1. education
2. school

Rural Research Report
Dadgaliya, Ranikhet, Uttarakhand
Submitted by
Dhananjai Sinha 20130120025
Priyanka Jayarajan 20130120133
Duration of the rural research field visit: 21st September – 28th September
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We are immensely thankful to MICA for giving us the opportunity of conducting this Rural Research
Project. This project would not have been possible without the constant support and guidance from
Professor Arbind Sinha.
We would also like to express our sincere gratitude to Mrs. Poonam Adhikari the Gram Pradhan of
Dadgaliya and her husband Mr. Rajendra Adhikari, Aanganwadi officer Mrs. Sheila Arya for their
valuable time, insights and hospitality. To add to this list we are also grateful to the school teachers,
officials and students.
We would also like to thank all the inhabitants of the village who hosted us graciously and each and
every individual who answered our questions patiently without whom this report would not have
taken form.
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Table of Contents
Uttarakhand -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------4
Research Methodology ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------6
Village Profile-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8
Village Resources ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------14
Village Economy------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------20
Social Structure-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------22
Village Culture---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------24
Media Consumption-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------25
Brand Consumption--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------26
Communication Need Assessment-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------28
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INTRODUCTION
UTTARAKHAND
Uttarakhand is the 27th state of India carved out of the mountainous regions of Uttar
Pradesh in 2000. Bordered by Uttar Pradesh in the South and Himachal Pradesh in the
north-west, Uttarakhand shares international boundaries with Nepal and Tibet. Its capital is
the beautiful north-western city of Dehra Dun. Uttarakhand occupies 17.3% of India’s total
land area with 51,125 sq. km.
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There are 13 districts in Uttarakhand which are grouped into two divisions. Kumaon division
and Garhwal division
The Kumaon division includes six districts
• Almora
• Bageshwar
• Champawat
• Nainital
• Pithoragarh
• Udham Singh Nagar
The Garhwal division includes seven districts
• Dehradun
• Haridwar
• Tehri Garhwal
• Uttarkashi
• Chamoli
• Pauri Garhwal (commonly known as Garhwal)
• Rudraprayag
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Research Methodology
Research problem
While on field our research was expected to be two fold. It was required of us to perform an
ethnographic study of Dadgaliya concentrating primarily on media. Based on this study a
particular gap was to be identified on which a communication need assessment was to be
implemented in order to improve the current situation in the village to benefit the
community.
Research Design
Our research began with the help of secondary sources over the internet which helped us
narrow down to the village of our choice. We had to be wary of the accessibility of our
destination owing to the situation in Uttarakhand due to the imminent danger of floods. We
also contacted a social worker in Dehradun, working for RELIC, who updated us about the
best routes to take while travelling to Almora along with suggestions of few villages where
we could conduct our research successfully.
Data Collection Methodologies
This research was a qualitative study which was exploratory in nature. An ethnographic
study was conducted in order to understand the culture, attitudes, beliefs and consumption
patterns of the natives of Dadgaliya. Some of the methods used are listed below
In-Depth Interviews
A total of 16 in-depth interviews were conducted. The sample included natives of the village
with various occupations like farmers, Aanganwadi workers, a taxi driver, hotel owner,
kirana store owner, policeman, school officials & teachers, a labourer, housewives, Gram
Pradhan, senior citizens, tour guide, block development officer (BDO). These interviews
lasted anywhere between 30 – 60 minutes each.
Focus Group Discussions
During the research 2 Focus Group Discussions were carried out, one which involved the
Gram Pradhan, the Block Development Officer and two farmers. The second involved
officials at the nearby school. FGDs helped us analyse different perspectives on various
issues along with the collective behaviour towards how they must be addressed and
resolved. There is a tendency of group thinking which may arise hence in-depth interviews
help counter such a situation.
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Observational data
During our 7 day research lot of our data collection relied upon observational data which is
recorded in a timely manner in our diary. This especially includes data about brand and
media consumption and prevalent cultural nuances exhibited by the natives.
