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One key to address the issue of the location of the K/Pg boundary at the Um Sohryngkew sections to look at C carb , C org , Hg/TOC, Mo/Al chemostratigraphies, alongside Hg isotopes, in previous studied K/Pg sections in the Meghalaya area, and compare them with same type of data reported in Sial et al. (2016). The possibility of diachronic deposition cannot be totally discarded, and the K/Pg boundary could have been recorded in the Langpar Formation at one site and in the contact between the Mahadeo and Langpar formations in another. A tectonic-induced doubling of the sequence is also possible as the Meghalaya area, within the Shillong plateau, has been linked to a number of kinematic changes, including pop-up tectonics, since the Cretaceous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In most municipalities in India, the collection, transportation and disposal of municipal solid waste deviates from the mass flow envisaged by the municipal agencies and planning authorities. While multiple studies have focused on the environmental problems arising due to uncontrolled waste dumping and combustion, we present a qualitative study of the efforts towards resource conservation and recycling by various actors involved, and a quantitative estimate of the amount of material recovered at various stages. Both the informal sectors (garbage collectors, waste pickers, waste dealers, small stores and itinerant merchants) and the households in India, play a vital role in recovering consumer waste. In order to have an in-depth understanding, a case study has been performed to better understand the contribution of households, garbage collectors and itinerant waste merchants towards recovering consumer waste. Our study shows that consumer waste is far more efficiently recovered in India than what has been reported in literature until now. The waste recovery takes place in multiple-stages and the final waste that reaches the municipal corporation mostly comprises of biodegradable waste, inerts and highly non-recyclable waste. Households, itinerant waste merchants and garbage collectors in India jointly recover 1.2–2.4 million tonnes of newspapers, 2.4–4.3 million tonnes of cardboard and mixed paper, 6.5–8.5 million tonnes of plastic, more than1.3 million tonnes of glass, more than 2.6 million tonnes of metal waste and 4–6.2 million tonnes of other recyclable material per year. Overall, 30–60% of all paper and cardboard, 50–80% of all plastic and close to 100% of all glass bottles produced in India are recycled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Purpose: The adoption of electronic medical record (EMR) system is gradually increasing. However, various time–motion studies reveal conflicting data regarding time effectiveness on workflow due to computerization. One of the major issues for physicians is their uncertainty with EMRs’ potential impact of time on workflow. A tertiary eye hospital in south India was in the process of implementing an EMR system in their ambulatory care unit. Many of the staff did not have previous computing experience and there were conflicting views on the time effectiveness of the computerized system after implementation. The management was thus interested to know the real time effectiveness of EMR in their hospital. The study compliments existing studies of this type by comparing the time efficiency of documentation time using EMR system with paper documentation in a hospital in a developing country where a transition between paper and EMR documentation was currently in progress. Methods: Ten randomly selected optometrists documented the time they spent during consultation with both paper and EMR documentation. The time spent was documented for a total of 200 records (100 EMR and 100 paper records). The independent-samples t-test and analysis of variance were used to compare the means of the consultation time and calculated documentation time spent between the electronic and paper records. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in the time spent for documentation between electronic and paper records. The mean time spent in documenting electronic records was 0.92min (95% CI −3.06 to 1.14) longer than in paper records. Conclusion: EMR systems can be adopted in eye hospitals without having significant negative impact on duration of consultation and documentation for optometrists. More time–motion studies that include ophthalmologists are however needed in order to get a more complete picture of time impact of the EMR system on clinical workflow in eye hospitals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A comprehensive case study of Mumbai (Bombay), India was undertaken to investigate the economic, social and environmental impact of international trade of waste paper for recycling purposes between industrialized and developing countries. Analysis of a Western approach vis-a-vis informal policy for waste paper recovery concludes that employment is maximum under informal policy measure and public response playsan important role in maintaining environmental quality. The study further shows that income inequality is more under informal policy, andwithout policy public cost will increase continuously in the future.The net present value of the informal policy is found to be higher than that for the formal policy. Econometric study on input substitution in the Indian paper industry suggests limited substitution possibilities between domestic and imported waste paper. Results from a static material balance flow model indicate that environmental impacts are less with increased trade and economically the paper sector in India benefits from free trade. Based upon the results of the study, somepolicy recommendations have been made that may enhance the efficiency of waste paper recycling in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper foregrounds the work of the labourer in infrastructural projects. It draws upon over 6 years of ethnographic study with road construction labourers in the upper Himalayas positioning them as subaltern subjects within discourses of national development. While the subaltern studies project of the 1980s emphasized the 'writing back into history' of the non-elite, primarily peasants, tribal populations and women who too contributed to the imagination of the nation; at the contemporary moment where infrastructure defines national development we need to revisit the subaltern project to draw attention to the forgotten labourers who literally construct the nation and its infrastructure. After arguing for recognition of the labour as intrinsic to infrastructural and national constructions, I discuss possibilities for a dialogic engagement with the subaltern. Pushing the debates within subaltern geographies on the politics of representation, I argue that perhaps the way forward is not about giving voice but about making space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The CPR school has successfully rebutted Hardin''s pessimistic Tragedy of the Commons model. However, in recent years, critics have focussed on the inward orientation and lack of contextual analysis characterising the writings of the CPR school.Oakerson [A Model for the analysis of common property problems. Working Paper R86-13. Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis, Indiana University, 1986] and Ostrom [Governing the Commons. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1990] have detailed the list of variables that have to be studied to understand the mechanics of collective action. However, these factors are internal to the community. Recent critics'' point out that the actions of individual agents are also influenced by the alternatives embedded outside the system. These variables are collectively labelled contextual factors.In our paper, we have analysed the case of a fishermen''s cooperative in the Calcutta Metropolitan District to show how the historic and economic context shapes targets of resource users and affects the feasibility of alternative courses to achieve the target by determining opportunity and transaction costs of actions. This indicates the importance of contextual factors in explaining the formation and evolution of the resource regime. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Debate about the causes and consequences of regional deforestation in India has paved the way for calls to action and intervention, and state-sponsored afforestation has led to government claims of progressagainst land degradation. Census statistics from the arid state of Rajasthan show a tide of forests reclaiming the land. These trends obscure crucial realities that continue to undermine the claims of the state: forest ecosystems continue to disappear, expanding cover is characterized by an ecologically narrow range of species, and forest management remains rooted in a decision structure that fails to educe local knowledge and experience. More fundamentally, the flaws in the Rajasthani forest campaign reflect an entrenched pattern that has long guided authorities in the region; to govern the landscape, the state must quite literally construct forests as mental categories, discursive tropes, and material realities where none have existed before. The material conditions of tree cover are, in this way, influenced by the discursive forms of forest imported into the region. This paper surveys the contradictory trends in Rajasthani land cover, interrogating the relationship between the forests that expand on paper and those that dwindle on the ground. In the process, the paper contributes to ongoing work in post-structural political ecology by asking how discourse matters in the reconstitution of material ecologies and by linking the construction of ecological categories to the formation of landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) affecting populations is considered a public health issue in South/Southeast Asia. The purpose of this study was to analyze the scientometric characteristics and research trends of OSF. All the papers on OSF were comprehensively retrieved from the Scopus database. Regional comparison (India versus outside of India) and chronological comparison (before 2015 versus after 2015) were performed. Among all the 1357 papers on OSF, 930 (68.5%) were from India. In India, biology research on antioxidant, oxidative stress, angiogenesis, and extracellular matrix were distinctive keywords. Risk factors of smokeless tobacco and gutkha and the roles of saliva and blood sampling were also distinctive keywords in India. In outside of India, biology research on myofibroblast, alpha smooth muscle actin, microRNA, long untranslated RNA, and protein p53 were distinctive keywords. The trend of biology research on connective tissue, genotype, genetic predisposition, messenger RNA, and cytology before 2015 has changed to research on myofibroblast, biological marker, microRNA, epithelial mesenchymal transition, extracellular matrix, and oxidative stress after 2015. The trend of clinical aspects of surgery and mouth hygiene before 2015 has changed to the aspects of adverse event/effects, complication, and quality of life after 2015. This scientometric study elucidated the current scenario and research trends of OSF, and would help in improving in reciprocal collaboration and communication for this disease control in South/Southeast Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Caste is an important and unique axis of inequality in India. Caste based digital divide can exacerbate the existing socioeconomic divisions between different caste groups. • Using non-linear decomposition method, the present paper explains the digital divide between disadvantaged and other caste groups. • We find that there is a considerable first level and second level digital divide between the disadvantaged caste groups and Others in India. • The caste-based digital divide is largely explained by the differences in education and income between the caste groups. • The study foregrounds the importance of bridging the caste-based digital gap by closing the gap between the educational attainments of the disadvantaged and other caste groups. With the increasing importance of information and communication technologies in access to basic services like education and health, the question of digital divide based on caste assumes importance in India where large socioeconomic disparities persist between different caste groups. Studies on caste-based digital inequality are still scanty in India. Using nationally representative survey data, this paper analyzes the first-level digital divide (ownership of computer and access to the Internet) and the second-level digital divide (individuals skills to use computer and the Internet) between the disadvantaged caste groups and Others. Further, this paper identifies the caste-based differences in socioeconomic factors that contribute to the digital divide between these groups using a non-linear decomposition method. The results show that there exists large first-level and second-level digital divide between the disadvantaged caste groups and Others in India. The non-linear decomposition results indicate that caste-based digital divide in India is rooted in historical socioeconomic deprivation of disadvantaged caste groups. More than half of the caste-based digital gap is attributable to differences in educational attainment and income between the disadvantaged caste groups and Others. Findings of this study highlight the urgent need for addressing educational and income inequality between the different caste groups in India in order to bridge the digital divide. [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]

• 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]

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]

Social innovation has come to be identified as a key aspect of development. Objectives related to personal and socioeconomic development often inspire this type of innovation. Relevant goals can drive societies to fulfil citizens' needs while promoting overall empowerment and inclusion. This paper analyses the emergence and development of social innovation in rural territories in the opposing socioeconomic settings of Portugal and India. By addressing social innovation in rural territories, the paper contributes to the research and provides empirical evidence from contexts and analytical frameworks that have been neglected by most innovation scholars. The paper acknowledges the context of innovation processes and dynamics - rural territories in western and non-western countries. The consideration of two different, contrasting socioeconomic contexts provides a privileged framework to analyse the dynamics involved in the emergence and development of social innovation, namely the top-down and bottom-up approaches that characterize it. • There are contrasting realities concerning the SI processes in Portugal and India. • Depending on the context, SI takes place under top-down, bottom-up or mixing the two approaches. • It is important to open the 'black box' of SI and understand the concrete modes of its emergence and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper revisits the Porter-Wagner dilemma about the association between environmental management (EM) and firm performance (FP). The context of informal Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) provides an interesting case since they are away from regulatory scrutiny or corporate/social obligations. The study resorts to labor productivity as the measure of FP and EM is represented by the various solid waste management practices (WMPs) adopted by the informal enterprises. Using the latest available cross-sectional data on un-incorporated firms by National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) 73rd round 2015-16, we found the positive impact of WMPs was higher in the case of more productive firms in the quantile, indicating the relevance of the Porter-Wagner dilemma. The direction of causality was further validated using the propensity score matching technique by decomposing the average treatment effect. [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]

The impact of COVID-19 on the Global scale is tremendously drastic. There are several types of research going on across the world simultaneously to understand and overcome this dire pandemic outbreak. This paper is purely a statistical study on a distinct set of datasets regarding COVID-19 in India. The motivation of this study is to provide an insight into the rapid growth of confirmed COVID-19 cases in India. The rapid growth of COVID-19 cases in India started in March 2020. The main objective of this paper is to provide a solid statistical model for the policymaker to handle this kind of pandemic situation in the near future with nonlinear data. In this paper, the data was got from 1st April to 29th November 2020. To come up with a solid statistical model, various nonlinear data such as confirmed COVID-19 cases, maximum temperature, minimum temperature, the total population (state-wise), the total area in km2 (state-wise), and the total rural and urban population count (state-wise) have been analyzed. In this paper, six different Generalized Additive Models (GAM) was identified after a thorough analysis of other researchers' (Xie and Zhu, 2020; Prata et al., 2020) findings. In all perspectives, the results were identified and analyzed. The GAM model regarding total COVID-19 confirmed cases, total population, and the total rural population provides the best average fit of R2 value of 0.934. As the population value is quite high, the author has concise it using logarithm to provide the best p -value of 0.000542 and 0.001407 for a relation between the total number of COVID-19 cases regarding the total population and total rural population respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Off-grid, decentralised water infrastructures are increasingly being promoted to help cities meet their water delivery targets and build resilient water systems in the face of changing water availability. Against this background, this paper examines how integrating off-grid, decentralised groundwater systems with centralized piped supply helps water utilities and urbanites achieve transformative resilience under conditions of chronic water scarcity in the secondary city of Tiruppur, India. Empirical findings on users' water access practices from off-grid systems like municipal or private borewells to remain resilient, their role in the everyday governance of these systems, and the costs of building resilience through borewells—obtained through a participatory action research project where 94 households