Erstwhile villages in urban India

In the process of urbanisation villages are becoming parts of cities or towns, and are becoming almost irreversibly transformed as a result. Erstwhile villages, now parts of cities and towns, are on the margins of an urbanising India. They are lagging behind other parts of the cities in terms of receiving basic urban services and infrastructures. Urban development processes should look at the specific issues and concerns of these villages independently from the need and scope of planning for the city at large. This would make the transition from rural to urban status fair and inclusive for erstwhile villagers.     

Surplus yield and production structure: The case of small‐scale rural industries in West Bengal

Rural industries in West Bengal are characterized by a multiplicity of organizational forms, such as independent petty production, petty production under subcontracting relations with a master trader, modern small‐scale production, and medium‐sized capitalist production. On the basis of field data, we have estimated the amount of surplus generated by these different kinds of producer across a number of organizations and industries, using an alternative criterion: imputing wages to family labour. It was observed that a large number of petty producers generate negative or very low surpluses, and thus have to find supplementary sources of income. Further, the surpluses generated by petty producers attached to a master trader are generally higher than those of independent petty producers.This can be explained in one of two ways. Either the existence of mutual trust between attached petty producers and a master trader offers the former certain advantages over the independent ones, in terms of steady access to urban markets, cheaper sources of raw materials, and easy credit. Or, alternatively, the control such attachment licenses enables a master trader both to extract and to maintain continuous access to higher levels of surplus. For these reasons, this system, of organization lends viability to artisanal production.     

Family-planning methods among the tribal population in south Gujarat: a case study of access and usage

The article explores knowledge and practices of family planning among the tribal population of south Gujarat, India. The authors examine the reasons for discontinuation and non-use of various modern contraceptive methods by tribals and draw contrasts with practices in the urban population. They consider the roles of women, family members, local leaders, and effective communication, along with NGOs and the private sector, and make recommendations for increasing access to and usage of various family-planning methods by the tribals.     

The squatting facet on femora of West Coastal Indian population

104 out of 108 adult femora from the West Coastal region of India show a distinct identifiable squatting facet on their popliteal surface. The data on such features are reviewed and its relevance to medico legal and anthropological science is discussed.     

The Emergence of Environmental Concerns: Hydroelectric Schemes in Scotland

Regulating the environmental impacts of hydroelectric schemesis of increasing importance in the light of the strong policydrive towards expanding the proportion of energy gained fromrenewable sources. Yet hydroelectric schemes are significantin another way. They provide an unusual example of a technologythat has changed little over the last 100 years and thus offersa real opportunity to judge the impact of a changing regulatoryclimate. In Scotland, three distinct phases can be detected.Earlier controls focussed on the protection of private interests,especially fishing rights, with authorisations secured throughPrivate Acts of Parliament. This was followed by a period wherepromotion of such schemes lay with public bodies; though undergeneral statutory duties, ultimately the balancing of environmentaland other interests lay with such bodies who acted with fewexternal controls. Privatisation of electricity generation in1989, coupled with the growing development of relevant EuropeanCommunity legislation, dramatically shifted the regulatory balances.Environmental Assessment requirements and now the obligationsof the Water Framework Directive have substantially alteredthe concept and scope of environmental concerns in this field.     

Fatal exsanguination following complete transection of femoral vessels due to angle grinder injury in an industrial accident

Angle grinders are one of the most dangerous and frequently used tools in industrial settings. Angle grinder injuries range from superficial cuts to deep penetrating injuries with underlying fracture-dislocation and vascular trauma. The injuries caused by angle grinders mostly involve the head, face, or upper limbs, while the lower limb is an unusual site. The high-speed rotating disc of the angle grinders does not respect anatomical boundaries or structures; therefore, the injuries caused may be disfiguring, permanently incapacitating, or even fatal. We report a fatal case of an angle grinder injury to the lower limb. The victim sustained a sharp cut over the left thigh while woodworking in an industrial setup. The rotating disc of an angle grinder had transected the skin, subcutaneous fat and muscles, and both the femoral vessels of the left side, which led to fatal exsanguination within 10 min of the incident.