Secondary research
We relied on census data and few other internet sources in order to conduct village profiling
in tandem with our other methods.
Note: Observational data has been collected in the diary along with rough transcripts in our
diary in a systematic manner involving most of the respondents mentioned above. Data was
also collected in the form of audio recordings with prior permission from each of the
respondents.
Challenges faced
Travelling to a new place and living among the natives, respecting their ideologies and
methods requires quite an open mind. One must know how to respond when faced with
unpredictable situations so that the other party is not offended. We had to be careful that
we ate, dressed, spoke keeping in mind the sensitivities of the community.
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Ethnographic Study of Dadgaliya
1. Village Profile
Dadgaliya is a picturesque and quaint village located in the Tehsil of Ranikhet. It falls under
the Almora district of Uttarakhand. We travelled to Dadgaliya from Delhi via road covering a
distance of 362km. It is a few kilometres away from the Ranikhet Army Cantonment which is
home to the Kumaon and the Naga regiment.. Dadgaliya is situated 34.7km away from its
district head quarter Almora. Bageshwar, Nainital and Bijnor are some of the districts
neighbouring Almora.
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Notional Map
Neighbouring villages are Majethi 3.5km, Digote 3.5km, Naini 5km Banoli 8km and Machali.
Climate
In the third week of September the temperature was around 18 deg. Celsius with sudden
drizzles. The climate is temperate in nature. Temperatures can reach very low during the
winter with the onset of snowfall. The state receives roughly 1500m of rainfall from the
Southwest Monsoons which blows from July through September. Floods and landslides are
common occurrences in these parts. The best time to visit will be during March-October.
Topography
Uttarakhand has a varied topography with glaciers, snow peaked mountains, dense forest
covers, plains. The Great Himalayas and the Zaskar range contains elevations up to 7138m
and form the Himadri section. The Shivaliks also cut through here and together both of
them form the Kumaon region. Dehradun, which is south of the Shivaliks is comprised of flat
plains.
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Ranikhet has an average elevation of 6132 ft. The town of Almora is located over a horse
saddle shaped ridge of a mountain. The eastern portion of the ridge is known as Talifat
while the western one is known as Selifat. The huts of the village are scattered across the
mountain slopes.
Soil
Regions of Uttarakhand have soils which are susceptible to erosion. Almora contains
predominantly brown forest soil, rich in organic content. A variety known as Tarai soil
(clayey) in nature is also found here.
Flora and fauna
The pristine air gives life to luscious coniferous and deciduous forests replete with pine,
evergreen oaks, rhododendrons, oak, teak, shesham and deodar forests that host a range of
wildlife including leopard, mountain goats, cow, barking sambar, langur, porcupine and red
fox. The forests double as extensive grazing lands as well.
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Land use pattern
Farmers in Dadgaliya own at least an average of 3-5 nalis of land situated on mountain
slopes. On this they cultivate crops, chillies and other vegetables. Earlier uneducated
farmers would sell their land at Rs 5000 per nali but this custom ceases to exist today.
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The people
The native people of Uttarakhand are generally categorised as Kumaoni (spanning south
eastern sections) or Garhwali (spanning north western sections) depending on whether they
originate from the Garhwal or Kumaon region. Rajputs form majority of the population
which comprise of indigenous communities like the Garwali, Gujjar and Kumauni. Hindi is
the official language of the state but Pahari language is predominantly spoken here.
The people of Dadgaliya are Kumaonis and predominantly from the Adhikari, Bhisht, Negi
and Rawat communities. Most of the population has Hindu religious sentiments. Scheduled
casts form a large section of the population. The natives live on the slopes of the mountains
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and most of the cultivation is also carried out on these slopes. Their homes are usually built
of stone and mud with some exceptions of brick and mortar.
