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Regime complexes have been discussed in international literature as an intervening variable which bring about policy coherence at national levels. There is a dearth of literature which examines aspects related to the link between global biodiversity regime, national policy coherence and sustainable development goals (SDGs) reporting. By taking the case study of India and using liberal institutional approaches and critical appraisal, this paper seeks to analyse the role of SDGs reporting for promoting coherence between the international biodiversity regime complex and country level planning. This paper will have implications for praxis on biodiversity and sustainable development policy as well as have implications for theory related to liberal institutional scholarship. This paper argues that while the normative scope of the global biodiversity regime has evolved to encompass principles such as scientific enquiry as well as sustainable development, national level reporting on biodiversity related SDGs have to still catch up to facilitate better policy coherence at all levels. Further the paper also calls for a greater science-policy interface to supplement SDG reporting framework towards better understanding of conservation and ecosystem services aspects of biodiversity in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India being a dynamic emerging economy, with religious and cultural diversity, is home to 0.172 billion Muslims, that is 14.2 percent of the population at all India level living as the financially excluded minority community in the country. The Indian Muslims according to Sachar Committee Report (2005) are the financially 'excluded' community and are not the major beneficiary of Govt. schemes." The Reports/Commissions such as Ranganathan Misra Committee (2007); Mahmoodur Rahman Committee (2008); Sudhir Commission Report (2016) and Commission of Inquiry (Telangana 2016), reveal that Muslims in India, are living in pathetic conditions with underdeveloped socio-economic and educational setup. In this context, the current paper aims to-explore through qualitative analysis the possible dimensions of social finance and to evaluate the current socio-economic conditions of Muslims in India. This study will be an attempt to assess the potential of Islamic social finance institutions, namely the zakat and the waqf, for community upliftment in a much broader national context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The majestic River Ganga is a sacred environment which nurtures more than 650 million people in her large watershed. The Ganga has proved resilient despite the multiple, enormous, environmental stressors placed on her. The Laurentian Great Lakes have also faced severe environmental degradation and the lessons learned there over the past 50 years can provide guidance for the remediation and restoration of the Ganga. One of the more important lessons is defining Beneficial Use Impairments to focus remediation efforts in degraded Areas of Concern. This paper provides a case study of one such impairment, Eutrophication or Undesirable Algae, and shows how it can be applied as part of a broader Ecosystem Approach towards the identification and selection of Ganga Areas of Concern. The 10 proposed Ganga Areas of Concern are intended to provide guidance to all stakeholders on how and where to focus remediation efforts on the Ganga, and similar ecosystems throughout the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metapenaeopsis andamanensis , a deep-water penaeid shrimp, plays a significant ecological role in the deep-sea food web. However, studies on its feeding ecology and trophic relationships in the tropical region remain limited. This study aimed to investigate the diet composition of M. andamanensis from the southwest coast of India, focusing on intrinsic factors (size, sex, maturity) and extrinsic factors (seasons), as well as the fatty acid profile. Our findings revealed that M. andamanensis is an active feeder, with females exhibiting higher feeding intensity than males, while immature individuals of both sexes showed minimal feeding activity. Additionally, females displayed a more pronounced carnivorous feeding behavior compared to males. Gut somatic index ranged between 1.1 and 1.42. Feeding conditions varied significantly with seasons, maturity stages, and ontogenetic classes. The primary diet components comprised detritus, foraminifera, and crustaceans, followed by gastropods and fish. Statistical analysis using PERMANOVA indicated significant differences in diet components between sexes and seasons (p < 0.05), sexes and size (p < 0.1), and sexes and maturity stages (p < 0.05). Notably, the percentage composition of diet components exhibited substantial variation with seasons, sex, ontogenetic classes, and maturity stages. Fatty acid analysis revealed an omnivorous-carnivorous feeding strategy of M. andamanensis , characterized by high proportions of essential fatty acids such as 20:5n-3, 22:6n-3, and 18:1n-9, indicating bentho-pelagic feeding activity. The shrimp exhibited notable levels of palmitic acid, oleic acid, EPA, and DHA, which are nutritionally valuable. Seasonal variations in fatty acid profiles were associated with the availability of different food sources. Principal component analysis (PCA) performed on the fatty acid profiles explained 72.4% of the total cumulative variance using the first two dimensions, highlighting the distinct dietary patterns of M. andamanensis based on its stomach contents. • Metapenaeopsis andamanensis plays a significant ecological role in the deep-sea food web. • M. andamanensis exhibit higher feeding intensity with pronounced carnivorous feeding behavior. • Fatty acid profiling of stomach contents provides insights into the trophic relationships. • Feeding intensity varied significantly with seasons, maturity stages, and ontogenetic classes. • Fatty acid analysis of stomach contents serve as trophic markers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]