recorded month-long water access using a 'water and waste calendar'—reveal that Tiruppur's public borewells are an affordable and mostly inclusive resilience building measure but are far from being transformative. Moreover, diverse arrangements for their everyday governance unevenly enable user participation, impose invisible costs on female members of borewell-reliant households, and create differentiation in service quality across the city. The paper argues that the potential to achieve transformative resilience through off-grid sources like borewells remains untapped in Tiruppur and concludes with some reflections to pursue just and inclusive resilience. • Off-grid decentralised water infrastructures help cities meet water delivery targets. • Decentralised water infrastructures like borewells make users resilient. • Resilient water systems with decentralised infrastructures are not always transformative. • Users' resilience comes at a cost for female and low-income water users. • Everyday governance of public borewells creates variations in service quality and inequalities in water access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise of plastics in the 20th century revolutionized modern life but inadvertently exacerbated the marine litter crisis. The proliferation of wastes such as single-use plastics has escalated pollution along the coastline, demanding coordinated, decisive, and unified action. While the absence of specific national marine litter policies is concerning, there is growing recognition of urgency to address this issue. A group of experts and stakeholders was involved through a multi-staged workshop to assess the generated information based on scientific evidence and formulate a framework for the National Marine Litter Policy (NMLP). This paper proposes policy options (4 targets & 20 strategies) to address marine litter pollution, especially plastics, and aims to elucidate the urgency and significance of implementing an NMLP as a comprehensive strategy to combat plastics pollution. Implementing dedicated policies and action plans tailored to the unique challenges faced by each country is a vital step towards sustainable oceans. [Display omitted] • This paper explores and evaluates policy options for tackling marine litter pollution. • The proposed NMLP framework features 4 key targets and 20 strategic initiatives. • Science-Policy-based tailored solutions designed for the Indian context • Source and sector-specific measures are the focal points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Court intervention for human right to water of about two million slum dwellers. • Public Interest Litigation for human right to water led to mixed results in Mumbai. • Court order and municipal policy posed many barriers and risks for water access. • Court and municipal government engaged in appropriation of human rights to water. • Lack of accountability of executive agencies led to non-implement of court order. This paper elucidates different forms and modes by which the two State agencies in Mumbai, India—the High Court and the municipal government—appropriated the human rights to water of an estimated two million slum-dwellers in the city. While the order of the High Court made inadequate and narrow interpretations of human rights to water, the municipal policy and functionaries indulged in delayed, selective, cosmetic, distorted, or rhetorical acceptance of these rights. These interpretations and actions led to many limitations and risks for the realization of human rights to water for slum-dwellers including penal tariffs, sub-par infrastructure, and new barriers to water access. Yet, the court order also removed a stiff legal barrier and empowered slum dwellers by lending legitimacy to their claims to water access. This paper responds to concerns in the literature over the appropriation of human rights to water by capitalist States especially in the Global South and its adverse implications for the realization of these rights. It also substantiates previous researchers' claims that there is a potential for positive outcomes of struggles for these rights. Finally, I indicate that, while countering such institutional appropriation, struggles for human rights to water need to undertake political action to enforce these rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In international research and development discourses, the 'Feminization of Agriculture' is often used as a vague umbrella term referring to an increase in women's labor burden and responsibilities in agriculture as a result of male out-migration. However, the term is under-conceptualized, and fails to reflect changing gender relations in agriculture and natural resource management, with the potential consequence of ill-defined agriculture and gender research programs. This paper challenges narratives of the 'Feminization of Agriculture'. Drawing from feminist political ecology, this paper conceptualizes gender relations more broadly by highlighting gendered subjectivities and power relations in agriculture in contexts of male out-migration. I propose a conceptual framework to explore shifts in (1) socio-spatial struggles over resources, (2) influence within agrarian households and communal spaces, (3) aspirations, feelings of insecurity and self-determination. I build on extensive participatory fieldwork conducted in three countries, Nepal, India and Bangladesh. The conceptual framework helps analyze how some gender norms and relations are renegotiated in contexts of male out-migration. While unequal power relations shape everyday struggles in agriculture and natural resource management, for some women, increased mobility, social engagement and handling cash create new spaces to influence, move, and communicate. Importantly, everyday struggles over agricultural, water and land resources remain shaped by gender, age, caste, land ownership, remittances and household position, particularly those living with the family in-laws. Research and development programs need to take intersectionality into account and explore emerging spaces for influence, but also be aware of persistent gender norms and power relations which shape agricultural practices, aspirations and self-determination. I conclude by arguing for the need to expand the 'Feminization of Agriculture' debate towards a broader understanding of socio-spatial change and gendered subjectivities within agriculture. • The term 'Feminization of Agriculture' is under-conceptualized, and fails to reflect changing gender relations in agriculture and natural resource management. • A conceptual framework drawing from feminist political ecology frames gender relations more broadly and highlights gendered subjectivities and power relations in agriculture in contexts of male out-migration. • The conceptual framework explores shifts in (1) socio-spatial struggles over resources, (2) influence within agrarian households and communal spaces, (3) aspirations, feelings of insecurity and self-determination. • This paper challenges narratives of the 'Feminization of Agriculture' by arguing for the need to expand the 'Feminization of Agriculture' debate towards a broader understanding of socio-spatial change and gendered subjectivities within agriculture. • Research and development programs need to take intersectionality into account and be aware of persistent gender norms and power relations which shape agricultural practices, aspirations and self-determination. [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]

• First longitudinal study of a FinTech ecosystem on a global, national and city level. • Network visualization of foreign and domestic investments in FinTech. • Documenting Bangalore's emergence as India's FinTech capital and the rise of New Delhi. • Demonstrating how Mumbai and Bangalore structure India's financial geography as complementary ecosystems. • Conceptualizing FinTech in India as a "Tech-Fin-State" ecosystem. This paper explores the potential of FinTech to change the geography of finance and financial centres through a longitudinal and multiscalar analysis of FinTech in India. Using a financial ecology approach, we combine quantitative data on firm creation and funding with insights from corporate interviews to unpack and examine the key elements of the Indian FinTech ecosystem. At the national scale, our results highlight how the export-oriented ICT sector, the implantation of large-scale, open digital infrastructures and enabling regulatory frameworks have enabled and shaped the growth of FinTech as a state-supported, tech-driven "Tech-Fin-State" ecosystem. At a city scale, the paper demonstrates how FinTech transforms India's financial geography in two directions. First, locational patterns and investment networks have established New Delhi and Bangalore as international FinTech hubs, ahead of Mumbai. Second, the re-intermediation of finance by FinTech firms should be understood as the connection between the two distinct yet complementary ecosystems of Bangalore, India's FinTech capital, and Mumbai, the incumbent financial capital, while advancing regional integration beyond India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The paper examines the effect of social identity on learning for adults under a hierarchical social setting. • Using primary data from a randomized controlled experiment