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Entry of children to primary schools in India marks a sudden shift in the pedagogical approach as play-based pedagogy gives way to formal instruction. This paper argues that children's play motives do not subside when they enter school, rather play takes a more mature form and represents a strong linkage between their thought and reality. The recently introduced National Education Policy 2020 in India mandates a large-scale achievement survey at the age of 8, the fear is that this will lead to formalisation and academisation of early schooling. The paper presents a case study of a school in rural India that follows a play-based pedagogy in the primary years. The study uses dialectical-interactive approach for data collection and analysis. The analysis shows that play creates a pedagogic opportunity for the teacher and children to engage with each other's motives thus creating a shared 'object of activity' that ensures children's motivated engagement in their learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Widowhood, in Indian society, is a dreaded condition of a woman after the death of her husband. It is an imposed performance that entails a set of ritualized practices and behavior to mark her transition to the state of a woman without. On many occasions, this state is ensured and maintained through multifarious rituals and practices, which range from restrictions on mobility, choices, and desires to injunctions on clothes, bodily demeanor, and food. This physio-social exercise of control and restraint alludes to a framework of religio-cultural discourse that renders widows as social and sexual non-beings. The present paper attempts to understand the state of widowhood through the analysis of two short stories in the collection, The Anger of Aubergines (1997) by Bulbul Sharma from the perspective of food. Food and eating, being the elementary aspects of everyday life, become important signifiers in studying the deprived state of widowhood. The paper intends to unpack the politics behind the imposition of a curriculum of gastronomic injunctions and food taboos on Hindu upper-caste widows. Further, the paper conceptualizes the appetite of widows as a subversive category not only in challenging the gender discourses behind their oppression but also in exonerating their status as desireless beings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the paper is to analyse the extent to which digital payments in India have diffused since its introduction around 2010. The paper measures diffusion in terms of the rates of growth of digital payments in both volume and value terms and then employing the sectoral system of innovation framework to identify the factors that are crucial for its faster diffusion. The paper shows that despite its existence for more than a decade, digital payments have not diffused in value terms. The main factor identified for its slower diffusion is a decline in the rate of growth of real per capita income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India's food processing industry is a sunrise sector and can scale new highs to supply good quality, nutritious, hygienically-produced and packed food products to the consumer and ensure better income for the growers. Rising incomes and a demand for healthy, packaged food ensure its sustenance without fear of recession. In India, this industry has a dualistic structure - organized and unorganized. There is substantial marketing importance of this industry. However, the extent of processing is still at a nascent stage, and the supply chain gaps and losses are the biggest challenges faced by the industry in India. The objective of this paper is to analyse different aspects of food processing industry in India and covers its importance, growth, potential, problems, and government policy. In the end, the paper carried out the SWOT analysis and offers a few policy steps required for exploiting opportunities that lie ahead food processing industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study is an evaluation of the authorship and collaboration pattern in the International Journal of Information Dissemination and Technology (IJIDT) during 2011-2022. A total of 563 contributions were published during the study period out of which 175 articles are published by a single author and 388 articles are published by two or more two authors. It is clear from the study that multiple authorship patterns are prominent in the IJIDT journal. In the study it has been counted that the average degree of collaboration was 1.81, the average collaboration coefficient was 0.40, the average modified collaboration coefficient was 0.40, the average relative growth rate was 0.21, and the average time to double was 5.15. The highest activity index for India is counted in the years 2015, 2016, and 2021 respectively, and the lowest activity index is counted in 2014. The highest world activity index has been counted in the year 2014 which is 265.07 and the lowest is 0.00 in the years 2105, 2016, and 2021 respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crypto currency has become the buzzword these days. Accounting is yet another field where cryptocurrency has occupied its space. In India, the status of accounting for cryptocurrency still remains unclear even though few of the additions have been made in IAS. A list of varied elements exists in the accounting process, where accountants deal in the real world as there is presently no accounting standard regulated for them; one such example is crypto currency. The U.S. GAAP (General Accepted Accounting Principles) and international financial reporting standards (IFRS) has recognized Crypto currency in the present times for public firms as an account for a digital currency as an intangible asset with an unlimited life. Companies will first record crypto on the balance sheet at their cost basis in both scenarios. The goal of this research paper is to assess if there are adequate justifications for the establishment of IFRS accounting rules for crypto-assets (liabilities) and to make suggestions for possible directions in which they may go. A clear insight into the accounting and taxation is attempted in the present research paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop raiding has been reported in many parts of Punjab as a result of an overabundance of nilgai antelopes (Boselaphus tragocamelus) and farmers are constantly battling to save their crops. In the present study, various management strategies such as physical deterrents (nylon rope, nylon net and garden net), visual repellents (scarecrow and reflective ribbon), chemical repellents (different concentrations of Neelbo and Ecodon (based on ricinoleic acid) applied by spraying, soaking jute rope, soaked in wood shavings packed in plastic bags and paper cups) and biological deterrents (bioacoustic device and different concentrations of faecal solution of horse, tiger and Himalayan black bear) were evaluated to minimize the damage caused by nilgai. Nylon net was the most promising method, providing complete protection against nilgai, which can be used for protecting crops at vulnerable stages with a one-time cost. The nylon rope and garden net provided partial protection from nilgai damage. The bioacoustic device and reflective ribbon were also effective for a short period of time. Neelbo was found more effective as chemical repellent against nilgai. The faecal solution of horse and Himalayan black bear remained effective as repellent for 10 days. It is thus concluded that while comprehensive damage prevention may be difficult, animal management devices can help reduce nilgai damage at vulnerable stages of the crop. The employment of a range of