Biography
She is currently pursuing her PhD in Development Studies from Nabakrushna Choudhury Center for Development Studies (NCDS), Bhubaneswar, India. She participated and completed the 5th NNEdPro Summer School in Applied Human Nutrition (2020), received training on Household Level Nutrition Survey in October 2019 from International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), India, wrote report Baseline Survey: Kandhamal District-2016-17, Phase 1, OMM, and facilitated rural and urban internship conducted by NCDS for OMM project (2018).
Qualifications
- 2014 - 2015: M. Phil Sociology, Ravenshaw University, Odisha, India.
- 2012 - 2013: M.A. Sociology, Sikkim Central University, Sikkim, India.
- 2009 - 2011: B.A. Education, Loreto College, Darjeeling, West Bengal, India.
Other qualification
Qualified UGC NET for Assistant Professor- Sociology (2017).
Funding
- Senior Research Fellow (SRF) under TIGR2ESS since January, 2021.
- Odisha Millets Mission (Project) Doctoral Fellowship (2018-2020).
- Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), Doctoral Fellowship (2016 -2017).
Research
She researches on understanding the nutritional status of people in two states of India, that is Odisha and Sikkim, and taking one major tribe from each state that is Kandha from Odisha and Lepcha from Sikkim. The major objectives are to: - 1) Access the nutritional status of Kandha and Lepcha tribe in Odisha and Sikkim. 2) Understand behavioral aspects of food intake and nutrition of pregnant and lactating mothers of both the tribe. 3) Understand malnutrition among children under five and mothers from National Family Health Survey (NFHS) - 4 (2015-2016). 4) Understand dietary diversity in two states using National Sample Survey data of 68th (2011-2012) round. She uses mixed method for her research.
She is SRF under the TIGR2RESS project at Watershed Support Services and Activities Network (WASSAN), India, and out of five broad objectives of OMM, her research is related to two major objectives, that is promoting household consumption of millets and inclusion of millets in Integrated Child Development Scheme, Mid Day Meal for school children and Public Distribution System to reduce malnutrition and improve nutrition. TIG2RESS project was signed between NCDS and WASSAN for undertaking research work in OMM and Special Programme for Promotion of Integrated Farming (SPPIF) in Tribal Areas of Odisha. Research work related to OMM and SPPIF falls in the Flagship Project 6 (FP6) of the Cambridge University led TIGR2RESS project.
Publications
- Samal, R. R., & Mishra, S. (2020). Nutrient Deficiencies in a Tribal Community. Odisha Economy Discussion Series 8, Nabakrushna Choudhury Centre for Development Studies, Bhubaneswar. https://ncds.nic.in/sites/default/files/OEDS8NCDS.pdf
- Samal, R. R. (2019, September 29). Waiting Homes for Expectant Mothers: How innovative solutions can help solve the challenge of malnutrition. Outlook Poshan 2.0. https://poshan.outlookindia.com/author/rashmi-rekha-samal/19788
