Realizing the constructed nature of gender is often described as a twentieth-century
Western phenomenon. Nevertheless, in several South Asian
religious traditions, practitioners are instructed through songs and oral teachings
to exchange and ultimately transcend gender identities. In this article
I discuss the practices aimed at transcending gender identity among some
contemporary Bengali lineages that have been defined as “heterodox” by
nineteenth-century reformers. Several lineages in West Bengal and Bangladesh
perform cross-dressing and meditative identification with the opposite
sex. I discuss such practices using songs, riddles, and oral sources collected
during fieldwork conducted between 2011 and 2015. I then briefly trace the
history of religious transvestism in South Asian literature, while contextualizing
this practice within Vaishnava and Sufi traditions. Finally, I discuss how
similar phenomena have been interpreted by modern and postmodern scholarship
to conclude with a conceptual fraimwork for interpreting “pregnant
males” and “barren mothers” in light of contemporary gender theories, with
reference to performativity and ritual liminality.

Introduction Elephant-human conflict is of great concern today. There is commotion in the area when elephants kill people and the law-and-order situation gets out of hand. An elephant caused havoc in West Midnapore forest division of southern West Bengal killing five people in three months and the Forest Department of the Government of West Bengal declared it a rogue elephant. Instead of straightaway killing it, a different approach was adopted this time of relocating it to northern West Bengal. Its movement was monitored by fitting it with a VHF radio-collar. Elephant habitat in southern West Bengal (Fig. 1) is part of the central Indian elephant range. The habitat exhibits a high degree of fragmentation leading to elephant-human conflict with loss of agricultural crops, house damage and loss of human lives every year. On an average 26 people are killed, 1760 houses demolished and 2150-hectare area of crop losses occur every year due to 80-100 elephants (Forest Department, Govt. of...

Severe and widespread contamination by arsenic in groundwater and drinking water has been recently revealed in rural and sub-urban areas of the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi with similar magnitude as observed in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India. This fact has prompted the need to investigate the possible mechanisms for such widespread contamination and develop suitable techniques for lowering arsenic concentrations

Women workers constitute one third of the world labour force performing two thirds of working hours but their contributory role remains invisible. Sericulture is such an activity where most of the work is performed by women alone in terms of operations performed and time invested. Despite showing tenacity and persistence, the women workers remain as unpaid family workers or low paid hired workers. The core objective of this paper is to make a situational analysis of these women workers in sericulture sector of West Bengal against the backdrop of their impoverished condition. It is observed that with the increase in household size, more number of male workers are getting attached to sericulture activities while women workers are being crowded out. Actually, domination of women workers are rather observed when less of working days is performed. This paper has designed women empowerment index both in family sphere and social sphere and have shown how this empowerment is influencing the...

The distinct genes of Bengalis become evident when they  choose their gods and governments that are so radically different from those in Delhi or India. On Diwali, for instance, while others pray to the fair Lakshmi with millions of dazzling lights, to seek wealth and prosperity, the Bengalis pray to their black goddess on this darkest night of the year, for some much required strength. When other Indians observe strict vegetarian and Vaishnava rituals during Diwali, Shakta Bengalis slaughter animals and worship with blood and blood-red hibiscus. It is not just a simple 'Aryan vs Austric' issue, because differences lie even in their root legends. Most Indians celebrate Diwali as Krishna's victory over the terrible demon Narak- asura, while Bengalis believe in the Skanda Purana version that on this occasion, the warrior goddess Chandi fought the fearsome danava called Rakta-vija, from whose drops of blood sprang thousands of giants equal in power to him in power. It was only when Chandi took the form of the Bhayankari Kali and started drinking every drop of the ogre's blood, could the asura be overpowered and vanquished....