in India where illiterate adult female learners were randomly assigned to a free technology-based literacy program, we found positive and significant impact of matching an upper caste teacher with a lower caste student on literacy scores. • We find suggestive evidence of an increase in students' confidence measures when matched with an upper caste teacher. The paper examines the effect of social identity on adult learning within a hierarchical social setting— an important yet often understudied issue for effective adult education. We leverage the random matching of students and teachers from a randomized controlled experiment in India, where illiterate adult female learners aged 18–45 were randomly assigned to a literacy program. We find a positive and significant impact of matching an upper caste teacher with a lower caste adult student on literacy scores. We also find suggestive evidence of an increase in students' confidence measures when matched with an upper caste teacher, indicating a plausible impact mechanism. Our findings highlight the need for future research on social identity and its influence on adult learning, particularly in countries with existing deep-rooted hierarchical social constructs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Builds an analysis of 'political crops' under contemporary capitalism. • Explains the political ecology of cotton and paddy in the Indian Punjab. • Focuses on labour relations and market structure of the two crops. • Analyzes the nature of change in agrarian capitalism in the Indian Punjab. Unlike the rest of the state of Punjab in India, cotton remained the dominant monsoon crop in the southwest region till the 1990s. As it has been increasingly replaced by paddy in recent decades, this paper asks what this shift in cropping pattern reflects about the state's agrarian capitalism. Towards an analysis of this question, it builds on James Scott's idea of 'political crops' in the earliest states and places it in conversation with scholarship in critical agrarian studies, political ecology and commodity studies to account for relations of power under contemporary capitalism. Drawing on intensive primary research in the region, the paper contrasts the power relations generated by the production and circulation of the two crops. It shows that larger farmers are more likely to cultivate paddy due to better access to irrigation, and that the shift to paddy is threatening to make redundant the labour of landless Dalit women, who do cotton-picking, and increasing dependence on migrant male labour for paddy-transplanting. It also demonstrates how the different end uses of the two crops and the predominance of the private sector in the cotton markets versus the hitherto state-led nature of the paddy markets produce differential risks for farmers and traders. The paper concludes by suggesting that the shift from cotton to paddy represents capital intensification in response to Punjab's mature capitalist conditions in agriculture but also results in new contradictions and axes of political struggle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses ongoing work on the Palaeolithic archaeology of the Wainganga basin, Central India, focusing on investigating the nature of the occupation, technological changes, and transitions through time, with a view towards understanding Palaeolithic behaviour. Surveys conducted over an area of 19,696 sq. km in this region, led to the discovery of 30 sites of the Acheulian and Late Palaeolithic with sparse evidence, as yet of the Middle Palaeolithic. Acheulian sites are deeply stratified within regoliths, but owing to recent exposures, several sites could be investigated in detail. This paper addresses preliminary research at a few of the Acheulian sites in this region, establishing their stratigraphic context and lithic assemblage structure. The assemblages studied suggest deliberate choices in the selection of raw materials involving the transport of tools/flakes for more than 15 km to specific sites where they were used. This is reflected by the absence of giant cores and sparse waste products at several sites studied. There is a preference for cleavers and the use of Kombewa technologies. The paper discusses the technological aspects of the assemblages and the importance of studying micro-regions when investigating broader patterns of hominin behavioral changes in the South Asian Acheulian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India's Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) is the largest public-works based rural livelihood programme in the world. One of the important policy objectives of the Scheme is to curb rural out-migration by guaranteeing demand-driven employment opportunities for 100 days in a year in rural areas. This paper uses a large sample survey-based nationally representative data set and different probability models to investigate how MGNREGS influences individuals' seasonal rural out-migration decisions. The results reveal that contrary to the policy objective, participation , the extent of participation and earnings from the Scheme increases an individual's propensity to out-migrate. However, the Scheme serves broader and equally critical socio-economic goals of empowerment through income security and positive network effects. MGNREGS, on the one hand, significantly drives the decisions of aspirational migration of rural individuals, particularly females and the relatively advantaged. On the other, it curbs distress migration of the relatively disadvantaged by providing them with basic livelihood opportunities within the rural areas. Based on the findings, the paper draws several policy implications and discusses key policy imperatives towards expanding the scale and scope of the public-works Scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impacts of COVID-19 in maritime transportation and its related policy measures have been investigated by more and more organizations and researchers across the world. This paper aims to examine the impacts of COVID-19 on seaport transportation and the maritime supply chain field and its related issues in India. Secondary data are used to analyze the performance indicators of major seaports in India before and during the COVID-19 crisis. We further explore and discuss the expert's views about the impact, preparedness, response, and recovery aspects for the maritime-related sector in India. The results on the quantitative performance of Indian major seaports during the COVID-19 indicate a negative growth in the cargo traffic and a decrease in the number of vessel traffic compared to pre-COVID-19. The expert survey results suggest a lack of preparedness for COVID-19 and the need for developing future strategies by maritime organizations. The overall findings of the study shall assist in formulating maritime strategies by enhancing supply chain resilience and sustainable business recovery process while preparing for a post-COVID-19 crisis. The study also notes that the Covid-19 crisis is still an ongoing concern, as the government, maritime organizations, and stakeholders face towards providing vaccine and remedial treatment to infected people. Further, this study can be expanded to the global maritime supply chain business context and to conduct interdisciplinary research in marine technical fields and maritime environment to measure the impact of COVID-19. • With the outbreak of COVID-19, maritime industry accounting to 90% of the international trade has been impacted. • The major seaports of India handle about 60% of the country's total cargo traffic. • This paper examines implications of COVID-19 on Indian major ports by identifying patterns for quantitative performance data before & during the COVID-19 crisis. • This study explores & discusses expert's views about impact, preparedness, response, and recovery aspects for the maritime-related sector in India. • The results for quantitative performance data for major seaports in India indicate negative growth in during COVID-19 compared to pre COVID-19 period. • The expert survey result suggests a negative impact of COVID-19, and there is a need to develop future strategies by maritime organizations. • The overall findings of the study assist in formulating maritime strategies by enhancing supply chain resilience and sustainable business recovery process while preparing for a post-COVID-19 crisis in Indian maritime Context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this paper is to introduce what affects the firm to diversify. This paper is based on an empirical analysis of a sample of 453 manufacturing companies in India. Jacquemin-Berry Entropy-Index measure has been used to measure diversification; whereas to determine the factors affecting diversification strategy, Panel Tobit Regression Analysis has been applied. The research findings indicate that firm-specific antecedents influence the decision to diversify. Corporate managers should follow a prudent behaviour while adopting strategic planning for the growth of the company. Managers should have to conduct proper statistical analyses to find out a firm's optimal level of corporate diversification for maximising the firm performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Pollution governance in India. • Caste. • Disasters. • Kerala. This paper draws on