School of Liberal Arts (SoLA)

&ldquo;IIT Jodhpur is committed to impart quality education to facilitate the creation of qualified, competent and responsible human resources to meet the emerging technological challenges of the world. It is working towards creating an equitable learning platform that is positive, accessible and effective in the face of the modern societal and scientific advancements.

Flexibility in curriculum, in all its academic programs, encompassing elements of teaching, research, creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship is the most unique feature of IIT Jodhpur. The Department of Science and Technology (DST), under the National Mission on Cyber Physical Systems, has identified IIT Jodhpur as a Technology &amp; Innovation Hub in the area of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality. The institute has also been nominated as the coordinator for the Jodhpur City and Knowledge Cluster by the Office of Principal Scientific Adviser, Government of India.

The sprawling 852-acre IIT Jodhpur campus is a majestic tribute to the deep-rooted diverse cultural heritage of the region. The campus is an architectural masterpiece, which is slated to become an international exemplar of sustainability with net-zero energy, and advanced water and waste management strategies.&rdquo;

IIT Jodhpur

As a poet, journalist, autobiographer, and travel writer, Dom Moraes was a prolific presence in the Anglophone literary world throughout the second half of the twentieth century. Though born in Bombay, Moraes had moved to England at a young age and his very first book of poetry, A Beginning, had earned him fame in the emergent post-Second World War British cultural scene of the late 1950s and early 1960s, winning him the Hawthornden Prize at the age of 19. He was equally popular when he came back to India during the 1980s, and regular volumes of his poetry and prose were published by the newly established Penguin Books India until his death in 2004. Surprisingly, in spite of being such a well-known and well-published author, Moraes’s work in general, and his poetry in particular, have strangely fallen out of critical focus. My article explores this contradictory situation of an apparently famous poet being persistently ignored by critics and anthologists. It attempts to show how this unusual situation can be traced back to a sense of bafflement that most critics and anthologists share when it comes to categorizing Moraes so as to initiate a discussion on him. It also attempts to depict how this sense of puzzlement in categorizing Moraes is connected to Moraes’s own ambivalent attitude towards India, his country of birth, which frequently vacillates between a strong sense of aversion and a feeling of deep empathy. In conclusion, the paper tries to probe how Moraes grapples with his complex sense of affiliation to and distance from India by representing his creative self and its cultural location in the form of a variety of absences — a process which makes him difficult to categorize and as a consequence challenging to discuss. © The Author(s) 2018.

Journal of Commonwealth Literature

Establishing presence through absence: Dom Moraes’s ambivalence towards India

Background: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak, called coronavirus disease - 2019 (COVID-19), has affected more than 200 countries across the globe with a higher fatality rate among the elderly population. Aim of the study is to highlight the vulnerability of the aged amidst the current COVID-19 pandemic, and in the light of the recent international evidence, suggests what government could do to mitigate their vulnerability. Methods: Data from the recently released (November 2019) 75th Round National Sample Survey (NSS), which was conducted from July 2017 to June 2018, across 8077 rural villages and 6181 urban wards was used for this study. Data collected from 555,115 individuals (rural: 325,232; urban: 229,232) included 42,762 elderly individuals (60 years or above). Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used for the calculation. Results: Of the total sample of elderly individuals, 27.7% reported suffering from an ailment in the last 15 days, whereas 8.5% had been hospitalized during the last 365 days. Among the elderly, hospitalization rate was higher in the urban areas (OR: 1.23), general social category (OR: 1.18), richest economic quintile (OR: 1.69), and among those living alone (OR: 2.40). Also, among the elderly, 64% of those in the scheduled tribe (social group) and 51% in the poorest economic quintile utilized public facilities for hospitalization. Cardiovascular ailments were the major cause for hospitalization (18.1%) and outpatient visit (32%) among the elderly. Ailments related to diabetes and hypertension constituted 55% of outpatient visit for the elderly. Only 18.9% of the elderly had health insurance though chances of facing catastrophic health expenditures were high among the elderly. 6.6% of elderly female and 1.6% male live alone, and 27.5% of age 80 years and above are immobile. 50% of male and 90% of female are financially dependent on others and more so in poorer economic quintiles. Conclusions: The vulnerability of India's elderly increases across economic levels, and other dimensions such as the place of residence, gender, social group (caste), marital status, living arrangements, surviving children, and economic dependence. The current COVID-19 pandemic poses a greater risk of social isolation among the elderly, which may cause detrimental health impact. Trial registration: Not applicable since the study is based on secondary data. © 2020 The Author(s).