Demographic composition
Dadgaliya is the home of around 150 families with 900 voters comprising of 480 males and
around 420 females. The youth (people below the age of 15) make up majority of the
population hence the gender split turns out to be approximately 1:1. There were around
100 girl children. There are 40-50 BPL families residing in the village. The literacy rate of the
village is quite high compared to other regions in Uttarakhand as around 98% of the
population is literate. The predominant occupations the people of Dadgaliya pursue are
farming, labour with some emphasis on tourism. The region is supplied with milk produced
by its own cattle population.
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2. Village Resources
The nearest railway station is located at Ramnagar Bengal at a distance of 45.6km, followed
by Kathgodam station at 46km, the latter forming a crucial hub for the locals around. The
closest local bus stop is situated at Naini which is 2kms away.
Amenities in/around the village
Healthcare facilities: M.N Srivastava Private Hospital
This hospital was established in 1997 under the Rajeshwar Sushila Dayal Trust. It is around
1km away from the residential area of Dadgaliya. The hospital is equipped with 36 beds and
1 ambulance which transports patients to Ranikhet in case of emergencies or special cases..
Dr. Renu Srivastava is the resident doctor who has been posted here for the past 8 years.
Another doctor is called on from Ranikhet in case of special requirements. A government
hospital with slightly more advanced facilities is present 6km away.
The treatment provided here is not very extensive but it is offered at subsidised rates for
patients that fall Below the Poverty Line. Free delivery of medicines is provided to destiture
women and senior citizens. The patients that visit the hospital come from all strata of
society and everyone is offered equal treatment whether Adhikari or scheduled castes.
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Local kirana stores
There are 2 kirana stores in the village which stock basic products for the villagers and is
frequented by 1 or 2 distributors per week. The products stocked are biscuits, washing
powder, soap, shampoos etc.
Power
Most of the power is received via hydroelectric stations that are run by the perennial rivers
of the region. Energy requirements are also met by the national power storage scheme.
There were issues of power cuts till two years ago where there was an hours’ power cut
every evening. In recent times no such issue has been reported. Although during heavy
snowfall the snow tends to disturb the transmission cables around the region.
Bank
The villagers of Dadgaliya have to travel a few kilometres to State Bank of India in Machali to
obtain their financial support. There is a functioning grameen bank in the village where 90%
of the villagers have an account and are provided financial aid under the ‘Jan Dhan Yojana’.
Water facilities
Villagers rely on nearby sources of water for their survival which is not sufficient for all their
activities. Maintenance of pipes and waterways is a difficult task in such incongruous
terrain. The village is often struck with water shortage and the people fill this gap by using
water tanks if they can afford it. The village is equipped with 2 hand pumps.
Ration facilities & Public Distribution System
Villagers under BPL have access to a BPL card which allows them to purchase wheat,
channa, rice, half a litre of oil, sugar and millets for subsidised rates from the Public
Distribution System.
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School
Dadgaliya is not equipped with its own school but there is a primary government school at
Naini which is around 2 kilometres away. This school contains classes till the 5th standard
and is a boys school. It is furnished with one computer provided by the government which is
equipped with internet facility. Higher education can be obtained from institutes situated in
Almora. The school is attended by 30 students and there is only 1 teacher allocated. A
nominal fee of Rs. 10 per month is charged and in return low quality education is provided.
Students are provided with uniforms and books by the government. Transport facilities are
not provided by the school which results in increased drop-out rates. School has a basic first
aid kit available in case of emergencies.
The comparatively richer folk send their children to private and catholic schools in the
vicinity which charge fees of Rs. 3000 and Rs. 6000 respectively per month.
Aanganwadi (Government run centre for women and children development)
Aanganwadi officer: Mrs Shiela Arya
Village Supervisor: Mrs. Mangla Devi
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A small centre caters to the development of children from the ages of 2- 6 years. The
Aanganwadi officer Mrs. Shiela Arya educates these children with basic knowledge of
alphabets, numbers, shapes, colours and identification of places with the help of pictures.
She has been doing so since 2008. There are no books provided but the children are
equipped with chalks and a slate along with a kit of toys by the government. However Mrs.
