Women in Combat: The Rise of Women in Defense Forces

The role of women in the Indian Armed Forces has evolved significantly over the past decades, shifting from supportive roles to leadership and, more recently, combat positions. This article outlines the historical milestones that have shaped women’s inclusion in India’s defense services, starting from their entry during World War II and leading up to the landmark Supreme Court ruling of 2020 that granted women permanent commission status. Despite these advances, women in the Indian military still encounter challenges, including limited access to certain combat roles, gender bias, and societal perceptions of traditional gender norms. In this article, we explore the historical milestones that have shaped women’s participation in the Indian Armed Forces, the challenges they continue to face, and the path ahead toward full integration and equality. By examining the role of women in shaping modern defense strategies and leadership, the article offers a comprehensive overview of their contributions and the path forward for an inclusive Indian Armed Forces

Government Initiatives for Employment Generation

India's unique growth trajectory, where the service sector has bypassed manufacturing, poses significant employment challenges. This paper examines unemployment in India, using National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) definitions and data. Unemployment is defined as a situation where a person capable of working does not find employment at the existing wage rate. NSSO's three measures of estimating unemployment - usual status, weekly status, and current/daily status - provide a comprehensive picture. The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2017-18 reports a four-decade high unemployment rate of 6.1%, with urban areas at 7.8% and rural areas at 5.3%. The labor force participation rate has also declined. We analyze the government's initiatives to reduce unemployment over the last five years and explore new emerging areas of employment. Our study highlights the need for policy interventions to address India's unemployment challenges and promote inclusive economic growth

Sustainable Sugarcane Production: Role of Policy and Legislation in the Context of India

This research paper offers a comprehensive analysis of the impact of policy and legislation on the promotion of sugarcane production in India. It thoroughly examines various Acts, Orders, and policies from 1932 to 2020, including the Essential Commodities Act, Sugar Control Order, and Biofuel policy etc. The study evaluates the effectiveness of these policies in ensuring the efficient use of resources in sugarcane cultivation and addresses the sustainability of the sugarcane sector, as well as the socio-economic improvements brought about by regulatory implementation in the sugar industry. It also discusses the challenges in balancing environmental, economic, and social factors within the sugarcane industry and provides policy recommendations aimed at enhancing it, such as integrating policy frameworks, supporting farmers, and offering incentives for sugar mills. This paper concludes that the legislation framed for the welfare of the sugar industry has helped this sector to grow tremendously in terms of production, productivity, and trade. It has also contributed to generating significant employment in the economy. The paper sheds light on previous literature and supports the view that such regulations have affected the free play of the sugar market and, in turn, its overallperformance

Retrospective analytical study of total abdominal hyeterectomy for benign gynaecological conditions

Background: Hysterectomy, which is one of the most common surgeries performed on women, dates back to ancient time. This retrospective study was done to determine a baseline data on various indications for total abdominal hysterectomy for benign gynaecological conditions, most common presenting symptoms, and socio-economic status and their histopathology correlation.Methods: This retrospective study was performed in the department of Obstetrics and gynaecology, in collaboration with Department of Pathology, Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal. Baseline data were collected from inpatient files and histopathology reports to determine the indication for surgery, pattern of gynaecological diseases, and distribution with respect to age, parity, rural, urban, socio-economic status and final histopathology correlation. Histopathology reports were collected from Department of Pathology.Results: Majority of women undergone TAH for benign gynaecological diseases were in age group of 40-49 years [n=341 (48.99% cases)], multi para and from urban areas (57.26%). most common indication for TAH is fibroid uterus [n=347 (49.85%)]. The most common mode of presentation is excessive prolonged frequent bleeding per vagina (58.14%). Most common histopathology reports of TAH were leiomyoma with chronic cervicitis {n=347 (49.78%)}.Conclusions: Majority of women undergoing for TAH for benign gynaecological conditions have great satisfaction as they got relieved from their complaints and very minimum post-operative complications, but their long term outcome are still debatable

Oral manifestations of HIV/AIDS in Asia: systematic review and future research guidelines

Objectives: The authors have conducted a systematic review of oral manifestations of HIV from studies conducted in Asia to establish the characteristics and prevalence of individual oral manifestations in Asia, and to assess the direction of future research studies on oral manifestations of HIV in Asia. Material and Methods: The electronic retrieval systems and databases searched for relevant articles were PubMed [MEDLINE], EBSCO, and EMBASE. The search was for limited articles published in English or with an English abstract and articles published during the period January 1995 to August 2014. The authors reached a final overall sample of 39 studies that were conducted in Asia. Results: The median population size among all studies was 312.7 patients. Oral candidiasis [OC] was the most common oral manifestation [37.7%] in studies conducted in Asia. The overall prevalence of oral hairy leukoplakia and melanotic hyperpigmentation was computed to be 10.1% and 22.8% respectively. Thailand and India are primarily countries with maximum research on oral manifestations. Conclusions: The research on oral manifestations of HIV in Asia has to upgrade to more interventional and therapeutic studies rather than the contemporary cross- sectional epidemiological descriptive studies. The authors have given suggestions and future directions for the implementation of clinical research of oral manifestations in HIV patients