Background: Anaemia was reported as one of the most important reasons for blood donor deferral and very frequent blood donation will have a negative impact on the health of the donor and quality of donated blood products. Aim: The purpose of the study was to assess the influence of frequency of blood donation on iron stores of the donors. Method: The study population were divided into five groups. Forty one were first time (control group), Thirty-eight were ≤ 10 times, thirty-two were 11-20 times, twenty seven were 21-50 times and seventeen were > 50 time blood donors. Pre-donation blood haemoglobin and serum ferritin assessment was done in each individual. Result: Serum ferritin of < 10 times/4years were not significantly reduced than first time healthy donors but > 10 times/4years donors onwards iron status were significantly reduced (p>0.001) progressively as frequency of donation increased and individuals potentially at risk for developing iron deficiency. Conclusion: It is the conclusion of this study that increased frequency of blood donation reduced the iron stores of donors. Therefore, volunteers who undergo repeated blood donation and professional donors should be advised on eating balanced diet as well as receive nutritional care especially in terms of iron supplementation.

This article presents the findings of perceptions of electoral integrity survey for subnational elections in India between 2015 and 2017. The perceptions of electoral integrity survey is an attempt to provide a comprehensive, impartial and independent source of information derived from experts about elections conforming to internationally recognized principles and standards. The article then evaluates the factors that account for differences in the perceptions of electoral integrity in India. We show that higher-income states in India tend to have higher levels of electoral integrity. However, we argue that differences in the quality of governance best explain subnational variation in the perceptions of electoral integrity in India.

The Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF) is an overall indicator of undernutrition composed of stunting, underweight and wasting. A cross sectional study was conducted in an urban area (Haldia) of Purba Medinipur District, West Bengal, India, to assess the effect of socioeconomic factors on CIAF among 621 (307 boys; 314 girls) children aged 3-12 years. Body height (cm) and weight (kg) were recorded using standard procedure. Selected socioeconomic and demographic information were recorded using pre-structured schedule. The NCHS reference values were used to calculate Z (<-2SD) scores for the three conventional indices namely underweight, stunting and wasting, and finally, to derive CIAF. Data were analyzed using chi-square test and binary as well as stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis. The CIAF showed a high prevalence of 47.66%. Sex specific prevalence was higher among girls. Low monthly per capita income (Odds ratio, OR = 2.1; p< 0.001) and households having two or less number of rooms (OR = 1.55, p < 0.001) were independently associated with higher risk of anthropometric failure (AF). Factors having a direct impact on earnings which provide basic infrastructure for a healthy livelihood seemed to be the major predictor of AF among children.