management devices at the proper time can be part of a cost-effective system to keep nilgai damage at acceptable levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper involves a process of building a website which uses web technologies for creating application. The primary task of the application involves development of User Interface(UI) with the help of technology known as REACTJS that makes the website user friendly and reactive. Storing data is a crucial task in developing any website and database technologies used for storing and accessing this data are SQL database provider known as JDBC which provides security, authentic user authorization, storing of large scale of visual and textual data. For a seamless user experience to the end user API METHODS are used to integrate the back-end technologies with front-end technologies. Finally, after the development of application the end users are able to search for various colleges and institution across INDIA to gain information related to colleges, their placement details, infrastructure provided by the colleges and various reviews posted by verified college authorities, student, parents and Guardian. After analysis and comparison of the Colleges the end user can make the best choice for their higher studies and better future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we have collected the data about the 507 high-cited (citations ≥ 25) papers on Covid 19 published by India using Scopus database. Within small span of time many papers have received considerable number of citations. Further we have analyzed in terms of types of papers, major funding agencies, major collaborating countries, prolific authors, productive organizations and cluster analysis of author supplied keywords. Most of the papers were research articles. Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India has funded considerable numbers of papers on Covid 19 and K. Dhama form Indian Veterinary Research Institute has contributed highest numbers papers and USA was major collaborating country and PGIMER-Chandigarh was most contributing organization. This study will be useful to the scientist/researchers to know the characteristics of high cited papers on Covid-19 from India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper shed light on how small cap companies acquire funds. It focuses on a new trend available for small companies and for private investors instead of an old option or traditional way of Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) to raise money. The study focuses on changes happening. It justifies it for different reasons like new technology, too many rules for Initial Public Offerings, uncertain stock markets, wanting more control over their business, and thinking about growing for a long time. To understand these reasons better, the research referred to information from financial reports, academic studies, and market analysis. It focuses on small companies and private investors in India. The study suggests that small companies are now looking at other trending options to acquire money, like crowdfunding platforms and Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs), instead of just doing Initial Public Offerings. These alternatives have different advantages for the small cap companies like fewer rules to follow, more control over their business, and a focus on long-term growth. The research study focused on new trends or patterns of raising funds for companies like direct listings and using SPACs instead of Initial Public Offerings In nutshell this research helps us to know how small companies are changing their way of acquiring money. It gives insights that can help entrepreneurs, investors, and financial experts make better decisions in today's complex financial world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper covers the plastic recycling and disposal process which is carried out by chemical and the mechanical means where several technologies and steps are involved. India and the world have witnessed substantial growth both in the production and consumption of plastics. In absence of appropriate waste collection and segregation processes, the management of waste especially for the discarded plastic used for packaging has become a challenging task. Growing plastic pollution is affecting ecosystem as well as human health. This paper provides an overview to of all the challenges due to plastic pollution, for recycling and disposal, ways to mitigate, interplay of plastic recycling and disposal and awareness among the humans over the globe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines religious syncretism in India's Northeast with reference to reformed Heraka. It is perceived, contact of different cultural practices enforces natives to reinterpret and redefined beliefs and practices in conformation to appropriated culture. Historically, birth of Heraka was rooted in resistance against the British occupation, Christian proselytisation and intrusion of other neighbouring communities. To retain indigenous religious practices, reformation took its turn with introduction of new set of rules. In the flow, Heraka appropriated temple, idol and pilgrimage culture into its fold, and scrutinised Christian proselytisation under its radar. In its essence, Heraka is the by-product of Paupai-tenase, Christianity and Hinduism. This paper assesses through constructivist paradigm on how Heraka is perceived to be or not to be of indigenous religion. It is argued that there is a dilution in claim reformed religion, though, has reformed old practices, but with amalgamation in the construction of syncretic religious identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) occupied a unique place in the Indian federal structure as encoded in Article 370 of the Indian constitution. Incorporating Art. 370 in Indian Constitution reflected the recognition of the unique history and circumstances of J&K's accession to India. However, the article proved a roadblock in the Indian state's march to dictate and structure the politics of the state subservient to the perceived national interest, hence the unfailing attempts to gradually dilute it culminating in its total abrogation recently. The paper attempts at deconstructing the Indian state's preoccupation with weakening Art. 370 by arguing that it represented the project of extending homogenization with the ultimate objective of exercising maximum control in a security-sensitive border state. The paper contends that the efforts at homogenization proved counterproductive; it far from bringing stability has caused more political fragility in the state, thus feeding the very dynamics that it has been seeking to contain. In conclusion, the paper offers deepening federalization as the likely pacifier for the festering conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Area Development & Policy is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Urbanizing villages are erstwhile rural villages that are spatially enveloped and are characterized by their dual relation to the state, which expresses itself as an issue of citizenship; of land ownership; of governance; and building regulations. This paper transcends the current focus on villages in Southern China, by comparing village urbanization between China and India through four narratives of village extensions. Four parallel readings are offered, namely that urban villages are characterized by; shared tenure rooted in their rural past; inherited administrative boundaries that are re-imbued with new legal designations; emulation of traditional practices; and sustained modes of self-governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Air Quality Index (AQI) in India is steadily deteriorating, leading