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In recent years in India, fly ash-lime-gypsum (FaL-G) brick production has been adversely affected by the scarcity of fly ash and lime. Consequently, the current study aims to mitigate this problem. It delves into leveraging incinerated paper mill sludge ash (IPMSA) as a supplement to fly ash and lime in FaL-G brick production, aiming to present an eco-conscious alternative to conventional burnt clay bricks. It focuses on two blends: blend 1, replacing fly ash with IPMSA (2.5–30 wt%), and blend 2 substituting lime entirely with IPMSA (2.5–15 wt%). A thorough material analysis preceded brick manufacturing, involving techniques like energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetry differential thermal analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy. Subsequent tests evaluated compressive strength, water absorption, weight density, percentage of voids, initial rate of suction and chemical resistance of the resulting bricks. According to the XRD results, the higher IPMSA levels didn't induce any phase transformation. Remarkably, bricks incorporating IPMSA in blend 1 (2.5–20 wt%) and blend 2 (2.5–7.5 wt%) met the mechanical properties specified for 'class 10' bricks according to Indian and ASTM standards. Incorporating IPMSA increases the porosity of bricks, making them lighter. This aids in minimizing construction expenses by reducing labour and transportation costs as well as lowering expenditure on foundation construction. This sustainable approach efficiently uses resources, reduces landfill wastes, shows potential for industrial-scale production, making eco-friendly bricks a promising alternative to traditional methods and promoting greener construction practices. • Ecofriendly FaL-G bricks were developed using incinerated paper mill sludge ash (IPMSA). • Reusability of IPMSA in FaL-G brick production poses both economic and environmental benefits. • Use of IPMSA in FaL-G brick production reduces landfill waste and addresses waste management issues. • IPMSA is suitable for up to 20 wt% for fly ash and 7.5 wt% for lime in FaL-G brick production, meeting relevant standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a major cause of chronic liver disease globally and in India. The already high burden of NAFLD in India is expected to further increase in the future in parallel with the ongoing epidemics of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Given the high prevalence of NAFLD in the community, it is crucial to identify those at risk of progressive liver disease to streamline referral and guide proper management. Existing guidelines on NAFLD by various international societies fail to capture the entire landscape of NAFLD in India and are often difficult to incorporate in clinical practice due to fundamental differences in sociocultural aspects and health infrastructure available in India. A lot of progress has been made in the field of NAFLD in the 7 years since the initial position paper by the Indian National Association for the Study of Liver on NAFLD in 2015. Further, the ongoing debate on the nomenclature of NAFLD is creating undue confusion among clinical practitioners. The ensuing comprehensive review provides consensus-based, guidance statements on the nomenclature, diagnosis, and treatment of NAFLD that are practically implementable in the Indian setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This study aims at to make a heuristic analysis of energy efficiency performance of Indian paper industry in a non-parametric production theoretic approach. Using the data for 2004–05 to 2013–14, radial and non-radial variants of DEA were employed to estimate energy saving potential and identify the relative position of paper industry across the states. Preliminary analysis in terms of energy intensity scores showed declining trends of energy intensity over the period of analysis for most of the states except states like Assam, Chhattisgarh, Kerala and Punjab where it does not decline much. Assuming a variable returns to scale (VRS) technology under the conditions of inherent heterogeneity and market imperfection, the slack-based measure (SBM) reported a much higher energy saving potential than reported by other measures in the study. Further by taking scale efficiency into account, the study documented the higher contribution of pure energy inefficiency in explaining the total energy inefficiency within the paper industry relative to scale inefficiency. Finally, the study recommends the propagation of energy efficiency program through a market-based and regulatory mechanism along with consolidation and technological advancement of individual units, in order to tap vast energy saving potential and thereby ensure the growth and environmental sustainability. Highlights • The paper examined the energy efficiency performance of Indian paper industry. • Both radial (BCC) and the non-radial (SBM) measures of energy efficiency, were applied. • BCC measure reported an energy saving potential of 16%. • SBM measure reported an energy saving potential of 24%, higher than BCC measure. • Scale efficiency implied the relatively higher contribution of pure energy inefficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple framework to estimate the potential of solar industrial process heating (SIPH) and corresponding CO 2 emissions mitigation in paper industry in India is presented. Geographical locations with clusters of paper mills have been identified and the annual process heating requirement for paper production (based on raw material use) at each cluster has been estimated. The total process heating potential for the paper industry in India has been estimated at 25.2 PJ/annum. Using the estimated performance of a commercially available parabolic trough based SIPH system with collector area requirement of 1.11 million m 2 annual solar fraction in the range of 0.25–0.30 have been estimated. Annual energy delivery of SIPH systems estimated at 4.34 PJ per annum. Finally at 8 main locations with clusters of paper mills in India considered in this study, adoption of SIPH without storage is expected to mitigate 0.34 million tonnes of CO 2 emissions annually. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we analyse India's transport sector policy. The study examines the two important modes of transport, viz., road and rail, and analyses the efficiency of transport infrastructure from 2011 to 2019. Through Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), we evaluate modes in terms of the capacity of registered road goods vehicles and railway goods wagons, truck km/train km and energy consumption and corresponding freight traffic. The analysis gives valuable insight into the fact that rail infrastructure is more efficient than road infrastructure. Still, current transport sector policies promote energy-intensive carbon-fuel road vehicles rather than energy-efficient alternative transport modes. The study suggests the changes that may be incorporated in inputs to improve the efficiency of the road infrastructure. The Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA)-Malmquist Index analysis reports the need for total factor productivity improvement in rail transport and the introduction of technological innovations in road and rail transport sector management. The study employs a well-to-wheel (WTW) based index to ascertain the energy consumed and pollutants emitted by freight-carrying road and rail modes between two leading business hubs of India, i.e., Ludhiana and Mumbai. The paper identifies policy gaps and suggests a holistic approach for need-based roadway investment and a time-bound development of railway infrastructure in India. Our study generates valuable implications for India's policy planners and government authorities and provides new insights to other countries. • The study examines road and rail transport, and analyses the efficiency and energy consumption of these modes. • The study suggests the changes to improve the efficiency of the road infrastructure. • The Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA)-Malmquist Index analysis and well-to-wheel (WTW) based index have been employed for the analysis. • The paper suggests a need-based roadway investment approach and a time-bound development of railway infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regional coverage satellite constellations are in demand for fulfilling earth observation needs of specific user regions of interest as opposed to global coverage thus enhancing the revisit period for the area. In this paper, we present a few key mission aspects of the regional coverage constellation designed and operated by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) in low earth orbit. ISRO developed three X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Earth Observation satellites and placed them in three inclined orbit planes to enhance the Indian region's coverage. This is India's first inclined orbit constellation designed for remote sensing applications in low earth orbit. The satellites were built around a standard bus carrying a Synthetic Aperture Radar payload with a deployable Radial Rib Antenna (RRA). They were designed to achieve a high agility capability. As SAR sensors are capable of all-weather, day, and night imaging; thus, most suitable in inclined orbits where the illumination conditions vary continuously for imaging. Though the inclined orbits provide more revisit opportunities to the region of interest, their characteristics pose challenges in mission design and operations. Though the mission design and planning involved a host of elements, this paper brings out the details of a few key mission analysis elements, planning aspects and operations that were critical in the course of various mission phases. The mission analysis included mission-specific requirements like launch windows selection for the constellation and reference attitude generation specific to inclined orbit geometry. Mission planning had to take care of Radial Rib Antenna (RRA) deployment requirements which were very critical for the mission, apart from taking care of individual subsystem requirements. The SAR payload data product quality and targeting accuracy are very sensitive to the satellite image point range (vis-a-vis SAR operation data window). Extensive post-launch calibration activity was carried out to meet all these mission requirements and data product specifications. The challenge was in fixing the payload beam alignment and fixing the uncertainties in onboard and ground computations. The paper also describes the methods of fixing all possible error sources affecting the high-resolution SAR payload performance. • The regional coverage satellite constellations are in demand for area targets coverage. • Inclined orbit constellations are more suitable for regional coverage using SAR sensors. • Mission operations plans need to consider all the specific requirements of spacecraft systems. • Pre-launch and post -launch calibrations of sensors is mandatory for achieving system performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secondary and High School students