There Is A General Impression Among Many That Before Its Formation (1948) Himachal Pradesh Had No Social Or Cultural Unity. The Present Work Clears Up These Misconceptions And Examines From Facts Of History The Constant, Rich And Fruitful Socio-Cultural History Of The State.

The Himachal Pradesh Development Report Review`S The State`S Development Experience And Highlights Issues Critical For Its Future Progress. The State`S Latent Potential In Hydel Power, Tourism, Bio-Business And Its Transformation In Social Sectors Is Well Documented In The Report. The Report Is Expected To Serve As A Useful Reference And Stimulate Informed Debate On The Policy Issues Facing A Hill State.

This book identifies and analyzes livelihood impacts of recent environmental and socio-economic changes in urban and rural settings of the mountainous state of Himachal Pradesh, north western Himalaya, India. The findings of the research deal with the broader objectives of the changing patterns of agricultural production with special reference to diversification, as well as forest-based livelihood outcomes, Clean Development Mechanism forest project activities, the roles of different ethnic groups and non-governmental organizations and the benefits and shortcomings of tourism as a livelihood source. These tasks are studied by using an exploratory approach, with participant observation, interviews through random and cluster sampling among villagers, local land users and officials, as well as with land cover interpretation and secondary statistical data. This book is relevant for educational use together with policy input on the issues exploring livelihood security in a rapidly growing developing country.

Himalayan Histories, by one of India's most reputed historians of the Himalaya, is essential for a more complete understanding of Indian history. Because Indian historians have mainly studied riverine belts and life in the plains, sophisticated mountain histories are relatively rare. In this book, Chetan Singh identifies essential aspects of the material, mental, and spiritual world of western Himalayan peasant society. Human enterprise and mountainous terrain long existed in a precarious balance, occasionally disrupted by natural adversity, in this large and difficult region. Small peasant communities lived in scattered environmental niches and tenaciously extracted from their harsh surroundings a rudimentary but sustainable livelihood. These communities were integral constituents of larger political economies that asserted themselves through institutions of hegemonic control, the state being one such institution. This laboriously created life-world was enlivened by myth, folklore, legend, and religious tradition. When colonial rule was established in the region during the nineteenth century, it transformed the peasants' relationship with their natural surroundings. While old political allegiances were weakened, resilient customary hierarchies retained their influence through religio-cultural practices.

Proceedings of the National Seminar on Inclusive Growth in Agriculture, held at Osmania University on 27th March 2010.

An exploration of how states address the often conflicting challenges of development, order, and inclusion.