fieldwork conducted in the agriultural village of Kathikudam in the South Indian state of Kerala. The paper looks at the ways in which the production of knowledge of contemporary pollution governance in India is configured through the reproduction of marginalization through the devluation of knowledge held by racialized and caste/d subsistence women farmers in Kathikudam. This paper also illuminates how this production of knowledge and the attendant marginality it produces creates a sedimented form of disaster in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the proliferation of smart city initiatives in the Global South, their implementation and governance mechanisms remain understudied. Using the Indian case as focus, this paper analyses the governance structures, mechanisms, and processes utilised to create smart cities as part of the Smart Cities Mission, introduced by the Government of India in 2015. The paper offers extensive empirical analysis in the three cities of Bhubaneswar, Pune and Chennai that are among the first 20 smart cities prioritised for implementation. We first analyse how the governance framework provided by the Smart Cities Mission in India unfolds at three spatial scales – national, state and local – with the intersection of the scales differing in the three cities. Second, our analysis of the new form of governance involving public–private actors shows the conflict of responsibilities on a local scale. In conclusion, we highlight the absence of collaborative governance and reduced capacity in local governments – as significant challenges for smart city development in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the relationship between financial development and access to electricity for rural and urban India by incorporating economic growth, trade, and foreign direct investment in energy production function. In doing so, we have applied autoregressive distributed lag bounds testing to examine long run cointegration between the variables by accommodating structural break(s) stemming in the series. Our empirical results indicate the presence of cointegration association between access to electricity and its determinants. We note that financial development enhances access to electricity in rural India but declines it in urban India. Economic growth has positive effect on access to electricity. Trade openness and foreign direct investment lower access to electricity in rural India. In urban India, trade openness and foreign direct investment increase access to electricity. The association between financial development and access to electricity is inverted-U shaped for rural and urban India. This paper would present new policy direction for Indian government to enhance access to electricity by using financial development as an economic tool. • Financial development and access to electricity have a strong linkage. • In India financial development enhances access to electricity in rural area but has adverse effect in urban area. • Rise in economic growth of India has increased the access to electricity. • Growth of Trade Openness and Foreign Direct investment increase access to electricity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liver transplant surgery has been performed in India for the last 25 years. We aimed to analyse the trends, characteristics, and key elements in the field of liver transplantation research from India. On April 23, 2023, we conducted a search of the Scopus database for the literature on liver transplantation research, using a well-defined search strategy. MS Excel and VOS viewer software programs were used to examine the articles for organisation, author, journal, keywords, and high-cited literature. This analysis examined a total of 556 papers, which constituted only a 1.55% share of the global output. These papers involved 442 organizations, 1575 authors, and 147 journals. External funding was received in 4.13% and 23.56% were involved in international collaboration. Three Delhi-NCR organizations, namely the Medanta–The Medicity (n = 63), Institute of Liver & Biliary Sciences (n = 60), and Indraprastha Apollo Hospital (n = 48) led in publication productivity. M. Rela (n = 90) and A.S. Soin (n = 63) were the leading authors in publication productivity, while S. Sudhindran and P. Bhangui were the most impactful authors. Liver Transplantation (n = 96) and Journal of Clinical & Experimental Hepatology (n = 65) published the maximum number of these papers, whereas, Annals of Surgery and Journal of Hepatology led in the citation impact per paper. The most significant keywords were "Liver Transplantation" (n = 484), and "Living Donor" (n = 254). Only 1.80% (n = 10) of the papers were highly cited papers that received 50 to 142 citations and they together registered 69.9 citations per paper. Although the number of publications on liver transplantation from India started growing recently, it forms only 1.55% of the global report. There is an unmet need to increase government-supported research and multicenter collaborative studies at national and international levels for high-quality patient care. [Display omitted] • A total of 556 papers on liver transplantation research from India constitutes a 1.55 % share of the global output. • This is the first comprehensive bibliometric analysis of India's liver transplant research over the last 25 years. • Delhi-NCR authors and institutions were the leaders in this area of research. • There has been a continuous rise in publications, with the maximum surge seen in the last decade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper re-focuses attention on the big picture question of the persistently low level of female labour force participation in India. • We show how attention on a binary indicator (in the labour force or out of it) misses a crucial aspect of women's economic/productive work. • We suggest that women's work in developing countries should be viewed in terms of at least three categories. • We find that the social norm that places the responsibility of domestic chores exclusively on women is primarily responsible for women's inability to participate in paid work. • We demonstrate the existence of 'virtuous cycles' within families: a history of working women in the family increases the probability of the woman being in paid work. Based on primary data from a large household survey in seven districts in West Bengal in India, this paper analyses the reasons underlying low labor force participation of women. In developing countries, women who are engaged in unpaid economic work in family enterprises are often not counted as workers, whereas the men are. We show that for women, not being in paid work is not synonymous with not being in the labour force. Women are often involved in expenditure saving activities i.e. productive work within the family, over and above domestic chores and care work. We document the fuzziness of the boundary between domestic work and unpaid (and therefore invisible) productive work that leads to mismeasurement of women's work and suggest methods to improve measurement. Counting women's expenditure-saving activities yields a substantially higher estimate of women's participation in economic work. On social norms, we show that religion and visible markers such as veiling are not significant determinants of the probability of being in paid work. We find that being primarily responsible for domestic chores lowers the probability of "working", after accounting for all the conventional factors. Our data shows substantial unmet demand for paid work. Given that women are primarily responsible for domestic chores, we find that women express a demand for work that would be compatible with household chores. We demonstrate the existence of 'virtuous cycles' within families: a history of working women in the family (mother or mother-in-law ever worked) increases the probability of being in paid work between 18 and 21 percentage points. This suggests that the positive effects of increasing women's labour force participation today are likely to have positive multiplier effects on the prospects for work in future generations of women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The paper examines the substitutability between built capital and ecosystem services. • Storm protection from mangroves is compared to storm protection from built capital like storm shelters, embankments, and early warning. • Despite the presence of a large number of shelters and other sources of protection, mangroves are seen to save lives during the storm. • Lives saved by mangroves are nearly the same as those saved by shelters, but much less than lives saved by early warning. Although the body of scientific evidence supports that mangroves provide storm protection and save lives during cyclones, coastal planners have been prioritizing the adoption of technological alternatives, for example, early warnings, evacuation training, and storm shelters—over mangrove conservation, to manage storm risks. Such policy has the underlying assumption that mangroves and technological alternatives for storm protection are perfect substitutes. This paper studies storm protection by mangroves in India and compares the life-saving efficacy of mangroves and technological alternatives empirically under different evacuation scenarios. Results show that the storm-protection ability of mangroves remains significant and that mangroves have been protecting lives even when these technological alternatives are present in a large number. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India has a high prevalence of stunting among children under five years of age, despite marginal improvement over the years. In 2019–21, 35.5 per cent of children below five years were stunted (National Family Health Survey (NFHS), 2019–21). This has been attributed to several factors including open defecation, poor maternal nutrition and food insecurity. This paper examines if the birth order of children is associated with variation in height among them, using nationally representative data from the India Human Development Survey (IHDS 2005 & 2011). The objectives of this paper are to: (i) assess the association of a child's birth order with height (ii) test if the association of birth order with height changes with the degree of son preference (iii) analyse the relationship between birth order and educational outcomes of children. Our results suggest that (i) the height-for-age z score is negatively associated with the birth order of the child (ii) the negative association of birth order with height is stronger for mothers who have a moderate or high degree of son preference, especially when children have an older brother (iii) maternal characteristics such as education could mitigate the negative relationship between birth order and height when son preference is low but not when son preference is high (iv) birth order has a negative association with the reading, writing and mathematical ability of children, especially if the child was stunted in childhood. This indicates that the fertility behaviour of families has both a direct and an indirect impact, which could influence both long term nutrition and education of children. • Birth order is negatively associated with a child's height-for age z-score. • Effects of birth order might persist in the long-term and are associated with a child's learning outcomes. • Parental preferences for an elder born son may influence the association of birth order with height-for age. • Mother's education may mitigate the negative impact of son preference for later born children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 2000 s the demand for sand has proliferated at the coastal-land interface to fill up the increasing demand straining Blue Economy (BE) activities and provision of water-energy-food resources. Recent studies have revealed that increased sand mining in both coastal and freshwater zones has continued to impact livelihood-ecological systems threatening the provision of livelihood goods and services. These impacts are exacerbated by a lack of comprehensive frameworks to regulate sand mining and trade; creating the need to develop micro and macro-frameworks and guidelines for sustainable sand mining. This paper uses a non-systematic literature review approach to build on this gap to develop an understanding of the resource nexus perspectives and trade-offs due to sand mining. The paper proposes a novel framework based on the Ecosystem Service Assessment advanced from the review of the literature to guide risk assessments toward more sustainable sand mining. In order to add evidence, the paper analyses in-depth the state of Kerala - one of India's coastal states that has experienced unprecedented rates of sand mining since the 1990 s especially along the Chavara coast albeit with less research on the intersectionality of mining on the resource nexus. Both the framework and our case study highlight how sand mining stresses local ecosystems and livelihoods thus increasing vulnerability to both human and environmental impacts. The paper brings to the fore seven (7) key steps that local institutions can use to guide sustainable sand mining and build integrated governance systems that promote interaction among natural capitals in a given area and livelihood considerations. The article further documents that the use of coherent guidelines and the framework can help in amalgamating the various actors in a given system that can guide local participation in local resource management and the development of cooperative agreements for the sustainable utilization of resources among coastal communities. This could further help understand the resource nexus from the perspective of the synergies and trade-offs in the BE. • The Blue Economy and Resource Nexus offer new pathways for sustainable livelihoods. • But, the proliferation of sand mining is increasing trade-offs thus livelihood and ecosystem vulnerability. • A lack of a comprehensive sand mining governance framework increases such vulnerability. • The developed novel framework based on Ecosystem Service Assessment can help reverse these externalities and trade-offs. • Our framework integrated new insights on sand mining governance that could be leveraged at all levels [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the effectiveness of the monetary policies undertaken by the central bank on economic growth during COVID-19 uncertainty in case of India and Indonesia. We use an innovative framework of Growth-at-Risk as oppose to standard macroeconomic models, which can predict the growth in a much robust way particularly when an economy is facing shocks like COVID-19. The empirical results based on Growth-at-Risk model clearly reveal that effect of COVID-19 pandemic on economic growth is much adverse in comparison to actual declines. Further, this study shows the effectiveness of monetary and financial policies undertaken by the central banks of both India and Indonesia, which have actually subsided the adverse impact of COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban mobility infrastructures are crucial in connecting people to a city and the prospects it provides. Through a critical review of literature on growth of cities in South Asia, transport initiatives and policies, and the existing transport situation, this paper highlights barriers which impact accessibility to transport and thus, ridership. As Delhi gears up to become the world's most populated city, how does its transport infrastructure fare in enabling users' ease of movement and providing opportunities to access work, education, healthcare, and social life? The paper explores how challenges to access transport are a result of interactions between several inter-sectional factors. These include an individual's social and spatial position in the city, role of transport policies in shaping road-based transport, and Delhi's growth in the form of urban sprawls which has resulted in uneven distribution of and access to services. At the core of these inter-linked factors lie the users through whom the challenges or opportunities to access transport become operationalised. By highlighting transport-related constraints, including who is considered a user and who is not, this paper pushes for more inclusive discussions on the future of transport planning, and interventions for improving accessibility. Identifying opportunities for actions and addressing gaps is imperative as Delhi witness's continuous growth and migration. This review of existing transport literature is beneficial for policy recommendations and strategies for meaningful change. • Transport policies focus on physical infrastructure over intersectional differences. • Timelines of transport use in Delhi since 20th century and transport policies since the 1950s. • 'User' is perceived as pre-dominantly male, able -bodied and adult. • Private vehicles dominate roads although higher dependence on public transport. • Transport planning focuses on physical infrastructure to combat pollution and traffic congestion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind power constitutes one of the largest forms of renewable energy in India. Many operational models have predicted wind energy in India, but most rely on satellite reanalysis data. In contrast, this paper examines historical generation data at an unprecedented granularity to understand its potential and variance. We find actual wind capacity factor (CF) during the Indian Summer Monsoon to be less than half that predicted in NREL's recent landmark production cost modeling study. Further, we find that the yearly moving average of aggregated CF exhibits a +0.640 correlation with the ENSO SOI, a widely-used climatological parameter. At the feeder level, we confirm an expected exponential relationship between average CF and turbine hub height. However, this effect is 261% more pronounced during the monsoon, a finding with troublesome implications for grid planning. We also test the assumption that higher wind turbines perform proportionately better outside of the monsoon and find no evidence to support it. Finally, we present a new method to measure the geographic smoothing effect that reduces inherent variability by 18% when compared to normalized standard deviation. We find limits to the effect of decreasing variability through geographic diversity; the effect mostly disappears at about 125 km. • Historical wind energy capacity factor is half that predicted by recent models. • Wind energy in Karnataka exhibits strong correlation with El Nino cycles. • Higher hub height leads to higher capacity factor, disproportionately during the monsoon. • New method improves method of measuring geographic smoothing effect. • Geographic smoothing in Karnataka disappears at about 125 km. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic originated from the city of Wuhan of China has highly affected the health, socio-economic and financial matters of the different countries of the world. India is one of the countries which is affected by the disease and thousands of people on daily basis are getting infected. In this paper, an analysis of daily statistics of people affected by the disease are taken into account to predict the next days trend in the active cases in Odisha as well as India. A valid global data set is collected from the WHO daily statistics and correlation among the total confirmed, active, deceased, positive cases are stated in this paper. Regression model such as Linear and Multiple Linear Regression techniques are applied to the data set to visualize the trend of the affected cases. Here a comparison of Linear Regression and Multiple Linear Regression model is performed where the score of the model R 2 tends to be 0.99 and 1.0 which indicates a strong prediction model to forecast the next coming days active cases. Using the Multiple Linear Regression model as on July month, the forecast value of 52,290 active cases are predicted towards the next month of 15th August in India and 9,358 active cases in Odisha if situation continues like this way. These models acquired remarkable accuracy in COVID-19 recognition. A strong correlation factor determines the relationship among the dependent (active) with the independent variables (positive, deceased, recovered). • Multiple linear regression model is proposed for prediction of Active cases in COVID-19 daily data. •The model predicts a value of 52,290 active cases in India and 9358 active cases in Odisha towards the 15th of August. •The ANOVA results shows a significant P value that accepts the proposed model. •Statistical results show MLR model has fair predictive potential over the LR model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts to analyse the drivers of the emerging Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) relationship between India and Africa. Using a fixed effect negative binomial model, it examines the determinants of FDI from India to 23 African countries from 2008 to 2016. The study finds that Indian FDI to Africa is a unique combination of both private sector and state driven investment. It is driven by the search for markets, and is pulled despite an adverse business environment. Indian FDI has contributed to several African countries by development of their manufacturing sector and contribution to employment, and has the potential to solve regional problems of poverty and inequality. The paper thus makes a pioneering contribution as an empirical study on OFDI from India to Africa and also to the literature on south – south FDI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the first comprehensive hourly-resolution scenario study of the Indian electricity system with a view to investigate the transition from fossil to renewable energy-based power generation. Currently, India is 76% dependent on coal for power generation, however ambitious goals exist. Energy organisations including International Renewable Energy Agency and The Energy and Resources Institute, have presented scenarios but neither with support of dynamic simulation nor with assessment of optimal renewable energy contributions. In this paper, the optimal electricity system is analyzed in comparison with these. Results show that an optimal scenario could supply the hourly electricity by (i) increasing production capacity to about 615 GW, which is a 98.3% increase compared to the 310 GW in 2016, (ii) improving capacity factor of wind power and photovoltaic to 27% and 21% respectively, (iii) increasing wind power production to 433 TWh/yr (from 46 GWh/yr in 2016), solar photovoltaic to 290 TWh/yr (12 GWh/yr in 2016), river hydro to 42 TWh/yr (7.7 GWh/yr in 2016), biomass and nuclear power of 15 GW each. The costs of the identified optimal scenario are lower than of the previous scenarios. Finally, simulations show that inclusion of optimal proportion of biomass and nuclear could avoid any import dependency. • Design and analysis of renewable energy scenarios for India. • Evaluation of the cost structure of renewable energy scenarios. • Comparison with official Indian scenarios. • Proposes the Renewable Nuclear Dependency Index (RNDI) for evaluating scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the key socioeconomic and cultural-demographic factors that determine rural women's labour contributions in agriculture in India, both on family farms (either as cultivators or as family labour) and as agricultural wage labourer. Based on the analysis of primary data derived from a survey of 800 households from the two Indian states of Gujarat and West Bengal, it establishes that women's work in the farm sector cannot be homogenized. Women's work as additional hands in family farms differs from that as wage labourers which is casual in nature; their work also differs across different regions. In the commercialized, relatively more developed state of Gujarat, women's labour contributions are significantly different from West Bengal's less commercialized agrarian economy. The paper concludes that feminization of agriculture in India is distress-led where it has both class (defined with income in Gujarat) and caste (social groups) connotations in Gujarat, while mainly economic factors influence women's work in the farm sector in West Bengal. • Feminization of agriculture in India is distress-led. • Feminization of agriculture varies depending upon the nature of cropping, family income and other social factors. • In areas of relatively low incomes, increase in cash incomes does not reduce women's work on family farms or as wage labour. • Male migration is an important factor that determines women's role on farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the global South, agricultural cooperatives are increasingly promoted as part of participatory rural development strategies and means for the enhancement of women's economic and social empowerment. But in cooperative decision making and the acquisition of leadership positions women are often marginalized. It has been argued that women-only groups may help to counter this problem. They may increase women's active participation and, thereby, increase the benefits of cooperative membership. This paper reviews relevant literature and studies the effect of gender homogeneity on women's active participation. We apply a Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to a sample of ten Indian village-level dairy cooperatives. The results from our comparative case study confirm that gender homogeneity is not a sufficient means to ensure active participation. It is only in combination with other factors, that women-only groups can enhance women's participation. Our paper identifies and discusses combinations of such factors and draws conclusions for development programs and further research. • Qualitative Comparative Analysis to study women's active participation. • Women face structural barriers in cooperative formation and management. • Gender homogeneity contributes to women's active participation. • Caste homogeneity or the absence of elite control facilitate active participation in women-only cooperatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Identified 30 agro-ecosystem specific sustainability indicators. • Sustainability indicators help in mapping the climate resilience of agriculture. • We propose a framework, "Climate Risk Management Package for Agriculture (CRiMPA)", to aid in planning interventions. The impending threats of changing climate have been well documented across sectors. The climate risks are best addressed through increasing adaptive capacity and building resilience. Ever since the global call during the Rio Summit in 1992 for establishing sustainability indicators across sectors, there have been several studies across the world on developing indicators for sustainability, vulnerability and climate resilience. Agriculture, the most vulnerable system to changing climate, depends on the resilience of both social and ecological systems. This paper focuses on integrating the variability of climate into the agricultural sustainability measurement with a broad base of indicators and bringing in the localized factors for representing the agroecosystem specificities. The paper also aims at identifying indicators for measuring climate resilient agriculture in Indian sub-continent and developing a conceptual framework for profiling the spatial resilience across various agro-ecosystems for appropriate location-specific policy interventions. In the current study 1209 indicators used in various research studies were screened, grouped for similarity and purpose and classified based on the various dimensions viz., social, economic, ecological, etc. After a critical review based on their appropriateness as a measurable indicator, extent of overlap, relevance in Indian context and possible data availability, 41 indicators were shortlisted for validation through a comprehensive structured online survey among subject matter specialists (n = 225). The responses from the experts (n = 36) were