are usually adolescents, most of them in the urban areas and metropolitan cities are aware about the existence, various opportunities, career paths and advancements of the space industry. They are constantly updated, given they have access to quality and organized education models and a competitive environment. Although, the students in the rural areas who are equally ambitious and talented yet are not fortunate enough to have access to the state of art facilities like the counterparts. Even if they try and gain access with their self-interest, they do not have the motivation to sustain the passion, given their lack of clarity in subject, lack of awareness about engaging in various ways and fields in space other than technological related and mainly lack of driving force. The purpose of this paper is to develop and present an education model, exclusively for the high school students of the rural areas and inculcate sustainable passion for space. As opposed to the primary school students, the secondary school students have a consciousness of the space industry. This paper will talk about various plans and strategies, that will allow them to gain exposure, guide them about the existence of different career paths which are not entirely technological related, yet are still essential in the space like, administrative framework for example. This opens a new dimension in their brain helping them realize how they can be part of the industry in countless ways, and this shall assist them in being on the right track to space. In addition to, hosting creative space themed exhibitions, fun and engaging model design competitions, workshops, all of these would widen their knowledge boundaries and help them challenge their skills. A real time case study example from a school located in the rural southern of India shall be focused on this paper. Including data from a survey thereby the results, with action plans shall be presented in detail, which will aid in the analysis of the need, feasibility, and long-term sustenance of this approach and the requirement to scale it over different rural areas globally. • Need for improvised education models in rural areas elucidated, with data collection. • Data analysis and correlation of space education awareness, for high school students across two geographical locations. • Readily executable action plans age groupwise, for real-time education models in remote areas globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Asian Financial Crisis during the late 1990 s revealed the fault lines of foreign currency loans of corporates. It starkly demonstrated that a combination of semi-pegged exchange rates and unregulated foreign currency borrowing could expose corporates and, subsequently, the entire economy to heightened vulnerability. To mitigate these risks, implementing certain capital account restrictions emerged as a potential remedy. Against this backdrop, this paper investigates the changing contours of vulnerability arising from the rising foreign currency leverage of 818 non-financial corporates in India during 2004–2022. In particular, this paper examines the impact of exchange rate shocks and changes in certain key macroeconomic policy variables on the financial vulnerabilities of these firms. Our findings unequivocally indicate that during exchange rate depreciation, unhedged exposures significantly amplified the vulnerability of Indian firms. While our study centres on India, the overarching conclusions and insights derived from our analysis possess broader ramifications for emerging economies grappling with capital account restrictions. The policy implications of our research underscore the need to proactively strengthen the macroprudential toolkit to address the risks associated with foreign currency borrowing and ensure more robust risk management practices to prevent the buildup of systemic vulnerabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The usability of a paper mill sludge compost (PMSC) in the brick making is established. • Up to 10 wt% of PMSC was suitable for bricks production as per relevant standards. • It is proved that the products can be used in non load-bearing and infill walls. • TCLP procedure demonstrated the non-hazardous nature of the obtained bricks. This study's focus was to develop a potential pathway for recycling of the paper mill sludge compost (PMSC) in brick making. Composting reduces the paper mill sludge (PMS) moisture content considerably and shredding becomes easier. The addition of PMSC leads to an increase of porosities in bricks and makes them lighter, besides delivering energy to the firing process from burning organics. Lighter construction materials help minimize construction outlay by reducing labour and transportation costs and lesser expense on foundation construction. The variability in the experimental data and the brick properties were investigated for two types of soils, typical in the brick industry of India (alluvial and laterite soil), blended with PMSC in five mix ratios (0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%). The samples of oven-dried bricks were fired at two different temperatures (850 and 900 °C) in an electrically operated muffle furnace representing typical conditions of a brick kiln. Various properties of bricks were analyzed which included linear shrinkage, bulk density, water absorption and compressive strength. Conclusions were drawn based on these properties. It was found that the addition of PMSC to the alluvial and laterite soil by up to 10% weight yield mechanical properties of fired bricks compliant with the relevant Indian and ASTM codes. Toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) tests showed that PMSC incorporated fired bricks are safe to use in regular applications as non-load-bearing and infill walls. This study is timely in light of the European Green Deal putting focus on circular economy. Besides, it fulfills the objective of UN sustainable development goals (SDG). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Cyclicality in aggregate productivity predicts the efficiency of resources reallocation. • Aggregate productivity growth originates from within-plants, allocative efficiency gain, and due to entry and exit. • We exploit the Great Recession to analyse the validity of the 'Cleansing' or 'Scarring' effect of recession and 'Schumpeterian Darwinian Selection' for Indian manufacturing. • The contributions to aggregate productivity growth from within-plant and net-entry effects are procyclical. • Plants in export-oriented industries are crucial in explaining the pro-cyclicality. • The exporting sectors during 2008-09 shifted resources from more productive to less productive plants. • The relatively productive exporters exited the markets following the global crisis, scarring the economy. • The positive contribution from the net-entry exit effect of plants during the economic downturn validates the 'Schumpeterian approach of Darwinian Selection'. Understanding the cyclicality in aggregate productivity helps answer whether the economy allocates resources efficiently or not. The paper analyses the sources of aggregate productivity growth, such as direct efficiency gain within-plants, allocative efficiency gain, and gains due to entry and exit during economic fluctuations. In particular, we exploit the economic shock of the Great Recession to analyse the validity of the 'Cleansing' or 'Scarring' effect of recession and 'Schumpeterian Darwinian Selection' for Indian manufacturing. The rise and fall of within-plant and net-entry effects during the economic fluctuations explains the pro-cyclicality of productivity growth. Plants in export-oriented industries are crucial in explaining the pro-cyclicality. Negative external shock to exporting sectors during 2008–09 shifted resources from more productive to less productive plants. The relatively productive exporters exited the markets following the global crisis, scarring the economy. Nonetheless, the positive effect from the net-entry exit of plants during the economic downturn makes the 'Schumpeterian approach of Darwinian Selection' valid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green hydrogen can be the transitional solution required to reduce anthropogenic emissions and enhance energy independency from fossil fuel. To improve green hydrogen adoption, a cluster-based infrastructure, called a hydrogen hub, is devised taking into account the demand-supply interplay coupled with transport ease. In this paper, we have identified sites across states that are conducive for hydrogen hubs. It involves a multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) framework deployed to assign priorities within competing set of criteria. A comprehensive analytical hierarchy process (AHP) is used to rank criteria that are connected to establish a functioning hydrogen hub. These criteria include, but not limited to, proximity to refineries, fertilizer plants, substations, chlor-alkali units, steel manufacturing plants, water availability, access to gas pipelines, railway line access, and finally distance to highways. Our analyses indicate that proximity to refineries and fertilizers scored higher (scores directly proportional to importance) while railway line access scored the least. These prioritised scores are used to spatially locate sites using geographical information system. In a total of thirteen states identified, Gujarat had the largest parcel of most suitable land for setting up hydrogen hub followed by Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. For India to set up a functioning hydrogen economy and achieve green hydrogen goals, it is important to identify states that can drive the agenda forward. This paper illustrates a way (amongst many available ways) to identify states based on their strength and capability to fulfil the national goal of 5 million tons of green hydrogen by 2030. • The paper addresses setting up of green hydrogen hubs in India based on a multi-criteria site selection framework. • Nine selection criteria covering aspects of hydrogen ecosystem proposed to identify site(s) suitable for hydrogen hubs. • Integration of AHP and GIS is used to ascertain land parcels where hydrogen economy can sustain across states in India. • Zones in 13 states were identified as potential hydrogen hubs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Manufacturing share in India's GDP has increased by about 16 percentage points between 2003 and 2018. • Dominant contribution to increased manufacturing GDP share is made by petroleum refining. • There has been a tremendous increase in the real value-added share of ICT equipment industry. • For assessing properly the performance of manufacturing, double-deflation of GDP is essential. Contrary to a widely held impression that the share of manufacturing in India's GDP has long stagnated, the paper claims that it has increased significantly. Measured at the prices of different goods and services prevailing in 2004-05, and deflation applied separately with input prices as well as output prices to account for differential input price trends, the GDP share of manufacturing has increased during the