Garvit Sharma, Bhawna Bali, Ranjana Ray Chaudhuri: Women’s Representation and Inclusive Rural Governance: Evidence from Alwar District of Rajasthan, India
Rural governance institutions in India have long been characterized by gender inequalities, which have limited their access to power and decision-making despite the electoral reservation. The study explores the impact of gendered representation on development priorities and governance processes in the rural areas. It draws evidence from a female-led and a male-led Scheduled Tribe reserved Gram Panchayats (GPs) of Thanagazi Tehsil in Alwar district of Rajasthan. The study has employed a concurrent triangulation approach integrating analysis of Gram Panchayat Development Plans, expenditure records, primary surveys, and interviews. Findings reveal that although both the panchayats have similar planning priorities, yet the female-led panchayat has shown a stronger implementation of these priorities. The female-led panchayat has also performed better in other governance aspects, including perceived accessibility, community participation, and responsiveness. However, structural constraints like low literacy levels, proxy representation, and political linkages also shape governance outcomes.
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Tushar Sarkar: Gender Disparities in Literacy and Educational Attainment among Turi Caste of Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal, India
This study explores gender gaps in literacy rate, educational attainment and school participation among Turi caste in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal. The study is based on primary data collected through a household survey of 109 Turi households. The study highlights the caste disadvantage and gender inequality that shape unequal educational attainment among Turi girls. The results have revealed a pronounced gender disparity in literacy rates and educational attainment particularly at a higher level of education. The Net Enrolment Ratio (NER) at the elementary level of education remains considerably low, averaging at 68.60 per cent, with the widest gaps in Nagrakata and Matiali blocks. The study reveals that financial constraints, uneven household duties, indifferent attitude of the parents towards girls’ education are largely restricting girls’ opportunities for education. The study concludes that caste and gender disadvantages reinforce each other to check the attainment of education among Turi caste of Jalpaiguri district. Thus, there is a need for financial support, community-level awareness efforts and gender-sensitive measures that address the specific educational barriers faced by Turi girls.
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Puran Chand, B.R. Thakur: Impact of Assets Created Under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee Act on Transformation of Agriculture and Its Sustainability in Trans-Gri Region of Himachal Pradesh
This study examines the impacts of assets created under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) on promotion and sustainability of agriculture. It includes assets such as irrigation tanks, kuhls, land development, cattle sheds and vermicomposting pits created under MGNREGA. The study is based on primary data collected through field visits to 431 randomly selected households from 15 panchayats which have been benefited from 311 MGNREGA assets. The study has adopted before-and-after approach to understand the impact of assets on agricultural outputs, including benefit-cost ratio, increase in area and production of crops in rainfed areas. The findings reveal that the creation of irrigation and land development assets have helped to increase area under agriculture and crops production. Similarly, cattle shed asset has ensured animal protection, and creation of vermicomposting pits which have enabled the production of organic fertiliser. However, the sustainability of asset remains a concern, as 34 per cent of the total sampled non-functional assets could provide service only for less than three years.
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Rahul, Sourav Mondal: Levels, Differentials and Correlates of Nutritional Status of Children Under-Five Years in Haryana
This study investigates the nutritional status of children under the age of five years in the state of Haryana. Based on data obtained from the National Family and Health Survey (NFHS), the nutritional status among children in terms of three anthropometric measures: stunting, wasting, and underweight has been investigated. The study is based on simple statistical tools, including rates, proportions, and bivariate analyses. It has been found that, despite having a sound economic and health infrastructure, the nutritional status of children in the state of Haryana still remains a significant concern. The prevalence of stunting and underweight among children is 27.46 per cent and 21.39 per cent, respectively. It varies considerably across districts, between rural and urban areas and across socio-demographic backgrounds of the children. These results are significantly associated with children’s age, maternal body mass index (BMI), maternal education, household wealth status, and dietary practices. Spatially, the districts of Mewat, located in the southern part of Haryana has higher levels of undernutrition among children.
