IJRS - International Journal of Rural Studies

International Journal of Rural Studies (IJRS)

Aims and Scope

IJRS, founded in 1994, is a journal of the International Task Force for the Rural Poor (INTAF), Indian Volunteers for Community Service (IVCS) and the Gramodaya College and Research Institute. The aims of the journal are to highlight and encourage socially relevant and useful research in various fields of rural studies. The main aim is to identify the potential of the rural population and find ways and means to realise their potential. Education and development should be based on the cultural heritage, expertise, experience and strengths of ordinary people. Education and development should enable ordinary people to perceive and identify inhuman, coercive and oppressive realities and change them.

Publication and Subscription

IJRS is published twice yearly in April and October. The annual subscription rate for a hardcopy of the journal within India is Rs 50. This amount may be sent by a bank draft or a Money Order, made payable to: IJRS, c/o Gramodaya College and Research Institute, Amarpurkashi, PO Bilari - 202411, District Moradabad, UP.
For subscribers outside India, there is a higher annual subscription rate of Ł20 including postage. UK subscriptions should be sent to the UK office by cheque payable to INTAF.

The journal's ISSN (International Standard Serial Number) is ISSN 1023-2001.

IJRS is available free online, and is subsidised by IVCS, a registered UK charity. If you use the online articles, please consider making a small donation to IVCS.

Downloading articles free of charge

All articles since October 2005 are now available online. Just click on the title of the article you want, to view the pdf file.

To read the pdf files, you will need Adobe Reader. If you do not already have it, click on this icon to download a free copy:

There is also an on-going programme of loading older articles on to the internet. If the article is not available online, back issues of the magazine can be purchased from the editors' addresses given below.

Patron

Prof. The Lord Desai of St. Clement Danes

Editors

Chief Editor - Mukat Singh, Hon. Principal, Gramodaya Degree College & Research Institute
Jyoti Singh (General Secretary of IVCS and INTAF)
Peter Kempadoo, Zimbabwe
Sedley Sweeny, Canada
Prof. Zhu Shoumin, China
Dr Devendra Singh, Meerut, India

Contact the IJRS office

In India: IJRS, c/o Gramodaya College and Research Institute, Amarpurkashi, PO Bilari - 202411, District Moradabad, UP. apk_gram@yahoo.co.uk
In the UK: IJRS, c/o Jyoti Singh (IVCS and INTAF), 12 Eastleigh Avenue, South Harrow HA2 0UF enquiries@ivcs.org.uk

Are these articles suitable for the layman?

IJRS is a journal for people working in or studying International Development, particularly in India. Many of the articles are accessible to the intelligent laymen, but some are more technical than others. A short selection of simpler general-interest articles is listed here

