A Study Of Chit Finance In Kerala With Special Emphasis On Kerala State Financial Enterprises Ltd.

Chit funds contribute to the value of financial markets in India particularly in Kerala. Chit finances with its unique features are of great significance especially as a savings cum borrowing avenue. The present study entitled “A Study of chit Finance in Kerala with special emphasis on Kerala State Financial Enterprises Ltd.” examines the socio-economic aspects of Chit schemes run by the private Chit Funds, KSFE, co-operatives, and informal Chit Funds. The study is an attempt to find the reasons for the growing popularity of Chit Funds as savings cum borrowings avenues even in the presence of various other avenues of savings and borrowings and also to understand how the Chit subscribers utilize the funds. The objectives of the present study are to examine the trends and pattern of growth of Chit Funds in the formal sector in Kerala, performance of KSFE as the only public sector Chit Fund company in India, preference for joining Chit Funds, estimate the cost and return on Chit Funds etc. is an indigenous financial instrument is complementary to modern financial techniques of savings and borrowings. KSFE is the dominant foremen in the chit business in Kerala, its weaknesses result in the non-attainment of certain objectives. Driven by the growing trend of privatization, KSFE needs to be innovative and competitive. It is also necessary that KSFE continue its leadership role by being more effective in being the harbinger of more efficiency, professionalism and good governance in the Chit Fund Industry. The growth and development of chit business by protecting the interests of both the subscribers and the foremen will therefore be most beneficial for any growing economy.

Consumption Expenditure Pattern of Scheduled Caste Households of Kerala: a Study of Idukki District

The present study made an attempt to analyze the socio-economic background and the consumption pattern of scheduled caste households in Idukki district. The objectives of the study are to examine consumption pattern among the scheduled cast population, differences in the average consumption expenditure of different decile groups, consumption expenditure elasticity of items, variations in expenditure of SC households on food, non-food and total expenditure and to examine the association between consumption expenditure and variables such as income, education, occupation and area of residence. The study reveals that the Monthly Per Capita Expenditure of scheduled castes population in rural Kerala is lower than that of the general population. Average household size is higher in rural sector for Scheduled Caste in Kerala as well as all-India. The per capita expenditure of Scheduled Castes of rural Kerala is found to be much lower than that of general population. The study has found that the levels of livings of the Scheduled Castes are far the below the expectations. Large percentage of the Scheduled Caste belongs to the lower income groups. This is due their very low economic status and the consequent employment prospects in low paying occupations. The consumption standards of the majority of Scheduled Castes are found much below that of General population. Effective implementation of the Schemes for their economic upliftment is needed for improving their consumption standards, Minimum Wage Act in the case of agricultural labourers etc. are some of recommendations on the basis of this study.

Integrated Management for Sustainable Development of Coastal Zones – A Gis Based Study on the Central Kerala Coast

The present study focuses on the stability of the coast, exploitation of the coastal resources, human activities within the study are that extends from Fort Cochin at north to Thottappally at south, central Kerala State and hinterlands, socio-economic problems of the coastal community and the environmental issues arising in the recent past due to human activities. The objective of the study is critically analyse the coastal zone region and prevailing situation and to propose a comprehensive management plan for the sustainable development of the region under study. The thesis covers varied aspects of coastal uses like fisheries, tourism, land use, water resources etc. To critically examine the above scenarios, the ILWIS (Integrated Land and Water Information Systems) – GIS software has been used. A satellite image of the area has been used for the coastline change detection and land use patterns. The outcome of the present study will be beneficial to the various stakeholders within the coastal region and its hinterlands. To further add, this study should find better applications to similar or near-similar situations of Southeast Asia where identical scenarios are noticeable.

