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Fish, crab, prawns and other seafood are among the animal-derived foods that are regarded as the safest in contemporary world in terms of enhancing food security. Globally, aquaculture is growing rapidly. India has a big impact on aquaculture due to its proximity to water. In the dynamic context of aquaculture ponds, the interactions between water quality factors are complicated. For instance, unbalanced temperature and pH conditions may make ammonia more dangerous. In poor quality water, fish do eat, but the calories are changed to promote health rather than development. When the water is of high quality, animals can defend themselves most effectively. In this paper, the proposed model monitors and controls fish growth, detection of aquatic animal illnesses and Water Quality Index (WQI). Automated aquaculture employing Arduino and image enhancement techniques are used mainly to spot fish infections. Additionally, management of aqua system is employed to generate high-quality aqua food for customers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global energy needs are growing continuously, and there is now more focus on renewable energy sources. Solar Photovoltaic (PV) and wind have the major contribution among utility-level renewable energy sources. In India, till now gridconnected solar PV systems do not follow any specialized controls for grid support during disturbance and they isolate the solar PV system immediately with the help of anti-islanding technique. The paper presents a synchronous reference frame-based current control technique for solar PV inverters with low voltage ride-through control. A detailed performance analysis of grid-connected solar PV systems with and without low voltage ride-through control for various types of grid faults has been carried out. Various parameters like active and reactive power injection, circuit breaker opening time, dc-link voltage magnitude and voltage magnitude at the Point of Common Coupling (PCC) are recorded for symmetrical and unsymmetrical faults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power system operation has become more complex with larger use of renewable energy sources, strict requirements of environmental controls, and need to maintain adequate security and stability norms. To meet the environmental norms now, Flue-Gas Desulphurization (FGD) plants have to be installed in old thermal power plants. With larger share of wind and solar energy resources, flexible operation of conventional thermal and hydro power plants is needed. The paper reviews various recent issues pertaining to power system operation in India and the challenges posed to ensure efficient grid operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carbon dioxide produced by cement industries causes environmental pollution and global warming. In 1000 Kg of cement manufacturing processes, approximately 900 Kg of CO2 is emitted. In order to reduce the impact of cement production on atmosphere, waste bi-products are used as admixture. In India, every year 75 million tons of fly ash, which are rich in silica, are disposed to landfill as waste. Also, Egg Shell Powders (ESP), which are rich in calcium, are thrown away as waste. In the paper, these two wastes are used as a partial replacement of cement, and various properties like workability, compressive strength, split tensile strength and flexural strength are studied. ESP was varied up to 15.0% (0%, 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, 10%, 12.5% and 15%) and fly ash was added to cement from 0% to 30% (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% and 30%). The results further showed that addition of fly ash along with ESP is beneficial for improved performance of concretes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents experimental studies conducted on two grades of High Performance Concrete (HPC) mixes of M50 and M60 using mineral and chemical admixtures in various proportions. The main purpose of this investigation is to develop confidence among user agencies in India to use mineral and chemical admixtures in a desirable proportion in most of the construction works. Overall, the paper highlights the usage of admixtures to achieve high strength concrete mixes and from the experimental investigation, it is clear that mineral admixtures contribute effectively a lot not only for achieving durability but also high strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most overlooked entity in smart grid is the consumer. Consumers include residential, commercial and industrial loads. At the consumer end, it is always possible to manage and optimize the usage of electricity in a better way. Further, the study on existing residential layout is less explored but highly recommended for smart grid/micro-grid implementation. In Indian residential wiring scheme, power along with ordinary wiring is in standard practice. Emerging research on smart grid needs a framework on residential wiring for desired results. The paper exploits the layout for better electrification with minimum expenditure. A comprehensive literature survey on smart grid into residential electrification, a numerical feasibility study of DC power supply for residential lightloads and a feasibility study on smart community for future smart grid are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents experimental studies conducted on two grades of High Performance Concrete (HPC) mixes of M70 and M80 using mineral and chemical admixtures in various proportions. The main purpose of this investigation is to develop confidence among user agencies in India to use mineral and chemical admixtures in a desirable proportion in most of the construction works. Overall, the paper highlights the usage of admixtures to achieve high strength concrete mixes, and from the experimental investigation, it is clear that mineral admixtures contribute effectively a lot not only for achieving durability, but also high strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forests are the renewable resources, which are under continuous threat due to various anthropogenic interferences. The present paper discusses the risk caused due to the residual forest patches of eastern ghats of Andhra Pradesh, India, and the actions to be taken to protect them before they go into the phase of extinction. The paper focuses mainly on the significance of Kondapalli reserved forest of eastern ghats and on the role of anthropogenic factors in modifying the structure of these forests and on the possible causative and underlying factors that drive such changes. Though Kondapalli forest was declared as reserve forest, it is subjected to human disturbances, threatening the biodiversity and its population. The establishment of industries near to this forest and easy movement of people into the forest have caused a lot of damage to the vegetation. Encroachment, indiscriminate cutting of trees and haphazard grazing in forest areas have