List of publications

Subject Index

go to subject index

April 2008

Article (click on title to download):	Abstract:
1. Editorial - Jyoti and Mukat Singh	Everyone in India is taught about Mahatma Gandhi, but to what extent are key figures pursuing the fight against Gandhi's "seven social sins"?
2. Gender participation and role of women in livestock management practices in Bundelkhand region of central India - Seema Mishra, Satyawati Sharma, Padma Vasudevan, R K Bhatt, Sadhna Pandey, Maharaj Singh, B S Meena, S N Pandey	This report of a survey of 260 farmers describes the gender breakdown of various farm tasks, and how this depends on the education and economic status of the women concerned.
3. Adoption of Vermiculture technology by tribal farmers in Udaipur district of Rajasthan - Karan Singh, B S Bhimawat, N K Punjabi	Using earthworms to produce good-quality compost is a recently-discovered technique which is simple and easily mastered and potentially very profitable. But many farmers are not yet aware of its advantages, There was also concern among agencies that farmers may have been discouraged by poor results when not applying the techniques correctly. The present study was therefore undertaken to learn the extent of adoption of different practices of the technology recommended by scientists and find the adoption gap in various practices.
4. Access of rural women to productive resources in Bangladesh: a pillar for promoting their empowerment - Shahnaj Parveen, Bangladesh Agricultural University	Research was conducted in three villages to assess women's access to land, capital, training, technology, inputs such as seeds, fertilizer and pesticide, opportunities to rear livestock, and access to rural institutions such as co-operatives. The researchers discovered considerable barriers to land ownership by women, and limited access to training and new technologies. There was a greater degree of access to capital and to livestock rearing, but the control of these resources often remained in the hands of male relatives.
5. Economics of Rural Development - Ugra Johan Jha, Anga Institute of Research Planning and Action; Naresh Jha, Development Research Institue Jalsain, Bihar	The authors look at different definitions of rural development, and conclude that rural development is multifaceted, with no single criterion for measuring success. The authors then look at different models for development more generally, including a free-market approach, a mixed-economy welfare state, a socialist command economy, and the Gandhian model of development emphasising moral dedvelopment.
6. Gravity Flow - Ensuring sustainability of rural water supply and livelihood - Sambit Kumar Garnayak	Gram Vikas, a rural development organisation in Orissa, has found gravity flow systems to be an excellent way to provide water to villages in remote and hilly areas. The pumped systems supplied by the government elsewhere are reliant on electricity or diesel and are not feasible in these impoverished areas. The author recommends that the government works with the local community to provide gravity flow water systems in such areas.
7. Agriculture in India: Land use and sustainability - Niru Kushwaha, M J P Rohilkhand University, Bareilly	The proportion of land area under agriculture in India is relatively high. The author explains why there is little scope for further expansion. The issue of intensive agriculture is thus a pressing one. The author describes the dangers of intensive agriculture, and contrasts it with modern sustainable agriculture, with its emphasis on resource conservation and working with the ecosystem. As an example, the different practices and resulting profits of two farmers are compared and contrasted.
8. Self Help through Microfinance: A paradigm shift in Orissa, India - Debadutta Kumar Panda, Development Research Trust, Bhubaneswar	The author describes the successes of microfinance in rural Orissa, one of the most deprived states of India. A study of eight self help groups analyses the financial transactions of each group, the economic activities undertaken, and the benefits not only in terms of increased income but also in terms of self-confidence, awareness of social issues, and ability to work with others.
9. Impact of 73rd Amendment Act on women's leadership in the Punjab - D P Singh, Punjabi University, Patiala	The 73rd Amendment of the Indian Constitution, which came into force in 1992, reserves a third of seats in local government councils ("Panchayati Raj institutions") for women. Sixteen years on, this article describes the positive effect this has had on women's participation in all levels of government. However, the system is still imperfect, and it is still fairly common for the elected woman's husband to take her place on the council. A survey of women in local government in three villages looks at the characteristics of the women who are elected, and the extent to which they personally participate in council meetings.

October 2007

Article (click on title to download):	Abstract:
1. Editorial - Jyoti Singh	The Millennium Development Goals Report 2007 has been published, showing the progress made during the last 5 years against the Millennium Development Goals. Considerable progress has been made in many areas, but areas of concern include increased income inequality, high maternal mortality, and levels of aid from richer countries.
2. Government's role in Saudi Arabian village development: the case of Al-Yazeed - Hussein Al-Rimmawi of Birzeit University, Palestine and Surinder Bhardwaj of Kent State University, USA	This is a study of the impact of governmental policies on space and cultural landscape changes in the village of Al-Yazeed in southwestern Saudi Arabia. It describes the effect of increased national wealth and government provision upon traditional village society.
3. Optimising food crop diversification to enhance the rural income generated from the agricultural sector - Joko Mariyono, Australian National University	An important issue for farmers is whether to put all their resources into producing one crop, or whether to share their resources between two crops. Which will maximise their revenue? If it is more lucrative to grow two crops, what is the optimum ratio between the crops? The author describes a mathematical model for this problem, using production figures from five regions of Java. He uses the model to make recommendations about which crops should be combined.
4. Performance of women's self help groups (SHGs) in district Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh - Y K Singh, S K Kaushai and S S Gautam of Mahatma Gandhi Chitrakoot Gramodaya	Report of a study investigating the ways in which socio-personal characteristics (such as family size, caste, income) affect both the group dynamics and the achievements of self help groups. A striking finding is that the slightly better-off, more educated families are able to get more benefit from the SHGs than do the most deprived.
5. ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies) and adult education for empowerment of rural women in Africa - Olivia Adwoa Twaah Frimpong Kwapong, Univeristy of Ghana	Kwapong describes how various media, from posters and radio to computers and the internet, can be used to provide relevant information and education to rural women. Radio has already proved to be a very effective tool; there is also potential for the use of more complex technology, though this poses more challenges.
6. Effects of democratization of group administration on the sustaniability of agricultural micro credit groups in Nigeria - M. Mkpado and C.J. Arene, University of Nigeria	The authors studied 54 agricultural micro credit groups to assess the importance of regular and well-attended group meetings, considering the effect on both savings mobilisation and loan repayment.

