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Stereotypes are tools of social perception that attribute a superficial uniformity to individuals within a social group, providing an instrument to assess individuals and groups. The stereotype content model (SCM) provides a framework for understanding these dynamics. SCM explores how groups are stereotyped on competence and warmth. This research utilizes the SCM to study India, a heterogenous society with diverse social groups. The purpose of this paper is to study caste stereotypes using SCM within India while also comparing two distinct regions of the country – the north and the south. This study is unique because (a) earlier studies have not explored stereotyping while recognizing the regional variations "within" India and (b) it applies SCM to caste. We also include how caste perceptions are further defined for groups that fall under the affirmative action program. Using Amazon's Mechanical Turk, we recruited subjects who responded to questions that assessed stereotypes of different social groups. The results indicate the presence of more ambivalent stereotypes and higher belief in karmic ideology in the four southern states compared to the northern states. Possible explanations discussed. [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]

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]

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]

Laser lithotripsy is gaining global prominence and is a dynamically progressing field marked by a continual influx of new and comprehensive research each year. Recently, there has been a noticeable shift toward the adoption of various kinds of lasers, such as holmium: yttrium–aluminum-garnet (Ho:YAG) and thulium fiber (TFL) lasers. Consequently, we aim to conduct a bibliometric analysis to analyze key areas of research activity within scientific publications that center on the utilization of laser techniques in urolithiasis. A search of the literature spanning from 1978 to 2022 was carried out on 25 December 2023 using the Scopus database to explore research related to the application of laser techniques for urolithiasis treatment. Visualization analysis was performed using VOSviewer software (version 1.6.20). We examined 962 publications that met the specified criteria, 791 (82.22%) of which were original articles. The analysis of the retrieved publications indicated a consistent increase in research output from 1978 to 2022; a particularly noteworthy surge occurred after 2003. In particular, the U.S. claimed the leading position as the most productive country, contributing 211 articles (21.93%). However, India had the highest research productivity according to the adjustment index of 19.08. In the European region, 324 publications (33.68% of the total) originated from 25 countries. The Journal of Endourology contributed the most between 1978 and 2022 (n = 96, 9.98%). The most cited paper examined the effectiveness of holmium: yttrium–aluminum-garnet (Ho:YAG) lasers, while a subsequent study focused on the use of a thulium fiber laser (TFL), an emerging laser technology that has gained increased recognition. Co-occurrence analysis revealed three distinct clusters focusing on the types of laser technology, minimally invasive approaches, and success rate/postoperative complications. This comprehensive investigation delves into the global landscape of laser use for the treatment of urolithiasis. This review supports the emerging clinical concept of using various types of laser technology for urolithiasis treatment. Moreover, the hot issues that researchers should focus on based on the findings of this study are the use of different types of laser lithotripsy in view of the surgical approach, success rate and complications. [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]

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]

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]

Introduction: The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) chat programs has opened two distinct paths, one enhancing interaction and another potentially replacing personal understanding. Ethical and legal concerns arise due to the rapid development of these programs. This paper investigates academic discussions on AI in medicine, analyzing the context, frequency, and reasons behind these conversations. Methods: The study collected data from the Web of Science database on articles containing the keyword "ChatGPT" published from January to September 2023, resulting in 786 medically related journal articles. The inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed articles in English related to medicine. Results: The United States led in publications (38.1%), followed by India (15.5%) and China (7.0%). Keywords such as "patient" (16.7%), "research" (12%), and "performance" (10.6%) were prevalent. The Cureus Journal of Medical Science (11.8%) had the most publications, followed by the Annals of Biomedical Engineering (8.3%). August 2023 had the highest number of publications (29.3%), with significant growth between February to March and April to May. Medical General Internal (21.0%) was the most common category, followed by Surgery (15.4%) and Radiology (7.9%). Discussion: The prominence of India in ChatGPT research, despite lower research funding, indicates the platform's popularity and highlights the importance of monitoring its use for potential medical misinformation. China's interest in ChatGPT research suggests a focus on Natural Language Processing (NLP) AI applications, despite public bans on the platform. Cureus' success in publishing ChatGPT articles can be attributed to its open-access, rapid publication model. The study identifies research trends in plastic surgery, radiology, and obstetric gynecology, emphasizing the need for ethical considerations and reliability assessments in the application of ChatGPT in medical practice. Conclusion: ChatGPT's presence in medical literature is growing rapidly across various specialties, but concerns related to safety, privacy, and accuracy persist. More research is needed to assess its suitability for patient care and implications for non-medical use. Skepticism and thorough review of research are essential, as current studies may face retraction as more information emerges. [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 establishment, development and abandonment and/or destruction of ancient civilizations were catalytically controlled by geomorphic features such as lakes and rivers and the climate. This paper examined the possible influence of tectonism and climate on six habitations of the ancient Vaigai River Basin civilization in South India, using multiple proxies such as grain size, geochronology and geochemistry of the sedimentary archives. The tectonic setting of the basin changed between the active margin and passive margin; the discriminant diagrams suggested varying provenance and changing climatic conditions over the mid‐ and‐late Holocene. Tectonic activism and quiescence, base‐level change in the channel morphology led to the burial/marooning of the first habitation surface. Overall, arid conditions were punctuated with catastrophic flooding and peak discharge (flood) destroyed the second, third and fourth habitation sites. These flooding events were characterized by moderate weathering (CIA) and high values of Al, Fe and Rb/Sr and low Ca/Mg in the sediment records. The abandonment/destruction of the fifth habitation also occurred during an arid interval (droughts), possibly caused by weak monsoon. Along with the interactions between tectono‐climatic and fluvial geomorphic factors, the new results provided avenues to (a) check and recognize the archives for 8.2 and 4.2 ka‐like events in this part of the world, and (b) the