resulted in vast stretches of useless degraded scrub, eroded soils and bare hills. In this context, there is a need to analyze the current status of these forests and suggest measures to retain the remnant forests and recover wherever possible, thus providing various types of resources and for becoming a repository for biodiversity of the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the isolation of a Bacillus species from the industrial effluent of a textile industry in Bangalore that was heavily contaminated with congo red along with other azo dyes. Congo red is a carcinogenic direct diazo dye. Azo compounds constitute the largest and the most diverse group of synthetic dyes and are widely used in a number of industries such as textile, food, cosmetics and paper printing. They are generally recalcitrant to biodegradation due to their xenobiotic nature. However, microorganisms, being highly versatile, have developed enzyme systems for the decolorization and mineralization of azo dyes under certain environmental conditions. In our study, a wide range of bacterial species were isolated from the industrial effluent, and the chemical analysis of the water showed very high concentration of congo red. Cultural, microscopical and biochemical tests showed that Bacillus formed the major biomass. The microscopical tests included the Gram's staining of the bacteria, endospore staining and motility study. The biochemical activity of the bacteria was confirmed by a set of tests that included IMViC, starch hydrolysis, oxidase test, etc. The growth studies showed that the Bacillus species utilized congo red at different concentrations ranging from 25-100 mg L-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present scenario, the Indian economy has undergone a number of reforms resulting in market-oriented economy. The Indian government has witnessed the reform when it has taken steps towards liberalization and globalization of the economy. The expectations of various stakeholders can be achieved only by good corporate governance. This paper analyzes the difference in the Indian capital market law and the international standards of corporate governance. Corporate governance refers to the set of systems, principles and processes by which a company is governed. They provide guidelines as to how the company can be directed or controlled to fulfill its goals and objectives of the company. The paper discusses various committee reports and their recommendations on corporate governance and analyzes the reasons for the failure of governance in the US by highlighting the present position in India. It concludes with comparing the recent trends in corporate governance in India, the US and the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Almost all recent constitutions across the globe establish a general obligation on the part of the State and a duty for citizens to protect the environment. International obligations also pave the way to the passing of specific laws on environment protection. In recent times, wetlands conservation has taken a new dimension from the global perspective. Conservation of wetlands depends on a series of important relationship between--wetlands, people and human institutions; land and water use within beyond national boundaries; legal instruments at international, national and local levels; scientific, ecological, and economic, approaches in wetland management; regulatory and non-regulatory mechanisms for its conservation; interdisciplinary study, incentive-based approaches, etc., these are important tools which facilitate the wetland restoration efforts. This paper is an attempt to focus on the existing Indian laws and how far our legal mechanisms support the nature conservation especially on wetlands habitat. The developments took place in the aftermath of Ramsar Convention and its implementation in India; the various international legal documents encourage the restoration of wetlands, financial incentives for conservation programs, and a brief note on the methods followed in the developed countries, its practical utility and applicability to our systems, the present position in India and other countries, are the central issues being addressed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the rise and fall of the status of women from Vedic era to the present times. The legal environment governing sexual harassment at the workplace, as contained in international instruments and the resultant obligation of the central legislature to make domestic law, have been examined. The concern of the apex court of India to fill the legislative vacuum in exercise of its plenary powers under the law of the country by undertaking the task of legislation, by structuring comprehensive guidelines to remedy the situation and to operate during the interregnum as binding law under Art. 141, has been explained. The paper vividly describes the tenacity of the apex court as to how it is making use of every opportunity to supplement the legal position to make the law much more strict and pungent. Further, the contemporary issues fastening the strict and vicarious liability on the employees for the tortuous acts of its employees against its women employees are discussed. It further stresses the need for bringing in the much awaited Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention and Redressal) Bill, 2004. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is geared towards analyzing the increasing Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) activity in the banking sector seeking to assess if the efforts undertaken in that direction are commensurate with the rewards promised. The introductory section of the paper deals with policy considerations at the national and international level supporting bank mergers. Next, the focus shifts to the benefits and losses that are likely to arise to a bank in case of a merger. This is followed by an analysis of the substantial procedural norms which act as a disincentive for the same, and the incentives provided by law in order to encourage bank mergers. Finally the paper seeks to balance the above-mentioned factors in order to answer the preliminary question--are bank mergers desirable? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an attempt has been made at Sweta sub basin, Kallar basin, Tamil Nadu, where sites for groundwater exploration have been demarcated applying geophysics and GIS technique using Arc GIS software. In this paper, the geophysical output was taken to GIS platform, where the point scoring of the individual theme followed by the final map was assessed to predict the water bearing formation. The total work is executed with the weighted rating analysis in GIS environment. Spatial and non-spatial data was analyzed in GIS in a quick and efficient way. The term 'geographic' in GIS refers to the locational attributes which define the spatial positioning of the piece of information on the face of the earth. The advent of digital computers with high data processing speed and the development of analytical tools in GIS have helped in handling geographically referenced data with ease and flexibility. Of late, computer-aided GIS has become a reality. Using of GIS in hydrogeology is only at its inception, but there have been cases of some successful applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incumbent upon giving effect to the mandate of gender equality as envisaged under Article 39(d) of the Constitution, the Equal Remuneration Act, was enacted in 1976 to bring into force the policy of 'equal pay for equal work for men and women'. The present paper examines the ambit and limits of this broad principle upon the examination of the decisions made by the Indian judiciary, in matters relating to carvings by affected parties seeking the enforcement of gender equality standards, where hardly a few exist in India. The paper begins with an appraisal of the principles laid down in the Constitution and thereupon examining the Act, goes on to analyze the decisions, in turn aiming to identify the interpretative trends meted out by the Courts to the principle at hand, and thereby ascertaining the contours and ambit of the principle as it stands today. The paper also highlights the stretching of the principle from being one of gender equality, towards being a potent tool concomitant to Article 14's broad principle of equality itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this era of globalization, where we are breathing the quintessence of free trade, the contribution of aquaculture as an industry is significant. Biotechnology, globally recognized as a rapidly emerging and far reaching technology, is aptly described as the 'technology of hope' for its contribution to food, health and environmental sustainability. This paper explores those aspects of environmental law which are related to the application of biotechnology, its regulation and its sustainable use in aquaculture industry for the country's development and progress. Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic organism in fresh, brackish or salt water to produce various aquatic organisms through scientific methods. The tremendous rise in the global trade of aquatic organism has resulted in indiscriminate practices of aquaculture, which has led to degradation of marine ecology and has caused irreparable damage to the environment. This paper also aims at identifying the challenges posed by the modern practices of aquaculture as compared to the traditional practices and finding out ways and means through the regulated use of biotechnology to address these challenges, and to develop a sustainable approach towards aquaculture. Furthermore, it concentrates on the risk assessment and risk management related to the use of biotechnology in aquaculture and also analyzes the capacity and implementation challenges in respect of developing countries. This paper addresses many of the issues that have arisen from the use of modern biotechnology in the aquaculture industry. The discussion becomes more important in the absence of adequate legal regulation in respect of aquaculture or biotechnology. The paper concludes by submitting recommendations and suggestions about the sustainable use of aquaculture through the use of biotechnology to protect the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the details of the Employee Provident Fund (EPF) schemes in India and provides a brief account of the same in Malaysia and Sri Lanka. The EPFs in India have evolved as welfare measures for the benefit of the employees working in factories and other establishments under Part IV Directive Principles of State Policy, Article 41 of the Constitution of India. The provisions in the 'Employees' Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952' in India are explained in detail in this paper. The Central Board of Trustees administers three schemes-EPF, EDLIS and EPS under the Act. The Second National Commission on Labor has made certain recommendations for the improvement of this Act. A comparative description of the provisions in the EPF schemes in Malaysia and Sri Lanka is also made in this paper. The author suggests that the present eligibility criteria for this social security scheme, which is now confined to the establishments having 20 or more employees and also the individual employees' wage ceiling of Rs. 6,500, is to be removed so that this scheme can also be extended to the workers in the small-scale establishments also. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trade liberalization and improved access to the world's markets lie at the heart of the sustainable development paradigm for developing countries. It can be growth in aggregate income and its distribution across various economic segments of society, efficiency in allocation of resources, generation of finances for development, or transfer and application of improved technologies and best practices. The expansion and diversification of export opportunities, including diversification into higher value products, also intensified the debate regarding the environmental protection measures and the international trade. The debate on the impact of trade liberalization has intensified with a growing literature on the effects of international trade on the environment. Many participants in the trade and environment debate fear that there could be conflicts between trade liberalization and environmental concerns. The issues of environmental regulation and international competitiveness revolve around the question of harmonization of standards and it is generally observed that competitive deregulation could lead to downward harmonization of environmental standards. This paper addresses reconciliation of these two--somewhat disparate--points of view. It discusses the key issues related to market access, particularly the impact of environmental measures on the access from an Indian perspective in case of two products : (1) marine products, and (2) tea. This paper covers a canvas that includes a background discussion on market access issues related to environmental requirements, emergence of environment-related issues in the WTO agenda, environmental provisions in various agreements that could pose a non-tariff barrier, discussion on experiences with specific non-tariff barriers that have posed a market access concern in individual exportable sectors of India, along with developments in domestic regulation often in response to external requirements. This paper concludes by recapitulating India's past submissions on Item 6 of the CTE agenda relating to market access issues and providing the way forward. Clearly, the thrust is on developing a position or stand for India that is based on sound logic and concrete experiences from specific export-oriented industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper provides an insight into the commodity derivative trading in India. It provides a first sight of the features of the commodity market and puts forth the legal and