Shanlax International Journal of Arts, Science and Humanities

Addressing Disparities: Evaluating the Preparedness of Uttarakhand’s Education System for Inclusive Education

Gauhar Fatima — 2026-01-01

This study analyzes the present situation and preparedness of Uttarakhand’s education system for inclusive education, focusing on the integration of Children with Special Needs (CwSN). Even after the enhancement of global and national advocacy for inclusive education, significant challenges remain, particularly in rural and remote regions of developing countries like India. Similarly, Uttarakhand, characterised by its unique geographical terrain and sociocultural dynamics, faces considerable challenges in effectively implementing disability-inclusive education. This study analysed key aspects such as the number of CwSN, enrolment and out-of-school rates, funding, infrastructure, teacher perspectives and training, and sociocultural barriers. The study analyses reports of the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) and Census 2011, which show that the state is at the inception stage, especially with the lowest inclusion rate in the country, including a decline in CwSN enrolment and persistent gender disparities. Furthermore, the infrastructure, though improving, still lacks functionality, particularly in the availability of CwSN-friendly facilities like toilets and ramps with handrails. The research highlights that despite policy efforts, the actualisation of inclusive education remains deficient in Uttarakhand, especially in its rural areas. This study underscores the need for targeted interventions that bridge the gap between policy and practice, ensuring that all students, including those with special needs, receive equitable and sustainable educational opportunities.

Developmental Relationship between Social Competence and Autistic Symptoms among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Ganesh Suresh Dongre — 2026-01-01

This study investigated the developmental relationship between autistic symptoms and social competence in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental condition characterised by impairments in social interaction, communication, and restricted and repetitive behavioural patterns. While previous research has demonstrated that interventions can reduce autistic symptoms, the extent to which these improvements translate into enhanced social competence—defined as the ability to effectively interact, communicate, and form relationships—remains an important area for investigation. The central hypothesis examined whether reducing autistic symptoms through therapy is associated with increased social competence, as reflected by improvements in Social Quotient (SQ) scores.

Using a Correlational research design, the study recruited children diagnosed with ASD from the General Service Unit of Government tertiary rehabilitation center in Secunderabad. Developmental functioning was assessed using the Developmental Screening Test (DST) to obtain Developmental Quotient (DQ) scores, while social competence was measured through the Vineland Social Maturity Scale (VSMS). Autistic symptoms were evaluated using the Indian Scale for Assessment of Autism (ISAA), and Spearman’s rho correlation analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between DQ and SQ domains and ISAA subdomains.

The findings revealed that DQ demonstrated strong positive correlations with total SQ (ρ = 0.834, p < 0.01) and several specific social competence domains, including Self-Help General (SHG), Occupation (OCC), Communication (COM), and Locomotion (LOC). Notably, no significant correlation was observed between DQ and total ISAA scores or most ISAA sub domains, suggesting that while developmental level is strongly related to social competence, it shows less direct association with autism symptom severity. These results indicate that developmental functioning and social competence are closely linked in children with ASD. While interventions aimed at reducing autistic symptoms may indirectly enhance social competence, targeted social skills training remains an essential component of comprehensive treatment approaches. Future research should employ longitudinal designs to examine causal relationships, incorporate larger samples for moderator analysis, and develop intervention studies testing the independence of developmental functioning and autism symptom improvements.