April 2007

Article (click on title to download):	Abstract:
1. Editorial - Jyoti Singh	India's new Right to Information Act gives citizens access to official records. The aim is to make government institutions more accountable. The Editor welcomes the Act, but finds that the way it has been implemented is hampering its effectiveness.
2. Women in Agriculture - Impact on the home environment - Drs J K Ghill, M K Dhillon and M K Sidhu	Drs Ghill, Dhillon and Sidhu interviewed women engaged in agricultural work in order to evaluate the impact, both positive and negative, on their home environment. They found marked differences between women from families holding some land, and women from (largely poorer) landless families. The women with land found that their work improved the family standard of living and also improved their own status within the family. For the landless women, work was a matter of grim necessity, damaging their health and affecting family discipline.
3. Has agriculture reached a tipping point? - An extract from an article by Claire Hope Cummings	Cummings describes the environmental degradation caused by "industrialised" agriculture, and welcomes the recent successes of sustainable agriculture.
4. Economics of Production and Marketing of Safed Musli in Rural Areas of Vindhyan Plateau, Madhya Pradesh, India - Vikas Parmar, Dr Vijay Kumar, Dr Manoj K Singh, Indian Institute of Forest Management	The forest herb Safed Musli is a popular ingredient of traditional Indian medicine. It has the potential to bring significant profits to farmers and middle-men. Parmar, Kumar and Singh investigate current methods of cultivation, and argue that a more scientific method to cultivation and marketing could benefit all parties involved.
5. Power of Information in the Indian rural set up - an analysis - Debadutta Kumar Panda and Jasmine Mohanty, MP Associates	How does information reach the inhabitants of rural India? What information sources are trusted? How are farming and fishing communities hampered by inadequate access to timely information?
6. Liberalization and Interactions with the Market: A survey of some experiences of rural producers in developing countries - extracts from a paper by Meenakshi Raman	This paper presents the results of a survey of some experiences of small rural producers in developing countries. From poultry in Senegal to cashew nuts in Mozambiqe, local farmers are unable to compete with subsidised imports from the US and Europe.
7. Awareness of DWCRA Programme among Rural Women in India - Indira Bishnoi and Vibha Singh, Varanasi	Development of Women and Children in Rural Area (DWCRA) is a government programme aiming to lift women above the poverty line. For it to work effectively, it was necessary that its beneficiaries understood its aims and objectives. Bishnoi and Singh interviewed beneficiaries in the Varanasi district to find out what sort of income-generating activities the women had been trained in as part of the scheme, and the level of awareness of DWCRA among various social groups.
8. Socio-economic Status of Tribal Farmers - A case study of the Bhaxa tribe in Bijnor District, U.P. - Mohammad Awais and Dr Ramesh Singh, RSM College Dhampur, Bijnor	The Bhaxas are one of the many tribal groups in India. Though nearby non-tribal farmers have become prosperous in recent years, the Bhaxas have remained poor. The writers describe the Bhaxa farmer's way of life as "a continual struggle for existence", and suggest remedies for the future.
9. Project Profile - Society for Agro-Industrial Education in India	A project profile of this NGO operating in rural India

October 2006

Article (click on title to download):	Abstract:
1. Editorial - Jyoti Singh	Jyoti Singh considers the costs of ever-increasing industrialisation and consumption.
2. Trade on Human Terms	An abstract of the UNDP Asia-Pacific Human Development Report 2006
3. Fishermens Perception and the Estuarine Set Bag Net Fishery in Bangladesh - Md. Rashed-Un-Nabia, Md. Azharul Hoquea, Ridzwan Abdul Rahmana, Saleem Mustafaa, Md. Abdul Kaderb	Fishery management is relatively new in Bangladesh, and depletion of fish stock is a serious issue. Fishermen and fishing communities have valuable knowledge about fish populations and local ecology. Representatives from the Borneo Marine Research Institute and the Institute of Marine Sciences, Chittagong, have interviewed Bangladeshi fishermen as part of a study about fishermen's own perceptions of fishing and fishery management.
4. Poverty - A vague and value oriented concept - Dr Rama Kant Thakur and Dr Naumi Priya	Drs Thakur and Priya look at various different definitions and concepts of poverty.
5. Constraints in Jatropha Cultivation Perceived by Farmers in Udaipur District, Rajasthan - H.R. Meena and F.L. Sharma, Department of Extension Education, RCA, MPUAT, Udaipur	The Jatropha plant can be used to produce soaps and bio-fuel, and its cultivation can prevent soil deterioration. Yet at present it is merely grown as fencing or a wild plant. With this in mind, a study was undertaken to identify the various constraints perceived by farmers in the Udaipur district of Rajasthan, in the adoption of recommended Jatropha cultivation practices. The researchers identified a number of factors, including lack of technical guidance and lack of availability of improved strains.
6. Project profile: Maiti Nepal	Maiti Nepal is a children and women's rights organisation which seeks to protect children and women from human trafficking by educating them about the dangers, supporting those at risk, rehabilitating the survivors of trafficking, and bringing traffickers to justice.
7. SOPHIA - Society for the Promotion of Himalayan Indigenous Activities - Mira Fels, University of Hamburg, Germany	Abstract from a research report by Mira Fels. In the autumn of 2004, Mira Fels visited India as part of her studies in Social and Cultural Anthropology. She spent ten days with SOPHIA (Society for the Promotion of Himalayan Indigenous Activities), an organisation which works with the Van Gujjar, who live a nomadic life in the Shivalik forests at the foothills of the Himalayas. She interviewed project workers and local people to discover their most pressing problems, and how these are being or should be addressed, and people’s hopes for the future. Her report also provides a fascinating insight into the way of life of this tribal group.
8. Poverty - Some facts and figures - Centre for Policy Alternatives	What proportion of Indian households have access to a safe water supply? How many calories a day does an active person require? This short summary of the February 2006 report by the Centre for Policy Alternatives gives some basic facts and figures about poverty and need in modern India.