A Study of Coir Vyvasaya Co-Operative Societies in Kerala – Performance, Problems and Prospects

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the performance of Coir Vyavasaya Co-operative societies (CVCs) in Kerala. It was also intended to examine the extent of fulfillment of the objectives of Co-operativisation Scheme and the socio-economic betterment of worker members, Further the study was directed to find out the level of participation of members in the affairs of CVCs and to identify the major problems confronting the CVCs and the future prospects of the industry. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the performance of CVCs in Kerala with reference to the objectives of co-operativisation, socio-economic background of the worker members of the CVCs in the state, extent of members participation, major problems etc. Major findings of the study shows that 84% of CVCs surveyed were incurring losses, the long-term solvency position of the CVCS shows very pathetic situation, ration analysis shows and unhealthy state of affaires with respect to short-term solvency position and operating efficiency of all categories of CVS were found to be extremely poor. If CVCs are enabled to increase their quantity of production and there by the volume of business, their amount of loss can be reduced. If this is so, the societies can provide more days of employment to their work members, which will help them to earn more wages and thereby improve their economic and social conditions

Poverty, Inequality and Natural Resources Degradation

The present study is an attempt to understand the link between natural resource degradation and poverty among people dependent on these resources. This is done by examining the impact of depletion of marine resources on the livelihood and socio-economic condition of the small-scale marine fishery community in South Kerala. In Kerala, nearly ten lakh fisherfolk depend on the marine fishery resources for their livelihood. The overall level of education of the small-scale fishing community is lower than that of the State’s rural population. Almost all the households surveyed, is one way or other, depend on fishery resources for livelihood. Low levels percapita income and high levels of inequality imply the existence of a large proportion of poor people in the community who are vulnerable to external shocks. The study reveals that poverty was comparatively higher among households with no fishing assets, with only one earner, with more than two children, and depending entirely on pensions/remittances. The study has not provided any evidence to show that poverty in the community is the result of depletion of marine resources.

An Evaluation of Extension Activities in the Development of Aquaculture in Kerala

Aquaculture is one of the prime catalysts for the socio-economic development of Indian economy contributing to the nations food and nutritional security, export earnings, income and employment generation. In this study an evaluation of extension activities in the development of aquaculture in Kerala. This study was conducted with a view to examine how the Kerala fisheries department offered extension services to the aquaculture farmers in the freshwater and brackish water sectors of the state through various agencies like Fish Farmers Development Agency(FFDA), Brackish water Fish Farmers Development Agency (BFFDA). In this study there are 3 category of respondent’s fresh water beneficiary farmers, brackish water beneficiary farmers and fisheries extension officers. The main motive of the thesis is to make an attempt to explore the responses of local producers to the extension programs of the state with special reference to the aquaculture sector of Kerala, India. The most important technical constraint faced by the fresh water farmers was lack of knowledge followed by non-availability of quality seeds. In the case of brackish water farming, it was infection of disease followed by lack of knowledge. The overall activities of the department of fisheries were ‘fairly good’. It indicate the need for improvements in the delivery of extension services to various target groups. The state fisheries department has already moving towards evolving these modes of extension activities by community participation.

Dynamics of Land Use in Recently Settled Forest Areas: a Case Study of Attappady , Kerala

The present study on the dynamics of land use in recently settled forest areas. In the course of events, tribals lost their land; the demographic structure of Attappady changed; the cropping pattern got diversified; traditional techniques of production were ruined; new crops and new techniques of cultivation came to stay; and the entire cost and return structure of production underwent radical change. Migration to Attappady is essentially a continuation of the Malabar migration process from Travancore, through, some people from Tamil Nadu also had migrated to this region earlier. The demographic structure, along with land structure, has changed in favour of the settlers within a short span of time. Lack of security of ownership has acted as a strong reason for wanton exploitation of land resources. The major influencing factors on crop choices among settlers were labour endowment, date of settlement and education. Attappady is an unique ecosystem in Kerala characterized by many interdependables. The latest hand of environmental degradation is a grave danger especially on sloppy terrains,which are under cultivation of tapioca and dry annual crops like groundnuts, cotton, grams etc. Soil erosion as a result of the unplanned cultivation of these crops has resulted in dramatic decline in soil fertility and hence low crop productivity. This calls for a watershed management approach for the sustainable development of the region. A progressive agrarian transformation is warranted to maintain the homegarden as a sustainable production system in ecological and socio-economic terms.

