Research
Spiritual Dimensions of Indian Culture
ivilization and Culture are hall- mark of the collective life of man. Civilization signifies the moral evolved state of the society, which embraces activity of mental life, including arts and learning. According to Sri Aurobindo civilization is harmony of spirit1 Culture is the discipline by which man’s moral and intellectual nature is elevated. According to Sri Aurobindo, culture comprises various activities of the cultivated aesthetic being , mind and body- the harmony of the inner and outer man. Will Durant has defined civilization, in his monumental work ‘The Story of Civilization, to mean social organization, moral order and cultural activity. Four elements constitute civilization: Economic provision, political organization moral traditions, and pursuit of knowledge and arts. In a nut-shell we may comprehend civilization of people as an advance stage of its social development. 2 Spirit is the non- material, animating and immortal part of man. According to Sri Aurobindo, Spirit is the self -existence being, with infinite power of consciousness and unconditional delight . Will Durant has defined culture as the sum-total of a people’s institutions, customs and arts. The UNESCO- sponsored book ‘Traditional Cultures of South East Asia’ gives the definition of Culture thus: Culture means the total accumulation of material objects, ideas, symbols, benefits, sentiments, values and social forms which are passed on from one generation to another in any given society. “In short, Culture signifies refinement of minds and manners as also cultivation of aesthetic faculties in a particular society.
Susceptible Development: Impact of Coal Mining on Environment in India
Coal mining contributes largely towards economic development of the nation like India although it has a great impact upon the human health. It also has its impact on sociocultural aspect of the workers and people residing in and around coal mining areas. Thus a holistic approach for taking up to mining activities, keeping in mind concerns for adjoining habitats and ecosystem, is the need of the hour. This requires identification of various sites where minerals exist and various factors ranging from appropriate angle of slope of overburden dumps, safe disposal drains, and safe techniques to various silt control structures etc. In India Coal companies are now working towards “clean coal†strategies, which aim to reduce environmental impacts. The reduced ash contents of the washed coal increase the thermal efficiency of combustion, which in turn make a direct impact on reducing emission of pollutants. However the coal washing requires extra water and it can turn towards a pollution free society. Coal is mined by two main methods- Surface or ‘opencast’ and underground mining method. Geological condition determines the method of mining. Coal mining is usually associated with degradation of natural resources and destruction of habitat. This causes invasive species to occupy the area, thus posing a threat to biodiversity. Huge quantities of waste material are produced by several mining activities in the coal mining region. If proper care is not taken for waste disposal, mining degrades the environment. The method of waste disposal affects land, water and air and in turns the quality of life of the people in the adjacent areas. This paper tries to focus on the various issues of environmental pollutions in mining areas
Hegemony of Women: A Myth or Pragmatic Reality
Analysis of the status of women in self help group depends on an understanding of gender relations in a specific context. Examining gender relations as power relations makes clear that these are sustained by the institutions within which gender relations occur. For women in rural area, absence of power results in the lack of access to and control over resources, coercive gender division of labour, devaluation of their work, and a lack of control over their own labour and mobility. Here the study tries to show the real position of women working in Self Help Groups in surrounding places of Raniganj coal field. An attempt has been made to see the access and control over private assets and resources, access to public resources, control over their labour and income, control over their bodies control over physical mobility. The entry of women into political spaces has the potential to reorder gender power relations in the public arena. Women's access to knowledge, information and skills have to be made central not just to promote their 'participation in development, but so that they become tools to challenge subordination. Moreover, sustainable changes require women's entry not only to formal economic spaces but also community-level spaces, which means eliminating obstacles that impede their effective participation. In order to make the rural women more effective in decision making process unnecessary interference in their matter need to be minimized. Empowerment of women, requiring conditions that enable women to exercise their autonomy; it also envisages a process of self-empowerment, in which women begin to re-examine their lives critically and collectively. While the former involves the facilitation of women's access to and control over resources, the latter emphasizes women's agency in seeking greater access and control. There is a need to support of capacity building initiatives by highlighting women entrepreneurs’ successes and profiling role models. All SHG’s
Coal Mining, Environment and Contemporary Indian Society
Mining activity creates tremendous pressure on local flora and fauna particularly where diversion of forest land takes place for mining purposes. The effect of mining on ground water level, silting of surrounding water bodies and land are also great concern. Coal mining contributes largely towards economic development of the nation although it has a great impact upon the human health. It also has its impact on socio-cultural aspect of the workers and people residing in and around coal mining areas. Thus a holistic approach for taking up to mining activities, keeping in mind concerns for adjoining habitats and ecosystem, is the need of the hour. This requires identification of various sites where minerals exist and various factors ranging from appropriate angle of slope of overburden dumps, safe disposal drains, and safe techniques to various silt control structures etc. In India Coal companies are now working towards “clean coal†strategies, which aim to reduce environmental impacts. The reduced ash contents of the washed coal increase the thermal efficiency of combustion. Which in turn make a direct impact on reducing emission of pollutants. However the coal washing requires extra water and it can turn towards a pollution free society.
Environment Management in Mining Areas (A Study of Raniganj and Jharia Coal Field in India)
Coal mining practices in India have a long history. On a commercial scale mainly British companies started it in India. From its very first day exploitation of coal reserve started and it resulted into the environmental degradation through various ways. It is a topic of research importance because now a day the environmental problem is a burning global issue. Now a day if one observes any coal-mining project in India the truth aforesaid will automatically reveal. There is destruction of vegetation, soil resource, water resource; underground resource and great intensity of various pollutions have been observed. In short an inhuman treatment is meted out to the environment by modern civilization. The Raniganj Coal Field of Eastern Coal Field Ltd. and Jharia coalfield of BCCL are not an exception in this regard. Eminent Research scholars have done many research works in India regarding coalfield. But here the author wants to emphasize the environmental impact of the Raniganj and Jharia coal mining projects through this research work. Though coal is an essential resource but protection of environment is not less important. The author wants to disclose all the environmental impact of coal mining projects with its possible preventive measures. So the environmental impacts of coal mining projects are immense which will also help understand the development of Raniganj and Jharia coalmines.