regulatory regime governing the commodity market in India. The authors through this paper have focused on the amendments sought to be made in the Forward Contracts Regulation Act (FCRA), 1952. The paper is an attempt to evaluate the scope for the entry of banks into the commodity futures and its resultant legal and regulatory implications. Bank credit recovery is influenced by the prices of commodities, and hence, banks also need to play the trading game as part of risk management of credit. Allowing banks to participate in futures market would boost liquidity and turnover volumes and thus indirectly provide a cover against fluctuations in security values of commodities. The entry of banks into futures could be by lending to farmers or cooperatives with a condition that they should sell their commodities in the market under futures contracts. Futures market can be made more competitive by allowing the participation of mutual funds, banks and other financial institutions. Banks as main suppliers of food credit and major financiers of trading in commodities can play a significant role in stabilizing the futures market and hence there is an urgent need to provide a suitable legal and regulatory framework for the entry of banks into this domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to meet the growing load demand, the power utilities are transferred to restructuring process. The real power can be transmitted from the power producer to the customer for long distances. The reactive power is the background power which is necessary to transfer the real power in the power system. But the reactive power is absorbed by the transmission lines, transformers and high inductive loads. Hence the reactive power demand can be met by local regulating devices. It is mandatory to know the contribution of reactive power delivered by the regulating devices for the particular load condition. This paper presents the intuition of power flow tracing techniques to determine the amount of reactive power delivered by the regulating devices. The simulation results are compared using three different reactive power evaluation methods, namely, equivalent reactive compensation method, modified Ybus method and virtual power flow approach method. The contribution of individual power sources towards the reactive power is demonstrated on WSCC9 bus system and Indian utility 62 bus system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy is playing a major role in the modern distribution systems in India. All the renewable energy sources are connected to grid and load simultaneously. But many power quality issues are raised while connecting the renewable energy sources to the grid. This paper describes the FACTS principles in supplying power to the grid and load in a distribution system and proposes a typical configuration for a 3-phase grid connected system that consists of a DC/DC converter supplied by a photovoltaic energy system at the battery storage. Series and shunt inverters are used to enhance the power quality and reliability at the point of common coupling. A suitable seriess-hunt controller is employed for controlling the photovoltaic inverters under balanced/unbalanced load currents. The operation of the proposed system is simulated with MATLAB/Simulink. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As more and more emphasis is being laid on nonlinear analysis of Reinforced Concrete (RC)-framed structures subjected to earthquake excitation, the research and development on both nonlinear static (pushover) analysis as well as nonlinear dynamic (time history) analysis are in the forefront. Due to prohibitive computational time and efforts required to perform a complete nonlinear dynamic analysis, researchers and designers all over the world are showing keen interest in nonlinear static pushover analysis. The paper presents the overview of seismic provisions in Indian seismic codes published by the Bureau of Indian Standards with regard to seismic analysis and design. Since the country lies in earthquake-prone area and many of the past earthquakes have high number of casualties due to collapse of buildings and dwellings, an attempt has been made to present the complete details of methodology in a probabilistic manner to assess the seismic risk of RC buildings based on pushover analysis due to nonexistence/availability of code practices in the Indian context. Thus, the format may be used as a guideline for seismic risk analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, India requires construction of many houses at right prices because of huge housing shortage. With the use of conventional or traditional materials and technology, it is not possible to complete the construction of buildings with rapid pace. Therefore, the industry must use some alternative materials and technology for fast-track building construction. The paper presents a comparative study on time and cost of building made up of three different structural systems like Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC), steel and composite structures. Taking the same plan, floor area, floor-to-floor height and loading conditions, the building was designed considering three structural systems, and the structural element cost was calculated for all the three structures. Microsoft Project (2003) (MSP) was used for time scheduling, and the optimum time required for building construction with the three structural systems was calculated. In comparison with RCC structure, steel structure saves 18.66% and composite structure saves 32.02% in construction time, thereby providing savings in net cost. The cost of construction of composite steel structure is 41.28% higher when compared to RCC structure and cost of steel structure is 38.19% higher when compared to RCC structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The challenge for civil engineering community today is to develop such technology which takes into account the concept of sustainable development considering the environmental impact on it. In this paper, the author has tried to use such materials for developing concrete, which are considered as waste material. India produces nearly 160 million tons of fly ash every year. The steel and alloys of steel plants produce tons of slag. Similarly, the stone dust production in stone crushing machine site is piling up every day. These huge quantities of waste are being disposed in the landfills. The author has investigated the effects of the replacements of stone by blast furnace slag, partial replacement of cement by fly ash and sand by stone dust, on the strength parameters of normal concrete. It has been observed that concrete made with 30% replacement of cement by fly ash, stone dust as fine aggregate and stone chips as coarse aggregate can be effectively used in place of conventional concrete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infrastructures are constructed with reinforced and prestressed concrete. For quality assurance and quality control, non-destructive techniques are adopted. In India, rebound hammer and ultrasonic pulse velocity test are widely used. Most of the time, it becomes necessary to find the reinforcements and ducts present in the concrete structure. Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), shortly called radar, is one of the advanced non-destructive techniques, used for inspection of concrete structures, pavements and to detect reinforcements and ducts in concrete. It is also used for quality assessment and to locate flaws inside the concrete. It is based on the propagation of short electromagnetic waves of frequency 1.0 GHz to 2.5 GHz. This paper focuses on the detection of reinforcements and ducts which are present inside the concrete and simulated specimens. The effect of grid spacing during the collection of data is an important parameter in locating the reinforcements and ducts. The effect of grid spacing that is effective in identifying the reinforcements and ducts was studied and reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study area, upper Gadilam River basin, is located in Vizhupuram district of Tamil Nadu. The number of energized wells in this area has increased manifold due to free supply of electric power until recently by the government of Tamil Nadu, which has resulted in a regional decline in groundwater piezometric heads in this water table aquifer. A hydrogeological study was carried out in the study area. This paper deals with aquifer parameters estimation based on the pumping test data generated in the field. Water level observations in the area indicated that aquifer has undergone less stress condition within the course of time from the yesteryears or early 1995 to June 2004. Transmissivity computed by Theis (1935) method ranges from 301.82 gpd/sq. ft at Ponniyandal to 19,910.14 gpd/sq. ft in Pallavadi towards south central part of the study area. The specific capacity has a range of 0.906 gpm/ft. of dd in Ponniyandal to 121.91 gpm/ft of dd at Kottaiyampalayam in the eastern central part of the study area. Groundwater level in the basin by rainfall recharge and hydrodynamic method is estimated as 69 million cu.m of recharge and 33 million cu. m of groundwater storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indian trainer aircraft has two starter-generator of 6 kW and 9 kW capacity with respective independent Generator Control and Protection Units (GCPUs). GCPU provides control and protection to the starter-generator of trainer aircraft. Testing the voltage regulation capability of GCPU during the generating mode of starter-generator is a very important aspect of qualification testing of GCPU. Portable test rig designed for this purpose was used in qualification testing. The following aspects are covered in the paper: methodology to generate output voltage characteristics of starter-generator in generating mode; methodology to verify and validate that the portable test rig output voltage characteristics are similar to that of starter-generator in generating mode; and simulation studies on the circuit of the portable test rig designed to implement the output voltage characteristics of starter-generator during generating mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an analysis of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission projections for grid-connect thermal power generation in India till 2030. Future power generation projections are obtained by utilizing an integrated power and energy planning tool. The optimal mix of thermal power generation from coal, natural gas and diesel is found by using a multiperiod generalized network flow model. Using a novel hybrid approach, the study, comprising different scenarios of thermal power generation efficiencies, highlights an important national strategy for low carbon growth [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carnation, a high value commercial cut flower crop, is cultivated in India both for domestic and export market. In our study, we aimed at increasing the multiplication of microshoots for supplying quality planting material to farmers. This paper reports the effect of various growth regulators on maximizing the production of quality microshoots measuring 2-4 cm length, which is found to be efficient in rooting and field establishment. The supplementation of GA3 was found to be essential for maximizing the regeneration of microshoots. A comparative study between the effect of BA and Kinetin indicated that BA had positive impact on number of leaves per explant and total number of microshoots regenerated. Addition of BA at 1 ppm maximized the production of number of desired microshoots (2-4 cm). The media supplemented with combination of GA3 (0.25 ppm), BA (1 ppm) and NAA (0.25 ppm) was found to be the best for production of quality microshoots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term performance of structures has become vital to the economies of all nations. Concrete has been the major instrument for providing stable and reliable infrastructure. Deterioration, long-term poor performance and inadequate resistance to hostile environment coupled with greater demands for more sophisticated architectural form led to the accelerated research into the microstructure of cements and concretes and more elaborate codes and standards. As a result, innovation of supplementary materials and composites has been developed. In other side, India has an enormous growth in the steel and copper industries yielding many by-products. If the by-products, such as copper slag and Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS) are not disposed of properly, they may cause environmental hazards to the surrounding area. Considering the long-term performance and stability of structures, it is planned to replace some percentage of fine aggregate with copper slag and some percentage of cement with GGBS to develop High Performance Concrete (HPC). The paper presents an experimental investigation to assess the durability parameters of HPC with the industrial wastes. Durability parameters such as water absorption and chloride penetration were studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use/land cover mapping serves as a basic inventory of land resources throughout the world. Detecting and analyzing the quantitative changes along the earth's surface has become necessary and advantageous because it can result in proper planning, which would ultimately result in improvement in infrastructure development, and economic and industrial growth. This paper examines the changes in land use/land cover types in Tiruchirappalli city, Tamil Nadu from 1998-2006, using remote sensing technology and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The spatial and temporal changes of land use/land cover were analyzed through visual interpretation and image classification of IRS remote sensing data collected for years 1998, 2002 and 2006. The results of the study indicated an overall growth in built-up land by 80% over a span of eight