Fungal Attack on Library Books: Biodeterioration, Detection, and Preventive Conservation

Arobindra Borah1 & Gitashree Saikia2

Fungal biodeterioration is among the most persistent risks to paper-based heritage in libraries. Cellulose-degrading and xerophilic molds—including species of Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium, Rhizopus, Mucor, Chaetomium, and Trichoderma—discolor, stain, weaken, and ultimately fragment paper and bindings. This review summarizes (i) the main fungal taxa implicated in library settings, (ii) environmental drivers and their control, (iii) current detection and risk-assessment methods (culture-dependent, ATP bioluminescence, and molecular surveys), and (iv) evidence-based preventive strategies aligned with ISO 11799:2024 storage requirements. We highlight the growing role of rapid and nondestructive diagnostics and holistic indoor air monitoring for early warning and risk management.  

Bratyajoner Kathashilpi Harishankar Jaladasher Jibon O Sahityer Nanadik

Dr. Sushanta Ghosh

Haishankar Jaladash one of the eminent author in the modern Bangladeshi Bengali literature .Also he was the founder of sea-centric modern Bengali literature. After Manik Bondyopadhyay he is a successor of boatman’s life history writer.He was born in a very poor and subaltern Jaladas community. By profession he was a boatman and fisherman at the earlier life but at later period he taken education from village school and admitted to college and Chattogram University and done his education upto doctorate degree. Thereafter he joined in Government service as an Assistant professor in Chitgoan Government College and take position up to Principal post. He composed many novels and short stories, where he drawing his own subaltern community, its status and position in modern concepts. He won several prizes from several authorities for his literary work. In this article we analysis his life and work in short form.  

Scientific description of Taintedconditions of coral reefs in gulf of Kachchh

Archana Barman, Pampa Roi, Aparna Debnath

Coral reefs of the Gulf of Kachchh are in a highly degraded condition, when compared with other threemajor coral reef regions of India. In correlation with geographical and oceanographical changes, its arid climate and the semi-diurnal tidal amplitudes fluctuations hamper the recovery of the reef. Soft corals may play the alternative key role in maintaining the ecological role in the degraded reef ecosystem in the absence of hard corals. Re-colonization of soft corals on the degraded reefs is among the first steps to make them to recover gradually. Present Line Intercept Transect survey (LIT) conducted in a reef of the Gulf inferred the possibility to recovery of the reefs due to the colonization of soft corals on the bare coral boulders.  

Socio -Economic conditions and related government work for backward people in India

Dr.Rangina Basumata

Every country possesses natural and human resources in varying proportions. Economic development refers to process of utilizing these resources for achieving higher standards of living for the people of the country. It is natural for each generation of people to aspite for a higher standard of living than what their parents were capable of, and to hope for even better standards for their children. Economists have been studying the changes in human nature that facilitate the momentum for economic growth and development.Although the terms are used interchangeably, a distinction is often made between economic growth and economic development. Economic growth refers to increase in output, while economic  development also suggests improvements in the quality of goods produced, the way production is organized and ultimately in improvements in the quality of life. All these factors together are known as structural changes. Thus, growth is a quantitative concept which can be measured; development is qualitative in nature and cannot be easily measured.Economic growth of a country is conventionally measured as percentage increase in gross domestic product (GDP) or Gross National Product (GNP) during one year. Economic growth can be either extensive or intensive. In the former, the economy uses more of its natural and human resources and grows, while in intensive growth, the economy uses its existing resources more efficiently.  

Women enablement after independents (1947-2000) in India-a historical analysis

Dr.Rafakul Noor, Dr.Nasim Aktar Denish

The principle of gender equality is enshrined in the Indian Constitution in its Preamble, Fundamental Rights, Fundamental Duties and Directive Principles. The Constitution not only grants equality to women, but also empowers the State to adopt measures of positive discrimination in favour of women. Within the framework of a democratic polity, our laws, development policies, Plans and programmes have aimed at women’s advancement in different spheres. From the Fifth Five Year Plan (1974-78) onwards has been a marked shift in the approach to women’s issues from welfare to development. In recent years, the empowerment of women has been recognized as the central issue in determining the status of women. The National Commission for Women was set up by an Act of Parliament in 1990 to safeguard the rights and legal entitlements of women. The 73rd and 74th Amendments (1993) to the Constitution of India have provided for reservation of seats in the local bodies of Panchayats and Municipalities for women, laying a strong foundation for their participation in decision making at the local levels.  

Problems and prospects of cotton industry in Dhaniakhali block of Hooghly district of West Bengal.

