eChapters

1. Introduction

Have you ever dreamt of exploring an entirely different realm? Envision a place where an alternate version of yourself can freely roam and pursue various activities without the constraints of reality. In this realm, you can engage in work, socialize, acquire possessions, conduct transactions, embark on novel experiences, and revel in unprecedented adventures. Now, imagine that major technology companies are actively developing this virtual world to make it a tangible part of your life. The once fantastical concept of the Metaverse is now poised to become the next major innovation(Jung et al., 2024). It is widely acknowledged by scholars and researchers that the Metaverse is an idea of technology that attracts itself as a three-dimensional monotony of the Internet. Moreover, as noted earlier, definitions of the metaverse in existing literature and among professionals reflect the integration of physical objects in virtual space as a consumable description of the metaverse great role(Dwivedi et al., 2022). The key to any Metaverse technology is their user experience. Analysis of Metaverse applications shows that most current applications are stand-alone or centralized. These applications provide different user experiences, based on the cardinal technology and interface devices used to communicate within virtual environments.2

Introduction

Entrepreneurship has a significant impact on the country’s economic growth and standard of living. As a start-up founder or small business owner, the person contributes not only towards oneself but also towards the local community, state, region, and country. Starting a new venture requires resources and facilities. Small scale enterprises generally find it difficult to have these resources and facilities of their own. Adequate finance is life and blood to start and run enterprises as it facilitates an entrepreneur to have enough funds to procure land, labour, materials, plant, machinery etc. Recognizing it, the government has come forward to support small entrepreneurs by providing them funds and other needed facilities.

Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP) and Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) were initiated by the government to guarantee funds to SC/STs both at State and Centre in pro portion to the size of their respective population. It was in 1974-75 in the Fifth Five Year Plan period that the Government of India introduced the policy of the Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) and later in 1979-80 in the Sixth Five Year Plan period the Special Component plan (SCP) which was renamed as Scheduled Caste Sub Plan in April, 2006 and renamed as Allocation for the Welfare of Scheduled Caste (AWSC) in February, 2017.Specifically, the SCSP and TSP mandated that pub lic resources towards SC/ ST welfare must be earmarked in proportion to their share in total population.The Narendra Jadhav Committee was constituted by the Planning Commission in 2010 in this regard.Every year, the Union Budget makes allocations exclusively for the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe.This fund is spent through the Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP) and the Tribal Sub Plan (TSP).As per the recommendations of the committee the earmarking of funds for all Central Ministries/Departments taken together should be at least 16.2% and 8.2% of the total Plan outlay respectivel under the SCSP and the TSP. The aim of such dedicated allocation is to promote nutritional security, livelihood security and entrepreneurship among these communities.

Stride of ICAR-IIVR and Operational Are

Amid nutritional and livelihood security of tribal population ICAR- Indian Insti tute of Vegetable Research (ICAR-IIVR), Varanasi has adopted 2724 tribal house holds from 24 villages of six clusters namely Faripan, Manvasa, Bakuliya, Chet wa, Jugail, Dahakudandi of Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh and one cluster from Ranchi, Jharkhand for implementation of TSP programme of the institute. Similarly 2566 Scheduled Caste (SC) households have been adopted from 33 vil lages of five different clusters of Varanasi, Mirzapur and Chandauli districts for implementing SCSP programme.

The most significant achievement in India after independence is the self-reliance in food grain production. The use of high yielding varieties, irrigation facilities, higher application of fertilizers & pesticides contributed to sufficient food grain production in the mid 60’s & 70’s of the last century. Later on development in other enterprises like dairy, poultry, piggery, fishery, sericulture etc., took place in an isolated manner. However, the productivity of these high yielding varieties and hybrids became stagnant during last decade and with limited scope for increasing the cultivable land, the country’s food security is likely to be threatened in the near future. According to a recent estimate the food grain requirement of India would be 380 and 450 million tons in the years 2025 & 2050 respectively with the present rate of population growth. On the other hand, despite significant breakthrough in food production the living standards of farmers are far from satisfaction; this situation is matter of great concern for the country. The farmers are losing confidence in farming due to declining returns; hence majority of them prefers to shift to non-agricultural vocations. If this trend continues in future, the potential to satisfy future food needs will be seriously compromised. Agriculture continues to be the pivotal sector in the Indian economy providing employment to 69 per cent of the population.

The coastal zone of Karnataka is marked by highly fragmented agriculture land with more than 70 per cent of the land holders belonging to small and marginal farmer categories. Though the average annual rainfall received in the zone is 4000mm, the kharif season crops suffer from submergence and lodging.  The rabi/summer crops fail due to low soil residual moisture because of high percolation loss and poor water holding capacity of soils. Thus, the returns from the land is very less resulting in migration of youngsters mainly to the Arab countries as well as the neighbouring states in search of a job. In this situation, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore through Extension Education Unit, Mangalore has demonstrated the Integrated Farming Systems (IFS) in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts to show that the IFS is profitable, sustainable and can secure the livelihood. The demonstrations were taken up in each farmer’sfield continuously for three consecutive years.