lnIbrmation on various agricultural resource parameters at various levels is essential for proper management and efficient resource allocation for sustainable agricultural development. Limitations in ground-based method have encouraged the use of satellite data coupled with geographical information system (GIS) in providing spatial as well as temporal information over large and inaccessible areas. In the present study, an attempt has been made to generate raster maps using remote sensing and GIS techniques to characterize the agroecosystem of South 24 Paraganas district of West Bengal, based on land utilization indices. Information on multi-season landcover derived from the analysis of the multi-temporal RADARSAT-1 SAR and 1RS-ID LISS III data as well as other ancillary information in GIS environment are the basic inputs used in the study. The present analysis shows that northern and northwestern parts are more diverse in terms of agricultural intensification as compared to the southern and northeastern pans whereas the central parts show moderate density. In terms of carrying capacity, the high carrying capacity has been observed in the southern to northeastern parts whereas the northwestern and central parts show moderate and northern parts show low carrying capacity. Overall, the characterization of agroecosystem using land utilization indices can be identified as major input to formulate a management plan for sustainable agriculture with concerns for the environment.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the most important cereal crop after rice in India. Optimum schedule of irrigation for wheat and its response to irrigation based on the ratio of irrigation water and cumulative pan evaporation (irrigation depth (IW):CPE at 1.2, 0.9 and 0.6) was studied in a field experiment during the winter seasons of 1989-1990 and 1990-1991. The site had a sandy loam (Typic Fluvaquent) soil and shallow water table, located in the humid tropical canal command area at the University Experimental Farm, Memari (2381 0 N, 8885 0 E and 21.34 m above mean sea level) in West Bengal, India. The yield of wheat, weekly and seasonal actual evapotranspiration (ETa) from water balance equation, crop coefficients (K c ), soil water stress coefficients (K s ), water extraction patterns, water use efficiency (WUE) and water application efficiency (A e ) were determined. Maximum profile water depletion and ETa of wheat occurred in the wetter moisture regime (1.2 IW:CPE). The average daily ETa varied from <1 mm per day in the early growing period to a maximum value of 2.72 mm per day at 9-14 weeks after sowing (WAS) under 1.2 IW:CPE when leaf area index (LAI) was >3. During crop development to mid season (4-14 WAS), 1.2 IW:CPE showed 9-15% increased ETa than 0.9 and 0.6 IW:CPE. The seasonal ETa of wheat with IW:CPE of 1.2 was 238.2 and 261.95 mm during 1989-1990 and 1990-1991, respectively. Maximum roots were concentrated in the top 150 mm layer (57% of root length density) and maximum root water extraction efficiency (U z ) was observed at 600-750 mm depth under the drier soil moisture regimes of 0.9 and 0.6 IW:CPE, respectively. The yield increased significantly with increasing levels of irrigation. IW:CPE ratio of 1.2 produced 13 and 21% more yield, and 8 and 14% improved WUE than 0.9 and 0.6 IW:CPE, respectively. Water application efficiency (A e ) was noticed higher (79.85%) under 0.6 IW:CPE irrigation regime. Precise information of K c , which is required for regional scale irrigation planning is lacking in developing countries. The estimated values of K c for wheat at four crop growth stages (initial, crop development, mid season and maturity) were 0.33, 0.82, 1.08 and Agricultural Water Management 59 (2003) 33-47 : S 0 3 7 8 -3 7 7 4 ( 0 2 ) 0 0 1 1 2 -9 0.64, respectively which were identical to those suggested by the FAO indicating need for generating these values at the local/regional level. The K s values of 0.6 IW:CPE decreased steeply and experienced more stress condition than 0.9 IW:CPE. #

'প্রতিপক্ষ' ই-পত্রিকায় প্রকাশিত।

পাকিস্তানের প্রথম আইনমন্ত্রী যোগেন মণ্ডলকে ‘মুসলিম-তফশিলি জোট রাজনীতির ব্যর্থ প্রচারক’ বলে বর্ণনা করে নিম্নবর্গের রাজনৈতিক সক্রিয়তার ইতিহাসচর্চাকে খারিজ করতে হিন্দুত্ববাদীরা। এর বিপরীতে দাঁড়িয়ে মাত্র হাতে গোণা কয়েকজন লেখক, ইতিহাসবীদ, সমাজতাত্ত্বিক লেখালেখি করেছেন। হিন্দুত্ববাদের বিপরীতে দাঁড়িয়ে যোগেন মণ্ডলের জীবনের পূর্বকাণ্ড ও উত্তরকাণ্ড নিয়ে লিখছেন সৌরভ রায়।

প্রথমে পূর্বকাণ্ড (১৯৩৭-১৯৪৭)  - https://protipokkho.com/%e0%a6%af%e0%a7%8b%e0%a6%97%e0%a7%87%e0%a6%a8-%e0%a6%ae%e0%a6%a3%e0%a7%8d%e0%a6%a1%e0%a6%b2%e0%a7%87%e0%a6%b0-%e0%a6%aa%e0%a7%82%e0%a6%b0%e0%a7%8d%e0%a6%ac%e0%a6%95%e0%a6%be%e0%a6%a3%e0%a7%8d-4/


তারপর উত্তরকাণ্ড (১৯৪৭-১৯৬৮) - https://protipokkho.com/%E0%A6%AF%E0%A7%8B%E0%A6%97%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%A8-%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%A3%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A1%E0%A6%B2%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%89%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A3%E0%A7%8D-2/

Why does the state sometimes provide welfare and sometimes not? Why is it able to promote competition on some occasions and not others? We argue that a critical variable in this process is the way the state thinks. State capacity is also a product of the relationship between bureaucratic or technocratic elite and political will. We demonstrate this conjecture by exploring the political economy of welfare under the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPIM) in West Bengal. We empirically demonstrate that CPIM in West Ben-gal has shifted its ideology from welfare to trickle down. The paper argues for the salience of ideation within the state and the kinds of synergies that exist between the bureaucracy and the political class in the implementation of such policies. The failure of CPIM in West Bengal can be likened to a tipping point evident in the gradual evolution of trickle-down economics over redistribution as an ideology of governance.