utility of integrated analyses to constrain on the civilizational histories of the mankind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Maternal healthcare service utilization is a pivotal indicator of a nation's progress in safeguarding the health and well-being of its women and children. In this context, women's empowerment emerges as a critical determinant influencing the utilization of maternal healthcare services. The study aims to assess the relationship between women's level of empowerment and utilization of maternal healthcare services among currently married women in India. Data and Methods: The study uses data from the fifth round of the National Family Health Survey conducted in 2019–2021 and analyzed 26,552 (15–49 aged) currently married women who had a live birth in the last 5 years preceding the survey. Additionally, univariate and bivariate analyses, multivariate logistic regression, and the SWPER index were used for the analysis. Results: Over the years, utilization of antenatal care, skilled birth attainment, and postnatal care has increased extensively in India. However, the study found that utilization of services was higher among empowered women, and it varies across the state with the extent of empowerment. State-level analysis shows that the extent of women empowerment was higher in Goa, followed by Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and lower in Jharkhand, followed by Tripura, so as the utilization of maternal and health care services. The extent of empowerment and utilization of services also varies by level of educational attainment, employment, and socio-economic status. Conclusion: There is a need for comprehensive strategies to enhance women's empowerment through education, employment, political participation, self-awareness, and reduction in gender-based violence and child marriages, which may improve awareness demand for better public health structure, and may ensure higher utilization of maternal healthcare services. Ultimately, these strategies may converse the higher maternal death and child mortality. Significance: What is already known about this subject? Existing literature in India mostly highlights a clear connection between women's autonomy and maternal healthcare services utilization. Women with higher autonomy, decision-making power, and mobility are more likely to use these services. However, in exploring the link between women's empowerment and maternal healthcare, some studies focus on education, employment, and media access among Indian mothers, sidelining broader empowerment dimensions. What this study adds? This study is likely the first to investigate the relationship between women's empowerment and the level of maternal healthcare service utilization in India. It covers key dimensions of women's empowerment, including Attitude to Violence, Social Independence, and Decision-making Power. Moreover, it is possibly the first Indian research paper to employ a survey-based women's empowerment index in this context. Notably, the assessment highlights Social Independence as a significant dimension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the process of urbanization intensifies, a city expands from its center to its periphery. Due to the rise in human activities and population of a city, the physical limit gets stretched to provide housing along its periphery, resulting in extensive irreversible land cover alteration in the peri-urban areas. This chaotic and extensive urbanization in a peri-urban environment drives up the concerns about assessing and encouraging urban growth in a planned manner. The paper in a similar vein aims to determine peri-urban area and examine land cover change in and around the Hisar, an Indian city, between 2001 and 2021 by using geospatial techniques. The peri-urban zone of the hisar city has been delineated by applying the vector-based overlay analysis of different variables. The urban expansion was analysed with the help of the data acquired from image classification and by applying Shannon entropy model. The overall pattern of change in land uses shows that the area under built-up has increased by 99.17 percent by leaps and bounds. On the other hand, farmland, vegetation, water bodies and open spaces, are witnessing a sharp decline of 6.38 percent. The findings suggest that the built-up areas have substantially doubled from 4,965.12 ha to 9,889.2 ha throughout the study period. The scattered and random urbanization on the city outskirts is confirmed by the value of Shannon's entropy which increased from 1.93 in 2001 to 1.98 in 2021. The findings of the study would assist the administration and town planners in recognising the massive urban sprawl in the city and enable them to execute more effective approach to develop the peri-urban area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents evidence of gender peer effects in high schools in India using new administrative data. Identification of gender peer effects is achieved by exploiting variation induced by idiosyncratic changes in gender composition across cohorts within schools, in addition to controlling for past scores. The proportion of female classmates in a student's cohort has a sizeable positive effect on the test scores of both male and female students. We find that peer effects vary non-linearly with the proportion of female students. Finally, we provide suggestive evidence on plausible mechanisms. We show that achievement spillovers are not the main driver of positive gender peer effects. Using a supplemental dataset, we show that a greater proportion of female students leads to an improved classroom environment in the context of Indian schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the different insider employee-led cyber frauds (IECF) based on the recent large-scale fraud events of prominent Indian banking institutions. Examining the different types of fraud and appropriate control measures will protect the banking industry from fraudsters. In this study, we identify and classify Cyber Fraud (CF), map the severity of the fraud on a scale of priority, test the mitigation effectiveness, and propose optimal mitigation measures. The identification and classification of CF losses were based on a literature review and focus group discussions with risk and vigilance officers and cyber cell experts. The CF was analyzed using secondary data. We predicted and prioritized CF based on machine learning-derived Random Forest (RF). An efficient fraud mitigation model was developed based on an offender-victim-centric approach. Mitigation is advised both before and after fraud occurs. Through the findings of this research, banks and fraud investigators can prevent CF by detecting it quickly and controlling it on time. This study proposes a structured, sustainable CF mitigation plan that protects banks, employees, regulators, customers, and the economy, thus saving time, resources, and money. Further, these mitigation measures will improve the reputation of the Indian banking industry and ensure its survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comparative study of termite diversity in different ecosystems (agricultural, horticultural and silvicultural ecosystems) was carried out in mid-hills of Meghalaya to understand the species diversity, richness and abundanceof termite. A standard transect method and tissue paper bait method were used for sampling the termites.Alpha diversity was analysed by using Shannon wiener index and Margalef's D index for Species richness; and Simpson's index for Species dominance; whereas Beta diversity was analysed by using Routledge Be index, Cody Bc index, Whittaker Bw index and Wilson and Shmida Bt index. In the study, a total of 10 species of termites were identified which belonged to three