post-reform period from about 17 per cent in 1993-94 to about 32 per cent in 2018-19. The paper notes that the concept of real share in GDP relates to the volume effect and represents the change in the share of the volume of manufacturing activity out of the volume of all economic activities in the Indian economy. Some explanation is provided for the apparent stagnancy of the share of manufacturing in India's GDP at current prices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper precisely estimates the looming demand for hydrogen within the transportation sector, spanning 14 pivotal G20 nations from 2022 to 2050, anchored in the global vehicle hydrogen market penetration rate. Employing a robust techno-economic modeling methodology and leveraging Geographic Information System (GIS) for enriched visualization, it unveils distinct environmental dividends across three thoughtfully devised scenarios: Business- as -Usual, Moderate, and Aggressive. Findings herald India and China as pinnacles of hydrogen demand, with South Korea and Japan tailing closely. The study forecasts the energy consumption for solar hydrogen production in G20 countries to oscillate between 3.02 and 2.89 million GWh in 2022, while production costs are anticipated to range from $8.47/kg to $10.01/kg. In an assertive scenario, the paper illuminates a pathway towards achieving a significant CO 2 reduction, unmasking environmental savings of up to a staggering 48%, equivalent to 1.5 million mtCO 2 , by 2050. [Display omitted] • Hydrogen demand of G20 countries is analyzed using GIS and techno-economic models. • The projected adoption rates of hydrogen vary among the G20 countries. • Solar energy is crucial in determining each region's annual energy demand. • China, US, and India have the highest solar potential throughout the year. • The environmental analysis shows 850–1.5 million mtCO2 total emissions by 2050. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An enzyme cocktail (xylanase-15U, pectinase-2U, α-amylase-2.5U, protease-2U and lipase- 1.8U) from Bacillus halodurans was applied for the biobleaching of unbleached and ODL (oxygen delignification) agro based pulp in the R&D set up of Shreyans Paper Mills Ludhiana, India, upscaling from 5 g (at lab scale) to 100 g odp (oven dried pulp). Enzyme pre-treatment was carried out at temperature and pH optima of 65 °C and 9–9.5 for 90 min followed by reduced chemical treatment. In case of unbleached agro pulp, as compared to the total chemical bleaching in mill, enzyme cocktail pre-treatment reduced the chemical usage by 50% without compromising brightness and rather with increased tensile strength (23.55%), burst factor (20.3%) and tear factor (3.17%) and reduced kappa number (19.5%). In case of ODL pulp, enzyme cocktail pre-treatment reduced the chemical usage by 40%, yet increasing brightness (2.24%), tensile strength (20.96%), burst factor (5.1%) and tear factor (8.2%) with reduction in kappa number (4.54%). The enzyme cocktail thus can make the paper manufacturing process greener, safer, economical and eco-friendly and may replace big budget ODL technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is closely associated with metabolic syndrome. Prevalence of metabolic risk factors including diabetes mellitus, obesity, etc. is rapidly increasing in India putting this population at risk for NAFLD. Patients with NAFLD are at increased risk for liver-related morbidity and mortality and also cardiovascular disease risk and increased incidence of diabetes mellitus on long-term follow-up. Management of patients with NAFLD may require a multi-disciplinary approach involving not only the hepatologists but also the internists, cardiologists, and endocrinologists. This position paper which is a combined effort of the Indian National Association for Study of the Liver (INASL), Endocrine Society of India (ESI), Indian College of Cardiology (ICC) and the Indian Society of Gastroenterology (ISG) defines the spectrum of NAFLD and the association of NAFLD with insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome besides suggesting preferred approaches for the diagnosis and management of patients with NAFLD in the Indian context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyse the results from a longitudinal natural field experiment that provides an environmental nudge by reinforcing positive environmental norms. Posters asking individuals to use less paper are pasted on printers (Times) and in office cubicles (Umendall) of two information technology firms around New Delhi, India. A third firm (India Mart) does not get the nudge and serves as our control. During the nudge period, employees of the firms that get the conservation message on average expend a significantly lower number of sheets per day as compared to the pre-nudge period, measured both in terms of paper used and paper wasted. Furthermore, after the nudge is removed, the per capita paper wastage for one of the firms that received it (Times) does not increase significantly over the next month and a half, whereas for the other firm (Umendall) it does but remains significantly lower than the per capita wastage in the pre-nudge period. In terms of total paper used, the nudged firms show a reduction in the number of sheets used several weeks after the nudge is removed. For the control firm, the wastage and usage of printer paper does not change significantly over the duration of the experiment. A robustness check with no nudge intervention done by computing per capita wastage and usage for the same dates exactly one year later does not show a reduction over the same time period and offers support for our conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• First record of Miocene large-sized vertebrate coprolites from the western India. • Geochemical analyses confirm phosphatic character of ichnofossils. • Biotic inclusions confirm omnivorous diet of the chelonian producer. • Overall data suggest coprolites were deposited in coastal marine settings. In this paper, we provide the first data on large (cm-sized) coprolites (represented by three morphotypes) comprising a rare occurrence of eight specimens from a total of three vertebrate-bearing horizons identified within the Early Miocene (Aquitanian) Khari Nadi Formation and Middle Miocene (Burdigalian-Langhian) Chassra Formation, Kutch Basin, western India. The geochemical data confirm the phosphatic character of the investigated ichnofossils. The dominance of partly digested bone matter and presence of plant remains in all the three coprolite morphotypes reflects the omnivorous diet of the producers, which were most likely chelonians. The occurrence of an inclusion (in a coprolite specimen recorded in this study) showcasing an ultrastructure similar to mammalian dental enamel is a rarity in Neogene coprolite records. Additional biotic inclusions observed in the investigated coprolites include ostracods (assigned to genera Paractinocythereis, Hermanites, and Propontocypris); large planispiral benthic foraminifera including the genus Quinqueloculina ; uniserial and biserial benthic foraminifera belonging to genus Textularia ; marine calcareous algae genus Actinoporella ; chrysophytes (resting spores or cysts of planktonic algae); sponge spicules (represented by the morphotypes Acanthoxea and Strongyle); freshwater diatom genus Aulacoseira ; unidentified fungal remains; and phytoliths. Taken together, the biotic and abiotic (e.g., pyrite) inclusions, geochemical data and associated microbiota suggest that these ichnofossils were deposited in a dominantly coastal marine (intertidal) setting linked to a lacustrine/palustrine environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How serious is indoor air pollution (IAP) as a threat to infants and children? This paper estimates the impact of cooking fuel choice – a predominant source of IAP – on under-five mortality in India, where reliance on biomass fuels such as firewood, animal dung, and agricultural waste is pervasive. Leveraging forest cover and agricultural land ownership for identification and nationally representative data, we find that solid fuel use for cooking significantly increases the child mortality rate - mainly driven by neonatal mortality in the first 28 days after birth. The mortality effect is higher for girls than boys and is magnified in relatively small households where there is limited scope for the division of labor between childcare and cooking responsibilities. Among polluting fuels, we find that biomass fuels drive the impact of polluting fuel use on child mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the role of political connections in facilitating access to credit for firms in the Indian corporate sector. This study aims to address gaps in the literature by combining theoretical insights with empirical data. Our model proposes that political connections may reduce risk for firms, thereby enhancing their access to credit. Utilizing a unique dataset of S&P BSE 500 companies from 2001 to 2019, we analyze the extent of these connections and their impact on financial leverage and debt-to-asset ratios. Our findings reveal that politically connected firms, defined by their monetary donations to political parties and the inclusion of Members of Parliament on their boards, exhibit significantly higher financial leverage and debt-to-asset ratios than unconnected firms. This implies a lower perceived borrower's risk and an advantageous position in accessing credit, likely a result of their political ties. The implications of our findings extend to the realms of corporate governance, economic policy, and the broader understanding of emerging market dynamics. • Political connections, as part of non-market strategies of firms, may be crucial in accessing credit. • Our theoretical framework highlights role of risk and donation to political party by a firm in accessing credit. • This study constructs a novel dataset of political connections of Indian companies. • Political connections lead to more favorable borrowing-related outcomes of companies such as, financial leverage and debt-assets ratio. • Political connections specific to a particular political party tend to serve companies more (in terms of the aforementioned outcomes), when that particular party is in power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Appropriate and timely first aid reduces morbidity in burns. This study aims to assess the knowledge of first aid in burns among healthcare workers (HCW) and nonhealthcare workers. (NHCW). A survey, distributed in both paper and Google survey formats, presented five sample cases with multiple-choice answers. Participants recorded the most suitable first aid management for each scenario. Correct answers were provided on completion. Out of the total 753 participants, only 89 (11.8%) got all five answers correct. 