International Journal of Social Sciences and Management

433-437

Authors: Akash Pandey, Ashmita Lama, Aassmi Poudyal

The unprecedented situation brought about by the COVID-19 lockdown has affected the lives of children across the world. Although the information on COVID-19 impact on children is less heard and often ignored, its consequences will mark a ripple effect in the well-being of children, especially from disadvantaged backgrounds. This paper-based on secondary data explores the impacts induced by the COVID-19 lockdown on the lives of disadvantaged children in Nepal. The study has particularly discussed the problems faced by children from remote communities, children with disabilities, and children living in the streets. This study has firstly analyzed their existing situation through an extensive literature review followed by a detailed review of the impact and aftermath of the earlier crisis in those underprivileged lives and an outline of how the current pandemic can also trigger such repercussions in the coming periods. Findings show the different factors associated with intensifying the current problems experienced by the target groups. The study concludes with a recommendation to undertake primary research to highlight the problems from a much broader way so that the results can be implicated in a more scientific manner to grab the attention of policymakers and other relevant stakeholders to address the issue.

445-456

Authors: Gashaw Ayanaw

Women constitute almost half of the world’s population though they have been excluded from decision making. Studies conducted on women and seed overlooked specific gender roles and decision making of women in seed selection and production in informal seed system in food insecure areas. This study attempted to address women’s participation, women’s dual roles, and constraints for their fair participation. The study employed mixed research approach. It also used primary and secondary sources of data-collected through questionnaire, FGDs, interviews, direct observation and document review. Probability and non-probability sampling techniques were employed to select study participants. Finally, the data were analyzed via quantitative and qualitative methods of data analysis. The study found out that women’s participation in seed selection is with low extent and limited in decision making unlike their role in providing labor. It shows that majority of women in male headed households are part of seed production processes regardless of their health problems, level of education, and burdens in the domestic tasks. The study also indicated that lack of infrastructures, cultural barriers, and inaccessibility of market are major constraints for fair participation of women in seed selection and production. The local government shall work on awareness on gender equality, provision of technologies and production inputs, and construction of roads to local markets were possible solutions forwarded to improve women’s saying and burden in seed selection and production.

396-400

Authors: Dipika Parajulee, Apekshya Kandel, Sangam Panta, Kedar Devkota

Sweet orange is one of the major fruit grown in mid-hills of Nepal. It ranks 2nd among the citrus fruits in terms of area and production after mandarin. The study depicts the socio economic aspect of sweet orange production in Sindhuli district.Data were collected from 60 randomly selected sweet orange growers from Tinkanya and Baseswor of Golanjor rural municipality using semi-structured interview schedule. Two FGD's was done in those places for the triangulation of household survey.Analysis was done using SPSS and excel. Socio demographic studies revealed that majorly (93.3%), of growers were engaged in sweet orange farming. Most of the growers (98.3%) had agriculture as their major occupation. The average land holdings of the farmers was 0.53 ha in which 0.37 ha of land was occupied for sweet orange cultivation. The average sweet orange production of total sixty households was calculated to be 1981.83 kg/ha. The total cost of Rs. 25797.36/ha was estimated and the gross return from the production was Rs.72634/ha; the benefit cost ratio was found to be 2.81 which supports that sweet orange production is being a profitable farming business. Furthermore, insects attack followed by irrigation problems and difficulty in transportation followed by lack of market price information were the major problems found in the production and marketing of sweet orange respectively. There is a high potentiality of increasing the fruit productivity if the constraints against the sweet orange cultivation are addressed properly and adequately.