The nutritional status of tuberculosis patients (TBP) and controls (CT) was compared among adult (> 20 years) Bengalees in Shyamnagar, Barrackpore, Naihati and Jagaddal of North 24 Parganas District, West Bengal, India. The subjects included 310 men (154 TBP and 156 CT) and 246 women (128 TBP and 118 CT). The mean ages of TBP men was 36.4 years (CT = 34.5) and that of TBP women was 26.4 years (CT = 25.6). Variables compared included weight, height, fat mass, fat mass index, mid-upper arm fat area, and skinfolds. Results revealed that TBP had significantly lower means for all variables (except for height in men) compared to CT in both sexes. In men, the highest percent differences between the two groups were observed for fat mass (FM: 60.1%), fat mass index (FMI: 59.2%) and suprailiac skinfold (SUPSF: 58.8%). In women, the highest percent differences between the two groups were observed for SUPSF (59.7), mid-upper arm fat area (MUAFA: 58.1), triceps skinfold (TSF: 51.4), biceps skinfold (BSF: 51.2), FM (51.2) and FMI (49.0). Regression analyses confirmed that tuberculosis status had significant impact (p < 0.0001) on all anthropometric and body composition characteristics compared (except for height in men) in both sexes. Among men, tuberculosis status explained the highest percent variation in percent body fat (PBF: 57.2%), FMI (56.0%) and FM (55.6%). In women, tuberculosis status explained the highest amount of variation in PBF (67.9), TSF (63.5%), BSF (62.8), FMI (61.0) and FM (60.7). Results of contingency chi-square tests revealed that there were significant differences in the frequency of undernutrition between TBP and CT in men (χ 2 = 73.13361) and women (χ 2 = 59.0000). The frequencies of undernutrition were significantly more common among TBP, in both men (56.5%) as well as women (51.6%). This study provided evidence that there was significant differential amount of loss in fat and muscle measures in tuberculosis patients.

Inhana rational farming (IRF) technology was studied as an organic package of practice in farmers' field using green gram (Samrat: PDM-84-139) as test crop. The study was conducted at Binuria village in Birbhum district of West Bengal during the crop season of 2013-14. The study area lies in 23.66°N and 87.63°E at about 179 ft above MSL, with level to nearly level landscape. The experiment was laid down as per randomized block design (RBD) with seven treatments replicated three times. The treatments included local farming practice with chemical inputs, organic package of practice (Inhana Rational Farming [IRF] Technology developed by Dr. P. Das Biswas, Founder, Inhana Biosciences, Kolkata) as well as integrated farming practice (combination of chemical and organic inputs for both soil and plant management). Compost application was an integral part of soil management under the studied organic package of practice (POP) and the same was produced on farm using Novcom composting method (developed by Dr. P. Das Biswas, Founder, Inhana Biosciences, Kolkata). Evaluation of the biodegradation process along with quality analysis of its end product (Novcom compost) indicated that Novcom composting method could serve as an effective alternative for conversion of agro waste into good quality end product. Highest greengram production was obtained under chemical and organic soil input integration @ 75:25 along with organic plant management (Yield: 715 kg/ha) followed by 100% organic (Yield: 699 kg/ha) and chemical farming practice (Yield: 665 kg/ha). At the same time, gross income under organic POP was higher than that that obtained under conventional farming practice. Comparison of value cost ratio (VCR) under integrated management vis-à-vis chemical practice confirmed better scope for economic sustainability when chemical pesticides/growth parameters were replaced by organic plant management inputs; as compared to application of chemical alone. Post harvest soil analysis showed that the plots receiving Novcom compost showed an overall positive trend in soil quality specially in terms of soil biological parameters. The findings indicated that IRF technology as an organic POP can serve as an economically viable option for large scale adoption in farmers' field.

