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Background/Objectives: MDM Programme has opened a new initiative to safeguard children from hunger and to curtail drop-out rate and malnutrition. The study analyse the proposal and progress of MDM scheme in Tamil Nadu.

Methods/Statistical analysis: The study is based on secondary data. The data has been collected from the website of Ministry of Human Resource Development.

Findings: Tamil Nadu is the pioneering state to implementing a feeding programme to children outside the home. In 2001-02, the nutritious meal scheme for school children aged 5 to 15 years covered 6.46 million beneficiaries in Tamilnadu. But in 2010-11, there were 42, 824 meal centres covering 5.77 million children. The benefits of MDM are not limited to enrolments only. It has significant impact on class room activities, intellectual capacity and social development. Tamil Nadu has also covered high school students under the mid-day meal scheme. The proposal of the scheme is capable of curving malnutrion and ensuring food security of children. The contribution of the state is outstanding and coverage of the scheme across the state is expanding year by year.

Application/Improvements: A comprehensive and elaborate mechanism for monitoring and supervision of the MDM Scheme is essential for complete eradication of malnutrition and an emphasis must given for facilitating safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene facilities within the school premises.

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Background/Objectives: Water scarcity is the main problems that the world faces today. This study made an enquiry about the accessibility and coverage of drinking water and explores the water security aspect of kerala.

Methods/Statistical analysis: The study is based on secondary data. The data were collected from the website of kerala state planning board, department of water supply and sanitation, and Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. Data are also been collected from other sources such as: journals, newspapers, magazines, thesis and electronic resources.

Findings: The state with a lot of rivers and lakes is converted to the drought prone area due to the wreck less sand mining and quarrying mushrooming over the years. As a result, Kerala has witnessed a decline in percapita water availability over the years. The availability of rain, surface and ground water exhibit a declining trend. All the habitations in kerala have achieved water availability of above 40 Litre Per Capita per Day. Access to improved water supply exists, that is at least 40 Litres/capita/day of safe drinking water are provided within a distance of 500 m or 1km of elevation difference. Therefore water scarcity is not a severe problem in kerala, but the declining the quantity of water indicating the forthcoming water crisis.

Improvements/Applications: An integrated institutional system for groundwater conservation and recharging measures needs to be promoted to conserve the major source of drinking water.

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Background/Objectives: Tamil Nadu has a large potential to invest on agro-based industry, because the state is the largest producer of bananas, flowers, tapioca, the second largest producer of mangoes, natural rubber, coconut, groundnut and the third largest producer of coffee, sapota, tea and sugarcane. This study analyses the potentiality in the production of horticulture crops and also discuss new opportunity for entrepreneurs in agro processing.

Methods/Statistical analysis: The present study is entirely relay on secondary data. Data are collected from concerned research articles, Books, Journals, magazines, web sites, various reports and publications relating to horticulture in Tamil Nadu.

Findings: The total area covered under horticulture crops in the State moved up from 10.01 lakh hectares in 2011-12 to 10.81 lakh hectares in 2012-13 (8.0%) and would further rise to 11.46 lakh hectares in 2013-14 (6.0%). Fruits, vegetables, spices and condiments and plantation crops together claimed a share of 96.0 percent of the total area covered under horticultural crops. Considering the wide-ranging and large raw material base, the state offers tremendous opportunities for large investments in food processing.

Improvements/Applications: The government should continue to support the industry with an enabling and growth oriented policy, through which the state will become largest supplier of processed food in the country.

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Background/Objectives: The specific objectives of the study are (1) to examine the morbidity pattern; its determinants and how socio-economic factors are affecting morbidity in the urban area, (2) to identify the extent of inter community differences in morbidity prevalence.

Methods/Statistical analysis: The study is based on primary data and secondary data. The primary data were collected through a structured schedule and samples are drawn by employing simple random sampling method.

Findings: Religion has a significant influence on health condition of the people and morbidity among various religions is different. Chronic and acute illness was high among Christian communities. The joint family system is widely followed by christans. This is one of the reasons for higher morbidity among christans. While analyzing gender wise morbidity prevalence, the prevalence rate of acute illness is high among Males (323.35) and the prevalence rate of chronic illness is high among Females (395.2). The influence of sanitation and water supply to morbidity prevalence is less in the study area.

Improvements/Applications: Municipality and panchayath level institutions in every district should provide medical insurance to the people especially for the Christian community. Also provide better medical facilities to the people and improve the working condition of the public health care centers.

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Background/Objectives: Growth with stability is essential condition for attaining sustainable economic development. Fluctuations in prices create an atmosphere of uncertainty which is not conducive to developmental activity. The present study investigates the impact of food inflation on household consumption of APL and BPL categories in Kannur district of kerala.

Methods/Statistical analysis: The present study is based on primary and secondary data. The secondary data comprises various references which already existed in the published form such as research papers, articles, books and websites relating to food inflations. The primary data were collected from urban households of Kannur district in Kerala, India. A sample size of 50 households has been drawn randomly from the population of Kannur districts i.e. 25 each from APL and BPL category. Henry Garrett ranking techniques was used to evaluate the problem faced by households in food consumption.

Findings: The poor, who spend large shares of their income on food, are most adversely affected. Since rising food prices command a larger share of a limited budget, the poor are forced to shift their expenditures to cheaper diets with less proteins and micronutrients. About 72 percent of households have spend more than 50 percent of income on food consumption. 60.4 percentage of households has reduced the consumption of food items from their past consumption level. 58.4 percent of BPL households has reduced the consumption of food items including pulses, egg, meat& fish, cereals, fruits and vegetables. It was only48.67 percent of APL households has reduced the consumption of pulses, egg, meat& fish, cereals, fruits and vegetables.