Caring and Sharing: Secrets Behind the Happiness

P.U. Nishanthi — 2026-01-01

Purpose: World Happiness Report is released. The World Happiness Report, which provides comprehensive interdisciplinary data on people’s happiness and well-being worldwide, reflects a global desire for a stronger focus on happiness and well-being as benchmarks for government policy. The report was published through a global partnership between Gallup, Oxford’s Wellbeing Research Center, and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network. The Gallup World Poll data is used to calculate the happiness scores and rankings. The main objective of this article is to analyse the various aspects World Happiness Report 2025.The history world happiness report is also looked in to.
Methodology: Main objective of this paper to analyse the evolution of world happiness report and the structure, methodology, variables of world happiness report are also analysed. The position of India and its neighbouring countries also analysed. This is narrative review of world happiness report from 2012 to 2025.Source of data is the reports itself. Only secondary data is used for analysis.
Findings: Nordic nations continue to do well: Finland is at the top of the list, but Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Norway are also in the top 10. 2025’s Happiest Nations in the World. Using dystopia as a benchmark, this study contrasts the contributions of each of the six components, finding notable decreases in Western industrialised nations that have previously held high ranks. The top 10 includes three from Southeast Asia, one from Africa, and six from Latin America. The lowest percentage of happy emotions is found in Afghanistan. It is also the most likely to sense negative emotions. The top 10 countries for negative sentiments include Armenia, three Middle Eastern countries, and five African countries. India’s rank is 118 out of 147 countries. The Cantrill Ladder is used in the 2025 World Happiness Report to measure people’s level of happiness. To explain the variation in life evaluations among nations, estimates of the relationships between the six factors and observed data were used.
Conclusions: World happiness report is a best indicator of people’s well-being .It is a qualitative indicator rather than quantitative. This shows that happiness of human beings is more than money and wealth; it depends on caring and sharing. In conclusion, prosocial behaviour and sharing contribute to happiness in general. The most significant living circumstances are still GDP per capita, a healthy life expectancy, having a trustworthy person, feeling free to make significant life decisions, the average frequency of donations, and views on corruption in government and business. Since life evaluations are a more reliable indicator of people’s life quality, happiness rankings are based on them. A comparative study of GNH Index and World Happiness Index could be conducted to find out the most suitable index of happiness with respect to countries in particular region.

Tracing the Sacred Legacy: Queen Heo Hwang-ok’s Pagoda Stones and Their Cultural Relevance in Ancient Tamil Nadu

Iruthayapandi Selestin Raja — 2026-01-01

The Samguk Yusa records the arrival, circa 48 CE, of an Indian queen named Heo, who traveled by sea to the Korean peninsula and married King Kim Suro of the Gaya kingdom. According to the chronicle, Queen Heo originated from a place called “Ayuta,” the precise location of which remains the subject of scholarly debate. Linguistic, archaeological, and cultural analyses have variously identified Ayuta as Ay, an ancient kingdom situated in present-day Tamil Nadu, India. A significant material clue supporting the Indian origin hypothesis is the reported introduction of “pagoda stones” by the Queen upon her arrival in Korea. These sacred stones, traditionally believed to possess the power to calm turbulent seas, have elicited multiple interpretations regarding their cultural and religious significance. This study examines the etymology of the term pagoda and investigates contemporaneous religious practices in Tamil Nadu, around 48 CE. It further explores the cultural shift from non-institutionalized stone veneration to more organized religious systems in the region. Drawing on a multidisciplinary analysis of the pagoda stones, we propose informed hypotheses concerning Queen Heo’s possible religious affiliation and geographic origins. The findings aim to provide an additional evidentiary layer to the historical and cultural reconstruction of Queen Heo’s identity and her place of origin.

Enhancing User Experience: A Framework for Tackling Design Challenges in Library Websites

J. Arumugam — 2026-01-01

This article discusses the creation of a good library website, with a focus on user-friendliness and the ability to trust the website. It stresses the main factors, including user-friendly design, site security, and well-organized content, which have a significant impact on users’ perceptions. This paper also discusses the limited human reasoning in making cognitive decisions and its influence on the evaluation of the website. Topics such as HTTPS security, a simple interface, and detailed information are presented to help libraries develop attractive and trustworthy digital platforms. This study evaluated three academic library websites using a comparative methodology covering usability, security (HTTPS), accessibility, UI design, and content architecture. The key findings revealed gaps in navigation consistency, accessibility compliance, and mobile responsiveness. This study contributes a unified UX framework to enhance usability, accessibility, and measurable user satisfaction.

Research-Oriented and Creativity-Based Curriculum: A Strategy for Enhancing the Quality of Higher Education

Mohammad Mohammadi — 2026-01-01

Curriculum, being a central aspect of the higher education system, is critical in improving the quality of education, developing intellectual abilities, and enhancing students’ research and creative abilities. In most developed nations, research-based and innovation-oriented curriculum reforms have revolutionised the structure of education and increased the possibility of innovation. Despite the fact that prevalent initiatives have been put in place in Afghanistan, the current curriculum is more traditional-centred-teacher-centred as opposed to the inclusion of analytical, research, and innovation among learners. This study investigates the role of the curriculum in encouraging research-oriented instruction and cultivating learners’ creative abilities. Official educational texts, policy documents, and authoritative reports were carefully selected and gathered as data, then coded, categorised, and thematically analysed with the help of the NCT (Noticing, Collecting, Thinking) approach. The recurrent nature of the manual reading of the documents allowed us to uncover constitutive themes and patterns applied to curriculum reform, giving a solid background to the development of critical thinking, problem-solving, and knowledge production, thus leading to the improvement of the educational quality. Suggestions are provided for curriculum reform in the higher education system of Afghanistan, with special attention to innovation- and student-centred learning curves, longitudinal comparison of curriculum reforms, and factual research on the impact of creativity- and research-oriented curricula on learning outcomes in different educational and cultural settings.