to a rise in the mortality rate due to Lung Cancer. This decline in air quality can be attributed to various factors such as PM 2.5, PM 10, and Ozone (O3). To establish a relationship between AQI and Lung Cancer, several predictive models including Linear Regression, KNN, Decision Tree, ANN, Random Forest Regression, and XGBoost Regression were employed to estimate pollutant levels and Air Quality Index in India. The models relied on publicly available state-wise Air Pollution Dataset. Among all the models, the XGBoost Regression displayed the highest accuracy, with pollutant level estimations reaching an accuracy range of 81% to 98% during training and testing. The second-highest accuracy range was achieved by Random Forest. The paper also explores the impact of increasing pollution levels on the rising mortality rate among lung cancer patients in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to provide an in-depth awareness into the research on customised training programme for the indigenous population in India. The central aim is to conduct a systematic review on the available studies to explore its crucial themes interweaving with skill development. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses systematic review method, for which the author uses Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, SPIDER tool and Mendeley to identify relevant articles from 2011 to 2022. Findings: Results show that the customised training programme is useful for the first-generation population to upgrade their skills. It aids in improving scalability, supports job creation and facilitates in mitigating low level of training exposure by meeting the local needs. However, poor approachability on customised training, its oversimplification and lack of research dents the critical insights and prospects. Originality/value: The novelty of this paper lies on retrieving the essential indicators of customised training from previous studies by systematic review tools. It can aid academicians, educators, local administration and policymakers to understand its benefits for indigenous population to fill the policy gaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Millennium (03058298) is the property of Sage Publications, Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) play a salient role in converting scarce financial resources into capital formation. They supplement the role of traditional banks by meeting the financial needs of the organised and unorganised sectors. They fill the credit gaps where the reach of banks is minimal. The paper provides a general review of NBFCs in India. The paper throws light on how NBFCs can increase their scope in micro, small and medium enterprises and retail sectors. The NBFCs have a cutting edge over banks because of their customised product offerings. The paper discusses the role of digitalisation in NBFCs' functioning. The paper further evaluates the challenges faced by NBFCs due to the Infrastructure Leasing and Financing Services crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. The degrading asset quality, decreasing profitability and evasion of capital due to sluggish industrial growth and increased provisioning remain current challenges. The corrective actions taken by NBFCs and the Reserve Bank of India to mitigate the risks arising from these challenges are also discussed. The study is concluded by recommending that the entire framework of NBFCs be recalibrated such that precedence is given to enhancing corporate governance and establishing resiliency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper assesses the social environment required for enhancing social sustainability in a social housing project in India, with a case study of Ajith Singh nagar, social housing project of Vijayawada of Andhra Pradesh, India. Social sustainability is less thought off out of Three pillars of sustainability (Environment, social and economic). Social sustainability is quality of life in a neighborhood with its social environment. This paper studies the Informal social spaces such as informal meeting places, eating, sitting places, religious places and other activities of informal enterprise and trades which add to sustainable neighborhood environment. These spaces generate psychological comfort, enable to establish social relationships, that creates opportunity for informal interactions and social cohesion. Provision of these places in a neighborhood will address the social sustainability. This research arrives at what social spaces and activities required in a neighborhood by analysing existing housing layout which is otherwise just series of buildings and roads. The interactions between people and their surroundings strengthen community building and social bonding. This paper finds out that adding these places and activities enhance the social interactions and in turn establish social Capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As India moves toward enacting a comprehensive data protection legislation, it becomes essential to examine the possible application of India's proposed data protection law to the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The various challenges posed by AI to data protection principles and data principals' rights need to be examined. The need for data maximisation in the use of AI challenges the principle of collection limitation. The difficulty in anticipating the processing purposes of AI challenges the principle of purpose limitation. With a brief introduction to AI and data protection law in India, the paper examines the compatibility of various data protection provisions under India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 with AI. The paper also provides recommendations for data protection regulation of AI. The paper proposes the need to hold data fiduciaries accountable using Data Protection Impact Assessments, Codes of Practice and Security Measures. Besides, there is a need to define the fiduciary duty of care between the data principal and data fiduciary. There is a need recognize data protection by design and default and the Right against automated decision making. Technical solutions need to be explored, but at the same time, AI must not be over-regulated. Lastly, there is a need for flexibly interpreting the provisions of the proposed data protection law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The increasing ageing of the population with growth in NCD burden in India has put unprecedented pressure on India's health care systems. Shortage of skilled human resources in health, particularly of specialists equipped to treat NCDs, is one of the major challenges faced in India. Keeping in view the shortage of healthcare professionals and the guidelines in NEP 2020, there is an urgent need for more health professionals who have received training in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of NCDs. This paper conducts a scoping review and aims to collate the existing evidence on the use of digital education of health professionals within NCD topics. Methods: We searched four databases (Web of Science, PubMed, EBSCO Education Research Complete, and PsycINFO) using a three-element search string with terms related to digital education, health professions, and terms related to NCD. The inclusion criteria covered the studies to be empirical and NCD-related with the target population as health professionals rather than patients. Data was extracted from 28 included studies that reported on empirical research into digital education related to non-communicable diseases in health professionals in India. Data were analysed thematically. Results: The target groups were mostly in-service health professionals, but a considerable number of studies also