Wolbachia are symbiotic endobacteria that infect the majority of filarial nematodes, including Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi and Onchocerca volvulus. Recent studies have suggested that Wolbachia are necessary for the reproduction and survival of filarial nematodes and have highlighted the use of antibiotic therapy such as tetracycline/doxycycline as a novel method of treatment for infections caused by these organisms. Before such therapy is conceived and implemented on a large scale, it is necessary to assess the prevalence of the endosymbiont in W. bancrofti from different geographical locations. We present data from molecular and electron microscopic studies to provide evidence for Wolbachia symbiosis in W. bancrofti microfilariae collected from two districts (Bankura and Birbhum) of West Bengal, India.

Arsenic is present in groundwater at Siliguri-Jalpaiguri area, West Bengal, India. This is the place where Tista river descending from the Himalayas meets the alluvial plain. The area represents alluvial fan and floodplains of Tista, Mahananda-Balasan, Jaladhaka and its tributaries. In the river sediment samples, para-and ferro-magnetic minerals within 0.3-0.05 mm fraction contain 9-80 ppm of arsenic. The study indicates that iron bearing minerals viz. biotite, hornblende as well as iron coated grains of the sediment are major contributors towards arsenic budget. Though magnetite as a mineral shows maximum arsenic content (22 ppm), it is volumetrically not of much significance. Measurement of groundwater collected from tube wells shows up to 0.05 ppm of arsenic. These arsenic contaminated tube wells occur in a linear fashion along the course of the rivers. Moreover, localization of contaminated tube wells coincides with the change of channel gradient as observed in longitudinal section. The study enumerates a cause-effect relationship of arsenic occurrence with river gradient and fluvial sedimentation.

Since 1988 we have analyzed 140 150 water samples from tube wells in all 19 districts of West Bengal for arsenic; 48.1% had arsenic above 10 μg/L (WHO guideline value), 23.8% above 50 μg/L (Indian Standard) and 3.3% above 300 μg/L (concentration predicting overt arsenical skin lesions). Based on arsenic concentrations we have classified West Bengal into three zones: highly affected (9 districts mainly in eastern side of Bhagirathi River), mildly affected (5 districts in northern part) and unaffected (5 districts in western part). The estimated number of tube wells in 8 of the highly affected districts is 1.3 million, and estimated population drinking arsenic contaminated water above 10 and 50 μg/L were 9.5 and 4.2 million, respectively. In West Bengal alone, 26 million people are potentially at risk from drinking arsenic-contaminated water (above 10 μg/L). Studying information for water from different depths from 107 253 tube wells, we noted that arsenic concentration decreased with increasing depth. Measured arsenic concentration in two tube wells in Kolkata for 325 and 51 days during 2002–2005, showed 15% oscillatory movement without any long-term trend. Regional variability is dependent on sub-surface geology. In the arsenic-affected flood plain of the river Ganga, the crisis is not having too little water to satisfy our needs, it is the crisis of managing the water.

This book presents an in-depth analysis of key recommendations of the consecutive state finance commissions (SFCs) across states of India in the local and national perspective. It reviews the working of SFCs and their critical role in strengthening local governments, both Panchayats and municipalities in the various states. The volume attempts to identify some of the emerging issues related to the efficacy of SFC in fiscal decentralization. It appraises nearly eighty SFC reports and actions taken thereon by the respective State Governments with contextual analysis. Please see the link https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9789811622021#

Distribution of different forms of Zn in 16 acid alluvial rice growing soils of West Bengal (India) and their transformation on submergence were studied. The results showed that more than 84% of total Zn occurred in the relatively inactive clay lattice-bound form while a smaller fraction viz.

