Bhavna Pandey, Prabir Bandyopadhyay and Alain Guiette
According to the published report by the National Sample Survey 2014 the data says that the incidence of indebtedness among households in the rural areas of Maharashtra, India, is…
Abstract
Purpose
According to the published report by the National Sample Survey 2014 the data says that the incidence of indebtedness among households in the rural areas of Maharashtra, India, is almost twice that of other rural places in India. Around 64 percent of rural households are indebted in Maharashtra as against 31 percent other households in India. The purpose of this paper is to examine which source of credit is creating more distress among the farmers. Further the researchers also wanted to find out the reasons why the farmers choose private moneylender over the formal financial institutions.
Design/methodology/approach
To achieve the objective, the authors used the mixed method methodology. The qualitative study was done using the ethnography approach .In depth interviews were conducted and coded accordingly to find out the themes. The interviews conducted were semi structured and had open ended questions in it, followed by a structured questionnaire. Different statistical tests were also applied on the responses obtained from the questionnaire to check the reliability and validity of the interviews. This methodology gave a robustness to the findings of the study.
Findings
The results show that sources of loan play a major role in causing farmer distress in Maharashtra. The findings also show major reasons like grapevine bureaucracy, lengthy documentation, etc. as the major reasons for choosing private lenders over the formal financial institutions. The most interesting finding of the study was a phenomena observed during the field study. The borrowers first borrow from financial institutions for their credit needs, when they fail to repay the debt borrowed they again borrow money from the private money lenders and with this borrowed money they try repaying a part of the old existing loan in order to make themselves eligible for the next loan cycle.
Research limitations/implications
The limitation of the study is that due to time constraint only two districts with high number of farmer suicide could be visited. Given more time and fund a comparative study can be done among different states of India.
Practical implications
This study will help the policy makers in identifying the real cause of farmer distress. The motive behind the policies made by the government is very noble but the implementation of these policies is inadequate and without a strong research base. The paper will be able to highlight how much the state intervention is required at multiple levels in order to ensure that the benefits reaches to those who deserve it.
Social implications
It is imperative that we have yet not realized the gravity of the situation where people belonging from a community which is so essential to the economy are killing themselves because of lack of money. This is not just about the fact that the people who give us food are unable to access food themselves.
Originality/value
The paper contains significant information with regard to indebtedness. It focuses on the issue troubling the authorities the most. It provides the ground realities of the incidence of indebtedness in Maharashtra, one of the most distressed states of India. Lot of studies have been done in the past but very few studies have used mixed methodology to study this incidence of debt among the farmers of Maharashtra. This study also unveils a new phenomena of borrowing happening among the farmers of Maharashtra.
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Bhavna Pandey, Prabir Bandyopadhyay, Sanjeev Kadam and Manju Singh
The purpose of this paper is to provide quantitative analysis of the extant literature on farmer distress resulting from agricultural credit and identify research gaps.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide quantitative analysis of the extant literature on farmer distress resulting from agricultural credit and identify research gaps.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors have used the citation analysis which is based on the citation graph. For the current study, the authors have used SCOPUS database.
Findings
The study reveals that the farmer distress is one of the social sustainability issues which have attracted major attentions from academia. Most of the studies in recent years are from South Asian perspectives and the extant literature focusing on some of the important issues like farmer challenges and pesticide poisoning. Most of the studies provide anecdotal evidences. Hence, the empirical research is scant.
Originality/value
The study is an attempt to provide an in-depth analysis, so that future research directions can be formulated.
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Historically, as a result of complex intersections of marginalisation, women and girls in India are known to have had less access to economic and social capital than men and boys…
Abstract
Purpose
Historically, as a result of complex intersections of marginalisation, women and girls in India are known to have had less access to economic and social capital than men and boys. Progress on poverty alleviation and the advancement of women’s and girls’ development continues to be slow and has even been described as ‘regressive’ (UN Women, 2015). This chapter provides a microanalysis of experiences and perceptions of gender and poverty in Mumbai, India. It puts forward new insights into everyday forms of agency, resistance and subversion while confronting western centric ideas around development and colonialist notions of victimhood.
Design/methodology/approach
Based upon research conducted in 2012–2013, the qualitative study adopting a multi-methods approach draws on participatory action research, participant observation and ethnography. This chapter draws on a small number of interviews from the original sample of 40 participants.
Research implications/limitations
This chapter is based on findings from a small research sample.
Findings
The study finds evidence that confirms experiences of gendered poverty permeate across class divides, suggesting that access to economic capital does not necessarily result in equitable gender relations. The findings also uncover the diverse ways in which women and adolescent girls strategise and negotiate to acquire agency, through acts of resistance and/or subversion.
Originality/value
There are two key aspects of this research that can be considered original: the use of a multi-methods approach and by bringing together of a combination of different voices. The theoretical and sociological contribution of this research lies in showcasing the value of expanding the definition of poverty and gender beyond a purely economic analysis.
