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Socio-cultural influence on girl students' participation in games and sports in the Terai region
(2025) Pandit, Kabita; Shanta Bahadur Shrestha
This study, titled "Socio-cultural influence towards girl students' participation in
games and sports in the Terai Region," was conducted in the Mahottari District, Madhesh
Province, Nepal. The objectives of this study were to identify the socio-cultural factors
affecting girls' participation in sports and to analyze the roles of family, school, and
community in promoting or hindering their involvement in sports.
A descriptive research design was adopted, with data gathered from six secondary
schools. The respondents comprised five teachers, thirty girl students, and approximately
three parents per school, a total of 230 respondents. Questionnaires were utilized as
research tools for teachers and students, while an interview schedule was used for
parents.
The findings indicate that, while 98.89% of girls' students enjoy sports, only 16.11%
participate regularly in school-based sports activities. Approximately 66.33% participate
occasionally, and 20.55% do not engage in sports at all. Socio-cultural factors such as
traditional gender roles, early marriage, dowry system, economic constraints, religious
beliefs, and misconceptions about menstruation were identified as primary barriers.
Additionally, inadequate facilities in schools, such as limited sports equipment, untrained
coaches, teachers and insufficient physical infrastructure, further hinder girls'
participation in sports. Negative community attitudes, lack of cooperation, and
discouraging remarks also contribute to the low involvement of girls in sports. Family
dynamics, including gender discrimination, early marriage practices, and lower
investments in daughters, further exacerbate these challenges.
This study highlights the need to address socio-cultural and systemic barriers that
discourage the greater participation of girl students in sports activities in the Terai region.
Taxonomy of Genus Puntius (Hamilton, 1822) and Pethia (Hamilton, 1822) in the Lakes of Pokhara Valley
(2025) Poudel, Anjali; Kumar Sapkota
This study investigates the taxonomy, morphology, and morphometric characteristics of
two Puntius species (Puntius sophore and Puntius chola) and one Pethia species (Pethia
conchonius) inhabiting the three lakes of Pokhara Valley, namely, Phewa, Begnas and
Rupa lake. A total of 65 specimens were analyzed for 38 morphometric characters and 12
meristic counts, with their morphological features compared to earlier descriptions.
Morphometric analysis revealed significant interspecies differences: P. chola exhibited
the largest total length (TL) at 8.32 cm, followed by P. sophore (6.17 cm) and P.
conchonius (4.97 cm). Similarly, P. chola had the greatest standard length (SL) at 6.46
cm, while P. conchonius was the smallest at 3.90 cm. Body depth (BD) was highest in P.
chola (2.31 cm), followed by P. sophore (1.71 cm) and P. conchonius (1.31 cm),
reflecting potential ecological niche differentiation. Meristic traits further supported
species differentiation, with P. chola displaying larger fin measurements across dorsal,
pectoral, pelvic, and anal fins. Statistical analyses, including correlation and regression,
revealed varying degrees of predictability in morphometric traits relative to total length
(TL) and head length (HL). P. chola exhibited the strongest correlations (e.g., R = 0.83
for SL-TL), while P. sophore and P. conchonius showed moderate to weak correlations
(R values ranging from -0.62 to 0.56), suggesting environmental or genetic influences on
variability. The PCA and truss analyses reveal clear morphological differentiation among
the three species. Puntius chola is distinctly separated while P. sophore and P.
conchonius show closer similarity. PCA analysis revealed that PC1 accounted for 98.7%
of the total variation, clearly separating P. chola (score: 6.65) from P. sophore (–1.23)
and P. conchonius (–5.41). PC2 explained only 1.3%, reflecting minor differences, with
P. conchonius at 0.52, P. chola at 0.28, and P. sophore at –0.79. PCA plot shows AFL
and PFL strongly influenced by PC1, aligning with P. chola’s distinct score, while DFH
and DPA contributed negatively, corresponding to the lower scores of P. sophore and P.
conchonius. The dendrogram based on truss analysis showed that P. sophore and P.
conchonius clustered closely, while P. chola branched off at a much higher distance,
confirming its distinct morphology. In the dendrogram, the vertical height represents the
level of difference between the species’ body shapes. These findings confirm the
effectiveness of multivariate morphometric methods in species discrimination. This study
provides the foundational data crucial for the future investigations concerning taxonomy
of the fish species found in lakes of Pokhara valley.
Mapping human-elephant conflict hotspots in eastern Chure landscape, Nepal
(2025) Chaudhari, Madhu; ishnu Prasad Bhattarai
Human-elephant conflict (HEC) is a growing issue that poses a significant conservation challenge within a shared landscape with humans. The identification and prediction of conflict hotspots and the determination of HEC driving factors provide insights to reduce human-elephant conflict and promote the coexistence. This study employed verbal consent based in-person interviews across 255 spatial grid cells, with single respondent interviewed per grid cell, resulting in a total of 255 interviews. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to identify the HEC hotspots in the Eastern Chure Landscape (ECL). Most of the respondents (n = 190), reported experiencing conflicts, while remaining respondents (n =65) reported no conflict incidents in last five years. Logistic regression analysis identified Night Light and Shannon’s Diversity Index (SHDI) as the significant predictors of HEC. Similarly, a Classification and Regression Tree (CART) model also indicated Night Light as the most influential predictor, suggesting that elephants tend to avoid well-lit areas. The study revealed that highly fragmented landscapes with low Effective Mesh Size (MESH) values and low Largest Patch Index (LPI) increases the probability of HEC, focusing the restoration of habitat connectivity. The areas having high population density increased the likelihood of HEC. The performance of the CART model was evaluated using confusion matrix, where the model achieved 76.2% accuracy, 80.80% sensitivity, and 54.5% specificity, in identifying HEC prone areas. To assess the consistency and predictive performance of the CART model, a Random Forest (RF) model was constructed using same response and predictor variables. The RF model achieved 69.8% accuracy, but lower sensitivity (18.8%), and higher specificity (87.2%). The findings highlight that CARTmodel’s performance, particularly in identification of conflict-risk areas, suggesting CART model a reliable tool for HEC risk prediction. HEC hotspots map identified Morang, particularly in Letang, Kerabari, and Miklajung and areas of Jhapa, including Mechinagar and Shivasataxi, are the major HEC hotspots in Eastern Chure Landscape (ECL), indicating the requirement of site-specific mitigation strategies. Therefore, restoration of traditional and degraded elephant migratory routes, and lights should be installed as deterrents to ensure minimal human-elephant encounters
