Bollywood as a Site of Resistance: Women and Agency in Indian Popular Culture

This article evaluates the contemporary Indian redefinition of gender norms, subjectivity, and practices by analyzing Bollywood films as a major influence upon its global audiences. This study explores how Indian cinema redefines women’s status and promotes gender-neutral entertainment by harnessing the powerful energies of current movements such as #MeToo. The article closely examines the textual and conceptual features of current women-focused movies like Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga (2019), Thappad (2020), and Paglait (2021). This examination focuses on key insights from popular Bollywood actresses’ critical feminist roles to understand their assertions of women’s power, agency, and equality. Additionally, this research explores the evolving trope of the male liberator, who dominated past Bollywood and the popular culture imagination but is now being revised in a way that deconstructs patriarchal norms. This paper first explores traditional portrayals of women in Bollywood and then critiques these films to look at how resistance is portrayed in contemporary cinema. This paper examines current paradigm shifts through the analysis of characters that challenge conventional depictions and resist the prevailing gender stereotypes in their quest for empowerment

Mobile lifeworlds: an ethnography of tourism and pilgrimage in the Himalayas. By Christopher A. Howard

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Informal labour and livelihood diversification: dignity and agency among the Gonds in central India

In India, the efforts by the welfare state to aid the poor and improve their lives focus on formal, quantifiable, and bureaucratic policies in the form of housing, education, and employment. Yet, little is known about the less formal and experiential aspects of their lives and livelihoods. The Gonds, living in a Central Indian district of Panna in the state of Madhya Pradesh, are one group that has rarely partaken of the above welfare state policies designed to aid them, yet are surviving in the face of continuous threats to their traditional ways of forest-based livelihoods. The Gonds are an indigenous group of people, also known as adivasis, that are categorized as a scheduled tribes (STs). They lack basic literacy and possess no material assets like land. How then are Gonds creating their own forms of social welfare and economic security? Having worked on the Gonds’ lives in their labouring roles as majdoors (labourers), and having understood how they experienced hardships has lead me to reflect on how they aspire to live dignified lives and exercise agency within the informal economy. A life-course perspective of Gonds' livelihood practices show that the informal economy works for Gonds because they exercise their agency in various ways, including by demanding desired wages and forms of work that are unavailable through formal welfare state schemes. The Gonds in fact experience dignity as they use the informal economy to stay debt-free, avoid starvation, and create formidable and reliable forms of care for their families. Thus, the thesis contributes to the literature on informal and precarious forms of work in India by showing, through the example of the Gonds, how even though the poor may feel vulnerable and disconnected from formal welfare schemes, they may still experience dignity through livelihood diversification and their exercise of agency and access to social capital. The thesis also presents empirical findings on labour contracts, the informal economy, and poverty

Psycho sexual profile of perimenopausal and post-menopausal women visiting a tertiary care centre

Background: The objective was to study the psychosexual profile of perimenopausal and postmenopausal females visiting a tertiary care centre.Methods: The present study was carried out in the Obstetrics and Gynecological Department of Subharti Medical College and Hospital from July 2013 to June 2015.A questionnaire was made including the questions regarding the various symptoms and problems encountered by both peri and postmenopausal females. A detailed interaction in the form of history and examination was done on a total of 220 patients which included both type of females. They were then given a questionnaire which they filled it by themselves or with assistance from our side. The females in both the groups were then analysed on the presence or absence of a particular symptom and whether the difference was statistically significant or not and the data was analysed using Chi square test.Results: The study showed varied symptoms in both the type of females be it Perimenopausal or post-menopausal. The vasomotor and the psychological symptoms were more common in the perimenopausal females whereas the physical and sexual symptoms were more common in post-menopausal females. Variations from this pattern were also found. The mean age of menopause was found to be 48.3 years with only 1.81% females above 70 years.Conclusions: The perimenopausal and postmenopausal females do undergo many physiological as well as psychological changes that surely affects their social, personal as well as sexual life. Thus they require a lot of care and support and adequate evaluation so that they can be treated well.

Correlation between glycemic control and dyslipidemia in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus patient

Background: India is one of the countries with highest number of diabetes patients. Patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus are usually dyslipidemic. The objective of the research was to study the pattern of dyslipidemia and to study the correlation of glycemic control with dyslipidemia in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.Methods: A cross sectional observational study was performed on patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus over 6 months period. The study included 200 patients and the variables recorded were demographic profile, FBS, PPBS, HbA1C and lipid profile parameters. The patients were divided into 3 groups according to HbA1C level i.e. Group I (Good glycemic control HbA1C 6-7 gm%), group II (Fair glycemic control HbA1C 7.1-8.2 gm%) and group III (poor glycemic control, HbA1C >8.2 gm%).Results: The data showed that TG level was maximum in group III and was minimum in group I. Comparison between the group shows a significant difference between all the groups (P <0.001). A significant positive correlation (Correlation coefficient 0.67, P <0.001) was also observed between level of TG and HbA1C. Similarly, LDL level was also highest in group III with a significant difference with other two groups (P <0.05). Also, a positive correlation (Correlation coefficient 0.64, P <0.05) was observed between LDL and HbA1C. On the other hand, HDL was lowest in group III as compared to groups I and II (P <0.001) and a negative correlation (Correlation coefficient -0.716, P <0.001) was seen between HDL and HbA1C.Conclusions: Dyslipidemia is less prevalent in diabetics who have better glycemic control

Lectotypification of names in the genus Eragrostis Wolf (Poaceae)

In the present work 3 names within the genus Eragrostis viz, Eragrostis coarctata, E. plana and E. superba have been typified. Lectotypification has been performed for E. coarctata and Second-step lectotypification has been done for the names E. plana and E. superba. For lectotypification, rules and recommendations proposed by the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants (ICN), have been strictly followed. The selection of lectotypes are explained and the images of selected lectotypes are provided

Typification and taxonomic notes on species of Muhlenbergia Schreb. (Poaceae, Muhlenbergiinae) in India

The present paper deals with typification for two names in the genus Muhlenbergia i.e. M. duthieana and M. himalayensis. Furthermore, taxonomy of all Indian species for the same has been provided along with taxonomic key for correct identification

Serum zinc and copper levels: a marker of disease activity in senile cataract patients

Background: The present study was aimed to study alterations in levels of zinc and copper in senile cataract patients.Methods: 25 senile cataract patients in age group of 50 to 80 years and 25 control group were included in the study. Serum zinc and copper levels were determined by colorimetric method.Results: Significantly increased levels of serum zinc in cataract patients (199.8±24.32 µg/dl) were found as compared to controls (85.80±3.6 µg/dl) (p<0.0001). Serum copper concentration in cataract patients (249.5±34.59 µg/dl) were significantly (<0.0001) increased when compared to controls (125.7±4.66 µg/dl).Conclusions: Copper and zinc are involved in the pathogenesis of cataracts by different mechanisms such as damaging lipid membranes and lens capsule, crosslinking and in solubilization of lens proteins, leakage of beta and gamma crystalline into the aqueous humour through the production of hydroxyl radicals and peroxyl radicals. So, abnormal elevation of serum copper and zinc can be used as a marker in the opacification of the lens cortex in age-related human cataract