Shiela is given textbooks every year based on the state board syllabus. An Aanganwadi
official makes a trip to supervise the functioning of this centre once every month. Currently
there are 9 children studying here. Mid-day meals are offered which contain a balanced
meal of daal, rice, khichdi and a sweet dish. Children from different strata of society study
together without any biased treatment. There are no computers available in the village.
Irrigation facilities
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The steep slopes of this region require special attention and precarious practices of
terracing and irrigation. Water that is drained from upper levels on the slope trickles down
to the lower levels. This type of terrace farming is used for wheat and till date it remains the
most cultivated crop followed by rice and millets. Drip irrigation does not work here due to
frequent instances of soil erosion. In these parts of Almora dairy farming is widely practiced
by the farmers. Goats and cows constitute the animal stock and are allowed to graze in
these mountain pastures. The farmers are provided with medicines and fertilisers for their
crops by the government. The soil grows a variety of crops and vegetables like Jowar,
Madwa, gehu, chillis, cucumbers and cabbage to name a few. Common tools used by
farmers are hal, darati and kudal. The government offers no special schemes in terms of
harvesting of the crops in these regions. Cyclical farming is practiced by most farmers with
emphasis on crop rotation.
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The locals of Dadgaliya do not come under the purview of any NGO. The Ranikhet Army
Cantonment provides limited or no support to these villagers either.
An increasingly developing network of paved roads, improving availability of electricity,
awareness of brand consumption and consumer goods and utilisation of media has
managed to uplift most of Uttarakhand’s rural population into mainstream society.
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Village Economy
Benefits provided by the government
A scheme for pregnant women provides them with money to purchase salt, chana, moong
dal, bajra from the ration shops. This was allocated on the basis of matra. There are no
special schemes for elderly women. The Scheduled Castes are provided with Aarakshan
programmes. Discounts on fertilisers are provided to the farmers.
Sources of income
Farming and labour are the predominant source of income for the region. Some people are
employed in government services. However one of the serious concerns in these parts is
that of unemployment. The MNREGA employment scheme provides 90 days of employment
in a year. Kaccha Majduri Kaam is provided at following prices which are far lower than
market prices:
Unskilled labour cost: Rs. 166 per day
Skilled labour cost: Rs. 373 per day
Labour comprises of activities like road repair and construction in mountainous terrain.
Dadgaliya also employs locals in the Tourism Centre labour employment facility.
Mahila Samuh
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There is a Mahila Samuh in the village which earns their living by promoting indigenous handicrafts
like weaving woollen clothing, making apple jams, pashmina shawls, and decorative pieces from drift
wood etc.
Many youngsters leave the village to look for sources of income and better living conditions in cities
like Almora, Nainital and Dehradun.
A family on an average follows a spending pattern of Rs. 5000 per month.
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Social Structure
Village Structure
The Gram Panchayat is responsible for taking up the issues brought forth to them by the
villagers and supervisors at their discretion based upon the priority, urgency and relevance
of the problem in the prevailing context.
Villages in Uttaranchal are divided into various blocks for better administration- each block
has 122 gram sabhas. Dadhgaliya shares its gram sabha with Ginai and Banolia.
Every five years, a woman hold the seat of gram pradhan by mandate; the current gram
pradhan – Mrs. Poonam Adhikari falling under this seat presently. The current members
holding the chairs of responsibility:
Gram Pradhan (Dadhgaliya)- Mrs. Poonam Adhikari
Sarpanch (Dadhgaliya, Ginai and Banolia) - Mrs. Jyoti Shah
Supervisor- Mangla Devi
The gram panchayat is held once every six months. The frequency of the gram sabha is
flexible as such and it depends on as and when the work is required.
After the issue has been raised, it usually takes around 10-12 days to have it processed by
the panchayat.
