MAKE MOST OF THE KNOWLEDGE NETWORK, JOIN ACADEMIC RESEARCH FOUNDATION

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.
Keywords: Patua, Narrative Scroll, Performance, Disaster, Divine Retribution.

Our community-based cross-sectional study was undertaken to assess age and sex differences in nutritional status based on mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) as well as fat free mass index (FFMI), body fat mass index (BFMI) and percent body fat (PBF) among adult Mahali population of Bankura District, West Bengal, India. The sample size consisted of 220 adult Mahalis, aged above 18 years from selected villages. The mean age of 102 males (36.5±14.75 years) and 118 females
(34.0±12.89 years) were similar. Participants were further classified into two age groups: ? 59 years, and ? 60 years. Logistic regression analysis showed that age group categories and sex were significantly associated with nutritional status and three indices of body fat. Results revealed that females and ? 60 years participants had significantly higher prevalence of undernutrition compared to their respective counterparts. Females had a significantly higher prevalence of low FFMI and ? 60 years individuals were more affected by low FFMI. Significantly higher prevalence of low BFMI was also observed among females and ? 60 years individuals Similarly, significantly more females had low PBF with ? 60 years participants having a higher prevalence. Thus, there existed a strong relationship between nutritional status (based on MUAC) and body fat which was mediated by age and sex. Theremay be several possible causes for these age and sex differences.
Keywords: India; Tribe; Mid-upper arm circumference; Nutritional Status; Fat pattern

Anthropology has been in a constant process of expansion and clarification since humans began to consider their place in the world. As an exercise in increasing self-awareness, anthropology is not so much a discipline as it is an interdisciplinary field of study. In this way, it shares common ground with the field of big history, which also provides a way to contextualize humanity in its wider milieu. Such macro-views lead to new ways of thinking about past concepts, such as revising antiquated models of regional civilizations into a global civilization. In addition, anthropology has historical precedents for intersecting with big history, as in the works of Alexander von Humboldt, Sarat Chandra Roy, and Leslie White. The author describes these twin fields as complementary paradigms that can assist each other to not only better understand the human condition but to seek a new way forward in a time of climatic change and social crisis. His contention is that, just as anthropology historically built upon inputs from various societies and disciplines, its range of studies and social connections will continue to expand. This movement towards synthesis and holistic thinking will push anthropology into an exciting frontier of new challenges.
Keywords: Anthropology, Civilization, Big History, Evolution, Social Change, Humanity, Future.

The Sustainable Development Goal set by United Nations aims to reduce under-5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births.Under-five children, not only constitute a large group but they are also vulnerable or high-risk group in India. UNICEF mentions that the largest proportion of child death reported,was in South Asia and India accounts for a quarter of them. Belongingness to tribal community adds burden to this vulnerability. The tribal children have 19 percent higher risk of dying in neonatal period and 45% higher risk in post-neonatal period as compared to other social classes. The government of India strive to put front the agenda of child survival and carved out special plan for vulnerable groups (MOHFW, 2014). The present paper attempts to provide context by understanding the development of the policies and programmes in India targeting under-five children’s health with special focus on tribal population. It uses content analysis for existing policies, programmes and relevant studies conducted for under-five children. The results indicated historical development of policies formulated for children from 1974 when the first policy for children was formed. Since then various attempts made to improve health condition of under-five children. Recently, the focus of the health programmes has shifted from treating single illness condition to integrated management of diseases. The existing policies and programmes indicates shift from institute based to home based care. In spite of these attempts, there is a need to have in-built implementation research as a part of health system, which would provide insights to understand the efficacy of the programme.
Keywords: Under-five children, Tribal, Public Policy, National Health Programmes, India

Dubbed as the beginning of the “new dawn”, the year 2018 has served as a watershed moment in terms of South Africa’s domestic and international affairs. The basis for this narrative is the fact that in February 2018, Cyril Ramaphosa succeeded Jacob Zuma as the President of South Africa. Among others, this change of guard in South Africa’s presidency has ushered an emerging narrative about South Africa’s future engagement with Russia in the context of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) grouping. Unlike former President Zuma who was seemingly inclined towards the East, President Ramaphosa has been linked by observers to the West. It is on this basis that, this paper attempts to address the following central question: Does the Ramaphosa presidency represent a catalyst for change or continuity in terms of South Africa engagement with Russia in the context of BRICS? As a way of departing from the dominant tradition in International Relations of either locating studies of this nature within the realist or liberal perspective, the authors of this paper proposes a holistic approach which is based on the theory of Afrocentricity (also read as a Diopan perspective) and interdisciplinary critical discourse analysis in its broadest form. In this context, this paper establishes an argument that it is not “business as usual” insofar as South Africa’s present engagement with Russia is concerned.
Keywords: Afrocentricity; BRICS; Cyril Ramaphosa; Jacob Zuma; Russia; South Africa.

The main purpose of this study is to investigate different aspects of the Teej festival in which Hindu women observe fast, worship Lord Shiva, sing songs and perform dances. Modernization and ritual theories are deeply observed to analyze my research questions. The main leading questions are: what is the importance of Teej festival in Hindu women? How is it celebrated? How is this festival affected by modernization and globalization? How do young generations understand this festival? And how does this festival help to revitalize Hindu women in their culture? These questions will be addressed in this research-based paper. Teej is the traditional festival of one and only Nepali Hindu women. Teej has been based on religion and recreation but now it is in the verge of change. This recreational and religious festival has its own significance in the specific context of Nepali society and culture. Teej has an adaptive cultural system (of socially transmitted behavior patterns) that serve to relate Hindu as well as non-Hindu communities to their socio-natural settings. Teej is also the occasion for sending lavish gift inclusive of food, clothes and occasionally simple valuable ornaments to one’s daughter’s mother-in-law and her close relatives of husband’s side during the first year after marriage. It is obligatory among the professed high caste Hindus- Brahman and Kshetri. Basically this traditional indigenous festival is a celebration of praying to the God Shiva, who is the creator of this world as specified in Hindu epic texts. Women in Nepal observe Teej for good health, prosperity and progress for their husband for married women whereas for the would be husband in the case of
unmarried girls. Origin, history, importance and it’s ritual values related to Teej festival is highly
desired matter of discussion among the circles of men and women in Nepal.
Keywords: Teej, traditional festival, Hindu women, recreation, change, religion, modernization, verge

Uncertainty surrounding an agreeable theory in government studies and public opinion in South Africa, resulting in financial and research capacity shortages to generate big data in supporting empirical, theoretical postulation and conceptual clarification is an undisputed reality. It is on this basis that the authors of this article use this space to to proffer the use of the social media as convenient means for gathering data in government studies, which we choose to refer to as sociomedism. We have also argued that social media can be used in multiple areas of academic endeavor. Equally important, such big data is poised to have utility value in solving societal challenges in South Africa and beyond. Methodologically, we relied on document study and interdisciplinary discourse analysis in its broadest form.