years, with an incredible boost (58%) in development from 1998-2002. The area under agricultural wet land was found to have decreased from 3,776 ha to 2,689 ha, with an increase in agricultural dry land from 814 ha to 1,058 ha during this period, suggesting the wastage of land due to excessive use of fertilizers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater plays an important role in our life support system as it is being used for different designated uses, especially drinking purpose. But due to unplanned urban development and development in both industrial and agricultural sectors, groundwater quality has deteriorated, resulting in groundwater pollution. Groundwater pollution a become a worldwide problem nowadays. Diffusion of urban sources like runoff from city streets, gardening and commercial activities in urban environment and effluent's from industrial sites also aggravate the problem of groundwater pollution. Even some workers have reported the presence of pesticides in the groundwater beyond the permissible limit. The pesticides join the watercourses through different pathways—the runoff from agricultural lands, industrial and urban effluents, spray operations for crop and disease vector control, etc.—and may ultimately reach the groundwater through infiltration and percolation. The pesticides may impart toxicity to the groundwater and cause various health hazards. A number of studies have been carried out by different workers covering the water quality aspects of groundwater. In the present paper, the status of the groundwater quality of India has been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper deals with the study of fungal floral distribution at two stations Srirangam and Mukkombu during the months from February to June 2004. A systematic study on 41 species was carried out. Of these 41 species, 30 could be included under Deuteromycetes and the remaining 11 species belonged to phycomycetes. Total absence of Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes was noticed in both stations, Srirangam and Mukkombu. Of the total 41 species, 11 belonged to station-I and the rest belonged to station-II. Station-II samples exhibited more fungi than station-I. The abundance of species in station-II was due to higher moisture condition caused by shady trees, less turbidity and abundance of substratum, i.e., drift wood and submerged wood. The soft wood nature of substratum in station-II also favored the abundance of species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper gives a broad overview of the work carried out by the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) in determining the post-seismic effect of the December 26, 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake on the Indian plate, using space-based technology, the GPS. A GPS network established by the IITB along the western coast of the Indian peninsular was considered for this purpose, observed and analyzed thoroughly, in order to investigate the potential of GPS technology in studying Earth dynamics. To understand the pattern of movement of the Earth's surface to the effect of the large Sumatra-Andaman earthquake, the magnitude and, most importantly, the direction of deformation of the GPS network were estimated. The GPS-estimated deformations were thereby used as indicators to identify any change in the Earth surface movement due to the large external force caused by the 2004 earthquake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a study on the seismic performance and vulnerability of school buildings in the rural areas of Uttarakhand. Masonry is a common material of construction for buildings, but it is well-known for its seismic vulnerability. A typical building plan was selected on the basis of a preliminary survey of schools in three districts of Uttarakhand. Four quality levels of masonry reported in the literature were considered in the analysis to represent the variability in the material properties. Equivalent frame method was used for modeling the building. Nonlinear static (pushover) analysis was carried out to determine the performance of the building using SAP 2000. A new model to simulate the nonlinear behavior of masonry piers was developed, incorporating the sliding, rocking and diagonal shear in a single set of plastic hinges. Fragility curves were obtained using an approach based on spectral displacements and the damage probability matrices were obtained for the expected peak ground acceleration (PGA) values in the region. It is observed that the buildings have unacceptable performance and very high vulnerability for severe ground shaking represented by the maximum considered earthquake for the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the detailed physicochemical characteristics of groundwater resources from different lithological units in the Siliguri subdivision of Darjeeling district which have been evaluated on 18 parameters. The study reveals that groundwater is hard and contains more iron percentage than the permissible limit. The concentrations of calcium, magnesium and fluoride ions are significantly lower than the safe limits prescribed for drinking purpose, causing health hazards, such as cardiovascular problems, gastrointestinal irritation, dental caries, respiratory disorders and spinal cord system diseases. The rapid soil erosion and the associated runoff were caused by geomorphological conditions, deforestation due to shifting cultivation, and climatic factors, which are probably responsible for the low concentration of groundwater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of information and digital technology has rapidly increased the number of internet users. Many countries, including India, have enacted legislations to regulate the activities related to Internet. The Government of India has passed Information Technology Act in 2000 and further amended it on October 27, 2009, which gave fillip to cyber law. Though the amended Act contains considerable changes, the issues such as copyright, payment issues, media convergence, domain name, cybersquating and jurisdiction still remain unsolved. Infringement over Internet and piracy of copyrighted works are considered as big threats hampering the growth of the Internet, e-commerce and digital economy. Dissemination of computer virus, hacking and disabling the network system are still the challenging tasks for corporate houses, service providers, and the internet users. This paper suggests that there is a need for an appropriate legislation, policies and strong legal institutions to effectively enforce cyber laws for the promotion of e-commerce and reduction of copyright related disputes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earthquakes are most uncertain and complex to predict. They may occur in any region in the seismic belts across the world. The damage caused by earthquakes is unimaginable and its impact on infrastructure and human beings is difficult to calculate. In order to minimize the