The hierarchy of the village administration:
Zilla (District) Parishad
Block Parishad (Block Development Officer)
Gram Parishad
Village Supervisors/Reps
Villagers
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Caste and Religion
Adhikari, Negi, Bist, Adhikari and Aryas are the dominant castes in the village. They come
down from a Rajput lineage and mostly come down from a clan of land owners and their
descendents. These include members of the indegineous Kumaoni, Gharwali and Gujjar
community. These communities have their own land on which they work or employ others
to work. Some of them are land owning unemployed. Scheduled castes and scheduled tribes
also exist in the village community; approximately 29 to 30 families are of these types. In
terms of faction formation, there is relative peace and agreement here fostered by an
environment of co-operation and community living. The apparent caste divide which exists
is not visible openly.
Family Structure
Most of the population are of Hindus. In Dadhgaliya, there were very few families and
Christian families were completely absent. The locals however, prefer to send their children
to Catholic schools for better educational resources and facilities as compared to what was
available to them closer by. There was a visible power distance which occurs between the
members of the family and the grandfather, the latter earning the title of ‘the gharmukhoya’
in this context. Power here, is held by the eldest member of the family.
Families are majorly nuclear, living in a close network where relatives live close to each
other as a community. They work on their fields together and tend to share the produce
amongst their family. There was a major outflux of families selling their land and moving out
to live in the bigger towns. This trend has decreased consistently and the locals understand
the importance of owning land and property.
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Village Culture
The Kumaon region is enriched with folklore and mythical tales like Narsingh, Ghana and
Nyoli. These folk tales form a narrative where the Himalayas, the inherent charm of the
highest peaks like the Nandadevi, Pancchuli and others are glorified. The songs also praise
nature and its bounty. The native language is Pahari and the official language of the state is
Hindi. Some villagers are fluent in Sanskrit.
Aspirations and values of the youth
The youth studying in the region aspire to become teachers, doctors and engineers where as
their parents are sceptical about these dreams since they are exposed to the realities of the
dire circumstances they face. But they want their children to hold good social positions in
the society for which they are willing to send them to nearby towns for higher education.
Their only worry is who will look after their fields once the children are gone. The youth are
quite dissatisfied with the level of education provided in the village and expect the
government to provide them with more amenities. The youth today are also exposed to a
plethora of consumer goods and have better connectivity to the outside world due to
literacy and the all-pervasive mobile phone. Their needs and aspirations are higher
compared to parents. The introduction of television sets into households changed the
lifestyle of the villagers to a great extent. People are more aware of the choices they have.
They enjoy Bollywood movies and TV soap operas alike. The concept of arranged marriages
still prevails in this village. Young men and women usually marry at the age of 19. There are
no instances of child marriage.
Festivities
Majority of Hindu festivals are celebrated here with much gusto. Some of them are Holi,
Diwali, Dussehra, Uttaraini. Harvest festivals celebrated are Baisakhi and Sakranti. This is
usually accompanied with pujas conducted in the local temple to Maa Devi and the village
deity.
Dominant Religion
The dominant religion that prevails is Hinduism. Villagers worship Devi Mata and have a
temple dedicated to her in the premise. The largest minority is the Muslim population
followed by Sikhs and Tibetans. The homes of villagers are adorned with painted
masks/faces with a red tongue sticking out in order to ward away evil.
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Marriages
There are no pressures associated with child marriage as this system has been abolished a
long time ago. The youth marry at the age of 19. The average family has 2 children. Inter
caste marriages are a very rare affair.
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Media Consumption
Newspaper
Dainik Jagaran, Amar Ujala and Hindustan were the most read newspapers in Hindi. There
were no readers in English and other vernacular languages. Although the literacy rate in the
village was 98 pc, the subscription to these newspapers was fairly low (35 families in all).
The reason behind this was the local trend of reading newspapers in nearby towns close to
the village where the same newspaper would exchange hands throughout the day. The
readership of newspapers among womenfolk was drastically lower.
Radio
Radio coverage was present in the village. The fact that it was inconsistent and that it had
given way to the television as the preferred source of media dissemination, meant that the
radio consumption has diminished consistently over the years. Amongst the radio channels,
FM and AM bands were covered at the village. In terms of usage, transistors have been
outdated and given way to the mobile phone as the preferred device.
