Volume 14 | Issue 8 |

 Abstract

BACK GROUND: Adolescence is a crucial developmental stage characterized by rapid physical, emotional, social, and psychological changes. During this period, adolescents actively seek social acceptance, develop self-identity, and build self-esteem. The widespread use of social networking sites such as Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Snapchat has transformed the way adolescents communicate and interact. Social media provides opportunities for self-expression, learning, entertainment, and social connectivity. However, excessive use of these platforms may expose adolescents to social comparison, cyberbullying, unrealistic expectations, and emotional distress. Such experiences can influence self-esteem either positively or negatively. Positive interactions may improve confidence and self-worth, whereas negative online experiences may lower self-esteem. With the increasing popularity of social networking sites among adolescents, it is important to understand their impact on psychological well-being. Therefore, the present study was conducted to assess the impact of social networking sites on self-esteem among adolescents in selected urban and rural colleges of Chittoor District. METHODOLOGY: A quantitative research approach with a descriptive correlational research design was adopted for the study. The study was conducted among 100 adolescents from selected urban and rural colleges of Chittoor District. Samples were selected using a simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using a socio-demographic questionnaire, a self-structured Social Networking Sites Usage Questionnaire, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistic. RESULTS: The study findings revealed that 56% of adolescents had high social networking site usage, 37% had moderate usage, and 7% had low usage. Regarding self-esteem, 54% had low self-esteem and 46% had high self-esteem. A statistically significant correlation was found between social networking site usage and self-esteem (r = 0.357, p < 0.01). Significant associations were observed between social networking site usage and selected demographic variables. The findings indicate that social networking sites have a considerable influence on adolescents' self-esteem. CONCLUSION: The study concluded that social networking sites have both positive and negative impacts on adolescent self-esteem. Excessive use of social networking sites may affect adolescents' emotional and psychological well-being. Awareness regarding responsible social media use is essential. Parents, teachers, and nurses should guide adolescents toward healthy digital habits. Appropriate counseling and educational interventions can help maintain positive self-esteem and mental health among adolescents.

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Social Networking Sites, Self-Esteem, Adolescents, Social Media Usage, Mental Health, Urban and Rural Area

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Substance Use Disorder; Structured Recovery Support Program; Quality of Life; Treatment Outcomes; WHOQOL-BREF; De-addiction Centers; Mental Health Nursing.

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Odisha Adarsha Vidyalaya (OAV) is a flagship school reform launched by the Government of Odisha in 2016 to provide free, English-medium, CBSE-affiliated schooling to talented children from rural and tribal backgrounds. Although the scheme has expanded to more than three hundred blocks of the state, independent, school-level evidence on how individual OAVs actually function remains scarce. The present article reports a descriptive case study of OAV Rajapur, situated in Beguniapada block of Ganjam district, undertaken to examine its infrastructural facilities, student enrolment pattern, classroom practices and academic outcomes. Data were gathered through a self-prepared information sheet, a structured questionnaire administered to the principal and teachers, classroom observation and focus group discussion, and were analysed using simple frequency and percentage methods supplemented by qualitative description. The findings indicate that the school possesses reasonably adequate physical infrastructure, follows an inclusive admission policy that predominantly benefits Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Class learners, and records consistently high pass percentages at the Class X and Class XII CBSE board examinations. Teachers reported use of the 5E instructional model, ICT-supported and blended teaching, and art-integrated pedagogy. Persistent constraints include the absence of a boys' hostel, shortage of an auditorium or multipurpose hall, and a language gap faced by first-generation, Odia-medium entrants transitioning to an English medium of instruction. The study concludes with practical recommendations for strengthening residential provision, bridge-language support and locally contextualised teacher orientation.