April 2006

Article (click on title to download):	Abstract:
1. Editorial - Corruption - Mukat Singh	Corruption not only hinders development and investment in third world countries but has become so firmly entrenched that even the highly educated lack the will or power to protest. This editorial suggests a way out.
2. UNESCO GLOBAL EDUCATION DIGEST 2004 - UNESCO Institute of Statistics, Montreal	This article looks at educational statistics across a wide range of both developed and developing countries and reveals the dismal state of educational opportunities in some countries of the world - for example, Zambia, Zimbabwe and the Congo where school life expectancy has actually fallen in the last ten years.
3. Evaluation of Improved Kalanamak Rice Technology - Professors HN Singh, US Singh, SP Singh, RK Singh	The obsession with high yields and in particular with long-grained Basmati rice has resulted in the rapid disappearance of indigenous varieties, including the many small and medium grained scented varieties. This article presents the findings of a special programme aimed at improving the yield and quality of Kalanamak, an ancient and much prized variety now fallen into disuse.
4. Socio-Personal Characteristics of Women from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes - Indira Bishnoi and Shivani Srivastava	Bishnoi and Srivastava conducted this study among rural women from six villages in eastern U.P. in order to provide a foundation for future development plans and programmes. The results paint a familiar picture of gender discrimination, social backwardness and poor infrastructure.
5. Agricultural and Food Losses in Nigeria - the Way Out - B A Oyewole and S A Oloko	While Nigeria has been making determined efforts to improve agricultural production, the substantial losses suffered post-harvest mean that little real progress has been made. Poor transport and roads, inadequate storage and handling, minimal production incentives, bacterial contamination in crops and inconsistent government policies are among the concerns that the authors express.
6. Malnutrition in Children of the Backward States of India - Sanjeev Sharma	Sharma evaluates the ICDS programme that started in 1975 to tackle the problem of malnutrition in children and poor health in mothers. He examines levels of nutrition, health status, feeding practices, general healthcare, awareness and immunization and concludes that the performance of the ICDS programme has fallen far short of expectations and recommends a far more rigorous monitoring of the implementation of the scheme.
7. Suggestion for a policy to improve primary education in India - Sankarshan Acharya	This is a brief but highly focused and practical look at one way of improving the current parlous state of the primary education provided by government schools.
8. Swaziland - a voluntary worker’s experience - Daniel Besley	Daniel Besley works as a volunteer for a small NGO in Swaziland and here provides a fascinating glimpse into life in that small, poverty-stricken land.
9. Meeting the Challenges of Unemployment and poverty in Africa - Economic Report on Africa 2005	As developing countries struggle to reach the Millennium Development Goals, statistics begin to reveal how illusive these goals are proving to be. Unequal distribution of opportunities, capital-intensive growth without comparable labour-intensive or broad- based employment creation and inadequate investment in the agricultural sector are all causing poverty in Africa to remain a chronic and ever-increasing problem.
10. Project profile: Nilachal Seva Pratisthan (NSP) - S C Gajendra	This report of a remarkable project in Orissa, the poorest state in India, briefly outlines the many activities successfully undertaken by NSP.
11. Report of the INTAF-Orissa State Conference - Jyoti Singh	NSP was host to a state conference of NGO workers who discussed the rural poor and in particular the effects of corruption and ineffective government plans, the lack of a good infrastructure for rural areas, the hierarchy that actively works against improving the lot of the poor and the role of financial institutions, NGO networks, local village councils and the media.
12. Free Eye Treatment Camp at Amarpurkashi - Iona Hine	This excellent report describes a free eye camp for villagers held at Amarpurkashi in U.P., India. It shows what can and is being done and also points the way ahead to further improvements.
13. health journal review