Television
Television consumption has seen a sharp increase in the village with the presence of dish
antennas and cable television (Direct to home – D2H). Tata Sky dominates the market as the
sole provider of D2H services in the village. In terms of viewership, entertainment channels
like Star, Sony and Colors are the most watched channels. In terms of ownership, two in
three families owned a colour television set. Around 10 families owned two television sets.
Internet
Usage of internet through mobile handsets is the prevalent trend in Dadgaliya. Vodafone is
the most popular choice in terms of mobile data connection and the locals majorly use the
internet to download music and other videos/sources of entertainment.
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Brand Consumption
Our study on brand consumption was based on interviews conducted at the local kirana
store owned by Mr. Kamal Singh. He stocks FMCG items like cold drinks, shampoos, Ujala,
chips, noodles, soaps, cigarettes to name a few. He is frequented by a distribution salesman
from ITC once every week who supplies him with products such as Sunfeast biscuits, Bingo,
Aashirwad Aata etc. He also has a supply of Parle G biscuits. A peculiar feature in these parts
was the large number of local potato chips manufacturers. The popular items to sell were
Clinic Plus shampoo, Parle G, Kuber tobacco, Colgate and Wheel.
Mr. Kamal Singh adds on to the product portfolio based on the demands of the villagers and
the suggestions made to him by the distribution salesman. He prefers Britannia products
since the distributor charges a lesser margin on them.
Villagers consume local tea brands in these parts.
On interacting with households we deduced that women are the primary influencers while
purchasing FMCG purchases.
When it comes to high involvement products like a motorbike or television the males usually
have the final say.
The durables present in an average household are a TV, set top box, lights and mobile
phones.
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Communication Need Assessment
Education
Parents at Dadghaliya seem to be involved with their children’s education and from what we
observed around us, treat it as a priority. This however, does not ensure that the children
have access to decent education facilities. The nearest secondary school is in the
neighbouring village Naini, which itself is in a dismal condition not conducive to the overall
growth and development of school children. The parents need to re-instilled with genuine
reasons as to why their child’s education should be of utmost importance to his
development and they need to be empowered, through effective communication channels
about their right and duty to raise a voice and express their concerns. They must be
motivated enough to question the school’s accountability and functioning. Only then can
there be an improvement in the state of things to come.
Channels where the rural population is active on should be utilised to run such a campaign.
Effective utilisation of the television and the internet as a means to communicate this
should be part of the media plan proposed for the village.
The following issues listed below can be brought forth through these communication
channels to encourage the locals to take it up with the school so that the maximum possible
benefit can be derived by everyone.
Distance from the school: Having a school far away and inaccessible to the children has
resulted an increase in unwanted drop-out rate from school. There is a need to cater to the
150 families in Dadgaliya so that education can have as much worth as it should.
Adult Education Program/Night schools: It is imperative to have adult education programs
in order to equip families with the right resources in terms of knowledge to help them make
informed decisions about things. This will make them aware of the long term advantages of
being educated which would in turm ensure that these parents make sure that the children
do not drop out of school. Also, adult education would ensure that the child too gets
support from the parent in terms of academics.
Infrastructure: The lack of proper infrastructure, books, furniture, computers etc. In the
school compromises the quality of education which the child receives. A communication
strategy aimed at parents to encourage them to question the school about these issues can
be taken up; additionally, a campaign to source computers from charitable funds across the
country can be devised make the schools self-sufficient in this regard. Proper sourcing of
teachers also needs to take place to be able to guide the children properly.
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Appointing an education representative independent from the purview of the current
hierarchy: Currently, all issues regarding the school are taken up through the general
conventional route through the Gram Parishad, Block Parishad and the Zilla Parishad. We
propose a separate independent system catering to education which can be set up and
made accountable for schools at the village level and to assess their requirements
periodically.
Use of an Integrated Marketing Communications through TVCs and other channels of
communication listed above which have penetrated the media consumption channels at
Dadgaliya and the villages surrounding it can be used to empower the populace about the
importance of education and encourage them to address their problems effectively.
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