analysed using weighted sum model (WSM) and analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The study identifies a list of 30 sustainability indicators for climate resilient agriculture in India, that are particularly suitable for different agro-ecosystems of the sub-continent. The authors advocate an action-oriented model called Climate Risk Management Package for Agriculture (CRiMPA) to aid in planning spatial/agro-ecosystem specific interventions, which in turn could strengthen the National Action Plan for Climate Change (NAPCC) of Government of India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biogas is a locally accessible and renewable energy source that can be generated from organic feedstocks under anaerobic conditions. This paper aims to assess the future biogas potential in India from varied sources (crops residues, animal manure, municipal solid wastes, municipal and industrial wastewater). The study uses a bottom-up, resource focused approach for the assessment of biogas potential. The paper assess agriculture and animal residues as well as generation, collection and availability of municipal and industrial waste for biogas production. The results show considerable potential of biogas in the next two decades due to rising waste generation and deployment of infrastructure for improving waste collection efficiency. The analysis estimates that the biogas potential ranges from 310 to 655 billion m3/year in the year 2040 depending upon availability of different resources. The estimated biogas potential in the year 2040 is around 36% of India's current (2015) total primary energy supply in the high availability scenario. Finally, the paper offers policy recommendations aimed at realizing the biogas potential. • Future Biogas potential from animal and agricultural based waste resource in India is estimated. • Bottom-up resource based approach is used for assessment. • Estimated future biogas potential is around 12.8 EJ in 2040. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global health organizations focused on nutrition have developed an intense focus on the first 1000-days of human life (from the point of conception to age 2) as the time where the right nutrition and care will determine personal health and global economic futures. Based on epidemiology and lab-based bioscience, this has led to a global policy consensus that promotes a set of 'essential interventions' focused on the bodies of mother to ensure productive global futures. Building on scholars arguments that 1000-days consensus is predicated on a logic of anticipatory action, this paper uses the two distinct orientations of the concept of contingency to understand both how this narrative has achieved global prominence, and how it has manifested in particular configurations within India. First, this paper investigates how the 1000-days discourse's ascendance has been achieved through the notion of future life as open-ended contingency. It argues that this specter of future/threat opportunity is then rendered governable through the use of affective practices that quantitatively imagine dystopic global futures of malnourished bodies and stagnant economies, and then makes hope-based appeals to biomedical, nutrition interventions to secure continued economic growth. Second, the paper analyzes qualitative data from Indian policy actors that demonstrates how the 1000-days discourse is refracted across India. I find that Indian responses to such a consensus have been mixed due to the particular socio-political legacies of India as a postcolonial space, and also to a certain level of happenstance and the socio-spatial intermingling of everyday life. This paper's main argument is that while the threat/opportunity of future contingency discursively drives 1000-days, it is simultaneously geographical contingency that complicates the ways it materializes in the particular space of India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Racial and extractive capitalism intersect with devastating effects in India. • Exploitation occurs via the extraction of land and labour under discriminatory laws. • Racial and extractive capitalism are distinctly gendered. • The idea of racial capitalism correlates with caste and tribal oppression. • Extractive and racial capitalism are enabled through humiliation and disgust. • Adivasi and Dalit resistance to humiliation and extractivism provide hope. While the Government of India has made numerous statements about its 'green' credentials, extractive capitalism continues at an escalating pace across the country under increasingly brutal authoritarianism. This paper provides a case study of extractive capitalism in Adivasi and Dalit communities in Birbhum, West Bengal, in an area dominated by stone crusher industries. Through this example, this article argues that extractive capitalism combines with racial capitalism, resulting in devastating consequences in modern India. These effects can be seen in the concurrent violence enacted against Adivasi and Dalit land and labour under a law which is discriminatory and disciplinary. Drawing on Dalit feminist literature and the work of scholars on caste and racial capitalism, this paper illustrates that exploitation can only occur through mainstream disgust for Adivasis and Dalits – attempting to extract not only from their land, but from their bodies also. Yet these findings show that Adivasis and Dalits also clearly demonstrate resistance to psychological subjugation. This paper thus provides unique insights into the way that racial and extractive capitalism intersect in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities are the physical embodiment of power, capital and state control. Yet urban centres are heterogeneous and multiple counter-cities are created within the bounds of the city – contesting the mainstream logic of capital accumulation and hierarchical relationships of power. While one may first envision counter-cities as large sites of protest and consciously alternative communities, everyday counter-cities are also possible. This article combines three theories to develop a framework of everyday counter-cities, drawing together subaltern urbanism, prefiguration and reciprocal relations of care. This paper uses this framework to analyse qualitative research conducted with communities in two informal settlements of migrant communities in Kolkata to explain how these seemingly ordinary places form counter-cities. This paper draws on these examples to argue that a counter-city founded on an ethos of care and anticipatory action for the future is possible, even within situations of high income disparity and inequality. • Everyday subaltern communities create counter-cities based on hope and care. • A counter-city illustrates reciprocal care, prefiguration and subaltern urbanism. • A counter-city represents the intersection of social relations, space and temporality. • Migrant communities in Kolkata are ostracised but resist the label of 'slums' of despair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greenhouse gas emissions and PM2.5 pollution from vehicular exhausts and the consequent negative externalities underline the urgency of investigating low-carbon pathways for the freight sector. This paper undertakes a comprehensive analysis to determine the implications of a modal shift in the freight sector for the environment, energy systems and the economy. Stakeholder consultations are used to develop the qualitative narratives that are further used to set the parameters in energy-economy optimization models for deriving quantitative pathways. Our analysis includes four scenarios: Current Policy (CPS), Road Focused (FROAD), Rail Technology (TRAIL) and Harmonized Multimodal (HMML). The HMML scenario follows a balanced approach harmonizing the twin goals of reducing imported fuels and carbon emissions that can simultaneously assist in achieving development and decarbonization targets. Our results show that the HMML scenario based on the multimodal approach of creating a level playing field for all modes can reduce fossil fuel imports by 87.6% and CO 2 emissions by 96%, relative to CPS in 2050. The HMML scenario also envisages significant macroeconomic benefits – the cost of logistics as a percentage of GDP falls to 11%, and there are cumulative foreign exchange savings of 3.8 trillion USD from 2016 to 2050. However, electrification, the leading technology for the respective decarbonizing modes, will need policies that enhance research and innovation on batteries and infrastructure investments for charging along national and state highways. The main policy insight from our analysis is that multimodal logistics policy needs to be designed in alignment with clean energy-based electrification policy and national rail plans so that uniform rules from the origin govern all modes to the destination of goods transport. • Modelling energy economy to analyse implications of modal shift. • Combining stakeholder consultations with quantitative evaluations. • Multimodal approach achieves development and mitigation goals at the same time. • Over 80% of savings on imports of fossil fuels are possible by 2050 relative to the current policy scenario. • Cumulative foreign exchange savings of 3.8 trillion USD can be achieved from 2016 to 2050. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]