ORCID - S Fazal Daoud Firdausi (Ph. D.)
Research Publications
- Bhāratiya Knowledge System in Higher Educational Institutions: A Study from the Perspective of Learners
- Conflict in Yemen: A Sectarian Strife or Petro-geopolitics?
- Digital Transformation of Tourism in India: Strengths and Opportunities
- Political Culture and Tourism Development: A Case Study of Tamil Nadu State
- Urban Resilience and Flash Floods: A Case Study of Chennai Metropolitan City
- Mere Spectacle or Means of Conservation? Reflections from Pune Tribal Museum
- Role of Tourism in Achieving Sustainable Development
- Rise of Heritage Tourism in Tanzania: Overarching Issues and the Way Forward
- Political Turmoil, Renaissance and Tourism of North African Spring
Bhāratiya Knowledge System in Higher Educational Institutions: A Study from the Perspective of Learners
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is a transformative and comprehensive framework for reforming the education system in Bharat. The rich heritage of Bhāratiya knowledge and thought has inspired this policy. The policy is in line with the vision to take the country to the position of global leader. The policy aims to ensure that the learners are equipped with knowledge and skills to excel in a world that is rapidly changing and driven by technology. One of the focus areas of this policy is to ensure the incorporation of content related to ‘Bhāratiya Knowledge System’ also referred to as ‘Indian knowledge System’ (IKS) in the curriculum. It aims to make the learners aware about the rich and diverse culture of Bharat and its contribution to the world leading to the incorporation of Bhāratiya perspective in the study of various disciplines and instil the civilisational value ‘Vasudhaiva Kuṭumbakam’ in the minds of the learners. The present study was conducted with the objective to ascertain the perspective of learners in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) regarding the inclusion of topics related to IKS in their syllabus. The study conducted using mixed method approach using a sample size of 200 respondents found that most of the topics were new for the respondents. They were enjoying reading about the rich history and contribution of Bharat to the world. It was found that the course has enriched their knowledge regarding the diverse heritage of Bharat. The respondents suggested that a compulsory course on generic topics related to IKS should be introduced at school level and at graduate and post- graduate level learners should be acquainted with discipline-specific IKS.
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Digital Transformation of Tourism in India Strengths and Opportunities
The tourism industry is one of the most important economic sectors in India. In recent years, the tourism industry has undergone a digital transformation as businesses increasingly use digital technologies to improve the customer experience and streamline operations. This book provides an overview of the digital transformation of the tourism industry in India. It discusses the fundamental concepts of digital transformation, the opportunities and challenges facing the tourism industry in India, and the way forward to achieve a smooth transition. The book is intended for a wide audience, including tourism professionals, government officials, and students.
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Political Culture and Tourism Development A Case Study of Tamil Nadu State
Tourism development in any region is influenced by political culture and processes. It is inherently linked to the policies, agenda, decisions, outcomes and the type of government responsible for shaping policies related to tourism. The paper tries to find out the impact of political culture on tourism development. It also aims to assess the role of political culture in influencing tourist motivation through the data collected from urban tourist centres of the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Mixed method, consisting qualitative interpretation as well as descriptive and inferential statistics has been used to draw conclusions. It has come out from the study that the political culture of Tamil Nadu state may be characterized as a mix of subject and participant culture, where latter dominates the former. It can be concluded that the people of the state have always participated in political process through voting and changing the regime from time to time. The study also indicates that most of the people of the state are aware of their political obligations and actively participate in social campaigns and civic life. It can be concluded that the existing political culture in the state has compelled the political elite to think and work for the development of the state, including tourism development.
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Urban Resilience and Flash Floods A Case Study of Chennai Metropolitan City
The research chapter primarily examines urban flooding caused by catastrophic rainfall that occurred in December 2015 in Chennai, India. Chennai, India’s fourth largest metropolitan city, was totally paralyzed by flooding for several days. The deluge destroyed crucial roads and rail-links, shut down the airport, snapped power and telecom lines, and cut off >3 million people from basic services for several days. This study investigates the dynamics of rainfall in and around Chennai city in particular and Tamil Nadu state in general. The devastating rains exposed the urban resilience in this important metropolitan. City resilience is its ability to endure in the face of emergency situations arising due to natural or man-made catastrophes. The present study also explains the weather system that prevailed during the incessant rainfall that inundated several parts of the city. It highlights the paradox of scarcity and abundance that exists in Chennai, which remains one of the most water-stressed cities in India. It probes the major causes of urban flooding from three different perspectives—global warming, those related to El-Nino, and those related to faulty urban-planning practices—thus highlighting the importance of resilience in smart-city design. In this regard, an effort is made to decode the Chennai flood in context of major urban-planning and urban-design principles outlined under the UN’s Habitat-II and III. It points out the ways in which land-use planning and environment protection has been blatantly ignored by the authorities, again highlighting the importance of making cities resilient. It tries to underline, through examples, the apathy and laxity of local authorities in urban management and governance practices. The chapter also envisages to measure level of disaster preparedness during those floods and concludes that for a city that dreams of attaining global competency, Chennai was complacent about its vulnerability to natural disasters.