16% HCW and 6% NHCW could answer all 5 questions correctly (with a true HCW:NHCW ratio of 2.67:1). Providing care for individuals with burns substantially raised the probability of giving accurate responses (p = 0.0001). While attending the general First Aid Course did not affect the responses (p = 0.08), participation in the Burns First Aid Course demonstrated slightly improved results (p = 0.052). The scenario involving liquid petroleum gas leakage saw a high proportion of correct responses, likely influenced by media coverage. We find a clear need for adequate training in burns first aid due to low awareness among healthcare workers (HCW) and non-healthcare workers (NHCW). Factors such as participation in burn first aid courses and gaining firsthand experience in treating burns were found to be linked to improved knowledge of burns prevention and first aid. Utilizing various media channels could be a valuable strategy to reach a broader audience, especially in remote and inaccessible areas. • There is limited awareness of burns first aid and prevention among both healthcare and non-healthcare workers • Experience in treatment of burn injuries improves knowledge of burns first aid better than first aid training. • Efficient use of multimedia and technology enhances burns prevention and first aid knowledge, reaching remote areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunization programs globally have played a pivotal role in reducing mortality rates. However, the effectiveness of these programs often falls short of the intended coverage targets, primarily due to challenges within the supply chain, storage facilities, and distribution processes. Notably, a substantial percentage of vaccine wastage has been observed in numerous countries, thereby imposing a significant financial burden on immunization initiatives, and presenting a formidable challenge to policymakers. This paper undertakes a comprehensive study of the financial dynamics inherent in an immunization program within the context of India. Employing a systems perspective, we scrutinize the intricate interactions among various cost factors. Through a five-year system dynamics simulation, we derive insights into the amplified financial constraints resulting from vaccine wastage and the inefficiencies associated with shared personnel. Furthermore, our analysis extends to evaluate the impact of an additional investment aimed at enhancing the quality of the cold chain infrastructure and health worker proficiency on the overall funds of the immunization program. This research contributes to a nuanced understanding of the financial intricacies of immunization programs, offering valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders seeking to optimize program efficiency and resource allocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The spatio-temporal variations of BTEX across India were studied. • AQI based on BTEX pollution levels were used to categorise different zones in India. • The northern zone shows high pollution due to BTEX, and south zone shows the least. • Traffic emissions, solvent use and evaporation are the major sources of BTEX in India. Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) pollution poses a serious threat to public health and the environment because of its respiratory and neurological effects, carcinogenic properties, and adverse effects on air quality. BTEX exposure is a matter of grave concern in India owing to the growing vehicular and development activities, necessitating the assessment of atmospheric concentrations and their spatial variation. This paper presents a comprehensive assessment of ambient concentrations and spatiotemporal variations of BTEX in India. The study investigates the correlation of BTEX with other criteria pollutants and meteorological parameters, aiming to identify interrelationships and diagnostic indicators for the source characterization of BTEX emissions. Additionally, the paper categorizes various regions in India according to the Air Quality Index (AQI) based on BTEX pollution levels. The results reveal that the northern zone of India exhibits the highest levels of BTEX pollution compared to central, eastern, and western regions. In contrast, the southern zone experiences the least pollution with BTEX. Seasonal analysis indicates that winter and post-monsoon periods, characterized by lower temperatures, are associated with higher BTEX levels due to the accumulation of localized emissions. When comparing the different zones in India, high traffic emissions and localized activities, such as solvent use and solvent evaporation, are found to be the primary sources of BTEX. The findings of the current study aid in source characterization and identification, and better understanding of the region's air quality problems, which helps in the development of focused BTEX pollution reduction and control strategies. [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]

• 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]

Receivers and intermediary establishments typical to urban areas have unique freight behaviour and are understudied, particularly in developing countries. This paper uses establishment-based freight survey data to examine their freight generation patterns in the Chennai metropolitan area, India. Three sets of Simple Linear Regression (SLR) models, three single predictor proportional odds logit models, one multiple linear regression model, and one multiple predictor proportional odds logit model with business size (employment, area, and operational age) and indicators of establishment category as regressors are developed each for both freight production and freight attraction. Partial proportional odds logit models are developed in a few cases to overcome the limitations of proportional odds logit models. The best SLR model varied with the establishment category for freight production and attraction. The establishment area model is the best among single predictor proportional odds logit models. The multiple predictor proportional odds logit models marginally improved the fit over single predictor models. The proportional odds logit model results show that the establishment category has a greater impact on freight generation levels than business size variables. Since earlier studies rarely focused on receivers and intermediary establishments, policymakers may benefit from the developed models and study insights while estimating freight demand and developing freight policies. • Receivers and intermediary establishments' freight generation is studied. • Partial Proportional Odds (PO) logit models are developed for freight attraction. • Area model is the best single predictor PO logit model for freight generation. • Establishment type affects freight generation more than business size variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy, accounting for 1 % of all cancers 1. The genetic syndromes associated with differentiated thyroid cancers(DTC) are Cowden syndrome, Familial Adenomatous Polyposis(FAP), Carney's complex, Pendred syndrome and Werner syndrome2. The incidence of synchronous second primary tumors(SSPC) associated with oropharyngeal malignancies was 1 to 10 %3. The incidence of other malignancies other than the above syndromes occurring synchronously with DTC is very rare. Only a few case reports and series are available. The incidence of synchronous second primary cancer(SSPC) with Differentiated Thyroid Cancers(DTC) is a very rare entity. Very few case reports and case series were published in the literature. The current study is aimed to enumerate the clinicopathological data of patients with DTC with SSPC. This is a single-center retrospective study. All the patients diagnosed with DTC and SSPC from January 2016 to July 2023 were included in the study. The demographic, clinicopathological data and survival data were collected from the institute's database. Patients were followed up telephonically and survival status was documented. Synchronous cancers are defined as more than one independent primary malignancy when the second(or third) cancer occurs within six months of diagnosis of the first malignancy4. [Display omitted] A total of 1395 patients were diagnosed with thyroid cancer during the study period. Twelve patients were found to have DTC with SSPC. All the patients had papillary thyroid cancer as primary DTC. Ten patients had head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, one had malignant phyllodes tumor, and another patient with endometrioid adenocarcinoma as the SSPC. Six patients diagnosed during preoperative evaluation, one patient diagnosed 3 months after the oral malignancy diagnosis and five patients were diagnosed to have PTC in cervical nodes after neck dissection. Complete thyroid removal was done in six patients and hemithyroidectomy in two patients. Among the patients who underwent total thyroidectomy, four patients had undergone radioactive iodine scan followed by radioactive iodine ablation for two patients. Three patients had died during follow-up, two patients was lost to follow-up and the rest of the seven patients were alive. Out of those alive one patient had a follow-up of less than six months and was excluded from the survival calculation. The median follow up was 25.55 months. The median overall survival was 40.97 months. DTC constitute 95% of thyroid malignancies. Five to fifteen percent of DTC has familial disease. The genetic syndromes associated with DTC are FAP, PTEN syndromes(Cowden syndrome, Bannayan- Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome, PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome), Werner syndrome, Carney complex, DICER1 syndrome, Pendred syndrome, Ataxia telangiectasia, Li Fraumeni syndrome, and Peutz Jeghers syndrome5. But, synchronous occurrence of a second malignancy with DTC is a rare phenomenon. In the present study, the most common SSPC was SCC of the head and neck region(83.3%). 