Innovative Programmes for Gender Equality in Indian School Education

Background: National Education Policy 2020 aims to eliminate existing disparities in access to education for children from any gender or any under-represented group. After independence, India makes considerable strides in reducing gender gaps in education, but even today the goal of gender parity in school enrolments remains elusive. India provides Universal Elementary Education to all and this commitment has been articulated through Constitution, National Education Policies and other Innovative Programmes. All these initiatives put a strong emphasis on the education of girls and some of the programmes have been started particularly to eliminate gender gaps in school education. Purpose: This paper is an attempt to review the Innovative Programmes started by the Government of India to redress the gender gaps in school education and also to analyze the impact of these programmes on female literacy rates and enrolment rates of girls in elementary education. Before analyzing the innovative programmes and their impact on educational statistics, the paper briefly assesses the status of education in the Constitution of India and also studies the national policy perspective regarding universal elementary education of girls in the country in order to provide a sound background to this study. Methods: The method of document analysis for the review of policy documents and innovative programmes has been utilized and trend analysis method has been applied to study the educational statistics from the year 1950 to 2015. Results: The female literacy rates and enrolment of girls in total enrolments for the classes VI-VIII have registered an increase after the implementation of these programmes. Conclusions: It has been observed that these community-based programmes of the country have received a lot of international recognition for their contribution towards reducing gender gaps in elementary education. So, the experiences of these Innovative Programmes can prove quite beneficial for other countries struggling with gender gaps in school education

Comparative Analysis of Universal Primary Education Policy and Progress in India and Sri Lanka in the Era of Globalization

Sustainable Development Goals, like previous Millennium Development Goals, put strong emphasis on the inclusive and quality education for all by 2030 and directed all the nation states to make concerted efforts to ensure this. Many developing countries after the endorsement of time-bound global goals regarding education has resulted in remarkable changes in their national education policy directions by making provisions of free and compulsory education for a stipulated period. However, even today, when the global development agenda is emphasizing inclusive and quality education for all at all levels, the goal of universal primary education remains elusive for many developing countries. The aim of this study was to analyze educational policy changes and progress in universal primary education in India and Sri Lanka under the influence of global policy agenda. India and Sri Lanka are two important countries in South Asian region and both are quite proactive in their efforts towards universalization of primary education. With the help of trend analysis method, it has been observed tremendous progress has been observed in the expansion of access of primary education in these countries. However, the results indicate that the performance of Sri Lanka in primary education is far better than India and India can learn a lot from the experiences of Sri Lanka. But, the high number of out of school children and poor learning outcomes in both the countries need a radical shift in the focus of the policy planning in these countries. The study is quite critical to highlight the glaring gaps in the provision of education for all in these countries and experiences of these countries can provide instructive lessons for other countries struggling with the goal of education for all. Keywords: Universal Primary Education, Education for All, Educational Policy, Globalization, South Asia. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-8-04 Publication date:March 31st 202

Comparative study to assess the maternal and paternal fetal attachment among the expectant mothers and fathers

Background: Bonding during pregnancy refers to a process through which a pregnant women experiences feelings and emotions for her fetus, interacts with her fetus and develops a maternal identity during pregnancy. The mothers and fathers interact differently with the developing fetus, but evidences for these differences are contradictory. It is important to recognize the factors influencing maternal fetal attachment and paternal fetal attachment because of the effects on future health and development of the infant.Methods: A descriptive (comparative) research design was used to compare the maternal and paternal fetal attachment among 50 couples [Expectant mothers (50) and Expectant fathers (50) =100] selected by convenience sampling technique, who visited ANC OPD of DMC and Hospital, Ludhiana, Punjab. Modified Maternal Fetal Attachment Scale (Mecca S Cranley, 1979) and Modified Paternal Fetal Attachment Scale (Mecca S Cranley, 1979) were used to assess the maternal and paternal fetal attachment by self-report method.Results: Findings revealed that the maternal fetal attachment was higher than the paternal fetal attachment. There was significant difference between maternal and paternal fetal attachment scores (89.76±13.410 vs 80.62±15.494, p=0.002) respectively. The association of maternal fetal attachment was found to be statistically significant with gravida, parity, live babies, planned pregnancy, history of infertility, method of conception and marital relationship (p<0.05) whereas paternal fetal attachment was found to be statistically significant with duration of marriage, number of live children and method of conception (p<0.05).Conclusions: Thus, the study concluded that the maternal fetal attachment was higher than paternal fetal attachment

PILOT STUDY OF LOWER UTERINE SEGMENT CESAREAN SCAR THICKNESS PREOPERATIVELY BY TRANSVAGINAL SONOGRAPHY AND ITS CORRELATION WITH INTRA-OPERATIVE FINDINGS