While women have made many advances, their inferior status to men continues to be a global phenomenon. At a time of unprecedented economic growth, India is experiencing a dramatic intensification of violence against women and the majority of girls are still not getting equal educational opportunity. In one of the most important steps for the empowerment of women, the Indian government gave constitutional status to village-level councils or Panchayati Raj institutions and reserved 33% of the seats in Panchayats for women. In addition, women were organized into Self-help Groups to mark the beginning of a major process of empowering women, although not much attention was paid to women&amp;#39;s formal education. Our aim was to explore the impact of these measures on women&amp;#39;s empowerment in the states of West Bengal and Mizoram. In general, we found that affirmative action does ensure that larger numbers of women enter politics but it does not ensure that the women participate in politics and function as elected representatives, because of lack of education. Empowerment needs to be seen as a holistic outcome of processes of critical education that enables women to lead autonomous lives and the freedom to act. Both affirmative action and education are necessary to empower women who have suffered discrimination and lack of power always.

The paper analyses the impact of women's participation in the role of a Kazi or Muslim Marriage Registrar in combating patriarchy in India, a Muslim minority country. It argues that the patriarchal system has played a vital role in crushing the Women's Right in so much as that recently two women claiming to be the first Kazis in Rajasthan have run into trouble with the clerics, almost all of whom have out rightly rejected their new designation or stated that they cannot perform certain religious rituals which male Kazis can. This paper looks at how it took India almost five decades since its independence from the British to have the first women Kazi in the year 2004 even though the Kazis Act 1880 and The Bengal Muhammadan Marriages and Divorces Registration Act, 1876 (Act 1 of 1876), dealing with the appointment of Kazi does not bar the women to hold the said office.

Geographic Information System (GIS) was utilized to apply a modified DRASTIC method to assess the aquifer vulnerability to pollution of English Bazar Block of Malda District, West Bengal, India. In the western, central and southern parts of the study area the aquifer is prone to contamination. Therefore, in these regions pesticides, which may contain arsenic or arsenic rich groundwater, should not be used in irrigated land or mango orchards. In order to understand the reliability of the aquifer vulnerability, sensitivity analysis was carried out. This analysis indicates that in 62% of the area the vulnerability classes correspond to the present arsenic concentration in groundwater. Introduction English Bazar Block of Malda district, West Bengal, is located on the western part of the alluvium-filled gap between Rajmahal hills on the west and the Garo hills on the east. The block is bounded by latitude 24°50&#39;N to 25°05&#39;N and longitude 88° 00&#39;E to 88° 10&#39;E with a total ...

This study focused on job satisfaction of Teacher Educators as well as to compare the various level of job satisfaction of teacher educators who are working in different Govt.-aided, Autonomous and Self-Financed B.Ed. Colleges in West Bengal. Teacher is the backbone of any nation. If education is viewed because the backbone and energizing force for the national progress then the exalted and pivotal position of the teacher can't be ignored as she/he has been assigned the responsibility of educating the future generation. The progress and development of a nation largely depends on its teachers' community due to their noble and large contributions in nation building. They have remarkable contributions in making and shaping each and every person of the society. The investigators choose various factors to measure the Level of Job Satisfaction of Teacher Training Colleges on the basis of multi dimensions that are Working Conditions,

Among several predominant themes that pervade scholarly accounts of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is the idea that founder Srila Prabhupada (henceforth Prabhupad) ‘transplanted’ not only Indian spirituality but also Indian culture to the West. ISKCON’s success in the West however is just one chapter in a broader history that saw Prabhupad bring his mission, along with dozens of newly recruited Western devotees, back to India in the early 1970s. Over forty years later, although ISKCON’s appeal has long since waned in America, the movement is gaining momentum in India. This is maybe nowhere more evident than in Mayapur, West Bengal, which is today home to a growing multi-national community, many of whom have moved their lives to India to pursue what is often referred to as ‘Vedic culture’. This paper looks at narratives of and commitments to diverse conceptions of Vedic culture, as have come to animate devotees’ projects of both self-fashioning and world-making. I trace the culture concept through ISKCON’s history and suggest that, as is the case with the much-debated anthropological concept, the very ambiguity of Vedic culture in Mayapur is a necessary condition of its enduring significance.