5 patients had incidental detection of thyroid cancer in cervical lymph nodes which were dissected during neck dissection done for other causes. L J Fliegelman et al published a paper on four cases of incidentally detected thyroid malignancy in cervical nodes6. Ansari-Lari et al also published cases of incidentally diagnosed PTC on cervical lymph nodes7. In the present study, one patient had synchronous papillary thyroid carcinoma with a malignant phyllodes tumor of the breast. No such case was found reported in the literature during our literature search. In the present study, we reported a case of synchronous endometrioid adenocarcinoma with PTC. Badan Marius-loan et al reported one case of PTC with endometrioid carcinoma8. Patients with Cowden syndrome can have thyroid carcinoma and endometrial carcinoma9. The overall survival of the study group was 40.97 months. Biopsy-proven SCC recurrence was seen in two patients out of four patients with clinically documented recurrence. In the literature review on case series and case reports, it was concluded that the prognosis of the patient depends on the staging of oral synchronous primary and the treatment of thyroid cancer must be decided based on oral malignancy staging and treatment. In conclusion SSPC with DTC is a very rare phenomenon. SCC of the head and neck region is the most common synchronous second primary malignancy associated with DTC. As there are no published guidelines for this clinical scenario, a multi-disciplinary panel discussion is a must to decide regarding management considering the staging and weighing the treatment benefit for both malignancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we show that the village social structure shapes the learning outcome of marginalised children in rural India. Exploiting the variation in the dominant social group in the village, we find a significant impact of village dominance. The reading and arithmetic skills of Scheduled Castes are better in their own castes-dominated villages compared to higher castes-dominated villages. Our findings show that village dominance affects learning outcomes primarily through differential teachers' behaviour. Children from marginalised castes are more likely to be scolded, beaten up, and treated unfairly by teachers in villages dominated by higher castes compared to their own castes. We do not find evidence of other mechanisms like the difference in parent and children's aspirations, caste diversity, discrimination in the village, or positive group externalities, which could explain why children from Scheduled Castes fare better in their own castes-dominated villages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new stochastic SIRD model with imperfect immunity based on a continuous time Markov process is proposed. • We explore novel stochastic properties like the extinction and alarm time beside the infection and mortality time of a tagged case. • Theorems and recursive algorithms for the computation of the stochastic properties are presented. • An extensive sensitivity analysis reveals monotonous and unimodal tendencies for the considered stochastic indicators. • Health authorities can employ this information to achieve the best balance between health benefits and economic drawbacks. Efficient assessment of epidemic phenomena has an important role in modern epidemiology, while many novel methods propose reliable estimates for epidemic evolution in a population. In this paper, we focus on the stochastic modeling of a novel epidemiological (susceptible-infected-recovered-deceased) SIRD model with imperfect immunity based on a continuous-time Markov process adapted to the characteristics of the epidemic model. We investigate several novel stochastic properties of the SIRD scheme that are both population- and individual-oriented, such as the extinction and alert time of an epidemic, in parallel with the infection and mortality times of a tagged individual. We provide propositions and detailed recursive algorithms for computing probabilities and moments, giving additional information beyond the mean and variance of the stochastic quantities. Important remarks for representing higher-order matrices and system solving are provided, decreasing significantly the operation time of these algorithms. Extensive sensitivity analysis gives light to the influence of the system's parameters, while enhancing the validity of our methodology. Unlike other analyses that focus mainly on fitting the evolution of various diseases, our goal is to complement these studies by highlighting additional noteworthy features that determine an epidemic's future. The proposed methodology is applied on the monkeypox outbreak of 2022 in India and the first COVID infection wave in Barbados. Finally, public health authorities can use the information provided by these indicators to adjust the duration of lockdowns, accordingly, achieving the best possible balance between health benefits and economic disadvantages. Simultaneously, knowledge of mortality probabilities and timing of infection can support early coordination of hospitals and intensive care units, which could notably reduce the high risk of mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trip-based models and activity-based models represent two extreme ends of the spectrum of travel demand models in data granularity requirement and ability to reflect the underlying motivation to travel. Modelling of representative freight activity-travel patterns (RFAPs) has the potential to serve as the bridge between these approaches. RFAP clusters represent homogeneous groups of establishments, where utility maximization models predict the probability that an establishment belongs to a particular cluster. However, it is still an open question how to define, interpret and model activity-travel patterns in the context of freight system. To answer this question, this study conducted a large-scale establishment-based freight survey (EBFS) in seven cities of India and resulted in a sample of 432 establishments and their 1613 shipment records. In the first part, this paper proposes a novel approach for identifying RFAPs based on the notion that "activities" that inspire trip-making for passenger is equivalent to "freight orders" in the case of establishments. The cluster analyses revealed the presence of three well separated main clusters and nine less separated nested clusters. Through interpretation and labelling of these RFAPs, freight travel market is categorized into useful segments. The results suggested that a priori industrial classification systems used in trip-based models are overly simplified representations of the complex structure of the travel patterns. In the last part, freight activity-travel pattern generation (FAPG) models are developed which predicts the probability that an establishment exhibits a particular RFAP. The FAPG models developed using these RFAPs could replace the traditional freight generation (FG) and freight trip generation (FTG) models due to its ability to convert the assigned activity-patterns to trips or tonnage. For example, FAPG model suggest that at an employment level of 120, there is a 56% probability that establishments will exhibit MDV-HFMH (medium duty vehicles - high frequency medium haul) pattern which, in turn, implies that FP = 1630 tons/year; shipment frequency, i.e., FTP = 8 trips/week; length of haul = 240.6 km and commercial vehicle type choice = MDV. Thus, FAPG models can present an enhanced representation of freight flows since both FG and FTG are jointly modeled in this approach. That is, the best features of both commodity-based modelling (i.e., ability to capture the fundamental mechanism that drives freight demand) and vehicle-based modelling (i.e., ability to capture freight traffic implications) are included in FAPG models. The study findings are expected to assist in identifying the variations in establishments' preferences so that it is possible to identify the type of transport supply improvements that the establishments will respond to accurately, and thus prioritize the infrastructure investments. Moreover, the discussions on these findings are expected to improve the behavioral and spatial foundations of traditional freight models. • Defines "freight orders" as logical equivalent of "household activities" that drive trip-making. • Activity based approach is used for modelling freight travel using EBFS data. • Identifies homogeneous segments of representative freight activity-travel patterns (RFAPs). • Propounds freight activity-travel pattern generation (FAPG) models based on RFAPs. • FAPG gives enhanced representations of freight flows (FG, FTG, vehicle type, haulage). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Maize production due to its many climate friendly properties have been center of research and development in terms of yield, water per hectare requirement, and so forth. • Out of agricultural stubble waste, corncob showed highest potential for beneficiation amongst traditional cash crops. Corncob beneficiation products and their applications span from bio fuels to mattress, with over 3500 products. • With processes such as gasification, pyrolysis, combustion and so forth, we can use this agricultural waste product for energy generation. • With applications such as bio-oil, ethanol blending, poultry feed, bio char, methanol, and so on maize was found to be the answer to many global problems. Increased global energy consumption and energy generation constraints using non-renewable energy sources have stressed countries and major industries to practice and develop cleaner, sustainable, readily available and predictable source of energy. On the other hand, agricultural waste or stubble burning presents a major problem for developing countries like India as it alone produces 516 million tons of agricultural waste in the year 2017-2018, out of which 116 million tons waste was burnt producing 176.1 Mt Carbon dioxide, 10 Mt of Carbon monoxide, and other harmful greenhouse gases. Though 13% of India's total energy is produced by the biomass, a lot of scope and potential in waste biomass is still left unexplored. Research and development in biomass (agricultural waste) conversion to energy is the potential solution to both problems. Out of all agricultural waste biomass, corncob was the center of research for this review paper. This review paper covers global and Indian scenario in the generation of corn cob, its beneficiation and uses in multiple industries, characteristics of corn cob, technologies available and used for the biomass conversion, limitations faced by the industry in corn cob's beneficiation, future potential developments, pledged goals and projected targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon footprints (CFs) are the measure of extent of green house gases (GHGs) emitted from any organization or activity. Reporting of extent of CFs in terms of CO 2 e from educational campus may be considered as a first step towards sustainable educational practices. The present study employs a bottom up approach where CFs due to consumption of resources from each academic department is evaluated separately and net is obtained by adding contributions from individual departments. This method has the advantage of avoiding the potential overlaps in the calculation. Hence this approach to calculate carbon footprints can lead to their precise CF evaluation. In order to justify above hypothesis, CF evaluation was carried out at Shikshana Prasarak Mandali's Sir Parashurambhau College, Pune for three consecutive years starting from 2015 to 2016. The average carbon footprints over the study period were 3630.57 ± 296.79 tones CO 2 e per year with per capita emission of 0.81 ± 0.06 tones CO 2 e. The emission density determined from the average value was found to be 0.0361 ± 0.0029 tCO 2 e m−2 of the campus. It was observed that emission sources classified as scope-1, scope-2 and scope-3 contribute 28%, 48% and 25% respectively to total emission. Out of all the emission sources identified, apart from human contribution through respiration, electricity (35%), biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste, stationary paper, 7%, use of chemicals in the laboratories (5%), paper for official purpose (12%), LPG (3%) and transport (27%) were main contributors. As this is a multi faculty college, science faculty contributes almost 62%, commerce 9% and arts 11% of the total emission. • Present paper highlights carbon footprints from an Indian HEI using bottom up approach. • A questionnaire based survey was used to arrive at departmental and net footprints. • Carbon footprints of HEI in India are much less as compared to developed countries. • The