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Subodh Yadav, Sachinder Singh:: Electoral Performance of Indian National Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party in Rohtak Parliamentary Election 2019
The present study analyses the electoral performances of the two major political parties, the Indian National Congress (INC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Parliamentary election of Haryana in 2019. The Rohtak Parliamentary seat has been considered as one of the most important seats in the state, from where the INC has achieved the highest number of victories. In the 2019 Parliamentary election as well, this seat has been considered as the safest seat for the INC; however, the seat has been won by the BJP. The results show that out of the nine assembly segments of Rohtak parliamentary constituency, the INC has been victorious in five assembly segments, while the BJP could retain the remaining four assembly segments. Even in these four assembly segments, the BJP could win three segments with very thin majority. It has been only the Kosli assembly segment from where BJP got substantial lead by securing 70.78 per cent of votes by consolidating the non-Jat votes. Thus, it has been basically the poor performance of the INC in the Kosli assembly segment that has led to its defeat and victory of the BJP in the Rohtak Parliamentary election in, 2019.
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Map Series-XIX: M. S. Jaglan, Narinder Kumar: Punjab-Haryana Region: Cropping Pattern
The Punjab-Haryana region constitutes one of the most intensively cultivated and agriculturally productive parts of the north-western Indo-Gangetic Plain. The region is characterized by a very high proportion of cultivated land, intensive irrigation and a high degree of multiple cropping. The dominant cropping pattern is essentially wheat-rice cultivation, particularly in the alluvial plains of Punjab and northern and central parts of Haryana. Wheat occupies the principal position during the Rabi season, while rice is the dominant Kharif crop in the better-irrigated eastern and central parts. The expansion of assured irrigation, high-yielding varieties of seed, chemical fertilizers, mechanization and, particularly, assured procurement at remunerative prices has resulted in a remarkable degree of specialization in these two crops.
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Doctoral Abstract: Joyti: Hydrological Characteristics, Pattern and Processes of Sediment Flux in Narmada River basin
During the past few decades, major river basins across the world have encountered a significant alteration in their streamflow and capacity of sediment transportation owing to climatic and human induced interventions. Human interventions coupled with climate change have not only interrupted the amount of atmospheric water vapour but have also disrupted the surface characteristics of the river basins. A little change in the amount, intensity and frequency of rainfall has the potential to alter the streamflow and erosion processes of a river that further determine the capacity of sediment conveyance to the oceans. Since the major source of water flow in Peninsular Rivers in India is summer monsoons, the unpredictable behaviour of monsoon under changing climate and increasing anthropogenic activities have caused a significant transformation in their natural flow.
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Book Review: Sachidanand Sinha: Recent Perspectives on Agriculture, Populations and Environment
Recent Perspectives on Agriculture, Population and Environment, edited by Krishna Mohan, Navneet Kaur and Sucha Singh, is a festschrift in honour of Prof. Dhian Kaur. It is organised around three interlinked geographical themes: agriculture, population and environment. The central strength of the book lies in treating these not as separate domains but as mutually connected processes that has shaped the north-west India, especially the states of Punjab and Haryana. The title of this volume therefore is significant as it signals a movement from traditional sectoral geography to an integrated regional geography of agrarian change, demographic mobility and ecological stress.
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Book Review: Omvir Singh: Himalaya: Mountains of Destiny
The Indian Himalayan region and its communities are facing several emerging challenges, including climate change, globalization, migration, conflicts, and environmental degradation. Although the Himalayas have great ecological, economic, and social importance, yet the knowledge about their ecosystems, natural resources, and communities remains relatively limited, particularly in the context with rapid changes taking place across the region.
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Book Review: S. P. Kaushik: Geography of Haryana
The book on ‘Geography of Haryana’ written by Manju Sharma and Sandeep Kumar is a comprehensive and systematically organized script related to geographical personality of Haryana published by Rajesh Publications, New Delhi. The book has been prepared particularly in accordance with the undergraduate and postgraduate syllabi introduced under NEP-2020.
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In Memoriam: Dr. Vijay Kumar Sharma
With profound sorrow and with a very heavy heart I have to share that Prof. Vijay Kumar Sharma, my respected teacher, a distinguished geomorphologist, researcher and prolific author, passed away on March 11, 2026 at Kurukshetra. His departure has made the end of a long and intellectually productive academic career devoted to the study and teaching of Geography. His association with the Department of Geography, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, extended over three and a half decades, during which he made significant contributions to geomorphology, hydrology, agricultural geography, environmental studies, water-resource assessment, remote sensing and land-resource planning.
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