A Study on the Transport and Distribution of Atmospheric Aerosols and its Influence on Regional Meteorological Parameters over the Indian Subcontinent

This doctoral thesis addresses the growing concern about the significant changes in the climatic and weather patterns due to the aerosol loading that have taken place in the Indo Gangetic Plain(IGP)which includes most of the Northern Indian region. The study region comprises of major industrial cities in India (New Delhi, Kanpur, Allahabad, Jamshedpur and Kolkata). Northern and central parts of India are one of the most thickly populated areas in the world and have the most intensely farmed areas. Rapid increase in population and urbanization has resulted in an abrupt increase in aerosol concentrations in recent years. The IGP has a major source of coal; therefore most of the industries including numerous thermal power plants that run on coal are located around this region. They inject copious amount of aerosols into the atmosphere. Moreover, the transport of dust aerosols from arid locations is prevalent during the dry months which increase the aerosol loading in theatmosphere. The topography of the place is also ideal for the congregation of aerosols. It is bounded by the Himalayas in the north, Thar Desert in the west, the Vindhyan range in the south and Brahmaputra ridge in the east. During the non‐monsoon months (October to May) the weather in the location is dry with very little rainfall. Surface winds are weak during most of the time in this dry season. The aerosols that reach the location by means of long distance transport and from regional sources get accumulated under these favourable conditions. The increase in aerosol concentration due to the complex combination of aerosol transport and anthropogenic factors mixed with the contribution from the natural sources alters the optical properties and the life time of clouds in the region. The associated perturbations in radiative balance have a significant impact on the meteorological parameters and this in turn determines the precipitation forming process. Therefore, any change in weather which disturbs the normal hydrological pattern is alarming in the socio‐economic point of view. Hence, the main focus of this work is to determine the variation in transport and distribution of aerosols in the region and to understand the interaction of these aerosols with meteorological parameters and cloud properties.

Financial Inclusion of Fisher Households in Coastal Kerala-Role of Micro Finance

Dept.of Applied Economics,Cochin University of Science and Technology

Communication Parameters in the Marine Fisheries Sector of Kerala-A Study of Kollam Coastal Villages

Department of Applied Economics,Cochin University of Science and Technology

Economics of Ornamental Fisheries in Kerala

Comprehensive studies integrating production, consumption and marketing of ornamental fishes were never conducted in the past in Kerala and this study is an attempt to highlight the dynamics in a systematic manner by making a primary empirical study. The advantages of such an approach are many. First, the study entails detailed empirical data under a given time frame on various inter linked economic activities in ornamental fisheries sector. Second, the study tries to improve upon the previous discipline-bound studies by adopting an integrated approach. As Kerala has diverse ecological and climatic conditions, case studies on various ornamental fish production systems help identifying suitable culture practice for selected environmental conditions. One of the major conclusions of this study as explained in the concluding chapter is that although Kerala is blessed with favourable geographic and climatic conditions needed for developing ornamental fishery, diverse local conditions and requirements contain adopting modern methods of enterprise development.Consumer studies conducted would help to identify the demand of ornamental fishes and the factors leading to it. Market studies would help in understanding the forces behind domestic market, which is very promising, but neglected. Viability studies throw light on the economic performance of both the production systems and the trading units of ornamental fishes. Despite the economic significance of ornamental fisheries industry, its development has been constrained due to various bio-technical, cultural, socio-economic, organisational and above all, institutional and policy failures. The outcome of the study would identify constraints facing the industry and institutional arrangements for development.

Implications of Government Sponsored Social Security and Welfare Schemes on Socioeconomic Status of Small Scale Marine Fisherfolk in Kerala

A socio-economic research is required as an attempt to address the socio-economic issues facing small-scale fisheries. A study of the socio economic conditions of small-scale fishermen is a prerequisite for good design and successful implementation of effective assistance Programmes. It will provide an overall pidure of the structure, activities and standards of living of small-scale fisherfolk The study is confined to the coastal districts of Ernakulam, Thrissur and Malappuram districts. It also gives a picture of socio-economic conditions of the fisher folk in the study area. The variables that may depict the standard of living of the small-scale fisherfolk are occupational structure, family size, age structure, income, expenditure, education, housing and other social amenities. It attempts to see the asset creation of the fisherfolk with the help of government agencies, and the nature of savings and expenditure pattern of the fisherfolk. It also provides a picture of the indebtedness of the fisherfolk in the study area. The study analyses the schemes implemented by the government through its agencies, like Fisheries Department, Matsyaboard, and Matsyafed; and the awareness of fisherfolk regarding these schemes, their attitude and reactions, the extent of accessibility, and the viability of the schemes.