included pre-service students of medicine (n = 6) and nursing (n = 6). The majority of the studies included imparted online learning as self-study, while some imparted blended learning and online learning with the instructor. While a majority of the studies included were experimental or observational, randomized control trials and evaluations were also part of our study. Discussion: Digital HPE related to NCDs has proven to be beneficial for learners, and simultaneously, offers an effective way to bypass geographical barriers. Despite these positive attributes, digital HPE faces many challenges for its successful implementation in the Indian context. Owing to the multi-lingual and diverse health professional ecosystem in India, there is a need for strong evidence and guidelines based on prior research in the Indian context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Popular Hindi cinema in India has come a long way in portraying women. From the 1910s, when male actors used to play heroine characters, to the 1950s, when female actors started playing lead roles, women's depiction has undergone various forms of experimentation. One such aspect constantly discussed in cinema, literature, and other art forms are their depiction of the extremes and their take on the marginalities. This paper attempts to analyse the representation of women in refugee camps in popular Hindi cinema. There are works available focussing on the depiction of women in cinema content-wise. However, the cinematographic portrayal explicitly referring to refugee camps is not widely explored. This paper attempts to fill these existing gaps. It also discusses the current political landscape of India vis-à-vis popular Hindi cinema. The cinematographic representation of women exemplifies their nurturing and caring nature. The screen time shrinks when the focus shifts to their inner conflicts and emotions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate and reliable streamflow prediction is critical for optimising water resource management, reservoir flood operations, watershed management, and urban water management. Many researchers have published on streamflow prediction using techniques like Rainfall-Runoff modelling, Time series Models, Data-driven models, Artificial intelligence, etc. Still, there needs to be generalised method practise in the real world. The resolution of this issue lies in selecting different methods for a particular study area. This paper uses the Support vector regression machine learning model to predict the streamflow for the Tehri Dam, Uttarakhand, India, at the Daily and Ten Daily time steps. Two cases are considered in predicting daily and ten daily time steps. The first case includes four input variables: Discharge, Rainfall, Temperature, and Snow cover area. The second case comprises only three input variables: Rainfall, Temperature, and Snow cover area. Radial Kernel is used to overcome the space complexity in the datasets. The K-fold cross-validation is suitable for prediction as it averages the prediction error rate after evaluating the SVR model's performance on various subsets of the training data. The streamflow data for daily and ten daily time steps have been collected from 2006 to 2020. The calibration period is from 2006 to 2016, and the validation period is from 2017 to 2020. Nash Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) and Coefficient of determination (R2) are used as the accuracy indicator in this manuscript. The lag has been observed in the daily prediction time series when three input variables are considered. For other scenarios, the respective model shows excellent results at both the temporal scale and the parametres, which play a vital role in prediction. The study also enhances the effect on the potential use of input parametres in the machine learning model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the impact of social capital and self-efficacy in the performance of producer organizations. It also tests the mediating influence of self-efficacy in the relationship of social capital and performance of producer organizations. Design/methodology/approach: The study used data from a survey of 226 members of farmer producer organizations (FPO) in India. The model was tested through structural equation modeling wherein all hypotheses were tested using "R" studio. Findings: The findings reveal that social capital and self-efficacy play a significant role in predicting the performance of FPO. It was found that in the process of social capital influencing the performance of FPO, self-efficacy plays a significant role as a partial mediator with a mediating effect of approximately 69.28%. Research limitations/implications: The study considered only one antecedent while identifying the reasons for perceived performance of FPOs. Hence, further studies of the various other constructs such as attitude, subjective norms, etc., may be considered. Originality/value: No previous work has examined the mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between social capital and perceived performance of FPO. This study is possibly the only one that joins two streams of thought – social capital and self-efficacy – to examine the performance of FPO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mercury pollution, with India ranked as the world's second-largest emitter, poses a critical environmental and public health challenge and underscores the need for rigorous research and effective mitigation strategies. Nanocellulose is derived from cellulose, the most abundant natural polymer on earth, and stands out as an excellent choice for mercury ion remediation due to its remarkable adsorption capacity, which is attributed to its high specific surface area and abundant functional groups, enabling efficient Hg(II) ion removal from contaminated water sources. This review paper investigates the compelling potential of nanocellulose as a scavenging tool for Hg(II) ion contamination. The comprehensive examination encompasses the fundamental attributes of nanocellulose, its diverse fabrication techniques, and the innovative development methods of nanocellulose-based nanocomposites. The paper further delves into the mechanisms that underlie Hg removal using nanocellulose, as well as the integration of nanocellulose in Hg detection methodologies, and also acknowledges the substantial challenges that lie ahead. This review aims to pave the way for sustainable solutions in mitigating Hg contamination using nanocellulose-based nanocomposites to address the global context of this environmental concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable management of water and sanitation is inextricably linked with women's health and well-being. This paper investigates slippage in sanitation, experienced by women beneficiaries of the Swacch Bharat Mission Rural programme through Amartya Sen's conception of justice. A total of 135 individuals were interviewed from 49 households in Kanjadwa and Madhnagar Manoharpur Gram Panchayats, Shravasti, India, out of which 90 were women. As per findings, 30% of women practice open defaecation despite possessing toilets, resulting in slippage. The Sanitation Well-being framework is deployed to study slippage and its linkage with women's agency. Personal, cultural, and structural factors contributing to this are child marriage, denial of education and employment opportunities, slut shaming, victim blaming, domestic violence, and character assassination. These are made worse by the state adoption of misogynistic IEC messages that reinforce cultural stereotypes and worsen women's condition. In the quest to attain ODF status in Ikauna Block, UP, the current sanitation programme became a tool of suppression. Consequently, we