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JOURNAL OF SOCIAL STUDIES
Volume-II | SEPTEMBER 2025
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ARTICLES

  1. Tourism Plan and Policies of India over the Years – An Empirical Analysis
    Dr. Rajeev Sharma,     Pardeep Kumar

    Abstract
    Tourism is a major driver of economic growth and job creation in India. However, the tourism sector remains underdeveloped compared to its vast potential. This paper empirically analyzes the impact of key tourism policies enacted by the Indian government over the past decades on foreign tourist arrivals and tourism’s contribution to GDP and employment. Secondary data on tourism performance indicators and policy milestones from 1960-2024 was collated and analyzed using regression models. The results indicate that policies such as national tourism campaigns, easing visa restrictions, and tourism infrastructure development have had significant positive impacts.
    Key words: Tourism Policies in India, Foreign Tourist Arrivals, GDP contribution, Employment, Empirical analysis
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  2. Drag, Family, and Cultural Transformation – How Drag Reality TV Influences Belonging and Identity in the Filipino LGBTQ+ Community
    Vince Angelo Albano, Ashley Louise Bulan,     MJ Clarries Melad and Trisha Jean Saquing

    Abstract
    This study explores drag in the Philippine context as it transitions from a subcultural art form to a mainstream phenomenon, reshaping ideas of identity, family, and community. Using Moscovici’s Social Representations Theory and a transcendental phenomenological design, data from interviews and focus groups with six drag performers and five audience members revealed that drag fosters empowerment, acceptance, and solidarity through alternative kinship structures. While audiences view drag as inspiring and representative, tensions arise from the clash between Western individualist formats and Filipino collectivist values. Drag thus emerges as both empowering and contested, advancing visibility while negotiating cultural complexities.
    Keywords:  Drag culture, Mainstreaming, Community and belonging, Social Representations Theory, LGBTQ+ visibility
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  3. Maratha Reservation in Maharashtra – A Study of the SEBC Act 2024 through Historical Judicial Precedents
    Abhijit Mahadeo Chavan

    Abstract
    The paper interrogates whether the SEBC Act justifiably exceeds this ceiling, weighing the adequacy of evidence and the principle of “extraordinary circumstances.” Comparative studies explore Maharashtra’s approach vis-à-vis other states such as Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka, contrasting their legal and political strategies to extend reservations. The analysis concludes that while the SEBC Act 2024 addresses contemporary social disparities, its constitutional sustainability remains questionable given the Maratha community’s political and economic dominance and deficits in empirical justification. Recommendations highlight the need for robust data, targeted welfare programs, sub-categorization, and constitutional adherence to ensure that affirmative action serves genuinely marginalized groups rather than powerful social blocs.
    Keywords: Maratha Reservation, SEBC Act 2024, Constitutional Law, Affirmative Action, Judicial Precedents, Creamy Layer
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  4. Imbibing the Marketing Trends in the field of Performing Arts
    Vasanth Kiran Rayasam,     Dr. Ina Shastri

    Abstract
    This paper discusses marketing strategies for performing artists in the Indian scenario, especially. It outlines basic marketing tools like promotional kits, resumes, bios, publicity shots, press releases, and work samples that artists can use. It also discusses developing an overall marketing strategy and using online marketing tools and sites to get work. Networking, listening to audiences’ needs, and developing relationships are important. The use by cultural institutions of the whole complex of marketing technologies will not only improve the quality of services provided by a given institution in a certain market segment, but will also allow moving to a new stage of evolution of the whole market of sociocultural services, which corresponds to the requirements (needs) of consumers to a greater extent and to enhance the reach.    Key-words: Arts marketing, Marketing strategy, Digital Marketing, Social Media, Technology, Arts management, Indian Performing arts
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  5. Immigration, Identity Politics and the Demand for a Separate Tribal State in Tripura
    Amaresh Debbarma    Abstract
    Immigration connotes the movement of peoples across international boundaries to a country where they are not citizens. There are two types of immigration: legal immigration and illegal immigration. The state of Tripura has been the host to both legal and illegal immigration, particularly from the Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan). This unabated immigration has relegated the tribals of Tripura to a minority in their own homeland.  This paper seeks to map of the nature of this immigration and its consequential identity politics in the form of demand for separate tribal state.
    KEYWORDS: Immigration, Identity Politics, State, Tipraland and Tribals
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    6. Climbing the Platform Ladder – A Conceptual Model for Understanding Musicians’ Pathways in Peripheral Contexts
    Joel Laltlanchhuaha

    Abstract
    This article introduces the Platform Ladder Model (PLM) as a framework for understanding these pathways. The model integrates insights from platformization, affordance theory, and research on creative careers. It proposes that musicians experience platforms as rungs in a ladder: beginning with local base platforms, moving to YouTube as a global entry point, engaging audiences through social media, and aspiring toward professionalization via streaming services and industry networks. Each stage offers distinct opportunities but also presents barriers shaped by inequality and limited resources. Developed from the case of Mizoram in Northeast India, the PLM extends platform studies with a developmental perspective and provides a transferable tool for analysing creative practices in other global South contexts.
    Keywords: Platformization, Creative Careers, Digital Music, Mizoram, Affordances
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    Published on 15 September 2025

    7. Indian Classical Dance as Aspirational Labour – Economic Marginalization and Muslim Bodies in Kerala’s Performance Culture
    Al Ameen J

    Abstract
    The study demonstrates that despite Kerala’s reputation for cultural democratization through school art festivals, the market-driven transformation of classical dance creates hierarchical access patterns that reinforce existing social inequalities. Negotiating caste Hindu cultural spaces and even their own religious communities for taking up a passion that systematically others them within these structures, Muslim classical dancers face compounded marginalization through both economic constraints and religious identity negotiations within elite performance traditions dominated by upper-caste, upper-class practitioners
     Keywords: classical dance, aspirational labour, marginalization, Muslim identity, Kerala, cultural capital
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    Published on 15 September 2025

    8. A Brief History of India–Myanmar Relations – Colonial Legacies, Nationalist Solidarities, and Strategic Engagement
    Dr. Jonathan Zodintluanga

    Abstract
    This paper provides a historical analysis of the bilateral relationship, tracking developments during the colonial era, nationalist movement, cultural and economic interconnections, foreign policy principles, and the post-colonial evolution of ties. It argues that while relations saw severe fluctuations, shared history, cultural bonds, and strategic imperatives underpin a resilient partnership. 
    Keywords: India, Myanmar, Colonialism, Bilateral Relations, Foreign Policy, Look East Policy
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    Published on 27 September 2025

    9. Factors, Challenges and Management of Greywater Disposal- A Case Study of Limbu Busty, Darjeeling 
    Sanjana Shah and Dr. Uttam Lama

    Abstract
    Greywater is the used water from sinks, laundry machines, and bathtubs that isn’t from toilets. Several houses in Darjeeling discharge this water straight into streams and drains, which causes pollution, health hazards, and environmental issues. Due to inadequate water systems and fast urbanization, the town continues to experience water shortages despite heavy rainfall. Using random sampling, this study examines the difficulties and solutions for managing greywater in the Darjeeling Hills, with a particular focus on Limbu Busty (Ward No. 31). The findings shows that easy, inexpensive fixes like covering open drains, reusing greywater safely, and employing eco-friendly techniques can have a significant impact. Communities can safely manage greywater, conserve water, and enhance health and hygiene in the hills with the correct training, government assistance, and awareness campaigns.

    Keywords: Darjeeling Hills, Greywater, Wastewater Management, Eco-friendly Practices, Public Awareness, Water Conservation
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    Published on 26 November 2025