Working of Women’s Industrial Co-operative Societies in Kerala

This study deals with the working of Women’s Industrial Co-operative Societies (WICS) in Kerala. The formation of women’s co-operatives was identified as a lucrative enterprise and a feasible proposition for empowerment of women through encouraging and ensuring their active participation in the process of social and economic development. The problem of unemployment of Women and poverty in India can be tackled effectively only through suitable and appropriate self-employment schemes. WICS help to supplement the income of families and thus raise the standard of living. WICS in Kerala have a significant role in the elimination of industrial backwardness and mounting employment. This study focuses its attention on the performance aspects of WICS. It also gives an introduction to the co-operative movement and review of literature on industrial co-operatives in general and women’s industrial co-operatives in particular.

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

Secret Sharing Schemes Using Visual Cryptography

Secret sharing schemes allow a secret to be shared among a group of participants so that only qualified subsets of participants can recover the secret. A visual cryptography scheme (VCS) is a special kind of secret sharing scheme in which the secret to share consists of an image and the shares consist of xeroxed transparencies which are stacked to recover the shared image. In this thesis we have given the theoretical background of Secret Sharing Schemes and the historical development of the subject. We have included a few examples to improve the readability of the thesis. We have tried to maintain the rigor of the treatment of the subject. The limitations and disadvantages of the various forms secret sharing schemes are brought out. Several new schemes for both dealing and combining are included in the thesis. We have introduced a new number system, called, POB number system. Representation using POB number system has been presented. Algorithms for finding the POB number and POB value are given.We have also proved that the representation using POB number system is unique and is more efficient. Being a new system, there is much scope for further development in this area.

A Study of Scheduled Tribe Co-Operative Societies in Wayanad District-Performance,Problems and Prospects

Department of Applied Economics, Cochin University of Science and Technology

La Pintura del segle XVIII... el secret, la intimitat

Materials didàctics del grup d'investigació Observatori sobre la Didàctica de les Arts (ODAS)

Efficacy of Cluster- Based Approach for the revival of Handloom Co-operative Societies in Kerala- with special reference to Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur Districts

one of the key sectors, identified by the Department of Industries Government of Kerala, for the cluster development initiative is Handloom, which gives employment to over over 50,000 people directly. Despite its age old tradition and fame, the performance of the sector vis-à-vis power looms is not very rosy owing to (i) competition from cheap power loom cloth from other states (ii) scarcity of quality yarn (iii) price escalation of yarn, dyes, chemicals and other raw materials (iv) the shrinking market for handlooms in Kerala (v) non-demand based production and inadequacy of new designs and (vi) inefficiencies in the system, particularly in the co-operative sector. Cluster based approach is adopted in the handloom sector with the objective of providing necessary support mechanism to come out of the crisis that the sector faces now. While four cluster schemes are being implemented in Kerala, it is under IHDS-CDP that the State got a sizeable number of clusters benefiting a large number of societies and weavers- 24 handloom clusters, bringing 152 handloom co-operative societies and over 19,800 handloom workers under the Programme. This research attempts to revisit the underlying rationale and context of the new direction and would attempt to broadly analyze the growth trends under the influence of cluster model adopted by the State IHDS-CDP for the revival of handloom sector through a detailed study of the handloom co-operative societies in Kerala. If handloom sector in Kerala can be revived using cluster based approach, it can be easily concluded that cluster is capable of taking the MSME in Kerala to a ‘high growth path.’ The study is aimed at understanding how best clusters emerge as appropriate industrial organization suitable for the current global structure of manufacture

Offline Emergence Engineering For Agent Societies

Many examples for emergent behaviors may be observed in self-organizing physical and biological systems which prove to be robust, stable, and adaptable. Such behaviors are often based on very simple mechanisms and rules, but artificially creating them is a challenging task which does not comply with traditional software engineering. In this article, we propose a hybrid approach by combining strategies from Genetic Programming and agent software engineering, and demonstrate that this approach effectively yields an emergent design for given problems.

Political Education in Plural Societies: Using the Anti-Bias Approach to Challenge Oppression in Bombay and Berlin

