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Tylor claimed that worshipping the spirits of the dead ancestor is the earliest form of religion, and many societies practice ancestor worship. This idea is supported by Reuter, who argues that ancestor cult is universal and the most ancient form of religion, strongly shaping the religious life of virtually all early civilisations. The present paper focuses on the practice of ancestor cult and its significance in the agricultural practices of the Doko people inhabiting the Gamo highlands of southern Ethiopia. A qualitative research approach was employed in the collection and analysis of the data. The interview technique was used for data collection. The data pertaining to the basic philosophy and purpose of agricultural rituals were collected from indigenous religious leaders and community elders of Doko. It is found that the Doko people perform various rituals such as rainmaking, sowing, magical protection of crops, harvesting etc., in which ancestor worship is the major activity. Ancestor worship is performed regularly to propitiate the ancestor spirits and get prosperity from them. Finally, it argues that the ancestor cult provides the Doko individual farmers and community as a whole with psychological and social assuage and social cohesion.

Keywords: Agricultural rituals, ancestor spirits, Doko, Gamo highlands, and social morals.

The present paper is an attempt to study the implementation and outcomes of public work programmes before MGNREGA and after MGNREGA using an effective policy implementation framework given by Mazmarian and Sabatier (1981). The data has been used from National Sample Survey (NSS) 62nd round conducted during 2005-06 and NSS 68th round conducted during 2011-12. The analysis revealed that the implementation process of public work programmes has been changing since its inception, and many changes at the policy level have created a positive impact on the output of the programmes. MGNREGA has become a demand-driven programme; as a result, getting work has risen five times compared to previous programmes. Employment Guarantee Programme, Indira Awas Yojana, and Food for Work Programme were supposed to provide work to scheduled tribes and scheduled castes. The uneven distribution of the MGNREGA fund among the states has shown some negative impact on employment generation in populous states in India. Maharashtra and Bihar generated less employment due to receiving fewer funds. There is a need in the programme to allocate more funds to the backward states as compared to the developed states. The changes in material and wage ratios affect the work allocation throughout the financial years in MGNREGA. Job card distribution is also a new step in the public work programme, which helps curb the programme’s misuse. The programme is based on the Keynesian theory, which has been tested and proven appropriate during the implementation process.

Keywords: MGNREGA, Public work programmes, PRI, Implementation, SHGs, MIS.

Nowadays, our world is being confronted with human-induced global problems such as climate change, space management, and energy crisis. In this situation, a multi-disciplinary research approach is the best way to resolve the global crisis. For example, Anthropology and architecture both the disciplines are interrelated through working with/for people. For a long time, anthropologists, particularly social anthropologists, have paid attention to studying societies, culture, tribals, their culture, and their social upliftment. As well as they have engaged themselves in studying different behaviours and patterns of culture. For doing this, they have paid less attention to the ‘house’ where we live. In recent decades, few anthropologists have begun to connect architectural works with social-cultural anthropology. They proposed the term ‘architectural anthropology’ to describe the interrelation between humans and their built environment. Based on existing literature, this paper explored how our dwellings can be a research object for anthropologists and the prospects of architectural research from an anthropological viewpoint. Further, architectural research by practising anthropologists can help resolve various human-induced global problems such as climate change, slum Proliferation, and global housing problems through their expertise and knowledge of space management, cultural needs, and expectations.

Keywords:  Architectural Anthropology, House, Culture, Human Induce Global Problems, Climate Change, Slum Proliferation

Thorngrove Infectious Diseases Hospital is one of the infectious diseases hospitals for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus patients in Bulawayo for quarantine and treatment. Methods: A data collection sheet was created, and all patients’ information admitted to the hospital was collected. Cramer’s V statistic and multivariable logistic regression were used to determine demographic factors associated with hospitalisation. Results: The study established that males (OR=1.46, 95% CI=0.81-2.63, Cramer’s V=0.09, p> 0.05) are more likely to be hospitalised than females, while females are more exposed. Age (95% CI=41.74 - 46.92, Cramer’s V=0.71, p<0.05), smoking (OR=1.21, 95% CI=1.01-2.27, Cramer’s V=0.03, p<0.05), place of residence, people in lowdensity areas (OR=3.32, 95% CI= 1.87 – 12.64, Cramer’s V=0.22, p<0.05) are 3 times more likely to be hospitalised compared to those in medium density areas. Single patients (OR=10.38, 95% CI=2.16 – 50.00, Cramer’s V=0.20, p<0.05) were 10 times more likely to be hospitalised compared to widowed patients. Hypertension (OR=7.2, 95% CI=3.38 -15.37, Cramer’s V=0.41, p<0.001) was leading in influencing hospitalisation. Conclusion and recommendations: Aged patients, place of residence, smoking, marital status and pre-existing conditions and showing symptoms influenced hospitalisation. Quick attention is required for elderly patients, smoking and those showing Covid-19 symptoms.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2, Thorngrove, Infectious Diseases, Signs

Any differential in fertility or mortality is natural selection, which helps to measure the fitness of a particular population in a particular environment. The index of total selection intensity (I) measures the maximum potential rate of change, assuming that variations in morality and fertility are genetically determined and fitness is completely heritable. Altitudinal variations in fertility and mortality patterns have been reported in India and other countries by many authors. This study examines fertility and mortality differentials among the high and low-altitude Monpa of Arunachal Pradesh. The index of total selection intensity was much higher among the low-altitude Monpa (Dirang Monpa:1.6094) than that of the high-altitude Monpa (Tawang Monpa: 0.4540). The present study reveals that the environment of the high altitude of Arunachal Pradesh has reduced the fitness of Monpa populations.

Keywords: Fertility, Mortality, Selection Intensity, High and Low Altitude Monpa.

By nature, a woman is crucial to the endowment of health services for family and society as a whole. Therefore, cares for the health of women, not only for the women themselves but also for the well-being of their children and the functioning of households. However, unfortunately, women are more sickly and inactivated than men throughout the life cycle in Indian societies, as many of the government data have displayed. It has been witnessed that women are particularly vulnerable where basic maternity care is unavailable. The present paper attempted to highlight the socio-cultural patterns and other associated anthropological factors that influence the health status and health care system among the Lois women of Andro village, Manipur. It also tried to focus on the problems faced by women during physiological changes in their lives, viz. menstrual period, pregnancy and childbirth, and their health-seeking behaviour during these periods. The study is based on the interview of 28 mothers during my fieldwork. The study was conducted at Andro, Manipur- a village inhabited by the Lois community that belongs to the schedule caste category, which is 25 km away from Imphal City.

Keywords: Cultural and Anthropological Factors, Health Care Practices; Physiological changes; Menstruation; Pregnancy; Childbirth; Lactation period