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ThesisItem Open Access A study of factors affecting community participation and sustainability of community radio stations in northern India(G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar - 263145 (Uttarakhand), 2020-02) Arya, Neha; Kashyap, S.K.Community radio is considered as a communication intervention strategy of choice for deepening participation and community ownership. Community radio involves community organization, joint thinking and decision-making, all of which entail great potential for empowering communities and building a democratic society. However, the community radio stations has been facing various social, infrastructural, organizational, programming, technical and financial constraints in its functioning. These constraints have raised the concern of community radio practitioners regarding the issue of community radio sustainability. Many community radio stations are struggling for maintaining good quality broadcasting services while ensuring high level of community participation. Thus, to have an insight into these issues, a study was undertaken to find out the social, economic, psychological and communication characteristics of community radio listeners along with their participation in community radio functioning and sustainability of community radio stations. The study was carried out in northern Indian states and union territories. Stratified random sampling was employed to select sixteen community radio stations (8 from NGO operated community radios and 8 from educational institute operated community radios) for the study. Total 16 community radio staff and 240 community radio listeners (15 listeners from each community radio) were selected through simple random sampling process. The analytical and descriptive research deign was used. Pre-tested structured interview schedule was used for data collection and relevant statistical methods such as frequency, percentage, t-test, correlation of coefficient, multiple linear regression and principal component analysis were used for analysis and interpretation of the data. Findings of the study revealed that maximum number of respondents (49.16%) belonged to the middle age group and were female (51.67%), married (62.92%) having high level of information seeking behavior (45.42%) and medium level of mass media exposure (42.91%). Maximum number of respondents were graduated (17.91%), unemployed (46.68%), carried official position in one organization (33.75%) having medium level of mass media utilization (45%), high achievement motivation (37.50%), low economic motivation (42.08%) and medium level of listening behaviour (43.75%). Majority of the respondents displayed favourable attitude towards community radio stations (65.00%) and medium level of perception about community radio programmes (53.33%) having medium level of communication skills (57.92%) and medium level of change proneness (40.84%). Further it was found that more than half of the respondents (53.75%) had medium level of participation in CRS functioning. It was also found that maximum number of the community radio stations (43.75%) were moderately sustainable. Among independent variables, age, information seeking behaviour, mass media utilization, social participation, listening behaviour, attitude towards community radio station, perception about community radio programmes and communication skills had significant positive relationship with the community participation in community radio functioning. Further educational qualification and mass media exposure had significant negative relationship with the community participation in community radio functioning. The study also indicated that community participation in community radio functioning had significant positive relationship with sustainability of community radio stations. Further it was found that programming constraints were ranked first as the major constraint faced by community radio stations followed by social, financial, technological, organizational, policy related and infrastructural constraints. Strategic planning of community radio stations, government support, intensive awareness campaigns, scrutinizing skilled human resources and improving their professionalism, improving programming and listenership, boosting community participation, regular capacity building programmes, abating dependency on parent organization, searching for new financial avenues, periodic monitoring and evaluation and pooled efforts are some of the strategies to ensure the community radio sustainability.ThesisItem Open Access A study on musculoskeletal disorders of stone masonry workers in high hills of Kumaon region of Uttarakhand(G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar - 263145 (Uttarakhand), 2021-02) Arya, Neha; Sharma, PromilaStone masonry work is one of the main economic activity after agriculture at hilly areas, it supply the bulk of varying aggregates to the construction industry within the region and beyond. Stones are widely used building material for commercial as well as for residential purpose. It includes construction of residential units buildings, roads, walls, bridges and so on. Therefore workers who are involved in stone masonry work performed various activities like extraction, breaking, loading and unloading, crushing, shaping and layering of the stones are at the state of high risk of occupational hazards. All above stated activities are very injurious to their health. Therefore the present study was purposively conducted in Kumaon region of Uttarakhand in Nainital district under Dhari block. From Dhari block 5 villages were purposively selected (Paharpani, Manjuli, Meladob, Johnpokhra, Sheelalekh). A total of 120 stone masonry workers were randomly selected from these respective village. The results revealed that while performing these activities/ operations, by manually they were suffering from physical, ergonomic, biological, environmental, psychosocial and respiratory hazards and they totally ignoring this due to zero job option. Accident, injuries, and musculoskeletal discomfort were most common among them. Along with that material handling was also done manually by workers in hilly areas. They used to carry heavy loads on their head (67%) shoulder (16.32%),hand (4%) without using any load carrying device or vehicle due to ignorance. Majority 88.33 percent of the workers felt musculoskeletal discomfort. Majority 95 percent of the workers were adopting awkward posture during task. Maximum 84.16 percent workers were working in forceful motion. Around 39 percent of the workers stated that the tools were poorly designed.53.33 percent of the workers were at risk of physical hazards while lifting, followed by 54.16 percent workers experienced vibration in hands while performing activities like extraction, breaking, crushing and shaping. 83.33 percent of the workers felt fatigue during and after activities. Maximum 84.16 percent of the workers reported that activities they were performing cause pain. High RPE score of 9 was found during breaking activity, whereas the lowest score of 5 was found during shaping and layering activities. Results of REBA 45.33 percent workers were lies under AL4 which interprets high risk level and immediate change was required,33.33 percent workers in AL3 (medium risk and change is required soon), 16 percent of the workers comes under the action level AL5 (very high risk, and required immediate change now). Similarly in case of RULA 48 percent workers were lies under AL7 which interprets high risk level and immediate change was required, 34.66 percent workers in AL5- AL6 (medium risk and change was required soon), 17.33 percent of the workers were fall under the action level AL3 - AL4 (low risk, change may be needed).Results for WERA shows that majority 82.66 percent of the workers involved in various activities were fall under the medium action level that indicating (Task is need to further investigate and required change). The correlation coefficient values shows that musculoskeletal discomfort are dependent on age, work pattern and mode of load and had a significant relationship with these independent variables. A significant relation was found between age and level of musculoskeletal discomfort in various body parts with respect to activities in Chi square test. After analysis all issues in stone masonry work ergonomically sound wooden trolley was designed for workers involved in loading and unloading for eliminating the risk of musculoskeletal disorders among them.
