Investment and Resource Use Pattern followed by Dairy Farmers in Haryana

Dairy sector plays a critical role in growth of rural India by providing livelihoodopportunities to millions of people. The present study was conducted in Zone-I and ZoneII of the Haryana state. District Kaithal and Karnal were selected from Zone I whereasSirsa and Hisar districts represented Zone II to study the investment and resource usepattern followed by the dairy farmers. To achieve the objective the primary data from the200 sampled dairy farms (divided into three categories i.e. small, medium and large herdsize of milch animals) were collected through survey method. The study revealed that thetotal investment per milch animal per day in small, medium and large herd size group wasRs.175.50, 178.40 and 181.80, respectively, in Zone-I and Rs.170.08, 174.30 and 175.86,respectively, in Zone-II. From total investment, major proportion was covered byinvestment on feed and fodder, followed by concentrates and labours in both the Zones. Itmay be suggested that providing feed concentrates and high yielding seeds of green foddercrops at cheaper rates and credit facility should be strengthened.

Rational Habit Formation: Experimental Evidence from Handwashing in India

We test the predictions of the rational addiction model, reconceptualized as rational habit formation, in the context of handwashing in rural India. To track handwashing, we design soap dispensers with timed sensors. We test for rational habit formation by informing some households about a future change in the returns to daily handwashing. Monitoring and incentives raise handwashing contemporaneously, and effects persist well after they end. In addition, people are rational about this habit formation: when they anticipate future monitoring, they increase their current handwashing. Average child weight and height increase for all study arms given soap dispensers. (JEL D12, D83, D91, I12, I18, J13, O12)

Enormity of iron deficiency anaemia and haematological indices in Primary and secondary school going children in central rural Gujarat, India

Anemia is one of the associated and underlying health conditions observed in large number of school going children of rural India. National Family Health Survey (NHFS) data published by Government of Indiaindicates increased prevalence ofanaemia in children of rural India. In the present study, children of government school of the Waghodia tehsil, Vadodara district Gujarat were surveyed. A cross sectional study was conducted to survey 500 children of either genderaccording to WHO gradation as normal range (12.6 ± 0.54 gm/dl); mild anemia (11.01 ± 0.58gm/dl) and moderate anemia(9.11 ± 0.3gm/dl).Observations indicated that, 20.6%, 74.8% and 4.6%children were in normal or above normal range, mild anemia and moderate anemia respectively. Overall79.4% of children have anemia. It reveals the escalating magnitude of prevalence of IDA in rural Gujarat. Prevalence is more in 9-11 age group (56%). Gender wise distribution shows mild and moderate anemia in 305 (80.9%) and 14 (3.7%) respectively amongst 377 male children; whereas mild anemia and moderate anemia in 305 (80.9%) and 14 (3.7%) respectively amongst 123 female children. In nutshell, prevalence of anemia is prominent in children of age group in different rural parts of Gujarat.