subfamilies viz., Macrotermitinae, Amitermitinae and Termitinae. Macrotermitinae was the most presiding subfamily among the collected termite fauna. Individual species dominance was observed to differ in different ecosystems however, Odontotermes spp. was widely distributed across the ecosystems.The number of species recorded in silvicultural, horticultural and agricultural ecosystem were 7, 3 and 1 respectively. The termite diversity was highest in silvicultural ecosystem and lowest in agricultural ecosystem. The lowest numbers of species recorded in ecosystem may be attributed to its abrupt human disturbance. Shannon Wiener, Margalef's D and Simpson index in agricultural ecosystem, depicted less values compared to horticultural and silvicultural ecosystem. Among the ten species collected, one species i.e. Pseudocapritermis tikaderi which was sampled from silvicultural ecosystems was soil/humus feeder and the rest were wood/litter feeders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current era, entire global economies are transitioning to sustainable development because of global warming and climate change. Due to turbulence in environmental issues such as weather shocks, climate change and basic infrastructure and industrial planning, many countries are changing their approach and taking green steps. This paper assesses sustainable finance in India and the ways in which India can mitigate climate changing risk toward zero carbon policy and supporting SDGs 2030. It talks about the physical and transitional climate risks in India like surface temperature, heat wave concourse, etc., and provides a comprehensive analysis of how the corporate sector is imparting its role in sustainable nature through corporate social responsibility (CSR). India is an emerging economy where energy is an essential component. This study analyzes about supply of energy and how India is shifting from traditional energy sources to renewal energy sources. Thus, the objective of this study is to focus on the initiatives taken by the Indian government for sustainable finance through green bond policy at national and international platforms using the Panchamrit framework adopted by India thereby focusing on India's sustainable policy support for SDGs 2030. Also, this research proposes numerous recommendations for future sustainable finance research in the context to India, which includes developing and diffusing innovative sustainable financing instruments, magnifying, and managing the profitability and returns of sustainable financing, making sustainable finance more sustainable, and leveraging the power of new-age technologies for sustainable finance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Quaternary strata on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau contain rich information about the paleoclimate and environmental evolution, record the evolution process of the Quaternary regional tectonics, paleogeography, and geomorphology of the plateau, and are extremely important areas for studying the Quaternary geological events and regional environmental evolution. According to a comprehensive analysis of the regional stratigraphic data and the development and evolution characteristics of the biota, based on the differences in the lithostratigraphic units, sedimentary characteristics, landforms, and drainage systems, the Quaternary strata on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and its surrounding areas are divided into five stratigraphic regions: the Tarim region, Loess Plateau region, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau region, Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau region, and India-Ganges region. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau stratigraphic region is divided into seven stratigraphic sub-regions: the West Kunlun-Karakorum, Altun-Qilian Mountains, Qaidam-Hehuang, East Kunlun-Bayan Har, Qiangtang, East Xizang-West Yunnan-West Sichuan, and Gangdise-Himalayan sub-regions. This paper briefly describes the lithostratigraphic units of the seven stratigraphic sub-regions of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. According to the lithostratigraphic sequence and its sedimentary characteristics, stratigraphic contact relationship, formation age, and evolution of the biota in each stratigraphic sub-region, the Quaternary tectonic paleogeographic evolution of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is divided into four stages. (1) The inherited differential uplift stage since the Pliocene (2.6−1.8/1.5 Ma): the regional sedimentary differences were significant, and the stratigraphic distribution was limited, the alluvial-proluvial sandy conglomerate was widely developed along the piedmont, and fluvial and lacustrine deposits were developed in the low-lying areas between the mountains. (2) The mountain range flattening stage (1.8/1.5−1.2/0.8 Ma): the erosion unconformity surfaces around the plateau were widely distributed, large rivers were formed, and lake sediments developed in the intermountain basins and the hinterland of the plateau. (3) 1.2/0.8−0.128 Ma: the plateau continued to rise in a large range, with significant topographic differences and intensified mountain erosion. At about 0.8 Ma, the plateau uplifted above the snow line and entered the cryosphere, mountain glaciers developed, and the alpine arid environment gradually formed. (4) 0.128 Ma-: the mountains rose and erosion intensified, and intermountain basins and lakes were widely distributed. There were significant differences in the regional sedimentary characteristics, and the sedimentary types developed toward diversification. The modern plateau landform pattern was basically formed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the relationship between conflict trajectories and years of schooling in India for girls and boys. It adopts propensity score matching methods on panel data from the India Human Development Survey (2004/05-2011/12) merged with conflict data from the South Asia Terrorism Portal. Conflict is measured according to the dynamic trajectory of Naxal violence-related fatalities at the district level, distinguishing areas of chronic conflict with those experiencing dynamism in conflict intensity over time. ATT estimates indicate that conflict is associated with a reduction in years of schooling for both genders, though relatively high for girls (by a quarter of a year for girls and by 0.16 of a year for boys), driven by large reductions in school accumulation for girls living in areas of chronic conflict. Results are consistent when adopting different methods, alternative measures of conflict fatalities, and accounting for other conflicts and selective migration. Examining transmission mechanisms suggest that household spending on girls' education may be de-prioritised amidst conflict, while conflict may also weaken or destroy school infrastructure. Results suggest that policy responses should prioritise girls' education in areas of chronic conflict, not only in 'fragile states' but in countries where conflict remains a subnational concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports findings from a survey of public-sector urban planners in India. The survey attempts to gauge planners' opinions on the importance of planning values in everyday decisions and the degree to which these values are delivered in practice. In-depth interviews were used to validate the survey results and investigate themes further. The study presents a nuanced and contextualized analysis of the attitudes and mindsets of planners. It is expected that the study will initiate a discourse on planning values in India and encourage planners to confront the full implications of their decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Indian