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Odisha Adarsha Vidyalaya, school infrastructure, rural education, teaching-learning practices, academic achievement, Ganjam district

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This research paper explores the application of isovist analysis in understanding spatial perception and visibility within different architectural typologies. The study examines four typologies--modern residences, traditional Chettinad houses, campus environments, and forts--to evaluate how spatial organization influences visibility, movement, and user experience. Spatial analyses were conducted by second- and third-year architecture students using the concept of isovists as a tool for interpreting built environments. The study compares openness, enclosure, connectivity, and visual accessibility across the selected typologies. The findings demonstrate how isovist analysis can reveal the relationship between architectural form and human spatial behavior, thereby contributing to architectural research and design methodologies.

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Isovist Analysis, Spatial Visibility, Spatial Perception, Architectural Typologies, Space Syntax, Visual Connectivity, Spatial Organization, Movement Patterns, Built Environment, Architectural Research, Modern Residence, Chettinad House, Campus Planning, Fort Architecture

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Marriage is often regarded as one of the most meaningful and transformative milestones in life. It symbolizes love, commitment, companionship, and the hope of building a secure future together. However, for many young married couples in contemporary India, the transition from courtship to marital life is accompanied by increasing interpersonal stress that silently erodes emotional intimacy and relationship satisfaction. Rapid socioeconomic changes, evolving gender roles, financial pressures, technological dependence, changing family structures, and rising expectations have reshaped the institution of marriage, making young couples more vulnerable to psychological and relational conflicts (Fincham & Beach, 2018; Story & Bradbury, 2021). This review explores the hidden psychosocial determinants of interpersonal stress among young married couples in India by synthesizing contemporary evidence from psychology, family studies, sociology, and public health. The article highlights how individual psychological characteristics, ineffective communication, work-life imbalance, family dynamics, cultural expectations, economic uncertainty, and digital technology collectively influence marital relationships (Falconier et al., 2015; Karney & Bradbury, 2020). Furthermore, it discusses the emotional and mental health consequences of prolonged interpersonal stress, including anxiety, depression, marital dissatisfaction, emotional withdrawal, and reduced relationship quality (Rehman et al., 2018; Robles et al., 2014). Understanding these interconnected factors is essential for developing culturally appropriate preventive and therapeutic interventions. The review concludes that strengthening emotional intelligence, communication skills, resilience, family support, and evidence-based psychological interventions can significantly reduce interpersonal stress and promote healthier marital relationships among young Indian couples (World Health Organization [WHO], 2022).

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Interpersonal stress, young married couples, psychosocial factors, marriage, India, marital adjustment, communication, mental health.

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Climate change has created one of the biggest challenges to global agricultural sustainability, with increasing negative impacts on livelihoods and food security. The continued alteration of global climate and weather systems, as well as the ongoing reduction in global levels of agricultural diversity, has adversely affected world agricultural production systems. The challenge of modern-day agriculture has led to a renewed focus on community-based agricultural production systems. The greatest potential for positive adaptation to the threats of climate change is through the adoption of agro-ecological practices. Agro-ecology is the application of ecological principles to agricultural systems. Within the context of sustainable development, agro-ecology uses ecological knowledge, principles and agricultural systems to sustainably transform the world's agricultural production systems. Restructuring world agricultural production systems to make them more ecologically stable requires the adaptation of agricultural systems to reduce environmental degradation and to enhance the productivity of agricultural systems. The greatest bearing on the future of the world's agriculture is the restoration of the world's agricultural production systems to make them ecologically sustainable.

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Agro-ecology, Climate resilience, Crop diversification, Community participation, Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis, Sustainable agriculture.

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Marma is an important concept in Ayurvedic anatomy, representing specific anatomical regions of the body where vital structures are situated and where injury may result in pain, functional impairment, deformity, or even death. Among the Marmas of the upper limb, Koorpara Marma occupies an important position. It is described as a Sandhi Marma and is classified as a Vaikalyakara Marma. Anatomically, Koorpara Marma is situated at the junction of the Bahu and Prabahu, corresponding broadly to the region of the elbow joint.

