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Aging is a natural biological process that weakens the immune system, making elderly individuals more susceptible towards health issues. Morbidity, defined as the state of being ill or having a disease, is particularly more prevalent among the elderly people compared to other age groups. This study aimed to investigate the socio-demographic characteristics of elderly individuals as well as to identify the common types of morbidities affecting them in Belpada block, Bolangir district. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 150 elderly individuals aged 60 years and above in Belpada block, Bolangir district. Stratified sampling was employed to select participants. Data were collected using schedules, semi-structured interviews, case studies, clinical examinations, and verification of medical reports. Socio-demographic characteristics as well as types of morbidity patterns were recorded and analysed using Microsoft Excel, with results expressed as percentages. Among150 elderly individuals, males (54.34%) had higher morbidity prevalence than females (45.65%), likely due to more consumption of alcohol, tobacco, as well as smoking among men as compared to women. Osteoarthritis was most prevalent (76%, 114), followed by hypertension (65.33%, 98), eye problems (62.66%, 94), diabetes (59.93%, 89.9), hearing loss (55.33%, 83), acidity (34%, 51), dental issues (16%, 24), mental disorders (12.66%, 19), heart disease (9.33%, 14), constipation (7.33%, 11), paralysis (6%, 9), liver disease (5.33%, 8), and respiratory issues (4.66%, 7). Out of 150 elderly, 130 seeking medical care, Allopathy was mostly preferred (26.15%, 34) and very few (3.84%,5) relied on faith healer. Among them 125 elderly using facilities, most (46.4%, 58) were choosing government hospitals whereas 20 (13.3%) sought no treatment due to unawareness (30%), lack of accompaniment (30%), distance (25%), or financial constraints (15%). This study highlights a high burden of chronic morbidities among the elderly in Belpada block, with osteoarthritis, hypertension, and sensory impairments being the most prevalent. Males exhibited a slightly higher morbidity prevalence than females. These findings indicate the urgent need for targeted healthcare interventions, including regular screening, lifestyle modifications, and accessible primary care services, to address the health challenges faced by the elderly in this region.

Keywords: Morbidity, Health, Prevalence, Illness, Elderly, Geriatric, Chronic.

The coir industry of Kerala occupies a distinctive place in India’s industrial and labour history. Emerging as an export-oriented enterprise in the nineteenth century, it evolved into a widespread household-based production system that provided livelihood, social mobility, and occupational identity to thousands of rural families, particularly women. Conventional modernization theories assume that technological progress, industrial efficiency, and productivity growth generate broad-based social development. The experience of Kerala’s coir industry presents a different reality. This article examines the relationship between modernization and labour welfare by analysing the transformation of the coir sector from the expansion of household production after Independence to large-scale mechanization from the late twentieth century onward. Drawing on modernization theory, Marx’s concept of alienation, Durkheim’s theory of anomie, and moral economy perspectives, the study explores how technological change reshaped the economic, social, and moral foundations of a traditional occupational community. The study employs a qualitative historical-sociological methodology based on archival records, government reports, policy documents, industry surveys, labour studies, and contemporary research on the coir sector. The findings show that delayed technological adaptation during the 1970s and 1980s weakened Kerala’s competitive position and encouraged the relocation of production activities to neighbouring states. Mechanization later improved productivity, product diversification, and export performance, helping the industry remain competitive. However, labour displacement proceeded faster than labour reabsorption. Traditional household units declined sharply, employment contracted, women workers experienced disproportionate exclusion from emerging mechanized sectors, and long-standing systems of occupational knowledge transmission weakened. The erosion of occupational identity, community-based production networks, and small-scale entrepreneurship generated conditions of alienation, social dislocation, and economic insecurity. The study argues that modernization succeeded as a strategy of industrial survival but failed to ensure proportionate human development. It proposes a human-centred interpretation of modernization that places employment security, social inclusion, and occupational dignity alongside economic growth as essential measures of development.

Keywords: Coir Industry; Modernization and Mechanization; Labour Displacement; Occupational Transformation; Alienation and Anomie; Human Development.

The New Delivery Model of the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy for 2023–2027 introduces a major shift toward decentralized governance, granting Member States greater flexibility to meet shared socio-economic and environmental targets through unified National Strategic Plans. Key features include integrated Pillar I and II interventions, result-oriented annual reporting, mandatory eco-schemes, and digitalized satellite monitoring. Despite high expectations, Bulgarian and international research on the practical implementation challenges of this model remains scarce due to data gaps, a short execution experiences, and shifting political focus toward the EU Green Deal and regional geopolitical crises. This book chapter addresses this research gap by providing an initial assessment of the challenges surrounding the CAP New Delivery Model within the Bulgarian context. A three-stage qualitative methodology was employed: an autoethnographic summary of the authors’ direct experience in developing Bulgaria’s Strategic Plan and SWOT analysis; 15 face-to-face in depth interviews conducted in 2025 with institutional managers, agrarian producers, and independent experts; and a subsequent 7-expert Focus Group in 2026. By analyzing preparation, implementation, and monitoring dynamics alongside future shifts toward a National and Regional Partnership Plan, this study outlines critical strategic directions to optimize public interventions and stakeholder coordination for the next programming period.

Keywords: New Delivery Model, EU Green Deal, CAP reforms, Strategic Plan, National and Regional Partnership Plan, Bulgaria.

Agricultural labour and rural indebtedness in India remain deeply intertwined issues, shaping the socio-economic conditions of millions of people. The article extensively studied these themes, revealing the historical, economic, and political factors that contribute to the persistent cycle of debt and marginalization among agricultural labourers. This study critically examines the existing literature, drawing connections between different review studies to highlight the structural causes and consequences of rural indebtedness, its impact on agricultural labour, and possible policy interventions.

Keywods: Agricultural, labour, Indebtedness, Government programmes and policies,
JEL Classification: Q10, G51, Q18.

The archaeological study of the Tibetan Plateau has developed through several important stages, shaped by the changing political, social, and cultural conditions of the region. This paper examines the main periods of archaeological research on the prehistory of the Tibetan Plateau. The history of this field can be divided into three clear phases: the Western Exploration phase (1925–1950s), the Geological Survey phase (1951–1978), and the Progressive Period (1978–present). The paper describes the key discoveries and important archaeological findings made during each phase. By looking at what was achieved and what difficulties were faced in each period, this paper offers a balanced understanding of how Tibetan archaeology has developed and where it fits within the wider study of Asian prehistory.

Keywords: Tibetan Plateau, Archaeology, Historiography, Pleistocene, Holocene.