Objectives: Cesarean section rates are increasing with a decrease in the rate of trial of labor after first cesarean section. Proper assessment of uterus especially scar of the previous lower segment cesarean sections (LSCS) in pregnant females is the key stone for the successful vaginal birth after cesarean section. The objective of this pilot study was to evaluate LSCS scar thickness using transvaginal sonography (TVS) and to determine the correlation between TVS and intraoperatively measured lower uterine segment cesarean scar thickness. Methods: This prospective observational analytic pilot study was carried out jointly by the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Radiodiagnosis, Government Medical College and Rajindra Hospital, Patiala after due ethical and research committee approval. 100 women at term with history of previous LSCS and who were scheduled for elective LSCS were recruited for the study after taking the informed consent. Pre-operative scar measurement as on TVS was compared with and analyzed with intraoperative (I/o) scar measurements taken by Calipers. Results: The cutoff value for TVS readings was found to be ≤2.5 mm using receiver operating characteristic analysis. It has significant correlation with I/o scar measurements. It also has a significant relationship with age, pre-pregnancy overweight, number of the previous LSCS, and gestational age. Conclusion: Assessment of the scar integrity and quality by TVS will be helpful in selecting candidates for trial of labor with an optimally informed decision but still a number of studies have to be done to develop a robust scoring system

EVALUATION OF ANXIOLYTIC EFFECT OF MELILOTUS OFFICINALIS EXTRACTS IN MICE

Objective: Anxiety is one of the most common and serious mental illness affecting humankind and its extensiveness is on the rise at an alarming rate. Anxiolytic substances are highly acclaimed in the ranking of the most utilized drugs by human. The clinical applications of most widely used anxiolytic agents, that is, benzodiazepines are restricted by their undesirable side effects. Therefore, the development of new pharmacological agents for the treatment of this problem is well justified. Among medicinal plants, Melilotus officinalis (yellow sweet clover) has been recommended for relief of insomnia, convulsions, and as nervine tonic in traditional system of medicine. Nevertheless, no pharmacological studies have thus far evaluated its anxiolytic effect. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate antianxiety effect of different extracts of M. officinalis in mice.Methods: The extracts of roots and aerial parts of the plant were prepared according to the polarity, that is, petroleum ether, chloroform, ethanol, and water. The anxiolytic effects of petroleum ether, chloroform, ethanol, and aqueous extract of aerial parts and roots of the plant (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, p.o) were examined in albino mice using elevated plus maze (EPM) and mirror-chamber models of anxiety. High-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) studies were carried out using toluene: Acetone: Formic acid as mobile phase.Results: Various extracts prepared from roots did not produce significant effect in both the models, whereas the ethanol extract prepared from aerial parts at 100 and 200 mg/kg showed a significant anxiolytic effect as compared to control and standard group. The petroleum ether, chloroform, and water extracts (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg) of the aerial parts of the plant did not produce meaningful effects in this study. HPTLC analysis of the ethanol extract revealed the presence of nine components.Conclusion: These results suggest that the ethanol extract of aerial parts of M. officinalis plant has statistically significant dose-dependent antianxiety activity which can be attributed to the presence of coumarin, and flavonoid compounds in it

SIMULATING THE IMPACT OF WITHIN SEASON VARIABILITY IN TEMPERATURE ON GRAIN YIELD OF WHEAT

Within season variability in temperature is a major bottleneck in wheat productivity. This simulation study aimed to evaluate the effects of temperature variability on grain yield of two cultivars of wheat (cv PBW 621 and HD 3086) sown under different dates (early, mid and late) using two dynamic crop simulation models (CERES-Wheat and INFOCROP model) for two locations (Amritsar and Ludhiana). The temperature was increased and decreased by 1.0 to 2.0oC for Amritsar and 1.0 to 3.0oC for Ludhiana from normal during three growing periods, i.e., the whole season, vegetative phase, and reproductive phase. In Amritsar the CERES-Wheat and INFOCROP model predicted that with the increase in temperature by 1.0 to 2.0oC from normal during the vegetative phase, the grain yield may decrease by 0.36-15.23 % and 3.61-19.54 % respectively, during the reproductive phase the grain yield may decrease by 0.67–8.64 % and 3.18-26.76 % respectively and during the whole season the grain yield may decrease by 1.52-27.10 % and 1.91-24.10 % respectively.&nbsp; Among the two cultivars of wheat, cv HD 3086 at both locations performed better under thermal stress environments as compared to cvPBW 621. However, the InfoCrop model predicted that cv PBW 621 performed well in comparison to cv HD 3086 at Ludhiana conditions with an increase in temperature up to 3°C. The simulation results showed that mid November sowing of wheat was better able to counteract the negative impacts of an increase in temperature on wheat as compared to early (October) or late (December) sowing dates

Paraoxonase 1 gene polymorphisms (Q192R and L55M) are associated with coronary artery disease susceptibility in Asian Indians

