Boletim do Arquivo da Universidade de Coimbra

“KVIC and Khadi Industries in India: A Systematic Review of Financial Assistance, Rural Employment.”

2025-12-24T13:59:19+00:00

Purpose:
This research aims to analyse the function of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), operating under the Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME). The KVIC helps in income generation, financial support, and employment in rural, semi-urban, and urban regions of India. The study aims to further investigate how the Khadi and Village Industries sector helps empower women and provide socio-economic upliftment by providing aid to artisans in terms of financial assistance and upgradation of skills.

Methodology:
The research used a qualitative approach, studying published as well as grey literature from within India and outside India up to the year 2025 on Khadi and Village Industries. A thematic analysis and Gough’s (2007) a systematic review model technique has been employed to systematically organize and interpret the gathered literature, creating a thorough understanding of different areas like production, sales, employment, and financial assistance within the structure of the KVIC.

Findings:

The study finds that KVIC makes a significant contribution to higher the rural employment opportunities by promoting entrepreneurship and the participation of women in the economic development. The study finds considerable contributions of KVIC schemes, particularly PMEGP, SFURTI, and Khadi Vikas Yojana, towards the increase in productivity, raised income level for artisans, expanded self-employment opportunities and the development of the local economy. The reviewed study shows that the schemes offered by KVIC play a pivotal role in promoting a sustainable environment in the long-lasting enhancement of India’s rich cultural heritage, sustainability and preservation.

Implications:

The reviewed literature highlights how the study can help policymakers, development organisations, and

small entrepreneurs provide strategies for the advancement of rural industries. The study highlights the significance of financial inclusion, continuous skill enhancement and technological advancement for the further improvement of progress and performance of khadi and Village Industries Commission.

Originality/Value:

The reviewed literature come up with an detailed and thorough investigation of khadi and village industries commission (KVIC) leads to an wide ranging impacts on socio economic progress and advancement of rural section.As compared to previous literature, it combines financial, social, and gender overviews, offering a complete analysis of how Khadi and Village Industries in influence rural development and women's empowerment in India.

Introductory Note

2025-12-18T10:51:08+00:00

Paleography in Paraguay: an essential tool for historical research

2025-09-30T10:56:55+01:00

This study analyzes the role of paleography in Paraguay as an essential discipline for historical research, emphasizing its technical, cultural, and methodological dimensions. Based on eleven epistolary interviews with specialists, the findings demonstrate that paleography goes beyond the mere transcription of ancient scripts, functioning as a transformative tool that enables access to primary sources, supports cultural identity, and strengthens professional competencies among researchers. The results also highlight its interdisciplinary nature, establishing connections with linguistics, genealogy, diplomatics, and archival science. However, the current academic context reveals limited curricular visibility and insufficient formal training, which restrict the discipline’s professional projection. Furthermore, challenges such as the complexity of ancient scripts, the material deterioration of documents, and the lack of advanced digital tools demand innovative strategies. Digitalization and technological innovation emerge as essential solutions, fostering preservation, accessibility, and academic reuse of documentary heritage. Ultimately, the study concludes that paleography in Paraguay requires a comprehensive approach that integrates cultural preservation, specialized education, and technological adaptation, positioning it as a strategic discipline for historical knowledge and national identity construction.

Evaluating SPARQL-Based Querying for Semantic Metadata in Open Data Ecosystems

2025-09-22T11:54:13+01:00

Open data environments are increasingly using semantic metadata to facilitate interoperability, discoverability, and effective data integration. SPARQL, the W3C-standard RDF query language, offers an interface for accessing and manipulating such metadata. This research assesses the efficacy of SPARQL-based querying for open data settings through query performance, accuracy, completeness, and endpoint reliability tests on three datasets: DBpedia, LinkedGeoData, and Open Government Data (India). SPARQL queries for resource discovery, property filtering, relationship traversal, and aggregation were carried out and their outcomes methodically evaluated. Results show that SPARQL effectively fetches semantic metadata, with bigger data sets needing optimization techniques to ensure performance. Precision and exhaustiveness tended to be high, with endpoint stability being a key determinant of query execution. The research points out best practices and issues of SPARQL querying and presents actionable findings for enhancing semantic metadata reuse in open data environments.

Information professionals in the Algarve Region: 2020-2025

2025-09-30T09:23:08+01:00

In the context of the Information Society and national and European strategies for digital transition for the decade 2020-2030, information management is of critical importance to organizations, which increasingly depend on qualified information professionals. Five years after the collection of the first solid data on information professionals in the Algarve Region, a new survey is being conducted to identify and characterize them, using a comparative approach between 2020 and 2025, seeking to determine their number, gender, age, training, and professional category.

This is a descriptive and explanatory study, guided by a pragmatic paradigm and based on mixed methods, using documentary research and a questionnaire survey, conducted in May 2025, which seeks to answer the following research question: Who works in information management as their profession in the archives of the Algarve Region between 2020 and 2025? In terms of results, it was possible to identify 162 information professionals, 25,3% of whom have specialized higher education in the field of information science, and the majority of whom are in the professional career of technical assistant. In conclusion, this is a population with a marked feminization and aging.