RESEARCH REVIEW International Journal of Multidisciplinary

Retrospecting India’s Look East Policy to Act East Policy

Yadavendra Dubey — 2025-03-17

Prime Minister Narasimha Rao announced India's Look East strategy in 1992. The Look East policy was first conceptualized with reference to South East Asia, even though a significant portion of Asia, all of Australia, and the Pacific islands are located to the east. It began when India joined ASEAN, the Association of South East Asia Nations, as a sectoral dialogue partner. Later, East Asia and Oceania were added to the policy. Hastily classifying the policy as either excellent or negative would be a bad idea. A more pertinent question would center on our ability to optimize the policy's positive impacts while reducing its negative ones. Unquestionably, the Look East policy has a lot of potential, but only those who are ready can make use of it. The service industry is set to emerge as the most promising sector following the implementation of the Look East policy. During a 2011 visit to India, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton underlined the importance of India's increased involvement in the Asia-Pacific area. Rather than only "looking east," she urged India to "act east." In 2014, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said that India was now prepared to "Act East" after the slogan gained popularity. In Naypyidaw in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated this call to action. The study looks at the Look East Policy's beginnings in the early 1990s, emphasising India's first emphasis on Southeast Asia. It looks at the historical framework that Prime Minister Narasimha Rao and succeeding governments established to strengthen India's relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN. The article also examines the 2014 shift to the Act East Policy, which was spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighting the policy's rebranding to emphasise proactive engagement with ASEAN. The Act East Policy's major objectives and achievements are evaluated in this paper. Additionally, the research piece examines how well the strategy addresses India's strategic goals to advance regional development and stability. India's shift from the Look East Policy to the Act East Policy is thoroughly evaluated in this research paper.

Empowerment of Muslim Women in Politics: From Marginalization to Representation in India

Arfa Khan — 2025-03-17

Political representation in an effective way is a sign of true democracy. The higher the participation, the healthier the democracy. The share of Muslims in political participation has decreased over the years; even in the current government, there is no single Muslim cabinet member. On the other hand, Muslim women are victims of oppression in two ways: as a woman and a member of a minority community who are educationally, economically, socially, and politically backward. This study analyzes Muslim women's marginalization to represent in the political process and their role as politicians in uplifting society.

A Comprehensive Analytical Study of the State Bank of India (SBI): Pricing Strategies Determinants

Kamal Dev Bali — 2025-03-17

In banking, pricing is of great importance for a successful strategy, having an impact on customer acquisition, profitability and competitive positioning. This paper takes a detailed examination of various factors affecting pricing behavior to arrive at optimal pricing strategies for one of the largest public sector banks in India, The State Bank of India (SBI). In this paper, literature from Scopus, Springer, Elsevier and Taylor & Francis has been used to analyze how market competition, regulatory regimes, customer behavior, technology, mergers and risk management affect SBI’s pricing decisions. It further shows SBI's dynamic pricing models as per competition, its close matching with RBI monetary policies, and its digital platforms to gain operating efficiency. These results add to the literature and provide policymakers with recommendations on how to maintain price efficiency in changing market situations.

M.K. Gandhi’s Introduction of Morality in Politics to Remove Political Conflict

Dipanwita Chakraborty — 2025-03-17

Political conflicts are caused by groups or governments to change the course of social development and to establish their own political ideology. Variety of views and social inequality are generally regarded as main elements of political conflicts. Sometimes political conflicts turn into various forms of political violence. In order to solve it, Gandhi introduced morality in politics through the three non-violent principles known as (1) Democratic policy and its use, (2) Decentralization of power and (3) Swaraj.

Post-Cold War Relations Between India and Bangladesh: A Study of Cooperations and Conflicts

Nabin Kumar Khara — 2025-03-17

Post-Cold War relations between India and Bangladesh have been marked by both cooperations and conflicts, determined by historical legacies, regional dynamics, and shifting national interests. This article looks at the important areas of collaboration, such as economic, trade partnerships, water-sharing agreements, security and counterterrorism cooperation, and cultural exchanges, all of which have helped to strengthen bilateral relations. However, obstacles remain in the form of border issues, particularly those involving illegal immigration and border security, the unresolved Teesta River water-sharing issue, and tensions caused by the Rohingya refugee crisis and the rise of religious fundamentalism. Additionally, China’s expanding influence in Bangladesh which is under regime change leading to Sheikh Hasina’s asylum in India, has complicated the bilateral relationship. Despite these difficulties, India and Bangladesh have shown perseverance in sustaining talks, attempting to strike a balance between regional stability and their own national interests. This article investigates how cooperation and conflict have affected the trajectory of post-Cold War relations between India and Bangladesh. It provides insights into the strategic bilateral partnership and its future prospects.

