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Background: Acacia nilotica var. cupressiformis is an evergreen multipurpose leguminous tree species which is suitable to agroforestry purposes and mainly distributed in Western parts of Rajasthan in India particularly Pali and its adjoining areas. The species has many advantages, however the natural germination in wild is very limited due to its hard seed coat dormancy. Methods: The experiment was conducted to study the effect of presowing treatment on seed coat of A. nilotica var. cupressiformis seeds with ten treatments in completely randomized block design at ICAR-Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Regional Research Station, Pali Marwar. The treatments were replicated thrice. Result: Among the treatments, maximum germination and higher values was obtained in sand paper scarification with water soaking for 12 hrs (T2) followed by mechanical scarification with sand paper (T1), acid scarification (50% for 20 min) (T7) and acid scarification (98% for 10 min) (T5). Further, the present study aims to initiate the research areas for conservation and utilization of A. nilotica var. cupressiformis in Western parts of Rajasthan and other parts of India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several communities in India have defined the contours of the extent and quality of women's education based on the shifts in the demands of marriage within the community. The following paper traces a similar pattern in the educational trajectories of first-generation women of the Meena community across the rural and urban areas, to access the state government's women's college in Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan, India. The relevant data has been collected through fieldwork conducted in Sawai Madhopur in the year 2017. The paper explores the complicity of the women's college with the institutions of family and marriage that result in a complete elimination of the classroom as a meaningful space of learning for women. The paper focuses on these and other such costs that Meena women bear for access to education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractMenstruation is considered an off-limits subject in India where menstruating woman continue to face silence, discrimination and isolation. A mesh of patriarchal cultural practices surrounding the subject of menstruation places restrictions on girls and women who are menstruating. This paper explores the menstrual experiences and challenges experienced by teachers from a village located in a Kishangarh block in rural Rajasthan. Informed by qualitative research, the study reveals the irony in thrust to distribute disposable menstrual pads to adolescent girls in school while ignoring the needs of teachers. The study calls for the inclusion of teachers as key stakeholders in the design of school based menstrual hygiene management and awareness initiatives and programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Protecting crops from various threats, including vermin, pests, animals and rodents, is essential for sustaining agriculture. In India, especially in regions like Rajasthan, animal attacks result in significant crop losses, up to 40%. This section underscores the importance of safeguarding crops against these threats. Methods: According to our sustainable agriculture assessment and cognition of the primary issue of the community that was conducted across multiple rural sites within the Sawai Madhupur district of Rajasthan from 2020 to 2023. This paper employs a comparative method to conduct a comprehensive review of animal-repellent systems, along with delving into interdisciplinary research in related fields to identify key factors influencing their effectiveness and proposes a novel holistic farm protection solution system. Result: The proposed system offers robust crop protection while aiding environmental conservation and preserving local wildlife in Rajasthan, India. This paper underscores the importance of adopting IoT-based technologies for sustainable agriculture. It is a valuable resource for researchers, agronomists and various agriculture stakeholders to implement these advancements. This system holds promise for enhancing crop security, minimizing resource waste and ensuring food chain stability for generations to come. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper discusses an age-old craft practised in India named Pattu weaving. This weaving technique is based on the extra weft weave design. Along with the ground warp and weft, few extra bright colored yarns are used in this technique to weave beautiful motifs on the fabric during the weaving process. The craft follows the sustainable way of fabric manufacturing as the fabrics are made on the handloom and follow the traditional ways for pre-weaving process also. The craft becomes more relevant in the present scenario considering the fact that for the last few decades unsustainable practices have increased drastically due to the imbalance of demand and supply, scarcity of natural resources, advent of unsustainable technologies among the other factors. While traditionally, sustainable practices were an integral part of the lifestyle of human beings and balanced the eco-system of the earth. One of the ways for balancing the natural energy consumption is utilization of all natural resources wisely by reinventing traditional craft practices. Hence, the present study focuses on the materials, tools, techniques and processes used in the Pattu weaving craft. PASTLE analysis of the craft has also been done to understand the opportunity and challenges of the craft. Along with this, a comparative analysis of the traditional and contemporary raw materials, techniques, motifs, colour range and application of the craft have also been covered in this paper. For this study, the primary research is based on the information that was collected during Craft Research Documentation activity funded by the Ministry of Textiles, India. Data from Secondary research has also been added to strengthen the analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, ethical leadership studies have focused on leader