Evidence Act 1872 was a significant component of the legal codification project of colonial India. It aimed to consolidate scattered common law rules of evidence into an organized and workable code. Sir James Fitzjames Stephen, its principal draftsman, attempted to design a statute that would not only reorganize evidence law into cogent provisions but also improve its most confusing aspects, such as the fact-evidence distinction, hearsay, and relevance. Stephen did this by introducing conceptual categories and amending existing rules. In this paper, I show how the design of the Act aimed to achieve substantive reform of evidence law. I argue that judicial interpretation and academic scholarship have misconstrued the Act's principles and structure, undermining its intended improvements on common law rules. Consequently, the legal confusions it had sought to resolve have continued to persist in evidence law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Three characteristically different plasma structures viz. EMSTID, plasma depletion and non-electrified MSTID were observed simultaneously. • The individual structures underwent evolution, distortion, and dissipation separately. • The lack of mutual interaction between these three structures, despite existing simultaneously, is highly unusual. An unusual event of three characteristically different plasma structures on a geomagnetically quiet night (Ap = 4) of 08 July 2018 has been investigated in this paper using an all-sky imager installed at Hanle, Ladakh (32.7°N, 78.9°E; Mlat. ∼ 24.1°N), India. These structures include a freshly generated electrified medium scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (EMSTID), ambiguous plasma depletions, and a northward propagating non-electrified MSTID. One of the most fascinating aspects of this event was the lack of mutual interaction between the three structures, even though they existed simultaneously and propagated in different directions. They individually underwent evolution, distortion, and dissipation separately. One of the structures was an EMSTID, which got generated within the imager's field-of-view (FOV) and evolved with time. As time progressed, different strip-like structures travelled southwestward, merged with each other to form the EMSTID. The second structure was plasma depletions which appeared in the southeastern part of the FOV. They eventually merged into a single band, which propagated nearly westward. The merged band evolved with time, extended further northward, and dissipated later. Along with these, a very rare non-electrified MSTID structure with east–west aligned fronts was observed which propagated northward. Its fronts underwent distortion, became curved and dissipated. In this study, we have explored the role of electrodynamics behind the observed unique features of the three plasma structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Data mining in healthcare is a nascent arena of research in healthcare. Heterogeneity of Diabetes Mellitus in terms of clinical presentation calls for newer methods of research to study potential risk factors. Aim: The paper aims to use clustering techniques to identify the relationship between the four variables, namely the pre-prandial and postprandial sugar level, age and sex. Methods: The data was taken from a diagnostic laboratory in Wagholi, Pune. We conducted K-mean algorithm, EM algorithm, model-based clustering and t-mixture model. Results: It is evidenced that the data was best fitted to the t-mixture model. Our 50% samples were people with diabetes, 17% had prediabetes. Trivial correlation existed between age and sugar level. Males and females were equally at risk of having diabetes. Data presented concludes that age and sex have no effect on the risk of having diabetes. Data mining can be used to deduce meaningful clusters to drive plan-based interventions in the population. Conclusion: Methods of data mining can be used to deduce meaningful clusters in a heterogeneous dataset thus providing policymakers and healthcare researchers with novel information that will potentially contribute in formulating evidence-based policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hinduism is considered one of the most ancient religions in the world. Although the technological innovation of modernization has undermined the reliance on their traditions, Hindus may still rely on Hindu Scripture when making decisions. From their standpoint, contrary to Western medicine, human lives cannot be reduced to statistical and empirical facts. They focus more on preserving the spirit, rather than considering survival as one of the goals of medicine. Consequently, when a preterm infant is born, Hindu parents might struggle to understand the goals of Western neonatologists. This divergence may create misunderstandings when discussing end-of-life decisions. Since they value relational aspects to be of utmost importance, they may accept treatments only in the likelihood of good neurological outcomes. Being able to interact allows Hindus to act virtuously with the aim of purifying their soul toward moksa. When it comes to end-of-life decisions on behalf of newborns, Hindu parents may opt to forgo treatments and let the baby peacefully die, while praying for their soul to have a better rebirth. This paper aims to evaluate quality-of-life assessment in the Hindu tradition in comparison with the Catholic tradition. It draws parallelisms between these two different religions to investigate whether an inter-religious dialogue is possible. This work will help Catholic, and more broadly Western, doctors to have a better understanding of the Hindu end-of-life views. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The key objective of this paper is to emphasize the importance of acknowledging breastfeeding as an embodied social practice within interventions related to breastfeeding and lactation and illustrate how this recognition holds implications for public health ethics debates. Recent scholarship has shown that breastfeeding and lactation support interventions undermine women's autonomy. However, substantial discourse is required to determine how to align with public health goals while also recognizing the embodied experiences of breastfeeding and lactating individuals. Presently, interventions in this realm predominantly revolve around health-related messaging and the promotion of individual behaviors, often neglecting the systemic and structural factors that influence choices and practices. I closely examine breastfeeding interventions in India, in particular Mothers' Absolute Affection health promotion program, along with breastfeeding narratives. I argue that for such interventions to evolve, they must acknowledge the intrinsic embodied social nature of breastfeeding during their design and implementation. Furthermore, it is important to emphasize that achieving equity and justice objectives necessitates moving beyond the confines of both conventional public health frameworks and frameworks solely centered on private choices. Instead, a more encompassing approach that embraces the concept of embodiment should be adopted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The captivating tribal communities living across the length and breadth of the state of Central India and mostly in Odisha have enriched the cultural heritage of the region by their cultural diversities. Gadaba's religious life reflected through their rich folk traditions of songs, dance, music, rituals and festivals celebrated round the year adds colourful dimensions to their very existence. The amazing conglomeration of traditions, beliefs, sorrows and philosophies that together constitute and vitalize the religion of tribes has descended from antiquity and has been