carbon footprints of Indian HEIs are expected to grow at 5–6%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The stimulating role of exports is analysed in this paper through what is termed as a structurally-biased investment function where domestic demand and exports have different effects on investment rate. • There are at two central features of this investment function that have been analysed through a medium-run Kaleckian model. Firstly, exports stimulate growth through the investment channel independent of the direction of change in trade balance. Secondly, in contrast to the Bhaduri-Marglin type investment functions, the sign of profit share coefficient in investment function becomes ambiguous. • The structurally-biased investment function is tested for the registered manufacturing sector in India by conducting a panel-data exercise. It is found to be valid under alternative specifications. The coefficient for profit share is found to be statistically insignificant. • The analytical framework is used to classify export regimes into three distinct categories-BOT-improving, BOT-balancing and BOT-deteriorating. The nature of export regime of a country is argued to depend on income distribution parameters, import propensity and investment responsiveness to home demand and exports. This paper examines the relation between investment and exports through a Kaleckian model and highlights the possibility of export-induced growth process despite deterioration in trade balance. The stimulating role of exports is analysed through what is termed as a structurally-biased investment function where domestic demand and exports have different effects on investment rate. There are at least two central features of this investment function. Firstly, exports stimulate growth through the investment channel independent of the direction of change in trade balance. Secondly, in contrast to the Bhaduri-Marglin type investment functions, the sign of profit share coefficient in investment function becomes ambiguous. The structurally-biased investment function is tested and found to be valid for the registered manufacturing sector in India by conducting a panel-data exercise. The coefficient for profit share is found to be statistically insignificant after controlling for the effect of exogenous changes in exports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The paper documents developments in Indian economic performance and the role of structural change in this performance. • Manufacturing is dominated by informal labor, which has a deleterious effect on overall manufacturing performance. • Productivity growth is driven by within sector growth, with positive contributions of formal and informal activities to this. • Labor reallocation to the informal segment of the manufacturing sector is growth reducing in the Indian manufacturing sector. • A shift to more productive informal activities across sub-sectors exists, but this doesn't offset the negative within effect. This paper examines the role of structural change in India's performance, and in particular the role of the informal segment in the stagnant growth of the Indian manufacturing sector. Using counterfactual analysis – including a modified shift-share approach – the paper considers to what extent the informal sector can help explain the poor performance of Indian manufacturing over the period 1980-2011. The results suggest that the informal segment of manufacturing has been a drag on overall manufacturing productivity growth, with the informal manufacturing segment unable to provide a productivity bonus when absorbing workers from the agricultural sector. Results from the shift-share analysis indicate that labor reallocation to the informal segment of the manufacturing sector is growth-reducing, with structural change being the main source of this reduction, an effect which in turn is driven by movements of employment within manufacturing sub-sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Financial barrier is an encumbrance for eco-investment for firms. • The linkage between environmental behavior and credit accessibility is driven by the ownership structure. • The paper also investigates the relationship between credit access and corporate environmental behavior according to the pollution intensity of firms. Firms play a major role in facilitating green growth in developing nations by promoting environmental protection investment to control pollution caused during the manufacturing process. The paper explores whether the financial vulnerability of firms curbs their investment towards environmental practices that eliminate the creation of wastes or pollutants and hence acts as a deterrent towards green economy. Using firm-level data for manufacturing firms from 2010 to 2019, it is confirmed that financial barrier is an encumbrance for eco-investment by firms. We also focus on the environmental behavior of firms classified according to their ownership structure observing that government-owned firms (GOFs) tend to rely less on their internal and debt capital to finance their environmental investment, whereas private-owned firms (POFs) rely mainly on their internal capital. However, internal financing methods have generally no significant impact on the eco-investment decision of foreign-owned firms (FOFs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates household task allocation decisions for non-work activity episodes by activity purpose and accompanying person arrangements. The paper utilizes activity-travel behavior information of all adult members (above 19 years) from a family to model the activity episodes aggregated at the household level. Such an approach gives a better perspective on the latent propensity of household members to engage in out-of-home activities. The nature (substitution or complementary) of the inter- and intra-group interaction between household and non-household members is examined using a multivariate ordered probit model estimated on activity-travel behavior survey data, consisting of 1335 households and 3639 adult individuals, collected in Bhubaneswar Municipal Region, India. The exploratory analysis sheds light on the preferences of household members for pursuing an activity episode (shopping, pure escort, other maintenance, physically active recreation, and physically passive recreation) either alone or jointly with immediate family members or non-household (extended family members or members from social circle) members. The correlation matrix consisting of 19 dimensions suggests significant inter-group substitution effects across the four accompaniment types for different non-work activities. The intra-group effects are complementary in the case of joint pursuits highlighting the likelihood of adult household members adhering to the same accompanying group. The model also suggests that the effect of individual characteristics, household socio-demographics, and seasonal and temporal characteristics are more impactful than vehicle ownership and built environment features. The study also presents the elasticity estimates of selected control variables and discusses their policy implications from a broad viewpoint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Examines women's use of courts to claim their shares in ancestral property, as promised by India's 2005 Hindu inheritance law. • Probes High Court judgements over 2005–2020 across regions, using online databases. • Identifies opposing parties, type of property disputed, regional variations in cases, time taken for case disposal. • Analyses case outcomes, source of property granted, and gender bias in language of judgements. • 77% of rulings grant women some property, but only half of these grant their direct share in coparcenary Joint Family Property. Recent decades have seen progressive reform of inheritance laws towards gender equality, both globally and in South Asia. Yet, a wide gender gap persists in actual ownership due to family resistance to endowing daughters with property. Given this, do women use courts to claim their rights across regions? Who are the opposing parties? What kind of property is most disputed? How long do cases take? To what extent do judgements favour women, and does the language of judgements reveal gender stereotypes? No prior study has addressed these questions. This paper does so for India. Here, under the Hindu Succession Amendment Act of 2005 (HSAA 2005), Hindu women achieved legal equality in inheritance rights over all property, including agricultural land and coparcenary joint family property (JFP) in which they now have direct shares by birth. To analyse women's use of courts to claim their coparcenary shares, we draw on the four main online data sources to extract 505 cases (from over 2900 examined) relating to women coparceners, where judgements were delivered in High Courts over 2005–2020. Brothers were the most commonly listed opponents to women's claims and most of the disputes related to land, especially agricultural. In 77% of the cases filed by women or against them, the rulings granted women some share in parental property. But only in 52% of these positive rulings did they receive their direct shares in JFP, while receiving property through other rights in the rest. The legal route thus holds some promise of positive outcomes, but progress specifically in the implementation of the HSAA 2005 remains limited. This will require activating new channels of support for women. Located in the interface of social science and law, this paper would also have relevance for other countries, both methodologically and in substance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the spatial spillover effects of built environment features on household car and motorcycle ownership through aggregate ward-level analysis and household-level disaggregated analysis. Using a primary data collected in Hubli-Dharwad city in Southern India, the paper estimates Spatial Durbin models to assess the direct and spillover effects of socio-economic characteristics (household income, the number of children and household size), built environment characteristics (population density, diversity, distance, and subjective built environment measures), travel attitudes (pro-car, pro-NMT and pro-public transport), and commute behavior (distance and time) on household car and motorcycle ownership. The paper finds that spatial dependencies exist in both aggregate and disaggregate levels of analysis. There is a significant spatial dependency in car ownership due to household income, household size, the number of children, and pro-car attitude, and the correlations are significant in both aggregate and disaggregate levels of analysis. The positive lag effects of these variables suggests that socio-economic settings and attitudes of neighboring wards affect car and motorcycle ownership in a ward. The effects of diversity on car and motorcycle ownership maintain similar correlations in both levels of analysis. The likelihood of motorcycle ownership increases with improvements in diversity, while car ownership likelihood decreases. The study also shows that the spatial effects of built environment features could