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Koorpara Marma, Koorpara Sandhi, Marma Sharira, Sandhi Marma, Vaikalyakara Marma, Elbow Joint

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Chettinad residential architecture represents one of the most distinctive vernacular architectural traditions of South India, known for its unique spatial organization, climatic responsiveness, and cultural richness. However, limited research has explored how these houses create aesthetic and spatial experiences through visual perception and architectural composition. This study examines the aesthetic and spatial qualities of Chettinad houses using the frameworks of formal, functional, meaningful, and sustainable beauty. Particular attention is given to silhouette complexity, cone of vision, and the relationship between built mass and fenestration in shaping visual and spatial experiences. A qualitative case study approach was adopted, focusing on Chettinad residences in Kothamangalam, Tamil Nadu. Data were gathered through field observations, photographic documentation, spatial mapping, sequential experiential analysis, and a review of relevant literature. The study evaluates silhouette complexity from selected viewpoints, examines mass-fenestration relationships in relation to climate and aesthetics, and analyzes how spatial perception evolves from the public street to private interior spaces using cone of vision theory. The findings reveal that Chettinad houses successfully combine climatic efficiency, cultural symbolism, and carefully designed spatial experiences through a well-structured sequence of spaces. Based on these findings, the study proposes a five-point planning framework that offers valuable insights for integrating traditional wisdom into contemporary sustainable architectural design.

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Thinnai, Mutram, Cone of Vision, Silhouette Complexity, Fenestration, Thermal Mass, Sequential Experience.

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The rapid development of digital technologies has fundamentally transformed contemporary society and created new possibilities for communication, governance, education, economic activity and political participation. At the same time, the growing dependence on digital technologies has generated significant challenges for the protection of human rights. Privacy, freedom of expression and digital inclusion have emerged as three interconnected dimensions of human rights in the digital age. The large-scale collection and processing of personal data, online surveillance, cyber threats, algorithmic decision-making and inadequate data protection mechanisms create new risks to privacy and individual autonomy. Similarly, digital platforms have expanded opportunities for freedom of expression while simultaneously creating challenges associated with misinformation, hate speech, online harassment, censorship and content moderation. Digital exclusion presents another important concern because unequal access to digital infrastructure, devices, affordable connectivity and digital literacy can deepen existing social and economic inequalities. This paper examines the relationship between human rights and digital society, focusing particularly on privacy, freedom of expression and digital inclusion. The study adopts a qualitative and descriptive research methodology based on secondary sources, including scholarly literature, international human rights instruments, institutional reports, legal documents and policy materials. The findings indicate that digital technologies can contribute significantly to the realisation of human rights when they are accessible, inclusive, transparent and accountable. However, without appropriate safeguards, digitalisation can also create new forms of surveillance, discrimination and exclusion. The paper argues that a human-rights-based approach to digital governance is essential to reconcile technological innovation with human dignity, equality, liberty and justice.

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Human Rights, Digital Society, Privacy, Freedom of Expression, Digital Inclusion, Digital Divide, Data Protection, Digital Governance, Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity.

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This paper examines the socio-political landscape of Kodagu (Coorg), a distinct highland region in the Western Ghats of Karnataka, India. It examines how diverse kinds of political activism have been shaped by historical privileges, cultural uniqueness, and ecological weaknesses. Activism in Kodagu exhibits a complex interplay between ethnic identity and regional preservation, ranging from anti-colonial efforts to modern aspirations for geopolitical sovereignty and environmental conservation. The study explores the mobilization strategies of key ethno-political organisations, the Codava National Council (CNC), as well as current environmental movements opposing major infrastructure projects. Through a qualitative analysis of historical texts, ethnographic observations, and contemporary political discourses, this paper argues that political activism in Kodagu functions as a defensive mechanism against perceived cultural assimilation, demographic shifts, and ecological degradation. It highlights how regional groups negotiate their identities within the broader context of Karnataka's state politics and the Indian federal structure.

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Political Activism, Kodagu, cultural uniqueness, environmental movements

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