominant discourses intersect with digital technologies and re-configure aspects of daily lives, such as study, leisure, and friendship; how youth negotiate their interactions with digital media as one aspect of their larger lifeworlds; and how these negotiations influence cultural practices within structural environments. Youth in this study treat new media and technologies as one limited component of otherwise rich lives and social experiences. While new technologies promote individualistic mobility, Indian youth of small towns and rural places still live in collective social structures that shape their orientations. New media are at the periphery of their lives, as these youth have strong interpersonal connections that are rooted in geographic proximity and active school experiences.