follower relationships for accomplishment of organizational goals. This study, extends research by considering stakeholder perspective of ethical leadership and its importance in context of higher education. The purpose of this paper is to identify the dimensions of stakeholder oriented ethical leadership in universities. The theoretical underpinning for stakeholderoriented perspective of ethical leaders emerges from stakeholder theory reflecting ethical behaviour of leaders to promote interests of stakeholders. This paper identifies the different stakeholder categories of university and behaviour of ethical leadership for these categories of stakeholders. Descriptive and qualitative exploratory research method fit the purpose of this paper. For this purpose, in depth interviews from 20 informants have been conducted in Central University of Rajasthan. This study combines literature review and data collected from interview to identify themes and subthemes for stakeholders of universities through qualitative analysis. The paper provides tools to education policy makers to effectively manage stakeholders of university through extended views of ethical leaders focused on leader stakeholder relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demarcation of the India–Pakistan border on the western side of Rajasthan in 1947 had profound implications for the pastoral communities there. Based on an archival history of the Thar desert and ethnographic fieldwork in the border villages of Rajasthan, this paper explores how pastoralists interact with the border and the bordering practices of the state. Focusing on the Raika community, the paper examines how borders impact the mobility, identity and traditional life of the pastoralists. Building on Raika memories of mobility and connections across the border, the paper argues that the interactions of the pastoralists maintain an affective relationship with this war and violence affected borderland, despite the administrative practices of surveillance, border maintenance and developmental projects that have produced an environment of insecurity and uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Gang Canal region of Rajasthan, the cropping pattern changed from a labour intensive crop, cotton, to a mechanized crop, cluster beans. The shift in cropping pattern not only displaced workers from farm wage work but also brought changes in labour hiring contracts with large scale conversion of daily wage rate contracts to piece‐rate contracts. Drawing on a primary survey in a village from Gang Canal region, the paper examines the change in the agrarian relations in rural Rajasthan by analysing the emerging development in the rural labour relations. For piece‐rate work in farm wage work in some parts of Rajasthan, the wage rate is unilaterally decided by the landlords and large capitalist farmers and is denoted as the ‘village rate’. The manual workers have negligible bargaining power vis‐à‐vis the village rate. The conversion of daily wage rate contracts to piece‐rate contracts has enhanced the duration of working day that involves a rise in the rate of surplus value. Access and availability of low wage labour facilitates the accumulation of capital. With the limited availability of employment in the non‐farm sector (in both public and private sectors), workers are compelled to sell their labour power at wages that do not exceed the level of subsistence. The paper concludes with a brief examination of continuum of coercion and varied degree of unfreedom among worker in the village. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Health is an inseparable part of life and central to all life supporting systems. The reproductive and child health shares a major portion of public health cases that is crucial for socio-economic development. Studies on reproductive and child health have traditionally been focused on demographic aspects using socio-economic parameters. Given the emphasis of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)-3 on health and well-being, it is imperative to understand the geo-spatial dimension with the visible transition of key health indicators of fertility, maternal and infant/child health in the high burdened districts within these high focus Empowered Action Group (EAG) states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar that make up nearly 40% of India's population with relatively laggard health status. Methodology: This paper aims to understand the status and trend of key reproductive and child health indicators and vital statistics based on the recent representative demographic surveys. We intend to undertake a district level spatio-temporal analysis by developing District Composite Health Profile (DCHP) using Composite Index Method on selected 13 equally weighted key reproductive and child health indicators. The study has been carried out using data from National Family Health Survey-4 (2015–16) and National Family Health Survey-5 (2019–21) survey rounds. We employed geo-spatial techniques i.e. Moran's–I, and univariate LISA to comprehend the geographical clustering of high and low health burden districts and their heterogeneities at the district level. Results/Conclusions: The study highlights emerging inter-districts, and inter-state disparities over survey periods. With consistent improvement in the selected EAG states over time, the overall reproductive and child health status through DCHP along with each indicator was relatively better in the states of Rajasthan and worse in Bihar. Districts along the Terai belt in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar consistently performed sluggish during survey rounds. The geo-spatial clustering follows the political boundary of states, albeit with intra-state variations. Monitoring of key health indicators using composite index method provides a useful leverage for identifying priority districts/regions for universal health access that should also consider geographical space as an important policy dimension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a comprehensive techno–economic and environmental impact analysis of electric two-wheeler batteries in India. The