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Jyoti Mishra, Mahendra Tiwari, Bhavna Bajpai, Swati Atre and Amandeep Kaur
The purpose of this paper is to focus on the prediction of Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) using X-ray image.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to focus on the prediction of Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) using X-ray image.
Design/methodology/approach
This study proposed convolutional neural network (CNN) approach to predict COVID-19.
Findings
Prediction of COVID-19 using CNN.
Originality/value
The work has implemented multiple CNN models to classify chest X-ray of affected patients by using their chest scans. According to three models, the ResNet-50 is advantageous because of its high service reliability.
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Satish Kr Gupta and Anirban Mukherjee
This qualitative research examines the varied reasons for relocation to old age homes (OAHs) in contemporary India. The purpose of this study investigates the acceptance of…
Abstract
Purpose
This qualitative research examines the varied reasons for relocation to old age homes (OAHs) in contemporary India. The purpose of this study investigates the acceptance of institutional living in Lucknow (a Tier II city of India) and whether migration to OAHs is a voluntary decision. This study also examines the lifeworld of the older adult in these OAHs in an attempt to find out whether OAHs are conducive to positive ageing. Derivatively, the authors study their engagement/time use pattern and social networking patterns in the OAHs. Finally, the research seeks to learn whether OAHs are slowly substituting older adult care given within the family by offering the best of the facilities and services.
Design/methodology/approach
This qualitative research was conducted in two private OAHs in Lucknow, India. The findings of the study are based on 28 qualitative interviews conducted with the inmates, administrative staff and caretakers. The interviews were unstructured and open-ended and were supported by observations. The observation was not only made of the social setting but also the reaction of the participants. The idea was to develop an emic view of the subject by exploring valid narratives. Pseudonyms were used to report the finding so as to maintain the confidentiality of the research subjects.
Findings
This research moves beyond the traditional wisdom that people move to OAH because of the push factors within the family. OAHs in India have evolved over the years and high-end OAHs are equipped with modern amenities to cater to the upper class in their twilight years. Residents were found to lead active lives in OAHs and their common habitus and bonding capital helped them to face the vagaries of old age more confidently. Their active life and membership in various civic organizations challenge the contention of the role theory that the aged are more prone to lose rather than gain roles.
Originality/value
The originality of the research lies in the fact that the authors are extending the arguments made by the role theory of social ageing. The theory proposes that aged people are more likely to lose out roles rather than gain new ones. This study finds that the elderly tend to live a very active life in OAHs and engaged various civic organizations. Although they may lose/voluntarily give up the roles like the head of the household, spouse, etc., they acquire new roles in the context of OAHs.
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Pankaj Kumar, Bhavna Bajpai, Deepak Omprakash Gupta, Dinesh C. Jain and S. Vimal
The purpose of this study/paper To focus on finding COVID-19 with the help of DarkCovidNet architecture on patient images.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study/paper To focus on finding COVID-19 with the help of DarkCovidNet architecture on patient images.
Design/methodology/approach
We used machine learning techniques with convolutional neural network.
Findings
Detecting COVID-19 symptoms from patient CT scan images.
Originality/value
This paper contains a new architecture for detecting COVID-19 symptoms from patient computed tomography scan images.
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The purpose of the paper is to study the explainability of expected and unexpected trade volume and open interest as information flow, and the asymmetric effects of unexpected…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the paper is to study the explainability of expected and unexpected trade volume and open interest as information flow, and the asymmetric effects of unexpected shocks to the information flow on volatility in Indian commodity markets.
Design/methodology/approach
After having dissected into expected and unexpected components, the effects of trade volume and open interest on volatility are tested. A new interaction term is also added to measure asymmetry. Four commodities, namely, cumin, soy oil and pepper in food commodity category and guar seed in non-food commodity category are selected for the present study. These four commodities are selected based on their economic and trading importance, i.e. weight in the index and trading volume (liquidity).
Findings
It is mostly found that unexpected volatility is positively related to the volatility, and the effect of the unexpected component is more than the expected component of the trading volume. The expected open interest is negatively related to volatility while the unexpected open interest is found to be positively related in all the commodities. The effects of unexpected component are higher than the expected open interest. The effects of positive unexpected shocks to the trade volume are more than those of negative unexpected shocks. The evidence of asymmetry in unexpected shocks to open interest is inconclusive. However, the inclusion of volume of trade and open interest could not vanish away the volatility. This indicates that the trading volume and open interest are not the variable with mixed distribution. Thus, it contrasts the assumption of mixed distribution hypothesis, and they do not proxy the flow of information.
Practical implications
It is the unexpected information flow that matters more than the expected one. Positive unexpected shocks to trade volume are more influential than the negative shocks. However, trade volume and open interest are not good proxy of information flow in the Indian commodity markets. This study would definitely broaden the horizon of managers and policymakers to understand the volatility better.
Originality/value
The paper is unique in terms of understanding the effect of expected and unexpected trade volume and open interest and the asymmetric effects of unexpected shocks to volume and open interest in the Indian commodity markets.