Analysis revealed the characteristics of paddy producing households in randomly selected two villages: Adhuria and Balai from Almora district. Primary data of 60 randomly selected households were collected for detailed analysis. Descriptive statistics were applied and tabular analysis was use to ascertain the results in precise manner. The majority of farmers belong to marginal category that was 93 and 97% to total farmers in terrace and valleys environments, respectively. On the other hand, a meager share of farmers falls in small category, 7 and 3 % in the respective environments. Paddy was the major cereal crop in the surveyed area during kharif season and it accounts 48 and 58% area to total cropped area in terraces and valleys, respectively. Livestock considered as backbone of hill economy and formed a sustainable source of income for households Use of machinery like tractor, harvester, threshers etc. was not common due to bio-physical condition of the cultivated land available on sample farms. Traditional implements/equipments were used in farming business to till now. The average annual income of households in valleys was Rs.116547/- which was 69% higher as compared to terraces Rs.68934/-. Analysis also revealed that the paddy production scenarios in valleys are more attractive due to prevailing assured production environment which is served as profitable business for the farmers. However, farmers of terrace growing paddy in kharif season due to employment of available resources with them-land and family members. As the opportunity cost of family member employment in the hills during kharif season is zero. Regression analysis indicates the independent variables: age of household head, farming experiences, size of land holding, share of irrigated area and yield advantage of MV were found positive and significant effect on area planted under modern paddy varieties. Increase in productivity of paddy is a big challenge for the farmers in hills. Adoption of modern paddy varieties can improve the productivity to desirable level, if suitable variety made available to the farmers.

This research paper aims to determine genetic-environment influences on the cognitive abilities of twins. Using the 100 pairs of twins from two districts, namely: Bhiwani (N = 90) and Hisar (N = 110) of Haryana State. Genetic and environmental influences were assessed in twin study design. The cognitive abilities of twins were measured using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-R). Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) Inventory was taken to examine the home environment of twins. Heritability estimate was used to analyze the genes contributing to shape the cognitive abilities of twins. The heritability estimates for cognitive abilities of 6-7 years old twins in Hisar district were 74% and in Bhiwani District 76%. Further the heritability estimates were 64% in the twins of Hisar district and 60%in Bhiwani district in the age group of 7-8 years. The remaining variations in the cognitive abilities of twins were due to environmental factors namely: provision for active stimulation and family participation in developmentally stimulating experiences. The findings provide robust evidence that the cognitive abilities were more influenced by genes than the environmental factors and also revealed that the influence of genetic was more in the age group 6-7 years than the age group 7-8 years. The conclusion of the heritability estimates indicates that the genetic influence was more in the age group of 6-7 years than the age group of 7-8 years.

The genetic contribution was accounted for 50-60% variance in fluid intelligence of twins. Twin study has supported the concept of genetic and home environmental impact on fluid intelligence of twins. Twins (N = 200) from two districts namely: Bhiwani (N=90) and Hisar (N=110) of Haryana State were assessed at the age of 6-to-8 years using Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children- Revised (WISC-R) (Wechsler 1974). Heritability estimate was used to analyze the genes contribute to shape the fluid intelligence of twins. The heritability estimates for fluid intelligence in Bhiwani and Hisar district were ranging from 60-70 per cent and remaining 30-40% variance in fluid intelligence of twins of Bhiwani and Hisar was due to environmental factors. Comparison of mean values at district level showed that the twins of Bhiwani district were significantly better in fluid intelligence as compared to Hisar district twins. The correlation coefficient among monozygotic and dizygotic twins for fluid intelligence of twins namely: arithmetic, picture arrangement and object assembly was ranging from r=0.43 (Dizygotic twins) to r=0.78 (Mnozygotic twins) in both Bhiwani and Hisar districts The result also revealed that the monozygotic twins were more correlated in fluid intelligence as compared to dizygotic twins. The fluid intelligence was more influenced by genetic factors as compared to environmental factors.

Genetic estimation of population sizes has been critical for monitoring Ficus species. However, population estimates do not inherently reveal the permanence or stability of the population under study. Thus, it is important to monitor not only the number of individuals in a population, but also how they are associated in groups and how those groups are distributed across the landscape. The additional challenge was to estimate the genetic diversity exists in Ficus racemosa individuals from natural forests, sacred groves and coffee plantations of Kodagu, Karnataka. The leaf samples were collected from each landscape and analysed for its genetic diversity as per standard procedure. The diversity computed based Nei's formulae and Shannon's information index showed consistent results. Natural populations recorded higher diversity (0.2948 and 0.4456, respectively) and comparable diversity was observed in sacred groves and coffee plantations population (0.2049 and 0.3110: 0.2352 and 0.3583, respectively). The relative differentiation among sub populations (GST) value for Ficus racemosa populations was 0.5272 and the variation for the total population was 0.3052 growing in different landscape elements of dry deciduous forest belts. Whereas, the variation into the diversity among subpopulation within a zone was low (0.3196). Analysis of Molecular Variance which indicated that within the population had higher genetic variability (97%) and only 3% of the total variation was portioned between population among different landscape element. The genetic diversity exists in natural population and sacred groves help in capturing the genes for further conservation of the species and establishing Circa situm forest gene bank in coffee plantations