preserved unimpaired to the present day. Every dimension of their life covering round the year activities is intimately connected with religion and the world view associated with it. It is these aspects of their culture that give meaning and depth to their lives and solidarity to their social structure. However, in recent days many changes have been taken place in traditional religious life of Gadaba tribe. Against this backdrop, this paper has tried to explore some of that core structure of Gadaba's religious life as well as the changing dimensions of their religious manifestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gond painting, an integral part of the Gond cultural identity of central India, has emerged as highly appreciated and recognised tribal art form worldwide in the recent times. These traditional paintings are believed to have started with the transformation of Gond oral folklores. The Pradhan Gond, a subgroup of the Gonds, who were traditionally assigned to sing songs of the glorification of the gods, goddesses and nature with a Bana, a traditional single-stringed musical instrument, was assumed to initiate the paintings of Gond folktales. They narrated the collective beliefs, values and legends of the Gond tribe on the origin, relationship and divine powers in the form of paintings. The traditions of performing the assigned responsibilities of Pradhan Gond were believed to have lost during the Mughal era and British rule. This research paper focuses on the study of the reflections of three popular Gond folk stories, i.e. Basin Kanya, Mahua tree and Bada Dev, in the contemporary Gond paintings of Madhya Pradesh. The paintings of Jangarh Singh Shyam and Durga Bai have been chosen for the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ABT system holds power producers accountable for stabilizing the grid, preventing over-drawl and under-drawl of power. Before the introduction of ABT, frequent over-drawl and under-drawl beyond the limits caused grid disturbances. It results in fewer generators getting tripped due to the wide variation range in the grid frequency and leads to power shortages for large-scale consumers. CERC in India introduced DSM to penalize over-drawing and under-drawing in power buying/selling schedules. Staying within limits earns incentives tied to grid frequency also preventing producers from charging higher rates for exploiting the lower frequency range. This paper delves into the seamless integration of ABT with India's regional and national grids. Furthermore, we meticulously scrutinize the power situation in India by examining the interconnection between MCP, DSM, and frequency. The DSM data were diligently collected from the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh for testing. The result shows that MCP linked with the DSM vector provides information on the deviation limit for DAM, power producers, and consumers. Linking of MCP with DSM and frequency makes power utilities more responsible and accountable for a power system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposed modeling, designing and battery management system for a three-wheeled electric vehicle for the Indian road under different conditions. The system consists of a lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide cell-based lithium-ion battery with a managing system known as battery management system (BMS) described here. The process for modeling the vehicle, choosing the motor, developing the controller with a programmable circuit and developing the DC–DC buck converter, and battery pack of the lithium-ion cell with an effective BMS is discussed. According to the study, a prototype programmable controller circuit board, including the PWM-controlled driver circuit, is built for the proper flow of electricity on urban roads in India and has been tested successfully on road. This developed electric prototype travels the range of 100 km with an average speed of 32 km/h, while the maximum current drawn from the battery is 30_amp. The efficiency increased by 2% compared to the market-available PWM square wave controller. MATLAB simulation is done to compare the effectiveness of the modeled system with the suggested prototype control system. To verify the system, a small-scale prototype is developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater is an important resource for a multitude of purposes, and change in groundwater levels is an important factor in determining the increase and decrease of groundwater quantity in aquifers. This study has been carried out for Gomti River basin, where groundwater is the major drinking water source for the entire region. This paper evaluates the behavior of the groundwater levels using Visual MODFLOW under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 scenarios. For modeling of groundwater flow, the entire study area was discretized into 108480 (X-direction) and 207090 (Y-direction) gridal network with each cell size of 1000 m × 1000 m. The model was calibrated for the period 2002 to 2008 and validated for the period 2009 to 2013 using data of 24 observation wells. During the calibration period of Visual MODFLOW, residual mean ranged between 0.658 and 0.268 m, and absolute residual mean ranged between 2.035 and 2.174 m. The calibrated Visual MODFLOW model was employed to evaluate the influence of climate change on future groundwater levels. Future groundwater recharge (2020–2030), obtained after the application of four (MIROC-ESM, MIROC-ESM-CHEM, MIROC MIROC5, and MOHC-HADGEM2-ES) global climate model (GCM) data into prior SWAT model, was applied to Visual MODFLOW. After applying, the projected future (2020–2030) trend in the groundwater levels was found continuously decreasing due to low groundwater recharge and excessive groundwater withdrawal in the basin in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study majorly focused on the degree of rainfall alteration (DIRA) using an indicator-based novel approach. Most of the previous works majorly focused on only magnitude parameters for measuring monthly rainfall change; however, alteration may also come from other relevant aspects like frequency, timing, rate of change, and duration of rainfall. The present paper considered 33 indicators to assess alterations in rainfall, encompassing various such aspects. Subsequently, it computed the degrees of rainfall alteration categorized as low, moderate, and high range of variability (RVA). This computation was based on the gridded rainfall data endorsed by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). Getis-ord was applied to compute the significance of rainfall patterns. The study revealed that middle RVA-based DIRA is low (< 0.33) in the case of magnitude indicators across IMD-defined meteorological sub-divisions, but moderate DIRA (0.33–0.67) was detected in some parts in the case of rate of change, frequency, duration, and timing indicators. This change was detected rather high (moderate to high) over wider parts of India (six and sixteen sub-divisions) in the case of low and high DIRA. In monsoon and post-monsoon seasons, north-eastern hilly hot spots (95–99% level) were weakened, while it was found enhanced in north-western India. A new rainfall hot spot (95%) was identified in Odisha, Telangana, and Vidarbha transition in 1991–2021. Taking into account the notable success achieved through the IRA approach, the study strongly recommends its application across various related domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper advocates for a paradigm shift in indigenous gerontology, challenging the status quo and emphasizing the importance of de-colonizing knowledge production to capture the voices of tribal elders authentically. Through the adoption of culture-centric and participatory research