To analyze the impact of these demonstrations, case studies of three IFS demonstrated farmers were done during 2007 with the objective of documenting the farming systems demonstrated and the current farming systems practiced by the farmers; to analyze the income and employment generated and their impact on their socio-economic status. The yearwise documentation of the subsystems of the farming systems practiced by each farmer and the net income, percent increase of income over benchmark year, employment generation, cropping intensity, B:C ratio were analyzed. The results of the case studies are presented below.

Abstract

The green revolution concentrated only on a single enterprise, the crop.  Later on, developments in other enterprises like dairy, poultry, piggery, fishery, etc took place, however in an isolated manner.  Now it is essential to diversify the economic activities in an interdependent and integrated manner at micro level within the available resources. The system thus developed will be termed as integrated farming system approach.  This helps in generating sustained, stable farm income and higher employment. To achieve these objectives, several extension programmers were designed and conducted in integrated farming system demonstration undertaken by the Extension Education Unit of University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore in close association with other subject matter specialists. The programmes were implemented in selected taluks of Eastern Dry Zone of Karnataka. One such case study is presented here.

India is predominately a agriculture based country, wherein 85 per cent of the land holding are small and marginal. The per capita availability of land has been decreased from 0.5 ha in 1950-51 to 0.15 ha by the turn of the century and a projected future decline to less than 0.1 ha by 2020. This decline in trend in size of land holding poses a serious challenge to sustainability and profitability of the farming. The population is steadily growing without any possibility of increase in land area. The income from cropenterprise for an a average farmer is hardly sufficient to sustain his family. But the farmer has assured of a regular income for a reasonable standard of living by including other enterprises. The integrated farming system (IFS) seems to be the solution to continue to increase the demand for food production, stability of income and improvement of nutritional status of family members.
 
Agriculture in this millennium, due to emerging production scenario, higher economic growth, population explosion and shifts in dietary pattern has changed the supply and demand profiles of food respectively. Integrated Farming Systems (IFS) seems to be the possible solution to meet the continuous increase in demand for food, stability of income and diverse requirements of food grains, vegetables, milk, egg, meat etc., thereby improving the nutrition of the small-scale farmers with limited resources.

Abstract

Scholars have long been interested in the effects of markets on the diet of native populations because of diet’s direct impacts on health. Exposure and assimilation into a market economy result in shifts in modes of subsistence and decision-making about food consumption. But the clear direction of influence is often elusive. Increased market integration predicts expanded access to goods and services that may improve household and individual diet. At the same time, greater involvement in market trade can shift economic priorities away from secure subsistence production toward the lure of material gain and novel items. Here, we analyze the effects of integration into the market economy on household diet using data from a panel study of two villages of Tsimane’, an indigenous group of lowland Bolivia. Because the Tsimane’ have been undergoing varying degrees of integration into the market economy, they provide an ideal population among which to examine the relation between markets and dietary change.

In previous sections we discussed about the validity and estimation of validity. Now the question is whether the reliable and valid measuring instrument is sufficient condition to ensure the reliable and valid results in actual experiments? What if the measuring instruments are perfectly reliable and valid but the experiment is conducted in less controlled conditions? Can we expect accurate predictions under such conditions? The answer is No.

Interview method: It is a two way interactive (either face-to-face or through multimedia technology), method of data collection wherein the researchers elicit required response from the respondent by presenting stimulus in the form of series of questions pertinent to it.

Interview schedule: It is a data collection tool consisting of properly worded, sequentially arranged questions, tests relevant to objective of research.

The word “Credit” is derived from a Latin word “Credo”, meaning “I Believe”. The Latin verb “credere” means “to repose confidence in”. Note that borrowing is a function of ability to command capital or services currently with a promise to repay it in future i.e. obtaining certain amounts of money as loan to be rapid as specified in the Agreement between the concerned parties. Credit means the ability to command other peoples’ capital in return for a promise to repay at some specified time in future. It is therefore the combination of the “ability to borrow” and “willingness to borrow”.

Entrepreneurship means all the activities that a person has to do to start and run businesses in line with social, political and economic changes. Businesses include activities related to consumer likes and dislikes, feelings and behaviors, likes and dislikes and the introduction of business plans to meet all of consumer expectations. Entrepreneurship is seen as a ‘new product’ that will enable entrepreneurs to develop a new type of business organization and new business activities that address the changing needs of the community. 

