#Metoo Movement: Backlash or Rhetoric

Any form of sexual assault stems from the intersection of power, patriarchal structure and gender. While different countries take different measures to tackle cases of sexual assault, cases continue to rise like a pandemic. This study is a revisit to the # Metoo Movement that took the catbird seat in 2017 after Tarana Burke founded it in 2006. Although the #Metoo movement started with women calling out names of abusers, the movement was not confined to female voices alone. It helped expose the cases of sexual abuse across all genders. Taking examples of various instances of sexual assaults against gender across societies, committed under the bulwarks of power, domination and (or) patriarchy, and the newly emergent ways of exploitation of gender, such as Catfishing and Love Jihad, this communication aims to probe whether the #Metoo movement has faced backlash or is simply a rhetoric or both

Productive and Decent Work Employment Opportunities: Reflections of Sustainable Development Goal 8

This study measures the impact of seven indicators of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on Goal 8, which is about productive and decent work and employment opportunities in India. The study employs pooled ordinary least squares (POLS) methods to capture the impact of seven indicators— annual growth rate of real GDP per capita, ease of doing business, unemployment rate, labour force participation rate, participation of informal workers, fatal and non-fatal occupation injuries, and banking outlets, on SDG 8, for 2018-2021. The findings reveal that the annual growth rate of real GDP per capita, labour force participation rate, and ease of doing business influence SDG 8’s score positively and significantly. On the contrary, the unemployment rate impacts sustainable score value negatively and significantly. The inferences of the study did not unwrap a significant effect of the percentage of workers in the informal sector, fatal and non-fatal occupation injuries and the number of banking outlets on SDG8. The study recommends reducing unemployment and increasing labour force participation rates in the economy for sustainability. At the same time, policymakers must focus on enhancing the ease of doing business and the annual growth rate of real GDP per capita to realise decent work and employment opportunities. To advance sustainable development goals, especially SDG 8, fostering sustainable and inclusive economic growth is the need of the hour

India\u27s General Election: Verdict 2024-A Reflection of Public Political Decisions

2024 has been a year of elections around the world, including the developed nations—the USA, the UK, the European Union and the Russian Federation alongside countries like India, Mexico, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran (the Islamic Republic of), South Africa, Republic of Korea (South Korea), Algeria, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Ghana, Mozambique,  Madagascar, Venezuela, (the Bolivarian Republic of), Democratic People\u27s Republic of Korea (North Korea), Taiwan, Syrian Arab Republic, Mali, Sri Lanka, Romania, Chad, Senegal, Cambodia, Rwanda, Tunisia, Belgium, Dominic Republic, Jordan, South Sudan, Czechia (Czech Republic), Azerbaijan, Portugal, Belarus, Togo, Austria, El Salvador, Slovakia, Finland, Mauritania, Panama, Croatia, Georgia, Mongolia, Uruguay, Republic of Moldova, Lithuania Botswana, Namibia, Guinea Bissau and North Macedonia. This editorial is devoted to the verdict of India’s General Election 2024. The results of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections have trickled in by defying most of the expectations of the exit polls. The graph of the results projected a different picture, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) grabbing 293 seats in the 543-member Parliament. At the same time, the coalition of opposition parties, collectively known as the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), accomplished 234, which is 38 less than the required majority. As a twist in the election results, the regional parties made significant gains in many states. Congress bagged a strong revival, which was hugely attributed to the Bharat Jodo Yatra and Nyay Yatra under the architect of Mr Rahul Gandhi. Nevertheless, with its allies, BJP-led NDA is on board as Modi 3.0 leads the largest democracy

Social Celebration and Financial Anxiety: Empirical Evidence from Rural India

The purpose of the study is to assess the impact of expenditure practices during festivities and various social ceremonies on the financial anxiety of the rural poor. Based on the study’s findings, a social work intervention was proposed to combat the financial anxiety arising due to the unregulated spending patterns of rural households. For the present study, we have deliberately adopted a descriptive research design; 640 structurally poor respondents were interviewed from rural Karnataka. The Households Financial Anxiety Assessment Scale developed by Archuleta, Dale, and Spann (2013) (FAS) was used to assess respondents’ financial anxiety. The study found that the spending patterns of poor rural households on festivities and social ceremonies lead them towards financial anxiety, financial vulnerability and continued poverty. We have attempted to draw the attention of professional social work educators to adopt the Financial Social Work model in the curriculum. We have proposed interventional strategies for Practitioners in Government and Non-Governmental organisations to practice in the field. The present study’s findings highlight the significant relationship between festivities and spending on social ceremonies and the consequent financial anxiety

Unlocking Trade Potential: A Stochastic Frontier Gravity Model Analysis of India-Africa Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Goods Trade

This study examines the relatively unexplored domain of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) trade between India and the African Union (AU), applying the Stochastic Frontier Gravity Model (SFGM) to measure the untapped potential and discern factors that impede trade. It points out India’s burgeoning role in global ICT trade, with the AU being an increasingly valuable market due to its digital growth and young population. The research identifies India’s significant comparative advantage in exporting telecommunication equipment, with a Revealed Comparative Advantage of 3.54, strategically enhancing its position in the global marketplace. The research notes the high trade complementarity index of 0.984 in 2021, indicating a strong synergy between India’s export capabilities and the AU’s demand, suggesting a beneficial trade relationship. It acknowledges the shift in Africa’s ICT import partners, highlighting China’s rising influence and the need for India to solidify its market share in Africa strategically. The SFGM’s application to evaluate trade efficiency, considering factors such as GDP, exchange rate, distance, tariff rate, and language, provides insightful conclusions. Positive impacts of GDP, exchange rate, and shared language on bilateral ICT trade are found to be significant. The findings emphasise the importance of strengthening trade ties for economic development and digital transformation in Africa