understand that open defaecation among women is an outcome of the basic unfreedoms rather than a volitional choice that prevents them from experiencing sanitation well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both diabetes mellitus (DM) and tuberculosis (TB) are prevalent all across in India. TB‐DM comorbidity has emerged as a syndemic and needs more attention in India considering gaps in screening, clinical care, and research. This paper is intended to review published literature on TB and DM in India to understand the burden of the dual epidemic and its trajectory and to obtain perspectives on the gaps, constraints, and challenges in care and treatment of this dual epidemic. A literature search was carried out on PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, using the key words 'Tuberculosis' OR 'TB' AND 'Diabetes' OR 'Diabetes Mellitus' AND 'India', focusing on the research published between the year 2000 to 2022. The prevalence of DM is high in patients with TB. Quantitative data on the epidemiological situation of TB/DM in India such as incidence, prevalence, mortality, and management are lacking. During the last 2 years convergence of TB‐DM syndemic with the COVID‐19 pandemic has increased cases with uncontrolled DM but also made coordinated control of TB‐DM operationally difficult and of low effectiveness. Research regarding TB‐DM comorbidity is required in the context of epidemiology and management. Detection and bidirectional screening are aggressively warranted. Management of DM in those with TB‐DM comorbidity needs more efforts, including training and supervision of frontline workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper interrogates technological fix narratives on the genetically modified crop Bt cotton in India that claim to address poverty under climate change. Furthermore, I focus on the political economy of input markets as the mechanism for technology adoption and theoretically maximizing profitability for farmers. I compare these narratives to empirical reality by drawing on 94 interviews and 151 household surveys conducted in the south Indian state of Telangana, the second biggest Bt cotton producing state in India. I show how Bt cotton has been propagated as a technological climate fix crop through its technical traits of thriving in higher temperatures and adapting to particular pests in rainfed conditions relative to non-GM cotton varieties. Yet, I show how Bt cotton increases economic risks for farmers due to higher input costs, which are financed by debt relations with market intermediaries. These debt relations, which I term 'indebtedness treadmills', are intrinsically linked to droughts and rainfall climatic variability in Telangana, owing to the increasingly unreliable agroecological rainfed and semi-arid Bt cotton growing conditions. The paper therefore highlights unintended consequences of technological fix climate narratives that arise from siloing technologies from their contextual conditions of adoption to the detriment of real-world outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visual messaging is a cornerstone of campaign strategies of political parties and candidates that can complement and amplify the effects of the written/spoken word. Through a thematic analysis of the Facebook ads of the two main political parties during the 2021 West Bengal assembly elections in India, this paper shows the interplay of identity, ideology, and gender in the visual communication strategies of political parties on Facebook as they tried to mobilize voters in an intensely polarized context. Both the incumbent and the opposition parties framed issues in their visual campaigns that were culturally situated; these issues centered around identity and ideology while simultaneously emphasizing strong leadership with gendered rhetoric. Our findings contribute to the advancement of theoretical understanding of political personalization, highlighting the intricate interplay between gender, ideological inclinations, and cultural identity, all of which profoundly influence the personalization process in the context of an intensely polarized election campaign. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sentiment analysis is pivotal in facilitating informed decision-making for businesses, governments, and organizations by comprehending public opinion. However, the task becomes challenging when dealing with linguistic diversity and limited resources for specific languages. This paper presents a novel method, KNetwork, for conducting cross-lingual sentiment analysis of Hindi and English text. The KNetwork leverages the feature vectors generated from translated and transliterated text, aiming to enhance the accuracy of sentiment analysis in cross-lingual settings. Specifically, this paper addresses the challenges associated with sentiment analysis in countries like India, which possess a rich linguistic heritage. The KNetwork model is rigorously evaluated on multiple review datasets, showcasing its performance against state-of-the-art models. Moreover, KNetwork achieves superior results in terms of accuracy of 92.5% and an F1-score of 0.922, outperforming existing models. With an AUC-ROC value of 0.934, it excels in cross-lingual sentiment analysis. This study advances the sentiment analysis for languages with limited resources and underscores the KNetwork's efficacy in enhancing accuracy, with far-reaching implications for informed decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine the driver of groundwater depletion, this paper estimates a dynamic panel regression model using district-level secondary data from 1995 to 2017. Results show that the number of rainwater-harvesting structures, annual average rainfall, forest cover and net sown area improve groundwater levels. Tube well irrigation and rice cultivation can adversely affect groundwater levels. The positive relationship between surface water and improved groundwater level is consistent in all the estimated models. Hence, efficient use and management of surface and groundwater are crucial for the long-term sustainability of water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The paper aims to analyse the impact of economic and governance factors on remittance inflows to India from the UK, USA and UAE. India is globally recognised as the largest recipient of remittances. Design/methodology/approach: Using a comprehensive time series data set spanning 1996 to 2022, the authors use an innovative non-linear autoregressive distributed lag model approach to examine the influence of economic growth, corruption control and employer availability in the three source countries on remittance inflows to India. Findings: The results indicate that in the UAE, changes in economic growth and corruption control directly affect remittance outflows. However, the presence of employers in the UAE has minimal impact on remittance outflows to India. Regarding the UK, fluctuations in economic growth primarily drive remittance outflows to India. The effect of corruption control and employment opportunities on remittance outflows is marginal. In the USA, economic growth does not notably impact remittance outflows, whereas corruption control and employment opportunities significantly influence the outflows to India. Originality/value: These findings have important implications for policymakers. Analysing macroeconomic factors from key remittance-sending nations offers valuable insights for Indian policymakers and their international counterparts to enhance remittance inflows. The study focuses on three countries that collectively contribute to about 50% of India's remittances, providing a unique contribution compared to the usual country-specific or regional