<p>The article is a comparative study of South Asian caste and Mediterranean citizenship in the development of the classes and the state. The article discusses the development of states within lineage. (Rajeev Ranjan Singh 2007-02-15)</p>
<p>The article discusses contraceptive use and its determinants in a sub-urban community. The study area is the Mahankal panchayat, which is one of the 33 panchayats of the Kathmandu district located in the north-east corner of Kathmandu valley. The article presents the results of detailed analysis of the couples adopting various forms of contraceptive devices. All the information was collected during the field research activity of the family health project, IOM under a UNFPA fund, and is supplemented by additional information on family types and contraception history. The article attempts to analyze the determinants of contraception use rather than analyzing the type of contraceptive used. (Rajeev Ranjan Singh 2007-01-24)</p>
<p>The article documents ethnobotanical information of the Tamangs of Kathmandu valley area with special reference to the wild plants useful in meeting their various daily needs. The surveys were carried out from an anthropological field technique involving direct interview and discussion with key informants including the local 'Bonpo' healers. The article lists around 100 wild plant species said to be useful in meeting various basic needs by the Tamangs of Kathmandu valley. (Rajeev Ranjan Singh 2007-02-11)</p>
<p>The article focuses on the issue of education in mother tongues. It includes a case study of the Newari language. The article analyzes His Majesty's Government of Nepal's policy on mother tongue education. The author indicates the popular demand for education in mother tongues is low. The author observes that so-called English boarding schools are flourishing among the Newars of Kathmandu. The author argues that a sense for the children's future career easily supersedes language idealism. (Rajeev Ranjan Singh 2007-02-26)</p>
<p>This article begins by reviewing the categorization of English as a second language (ESL) and as a foreign language (EFL) and the pedagogy such categorization is supposed to imply. The author tries to show the distinction between the ESL and EFL is ambiguous, and the author argues that the definitions fail to establish the status of English, at least in Nepal. The author tries to show that the pedagogy resulting from this distinction, especially the model question, also remains vague. The article concludes that the recent emphasis on the legitimacy of non-native varieties of English has significant implications for ELT. The author argues that English in Nepal is a case in point. Although Nepal has been presented as an EFL country, it is difficult to establish its status unambiguously. (Rajeev Ranjan Singh 2007-01-27)</p>
<p>The article discusses environmental problems in the Nepal Himalaya. It analyzes the environmental problems faced by Nepal, particularly in the hill and mountain regions. This paper, after portraying the geographical background of Nepal, throws light upon the global concern regarding the environmental problems faced by mountains, analyzes the various causes and consequences of environmental degradation in Nepal, highlights upon some efforts made by the government to solve the problems, and concludes with some recommendations. (Rajeev Ranjan Singh 2007-02-25)</p>
<p>The article is a brief synopsis of the phenomenon of errors in writing. It sees error as a process in language development rather than as a final product. The article distinguishes the difference between an error and a mistake. It broadly categorizes the study of error into two categories: linguistic approaches and non-linguistic approaches. In this article the study is based on the linguistic approach which is of two types: the contrastive analysis approach and the error analysis approach. The author argues that most of the studies in error analysis attempt to classify a learner's error. Errors are generally divided into two categories: intra-lingual errors and interference errors. The article also discusses the studies of other scholars on this topic. It suggests that work on known rather than hypothesized errors are more fruitful. The error based approach proposed for the Nepalese context is of course a pedagogical one, and does not deny the validity of contrastive explanations for some errors. The results of this approach are significant to the teacher in that they help him assess the level of achievement of the learner and by implication the teaching content for the future. (Rajeev Ranjan Singh 2007-01-17)</p>
<p>The article gives an assessment of forests as a main resource of Nepal. The article brings awareness about the importance of afforestation and argues it should be encouraged. Forest is an important component of the earth's environment. The article discusses on the topographic details of Nepal, its bio-diversity and natural vegetation. It raises the issue of deforestation in Nepal which is a serious problem due its intensity and environmental implications. So the author calls for the immediate attention of planners and policy makers for remedial action for the preservation of the dwindling forests of Nepal. (Rajeev Ranjan Singh 2006-10-23)</p>
<p>The article discusses Daitya and Kumar as the protectors of Taleju bhavani of Kathmandu. (Rajeev Ranjan Singh 2007-02-19)</p>
<p>The article attempts to analyze the present land use patterns and effects of ecological degradation on land utilization in the Madi valley, Nepal. The article concludes that although the Madi valley is the biggest agricultural area in the Tinau watershed, which is ideal for paddy production, is not cultivated all the year round. The two main problems for agricultural land use in the Madi valley are drought and flood. That means provision of proper irrigation and conservation of water through scientific management is needed, and proper drainage and flood control measures are required. The article includes two maps. (Rajeev Ranjan Singh 2007-01-28)</p>
<p>The article discusses an ancient tax system called mallakara. Various types of taxes played a role in public finance in the ancient economy of Nepal. Taxes were levied on produce at the point of origin. There are numerous references to production taxes on a wide variety of commodities, and the most frequent reference is to the mallakara. The article is based on the study of old inscriptions (abhilekhs). (Rajeev Ranjan Singh 2007-01-15)</p>