Modus Ethical Categories as a Condition for the Emergence of Phraseological Semantics, their Application in Political Discourse

This article presents the results of a study of the formation processes of phraseological meanings considering cognitive-discursive conditions. Traditional and new (cognitive) approaches to the formation of phraseological semantics are analysed, and a method for the formation of phraseological meaning is proposed, namely the use of cognitive-discursive categories of state-mode. Modal categories contribute to a new moral and evaluative aspect of meaning. The research focuses on the representation of phraseological meanings in the formats of knowledge, concepts and ethical categories. The study aims to examine a new way of forming phraseological meanings based on the study of modus categories as a cognitive-discursive condition, as well as evaluative categorisation and the presentation of phraseological ethical knowledge in cognitive knowledge formats. An integrative methodological paradigm and a cognitive-semantic approach were applied in the study.   Cognitive semantics offers new principles for analysing phraseological units: equality of cognitive and communicative functions of language, interdisciplinarity, multifactoriality, anthropocentricity and multilevelness. When using them, phraseological units can be studied integratively, involving knowledge and methods from various sciences. Methods of modelling, contextual inference, evaluative categorisation, interpretation, cognitive-discursive analysis and associative experiment were also used. The study analyses various points of view on the nature of phraseological semantics, the cognitive-discursive and anthropological essence of phraseological meaning, and the possibility of phraseological units acting as knowledge formats.  The novelty of the work lies in the application of an integrative methodological paradigm based on cognitive-semantic and cognitive-discursive approaches, with an emphasis on the role of modus categories and evaluative categorisation in the formation of phraseological evaluative meaning in identifying the formats of phraseological knowledge, in applying a modus approach to the analysis of phraseological meanings

Measuring the Impulse Buying Behaviour of Consumers: Special Reference to Food and Beverages

Impulse buying is when buyers make unplanned purchases that sometimes leave them satisfied or dissatisfied. The present study surveyed 546 customers who purchased food and beverage brands to understand their buying behaviour in the state of Haryana, India. The study used a well-structured questionnaire, collected data via social media platforms, and drew inferences using frequency and descriptive analysis. The results reveal that most consumers tend to buy impulsively regarding food and beverage products. The findings further reveal that consumers make impulsive purchases based on specific choices, preferences, or attachments to brands without considering the brand’s features or other characteristics. Companies can use these inferences to understand the target market’s purchasing patterns and make informed decisions to boost sales. The study recommends that food and beverage companies adopt strategies to attract impulsive buyers based on demographic features and focus on packaging to attract consumers with different personality traits.

An Analysis of Thailand’s Social Policies and its Integration with SDG1 “No Poverty” to Achieve Social Inclusion

From a historical standpoint, this study examines the concept of poverty in Thailand. The researcher employed the content analysis of eleven effective articles for the study. Thailand’s employability, economy, and poverty have improved during the last three decades because of the introduction of democratic and social security. Innovative poverty-eradication programmes such as conditional cash transfers and noncontributory pensions for the elderly and poor have been included in social protection measures. The social protection system has reduced poverty and begun the process of social inclusion. Thailand’s social policies have not only decreased poverty and fostered social inclusion but also entailed Sustainable Development Goal 1 of poverty eradication in the global scenario. The current study details these achievements, and it appears that Thailand has increased its efforts towards inclusive development and poverty eradication through effective social policy design and implementation

Understanding the Suicidality of Working Women in Santeshivara Lingannaiah Bhyrappa’s Brink

Suicide among working women is a growing concern and a subject of research that is frequently ignored. The objective of this research is to highlight the challenges faced by employed women that drive them to contemplate suicide, as shown through the protagonist, Amrita, in Santeshivara Lingannaiah Bhyrappa’s novel Brink (2020). Characters function as a conduit connecting the observer to the narrative. This allows the audience to experience empathy for the characters. The process of creating a character is a form of artistic expression. This study aims to analyse the portrayal of Amrita’s character in the novel Brink (2020). The main character, Amrita, is a single mother with a difficult past who fights to live a self-sufficient life with her sons. This study uses Meike Bal\u27s Construction of Image to analyse Amrita’s characterisation and transformation throughout the novel. It underlines the importance of connection and hope in moulding her into a happy, driven woman instead of a depressed and hopeless woman. The research concludes by underscoring the importance of literature delving into sensitive topics to raise awareness and stimulate dialogue

Women at the Crossroads: The Intersectional Dynamics of Women’s Movements in Assam

The paper explores the mobilisation, interdependence, and organisation of the women\u27s movement in Assam, locating it from the landmark events of the Assam Movement through a feminist lens. Instead of positioning women as passive recipients in Assam’s conflict-ridden areas, it captures the feminist recovery in the state’s men-led political movement. The study points out that while male leadership in Assam’s movements often relied on women’s involvement, women’s specific demands were frequently overlooked, and their voices were marginalised. In response, women have sought to reclaim their agency and narrate an alternative history. However, the social basis of the women’s movement is neither class nor ethnic minority but based on shared social circumstances. Therefore, studying the women’s movement in Assam, this paper considered an essential concern of feminism: dissimilarities and contrasting factors among women, depicting that gender alone does not marginalise. With a focus on this research gap, this study underscores the importance of an intersectional approach to understanding the fractured solidarity within Assam’s women’s movement, addressing a significant gap in feminist writing