damage, various measures have been taken into consideration and implemented in civil engineering structures. India has been divided into various zones based on the severity of the earthquakes of the past. However this zoning refers to a vast area in designing, and hence, an attempt has been made in this paper to carry out a site-specific study of Visakhapatnam, which is placed in seismic Zone II and is one of the rapidly growing cities in Andhra Pradesh, India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a study on the groundwater geochemistry in the Chittar watershed of Chittar-uppodai sub-basin, Tambaraparani river, using different parameters in the USSL diagram, Gibb's diagram, Pipers Trilinear plot, Handa's and Stuyfzand's classifications. The major types of soils are red sandy and black cotton. Similarly, the rock types are charnockite and biotite gneissic. In the present study, 82 groundwater samples were collected in the watershed during the premonsoon season. The pH and Electric Conductivity (EC) varied from 6.60 to 8.50 and 115 μ mohs/cm to 9,780 ?mohs/cm at 25 °C. The Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) varied from 81 mg/L to 6,846 mg/L. Average chemical concentration of cations such as Ca++, Mg++, Na+, and K+ and anions like Cl-, HCO3-, and SO4- were 87.9 mg/L, 24 mg/L, 161.9 mg/L, 13.58 mg/L and 294.6 mg/L, 228.5 mg/L, 38.6 mg/L respectively. According to Handa's classification, about 47 samples were characterized by temporary hardness and the remaining by permanent hardness. The facies of hydrogeochemistry, as interpreted in the Piper's Trilinear plot, are distributed in the fields 4, 5, 7 and 9 in the diamond shaped diagram. Four types of hydrogeochemical facies such as Na+ + K- , CO3+ + HCO3- , Ca++ + Mg++ and Cl- + SO4- were identified. In Gibb's diagram-I, Na+ + K+/Na+ + K+ + Ca++ (cations), and in diagram-II, Cl/Cl- + HCO3- (anions) of the samples were plotted, and the interpretation indicates that about 90% of the water samples showed rock dominance in the chemistry of groundwater in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decades, the mutual fund sector has grown immensely. Mutual funds are very convenient because it is easy for small investors to invest their money in a diversified pool of securities. Mutual funds are investment companies that pool money from investors at large and offer to sell and buy its shares and use the capital. Mutual funds constitute a part of a wide spectrum of financial services involving management of funds by investing in various financial instruments on behalf of various individuals among others. They are the ideal investment vehicles for today's complex and modern financial scenario. To protect the interests of the investors, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) formulated polices which regulate mutual funds. It was modified in 1993 (revised in 1996) and issued guidelines from time to time. The legal framework for mutual funds is that each fund's sponsors and trustees should have their own asset management company. This paper covers the advantages of investment in mutual funds, its benefits to common man, legislative framework and relevant judicial pronouncements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the occurrence and mining of lime shell deposits in the Holocene sediments of Vembanad lake basin of Kerala State in the southwest coast of India. Two types of shells--white shells and black shells--are extracted from the area. The former is composed essentially of the fossilized pelecypods Villoritta sp., whereas the latter is composed of the exoskeleton of the living clams of the same species. The average annual extractions of white and black shells from the area for the last 10 years are 80,403 and 30,113 tons, respectively. The study reveals that the lime shell mining over the past few decades has already crossed the reported reserve in the lake. Since the lake basin is even now yielding white shells, a high resolution resource survey has to be initiated, without much delay, to assess the lime shell potential of the basin area. This will help chalk out future strategies for the lime shell-based major industries of the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) came into existence along with the World Trade Organization (WTO) from January 1, 1995. Being a member of WTO, India accepted product patent protection for pharmaceuticals from January 1, 2005 onwards. The main impact of TRIPS agreement may be to stop countries such as India from producing cheaper generics of patented drugs. It may promote the monopoly power of the MNCs for the production and marketing of new drugs, resulting in escalation of prices. The TRIPS Agreement provides flexibilities for governments to strike a balance between the private rights of the patentees and the socioeconomic needs of the people. The paper studies various TRIPS safeguards like limits on data protection, Bolar exception, parallel imports, compulsory licensing, etc., to protect public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper introduces the concept of executive compensation, various aspects related to the core concept, the legal framework and the practices prevalent in India and the practices followed globally. It also analyzes the shortcomings that exist in India relating to the matters involved and also puts forth certain recommendations which can help neutralize such shortcomings and help in developing better practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Market mechanisms indicate the need for a specific law dealing with Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the country y. Till date, India has Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 and subsequent regulations and Press Notes issued by the Government of India, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Secretariat for Industrial Assistance (SIA) primarily concerned with the flow of FDI in the country y. With M&A activity occur ring at a fast pace within and outside India, there is an ever increasing concern about foreign companies entering the Indian market in various sectors. Adaption of a specific law to screen foreign acquisitions must balance the equally placed interests of economic development as well as national security. Recent concerns over the issue have led policymakers to think of adapting a law on similar lines as that prevalent in the US. The law in question here is the Exon Florio provision of the Defence Production Act, 1950 in the US. The function of the provision is to test a foreign acquisition on the effect it would have on national security interests of the country y. The adaption of a law on similar lines in India gives rise to multifaceted issues. The attempt of the present paper is to highlight such issues and analyze them critically in the light of the already existing laws governing FDI in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modern institution of arbitration and the present phase of consumer protection are rested