Decadal Land Use and Land Cover Change in the Southernmost District of India: A Remote Sensing and GIS-Based Study

S. Chrisben Sam — 2026-01-01

The dynamic nature of Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) patterns is a critical indicator of environmental and socioeconomic transformations. This study investigated LULC changes in the Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, over two decades, from 2004 to 2024, using satellite remote sensing data and GIS techniques. Landsat 5, 8, and 9 data were used to analyze and identify shifts in vegetation, settlement, barren land, saltpans, water bodies, and beach sands. The features were selected using supervised classification with the Maximum Likelihood procedure and the accuracy was measured using metrics such as overall accuracy and the kappa coefficient, which ensured the reliability of the results. The accuracy rates were consistently over 94%. The findings show that the settlement areas have increased from 313.94 km² in 2004 to 357.84 km² in 2024, while the areas of vegetation and saltpan have been steadily decreasing. This trend highlights how factors such as population growth, urban development, and climate change affect land resources. Using geospatial tools to monitor land use and land cover changes has provided crucial insights into sustainable land management and planning. This study emphasises the importance of taking proactive policy steps to tackle land degradation and support balanced growth in the area.

Procrastination and its Psychological Impact on College Students

S. R. Thendral — 2026-01-01

Background
Procrastination is the negative behaviour defined as the failure to initiate or complete a task in a given amount of time. This behaviour has been observed in students, adults, and children of all ages and leads to procrastination in an academic setting, which brings negative outcomes such as stress, guilt, poor academic performance, and low self-esteem. It is important to recognise and fix this behaviour as early as possible to protect future careers. Academic procrastination is the act of intentionally delaying work that must be completed by a specific deadline. Multiple studies have been conducted over decades to understand the reasons why students procrastinate and how to curb this negative habit. Academic procrastination is task-dependent, and people exhibit procrastination in various behaviours and settings. Purpose of this study was to analyse the prevalence of procrastination and its psychological impact on college students in various domains – studying for examinations, completing assignments, presentations, academic administrative tasks, participating in group work and attending lectures.
Results
The results of this study showed that students nearly always procrastinated on tasks such as studying for examinations and keeping up with assignments, but there was a drop in the degree of procrastination when it came to administrative tasks. Reasons for procrastination in our study included fear of failure, perfectionism, lack of interest, lack of motivation, poor time management, and social anxiety. If a task is considered uninteresting and boring, it leads to a lack of motivation for the student to get started and the reasons for which are fear of failure, feelings of inadequacy, and peer pressure. Strict measures must be taken to motivate students against procrastination, such as proper discipline, gratification strategies, time management techniques, assertiveness training, setting realistic expectations and goals, and teaching the student to introspect and find the true reason for their task aversion and fixing it.
Further studies may explore the long-term psychological consequences of chronic procrastination via longitudinal designs and compare how different academic environments influence student’s coping mechanisms. Subsequently, it also focuses on identifying causal pathways between emotional regulation, academic stress, and procrastination, particularly through experimental-based models.

The Violent Fishermen: A Study of Chigozie Obioma’s The Fishermen as a Blending of Popular Literature and Traditional Folkloric Conventions