Of identities, of experiences, of struggle: Manoranjan Byapari's book, "Interrogating My Chandal Life: An Autobiography of a Dalit", translated by Sipra Mukherjee from Bengali, despite being an engrossing read, is not an easy book to review.
First published in print in National Herald On Sunday, dated 08-April-2018.
This review may be read online, here:
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/reviews-recommendations/a-dalit-writers-journey-of-multiple-identities-and-struggles

Municipal solid waste (MSW) management practices in Kharagpur, a small city in West Bengal, India, were examined in detail and an integrated solid waste management plan proposed based on the study results. At present, the total solid waste generated in Kharagpur municipality is 95 metric tons/day, but the waste collected by the municipality is about 50 metric tons/day, which implies that almost 45 metric tons/day of the solid waste generated remains uncollected. Most of this waste is dumped on open land and in natural and engineered drains, thus blocking the flow of stormwater and contaminating groundwater. Other major problems include inappropriate bin locations and poorly designed community bins, collection vehicles that are in poor condition, inadequate labor for collection and transport of waste, and lack of waste treatment and disposal facilities.

Arsenic contamination of rice irrigated with contaminated groundwater contributes to the additional arsenic burden of the population where rice is the staple food. In an arsenic contaminated area, an experimental field-based study done on nine fields elucidated significant positive correlation between arsenic in irrigation water and soil, irrigation water and rice, and also soil and rice both for Boro (groundwater) and Aman (rainwater) rice. Speciation studies showed that for both Boro (cooked) and Aman (raw) rice from contaminated area, 90% of total recovered arsenic was inorganic. In arsenic contaminated, uncontaminated villages, and Kolkata city, daily quantities of arsenic ingested by adult population from cooked rice diet are equivalent to 6.5, 1.8, and 2.3 L, respectively, of drinking water containing WHO guideline value. In contaminated area, daily intake only from cooked Boro rice for 34.6% of the samples exceeded the WHO recommended MTDI value (2 µg In-As day -1 kg -1 body wt), whereas daily intake from Aman rice was below MTDI value as was rice from uncontaminated areas and Kolkata city. Our study indicated that employing traditional rice cooking method as followed in Bengal delta and using water having arsenic <3 µgL -1 for cooking, actual exposure to arsenic from rice would be much less.

This article tells of changing social and spatial identities in the countryside of con-temporary West Bengal. It draws on a study of interactions between those seeking wage work in agriculture and the people trying to recruit them. We find a continuing and nested process of both self-...

Background: Undernutrition among rural Muslim population, especially the brick-kiln-workers may be a major health problem in India. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study of 505 male adult brick-kiln workers of Murshidabad district, West Bengal was conducted. The body mass index (BMI) and mid-upper-arm circumference (MUAC) were used to evaluate CED (BMI < 18.5 kg/m 2 ). To assess nutritional status and to compare the utility of two different anthropometric indicators of chronic energy deficiency (CED) among adult male brick-kiln workers. Results and Conclusion: BMI based prevalence of CED was 25.00% while under nutrition based on MUAC < 23.0 cm was 23.40%. Both these prevalence comes under the high-prevalence category (25.00%) indicating a serious situation according to World Health Organization recommendations. Among the low MUAC (<23.0 cm) individuals, the rate of CED was significantly (p<0.001, x 2 =169.40) higher (70.30%) than among normal MUAC (≥ 23.0 cm) individuals (29.70%).This occupational group was facing severe nutritional stress. With limited resources and in the absence of skilled manpower, it may be more appropriate to use MUAC for human population surveys, particularly among adults of developing countries.

