http://pucir.inflibnet.ac.in:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/232 Assistant Professor, MLA Quarters, Khatla, Aizawl 2026-04-29T10:12:18Z http://pucir.inflibnet.ac.in:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/1007 Title: Farmers Perception on Land Degradation in Tuirini Watershed, Mizoram Abstract: Local people’s perception particularly, the farmers observation is valid to understand the causes and consequences of land degradation and for successful implementation of appropriate land management procedures to achieve sustainable agricultural development. A wide spatial variability in different forms of land degradation was observed in Tuirini watershed, which occupies about 411.38 km2 in Mizoram through local peoples’ perceptions and responses regarding soil degradation, deforestation and water scarcity. The present study is an attempt to analyze the factors responsible for various forms of land degradation along with farmer’s perception in Tuirini watershed. The practices such as shifting cultivation, cutting of forest for fuel wood, lumbering and more interestingly, growing ginger resulted in large scale erosion and deforestation thereby led to massive land degradation. In addition, high pressure of demand by the rapidly increasing population and high degree of land use change results the shortening of fallow period which induces land degradation. Regarding the water supply, the people in this watershed receiving good amount of rainfall but facing water scarcity due to lack of practicing rainwater harvesting. 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z http://pucir.inflibnet.ac.in:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/1005 Title: A geoinformatics and RUSLE model-based soil erosion assessment in a tropical mountainous area of Chite watershed, Mizoram, India Abstract: Soil erosion remains a persistent menace to the sustainability of agriculture and the environment in tropical mountainous regions. Soil erosion assessment is therefore necessary to identify degraded land areas for implementing effective conservation and management strategies. Hence, this study focuses on estimating potential soil erosion and analyzing their spatial patterns in the Chite watershed, situated in the Eastern Himalayas, India, using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model in Geographic Information System (GIS) platform. Various datasets encompassing remote sensing, ground observations, and laboratory analysis were employed to prepare the model’s input factors. The estimated mean erosion rate of the study area is 6.10 t ha-1 year-1, which produces a total soil loss of about 357580.90 t year-1. Spatial analysis reveals that about 5.79% of the watershed is under a relatively severe erosion category, contributing 70.13% of the total soil loss. Soil erosion appraisal with respect to the land use/ land cover (LULC) indicates a considerable consequence of various anthropogenic activities in the watershed. Higher rates of soil erosion are mainly observed on the bare land, cropland, and settlement areas which are characterized by steep and continuous slopes. The present findings were also validated with previous work undertaken in some comparable regions. This research can serve as a reliable tool towards the development of successful soil conservation measures and for promoting sustainable land use planning in this ecologically sensitive tropical mountainous region. 2024-04-01T00:00:00Z http://pucir.inflibnet.ac.in:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/459 Title: CAN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) REALLY OUTSMART HUMAN? : A REFLECTIVE STUDIES IN THE LIGHT OF ‘BEING-INTHE- WORLD’ OF HEIDEGGER’S ONTOLOGICAL PHENOMENOLOGY Authors: Vanlaltanpuia Abstract: Ever since, the first “Turing Test”3 was conducted by the British Computer Scientist Allan Mathison Turing way back in 1950, there developed a good number of Artificial Intelligence systems, all of which aims to pass certain conditions laid down by the said test which it says is necessary for a machine to be a human like. Alongside this line of progress, there also developed Artificial Intelligence in the model of what science fictionists dreamt of to fully simulate humans, contrary to partial resemblances considerable from certain parameters only. In the light of the two models, Artificial Intelligence falls into two categories – Weak and Strong Artificial Intelligence, where in Weak Artificial Intelligence a machine’s resemblance to human is only within or influenced of the programmed software vis-a-vis Strong Artificial Intelligence, in which the machine’s capacity is such that it is wholly resembling human for being exercising its own will outside of its program algorithms, including the physical alikeness and emotions. Despite the differences in category the amazing abilities of third generation smart robots (AI) are put the human existence a questionable one, of whether the difference between the two at this juncture is in kind or only in degree? Technology stands helpless to answer this question as the concern is something metaphysical or transcendental where the parameter goes beyond the empirical verifiability. Hence our enquiry on this regard focuses on the philosophers’ account of human beings with special emphasis on Martin Heidegger’s notion of Dasein’s ‘Being-in theworld 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z