Decentralization in India, institutionalized through the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992 , was envisioned to deepen democracy and empower marginalized communities through grassroots self-governance. In Telangana, the newest state of India, the idea of decentralization found a unique expression through the Telangana Panchayati Raj Act of 2018. This law gave independent Gram Panchayat status to more than 2,600 Banjara Thandas, which are traditional tribal settlements. The paper explores how this change has influenced local governance, social identity, and the participation of the Banjara community in village decision-making and development activities. Drawing on qualitative field research across the districts of Adilabad, Khammam, Medak, Nizamabad, and Warangal, the study combines interviews with elected representatives, Naiks, women leaders, and community activists with field observations and policy analysis. The study found significant improvement in education, greater participation of women in local governance, and improved access to essential services, along with a visible drop in poverty levels. However, some issues still persist, especially in terms of financial independence, administrative efficiency and the need to balance traditional tribal systems with modern governance structures. The paper concludes that Telangana’s experience shows decentralizationis effective only when governance reforms are grounded in local cultural contexts and give people a real voice in decision-  making. This approach provides useful lessons for building inclusive tribal governance and strengthening democratic participation across South Asia

Keywords: Banjara Community; Decentralization; Telangana Panchayati Raj Act 2018; Tribal Governance; Participatory Democracy; Cultural Autonomy; Inclusive Development; South Asia.

Menstruation is surrounded by deep-rooted cultural and religious taboos, which infact affect the health of women and their overall well-being. The stigmas surrounding menstruation acts as an obstacle in discussing it openly. Seclusion practices prevailing during menstruation as well as the temple bans, shows how customs continue to promote discrimination despite legal interventions. It is prevalent not only in rural regions but also in urban areas. With the advent of education, young women are capable of breaking the chains of menstrual restrictions, but still, this is not the case for the entire female population of our country. Due to awareness  ampaigns, women are becoming more aware of the importance of menstrual hygiene. An attempt is made to study the practices prevailing all across the world, with an emphasis on India, where these taboos and stigmas surrounding menstruation are deeply entrenched in cultural traditions and practices. It also aims to highlight how this stigmatisation leads to psychological and structural violence against women, undermining their constitutional rights. Besides the study also undermines the need to re-examine multi-dimensional approach and the role of government initiatives in identifying the pathways to achieve menstrual justice, dismantle harmful cultural stereotypes, promote gender equality and ensure sustainable waste management.

Keywords: Cultural taboos; Gender Equality;Government initiatives ;Menstrual hygiene; Sustainable management.

The Jat and Khap people form a special relationship via sharing a mirror appearance with one another. Secondly, its identity is enriched by the gotra. Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana are three Indian states where the contemporary concepts of gotra, Jats, and khaps are still closely intertwined. Dominance and control are established by the three components in a linear fashion. Both the people they serve and the aim of the Khap Panchayats have changed throughout the years. As they move beyond outdated linguistic practices, the Khap Panchayats are constantly evolving. Elders from the same clan, gotra, or caste meet as a council in the Khap Panchayats. The majority of the Khaps are Jats. In Jat areas like Rohtak, Sonepat, Jhajjar, Bhiwani, etc., the Khaps are the most common. The Khaps are considered final arbiters in disputes involving the communities under their jurisdiction. On the other hand, the Sarva Khap Panchayat might hear challenges. Consolidating their position as a powerful force, the Khaps compel unwavering, unconditional obedience. Due to the immense power and influence they possess, no political faction or individual would dare openly challenge their rulings. The Indian Khap Panchayat system has long piqued the curiosity of scholars and activists who have analyzed and debated its many facets, including its theory, its system, and the roles and effects of power within it, particularly as it relates to social practices like marriage and the alarming rise in honor killings. The Khap Panchayat system is going to be the subject of my presentation.

Keywords: Identity, caste, Khaps, control, marriage, exogamy, panchayats, honor killing.

The South Asian region, home to more than one-fifth of the global population (1.74 billion), is at a crucial juncture in health system evolution, where it can leverage the new social and economic order by way of reducing health disparities, enhance population health, and be crisis resilient. Health systems oriented towards Public Health Care (PHC), that integrate essential public health functions, are better positioned to detect, respond to, and recover from crises. To that end, PHC-oriented health systems will support the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) movement, and advance the wider agenda of sustainable development in the region. This paper is an exploratory study to understand the healthcare status of the countries through review of published health service data, articles, reports, and interactions with some public health professionals. Based on the same, the authors attempted to summarize the current health care status of the SAR countries and suggest the way forward.

Keywords: SAR, PHC, health care, governance, cross-sectoral initiatives.

We conducted a study on the association between the extent of land degradation and the prevalence of anaemia among women and children in 75 dryland and non-dryland districts in India. Statistical tools like multiple linear regression were applied. The regression results clearly showed that land degradation had a significant effect on the prevalence of anaemia among rural women aged between 15 and 49 years (Beta = .416, p<.05) and children aged between 6 and 59 months (Beta = .254, p<.05) in drylands. Likewise, land degradation had a significant effect on the prevalence of anaemia among women (Beta = .343, p<.05) and children (Beta = .387, p<.05) in non-drylands.

Keywords: Anaemia, Women, Children, Degradation, Desertification,