Financial Inclusion: A pathway for Economic empowerment of Self-Help Groups

Deepa Singh — 2025-03-17

Financial inclusion’ implies access to financial education and the assimilation of vulnerable groups in society. India as a developing country has a broad spectrum of challenges; one of the major challenges is awareness of financial knowledge to every citizen. As per the Reserve Bank of India, financial inclusion can be measured on three scales- bank account, usage of savings account, and the quality of banking services. Self-help groups (SHGs) play a prolific role in the upliftment of the socio-economic environment of rural India. The objective aims to understand the progress of the savings linkage of SHGs with banks. The states have been divided into six different regions, the northern region, eastern region, central region, western region, southern region, and northeast region. The data is collected from official reports of NABARD based on a study conducted from 2021-22 to 2023-23. The findings of the study state that there has been significant growth in the northeast region and eastern region in terms of several SHGs savings linked and the amount of savings. The study only covers the dimension of financial inclusion which is owning a bank account. The other dimensions namely, access and quality of financial resources can enhance the scope of the study and add value to the overall gist of financial inclusion. The support of banks in the upliftment of the Self-Help Groups savings linkage program is truly a remarkable step and the growth trends show an upward financial journey for women in rural India.

Applying Thomas-Kilmann’s Conflict Handling Styles in the context of Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence: A study from Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala

P.P Ramseena — 2025-03-17

Thomas, K.W. and Kilmann, R.H. have developed five types of conflict handling styles that become broadly adopted for dealing with the conflicts in human relationships. But not much applied in the emerging context of the conflict between human and wildlife. Therefore, this study aimed to adopt and analyze whether these techniques are helpful, possible and effective to deal with human-wildlife conflict. In this study, the researcher is trying to gather an opinion of the local community including tribal and non-tribal communities from the conflict-affected areas of Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala. The study reveals that there is no other alternative or solution to this conflict other than exploring the ways and possibilities of collaboration/coexistence in areas where humans and wildlife interact. The study finds the scope and relevance in extending the theories of Thomas & Kilmann’s Conflict handling styles in the area of human and wildlife conflict.

From Legislation to the Classroom: Effects of the Right to Education Act on School Education in India

Sanjeev Kumar Jha — 2025-03-17

The research examines the effect of Right to Education (RTE) on India’s elementary education and identifies challenges in its effective implementation. Utilising secondary data sources such as the Unified District Information System for Education Plus, the National Achievement Survey, and literature. The study found a dearth of research on comprehensive aspects of RTE implementation. The findings indicate that elementary education in India is at the crossroads of quantitative and qualitative development. It further observes a decline in absolute enrolment in the last decade while at the same time improving ‘Adjusted Net Enrolment Rate’ (ANER) and gender equality. Nevertheless, inclusion of ‘Schedule Tribes’ (ST) and ‘Children with Special Needs’ (CWSN) continues to be a matter of concern. The computer and internet facilities are substandard. Moreover, a consistent decline in learning achievement is observed in the national-level achievement surveys from 2012/2014 to 2021. It concludes that the provisions of the legislation have yet to transform the classroom in its true spirit.

Entrepreneurship's Reach in Bihar's Agro-Industrial Sector

Manish Kumar — 2025-03-17

Bihar ranks third in India by population with 124 million (12.4 crore), behind Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. Agriculture employs nearly 77% of the state's workforce and generates 38% of its revenue. Bihar's agriculture sector is plagued by floods, job losses, outdated technology, and poor infrastructure, which has left 40.4% of the population poor. Previously, this was not true. Bihar grows rice, wheat, red grain, fox nuts, maize, sugar cane, mangoes, lychees, and bananas, and cotton, silk, and other fibers. Therefore, Bihar has great potential to serve the nation and successfully manage agro-based resources while meeting its own economic needs. Industries can solve Bihar's poverty. Bihar's well-managed agricultural sector will attract agro-industries, raising per capita income, jobs, poverty, living standards, and more. Thus, this study examines Bihar's agro-based industry's entrepreneurship potential for economic growth and self-sufficiency.