focus in existing literature. Finally, leveraging these findings, NITI Aayog, an organisation dedicated to achieving India's sustainable development goals, can effectively monitor macroeconomic indicators related to significant remittance-sending countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Human capital is a portfolio of rich skills that the labour possesses. Human capital has attracted significant attention from scholars. Nevertheless, empirical findings on the utility of human capital have often been divided. To address the research gap in the literature, the authors attempt to understand how human capital plays a significant role in financial development and economic growth nexus. Design/methodology/approach: The authors rely on secondary data published by the World Bank. The authors use econometric tools such as the autoregressive distributive lag (ARDL) model and related statistical tests to study the relationship between human capital, India's financial growth and gross domestic product (GDP) growth. Findings: Study findings suggest that human capital and financial development contribute significantly to economic growth. Further, the authors found that human capital has a positive and significant moderating effect on the path of joining financial development and economic growth. Practical implications: The study contributes to the human capital debate. Despite the rich body of literature, the study based on World Bank data confirms the previous findings that investment in human capital is always useful for the financial and economic growth of the nation. Originality/value: This paper reveals some unique findings regarding effect of financial development and economic growth nexus which opens the window of new dimension to think about their nexus. It also provides a different pathway to foster the economic growth by using human capital and financial development as together, especially in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Microfinance programs across the countries are designed on the self-help and peer pressure model, aim at microentrepreneurship development. Despite of significant studies on microfinance-supported microentrepreneurship (MSM), not a single literature examines it from the systems thinking. In addition to that, the extant literature did not look MSM from the behavioral perspectives. To address the above gaps, the present study aims to examine self-help group (SHG)-based microfinance programs from the systems approach using the Stimulus-Organism-Behavior-Consequence (SOBC) model. Design/methodology/approach: Information gathered from 786 women SHG members from four states of India through a structured interview schedule. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were conducted to process data. Additional statistical tests were performed to test the reliability and validity. Findings: It was found that the "positive stimulus" (social intermediation, financial intermediation and business development services) positively impacted; and "negative stimulus" (intermediation accountability, and intermediation assumption) negatively impact, to "motive" (attitude, subjective norms, and perceived control) for micro-entrepreneurship in the SHG-based microfinance. Further, "motive" positively predicted "behavioral intention"; the "behavioral intention" positively determined "consequences" of micro-entrepreneurship. Intermediation as stimuli acted as "input"; the motive and behavioral intention acted as the "process", and the consequence acted as the "output" in the SHG-based microentrepreneurship system. Originality/value: To the best of the author's knowledge, this paper is the first one to examine the behavioral systems of microentrepreneurship programs through the Stimulus-Organism-Behavior-Consequence (SOBC) model. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-12-2022-0801 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India has witnessed a dramatic expansion of higher education, and women have emerged as noteworthy winners in the process. This paper focuses on the role of female college education on four dimensions of marriage: age at marriage, autonomy in the choice of spouse, work and financial empowerment, and quality of marital relationship. The study uses a sample of 35,561 currently married women from the 2011-2012 wave of the nationally representative India Human Development Survey (IHDS). It demonstrates that higher education, particularly college education, enables women to lead lives substantively different from their less-educated peers. College-educated women marry at later ages, enjoy greater autonomy in choosing their husbands, and have a more egalitarian relationship with their spouses. Furthermore, the study finds that educational homogamy and hypogamy afford greater autonomy to women. Even without a concomitant increase in labor force participation, college education among women appears to have a transformative effect on marriage in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper attempts to examine the factors that influence climate-smart adaptation (CSA) strategies. The study used binary logit and multivariate probit models to understand the dynamics and factors of agricultural households' behavioural decisions on CSA strategies. Based on the results of the binary logit model, the study indicated that factors such as access to extension services and training, gender, educational level, land ownership, access to irrigation, access to credit and crop damage level positively and significantly influenced farmers' decisions to use CSA strategies. Similarly, the results of the multivariate probit model reveal that factors such as educational level, access to extension services and training, and land ownership had significant impacts on the adoption of the majority of CSA strategies. To improve the intensity of CSA strategies, the study recommends expanding training and extension services to farming masses, the expansion of irrigation facilities and weather information at the farm level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how research advisory groups can be a vehicle for youth activism. It draws on our experiences with young activists, aged 15–26 years, in India and Brazil, who were advisors on a research project focused on youth livelihoods in cities. These young people played a vital role in supporting youth researchers, identifying research themes and developing engagement and advocacy strategies. Through this paper, we explore how the Youth Expert Group advisory model evolved differently in each location and examine how these were shaped by the context, the 'adult' research team and the youth activists themselves. A critically reflexive response in intergenerational partnership is essential to support youth activists in research activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction industry's male-dominated image, working ethos, and environment have led to an abysmal representation of women professionals in the workforce. The industry, the second largest employer in India, contributing 9% to India’s GDP has a mere 2% representation of women professionals (architects, site engineers, quantity surveyors, planning engineers, safety professionals, etc.) in employment. Manpower shortage continues to challenge the industry and poses an opportunity for women and employers alike. In this context, the paper aims to identify and evaluate the barriers and approaches to improve the wellbeing, safety, and health of women professionals at project sites thus increasing their share in employment. A mixed approach of questionnaire survey, interviews, and focused discussion was adopted. The top three barriers identified were – Long working hours and a culture that working long