This study addresses the effectivity of the Anti-Bias approach and training methodology as a pedagogical political strategy to challenge oppression among student groups in the cities of Bombay and Berlin. The Anti-Bias trainings conducted within the framework of this study also become the medium through which the perpetuation of oppressive structures by students within and outside the school is investigated. Empirical data from predominantly qualitative investigations in four secondary schools, two each in Bombay and Berlin, is studied and analysed on the basis of theoretical understandings of prejudice, discrimination and identity. This study builds on insights offered by previous research on prejudices and evaluations of anti-bias and diversity interventions, where the lack of sufficient research and thorough evaluations testing impact has been identified (Levy Paluck, 2006). The theoretical framework suggests that prejudices and discriminatory practices are learnt and performed by individuals over the years by way of pre-existing discourses, and that behaviour and practices can be unlearnt through a multi-step process. It proposes that the discursive practices of students contribute to the constitution of their viable selves and in the constitution of ‘others’. Drawing on this framework, the study demonstrates how student-subjects in Bombay and Berlin perpetuate oppressive discourses by performing their identities and performing identities onto ‘others’. Such performative constitution opens up the agency of the individual, disclosing the shifting and dynamic nature of identities. The Anti-Bias approach is posited as an alternative to oppressive discourses and a vehicle that encourages and assists the agency of individuals. The theoretical framework, which brings together a psychological approach to prejudice, a structural approach to discrimination and a poststructural approach to identity, facilitates the analysis of the perpetuation of dominant discourses by the students, as well as how they negotiate their way through familiar norms and discourses. Group discussions and interviews a year after the respective trainings serve to evaluate the agency of the students and the extent to which the training impacted on their perceptions, attitudes and behavioural practices. The study reveals the recurrence of the themes race, religion, gender and sexuality in the representational practices of the students groups in Berlin and Bombay. It demonstrates how students in this study not only perform, but also negotiate and resist oppressive structures. Of particular importance is the role of the school: When schools offer no spaces for discussion, debate and action on contemporary social issues, learning can neither be put into practice nor take on a positive, transformative form. In such cases, agency and resistance is limited and interventionist actions yield little. This study reports the potential of the Anti-Bias approach and training as a tool of political education and action in education. It demonstrates that a single training can initiate change but sustaining change requires long-term strategies and on-going actions. Taking a poststructural perspective, it makes concrete suggestions to adapt and alter the Anti-Bias approach and the implementation of Anti-Bias trainings.

La pelota no se mancha: Un estudio histórico sobre el desarrollo y la política en FIFA

Esta investigación se centra en la Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) como organización política. Intenta responder dos interrogantes primordiales: 1) ¿cómo la FIFA ha constituido el poder que tiene actualmente y, así, hacerse del monopolio indiscutido del fútbol? Y 2) ¿cómo ha cambiado en el tiempo la política interna de FIFA y su vínculo con la política internacional? Para lograr esto, se realiza un estudio histórico, basado principalmente en documentos, que intenta caracterizar y analizar los cambios de la organización en el tiempo. Se enfatizan las últimas dos presidencias de FIFA, de João Havelange y Joseph Blatter, como casos de estudio.

El World Council of Comparative Education Societies (WCCES) : equilibrios, misiones y prospectivos.

Resumen tomado del autor. Resumen del autor también en inglés. Monográfico titulado: La REEC cumple 10 años. La Educación Comparada entre los siglos (1995-2005)

At the centre of the Bologna process : do European universities train their students to face knowledge based societies?. 'En el centro del proceso de Bolonia: ¿entrenan las universidades europeas a sus estudiantes para enfrentarse a sociedades basadas en el conocimiento?'.

Resumen tomado de la publicación. Monográfico con el título: El proceso de Bolonia : dinámicas y desafíos de la enseñanza superior en Europa a comienzos de una nueva época

The secret room.

Pertenece a un amplio programa infantil de lectura que abarca distintos niveles de edad y, por tanto, de conocimientos. Se abordan las necesidades de lectura en los niños y la amplia variedad de habilidades que necesitan adquirir para su aprendizaje y, se destaca, también, la importancia de la narración en las historias y el orden recomendado para su lectura. En el nivel cuatro, existe en los distintos libros que lo forman, una continuidad narrativa en las aventuras y fantasías que viven un grupo de amigos y su perro en torno a una llave mágica.

Bertha's secret battle.

Forma parte de una colección de libros de ficción estructurada en varias etapas, desde la diez a la catorce, y que tiene como finalidad que los alumnos de entre 7 y 11 años adquieran una mayor capacidad lectora. Para ello, las formas narrativas de las historias se hacen cada vez más complejas y se amplia el vocabulario de ellas; se aumentan el número de páginas y de texto y se reduce el número de ilustraciones. Bertha y Fiona son unas gemelas que viven juntas, lo comparten todo pero, en su trabajo, siempre es Fiona la ganadora.

Professor Puffendorf's secret potions : activities and adapted tex by Jane Cadwallader.

El profesor Puffendorf es el más grande del mundo científico. Su laboratorio es un lugar lleno de botellas y tubos, máquinas que rechinan, y un viejo armario marcado como, alto secreto donde se encuentran sus secretas pociones que nunca han sido probadas. Un día sale y deja a su asistente y a su mascota. Ahora Enzo tiene la oportunidad tener en sus manos las las pociones. La historia utiliza un lenguaje adecuado para niños pequeños. El vocabulario, los temas, y las estructuras utilizadas son las que se encuentran en los dos primeros grados de primaria de inglés. Incluye un diccionario imagen con el vocabulario clave de la historia y cuaderno de actividades.