Sunil Talukdar — 2026-01-01

In one of his finest literary essays, i.e., “Tradition and Individual Talent”, T. S. Eliot opined that past works of art forms an order of tradition and this tradition is the foundation of long-lasting literature. Folklore is also a work of art, and it seems that no one knows better how to use folkloric elements in their novels than African writers. Folklore is an embodiment of individual dignity and social justice, explored in a traditional way. Most writers from the African continent including Chinua Achebe, Ngugiwa Thiong’o, Ben Okri etc. have made extensive use of African folklore and folk culture in their novels. In contrast, modern fiction writers across the globe have adopted a new fondness for popular culture in their writings. Popular culture generally refers to the set of contemporary practices, entertainment media including music, films, fashion, politics, use of technology etc. Some social science experts emphasise the importance of considering folk culture and folk beliefs as part of popular culture. However, popular culture commonly refers to modern cultural practices that have influenced a larger group of people. Chigozie Obioma is a writer from Nigeria—an African country with vibrant and rich cultural heritage. In his famous novel The Fishermen, he sets out to mix-up these two seemingly different areas i.e., folk culture and popular culture. This article examines how the novelist has blended popular culture with traditional and folkloric conventions, which represent two different poles of time and space.
This article also examines the author’s unique narrative style which enables him to combine folk culture and popular culture with extraordinary ease of writing. This study aims to understand the multilayered dynamics of popular culture and oral folkloric traditions, with special reference to their use in this novel. Besides, it will look into how a traditionally orthodox Nigerian society is gradually transforming into a society of modern developments which are being reflected in this novel. The primary purpose of the study is to examine the intermingling of popular culture and traditional folkloric culture in the Nigerian society with special reference to the novel The Fishermen.
In doing so, the primary approach of the researcher was speculative and analytical in nature. The study uses the method of closed reading of the primary text for detailed analysis of the topic concerned. The method of analyzing different situations and characters in connection to the concerned topic has been thoroughly used for this study. Apart from the study of the primary text, method of reading connected socio-cultural concepts and theories have also been used for this research article.
It is believed that this article will pave a new path for the study of the intermingling of popular culture with folkloric conventions not only in the texts of the African continent but also encourage researchers to do the same in Oriental fictions which are equally rich in the blending of popular culture with folkloric conventions. This research will help readers and researchers engage in a new area of study where modern developments in the field of literature and folklore can be explored. This study will contribute to the study of Nigerian novels in connection to their very own folkloric conventions. In addition, this study will help create a new ecosystem of knowledge where folklore and popular culture within literature can be easily studied.

Integrating Remote Sensing and GIS for Groundwater Potential Zone Delineation: A Multi-Criteria Decision Weighted Overlay Analysis Approach

R. S. Abitha — 2026-01-01

Groundwater is a vital resource for meeting domestic and agricultural water demands in the tropical region of Thiruvattar Firka, Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu, India, which covers an area of approximately 67.64 km². This study aimed to delineate groundwater potential zones (GWPZs) using an integrated Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) approach. The methodology involved the preparation of thematic layers, including lithology, lineament density, slope, soil type, land use/land cover, geomorphology, drainage density, and rainfall, derived from satellite imagery and ancillary data. These layers were assigned weights based on their relative hydrogeological importance and integrated using a Multicriterial Weighted Overlay Index (MWOI) model. Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) interpolation was applied to generate spatial groundwater potential maps. The resulting groundwater potential zonation classified the study area into three zones: high, moderate, and low. The analysis revealed considerable spatial variation, with moderate groundwater potential zones occupying 74.63% of the area, followed by high potential zones covering 13.43%, and low potential zones accounting for 11.94%. High-potential zones are mainly associated with weathered and fractured formations, gentle slopes, low drainage density, and favourable land-use conditions, whereas low-potential zones correspond to areas characterised by steep slopes, high runoff, and relatively impermeable lithological units. The GWPZ map was validated using field observations, which demonstrated a strong agreement between the predicted zones and observed groundwater conditions, thereby confirming the robustness of the adopted methodology. The study demonstrates that RS–GIS, integrated with the MWOI model, is an effective tool for assessing groundwater potential. Future research may focus on incorporating time-series groundwater level data, machine learning techniques, and climate variability analyses to improve prediction accuracy and support sustainable groundwater management and artificial recharge planning.

Evaluating the Influence of Land Use Dynamics on Groundwater Potential Zones Dindigul West Firka using Satellite-Based Mapping