methods, the proposed shift aims to empower tribal elders as active contributors rather than passive research subjects. The oversight in researching tribal elderly intersects with their under representation in reports and policies concerning older people. A transformative approach is imperative to integrate indigenous voices into India's pursuit of comprehensive and equitable senior welfare policies amidst population ageing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest fire is one of the main factors of forest degradation that affects the social, economic, and cultural settings of forest-dependent people. India has 24.64% of its geographical area under tree and forest cover. Among forests, approximately 55% are deciduous forest, highly susceptible to forest fire primarily driven by escalating human activities and their associated impacts. Based on the literature survey and secondary data sources, this paper assesses the trend and pattern of forest fires, their associated causes and why forest fires still occur in India on a larger scale. The findings of the study reveal a rapid increase in forest fires over time, from 18,719 in 2001 to 111,267 in 2021 according to MODIS sensor data with the highest frequency in March and April. The central and north-eastern states of India have experienced the highest fire incidents, causing a massive loss of property, lives, and natural resources. This study demonstrates that the causes of fire vary significantly from location to location and season to season. The concluding section of the study recommends measures to deal with the economic vulnerability of locals, resource availability and adaptation for forest fires in India. Furthermore, this study is adding fresh insights to the discourse on forest fires and suggested possible mitigation strategies and potential solutions which can be useful for other similar geographical contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The safety of vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, bicyclists and motorised twowheelers, on national highways passing through urban areas has been a significant concern in developing countries like India. This study analyzes Visakhapatnam police crash data (2014-2017) to identify high-risk road segments to vulnerable road users. Establishing negative binomial models helps analyze risk variables for fatal and injury crashes concerning several susceptible road users on mid-block sections. Further, this study focuses on site-specific information collected from road-safety audits, speed, average daily traffic, length of road section and percentage of two-wheelers, also considered to fully help understand the likelihood of a crash. The statistical analysis of this paper identified the risk variables, like length of road segment, presence of service roads, land-use type (i.e., commercial/mixed land use), number of curves and average daily traffic associated with the incidence of fatal and injury crashes of vulnerable road users in Visakhapatnam city, India. The conclusions highlight the crucial safety measures that transportation planners and policymakers must take to create a more secure environment for road users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In architectural education, informal interaction spaces play a significant role in experiential learning, allowing adult learners more flexibility and freedom. In India, the significance of these spaces has been heightened by the National Education Policy (NEP 2020) formulated by the Ministry of Human Resources, Government of India, which aligns with the activities promoted in educational institutes' informal interaction spaces. This research paper explores the role of informal interaction spaces in enhancing student-centered learning in architecture schools, presenting best practices for their design and utilization. The study employs mixed research methods, including literature review, case studies, and interviews, to gather perspectives from learners and instructors. The case study reveals a strong positive correlation between the percentage of informal interaction space and the learning outcomes of students. In addition to identifying challenges in informal interaction spaces, including interference and design issues, the literature study and respondents' views associate the crosscultural discussions happening in these spaces with academic learning, life skill enhancement, and the development of collaboration skills, establishing their significance in facilitating effective and student-centered pedagogy. Varied preferences of respondents regarding design criteria to be adopted in designing informal interaction spaces emphasize the need for adaptable designs that cater to diverse student needs regarding placement, visual connection, and amenities. The conclusions underscore the multifaceted impact of these spaces, providing valuable insights for their refinement and contributing to ongoing discourse in architectural education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal erosion is a growing problem worldwide and seriously threatens coastal infrastructure ecosystems and communities, particularly in areas where urban development has encroached on natural shorelines. Salty urbanism, an approach to urban design that incorporates natural features and works in harmony with coastal environments, offers a promising solution to this problem. This review explores strategies for coastal erosion reduction, particularly emphasizing community participation within the context of salty urbanism. By investigating the advantages of incorporating salty urbanism and community engagement in coastal management through a literature study, this paper explores a case study-Paradeep, a coastal city in India. The aim is to comprehend how salty urbanism principles have been assimilated into coastal erosion initiatives in Paradeep and to identify potential opportunities for further integration to maximize benefits. The results emphasize the importance of integrating salty urbanism and community participation into coastal erosion management strategies, especially in coastal areas where these principles are either lacking or only minimally incorporated, often without a clear recognition of the term "salty urbanism" itself. Utilizing a mixed-methods research approach, the study integrates primary data from case studies and interviews, along with inferences from literature studies to gain valuable insights from coastal community residents and stakeholders. The findings will provide a significant contribution to advancing strategies and initiatives that advocate for sustainable coastal development and management by suggesting ways to incorporate a community participation-based salty urbanism approach in similar contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a case study of an Outreach and Drop-in Centre (ODIC) established under the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India. In the quantitative part, data were gathered from the ODIC office documents and analysed using MS Excel. Linear regression analysis demonstrated a relationship between the number of in-centre clients and the number of Community Outreach Programmes (COPs). Similarly, this study examined the relationship between the number of networks established and the number of participants in COPs. Hence, two regression lines were derived accordingly. In addition, qualitative data collected through key informant interviews corroborated the quantitative results. This case study highlights the importance of networks and COPs in increasing the reach of ODIC and ensuring the quality of services. Finally, in partnership with other government agencies, this ODIC sets a model for engaging marginalised adolescents in reducing substance abuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a long history of starvation, including reports dated back to antiquity. Despite exceptional scientific developments, starvation still exists today. The medical aspects of starvation were well established in the twentieth century, particularly following studies related to the 1943–1944 Bengal famine in India and starved prisoners of war and survivors of World War 2. The refeeding of the starved victims provided disappointing results. Nevertheless, those studies eventually led to the development of a new branch of research in medicine and to the definition of what is now known as refeeding syndrome. This paper briefly reviews the history and groundwork that led to today's understanding of starvation and refeeding, with a particular emphasis on the observations from studies on starved Holocaust survivors and prisoners of war after World War 2. The relevance of these studies for modern times is briefly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Early Clinical Exposure (ECE) was incorporated into the Competency-based Medical Education (CBME) curriculum in 2019. ECE in a classroom setting is conducted through Clinical Case Discussion (CCD) using paper-based clinical case scenarios. The assessment pattern of CBME and Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) includes clinical case-based questions. Therefore, assessing and developing clinical reasoning skills and critical thinking has become the need of the hour. Aim: To measure the effectiveness of the modified One-minute Preceptor (OMP) model as a teaching-learning tool for CCD to enhance the knowledge and reasoning skills of Phase I Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) students and to assess the perception of students and faculty towards the modified OMP model. Materials and Methods: This prospective interventional study was conducted in the Department of Biochemistry at Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India from February 2020 to May 2020. Out of 250 Phase I MBBS students, 180 who had given consent and participated in all the sessions were included. Eight faculty members voluntarily participated in the study. The faculty involved in CCD for the control and study groups were different and selected through randomisation. After a didactic lecture, a pretest was administered, and then students were divided into Control group A (n=90) and Study group B (n=90). For CCD, the modified OMP model was used for the study group and the traditional unstructured method for the control group. A post-test was given after CCD, and feedback was collected from faculty and students. Quantitative analysis of the feedback was done using a 5-point Likert scale, and open-ended questions were qualitatively assessed. Pretest and post-test scores were analysed using an unpaired t-test. Learning gain was measured, and program evaluation was conducted using Kirkpatrick's model. Results: There was a statistically significant difference in the post-test scores obtained by the control group and study group (p-value <0.001). A higher normalised learning gain (0.83) was observed in the study group. The modified OMP model was perceived as an effective, interactive teaching-learning tool for CCD by both students and faculty. Conclusion: CCD using the modified OMP model significantly improved knowledge, critical thinking, and reasoning skills of students. Even after modifications to the original OMP model, the effectiveness of this model for preclinical subjects remains unaffected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial distribution and hazard assessment of heavy metals in the paper mill contaminated area of Jagiroad, Assam, India were investigated using statistics, geostatistics and geographic information system techniques. The amounts of Cr, Cd, Ni and Pb were determined from 188 samples collected within the contaminated area. Log-transformation was applied in order to achieve normality in the data-set. The ordinary kriging estimates of Cr, Cd, Ni and Pb maps showed that high concentrations of heavy metals were located in the low-lying areas like bils (lakes). Indicator kriged probability maps of soil Cr, Cd, Ni and Pb were prepared based on the concentrations to exceed the respective Food and Agriculture Organization maximum permissible limit (MPL) value of 100, 3, 30 and 50 mg/kg, respectively. It was seen that more than 80% of the studied area has a higher than 50% probability to exceed the MPL value of Ni. Smaller areas in the north and west side of the study area displayed a higher concentration than the MPL value of Pb. For Cr, only a small portion at the centre of the study area had a higher concentration than the MPL value. In an attempt to identify the source of heavy metals through multivariate analysis, it was concluded that Cr, Ni and Pb mainly originated from paper mill effluent and soil Cd was associated with natural concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Agro-based pulp and paper mills in India are one of the most polluting industries; in addition, they are high consumers of raw water. Growing scarcity of high quality freshwater as well as stringent regulatory standards is compelling these units to explore appropriate water management options. Based on data obtained through a questionnaire survey and plant visits, this work provides an overview of the water use and effluent treatment status in Indian agro-residue and recycled pulp and paper mills. The challenges faced by this sector are reviewed and practices adopted by progressive units to minimize freshwater use are illustrated through case studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The commercial surrogacy industry in India administers in a way where the women working as surrogate mothers live in surrogate houses. It is a space deliberately designed and run by either the fertility clinics or a third-party agency, where the surrogate mothers are required to stay for the entire gestation period. The surrogacy industry in India utilizes the vulnerability of couples who do not or cannot have children, in order to prepare valuable and docile bodies which can serve as a platform for accumulation of wealth. This paper draws from an ethnographic inquiry of the surrogate housing facilities functioning in two cities in India: Anand and Bengaluru. The paper will argue that the surrogacy industry in India produces geographies of carceral domesticity by deploying disciplining apparatuses governing the day-to-day mundane activities of the reproductive laborers. The medical experts often resort to the narrative that these women cannot be trusted with the safety of the babies they carry, hence, justifying their confinement in the surrogate house. Further, the possibility that the surrogate mothers may develop emotional attachments to the babies they carry, which in turn, will endanger the surrogacy arrangements, also runs through such narratives of regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Religious conversion and marriage across communal lines have long been contentious in India. The contemporary debate on 'Love Jihad' – the Hindu Nationalist conspiracy theory that accuses Muslim men of waging a religious war by seducing and converting unsuspecting Hindu brides – exemplifies the simultaneously geopolitical and biopolitical anxiety that religious conversion inspires. In this paper, I focus on the case of Hadiya, a young woman from Kerala, who, in 2016, found herself remanded first to her university's hostel – as dormitories are called in India – and then to her parents' home as various courts debated on the authenticity of her conversion to Islam, and her marriage to a Muslim partner. Through an examination of media discourse and court records in this case, the paper argues