Mutations in the mitochondrial DNA D-loop region are frequent in cervical cancer

BACKGROUND: Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is known for high mutation rates caused by lack of protective histones, inefficient DNA repair systems, and continuous exposure to mutagenic effects of oxygen radicals. Alterations in the non-coding displacement (D) loop of mitochondrial DNA are present in many cancers. It has been suggested that the extent of mitochondrial DNA mutations might be useful in the prognosis of cancer outcome and/or the response to certain therapies. In order to investigate whether a high incidence of mutations exist in mitochondrial DNA of cervical cancer patients, we examined the frequency of mutations in the D-loop region in 19 patients of cervical cancer. RESULTS: Mutations, often multiple, were detected in 18 of 19 (95%) patients. The presence of mutations correlated with Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection in these patients. Mutations were also detected in normal samples and lymphocytes obtained from cervical cancer patients, but their frequency of occurrence was much lower as compared to the cervical cancer tissues. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that D-loop alterations are frequent in cervical cancers and are possibly caused by HPV infection. There was no association of mtDNA D-loop mutations with the histopathological grade and tumor staging

Unhealthy Fat in Street and Snack Foods in Low-Socioeconomic Settings in India: A Case Study of the Food Environments of Rural Villages and an Urban Slum.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the food environment in rural villages and an urban slum setting in India with reference to commercially available unbranded packaged snacks and street foods sold by vendors, and to analyze the type and quantity of fat in these foods. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Two low-income villages in Haryana and an urban slum in Delhi. PARTICIPANTS: Street vendors (n = 44) were surveyed and the nutritional content of snacks (n = 49) sold by vendors was analyzed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Vendors' awareness and perception of fats and oils, as well as the type of snacks sold, along with the content and quality of fat present in the snacks. ANALYSIS: Descriptive statistics of vendor survey and gas chromatography to measure fatty acid content in snacks. RESULTS: A variety of snacks were sold, including those in unlabeled transparent packages and open glass jars. Mean fat content in snacks was 28.8 g per 100-g serving in rural settings and 29.6 g per 100-g serving in urban settings. Sampled oils contained high levels of saturated fats (25% to 69% total fatty acids) and trans fats (0.1% to 30% of total fatty acids). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Interventions need to target the manufacturers of oils and fats used in freshly prepared products to improve the quality of foods available in the food environment of low-socioeconomic groups in India

The need for multisectoral food chain approaches to reduce trans fat consumption in India.

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends virtually eliminating trans fat from the global food supply. Although several high-income countries have successfully reduced trans fat levels in foods, low- and middle-income countries such as India face additional challenges to its removal from the food supply. This study provides a systems analysis of the Indian food chain to assess intervention options for reducing trans fat intake in low-income consumers. METHODS: Data were collected at the manufacturer, retailer and consumer levels. Qualitative interviews were conducted with vanaspati manufacturers (n = 13) and local food vendors (n = 44). Laboratory analyses (n = 39) of street foods/snacks sold by the vendors were also conducted. Trans fat and snack intakes were also examined in low-income consumers in two rural villages (n = 260) and an urban slum (n = 261). RESULTS: Manufacturers of vanaspati described reducing trans fat levels as feasible but identified challenges in using healthier oils. The fat content of sampled oils from street vendors contained high levels of saturated fat (24.7-69.3 % of total fat) and trans fat (0.1-29.9 % of total fat). Households were consuming snacks high in trans fat as part of daily diets (31 % village and 84.3 % of slum households) and 4 % of rural and 13 % of urban households exceeded WHO recommendations for trans fat intakes. CONCLUSIONS: A multisectoral food chain approach to reducing trans fat is needed in India and likely in other low- and middle-income countries worldwide. This will require investment in development of competitively priced bakery shortenings and economic incentives for manufacturing foods using healthier oils. Increased production of healthier oils will also be required alongside these investments, which will become increasingly important as more and more countries begin investing in palm oil production

The independent and interdependent self-affirmations in action: Understanding their dynamics in India during the early phase of the COVID-19 lockdown

The study explored the role of two dissimilar familial and religious practices in distinctly shaping independent and interdependent self-affirmations in two value systems (individualism and collectivism) that emerged to protect self-integrity and self-worth challenged by the threats of COVID-19. A qualitative research design was employed. A heterogeneous sample of 19 participants (10 joint and 9 nuclear families) was recruited who reported in a semi-structured interview about the consequences of COVID-19 and the role of family and religious values in coping with the pandemic threats. The thematic method was used to analyse the data. Codes were generated using a priori criteria while reviewing and re-reviewing, multiple discussions and iterations helped in theme identification and ascertaining validity. Five themes were generated: perceived strong threat of COVID-19, dissimilar genesis of independent and interdependent self-affirmations, positive roles of joint familial values, significance of religious values, and traditional and modern religious routes of self-affirmation. Threats were expressed in experiences of anxiety, uncertainty and mood fluctuations. Interdependence, affiliation and support were joint familial values whereas independence and self-esteem reflected nuclear family-values. Focus on explicit attributes denoted modern while divine interpretation and will of God reflected traditional religious values. Novelty, uncertainty and incurability of COVID-19 caused threats to self-integrity that compelled hem to affirm their most preferred values originating from two family forms. The pandemic posed threats to their self-worth, which in turn, activated affirmations in two distinct value systems leading to the development of independent and interdependent self-affirmations. Study findings will help surface novel features of the two self-affirmations. It provides new insights for making successful behavioural changes at individual, group and community levels for the success of social, health and educational policies