demonstrate work commitment, Remote and changing work locations of project sites impacting family life, and Inflexible work hours; while the top three approaches were – Providing appropriate sanitary facilities, Separate and clean restrooms and Evaluating performance based on output rather than hours put in. Results suggest that men and women shared a common perception of all barriers and approaches except for three. The findings will aid in advocating for women's wellbeing, safety and health at construction sites and spread the word about the value of gender mainstreaming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Accessible and affordable health services and products including medicines, vaccines, and public health are an important health agenda of all countries. It is well understood that without digital health technologies, countries will face difficulties in tackling the needs and demands of their population. Global agencies including the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations (UN), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), etc. have been instrumental in providing various tools, and guidance through digital health strategies in improving health and digital health maturity of the countries. The Digital Health Platform Handbook (DHPH) is a toolkit published by WHO and ITU to help countries create and implement a digital health platform (DHP) to serve as the underlying infrastructure for an interoperable and integrated national digital health system. We apply the foundational principles of DHPH and provide a perspective of DHP components in a layered, enterprise architecture of a digital health infrastructure. India has rolled out the blueprint of its National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) to address the emerging needs for digitization of healthcare in the country. In this paper, we also illustrate the design and implementation of WHO-ITU DHP components at the national level by exploring India's digital health mission implementation utilizing various digital public goods to build a digital health ecosystem in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Utilization of maternal healthcare services has a direct bearing on maternal mortality but is contingent on a wide range of socioeconomic factors, including the sex of the household head. This paper studies the role of the sex of the household head in the utilization of maternal healthcare services in India using data from the National Family Health Survey-V (2019–2021). Methods: The outcome variable of this study is maternal healthcare service utilization. To that end, we consider three types of maternal healthcare services: antenatal care, skilled birth assistance, and postnatal care to measure the utilization of maternal healthcare service utilization. The explanatory variable is the sex of the household head and we control for specific characteristics at the individual level, household-head level, household level and spouse level. We then incorporate a bivariate logistic regression on the variables of interest. Results: 24.25% of women from male-headed households have complete utilization of maternal healthcare services while this proportion for women from female-headed households stands at 22.39%. The results from the bivariate logistic regression confirm the significant impact that the sex of the household head has on the utilization of maternal healthcare services in India. It is observed that women from female-headed households in India are 19% (AOR, 0.81; 95% CI: 0.63,1.03) less likely to utilize these services than those from male-headed households. Moreover with higher levels of education, there is a 25% (AOR, 1.25; 95% CI: 1.08,1.44) greater likelihood of utilizing maternal healthcare services. Residence in urban areas, improved wealth quintiles and access to healthcare facilities significantly increases the chances of maternal healthcare utilization. The interaction term between the sex of the household head and the wealth quintile the household belongs to, (AOR, 1.39; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.89) shows that the utilization of maternal healthcare services improves when the wealth quintile of the household improves. Conclusion: The results throw light on the fact that the added expenditure on maternal healthcare services exacerbates the existing financial burden for the economically vulnerable female-headed households. This necessitates the concentration of research and policy attention to alleviate these households from the sexual and reproductive health distresses. Trial Registration: Not Applicable. JEL Classification: D10, I12, J16. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mortality estimates at the subnational level are of urgent need in India for the formulation of policies and programmes at the district level. This is the first-ever study which used survey data for the estimation of life expectancy at birth () for the 640 districts from NFHS-4 (2015-16) and 707 districts from NFHS-5 (2019-21) for the total, male and female population in India. Methods: This study calculated annual age-specific mortality rates from NFHS-4 and NFHS-5 for India and all 36 states for the total, male and female population. This paper constructed the abridged life tables and estimated life expectancy at birth and further estimated the model parameters for all 36 states. This study linked state-specific parameters to the respective districts for the estimation of life expectancy at birth for 640 districts from NFHS-4 and 707 districts from NFHS-5 for the total, male and female population in India. Results: Findings at the state level showed that there were similarities between the estimated and calculated in most of the states. The results of this article observed that the highest varies in the ranges of 70 to 90 years among the districts of the southern region. falls below 70 years among most of the central and eastern region districts. In the northern region districts lies in the range of 70 years to 75 years. The estimates of life expectancy at birth shows the noticeable variations at the state and district levels for the person, male, and female populations from the NFHS (2015-16) and NFHS (2019-21). In the absence of age-specific mortality data at the district level in India, this study used the indirect estimation method of relating state-specific model parameters with the IMR of their respective districts and estimated across the 640 districts from NFHS-4 (2015-16) and 707 districts from NFHS-5 (2019-21). The findings of this study have similarities with the state-level estimations of from both data sources of SRS and NFHS and found the highest in the southern region and the lowest in the eastern and central region districts. Conclusions: In the lack of estimates at the district level in India, this study could be beneficial in providing timely life expectancy estimates from the survey data. The findings clearly shows variations in the district level . The districts from the southern region show the highest and districts from the central and eastern region has lower . Females have higher as compared to the male population in most of the districts in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The paper aims to explore the elderly caregiving process in India from the perspective of both elderly as well as working women care providers, along with the challenges faced and the coping strategies adopted by them during the process. Methods: In-depth interviews with 48 participants (care providers and care receivers) from 25 multi-generational households were conducted in the slums of Mumbai and analysed using QSR-NVivo-10. Results: Working women care providers supported the needs of the dependent elderly