408-415

Authors: Yajur Karki

Nepal has a perennial history with the culture of alcohol and it is mostly seen as a form of social capital. Alcohol usage has been inextricable with local cultures, i.e., festivals. The current study aims to investigate aspects of alcohol advertising in newspapers using content analysis. The study focuses on unraveling the ideologies of liquor advertisers in boosting alcohol promotion mostly among the youth. Ostensibly, the boosterism of alcohol advertisements has been concomitant in an attempt to establish it as a mass culture. Consumerism remains the central theme of global contemporary societies and the fundamentals of capitalism are characterized by oligopolistic standards. Facets of such attempt to create a culture revolving around alcohol by injecting messages through advertisements to specific age groups. Forty random private newspapers and twenty state newspapers are taken into consideration and simplified into a coding form to test the two hypotheses. Variables such as themes of advertisement, age, published days, messages espoused, alcohol types, and types of advertisements have been independently tested for correlation. The research has highlighted that advertisers tend to promote alcohol as a form of reinforcing different cultures with the sales of alcohol. Also, there have been frequent reported attempts to magnify use of alcohol during weekends for tranquility from rigid bureaucratic norms. Waves of global cultures have also been associated with alcohol promotion as means of celebration

426-43

Authors: Srijana Gautam, Nisha Shrestha

Although in recent decades depression and diabetes patients are increasing the numbers and proportions worldwide. Eighty percent of individuals with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) dwell in low- and middle-income countries. The real crisis of depression and diabetes, where it exists, is the personal crisis of day-by day. The objectives of this study is to determine the prevalence and associates factors of depression among diabetic patients in selected hospital in Nepal. A cross sectional study was conducted at tertiary center of Pokhara, Kaski .Study participants identified with type 2 diabetes mellitus (n=330) .Blood pressure, anthropometrics (height, weight and hip circumference) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were collected, a semi-structured interview was utilized to obtain information on socio-demographic and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was used as a tool to assess depressive symptoms among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus .Logistic regression was used to investigate the associate factors of depression with diabetes patients. Majority (68.2%) of the respondents had no depression with diabetes, 16.7% of respondents having moderate, 12.4% having mild and few (2.7%) had severe depression with diabetes. Depression was significantly associated with Marital status (p=0.014), Educational status (0.016), Occupational status (p=0.003) and Drinking alcohol(p=0.020). The prevalence of depression with Diabetes in this study was 31.8%.

341-34

Authors: Kunle Awotokun

The paper examines the contentious issues bewildering local government as a level of governance in Nigeria’s federal system of government against the backdrop of classical theory and practice of federalism. The article relies heavily on secondary data to run its analysis. Such data includes textbooks, journals, newspapers, magazines, periodicals, the Nigerian 1979 and 1999 constitutions, etc. The findings are that there are lots of contradictions (inconsistencies) in the running of the Nigerian federal system of government. The federal government is fond of always arm-twisting state governments especially in the area of creating new local governments which has, no doubt, led to frustration, reactions and counter-reactions between the two tiers of government. The work concludes on the note that there is the need to have a holistic review of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, with the view to returning the country to a true federal system akin to the Nigerian constitutions of 1960 and 1963 with modifications to reflect contemporary issues. This is the path of wisdom to stem the tide of separatist agitations in Nigeria and perhaps in plural African countries.

352-358

Authors: Lusika Datta, Usashi Kundu (De)

Privatization is considered a process which is defined as the transfer of shares or assets, management, responsibilities from the public to private sector. Today it becomes a major issue in Education system. The present paper traces supportive decisions taken by India Government favouring privatization of Education. It also seeks to analyse the present condition of higher education with special reference to privatization of education in India. The paper follows analytical description as methodology through secondary data. It points out the emergence of private sector in higher education. Positive and negative impact of privatization on education & society are also identified.

362-371

Authors: Sushma Sharma, Soniya Acharya, Samikshya Regmi, Avishek Poudel, Gokarna Adhikari

The study was conducted in Nov 2019 – Feb 2020 with the objective of assessing the whole value chain of sericulture products in the Western inner terai region of Nepal. The beginning of sericulture in the region was due to some personal interest but gained popularity and huge return and turned out to achieve the objectives of food security and source of employment. As per the finding and research, Bi-voltine Silkworm (Bombyx mori) was mainly reared which feeds upon the leaves of the mulberry plant. The interview result indicates that producers produce cocoon at an average of 30.05 kg per ropani in one production round and production was made twice a year. In this region, three marketing channels were identified (producer to the primary collector/small hand processor) and (producer to primary processor or reelers) and the producer himself as the processor and distributor. Producers sold the cocoon to primary collectors at NRs 500per kg cocoon which was 15% more than percent sales while selling to the government, fetching an average BC ratio of 1.3. Problems recorded as per farmers were lack of appropriate technology to widen the scope of sericulture and modern silkworm rearing techniques, lack of proper irrigation facilities, and governmental aids and support. This research will address various problems and make an emphasis to make regional sericulture production mature and profitable.

380-390

Authors: Baburam Bhul

This research article aims to carry out the perceptional effects of reservation policy for the inclusive civil service of Nepal with the theoretical foundation of equitable and a just society. This article adopted mixed method approach. Similarly, in order to show the linkage between primary and secondary data, content analysis was conducted from the observational notes, field notes, and responses collected by closed ended questionnaire for 130 respondents in questionnaire survey and interviews. The bivariate analysis between dependent variable and independent variable shows the effects of gender, age and education matters in inclusiveness of civil service i.e. there is high relationship between these variables. Organizational effects of reservation system have been highly significant relationship between the representativeness and participation in civil service of Nepal. This newly introduced system has been able to give some positive impacts in terms of increasing representation of some marginalized communities but has created some controversies and confusions as well. Whereas Nepalese reservation system has not still given comprehensive attention to all the dimensions of exclusion but its effects on generating attraction of some targeted marginalized people towards national bureaucratic system is literally praiseworthy

266-271

Authors: Sabin Karki

A livelihood comprises the capabilities, assets and activities required for a means of living. A livelihood is sustainable when it can cope with and recover from stresses and shocks and maintain or enhance its capabilities and assets both now and in the future, while not undermining the natural resource base. And The Framework used can be understood as a tool or checklist to understand poverty in responding to poor people’s views and their own understanding of poverty. In this context, a research was designed to study the sustainable livelihood framework: monitoring and evaluation. Different related of published and unpublished materials like books, research articles and other materials like package manuals were reviewed and the paper was prepared. The paper showed that, livelihood approaches are conceptual frameworks that promote people centered development. They are responsive and participatory, and they favor multidisciplinary and multilevel development interactions. Monitoring and evaluation must look beyond activity-based indicators of progress and resource-based definitions of change to measure achievements from the perspective of partners and beneficiaries. Livelihoods analysis helps us to address these assumptions as part of the project design. Assumptions can be ‘internalized’ either by including complementary activities (to cover ‘horizontal’ assumptions) or by linking projects up-stream and down-stream to ensure an appropriate enabling environment.

279-284

Authors: Muna Bhattarai, Rajmi Gurung, Sunita Gurung, Sharmila Poudel, Janaki Mahato, Kalpana Katel, Harikala Soti, Sabita Koirala, Laxmi Paudyal

Newborn care is an essential component of the health care delivery system to maintain the optimal health of the newborn and reduce mortality and morbidity in newborn. Neonatal care refers to the services which are provided by the mother to their neonates such as maintaining thermoregulation, breastfeeding, hygiene, immunization, and care of umbilical cord. The objective of the study was to assess the knowledge and practice of neonatal care among postnatal mothers. A descriptive cross-sectional study design was adopted and 150 postnatal mothers were selected using a non-probability, convenient sampling technique. Data were collected by using semi-structured interviews with a Likert scale and analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study result revealed that 60.7 percent of the postnatal mother was aged between more than 25 years. The majority of the postnatal mother (60.7%) of had good knowledge and majority of the respondent (80.7%) of had adequate practice regarding neonatal care. Among multigravida mothers, the majority (61.9%) had good knowledge of neonatal care. Where among primigravida mothers, majority (54.2%) had good knowledge. Among multigravida mothers, the majority (78.6%) had adequate practices on neonatal care.Wheres among primigravida mothers; majority (91.7%) had adequate practices. There is a significant association between the level of knowledge and age (P=0.020), occupational status (P= 0.027), and type of family (p= 0.004). It is concluded that multigravida mothers had good knowledge and adequate practices compared to primigravida mothers. Hence, there is a need for awareness programs by government and non-government organizations, especially among first-time pregnant mothers.