vary between the aggregate and disaggregate levels of analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) initiative, a pioneering approach initiated by India to propel sustainable urban development through targeted behavioural change. Positioned at the nexus of individual action and urban sustainability, LiFE underscores the potential of integrating lifestyle adjustments into the broader urban planning and policy-making framework. By examining the initiative's evolution from a grassroots movement to a key element of government policy, this paper highlights its innovative strategies aimed at promoting eco-friendly living and its significant impact on urban environments. Through case studies and an analysis of the initiative's alignment with global sustainability goals, we reveal how LiFE complements existing urban agendas by focusing on the micro-level actions of individuals and communities. This paper contributes to the discourse on sustainable urbanization by showcasing the critical role of behavioural change in achieving urban sustainability goals, thereby offering insights into the formulation of more holistic and effective urban policies. Significantly the paper articulates how LiFE's principles, through enhancing global policies and harnessing the power of technological advancements within the Smart Cities agenda, herald a new paradigm in urban sustainability efforts. • The LiFE initiative emphasizes individual behavioral changes over infrastructural reforms to promote urban sustainability. • The concept originated as a grassroots movement in India and has evolved into a significant element of governmental policy on environmental sustainability. • Case studies, such as the eco-village of Piplantri, demonstrate how individual and community actions can significantly contribute to sustainability goals. • LiFE strategically complements Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11) and the New Urban Agenda by focusing on micro-level actions that bridge the gap between policy intentions and tangible outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Orchids constitute one of the largest families of flowering plants. • The exotic beauty, aromatic, and long-lasting qualities of orchids make them highly prized flowers. • This paper showed vanda stangeana and Phalaenopsis hygrochila were compatible for hybridization. • Our findings shows MS medium at half-strength without any plant growth regulators gave best response in seed germination of V. stangeana x P. hygrochila. • Molecular markers like SSRs and SCoT could be used for quick and easy confirmation of orchid hybrids. Vanda stangeana Rchb. f. is an endemic species of Manipur, India. Its flowers are greenish-yellow, 5 cm in size with a pink mid-lobe, tessellated in chestnut brown color and tough texture with a long shelf life. Phalaenopsis hygrochila J.M.H. Shaw is a large-sized, hot to cool growing, epiphytic orchid with sturdy, 20 to 40 cm, more or less flattened stem with elliptic-oblong leaves. The flowers are fragrant, pale greenish yellow, more or less dotted with brown or brown-red, with a whitish or white base, waxy, long-lasting, up to 6 cm in diameter, column white, labellum slightly purplish purple, paler towards the margins. Both plants are included under CITES' Appendix II. The current study concentrates on a hybridization program involving two vandaceous orchid genera, namely Vanda stangeana and Phalaenopsis hygrochila to investigate their cross-ability and molecular confirmation of the synthesized hybrid using SSR and SCoT marker system. MS medium at half-strength enriched with 0.5 mg/L NAA + 0.5 mg/L Kn was the optimal medium for the development of the synthesized hybrid seedlings with the longest shoot (2.6 cm), the maximum number of leaves (4.5), leaf length (2.5 cm) and highest number of root (4.4) after 150 days of culture on the medium. In total, 65 amplified bands were revealed by seven SCoT primers (SCoT4, SCoT6, SCoT9, SCoT10, SCoT34, SCoT35 and SCoT36), of which 38 (58.46%) were polymorphic with the percentage ranging from 22.22% to 85.75%, thereby convincingly demonstrated the hybridity. Out of 8 pairs of SSR primers used, 3 primers (C106, MOK26 and C268) showed complementary banding patterns. Our study demonstrated that an intergeneric hybrid can be successfully produced by the hybridization of vandaceous orchids belonging to two different genera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the consequence of affirmative action for a "middle" ranked group on equity and the leader's overall performance or "efficiency." The literature on electoral quotas is invested in the equity question for disadvantaged groups, but is mostly silent on this issue. We use a randomized electoral quota for an intermediately ranked caste group (OBCs) in a large state in India to show that overall, such a quota does not affect delivery of public projects, or redistribute projects away from disadvantaged groups (SC/STs). Moreover, we show that when the group is large, the quota may in fact improve leader's performance. The improvement in overall performance does not come at a cost of lower allocation to the most disadvantaged group. We argue and provide suggestive evidence that when the group is large, such a quota for the group increases within-group electoral competition in villages. The result highlights that "efficiency" concerns regarding affirmative action may need reevaluation. It further justifies the targeting of electoral quota policy in India towards jurisdictions where the group is numerous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a techno-functional analysis of two perforated bone artifacts recovered from Indor Khera and Rohana Khurd, North India, dated to c. 6th-2nd century BCE and 4th century BCE, respectively. These artifacts are made from bone walls of the unknown limb of medium/large-size mammals. Based on their morphology and parallels from archaeological sites of India, they have been identified as pendants and daggers. However, a close microscopic analysis of these artifacts tells a different story. The use-wears generated by threads around perforations contraindicate suspending (string-up) assumption. An experimental program has tested this by employing replicas of these artifacts as suspenders and fasteners. The result of this experiment and their comparison with archaeological ones suggest that these artifacts were probably used as fasteners rather than suspenders, thus challenging the conventional hypothesis that they were used as pendants. Apart from the functional aspects of these artifacts, the same experimental program was also used to understand the manufacturing process, i.e., the chaine operatoire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last two decades, there has been a significant interest in developing solutions to improve the efficiency of power systems, such as optimal energy consumption and management. The demand response programs (DRP) have long been one of the most effective strategies to encourage consumers to change their consumption behavior. In this paper, a novel hybrid DRP has been implemented by combining the time of use (TOU) and incentive-based (IB) DRP methods. To meet the load demand, a PV-WT-BESS hybrid renewable energy system (HRES) has been proposed in this work. Further, to analyze the impact of hybrid DRP on the capacity allocation of different system components, optimal sizing has been performed in two scenarios, one with the actual load and the second with the load after considering the hybrid DRP. The optimization has been carried out by using an improved search space reduction (ISSR) algorithm. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the ISSR algorithm, the obtained results are compared with other algorithms such as particle swarm optimization (PSO), grey wolf optimization (GWO), teaching-learning based algorithm (TLBO), seagull optimization algorithm (SOA), and sine cosine algorithm (SCA). Finally, a novel energy management strategy (EMS) is also proposed in this work on the supply side of the HRES, which intelligently uses the variations in the grid tariff to charge the BESS when the tariff is low. To demonstrate the proposed DRP and EMS-based sizing, a case study has been performed for a grid-connected PV-WT-BESS for the location of Kanyakumari, India. From the results obtained, it has been concluded that the hybrid DRP reduces the peak demand up to 5%, which reduces the levelized cost of energy (LCE) by 22%. Furthermore, the proposed novel EMS reduces the LCE further by 5%. The overall cost reduction of up to 25% has been achieved by using both the proposed hybrid DRP and EMS, while satisfying all necessary constraints. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the effectiveness of the bus priority lane (BPL) for public transport buses in the city of Bengaluru in India. We use the travel times on the BPL corridor as a measure of the effectiveness of the BPL. We find that there is a significant improvement in the travel times after the introduction of the BPL; for the worst 10% of the travel times, we find an improvement between 4% and 28%. Our methodology involves extracting trips on the BPL and computing the travel times for these trips from a time series of GPS information. Our methodology is scalable and can be used to compute the travel times between any two given points in other similar studies. We supplement our results with a novel test (called the D-test) for comparing the levels of stressful driving in the following scenarios: (a) morning peak hours (IST 07:00 h to 11:00 h) versus evening peak hours (IST 17:00 h to 21:00 h), and (b) northward trips versus southward trips on the BPL. We are able to infer that the drivers are generally more stressed during the morning peak hours and during the southward trips on the BPL. Partitioning the BPL into segments, we show that a majority of the segments exhibit similar effectiveness and driver stress trends as the full BPL stretch. We anticipate that corrective measures for the betterment of travel times and driver stress levels (e.g., introducing additional buses subject to vehicle re-balancing constraints, carefully planning the bus schedules to regulate bus traffic throughout the day, etc.) in some segments can lead to further improvements in travel times and reduction in driver stress levels. • Implementation of the Bus Priority Lane can reduce travel times. • Segmented analysis helps identify traffic bottlenecks for targeted intervention. • Driver-stress hot-spots can be identified for targeted intervention. • A novel statistical test compares driving stress levels across a pair of routes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The work done in this paper provides the solutions for power access to rural and remote areas in developing nations. • The proposed affordable solution offers many advantages over the traditional central inverters. It provides more output power as compared to traditional central inverters under shading and dusting conditions. The results are validated through experimental investigation with regard to Indian weather conditions. • The proposed solution presents an optimal sizing strategy for Economically Weaker Section (EWS) for the low power rural household application. In literature, this kind of solution is yet not reported which makes this work novel. • This work presents the customized design of solar microinverter based PV System for different power provisioning levels for rural EWS houses. The proposed solution has an added advantage of addition of load in future without change in existing infrastructure. Reliable power supply is the key requirement for developing nations. Most of these nations are trying to modernize the rural lives by electrification in remote areas. Access to electricity is a bare requirement in future ages. This paper discusses the challenges faced by the utility companies in ensuring sustained electricity access to the new consumers followed by the various solutions. The techno – economic aspects of the proposed solution is validated by the experimental study. Based on the results, an optimal low-cost design is proposed in order for everyone to fulfil the minimum power needs. The paper presents an optimal size strategy for Economically Weaker Section (EWS) for the low power rural household application. The solar microinverter based PV System has been designed based on the daily load needs for one of the proposed layout plans of the (Gramin) Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna adopted by Government of India. The proposed designs are also applicable for other developing nations. The proposed micro-inverter has been tested under different operating conditions and experimental validation proves its superiority over other inverter types, particularly for a low power application, as is the case for a typical low-income rural household. Economic considerations such as payback period has also been evaluated in this study. In addition, the proposed microinverter technology has also been tested in terms of power quality parameters under various operating conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research study is one of the significant to offer an inclusive investigation of the impact of green finance correlated policies by applying text analysis approach and panel data from 28 states and 8 union territories between 2010 and 2020. The paper uses the SDID and illustrates that overall, India's green finance associated with policies have directed a substantial decrease in industrial CO 2 emissions during the study period. Furthermore, the paper determined that the Fintech growth pays to the reduction of SO 2 (sulfur dioxide) emissions and positively influences environmental safety and investment enterprises. India is a great competitor worldwide in green finance strategy operation, and controllers need to accelerate the design of green finance products and boost the volume of financial institutions to provide green credit facilities. Though minimalizing the risk fintech stances, policymakers should inspire fintech's to take part in environmental quality protection inventiveness that encourages green consumption actively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grape farms face many climate risks during cultivation, and regulatory and sustainability-related challenges after the harvest. To support the farmers, Government of India (GoI) aims to promote adaptive capacity throughout the grape value chain by improving resilient infrastructure. This paper proposes a novel Grapevoltaics farm design based on shared circular business model principles where resources like energy, water, and land are shared between grape farmer and solar plant operator. The resilience (in the near term) and sustainability (in the long term) of such multifunctional systems may be influenced by the decisions taken by the involved stakeholders in terms of resource sharing and support extension when facing climate risk events. To address stakeholder engagement, the proposed Grapevoltaic farms leverage blockchain smart contract, making them Blockchain-enabled Grapevoltaics (BCeDGVs). To understand the feasibility, 1-ha Grapevoltaic farm is modeled for 12 grape growing regions accross India and analysed using Resilience Performance, Life Cycle Analysis, and Techno-Economic (RePLiCATE) approach. The results show that the solar panels provide resilience support based on the rules of engagement written on blockchain smart contracts. The BCeDGVs has 1295.28–2908.08 kWh/kWp/day electricity generation potential across India with a lifetime average of 15,380.65 MWh even after considering the national average photovoltaic degradation rate of 1.9%. The observed grape yields vary between 2 and 31.25 Mt/ha with an average yield of 45 Mt/ha (table grape) and 40 Mt/ha (wine grape), and the rainwater harvest varies between 1.23 to 7.32 M l. The economic assessment revealed that grape farmers and photovoltaic plant operators across India under BCeDGVs could have revenues ranging between INR 56.25 to 225 million and INR 29.48–66.19 million, respectively, suggesting to relook into the feed-in tariffs and crop selling prices. The environmental sustainability results suggest that 1.984 ha/MW land-use mitigation and 12–100% reduction in groundwater dependency are possible while maintaining the minimum and maximum national average global warming potentials as 0.074 and 0.088 kg CO 2 -eq./kg grape, respectively. Overall, the integrated assessments find that the BCeDGVs may promote low carbon, climate resilient grape cultivation in India and has possible integration with GoI's GrapeNet platform. This study highlights a new research direction symbiotic grape farms and energy networks. [Display omitted] • Grapevoltaics co-locate Vitis vinifera cultivation with solar photovoltaics. • Blockchain smart contract facilitated shared circular business model in agriculture. • Harvested rainwater cut emissions for grape crop and solar panel cleaning. • Dynamic operation of solar panels protects the grape crop from rain events. • Grapevoltaics integration with APEDA's GrapeNET platform, Govt. of India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Examine link between perceived COVID-19 risk and return decision among migrants. • Use novel survey data of 495 reverse male migrants in India in april-may 2020. • Migrants with greater perceived COVID-19 infection risk less willing to return. • Impatience positively associated with greater willingness to return. • Higher recall of prevention strategies linked to lower perceived COVID-19 risk. This paper explores the causal link between the likelihood of re-migration to cities and the perceived threat of contracting COVID-19 using novel data on male reverse migrant workers in India. We find that reverse-migrants who believe there is a significant chance of contracting COVID-19 display a significantly lower likelihood of returning to their urban workplaces, regardless of their duration of migration. On the other hand, longer-duration migrants display a lower perceived chance of contracting COVID-19 than shorter-duration migrants. We also contribute to the migration literature by linking behavioural attributes to the decision to migrate. We find that more impatient individuals display a heightened belief regarding contracting COVID-19 and a higher projected likelihood of returning to work. Finally, we find that while both loss and risk-averse individuals have a lower projected likelihood of returning to urban workplaces, only loss-averse individuals perceive that their chance of contracting COVID-19 is lower. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fault detection and isolation are crucial aspects that need to be considered for the safe and reliable operation of process systems. The modern industrial process frequently employs various sensors to measure multiple process variables. However, complex temporal dependencies and intra-channel, as well as inter-channel correlations in the observed multivariate data pause major challenges during fault detection. In this paper, we present the probabilistic wavelet neural operator auto-encoder (PWNOAE), an operator learning model that aims to learn the distribution of these multivariate process data and apply them for fault detection and isolation. Neural operators are networks that can efficiently learn operator dynamics in addition to function dynamics and therefore have better generalizability compared to other models. The proposed PWNOAE utilizes healthy data for learning the distribution, which is then used as a reference for detecting and isolating faults online. For learning the distribution of multivariate time series, the proposed PWNOAE combines the integral kernel with wavelet transformation in a probabilistic fashion. As wavelets help in the time-frequency localization of time series, PWNOAE exploits them to learn complex time-frequency characteristics underlying the multivariate datasets. The fidelity of the proposed PWNOAE is demonstrated using the Tennessee Eastman benchmark data and industrial data recorded from a pressurized heavy-water nuclear reactor operated by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India. The obtained results demonstrate the proposed method's notable efficacy and success in detecting and isolating faults in the time series data compared to various well-established baselines in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 21st century, global waste challenges worsen in developing nations relying on manual sorting. This improper waste disposal poses significant threats to human health and the environment, necessitating the adoption of Artificial Intelligence-Based Solid Waste Segregation Technology (AIBSWST). In this context, the advanced Frank t-norm captures nuanced relationships in fuzzy logic, crucial in scenarios where fuzzy set order matters. Building on these principles, the complex q-rung picture fuzzy set (Cq-RPFS) becomes instrumental in representing decision-makers preferences in a two-dimensional manner, enhancing the handling of vague information in real-world scenarios. Expanding on these foundational principles, the paper introduces innovative Frank operations grounded in Frank t-norms within the context of Cq-RPFS. Leveraging these operations, the paper proposes four robust aggregation operators (AOs) under Cq-RPFS: complex q-rung picture fuzzy Frank weighted average (Cq-PFFWA), complex q-rung picture fuzzy Frank weighted geometric (Cq-PFFWG), complex q-rung picture fuzzy Frank ordered weighted average (Cq-PFFWOA), and complex q-rung picture fuzzy Frank ordered weighted geometric (Cq-PFFWOG). These AOs exhibit essential properties such as idempotency, monotonicity, and boundedness. A Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) method based on the proposed AOs is suggested to validate these strategies. A real-life case study on India's adoption of AIBSWST serves as a practical application, with thorough analyses, including sensitivity, comparative, and superiority assessments, evaluating the performance of the approaches. A thoughtful discussion of the pros and cons of the proposed AOs accompanies the analysis, emphasizing the significance of the approach in ensuring the cleanliness and health of developing nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]