| 1 |
Author(s):
Ritu Sharma.
Country:
India
Research Area:
History
Page No:
1-8 |
Peasant Movements in Modern India: Agrarian Resistance, Colonial Exploitation and Nationalist Politics
Abstract
The rural resistance to the exploitation of villages by colonial powers, landlord oppression, forced commercial cultivation, burdensome and unfair land revenue systems were all expressions of peasant resistance. This paper explores the historical context, reasons, shape and effect of peasant movements under the British rule. It examines the way in which colonial agrarian policies such as the Permanent Settlement, Ryotwari and Mahalwari systems, changed the land relations and raised the economic vulnerability of cultivators. Significant types of resistance, including rent refusal, failure to pay revenue, petitions, boycott, satyagraha and organised peasant mobilisation are also highlighted in the study. The growing transformation of local economic protest to the wider political mobilisation can be seen in such movements as the Indigo Revolt, Deccan Riots, Champaran, Bardoli, Tebhaga and Telangana. The paper suggests that peasant movements did not just question colonial and feudal institutions but also reinforced the social base of Indian nationalism and influenced the tenancy rights and land reforms and agrarian justice debates of the post-independence period.
| 2 |
Author(s):
Rahul Tiwari.
Country:
India
Research Area:
Political Science
Page No:
9-18 |
Political Communication and Fake News: Challenges to Electoral Integrity in the Digital Era
Abstract
This study explores the connection between political communication, fake news and electoral integrity in the digital world. Electoral communication has been revolutionized by digital platforms, whose use has allowed for the mobilization of voters in an agile way, direct political involvement and greater dissemination of campaign information. In the same way, the very same platforms have also facilitated the spread of misinformation, disinformation, edited images, deepfakes and partisan propaganda. The study is based on secondary data from scholarly literature, election reports, institutional documents and fact-checking sources which are analysed through a qualitative, descriptive and analytical approach. The results indicate that fake news poses a threat to electoral integrity in the following ways: it affects voters' perception of the election; it undermines trust in institutions; it tarnishes candidates' reputation; and it aggravates polarization in politics. This is especially important when considering the Indian context with its huge population, linguistic diversity, and the growing penetration of the internet in rural areas as well as the use of numerous platforms like WhatsApp, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and X. The study makes the case that a secure election process is not sufficient for free and fair elections; it must also be accompanied by a trustworthy digital information environment. It suggests more robust platform accountability, multilingual fact-checking, transparent political advertising and ethical digital campaigning and citizen media literacy.
| 3 |
Author(s):
Neha Singh.
Country:
India
Research Area:
Social Science
Page No:
19-30 |
Women’s Participation in Self-Help Groups and Socio-Economic Empowerment in Rural Uttar Pradesh
Abstract
Women’s participation in Self-Help Groups has emerged as an important strategy for rural socio-economic empowerment in Uttar Pradesh. SHGs provide rural women with access to savings, internal lending, formal credit, livelihood opportunities, training and government welfare schemes. This study examines the role of SHGs in improving women’s financial inclusion, livelihood participation, household decision-making, social mobility and institutional involvement. The study is descriptive and analytical in nature and is based on secondary sources such as government reports, UPSRLM documents, NABARD reports, MoSPI data and related academic literature. The analysis shows that SHGs have positively contributed to women’s savings habits, confidence, awareness and access to financial services. However, their impact on income generation, market access and leadership remains uneven due to patriarchal norms, caste-based barriers, low literacy, weak training and limited enterprise support. The study concludes that SHGs can become effective instruments of women’s empowerment when financial inclusion is combined with sustainable livelihoods, digital literacy, market linkage and inclusive leadership development.
| 4 |
Author(s):
Aman Verma.
Country:
India
Research Area:
Geography
Page No:
31-41 |
Role of GeoAI in Climate-Smart Agriculture: Opportunities and Challenges
Abstract
Climate change has created serious challenges for agricultural systems through rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, droughts, floods, soil degradation, pest outbreaks and increasing pressure on natural resources. In this context, climate-smart agriculture has emerged as an important approach for improving productivity, strengthening adaptation and supporting sustainable resource management. This paper examines the role of Geospatial Artificial Intelligence (GeoAI) in climate-smart agriculture, with special emphasis on its opportunities, challenges and policy relevance. GeoAI integrates geospatial technologies, remote sensing, artificial intelligence, machine learning and spatial decision-support systems to generate location-specific agricultural information. The study highlights that GeoAI can support crop monitoring, yield prediction, drought and flood assessment, pest-risk detection, irrigation planning, soil-health analysis and climate-risk mapping. It also shows that GeoAI can improve precision resource management, early warning systems, crop insurance and evidence-based agricultural planning. However, the adoption of GeoAI faces several challenges, including data quality issues, model transferability, limited ground-truth data, weak digital literacy, fragmented landholdings, affordability concerns, geo-privacy risks and institutional gaps. The paper argues that GeoAI should not be treated merely as a technological tool, but as a spatial decision-support and climate-governance framework. Its success depends on inclusive digital infrastructure, responsible AI practices, local calibration, farmer participation and strong policy support. The study concludes that GeoAI can significantly contribute to climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture if implemented in a transparent, accessible and context-specific manner.