292-298

Authors: Bala Sharma, Bishnu Raj Ojha, Ankit Ojha, Bina Sapkota, Gaurav Adhikari, Samikshya Gautam

This study was conducted to determine the cost contribution of pesticide to total cost of vegetable production along with criteria for the choice of pesticides, its handling and application pattern. It also includes the amount of pesticides imported in 2020 in Palpa district. Fifty farmers and 15 agro-vets were selected for a pretested questionnaire schedule. Microsoft-Excel and Statistical Package for Social Sciences were used to analyze the data. Mean and standard deviation was used to categorize the age of respondents. Contribution of pesticides was 3% to the total cost of vegetable production. Farmers were rarely aware of safe application procedures, 64% used different pesticides based on their efficacy alone and 54% didn’t adopt any safe disposal mechanism. Among different chemical classes of pesticide used for vegetable production, organophosphates constitute the highest i.e. 80%. Highest annual consumption of organophosphate pesticide was malathion dust (2287 kg) and carbamate was mancozeb (196 kg).

306-311

Authors: Hilalulla K.B., Arul Actovin C., Prasath Selvaraj

The research focused on students who are pursuing their final year in three different professional courses- Master of Social Work, Bachelor of Education, and Bachelor of Nursing at three different educational institutions in Puducherry. This study adopted a descriptive research design and used interaction with a disable person (IDP) scale to understand the attitude of student professionals toward persons with disabilities and also to find what influences the attitude of future professionals. The primary aim is to learn more about the way students of three different professions generally view persons with disabilities and feel about interacting with this population. The interaction and attitude will create an impact on their practice of the profession in the future. The findings indicate that the students of three different professions were having a negative attitude towards PWDs but no significant difference was found in gender, locality, and course of study. Results also enlighten the educators, health professionals and non-governmental organizations to plan programs that shall create changes in the attitude of students towards PWDs. This research concludes with reflections on the need to revive the social interaction of student professionals with persons with disabilities.

320-332

Authors: Christina Shandra Tobondo, Djayani Nurdin, Eko Jokolelono

This study aims to analyze the direct and indirect effects of foreign investment (PMA), domestic investment (PMDN), and government investment on poverty levels through economic growth in Central Sulawesi Province. Research explanations (explanatory research) will prove a causal relationship between the independent variable (independent variable) foreign direct investment (FDI), investment in the country (domestic), and government investment, with poverty as the dependent variable (dependent variable) with a variable economic growth as a variable intervening. The type of data used in this study is panel data (pooled data). The sampling method used purposive sampling technique. Using SEM (Structural Equation Modeling) analysis tools with the PLS (Partial Least Square) approach. The results of the first hypothesis show that there is a direct influence between foreign investment (PMA) and government investment on poverty levels in Central Sulawesi, but there is no direct influence between domestic investment (PMDN) on poverty levels in Central Sulawesi. The second hypothesis testing shows that there is an indirect effect between foreign investment, domestic investment, and government investment on poverty levels through economic growth in Central Sulawesi. Efforts to increase economic growth and reduce poverty in Central Sulawesi can be carried out through the creation of a conducive social, political, legal, and bureaucratic system, the realization of investment that is directly correlated with economic programs to alleviate poverty, and maximize the use of Corporate Social Responsibility funds. (CSR) by local governments through the body of the APBD.