Introduction

World’s population is continuously on the rise, triggering the demand for food. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO, 2011) observed that 70% increase in food production will be needed to sustain the globe’s population by 2050. Though, increase in agricultural production and productivity is said to be the panacea to solve food security issues, the greatest challenge that need to be addressed is the inefficiencies in the supply chain; instigated by insufficient storage capacities and perishability of food products. Food preservation and processing is highlighted in this context, as it serves to conserve/improve the quality and reduce food loss due to wastage as well as add nutritional security.

Concept of Entrepreneur

An entrepreneur is an economic man who seeks to maximize revenues by identifying and adopting innovations. However, entrepreneurs are willing to take risks and create change by organising human efforts. Entrepreneurs are vital to the country’s economic growth. Entrepreneurial development as a component of economic growth has long been acknowledged.

Starting from the basics, etymologically, the word entrepreneur comes from the French word “entreprendre”, which means “to do something”, and, in the Middle Era, it was originally used in the sense of a person who is active, who gets things done. The study of entrepreneurship reaches back to work in the late 17^th and early 18^th centuries of Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. “Entrepreneur” is a French word that first appeared in the French dictionary entitled Dictionnaire Universel de Commerce, compiled by Jacques des Bruslons and published in 1723. Richard Cantillon’s 1755 work “Essai sur la nature du commerce en general” changed the entrepreneurial concept. Risk has been used to identify entrepreneurs since ancient times. In India, entrepreneurship means Udyog.

The International Ergonomics Association (IEA) defines ergonomics or human factors as the scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of interactions among humans and other elements of a system, and the profession that applies theory, principles, data and methods to design to optimize human well-being and overall system performance.

This chapter introduces ergonomics as the science and practice of designing tools, systems and environments around human capabilities and limitations. It explains the meaning, significance and principal objectives of ergonomics, including safety, comfort, efficiency and human well-being. The historical development of the discipline is traced from early toolmaking and industrialization to contemporary human-centred design. Anthropometry is introduced as an essential basis for matching furniture, equipment and workplaces to different users. Examples from domestic life, education and professional settings demonstrate the practical relevance of ergonomic thinking. The chapter establishes human-centred design as the foundation for developing functional, safe and accessible solutions.

This chapter introduces wool as a natural, renewable and biodegradable keratin fibre produced by sheep. It explains the distinction between wool, hair and kemp and examines the historical development of wool sheep and the global and Indian wool industries. The chapter discusses the biological, physical and economic characteristics that make wool an important animal fibre. It also introduces wool's role in sustainable textiles, its value chain and the institutions involved in research, standards and development.

Introduction

Entrepreneurial communication is an action intended to forge a relationship with the other party in order to affect their interest, attitude, and behavior. This is due to the fact that it is never done without considering how it would affect both qualitative and quantitative outcomes. A person can transmit or receive information about another person’s needs, wants, perceptions, knowledge, or emotional states through the act of communicating. In the context of entrepreneurship, communication refers to a set of procedures for exchanging knowledge and understandings between individuals who are engaged in a predetermined or novel situation.

Every interaction that takes place during communication involves a shift and is dynamic. Since it is dependent on interaction and a transaction between speakers, communication cannot be understood s a straightforward process of transmission. The planned actions and activities are not hindered because the emission and reception occur simultaneously, with h the transmitter acting as both a receiver and a transmitter. The process of sending and receiving signals as knowledge, feelings, emotions, skills, talents, attitudes, activities, etc. is known as entrepreneurial communication.

In terms of information sharing about events, situations, involvement, impact, adaptation, etc., it is built on interactions between business owners, educators, and educated youth.

Indian agriculture now stands at a cross road. By 2050, Indian population will overtake that of China’s. The world population in the same year will be close to 9.5 billion. And to feed the human population of this planet, the agricultural production needs to be increased 60% over the present one by 2050. For India the target is 450 million tons by 2050.

This is a humongous task. This mammoth escalation of targeted food production has to be carried out with the constraints and barrier created by climate change, erosion of soil, bio-diversity, ecological disruption due to mindless anthropogenic action and wrong planning.

The production, productivity, income, livelihood, and ecological resilience in agriculture are not performing in perfect orchestration. They are in apparent contradiction. To produce 1 kilogram of rice, the equivalent water foot print is about 4000 litres. It is obvious that enhancing food productivity, there could be more disruption and stress on soil, water and bio-diversity. The ecological resilience is a subject of musical chaos and symphony amidst ecological function-stress-conservation-extraction-. Without depletion and disruption, it is simply impossible to initiate and foster agriculture production as well as productivity. But the question is what could be level of endurance? Wherein restoration and retention, ecological resilience will move in resonance and complementary manner.

Introduction

Human beings are the most critical components of an organization. The organization’s survival has improved all the facets contributing to its success. In a competitive world, human resources are sine qua non in an organization. Quality of work life (QWL) is critical for deciding organizational employee- related outcomes. Human resource management has a unique role in any organization. Organizational goals in an organization are achieved through planning, organization, staffing, direction, coordination, and control.