World University root node

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Globalization and Health

Equity and elderly health in India: Reflections from 75th round National Sample Survey, 2017-18, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic

The disease burden among the elderly population is significantly higher compared to the younger population, according to the data from the 75th round National Sample Survey, 2017-18, which increases their vulnerability during the COVID-19 pandemic. The footprint of elderly population in public facilities for inpatient and outpatient care has increased over the years. Financially, the elderly face far less burden in public facilities than in private facilities. © 2020 Economic and Political Weekly. All rights reserved.

Economic and Political Weekly

Higher disease burden in India's elderly

Head-Mounted Displays (HMDs) based Virtual Reality (VR) has shown promising results in training and education. We present ATOM, an HMD-VR interface to educate students about atoms, atomic structures and historical research experiments conducted in understanding atomic structures. ATOM is designed to complement the classroom learning for grade 9 students through an interactive and practice-based learning experience. Preliminary evaluation with 10 students revealed higher interest, increase engagement and playfulness. The students also pointed out a few difficult user interactions. © 2020 Owner/Author.

Proceedings of the ACM Symposium on Virtual Reality Software and Technology, VRST

ATOM: HMD-VR Interface to Learn Atomic Structure, Bonding and Historical Research Experiments.

Craft in contemporary India is a loaded signifier of the handmade, the vernacular, the traditional, and the authentic. Handloom saris, as part of a pan-Indianized repertoire, index the virtues of traditional femininity, local patronage and craft-based aesthetics. However, a decline in their consumption has led to revival projects centred on addressing concerns of livelihoods, markets, and consumer identities. This article presents a historically contextualized study of elite women who are engaged in handloom sari revival. Through an analysis of their sartorial preferences and interventions in handloom revival, the author suggests that their involvement in the field of craft is a performative strategy that consolidates their elite status. These actors affirm belonging in elite spaces using the discourses of crafts difference, biomoral consumption, and aesthetic taste. Moreover, revival is always presented as on the verge of happening but never actually achieved, justifying the need for sustained elite intervention, in turn cementing elite status. © The Author(s) 2019.

Journal of Material Culture

Hand-crafted identities: Sartorial taste and belonging amongst elite women in urban India

The societal cost of ASD is enormous, and the concept of broader autism phenotype (BAP) adds more weight to the situation. The recent reporting of the higher prevalence rate of ASD in India [1] (Chauhan et al., 2019) and social impairment implications suggest a serious attempt to understand this situation. Present work reports finding from a pilot study in this direction. This work examines three related concepts: 1) hypothesized connection between social impairment/autistic trait and STEM education/profession; 2) existence of broader autism phenotype, and 3) convergence validity between two most widely used autistic trait screening tool (autism spectrum quotient and social responsiveness scale). We conducted this study on 85 student participants with autism spectrum quotient, social responsiveness scale, reading Mind in the eye test, and metacognitive questionnaire. The data collection was done using a paper-pencil test, google form, and E-prime software. The results suggest the possible connection between autistic trait-STEM and BAP. However, the convergence validity between autism spectrum quotient and social responsiveness scale is not found unexpectedly. We discuss the implication, limitations, and suggestions. © 2020 Seventh Sense Research Group®.

International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology

Examining three connected concepts: Social impairment and STEM; Broader autism phenotype; and convergence validity in autistic trait screening tools

The present study explores the uses of WhatsApp groups in the education context. It examines utilities and burdens associated with educational WhatsApp groups. The study also explores how the presence of teachers in the groups can influence the group functioning. In the first study chats of four WhatsApp groups of one year, where two groups were included teacher and two groups were without teachers, were analyzed. In the second study, interviews were conducted with two participants from each group, a total of eight participants. The results of the studies show that the major functions these groups serve are mostly education-related. However, apart from academic uses, students do use this platform for wishing/congratulations, for extra curriculum activities as well as for entertainment purposes. In addition, the results show that the presence of the teacher influences the group conversation significantly. Though students reported that sometimes these WhatsApp groups become burden and take a lot of time, but they also believe that is unavoidable, since these WhatsApp groups not only provide them important information related to class, exam, holidays, etc., but members are also able to connect with others and involve in non-academic activities. © 2020, Anadolu University, Faculty of Communication Sciences. All rights reserved.