The Effects of Water Stress and Exchangeable Calcium on Pre-Harvest Aflatoxin Concentrations in Groundnut Kernels

Mwenya Silombe — 2025-03-17

Zambia is one of the African countries failing to export groundnuts to restricted markets because of high aflatoxin concentrations. Currently, the volume of groundnuts being exported has significantly reduced compared to the period between 1960 and 1970. Since aflatoxin formation starts in the field, aflatoxin mitigation measures must also begin at field-level. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to determine the interactive effects of water stress and exchangeable calcium on pre-harvest aflatoxin content in kernels. Four water moisture levels combined with four levels of gypsum application were applied from flowering to full maturity. The groundnuts were harvested at full maturity and the total biomass and aflatoxin content in kernels were determined. Treatment effects were determined by Analysis of Variance and the non-parametric Kruskal Wallis test at 95% Confidence Interval. Water stress resulted in about 10 folds’ increase in aflatoxin content at the least level of water supply (p = 0.032). There were no significant differences in the distribution of mean pre-harvest total aflatoxin concentrations due to gypsum application (p = 0.274). Similarly, there were no significant differences in the distribution of mean total biomass attributed to both water stress and gypsum application. These results suggest that adequate water supply can help to minimize pre-harvest aflatoxin incidences, while the time and the rates of gypsum applied as a source of calcium may also influence the aflatoxin response to the treatment.

A Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Planned Teaching Programme on Breast Feeding Practices among Primipara Mothers of Karad Taluka

Saurabh Godase — 2025-03-17

World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) recommend exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) of infants for the first 6 months of life, and further to initiate complementary foods by the same time while continuing breastfeeding up to 2 years of age. EBF as defined by WHO implies that the infant is only on breast milk with no other liquids or solids, not even water, however with the exception of oral rehydration solution (ORS), vitamin syrup or drops, minerals, and medicines. In this study, third-year GNM nursing students' understanding the Breast-feeding practices among primipara mother was evaluated. Research Methodology: A descriptive study design was used to achieve the objectives of the study. The study was conducted with 30 primipara mothers in Venutai Chavan Hospital, Karad. Convenience random sampling technique was adopted to select the sample. An observation checklist was used to collect the data. The data obtained would be analyzed by both descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: In sociodemographic among majority of the primipara mothers 08 (26.66%) belongs to the age 18 to 22 year. In the residence majority of primipara mothers19 (63.33%) belongs to rural area. in the religion majority 27 (90%) of the primipara mothers were Hindu whereas 03 (10%) Islam. In the occupation majority of the primipara mothers 27 (90 %) belongs to the home maker. In the type of delivery that majority of the primipara mothers 08 (26.66 %) belongs to the normal delivery and 19(63.33%) belongs to the LSCS and 03 (10 %) belongs to vacuum delivery. Conclusion: The findings shows that breast feeding practices of Primipara mothers are in moderate level and it also found that there is need for health education and awareness regarding breast feeding practices. There is found that no any significant association with demographic variable.

Analysis of Early Childhood Care and Education under the National Education Policy 2020

Rahul Mishra — 2025-03-17

Early childhood care and education is a subject that serves as the foundational step in shaping human life. To elevate this step to the level of maturity and strengthen the vision of a developed nation, it is essential to enhance the health and education of young children. The National Education Policy 2020 has placed special emphasis on this group, focusing not only on their education but also on strengthening and enriching their physical and mental abilities. The policy stresses the importance of preparing children for primary school by respecting their uniqueness and engaging them at the local level through music, storytelling, acting, and toys.