Targeted Public Distribution System in Food Grains:Extent of Utlization by the Tribal Population in Kerala

In India, Food Security meant supply of food grains and the medium was Public Distribution System. Public Distribution System (PDS) is a rationing mechanism that entitles households to specified quantities of selected commodities at subsidized prices. The Objectives of PDS are maintaining Price Stability, rationing during times of scarcity, welfare of the poor, and keeping a check on private trade. Kerala has registered remarkable improvement in poverty reduction in general over the years among all social sections, including scheduled caste and scheduled tribe population. As part of the structural adjustment intended to reduce public expenditure, PDS has been modified as Revamped PDS (RPDS) during 1992 and later on as Targeted PDS (TPDS) in 1997, intended to target households on the basis of income criterion, classifying people as Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Above Poverty Line (APL). TPDS provides 25Kg. of food gra.ins through the Fair Price Shops per month @ Rs.3/- per Kg. of rice/ wheat to the BPL category and @Rs.8.90 and Rs.6.7O for rice and wheat respectively to the APL category of people. Since TPDS is intended to target the poor people, the subsidy spent by the government for the scheme should be beneficial to the poor people and naturally they should utilize the benefits by purchasing the food grains allotted under the scheme. Several studies have shown that there is underutilization of the allotments under TPDS. Therefore, the extent of utilization of TPDS in food grains, how and why remains as a major hurdle, in improving the structure and system of PDS. Livelihood of the tribal population being under threat due to increasing degradation of the resources, the targeting system ought to be effective among the tribal population. Therefore, performance of the TPDS in food grains, in terms of the utilization by the tribal population in Kerala, impact thereof and the factors, if any, affecting proper utilization were considered as the research problem in this study. The study concentrated on the pattern of consumption of food grains by the tribal people, whether their hunger needs are met by distribution of food grains through the TPDS, extent to which TPDS in food grains reduce their share of expenditure on food in the total household expenditure, and the factors affecting the utilization of the TPDS in food grains by the tribal population. Going through the literature, it has been noted that only few studies concentrated on the utilization of TPDS in food grains among the tribal population in Kerala.The Research Design used in this study is descriptive in nature, but exploratory in some aspects. Idukki, Palakkad and Wayanad have more than 60% of the population of the tribals in the state. Within the three districts mentioned above, 14 villages with scheduled tribe concentration were selected for the study. 95 tribal colonies were selected from among the various tribal settlements. Collection of primary data was made from 1231 households with in the above tribal colonies. Analysis of data on the socio-economic factors of the tribal people, pattern of food consumption, extent of reduction in the share of expenditure on food among the household expenditure of the tribal people and the impact of TPDS on the tribal families etc. and testing of hypotheses to find out the relation/association of each of the six variables, using the data on BPL and APL categories of households separately have resulted in findings such as six percent of the tribal families do not have Ration Cards, average per capita consumption of food grains by the tribal people utilizing TPDS meets 62% of their minimum requirement, whereas the per capita consumption of food grains by the tribal people is higher than the national average per capita consumption, 63% deficiency in food grains may be felt by tribal people in general, if TPDS is withdrawn, and the deficit for BPL tribal people may be 82%, TPDS facilitates a reduction of 9.71% in the food expenditure among the total household expenditure of the tribal people in general, share of food to non-food among BPL category of tribals is 55:45 and 40:60 among the APL, Variables, viz. household income, number of members in the family and distance of FPS from tribal settlements etc. have influence on the quantity of rice being purchased by the tribal people from the Fair Price Shops, and there is influence of household income and distance of FPS from tribal settlements on the quantity of rice being purchased by the tribal people from the open market. Rationing with differential pricing on phased allotments, rectification of errors in targeting, anomalies in norms and procedures for classifying tribal people as BPL/APL, exclusive Income Generation for tribal population, paddy cultivation in the landholdings possessed by the tribal people, special drive for allotment of Ration Cards to the tribal people, especially those belonging to the BPL category, Mobile Fair Price Shops in tribal settlements, ensure quality of the food grains distributed through the TPDS, distribution of wheat flour in packed condition instead of wheat through the Fair Price Shops are recommended to address the shortcomings and weaknesses of the TPDS vis-avis the tribal population in Kerala.

Technological Change and Modernisation in the Fishing Sector: The Question of Sustainability

Department of Applied Economics, Cochin University of Science And Technology.