that in 'Love Jihad', the domestic and the carceral are rendered inextricably intertwined through an affective politics that presents desire outside the bounds of caste and religion as geopolitically misoriented. Drawing on Sara Ahmed's work on the phenomenology of orientation, I focus on the intimate geographies of the hostel, which I argue exemplifies a site of carceral convergence between nation and family, in the management of the affective disorder associated with religious conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper gives a model of collusion formation and a method of measuring the degree of it among the traders/bidders in the agricultural commodity markets in India. The important assumption is that the bidding is repetitive with a set of common bidders. The theory has been derived based on the behavior of the wholesale market of agricultural commodities in India. The paper is based on full information in the collusion formation. The paper first derives the theoretical structure of the bidders' behavior and thereafter derives a measure of collusion formation with the help of real-life data. Design/methodology/approach: The paper used the standard theory of optimization and the theory of auction and probability statistics. Findings: This is a complete information model of cartel formation. The bidding is repetitive and continues forever in discrete time. Hence bidders behavior is observable. Using the proposed method, if the APMC measures for each market and publishes on a periodic basis, say weekly basis, then it will be easier to break the collusion in the market where relative collision is present. For example, if a farmer has three options to sell in three different markets, then the published data would help them to select the market where the degree of collusion is relatively lower. Moreover, the undesirable loss can be avoided based on the right choice of market. As a result, transaction costs will be optima. Originality/value: The paper first derives the theoretical structure of the bidders' behavior and thereafter derives a measure of collusion formation with the help of real-life data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecology and environmental catastrophes have found an immense place in Indian classical literature. As Indian mythology shapes the culture of the country, worshipping nature remains an intrinsic part of it. The great Indian epic, the Mahabharata, is one of the earliest Sanskrit literary texts that lay a platform to edify people about the value and importance of ecological equilibrium. This paper aims at studying the relationship between nature, humans, and culture through select 21st-century Indian mythological retellings. For this purpose, Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan's retellings titled The One Who Swam with the Fishes (2017) and The One Who Had Two Lives (2018) from her Girls of the Mahabharata series have been taken as the primary texts. Primarily, it examines the role played by Nature in the lives of the protagonists as an important character. Theologically, in the Hindu culture, nature is venerated for possessing mythical supremacy. The present article reflects this supremacy of nature celebrated through the character of Yaksha. While investigating the employment of various techniques to illuminate nature's unpredictable qualities such as soothing, nurturing, aesthetic, ethereal, powerful, destructive and alive, the study focuses on looking at how the characters are highly influenced by nature and on understanding the character of human influence on nature centralizing the idea that human existence is possible only if there is a harmonious coexistence with nature. Ecocriticism has been applied as a theoretical framework in the paper for critical analysis of human-nature interaction and the cultural implications of it reflected in select novels. [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]

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]

While much has been written about how imperialist and Indian nationalist historiographies have approached 1857, scant attention has been paid to how it has been remembered in Pakistan. This article endeavours to explore the ways in which 1857 has been articulated by the state in India and Pakistan through a study of their commemorative postage stamps. On the face of it, India's emphasis on nonviolence and Pakistan's quest for an Islamic history make 1857 a misfit within the historiographies of both states. However, the paper outlines that during the centenary in 1957, both India and Pakistan commemorated 1857 while maintaining some discursive distance from it. While Pakistan chose to memorialise it as the beginning of its struggle for independence, India recessed it within the broader framework of independence itself. The paper goes on to demonstrate how this position has changed drastically over the years. In order to weave a composite and inclusive history of the country, India now celebrates the legacy of 1857 by appropriating it within the frames of national unity, patriotism, and anti-imperialism. Pakistan, on the other hand, uses 1857 merely as a means to segue into a discussion of reform efforts led by the subcontinent's Muslim elite, thereby relegating it to the background of the Pakistan movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper explores the significance of historic urban landscapes (HUL) in the context of Indian heritage management policies. It investigates the challenges faced in preserving and managing historic urban areas and provides recommendations to enhance the integration of HUL approaches within the existing policy framework. The study draws upon a comprehensive review of scholarly articles, reports, and policy documents related to heritage management in India. The findings emphasise the need for a holistic and inclusive approach that recognises the multifaceted nature of urban heritage and fosters sustainable development while preserving historical significance. The paper offers practical recommendations for policymakers and urban planners to incorporate HUL principles into Indian heritage management policies effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulses are an important protein source for vegetarian people across the world and they have a great potential to improve the human health, contribute to global food and nutritional security. Variety of pulses were grown in India with 25% of global production and 27% of global consumption. Though India is the largest pulses producer in the world, it imports around 3.5 million tons annually to meet the ever-increasing requirement. Less adoption of improved Agro techniques, low fertile soils and unpredictable environment conditions are major factor for low production of pulses. As a results of increasing population, the projected pulses requirement will be 32 million tons by 2030 which necessitate annual growth rate of 4.2%. With adoption of suitable agronomic strategies, the productivity has to be enhanced to meet the demand. This review work was done at Department of Agronomy, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. Collected review and research papers were screened from various data base like TNAU e library, ARCC journals, google scholar, research gate and scopus used to write this paper. This review article documented information gathered on importance of pulses, area, production and productivity of pulses. Nipping is important agronomic practices that removes the apical bud dominance and promotes the lateral growth which turn better maintenance of source and sink relationship and enhance the pulses yield. Influence of nipping on growth and yield of various pluses crops has been discussed here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]