Ruaan Dileep — 2026-01-01

In the semiarid Dindigul West firka of Tamil Nadu, groundwater serves as a vital resource supporting both domestic consumption and agricultural activities across an area of approximately 127.56 km². Dindigul West Firka is experiencing gradual peri-urbanisation, with villages transforming into semi-urban settlements. The expansion of housing, roads, and public infrastructure has increased pressure on land and water resources. Small-scale industries, commercial establishments, and service activities have expanded along major roads and settlement clusters. Drainage is primarily seasonal, with small streams and tanks connected to the tributaries of the Kodaganar River, which flows near Dindigul town. Dindigul West Firka experiences a tropical semi-arid climate. Groundwater potential zones were delineated through the combined application of Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques, and the resulting spatial patterns were validated using Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) interpolation. Satellite data and ancillary maps were employed to develop thematic layers of lithology, geomorphology, lineament density, slope, soil type, land use/land cover, elevation, drainage density, NDVI, NDWI, and rainfall. Relative weightages were assigned for GIS analysis to develop a composite Groundwater Potential Zone (GWPZ). The resulting groundwater potential map is classified into three zones: high (40%), moderate (35%), and low (25%). The central and southern parts of the Firka showed higher groundwater potential due to favourable lithology, dense lineament networks, and gentle slopes. In contrast, the southwestern rocky uplands exhibited low potential. The outcome is validated in groundwater prospecting and suggests sustainable water resource management in Dindigul West Firka. Multitemporal multispectral satellite imagery was used to generate LULC maps and detect land-use changes using supervised classification and post-classification comparison techniques. Higher weights were assigned to the LULC map. Future research should integrate the study of long-term groundwater level trends, utilising high-resolution satellite data, artificial intelligence, and advanced machine-learning models to enhance the accuracy and sustainability of groundwater potential assessments.

Integrating Remote Sensing and GIS Derived Mapping Groundwater Potential Zone in Hard Rock Region of Vathalagundu Firka, Tamilnadu, India

Christy Jeslina D — 2026-01-01

Groundwater is a vital resource for meeting domestic and agricultural water requirements in the semiarid region of Vathalagundu Firka, Nilakottai Taluk, Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu, encompassing an area of approximately 64.07 km². This study aims to delineate groundwater potential zones (GWPZs) using an integrated Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) approach. The methodology involved the preparation of thematic layers, including lithology, lineament density, land use/land cover, geomorphology, drainage density, and rainfall, derived from satellite imagery and ancillary data. These layers were assigned weights based on their relative hydrogeological importance and integrated using a Multicriterial Weighted Overlay Index (MWOI) model. Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) interpolation was applied to generate spatial groundwater potential maps. The resulting groundwater potential zonation classified the study area into high-, moderate-, and low-potential zones. The analysis reveals considerable spatial variation, with moderate groundwater potential zones occupying 70.23% of the area, followed by high potential zones covering 1.56% while low potential zones are limited to 28.09%. High-potential zones are mainly associated with weathered and fractured formations, gentle slopes, low drainage density, and favourable land-use conditions, whereas low-potential zones correspond to areas characterized by steep slopes, high runoff, and relatively impermeable lithological units. The GWPZ map was validated using existing well yield data and field observations, which showed strong agreement between the predicted zones and observed groundwater conditions, confirming the study’s findings. This study clearly identified poor groundwater potential zones for future water recharge domains. The study demonstrates that RS–GIS, integrated with the MWOI model, is an effective tool for assessing groundwater potential. Future research may focus on incorporating time-series groundwater level data, machine learning techniques, and climate variability analyses to improve prediction accuracy and support sustainable groundwater management and artificial recharge planning.

Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Coastal Dynamics along the Cuddalore Taluk Coast, Tamil Nadu, India

Sudhakar Velsamy — 2026-01-01

Urban coasts and estuaries undergo significant changes in erosion and accretion due to both natural and human factors. This study investigated the shoreline changes along the coast of Cuddalore Taluk, Cuddalore District, from 2003 to 2023. Shoreline changes were analysed seasonally for 20 years using multi-year remotely sensed data. All data were geo referenced with the UTM projection of WGS 1984 and digitised shorelines with the FCC Colour Image. Transect lines (155–231) were generated with a 100m space and 600m length along the shore using the DSAS tool. The tool generates EPR Statistic Reports for multi-year shorelines on each transect line. Shoreline changes were classified into five classes: High Erosion, Low Erosion, Stable, Low Accretion and High Accretion, based on the EPR Statistics Report. The overall result showed that 60% of the stable areas had coverage within a 4.7 km radius. Low erosion was 27% at 2.1 km and 0.5 km, with Low Accretion (6.4%) accumulated along the coast. However, 5.1% High Accretion was observed 0.4 km away, and High Erosion (1.3%) was observed 0.1 km away. The study has concluded that low-rate accretion occurs along the coast due to both natural and human interventions. Furthermore, scenario-based predictive models should be developed to predict long-term coastal development, including sea-level rise, changing storm frequency, and changing sediment supply. These models will support evidence-based coastal zone management, erosion mitigation planning and adaptation strategies at local and regional level.