on strong historical foundations. In ancient India, disputes were resolved at the village level and judicial administration was largely localized. The modern concept of arbitration has evolved from the ancient institution of Panchayat--an age-old institution--which was vested with enormous powers for the adjudication of disputes. Like the institution of arbitration, consumer protection is also an ancient concept. The present Consumer Disputes Redressal Mechanism (popularly known as Consumer Courts) in India with less informalism like arbitral tribunals provides easy access to justice. The present paper highlights the historical perspective of arbitration and consumer protection and examines the approach of consumer courts in construting the arbitration clauses in consumer contracts in relation to consumers' rights to approach them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article evaluates the core labor standards in India and discusses the relevance of various provisions of the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1923. In this context, it further cites various measures of the compensation and the procedures connected therewith. The paper critically examines the judicial interpretation of the term employment injury in the workplace and the claims arising thereof. The Workmen's Compensation Act, is an important labor welfare legislation in consonance with the objectives of the Directive Principles of State Policy contained in the Indian Constitution. India adheres to the Indian Labor Organization's (ILO) conventions to protect and promote labor rights. The author analyzes various judgments pronounced by the High Courts and the Supreme Court of India on the claims arising out of injuries or deaths caused in the course of employment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to very hot climatic conditions and tottering land forms, India is one of the developing countries vulnerable to earthquakes. It is difficult to have a mathematical model for analyzing the damage caused by earthquake because of its complex behavior, influent characteristics and environmental conditions. In order to facilitate decision making and planning for earthquake management, it is necessary to be prepared for a rapid and knowledge-based response to provide a proper estimation about the damage. Since no intelligent model has been proposed in India yet, devising such a model seems to be absolutely essential. In this paper, a Mamdani Type Fuzzy Inference System (MTFIS) is employed for the damage analysis of earthquakes which includes the complications of defining, assessment and modeling the variables involved as well as handling uncertainty. The resulting conceptual fuzzy model contains the robustness of fuzzy systems which can adapt to various situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several clusters of unusual natural incidents have been observed throughout the Kerala State, Southwestern parts of India during the periods: February to March, 2001 (phase I), and June to November, 2001 (phase II). The incidences like fluctuations and rise in water levels, wavy formations and spouting of water in the open wells, cracks in the buildings, perceptible fissures in the ground, shaking of trees/bushes and enhanced minor earthquakes activity have been observed during Phase I; whereas the collapse of shallow open wells, draining of water, lowering of water level, land subsidence, ground fissures and further increased minor earthquake activities, etc., were the dominating incidents during Phase II. The frequency of occurrences of these incidents was drastically reduced after November 2001 though. There are events of a few minor earthquakes which occurred during 2002-2006. The temporal patterns of occurrences of such incidences during Phase I and Phase II might have been the outcome of periodic stress release in the region. In the present paper, the study on the occurrence of the chain of events coupled with the existence of anomalous seismic activity has been done in the light of the dilatancy diffusion model and the results signify that the region is preparing for a major earthquake in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 is a comprehensive legislation keeping in view the changes in the transport technology, pattern of passenger and freight movements, development of the road networks in the country and particularly the improved techniques in the Motor Vehicles Management. On most occassions, the compensation payments in the accident cases were refused on the basis of negligeance of the drivers or other similar reasons. But insertion of Section 163-A in the Act has changed the scenario. Prior to the insertion of Section 163-A in the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 when the victim or his heirs approached Motor Accident Claims Tribunals, they were required to prove negligence by the driver of the offending vehicle in order to make the owner liable to pay compensation. Denial of compensation on the ground that negligence of the driver was not established, was a great setback to the victims. Realizing this lacuna, Parliament passed the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 1994 (54 of 1994) inserting Section 163-A in the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 with effect from November 14, 1994. The Section provides for compensation on a structured-formula basis as indicated in a tabular form in the Second Schedule forming part of the Act. The compensation awardable under Section 163-A of the Act is quite substantial compared with compensation under Section 140. Section 163-A is an innovative and laudable provision intended to provide for immediate relief to the victims of motor accidents. The introduction of Section 163-A has removed the hardships related to interim compensation and has introduced the concept of full and final settlement of the claims. The paper seeks to interpret the legislative intention behind the introduction of Section 163-A as against Section 140 and Section 166 of the Motor vehicles Act, 1988. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India follows a distinct model of microfinance which envisages thrift and internal lending within Self Help Groups (SHGs). A very high repayment performance of microfinance loans has attracted many Microfinance Organizations (MFOs) to provide loans to SHGs and other financial services. The proposed legislation, Micro Financial Sector (Development and Regulation) Bill, 2007, mainly seeks to regulate MFOs in the area of deposit acceptance and frame a development policy for providing access to integrated financial services to women and certain disadvantaged sections of the society. This paper points out some inadequacies of regulation and reflects the need for explicit provisions regarding disclosures in the area of credit sanctioning to SHGs. The authors opine that the Bill lacks a comprehensive view and some critical concerns are left unanswered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]