PEARL Multidisciplinary Journal

Terrestrial Radio Nuclides in the Soil of Udupi District and Gamma Dose Rate for the People

The paper discusses the results of detailed studies on gamma radiation levels, 226Ra, 232Th and 40K concentrations in soils of Udupi, Kundapur and Karkala Taluks of Coastal Karnataka region of India. The gamma absorbed dose rates were measured using portable GM survey meter and soil radioactivity was by gamma spectrometry method using an HPGe detector. The results show that the 226Ra concentration varies in the range 1.2 –78.0 Bq kg-1 with a mean of 30Bq kg-1, 232Th in the range of 1.6 - 166Bq kg-1 with a mean of 56Bq kg-1 and 40K in the range 12 – 477Bq kg-1 with a mean of 189Bq kg-1 in the 0-5 cm soil profile. The gamma absorbed dose rates, measured using the GM survey meter, show that the dose varies in the range of 70.0 - 123.0 nGy h-1. These values are comparable to those reported for other normal background regions of India.

Employee Health and Welfare - A Pathway to Organizational Success

This article focuses on the health and welfare provisions and its importance and influence on the development of both the employee and the organization.

In the present global industrial scenario, for any industry to be successful, it is essential to inculcate effective provision of health and welfare measures to employees. Any organization would become dynamic and growth oriented if the employees are motivated to perform better, feel better, and feel comfortable in the place of work. Organization cannot survive beyond a point unless these are continuously alert to the changing environment and continuously prepare their employees to meet the challenges and have an impact on environment as the welfare facility and health conditions are related to environment, providing these facilities will have a lot of impact on their performance and productivity. The term “health” is a positive and dynamic concept and implies more than an absence of illness. Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease (WHO). Medical care and health facilities for industrial workers form an integral part of labour welfare programmes in all the countries of the world. Health measures should be strictly followed to provide conducive working conditions to the employees at place of work. The various welfare measures provided by the employer will have immediate impact on the health, physical and mental efficiency alertness, morale and overall efficiency of the worker and thereby contributing to the higher productivity.

Hence this paper examines the different types of health facilities provided in the organization and awareness of the employees on the same, employee perception on various health provisions, its impact and significance on employee performance and growth of the organization with reference to five star hotels in, Mangalore. The population for the study consists of employees from one of the five star hotels in Mangalore and 50 respondents were taken for the study through systematic random sampling. The study has revealed that health and welfare measures results in high employee performance, contribute towards growth of the business, increase employee morale and motivation and organization can retain and attract the talented employees.

Behavioural Implications in Impoverishment of The Subaltern Sustainable Livelihood Models

There are several causative factors of perpetuation of poverty including economic, social, psychological, political, structural, cultural, environmental and physical. Among these the psychological factors particularly behavioral paradigm focus on social psychological reasons influencing the penetration and perpetuation of poverty. As regards the livelihood models of the poor most of them are not sustainable due to the influence of the behavioral structures and patterns of the poor making them circle around the whirlpool of impoverishment. The subaltern culture force them to stick on to such delimiting behaviours whether it is fatalism, idleness, addiction habits, debts, extravagancy, lack of saving, having no future financial plan and a host of others. It is a conceptual paper to analyse the behavioral implications in the perpetuation of poverty and consequently failure in sustainability of livelihood means. Educational illiteracy, growing unemployment, geographical and climatic hit backs add to the menace.  The paper calls for studies on prevailing structures and the need for social work intervention in terms of public participation towards social enterprises and social innovations to tackle the unsustainable nature of livelihood models of the poor. Extracts of interview with community leaders are added to support the theoretical framework. Social work methods, particularly community organization must focus upon this area to find suitable remedy.

Socio Economic Status and Working Conditions of Women Beedi Workers and The Need for Social Protection

The beedi industry is one of the biggest among the unorganized sectors spread all over India, employing a large number of women. The occupational life of Beedi workers are characterized by low wages, piece rated remuneration, lack of social security and absence of organization.  The majority are home based women workers who live under the poverty line. The beedi rolling is generally done by poor women in backward areas where the workers have usually no other means of sustainable employment.

Green Banking – A Pathway to Sustainable Development

It is well known fact that our ecosystem has undergone a rapid change due to climate change and other reasons. It is the concern and duty of human beings to see that our planet is protected and would provide a safe place to live for our future generation. Banks and financial institutions can also play a major and decisive role to make our planet a better place to live in. As providers of finance, banks can ensure that businesses adopt environment-friendly practices. Incentives by way of offering cheaper funds for adopting green technologies will have a long term beneficial impact on the environment. As major implementers and users of technology, banks themselves can adopt green practices and thereby lead the way in this global initiative of protecting the planet. With this background the present studies aims at analyzing the role of Reserve Bank of India in initiating green banking practices and describe steps taken by State Bank of India (SBI) in promoting green banking.