Abstract in Hindi Language: प्रारंभिक बाल्यावस्था व देखभाल और शिक्षा एक ऐसा विषय है जो मानव जीवन को परिपक्व करने की प्राथमिक सीढ़ी है। इस सीढ़ी को अगर परिपक्वता के स्तर पर ले जाना है और एक विकसित राष्ट्र की संकल्पना को सुदृढ़ करना है तो बाल्यावस्था के स्वास्थ्य व शिक्षा को बेहतरीन बनाना होगा। राष्ट्रीय शिक्षा नीति 2020 के अन्तर्गत इस समूह पर विशेष ध्यान आकर्षित किया गया है अभी शिक्षा व्यवस्था के साथ उनके स्वास्थ्य और मानसिक व शरीरिक क्षमता को कैसे सुदृढ़ व सार्थक बनाया जाए इस पर बल दिया गया है। प्रत्येक बच्चे के अनूठेपन को सम्मान करते हुए उन्हें स्थानीय स्तर पर संगीत, कहानियाँ, अभिनय व खिलौनों के द्वारा प्राथमिक शाला के लिए तैयार करना।

Keywords: प्रारंभिक बाल्यावस्था देखभाल, शिक्षा, राष्ट्रीय शिक्षा नीति 2020, बाल विकास

Evaluation of Awareness about Intellectual Property Rights

Anita Moudgil — 2025-03-17

Intellectual property rights (IPRs) are significant because India is a signatory to TRIPS agreement and member of WTO. Intellectual property rights are the monopoly rights enjoyed by the original creator. It includes exclusive rights allocated to the creator for reaping the profits of his creation by his intellectual wit and innovation. Intellectual property rights (IPRs) are the rules which are formed to protect the inventions from being copied by others. This is done in order to protect the economic value of the new creation which is done by the innovator. Granting Patents rights, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets are some of the main forms of IPRs. The awareness about IPRs is essential for the youth so as to develop their entrepreneurial skills which will help them to be the leaders in every field. A field survey on awareness about IPR has conducted for a specified purpose with a definite objective with specific community or target group. It uses questionnaires or interviews so as to assess knowledge of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and its types such as patents, copyrights, trademarks. The purpose of this study is to examine the awareness of intellectual property rights (IPR) among youth i.e. college students. The significance of this study can be understood in two ways. - (i) to sensitize the youth regarding IPRs (ii) to make them understand the role of infringements of IPR. Questionnaire containing 20 questions was designed on various aspects of IPR awareness covering definitions of IPR and its different types -patents, copyrights, trademarks, process of registration of IPR like patents, IPR infringement and its consequences, IPR laws, IPR- mechanism, personal experiences on IPR. The survey gave optimist results about the awareness assessment of the youth about Intellectual Property Rights awareness. Although many of the respondents did not have 100% clarity a bout IPR yet they tried to respond well. However, more conceptual clarity and practical guidance is required to sensitize them about IPR and provide them actual knowledge ab out IPR.

Postcolonial Digital Humanities: Representation and Decolonization in the Digital Age

Hemanta Singh Elangbam — 2025-03-17

Postcolonial Digital Humanities focuses on how digital technology can either reinforce or undermine colonial legacies in scholarly study, archiving, and cultural production. This study shall discuss how DH tools, platforms, and methodologies are used to address representation, power relations, and knowledge formation in postcolonial contexts. The other main focus of this study is the idea of digital-age decolonization, which comprises critiquing the biases found in digital infrastructures and proposing alternative frameworks that give priority to under-represented voices and non-Western epistemologies. This study shall illustrate how DH can either support Eurocentric narratives or serve as a platform for decolonial praxis by taking into account a number of important PDH initiatives, including digital indigenous archives and postcolonial literary databases. At the core of this inquiry is the question of who has the power to preserve, interpret, and disseminate information. The report shall conclude by outlining PDH's potential as platforms for activism, resistance, and rethinking global knowledge systems. Reorienting the DH profession towards an ethics of justice, equity, and inclusivity in the development and dissemination of information is one of the ways they advocate for a certain amount of engagement with digital tools and platforms.

Empowering Women through Local Governance: An Exploration of Impact of Kudumbashree on Women Representation

Anjana Nandan — 2025-03-17

This study explores the impact of Kudumbashree, an innovative programme aimed at poverty alleviation and the empowerment of women in Kerala, especially on the representation of women in local governance. Kudumbashree has played a pivotal role in enabling women to navigate and overcome traditional gender limitations by fostering participation in self-help groups, micro-enterprises, and governance systems by prioritizing collective action, community involvement, and leadership development. The programme has developed the confidence among women, allowing them to advocate for their rights and shape policy outcomes firmly. This study highlights the critical role of supportive governmental persistent advocacy in securing the sustainability of political empowerment of women in Kerala. The Kudumbashree programme represent an effective strategy for integrating economic development with political empowerment highlighting the transformative capacity of grassroots movements in fostering inclusive governance.