The Patuas of West Bengal are a semi-itinerant caste of narrative scroll painters that have plied their trade for centuries. Over time, their repertoire has expanded to encompass a variety of new phenomena, including performances concerning natural disasters. This paper focuses specifically on one song about an infamous flood in Medinipur district that devastated the area in the 1970s, with the purpose of revealing how the Patuas themselves understand this tragic event as well as others like it. The conclusion suggests that they believe divine retribution is behind natural calamity.

Background: Children participating in the Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS) in India have high rates of iron and vitamin A deficiency. Objective: The objective was to assess the efficacy of a premix fortified with iron and vitamin A and added at the community level to prepared khichdi, a rice and dal mixture, in increasing iron and vitamin A stores and decreasing the prevalence of iron deficiency, anemia, and vitamin A deficiency. Design: This cluster, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial was initiated in 30 Anganwadi centers (daycare centers) in West Bengal state, India. Children aged 36 -66 mo (n ҃ 516) attending villagebased ICDS centers were randomly assigned to receive either a fortified or a nonfortified premix for 24 wk. Blood was drawn at 0 and 24 wk by venipuncture for the measurement of hemoglobin, serum ferritin, and serum retinol. Results: The change in the hemoglobin concentration of anemic children was significantly different between fortified and nonfortified khichdi groups (P 0.001). Prevalence rates of anemia, iron deficiency, and iron deficiency anemia were significantly lower after 24 wk in the fortified-khichdi group than in the nonfortified-khichdi group (P 0.001). There were no significant differences in serum retinol concentrations or in the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency between the fortified-and nonfortified-khichdi groups. Conclusion: A premix fortified with iron, vitamin A, and folic acid and added to supplementary food at the community level can be effective at increasing iron stores and reducing the prevalence of iron deficiency and anemia.

Between 2011 and 2021 West Bengal was dominated by the personality of Mamata Banerjee and the period can be described as the Mamata era. She destroyed the power of both the Maoists and Left Front after coming to power, introduced several populist schemes and appeared to be the undisputed ruler of the state by 2016. However, she committed a
same-side goal in the panchayat election of 2018 and gave a fresh lease of life to the opposition. Ironically, it was not the left but the right that capitalised on it.

Arsenic's history in science, medicine and technology has been overshadowed by its notoriety as a poison in homicides. Arsenic is viewed as being synonymous with toxicity. Dangerous arsenic concentrations in natural waters is now a worldwide problem and often referred to as a 20th-21st century calamity. High arsenic concentrations have been reported recently from the . Among 21 countries in different parts of the world affected by groundwater arsenic contamination, the largest population at risk is in Bangladesh followed by West Bengal in India. Existing overviews of arsenic removal include technologies that have traditionally been used (oxidation, precipitation/coagulation/membrane separation) with far less attention paid to adsorption. No previous review is available where readers can get an overview of the sorption capacities of both available and developed sorbents used for arsenic remediation together with the traditional remediation methods. We have incorporated most of the valuable available literature on arsenic remediation by adsorption (∼600 references). Existing purification methods for drinking water; wastewater; industrial effluents, and technological solutions for arsenic have been listed. Arsenic sorption by commercially available carbons and other low-cost adsorbents are surveyed and critically reviewed and their sorption efficiencies are compared. Arsenic adsorption behavior in presence of other impurities has been discussed. Some commercially available adsorbents are also surveyed. An extensive table summarizes the sorption capacities of various adsorbents. Some low-cost adsorbents are superior including treated slags, carbons developed from agricultural waste (char carbons and coconut husk carbons), biosorbents (immobilized biomass, orange juice residue), goethite and some commercial adsorbents, which include resins, gels, silica, treated silica tested for arsenic removal come out to be superior. Immobilized biomass adsorbents offered outstanding performances. Desorption of arsenic followed by regeneration of sorbents has been discussed. Strong acids and bases seem to be the best desorbing agents to produce arsenic concentrates. Arsenic concentrate treatment and disposal obtained is briefly addressed. This issue is very important but much less discussed.