Improvements/Applications: The government must enact a law where by the government get the power to control the price of essential commodities and make it mandatory to publish those prices in the main news papers and other mass medias. To implement policies for promoting agriculture at household level and supply seeds and fertilizers to households at a subsidized rate.

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Background/Objectives: Health is an important determinant of human life. Health status of the people determines the average life expectancy, productivity, the earning capacity, employment and all other socio-economic indicators. The present study brings out a brief picture of utilization of primary health care services in Kannur districts of Kerala.

Methods/Statistical analysis: The present study is based on both primary and secondary data. The secondary data were collected from various published and unpublished sources from Economic and Statistical Department, records of PHC and Hospitals, Directorate Health Service Trivandrum. The primary data were collected from 50 households in Kannur district through structured interview schedule.

Findings: Approximately 80 percent households in the study area are not satisfied with the performance of PHC unit. Laboratory facilities are inadequate in the district. Inadequacy of supportive staff is yet another problem of PHC. This creates unnecessary delays to the patients for getting medicine and other services.

Improvements/Applications: patient section should be strengthening by supplying more number of beds and infrastructure facilities. Strengthening of sub-centers and equipping the government health care institutions would be more effective for effective utilization of health care institutions. It is necessary to conduct frequent health surveys in the district and to conduct free health camps at least 3 times in a year.

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Background/Objectives: Kerala has made significant achievement not only demographic transition but also epidemiological and healthcare transition. Adolescent girls are facing many health problems such as anemia, under weight and malnutrition. A nutritionally balanced diet is important in adulthood. ICDS provide nutritional food, nutritional class, health camp, personality development class, career guidance to the adolescent girls. ICDS is the major network which formed to conduct different programs for development of adolescent girls. The major objectives of the study are- (1) To examine the accessibilities of ICDS schemes and services by adolescent girls in kannur district. (2) To analyze the utilization of ICDS services by adolescent girls in kannur district.

Methods/Statistical analysis: The study is based on both primary and secondary data. The secondary data were collected from published and unpublished source. The primary data were collected from 50 BPL adolescent girls of the ten anganwadies on a random basis. Information will be collected through structured schedules.

Findings: ICDS scheme helps to improve the health and nutritional status of adolescent girls. Most of the adolescent girls are actively participated the nutritional classes. Anganwadi centers are the backbone of ICDS project. Nutritional foods are provided for the ICDS through anganwadi centers.

Improvements/Applications: Facilities should be provided for the improvement of ICDS activities and more modules can be developed with specific focus in mind, example, leadership training, teaching, goal setting etc. Capacity building training can be given to different levels of functionaries to see the relative impact of it on the adolescent girls club functioning.

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Objectives: To examine the production, cost performance, and the factors influencing banana cultivation in Theni District of Tamil Nadu, India.

Methods/Statistical analysis: The study relies exclusively on primary information obtained from the banana cultivators of Theni District. Purposive sampling procedure was followed for the selection of the study area. It is found that there are 90 farmers cultivating banana in the selected village and therefore, all of them are considered as respondents for the study.

Findings: The natural factors affecting the banana crop production include water storage, soil fertility, problems of soil, insects, weeds and crop variety. Water storage and weeds were reported by majority of cultivators as a major problem affecting crop productivity. Among the economic factor affecting banana cultivation, 88 percent of the respondents reported that fluctuations in price as the major reason. Inadequacy in credit and capital are the second major causes affecting crop productivity.

Application/Improvements: Crop insurance scheme can be introduced by the government of Tamil Nadu in order to protect the farmers in critical situation, like crop loss due to natural disorders. The government provides subsidies to the small farmers for adopting the new technology (i.e.) drip irrigation, soil testing etc.

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Background/Objectives: Today, economic independence is the prime basis for improving the status of women in India. It is highly emphasized that women work participation is crucial in enhancing social and economic status as well as improving their assertive roles in the household decision making. In construction activities, health is the important determinant of employment, and it is the deteriorating factors consider to workers especially the women, they are simultaneously engaging in economic and non-economic activities. This study is an attempt to understand the socio-economic condition of women construction workers and a special emphasis has given to identify the work related problems of women in Kannur district.

Methods/Statistical analysis: The study largely relays on field data which were collected from 50 respondents in Kannur district. A sample size of 50 women respondents were selected from the district by employing simple random sampling method. The respondents were interviewed with a well-structured schedule. Simple percentage and regression analysis was used to interpret the data.

Findings: As far as the problems faced by the workers are concerned, 100 percent of the workers are dealing with health problems and 82 percent of the workers faces financial problem. About 30 percent of the workers are facing other problems such as sanitary facility, drinking water facility, wage problems etc. The main health problems faced by the workers are muscle pain, allergy, cough, asthma problem, etc. About 8 percent of the workers are suffering from all of these problems. The nature of hospital preferred by the construction workers is mainly government hospitals. About 86 percent of the women workers opined that their status in the society has been improved by doing construction work.

Improvements/Applications: Encourage the construction workers saving habit through initiating banking awareness and ensure adequate insurance facilities for the construction workers. Ensure equal wage for the work in the unorganised sector and renew the wages yearly. Give proper guidelines and awareness about medical insurance, various schemes and financial support, programme offered through welfare board and initiative workers to take membership in the welfare board.

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