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The rich floral and ethnic composition of eastern Nepal and the widespread utilization of locally available medicinal plants offer remarkable opportunity for ethnomedicinal research. The present paper aims to explore medicinal plant diversity and use in the remote villages of eastern Nepal. It also aims to evaluate ethnopharmacological significance of the documented use reports and identify species of high indigenous priority. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was undertaken in four villages located in the Sankhuwasabha district in eastern Nepal. Ethnomedicinal information was collected through structured interviews. The homogeneity of informant's knowledge and the relative importance of documented medicinal plants were validated by informant consensus factor and use value, respectively. Species preference for treatment of particular diseases was evaluated through fidelity level. RESULTS: We reported medicinal properties of 48 species belonging to 33 families and 40 genera, for the treatment of 37 human ailments. The uses of 10 medicinal plants were previously undocumented. The informant consensus factor (FIC) ranged between 0.38 and 1 with about 50% of values greater than 0.80 and over 75% of values greater than 0.70, indicating moderate to high consensus among the informants on the use of medicinal plants in the region. Swertia chirayita was the most preferred species with significantly high use values, followed by Paris polyphylla and Neopicrorhiza scrophulariiflora. CONCLUSIONS: The remote villages in eastern Nepal possess rich floral and cultural diversity with strong consensus among informants on utilization of plants for local healthcare. The direct pharmacological evidence for medicinal properties of most species indicates high reliability of documented information. Careful and systematic screening of compounds isolated from these plants could possibly provide good opportunity for the discovery of novel medicines to treat life-threatening human diseases. We recommend prioritization of medicinal plants and reinforcement of existing cultivation practices for sustainable management of high-priority species.
<b>Resumen: </b> <i>Las Himalaya contienen la mayor masa de hielo fuera de las regiones polares y son la fuente de los 10 ríos principales de Asia. La rápida reducción en el volumen de los glaciares del Himalaya se debe al cambio climático. Los efectos en cascada de la elevación de la temperatura y la pérdida de hielo y nieve en la región afectan, por ejemplo, la disponibilidad de agua (cantidad, estacionalidad), la biodiversidad (especies endémicas, relaciones depredador-presa), cambios en los límites de ecosistemas (movimiento de línea de árboles, cambios en los ecosistemas de elevación alta) y cambios globales (cambios en los monzones, pérdida de carbono del suelo). El cambio climático también tendrá impactos ambientales y sociales que probablemente incrementarán la incertidumbre en las reservas de agua y producción agrícola para poblaciones humanas de Asia. Se requiere desarrollar un entendimiento común del cambio climático por medio de investigación regional y a escala local para que se puedan identificar e implementar estrategias de mitigación y adaptación. Los retos derivados del cambio climático en el Himalaya solo pueden ser abordados mediante mayor colaboración regional en investigación científica y definición de políticas.</i>
<p>The article discusses the Newars, who are the traditional inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley and are 5.6 percent of the total population of Nepal in 1991. The article traces the origin of the Newars. It reviews the historical background of Newar identity along with the Nepali bhasa, which did not gain much status in spite of the political changes of 1951. The article studies Newar in the modern state of Nepal tracing the historical background of Newar. It discusses the formation of the association of Newar speakers called Nepal bhasa mamkah khalah. It also discusses the state of Newar after the 1990 revolution in Nepal. The author argues that, if the right of autonomy to nationalities in Nepal is accomplished, Newars, the indigenous population, are at the most favorable place as the major inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley. (Rajeev Ranjan Singh 2006-10-25)</p>
<p>The article studies the pattern of urban and rural population growth in Nepal with a view to compare the present urban and rural population growth rates of topographical regions and administrative districts with the past growth rates wherever available. This study continues the practice of presenting estimates based on urban areas designated by the census under review rather than imposing a uniform set of criteria. The article makes use of a general survey of the urbanization trend for the period 1952-1971 which may be found in Shrestha's <em>Urbanisation Trends and Emerging Pattern in Nepal</em> (1975) and New Era, <em>Study on Inter-regional Migration in Nepal</em> (1981). (Rajeev Ranjan Singh 2007-02-02)</p>
<p>A research note on protest poetry in Nepali literature. The author writes that protest poetry in Nepali literature has come a long way from <em>Balak baburo</em> by Lekhnath Paudel up to 2051 B.S. (time period accomodated in research). The article starts with the verses of Kahlil Gibran which serve to inspire people to fight for their freedom. Protest poets throughout the world have always been the nation's voice of conscience. The article discusses the role played by protest poems to topple dictators, to change political systems, and for campaining for rights and freedom. In world literature, Lorca, Iqbal, Kahlil Gibran, Stephan, etc., are renowned as protest poets. In Nepali literature, Lekhnath Poudel, Gopal Prasad Rimal, Laxmi Prasad Devkota, Kedar Man Vyathit, Siddhi Charan Shrestha, Bhupi Sherchan, Kali Prasad Rijal, Chhetra Pratap Adhikari, Gopal Yonzon, etc., are writing poems against discrimination, oppression, and exploitation of many kinds. The article also includes the verses of many poems translated into English. (Rajeev Ranjan Singh 2006-10-15)</p>
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