Mrs.Sutapa Dutta and Mr.Parambrata Ghosh

Dhaniakhali block, with its non-municipal headquarter at Dhaniakhali, is one of the eighteen blocks of Hooghly district of West Bengal. It is highly famous for its cotton handloom products. It is very difficult to find out the exact time span of origin of the industry in this block, but it is clear that it has very old and strong culture heritage. A large number of people belonging to specific weaver caste known as ‘Tantubay’ in Bengal, live in Dhaniakhali and its surrounding villages. They are efficiently conducting the mechanism of this heritage craft. The weavers are presently engaged under different co-operative societies from where they collect raw materials for weaving and deposit the finished products to the co-operative societies in exchange of wages. These handloom products are distributed in local markets, all over India and abroad. Through this paper, an attempt has been made to bring in light several aspects related with the growth of the industry. At the same time this paper tries to highlight the problems and related with the industry.  

Nomads in West Bengal, focusing on socio-political changes

Dr. Sandipan Talukdar and Mr.Anirudha Hazra

World is striving to advance technologically and in an eco friendly way. These changes are now being witnessed in first, second and in third world countries also. But there are some people who also live in these worlds without caring for this progress. They live in the world of their own. They are misfit to these everchanging worlds. They are ‘nomads’, the bohemians cling to their own lifestyle not at all caring for future. Today is only important to them but tomorrow. Tomorrow is left for tomorrow.In the long past they had ancestral homes, good arable lands, but in course of time they were stripped of their hearth and home, forced to move to unfriendly infertile land by superior race. As such they found it difficult to continue living there and left it to eke out living elsewhere and become ‘nomads’ Nomads are found in many countries of the world. They are also found in many states of India viz. Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal etc. in West Bengal nomads of different origin are also found. These people never stay permanently anywhere. They live in open air or somehow made ‘Jhopries’, by the side of railway tracts, dilapidated buildings, outside of villages etc I.e. far from the madding crowd. They eke out living of anything I.e. sometime as agricultural laborers, performing black art, i.e. magic, tight rope walking, and circus tricks, as snake charmer etc.  

Punch-marked coin of Indian subcontinent- a discussion on Historical perspective.

Dipayan Das and Suman Sarkar

Most likely the fist coin of India was minted just before 5th century BCE in northern and central India. The earliest coins of India are commonly known as Punch-marked coins. As the name suggests, these coins bear the symbol of various types, punched on metal pieces of specific size and weight. Issued initially by merchant Guilds and later by States, the coins represented a trade currency belonging to a period of intensive trade activity and urban development. They are broadly classified into two periods: the first period (attributed to the Janapadas or small local states) and the second period (attributed to the Imperial Mauryan period). The motifs found on these coins were mostly drawn from nature like the sun, various animal motifs, trees, hills etc. and some were geometrical symbols. In this write up we shall discuss the origin, growth and development of Punch marked coins in Indian Subcontinent in ancient times.  

Environmental History of India: A Review on Historical perspective

V.M. Ravi Kumar

Environmental history offers systematic documentation of human environmental relationship in the past. Fascinating literature on environmental history has been produced in the last three decades in India. This articles attempts to propose a historiographical review of this new frontier of historical inquiry. Three of the following aspects are highlighted: core areas covered under environmental history: broad trends that are used in structuring environmental history and further prospects to explore ecological dimension of India history.  

Communal constitution of the Chauhans-discussion on the tribal and non-tribal structure of society of the state of Sambalpur

Biplab Mohanta Biswas

In brief it is mainly a discussion on the tribal and non-tribal structure of society of the state of Sambalpur. Within this social hierarchy, the Chauhans stood first, followed by various tribal groups like the Binjhals, Kondh, and Sahara etc. The Chauhans maintained a balance of relationship within their tribal population. They created all possible conveniences to attract people of the higher social groups from outside to settle in their kingdom. To arrive at a definite historical conclusion as to how the social structure was designed by the Chauhans of Sambalpur, the author of the article consulted the only contemporary as well as authentic Sanskrit courtly chronicle of sixteenth century, ‘Kosalananda Kavyam’, the eighteenth century authentic Lariya courtly chronicle ‘Jaya Chandrika’and other vernacular sources of seventeenth century such as ‘Sasisena Kavya’, ‘Sambala Mansa’. Nineteenth century British accounts are used adequately as well. This paper is an attempt at providing certain observations on the social structure of western Orissa under the Chauhans of Sambalpur during sixteenth to eighteenth century.