along with performing household chores and paid work. However, the way the care was perceived and demanded, was not often same as delivered by the care providers. Care provider suffered silently with poor social, physical and emotional welling in absence of support system and lack of time. Sometimes, physically exhausted care providers unknowingly resorted to elderly abuse and neglect. At the same time, a bidirectional flow of support from elderly also existed in the form of childcare, household chores and financial support. Though caregiving overstrained the care providers, strong family ties, acknowledgement of the contributions of the elderly during their young days, and the desire to set a precedent for the young generation did not let them step back from their duties. The main coping mechanism for both care receivers and providers was largely centred around the notion of acceptance of their situation. Conclusion: Conversations between generations can help in enhancing family ties and reduce conflicts. The support of family and community can also ease the burden of caregiving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The aim of this paper is to investigate what factors are associated to cardiovascular disease and what differences exists between Asians living in the UK (from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing) and the Asians living in India (from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India). Methods: Logistic regression was used to investigate how demographic and physical performance factors were associated with cardiovascular disease using data from Wave 6 of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing and Wave 1 of the Longitudinal Study of Ageing in India, with the main variable of interest being country of residence, Asians in England or Asians in India. Results: A total of 83,997 participants were included in the analyses. In the primary analysis, 73,396 participants from LASI were compared to 171 Asians in ELSA. After adjusting for age, blood pressure, resting heart rate, sex, waist circumference, gait, handgrip strength and standing balance, there was a statistically significant difference for the outcome of CVD between Whites ELSA (reference) and the participants of LASI (odds ratio = 0.77; 95% confidence interval = 0.60 to 0.99). There were no significant differences in CVD between the LASI participants, Asian ELSA, and the Non-White but not Asian ELSA groups. Discussion: No difference was found between Asians that live in India compared to ethnic minorities living in England, including Asians, after adjusting for confounders, but was found between Whites in ELSA compared to LASI participants. A key limitation was the massive disparity in sample sizes between the ELSA subgroups and LASI. Further work is required where comparable sample sizes and longitudinal analyses allow trends to be identified and to investigate the factors associated with the difference in CVD between two similar ethnicities living in distinct locations. Conclusion: After adjusting for risk factors, there was no difference in CVD between localised Asians and the ethnic minorities in the UK, but there was a difference between the majority ethnicities in the respective countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the results of systematic investigations on the gamma dose rates in air, natural radioactivity in soil and the dependence of radioactivity on the mineralogy of soils in the environs of the Belagavi, Karnataka, India. The gamma dose rates were measured using a portable survey metre and the activity in soils were measured using NaI(Tl) based gamma ray spectrometer and the mineral composition was studied using FTIR spectroscopy. The activity of 40K varies from 72.52 to 324.76 Bq kg−1 with an average of 153.17 Bq kg−1. The 226Ra activity varies from 16.53 to 70.53 Bq kg−1 with an average value of 23.88 Bq kg−1 and the activity of 232Th varies from 10.95 to 59.07 Bq kg−1 with an average value of 25.75 Bq kg−1. Elevated levels of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in soils were observed in some part of Belagavi, which was traced to the mineralogy of the region. The higher activity of natural radionuclides poses radiological implications to the population of the region. The activity utilisation index was found to be is above the normal levels in some locations. The pattern of distribution of radionuclides in the region was studied using SPSS statistical software. The soil with clay minerals Haematite, Calcite, Kalonite, Albite and Feldspar showed higher radionuclide content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In order for low and middle income countries (LMIC) to transition to Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) test based cervical cancer screening, a greater understanding of how to implement these evidence based interventions (EBI) among vulnerable populations is needed. This paper documents outcomes of an implementation research on HPV screening among women from tribal, rural, urban slum settings in India. Methods: A mixed-method, pragmatic, quasi-experimental trial design was used. HPV screening on self-collected cervical samples was offered to women aged 30–60 years. Implementation strategies were 1) Assessment of contextual factors using both qualitative and quantitative methods like key informant interviews (KII), focus group discussions (FGDs), pre-post population sample surveys, capacity assessment of participating departments 2) enhancing provider capacity through training workshops, access to HPV testing facility, colposcopy, thermal ablation/cryotherapy at the primary health care centers 3) community engagement, counselling for self-sampling and triage process by frontline health care workers (HCWs). Outcomes were assessed using the RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, adoption, implementation, maintenance) framework. Results: Screening rate in 8 months' of study was 31.0%, 26.7%, 32.9%, prevalence of oncogenic HPV was 12.1%, 3.1%, 5.5%, compliance to triage was 53.6%, 45.5%, 84.6% in tribal, urban slum, rural sites respectively. Pre-cancer among triage compliant HPV positive women was 13.6% in tribal, 4% in rural and 0% among urban slum women. Unique challenges faced in the tribal setting led to programme adaptations like increasing honoraria of community health workers for late-evening work and recalling HPV positive women for colposcopy by nurses, thermal ablation by gynaecologist at the outreach camp site. Conclusions: Self-collection of samples combined with HCW led community engagement activities, flexible triage processes and strengthening of health system showed an acceptable screening rate and better compliance to triage, highlighting the importance of identifying the barriers and developing strategies suitable for the setting. Trial registration: CTRI/2021/09/036130. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Preamble to the Constitution of India grants equal status to all its citizens and assures them social, economic, and political justice. The rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people came into sharp focus in India after the revolutionary judgment dellivered by the Supreme Court in Navtej Singh Johar vs. Union of India. Recognition of transgender people as third gender and decriminalization of same-sex relationships are two leading achievements for the LGBT community in India; however, the battle for equal human rights is still not over. This paper discusses the legal status of the LGBT community, in India, the areas where the community still faces discrimination, their status in other SAARC countries, and what needs to be done further in this regard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]