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a complex metabolic disorder in which lifestyle and genetic factors are known to play key roles in pathogenesis. The paraoxonase 1 (PON1) enzyme has a defensive effect against CAD progression, as it safeguards low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) from oxidative modifications. The most extensively studied genetic variants in the PON1 gene are Q192R and L55M, which have been related with LDL antioxidative activity and risk of CAD. Objective: The present case-control study intended to examine the Q192R and L55M polymorphisms and their association with the risk of CAD patients in north Indians. Methods: A total of 872 subjects (412 CAD patients and 460 controls) were recruited from north India. The PON1 gene was amplified and genotypes were studies using PCR-RFLP. χ2 analysis was performed to compare genotype/allele frequencies in patients and controls. Results: The present study indicated abdominal obesity, elevated body mass index, and dyslipidemia with increased levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides as well as reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in CAD subjects compared to healthy controls (p < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis of the data revealed an association of the RR genotype of the Q192R polymorphism with an about 2-fold elevated risk of CAD (OR = 2.23, 95% CI = 1.47–3.37, p = 0.0001). Contrariwise, the L55M polymorphism did not show significant association with CAD (OR = 1.81, 95% CI = 0.66–4.95, p = 0.326). Conclusions: The Q192R polymorphism in the PON1 gene may be a susceptibility gene associated with increased risk of CAD in an Asian Indian population

ENPP1 K121Q functional variant enhances susceptibility to insulin resistance and dyslipidemia with metabolic syndrome in Asian Indians

Background: Ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase1 (ENPP1/PC-1) is a key modulator of the insulin signaling pathway, and its common variant, K121Q, increases the susceptibility to diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Objectives: The main objective of the present study was to investigate the association of ENPP1 K121Q polymorphism with the pathophysiology of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in a north Indian population. Methods: A total of 567 participants (303 MetS subjects and 264 healthy controls) were examined for ENPP1 genotypes and various clinical parameters, including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), systolic and diastolic blood pressures (SBP/DBP), fasting blood glucose (FBG), cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), highdensity lipoprotein, and insulin. Genotyping was performed using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Statistical analysis of the data was done using SPSS. Results: Significant increases in BMI, WC, SBP, DBP, FBG, TG, low-density lipoprotein, insulin, and Homeostasis Model Assessment of insulin resistance (HOMAIR) and of beta-cell function (HOMA-BF) were observed in MetS patients compared to healthy controls. Logistic regression analysis of data demonstrated a nonsignificant association of QQ and KQ+QQ genotypes with increased risk of MetS (OR [95% CI], 1.583 [0.455–5.507], p = 0.470 for QQ genotypes and 1.097 [0.784–1.540], p = 0.587 for KQ+QQ genotypes). Moreover, MetS subjects carrying Q alleles had significantly higher levels of TG, insulin, body fat percentage, and insulin resistance as evident by higher values of HOMAIR. Conclusions: We conclude that ENPP1 K121Q functional variant enhances susceptibility to insulin resistance and dyslipidemia in MetS subjects of an Asian Indian population

Metabolic syndrome and risk of major coronary events among the urban diabetic patients: North Indian Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease Study-NIDCVD-2

Objective: The present study aimed at estimating the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and prospectively, evaluating cardiovascular events among Asian Indians type 2 diabetic subjects. Methods: The sample comprised 1522 type 2 diabetic mellitus (T2DM) subjects aged 25-91. years, who participated in the North Indian Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease Study (NIDCVD). The participants were screened for hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity and cardiovascular events. Anthropometric, clinical and biochemical measurements were done in all subjects. The prevalence of MetS was estimated in all the subjects according to the harmonized criteria of 2009. Results: The prevalence of MetS among urban Indian diabetic subjects was 71.9% and was significantly higher in females (86%) as compared to males (57.9%). To determine the independent predictors of the MetS in diabetic sample, binary logistic regression analyses were performed using demographic and biochemical parameters. Significant differences in the indices of generalized and abdominal obesity and lipids (total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein) were observed (p <. 0.01) in male:female and MetS and non-MetS comparisons. Regression analysis for prediction of CAD showed that family history, age, body mass index (BMI), SBP, physical inactivity and hypertension independently and significantly predicted the disease outcome. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that MetS may be an independent risk/predictor of CAD (odd ratio (OR) = 3.44, CI 1.31-9.01, p = 0.012) along with higher age groups, BMI and hypertension in Indian population. Conclusion: The study demonstrated that the high prevalence of MetS and its different components were positively associated with a higher risk of CAD in north Indian diabetic subjects. Nevertheless, MetS is a major health problem in India, comprehensive population studies are warranted for estimation of incidence and prevalence, and education should be provided on its prevention and control to reduce the diabetes-related morbidity and mortality

Risk of depression in subjects with type 2 diabetes Is modulated by a genetic variant within DRD4 gene: North Indian diabetes-depression link exploration study (NIDDLES)

The role and relevance of DRD4 gene SNPs for the risk of depression in type 2 diabetes remains to be clarified. To investigate its association, present cross sectional study was conducted on 399 type 2 diabetics who were diagnosed for depression using primary health care questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) > 10 criteria. 191 subjects were depressed whereas, 208 subjects were found to be clinically non-depressed. Minor allele frequencies of two DRD4 SNPs rs1800955 and rs747302 were 0.45, 0.42 and 0.42, 0.34 in depressed and non depressed subjects respectively. C allele of rs747302 showed risk of depression (OR 1.41 95% CI 1.05- 1.87, P= 0.024) in comparison to G allele. It has been observed that carriers of CC genotype had approximately double the risk of depression (OR 1.96 95% CI 1.08- 3.56, P= 0.03) than GG carriers and this risk manifests in recessive mode