Contemporary Educational Technology

Whatsapp groups in academic context: Exploring the academic uses of whatsapp groups among the students

Within the inclusive approach of mobility studies, migration has been referred to as one of the most prominent forms of mobility. However, discussing all migrants’ experiences as just “mobile” experiences shadows the range and nuances of migration. This paper argues and illustrates how migration can be a form of mobility and also addresses migration as a much nuanced form of mobility that has been rather silent in existing literature. We examine one social condition that has informed a range of international migrants’ experiences: their (re)organization of gender patterns within the family on the basis of transnational realities. We use a multi-scalar model of intersectionality to conceptualise migratory movements as mobility, particularly when the meaning is assigned to it on the basis of power relationships. This way, we suggest a fruitful intersectional analysis of migration and mobilities.

Applied Mobilities

Migration as mobility? An intersectional approach

Relationships are the elementary forms of social life that animate structures and processes between and among individuals, groups and institutions, and are in turn transformed by them. Relationships between forest dependent peoples (FP) and state forest management institutions (FD) are central to forestry practice yet seldom the focus of research studies. Whereas decentralization and participatory institutions have received much attention in research and practice, relationships that underpin them have remained largely unaddressed. This paper utilizes an adaptation of the systematic review method to synthesize findings on the nature of this relationship in the Global South. We reviewed 135 articles published between 1997 and 2017, selected following a systematic article search and selection protocol on JSTOR and Google Scholar. History, as expected, is a living referent in shaping contemporary relations, accounting for tremendous diversity across the Global South. We identified key concepts from literature across this diversity, and synthesized them using five overlapping thematic codes: (a) asymmetries of power; (b) access to and control over productive resources; (c) knowledge, perceptions and attitudes; (d) stratification and heterogeneity; and (e) external influences. Numerical analysis of article meta-data revealed that research is attentive to the FP-FD relationship primarily in the context of decentralization or community participatory policies and projects. Well-designed policies, projects, institutions and effective individuals create opportunities for partial, temporary and symbolic transformation in the FP-FD relationship. However, structural power asymmetry between FD and FP, historically established, and reproduced through social inequalities and hierarchies, sustains. The content of social relationships overflow sector specific transformations. Reflecting on the scope of systematic review as method in synthesis of qualitative research, we found that although loss of context specificity is a disadvantage, systematic review can be productively adapted to explore neglected issues as we do in our study with relationships, through analysis of empirical data in studies with other objectives. © 2019 The Author(s). Published by IOP Publishing Ltd.

Environmental Research Letters

Characterising the relationship between forest dependent peoples and state forest management institutions in the Global South

Aim: This study aims to measure current situation with regard to access and financial protection towards healthcare for rheumatic diseases (RDs) in India. Method: The first part of this study is quantitative, and uses the data generated by the 71st Round of National Sample Survey 2014, which measured self-reported morbidity, choice of provider and utilization of services and out of pocket expenditure (OOPE) incurred on healthcare services in a sample of 65 932 households and 333 104 individuals from all across India. The second qualitative part of the study was done in one sample district to understand the barriers to access and financial protection. Results: 3.5% of all hospitalizations in the preceding one year and 9.9% of all ambulatory care in the preceding 15 days of this study period were due to RDs. Cost of care for RDs was three times higher in private sector. Cost on medicines comprised the largest share in both sectors. 54% of the households faced catastrophic health expenditure at 10% threshold (CHE-10) and this was nine times higher in private provisioning (OR: 8.8, CI: 6.8-11.4). 24% of the households had to borrow or sell household assets to meet the hospitalization expenditure. Insurance had marginal impact and it did not help in preventing household from facing CHE-10 for the lowermost three economic quintiles. There was significant unmet health care needs and lack of continuity of care of RDs in India. Conclusion: Addressing the gaps in access and financial protection for patients with RDs need greater emphasis in policy as well as implementation, if the country has to achieve Universal Health Coverage. © 2019 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd