Turning the Wheel: The Raas Festival of the Dule and Bagdi Community of Khanakul

Arka Datta

Alessondro Falassi’s exploration of festivals highlights the cultural significance, dramatic intensity, and deep historical roots of the festivals.They serve as platforms for communities to affirm social, religious, ethnic, and historical bonds, preserving cultural identities and lifestyles.The Raas Festival, celebrated on Raas Purnima, honours the divine love of Lord Krishna and Radha. It symbolizes the union of the soul with the Supreme Being and is significant among Vaishnavas and Hindus. In Khanakul, West Bengal, the Dule and Bagdi communities, belonging to Scheduled Castes, organize their own Raas Festival due to exclusion from upper-caste temple celebrations.The Raas Festival also illustrates complex power dynamics. While Brahmanical hegemony exercised oppressive, top-down power excluding lower castes, the Dule and Bagdi communities actively resisted by creating their own cultural space. This aligns with Foucault’s concept of power as relational and productive rather than merely repressive.  

Clinical Evaluation of Ayurvedic Management in Pakshaghata WSR to Stroke Using Standard Functional Scales A Single Case Report

V. Kranthi Kumari, K. Laxmikantham, P. Srikanth Babu

Pakshaghata, described under Vatavyadhi in Ayurveda, is a debilitating neurological condition characterized by unilateral loss of motor and sensory functions. It closely correlates with Stroke in contemporary medicine, a leading cause of long-term disability worldwide. The condition arises predominantly due to aggravated Vata Dosha affecting Snayu (ligaments), Sira (vascular channels) and Mamsa (muscle tissue), often associated with Dhatukshaya (tissue depletion) and Margavarana (obstruction of pathways).Case Presentation and Intervention: A 65-year-old male presented with sudden onset weakness of the left side of the body, speech was mildly impaired characterized by intermittent slurring and reduced clarity of articulation and with mild facial deviation following an ischemic stroke confirmed by neuroimaging at a tertiary care centre. The patient reported difficulty in walking, impaired hand coordination and dependence on support for daily activities. He underwent comprehensive Ayurvedic management comprising Shamana Chikitsa for 30 days and Panchakarma Chikitsa for 21 days. The treatment protocol included Abhyanga with medicated oils, Swe dana, Shirodhara, Matra Vasti and Nasya. Internal medications such as Ashwagandha, Bala and Yoga raja Guggulu were administered to pacify Vata, enhance neuromuscular strength and promote tissue nourishment. Results: Post-intervention assessment revealed significant functional improvement. Muscle power improved from 2/5 to 4/5 in the affected upper limb and from 3/5 to 4+/5 in the lower limb. Speech clarity improved markedly and facial asymmetry was reduced. Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores improved from 42 to 102 and NIHSS from 15 to 4, indicating enhanced independence in activities of daily living. The patient demonstrated improved gait stability, better coordination and reduced reliance on external assistance. Conclusion: This case highlights the potential of Ayurvedic interventions as an effective supportive approach in the management of Pakshaghata (stroke). The combined application of Panchakarma and Shamana therapies helped in Vata pacification, neuromuscular rehabilitation and overall functional recovery, thereby improving quality of life.  

The Role of social work in vocational rehabilitation for people with mental health disorders in India

Rajendra Singh

Employment is a meaningful and purposeful activity that offers individuals a sense of identity, social inclusion, and personal fulfilment In India, for persons living with severe and persistent mental illnesses, gainful employment is strongly linked to personal recovery, improved quality of life, enhanced social integration, and reduced dependence on mental health services. Vocational rehabilitation, therefore, plays a critical role in facilitating these outcomes by addressing barriers to employment, providing skill development, and offering ongoing support. Despite its demonstrated benefits, access to structured vocational programs remains limited in the Indian context, highlighting the need for targeted interventions and policy support to promote sustainable employment among this population, individuals with mental illness remain significantly underrepresented in India’s labour market due to stigma, discrimination, and limited access to supportive services. Sustaining employment is particularly challenging in India because of multiple personal, organizational, and systemic barriers, including low mental health awareness, inadequate workplace accommodations, and gaps in rehabilitation services. The Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model, though internationally recognized as an evidence-based approach for improving employment outcomes, is still emerging in India and faces challenges related to implementation and long-term job retention. The findings suggest that adjunct interventions, including skills training, cognitive remediation, and psychological support, contribute to improved job retention among individuals with severe mental illness., and supported education can enhance job retention. In the Indian context, community-based rehabilitation, family involvement, and peer support play a crucial role due to strong social networks. Additionally, emerging approaches such as employment specialist services, use of digital technology, self-management strategies, and workplace accommodations show promise in improving job tenure. Overall, there is a need for greater integration of non-clinical, community-based, and culturally relevant vocational interventions within India’s mental health system to promote sustainable employment and long-term workforce participation among persons with severe mental illness.  

Views from the Margin: A Reading of Select Partition Stories from Bangladesh

Amlan Datta

The 1947 Partition is a cataclysmic event that affects the social, political and cultural life of the Indian subcontinent till today. It saw massive transfers of population both in the eastern and western parts of India accompanied with innumerable violent deaths, murders, rapes, abduction of women and sectarian violence. But the Partition experience in Bengal province is quite different from that of the Punjab. The influx of refugees across the porous border of Bengal has never stopped till date. This unending flow of people makes Partition an everyday reality on the eastern border. The portrayal of this human tragedy in literature largely tells us of the experiences in the western and eastern parts (mainly West Bengal) of India. There is little light shed on the Partition narratives from Bangladesh, which is quite different from rest of the Partition stories, in Partition studies. This paper tries to examine the varied narratives of the select Partition stories from Bangladesh. The horrific reality of the Partition experienced in riots, arson, looting, murder and in the hairbreadth escape is evident in the stories. The tales also explore the sense of loss, separation, nostalgia and belonging accompanied by the issues of migration, displacement and identity. This endeavour will show that the hitherto unexplored area of Partition stories from Bangladesh can open up new horizons in literature for the in-depth understanding of human society. It can articulate the little narratives against the grand and the unofficial histories against the official.  

Neuro Balance Net: A Deep Learning Model for AI-Driven Stress Detection and Personalized Yoga Recommendation

Dr. T. Sumadhi

Mental health challenges have significantly increased due to modern lifestyles and high stress levels. This paper presents Neuro Balance Net; a novel deep learning-based framework designed for automated stress detection and personalized yoga-based intervention recommendation. The system integrates multimodal data sources including physiological (ECG, EDA, PPG), behavioral (voice, facial expression), and contextual (text, environment) inputs. Using CNN-LSTM and Transformer-based architectures, NeuroBalanceNet identifies real-time stress patterns with high accuracy and recommends adaptive yoga interventions using rule-based and machine learning-driven mappings. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model outperforms traditional ML approaches such as SVM, Random Forest, and XG Boost in precision, recall, and overall F1-score. The model supports explainability through SHAP and saliency visualization, ensuring transparency and user trust. The integration of AI-driven stress analytics with personalized yoga guidance represents a holistic approach to mental well-being.    

Role of Social Media Content in Shaping Consumer Engagement and Purchase Intentions in the Cosmetics Market

Dr. Shivani Shah, Ms shubhlakshmi Mishra, Dr. Swati Modi

Purpose- The rapid growth of digital technologies has significantly transformed marketing practices, with social media emerging as a powerful tool for influencing consumer behaviour. This study examines the role of social media content in shaping consumer engagement and purchase intentions in the cosmetics market. The research focuses on understanding how demographic factors such as age and educational qualification relate to social media engagement and purchasing decisions, as well as evaluating the impact of different types of social media content on consumer behaviour. Methodology- A descriptive research design was adopted, and primary data were collected through a structured questionnaire from 144 respondents using a convenience sampling method. The data were analysed using statistical tools such as descriptive statistics and ANOVA to examine relationships between variables. Findings-The findings reveal that social media platforms, particularly Instagram, play a dominant role in influencing consumer engagement and purchase decisions. A majority of respondents actively engage with cosmetic-related content and perceive social media as an essential medium for brand communication. The study also highlights that product reviews, influencer endorsements, and user-generated content significantly impact consumer purchase intentions. However, the results indicate no significant differences across demographic variables such as age and educational qualification in influencing engagement and purchasing behaviour. Overall, the study concludes that social media content is a crucial determinant of consumer engagement and purchase decisions in the cosmetics industry. The research emphasizes the importance for marketers to focus on authentic, interactive, and visually appealing content to effectively connect with consumers and enhance brand value.  

Proxy Warfare and Regional Security Dynamics: Explaining the Strategic Rivalry between Iran and Israel in the Middle East

Asmuda Khatun

This study explores the role of proxy warfare in shaping the strategic rivalry between Iran and Israel and its implications for regional security dynamics in the Middle East. In contrast to conventional interstate warfare, both states increasingly rely on indirect strategies involving non-state actors to advance their geopolitical objectives while avoiding the risks of direct military confrontation. Iran has developed an extensive network of proxy groups, most notably Hezbollah and Hamas, which function as key instruments of its regional strategy. In response, Israel employs a combination of military, intelligence, and deterrence-based approaches to counter Iranian influence. Drawing on theoretical perspectives from realism, proxy war theory, and the security dilemma, this paper argues that proxy warfare constitutes the primary mechanism through which both states conduct their strategic rivalry. While this indirect form of conflict enables both actors to manage escalation and reduce the costs of direct engagement, it simultaneously contributes to persistent instability and complex security challenges across the Middle East.  

Influence of Home Environment on the Physical and Mental Health Care of Pregnant Women

Dr. A. Sajitha Qadir, Sharon Ghetsy. A, Zahida Jabeen

The present study examined the influence of home environment on the physical and mental health care of pregnant women. A sample of 120 pregnant women was selected through random sampling from Urban Primary Health Centres, comprising 60 women below 25 years and 60 above 25 years. Each age group included 30 pregnant women in their first pregnancy and 30 in their subsequent pregnancies. The tools employed were the Home Environment Questionnaire for Pregnant Women and the Physical and Mental Health Care Inventory for Pregnant Women, both developed by the investigator (2025). A pilot study was conducted to ensure feasibility, and the tools were tested for validity and reliability. Statistical analysis included mean, standard deviation, t-test, and Karl Pearson’s coefficient of correlation.The findings revealed no significant differences in home environment and physical and mental health care based on age and pregnancy status, except among women above 25 years, where those in subsequent pregnancies reported better home environment. A significant relationship was found between home environment and physical and mental health care, except among women below 25 years in their first pregnancy and women above 25 years in their subsequent pregnancies.  

Shigella spp. and Salmonella spp. in Paediatric Diarrhea: Comparative Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, Risks, Management, and Prevention Strategies for Children Under 10 Years

Yuttasha Nehra, Monojit Majhi

Paediatric diarrhea, which ranks second in terms of epidemiology, pathophysiology, risk factors, management, and prevention in children, continues to be a serious worldwide health concern. extending dangers to children between the ages of five and nine. Ten to twenty percent of infections in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are caused by bacterial diseases such as Shigella spp. and Salmonella spp (non-typhoidal). With an emphasis on comparative perspectives, this review summarizes recent research (2020–2025) on the epidemiology, pathophysiology, hazards, management, and prevention of this illness in children under the age of 10. Salmonella spp. causes watery diarrhea with systemic hazards, but Shigella spp. is more commonly associated with dysentery-like presentations. Due to dehydration, malnutrition, and growing antimicrobial resistance (AMR), these pose serious risks. Global incidence trends indicate a reduction, although these regions continue to be hotspots in Africa and Asia. Salmonella spp. causes secretory diarrhea with the possibility of bacteraemia, while Shigella spp. causes dysentery and colitis by producing Shiga toxins. The main risks include mortality (~81,000 under-5 deaths annually from Shigella spp..; ~50,000 from Salmonella spp.), complications such as haemolytic-uremic syndrome (Shigella spp.) or sepsis (Salmonella spp.), and long-term effects like growth stunting and cognitive impairments, which are more severe in children who are malnourished or HIV+. Rehydration and targeted antibiotics are key components of management; however, MDR strains (up to 80%) make treatment more difficult. To reduce mortality in vulnerable groups under ten years old, prevention through WASH, hygiene, food safety, and new vaccinations (such as trials for Shigella spp. and control of Salmonella spp. via animal research) is essential. 

Biotechnological Strategies for Enhancing Yield, Stress Resistance, and Nutritional Quality in Black Gram (Vigna mungo L. Hepper)

Sreelatha Thallapally

Black gram (Vigna mungo L. Hepper) is a very significant pulse crop that is produced a lot in South Asia. It is valued for its high protein content, essential amino acids, and health benefits. Black gram output is still low, even though it is important for food and nutrition security. This is because it is sensitive to biotic and abiotic stresses, there isn't much genetic variability, and conventional breeding methods have their own problems. The tissue culture technique has become a practical biotechnological approach for overcoming these limitations and accelerating crop growth. Cotyledonary nodes, shoot tips, hypocotyls, and cotyledons have been successfully utilised to establish in vitro regeneration systems for black gram. Cotyledonary node explants have exhibited significant regeneration potential when cultivated on Murashige and Skoog (MS) media enriched with suitable concentrations of cytokinin’s, including 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and kinetin, frequently in conjunction with auxins such as naphthalene acetic acid. These regeneration methods are great for micropropagation, genetic transformation, and quickly multiplying the best genotypes. Tissue culture techniques may also assist create superior cultivars that can better handle biotic stresses like virus infections and insect pests, as well as abiotic stresses like drought and salt. Also, methods based on tissue culture make it possible to save germplasm and create soma clonal variation, which may subsequently be utilised to choose superior plant lines with better nutritional and agronomic qualities. Using tissue culture, contemporary molecular breeding methods, and genome editing technology together provides a lot of potential for making black gram varieties that yield a lot, can handle stress, and are better for you. Consequently, tissue culture techniques are essential elements of contemporary crop improvement programs, significantly enhancing sustainable agriculture and food security.