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Mere Spectacle or Means of Conservation? Reflections from Pune Tribal Museum
Museums play an important role in the representation of local culture and economic life. It also acts as a great stimulus for tourism development of the region. Tribal museums across India have been playing important role in preservation of tribal culture. Many tribes of India do not have any written history. The memories are passed from one generation to other through oral traditions such as songs, folk tales, and dance forms. All these tangible and intangible aspects of tribal culture are essential for tribal identity. If the tribal community loses it, they may vanish or become mere commodities. Therefore, it is important to preserve and promote tribal culture through tribal museums. Tribal museums can very well communicate the knowledge, practices, products and their natural and social environment. The paper tries to understand the context and idea behind the establishment of tribal museum through the case study of Pune Tribal Museum that was established to present an authentic display of the tribal culture of the state of Maharashtra. The study also aimed to assess the contribution of Pune tribal museum in promotion of tourism. The study tries to present a comparative analysis of the meaning and understanding of tribal museum for tribal and non-tribal youth population visiting the museum. The study primarily aims to employ qualitative and interpretative methodology in drawing inferences and conclusion regarding the meaning, context and evaluation of tribal museum. It has come out from the study that the tribal youth visiting the museum were primarily motivated by the questions of identity and pride, while the non-tribal youth visitor had varied motivations. It can be concluded that the distinction between modern and postmodern has become very fluid in the contemporary museum. It has become very difficult to ascertain when one enters modern and exit the postmodern.
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Role of Tourism in Achieving Sustainable Development
The international community adopted Global Goals, otherwise known as Sustainable Development Goals as universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure peace and prosperity. The UN member states are now expected to frame agendas and policies on the basis of new targets and indicators over the next fifteen years. Tourism over the years has become significant for global economies, as a transformative force for improving millions of lives. It has now become essential for the world community to harness the power of tourism, as we strive to achieve 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Keeping this in the backdrop, the paper seeks to analyse how tourism is positioned under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The paper also attempts to analyse how tourism development figured under UN MDGs'. The study concludes that tourism development agenda framed under SDGs fosters more realistic targets and follows bottom-up approach.
Rise of Heritage Tourism in Tanzania Overarching Issues and the Way Forward
Pan African Renaissance brought forth the most tangible and intangible aspects of African heritage, which are now seen as integral part of African identity. The people of Africa initiated preserving and conserving their living and built elements of culture to stress their indigenous identity and considered it most significant in shaping the future of their continent. It also propelled the rise of heritage tourism, which became the most pervasive and fastest growing sector of tourism industry in Africa. Although the impact of African Renaissance was most profound in Southern Africa, countries of Eastern Africa could not remain untouched by the robust wave. The East African country that also witnessed growth of heritage tourism but at a relatively slower pace was Republic of Tanzania. Tourism began to grow in Tanzania after the economic restructuring of 1990. In the beginning tourism in Tanzania was mostly concentrated towards the wildlife. In the later stages government of Tanzania gave high priority to the development of heritage tourism, viewing it as a potential tool for poverty alleviation and community development. Heritage tourism in Tanzania is now being promoted in a huge manner through the creation of Tourism clusters and Tourism circuits. In the present scenario it is very interesting to observe that the development of heritage tourism in Tanzania is straddling between the perceived impacts that include trivializing and loss of cultural heritage and the implications of management practices. It is the need if hour to promote and manage heritage tourism in Tanzania in a more sustainable and inclusive manner to distribute its benefits to the poorest of poor and preserve it for the generations to come.Links:
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Political Turmoil Renaissance and Tourism of North African Spring
Arab uprising in North Africa against the autocratic regimes amazed the entire world and is having a profound impact on all sectors of the economy, particularly Tourism. Tourism is the principal source of income generation for North African countries such as Egypt and Tunisia, which are reeling under the worst crisis due to the impact of diminishing tourism revenues post-revolution. The worst affected are the poor people working in the tourism industry. Months after the revolution, tourists are still-sceptical about travelling to those countries due to chaotic political conditions, rising political Islam, and quiescent aspirations of conflicting groups. At the same time, people are hopeful because the revolution has brought democracy, one of the key pillars of the African Renaissance that could boost the tourism industry in the long run.
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