Growth and Physical Changes During Adolescence among Bhil Boys of Rajasthan (A Rare Book)

Great areas of ignorance about the detailed aspects of human physical growth and development are remained open for the progress of future research. In India, meaningful planned studies on this aspect are of immediate importance because of their applied value and national significance. These studies or surveys are needed especially in a developing country like India where there are innumerable ethnic groups with wide range of genetic variation, socio-economic and cultural differences. The present study, ‘Adolescent growth and physical changes among Bhil boys of Rajasthan’, has been under- taken in view of the above reasons with the following special features.

1 That, the study is first of its kind in the country where much attention is given for understanding the particular phase of human growth curve namely ‘adolescence’ by controlling the factors like, ethnicity, culture, social class and nutrition.
2 first such major study on any tribal group of India.
3 first in the series to link up nutrition for evaluation of growth in children.
4 the only study where large samples (l00 in each age group) considered for any ethnic group, and
5 the only study which has been subjected to large number of body measurements to understand the patterns of growth in wider context and meaningful grouping of growth characteristics.

This project report is the outcome of my research investigation con- ducted during 1978—80 at the Anthropological Survey of India, Western Region, Udaipur. I am grateful to the Director, Anthropological Survey of India, for the grant of the project and providing me with all necessary facilities. I am also thankful to him for his kind permission to utilise the data of this project for my doctoral thesis. I wish to express my sincere thanks to Dr. A. K. Danda, Dr. B.B. Goswami, Dr. P.K. Misra, Dr. R. S. Mann and Dr. B. R. Ghosh of Anthropological Survey of India who at times have shown keen interest in my work and rendered all possible help towards successful completion of this study.

I am grateful to Prof. D.P. Mukherjee, former Deputy Director, Anthropological Survey of India, Calcutta, for his guidance, advice and encouragement. Special thanks are due to Sri Kamal Kant Bagai, Anthropologist, Anthropological Survey of India, Mysore, for his keen supervision of this project work at the Regional Office, Western Region, Udaipur. Last but not least, I am also thankful to Sri P.K Bhaskaran, and Sri W.M. Kale for their active co-operation in tracing and making Photostat copies of the figures.