technical comparison reveals that sodium-ion (Na-ion) and lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries outperform lead–acid batteries in various parameters, with Na-ion and Li-ion batteries exhibiting higher energy densities, higher power densities, longer cycle lives, faster charge rates, better compactness, lighter weight and lower self-discharge rates. In economic comparison, Na-ion batteries were found to be ~12–14% more expensive than Li-ion batteries. However, the longer lifespans and higher energy densities of Na-ion and Li-ion batteries can offset their higher costs through improved performance and long-term savings. Lead–acid batteries have the highest environmental impact, while Li-ion batteries demonstrate better environmental performance and potential for recycling. Na-ion batteries offer promising environmental advantages with their abundance, lower cost and lower toxic and hazardous material content. Efficient recycling processes can further enhance the environmental benefits of Na-ion batteries. Overall, this research examines the potential of Na-ion batteries as a cheaper alternative to Li-ion batteries, considering India's abundant sodium resources in regions such as Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phad Tradition as a part of visual culture is a performative, ritualistic, audio-visual folk craft of Rajasthan, India. Its cult following is based on its regional Gods, such as Papuji and Devnarayan Ji. Phad Tradition can be broadly divided into three aspects as narratives (tales, myths), paintings (visual), and performance (audio). Phad Paintings has a unique visual language that is painted on muslin fabric (sacred textile) by the Chippa community from Bhilwara, Rajasthan, and are recited by priest singers locally known as Bhopa and Bhopi in form of elaborated performances. The lesser-known Phad Tradition is a part of Indian cultural heritage, yet many communities engaged in this craft-making are perhaps struggling socially and economically. The aim of the current review is to bring different literature resources and discourses on the subject matter and provide a comprehensive knowledge of the traditions with future scope of research. With this reference, the scoping review was conducted by deploying electronic (Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar) and non-electronic (library resources) searching. A total of 70 papers were included to achieve the intended goal. These 70 papers were further divided into three categories based on the relativity of the subject matter. The review established that there are different paradigms where the subject has not been explored extensively. Hence, the review might encourage researchers and designers to engage with the subject from different perspectives to build further knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a multi-stage planning framework for analysis of stochastic distributed energy resources (DERs) comprising of solar, wind, and battery storage. The existing models do not consider penetration level analysis in conjunction with sizing, placement, and economic assessment. The main objective of this research is to embed all these dimensions of system planning in one structure. The first stage involves reliability constrained component sizing. The second stage pertains to placement of DERs based on loss minimization and voltage profile. The third stage is the main thrust of this work which provides exhaustive economic evaluation and cost-benefit analysis. The novelty of this work lies in the consideration of penetration level in backdrop of all three stages. The proposed formulation is implemented on a 33-Bus radial distribution feeder located in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India. Four penetration levels viz. 10, 20, 40, and 60 percent have been investigated and analyzed under different planning scenarios. The results facilitate the determination of optimum penetration level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communication is the key tool to success. When it comes to healthcare communication, there is a vast gap between medical professionals and patients especially people with a lesser education and people belonging to rural areas. Communication is very much essential in providing quality medical care and content to patients. The effect of the languages and the scientific terms used by medical professionals becomes difficult for the common audience to understand; hence, the understanding gap also increases. This study demonstrates how language becomes a hurdle in healthcare communication depending on the location or locality of the hospital. The main objective of this research paper is to find how language becomes a barrier in health communication depending on the location of the hospital and the communication challenges experienced by rural and urban audiences in hospitals. It will also focus on how infographic designs can help the audience in reducing the communication gap in understanding healthcare information. We have collected 300 samples from 20 different hospitals from both Rural & Urban areas of Jaipur-I City, Rajasthan India. The paper also highlights some of the challenges posed by the language barrier and recommends a few suggestions. This research finding indicates that the language barrier in health communication can be minimized with the use of infographic designs for communication with the audience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public Libraries are an essential part of the society in educating people to strengthen them as the human capital of the community. But today, public libraries are at a turning point and are struggling to survive in the contemporary world. One of the causes of this is the advent of new technologies that have changed the reading habits and learning experiences of people completely. This presents major challenges and opportunities for public library systems across the world. To address the changing needs, community challenges, and to survive in the digital age, public libraries need to be innovative. The digital era is a huge opportunity for libraries to innovate and change. Innovation has a huge significance to revive the public libraries and restore their prime position in society as a knowledge hub. By considering the same, this paper provides an overview of public library and initiatives that portray an innovative idea, approach, or service with examples of innovations that have been identified through a literature review of various research papers in the field of library science. The innovative activities can be categorized into broad areas like- collections, customer services, technology, events, and library spaces/buildings, etc. The paper also describes the role of Librarians towards the transformation of public libraries and their challenges. The present status of Rajasthan State is also described in brief by considering the telephonic interview of library professionals working in Public libraries of Jaipur, Ajmer & Kota District. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Role that a women business person plays to battle joblessness should not be misjudged, particularly in nations with developing unemployment rates. This paper featured the systems embraced by women entrepreneurs to guarantee private venture accomplishment in Rajasthan. The fundamental aim of this paper is to distinguish techniques embraced by women entrepreneurs to stay practical and compelling in the market. They, accordingly, receive comprehensive marketing strategies to advance their ventures. Women entrepreneurs deliberately connect the "7Ps" of administration showcasing to improve the likelihood of addressing the clients' issues and needs. This paper likewise distinguished the impact of financial difficulties on the failure or success of women entrepreneurs. This paper may also cover the method of sustainable development used by the existing women-headed enterprises in Jaipur and Rajasthan. The findings of numerous investigate showed that the marketing strategies embraced by women entrepreneurs positively affect the accomplishment of organizations. Proposals were determined for women entrepreneurs to set aside some effort to examine the idea of difficulties other women have looked at in business. They potentially give answers for such issues before going into business. This paper highlights the connection between marketing strategy and women entrepreneurs in India, especially in Rajasthan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study attempts to characterize and interpret the groundwater quality (GWQ) using a GIS environment and multivariate statistical approach (MSA) for the Jakham River Basin (JRB) in Southern Rajasthan. In this paper, analysis of various statistical indicators such as the Water Quality Index (WQI) and multivariate statistical methods, i.e., principal component analysis and correspondence analysis (PCA and CA), were implemented on the pre and post-monsoon water quality datasets. All these methods help identify the most critical factor in controlling GWQ for potable water. In pre-monsoon (PRM) and post-monsoon (POM) seasons, the computed value of WQI has ranged between 28.28 to 116.74 and from 29.49 to 111.98, respectively. As per the GIS-based WQI findings, 63.42 percent of the groundwater samples during the PRM season and 42.02 percent during the POM were classed as 'good' and could be consumed for drinking. The Principal component analysis (PCA) is a suitable tool for simplification of the evaluation process in water quality analysis. The PCA correlation matrix defines the relation among the water quality parameters, which helps to detect the natural or anthropogenic influence on sub-surface water. The finding of PCA's factor analysis shows the impact of geological and human intervention, as increased levels of EC, TDS, Na+, Cl-, HCO3-, F-, and SO42- on potable water. In this study, hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) was used to categories the WQ parameters for PRM and POR seasons using the Ward technique. The research outcomes of this study can be used as baseline data for GWQ development activities and protect human health from water-borne diseases in the southern region of Rajasthan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban voids are the key determining factors to utilize efficient manner for sustainable development. These areas need to be understood through their land potentials. Land valuation determines the value of urban voids based solely on their natural characteristics. The research papers present a papered examination of land value modeling and its influencing factors. The study concentrates on Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan, selected as the research area. The land value modeling process consists of three stages. Initially, various approaches and issues have been identified for land valuation. In the second stage, factors have been identified for land valuation. Lastly, land valuation methods such as the ordinary least squares (OLS) regression have been used. The primary factors influencing land value in the research area include distance to major highways, proximity to schools, railway lines, specific communities, availability of infrastructure, etc. Interestingly, variables such as slum area, landfill, rail line, and proximity to specific communities exhibit an inverse relationship. This research provides valuable insights into the localized variations in land prices within an Indian city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adopting a demand-driven approach in an ever-evolving agricultural domain is imperative for the effectiveness of agricultural extension services, particularly in the state of Rajasthan, India. The paper comprehensively analyses the vast dataset comprising over four million farmer query calls to the Kisan Call Center in Rajasthan from January 2009 to August 2023. These meticulously preprocessed call records serve as a crucial bridge between the agricultural community and support services, providing invaluable insights into the challenges and needs of Rajasthan's farmers. Our analysis examines temporal trends in farmer query calls, revealing year-wise and month-to-month insights, including peak call activity periods. The district-wise analysis aids targeted interventions. Understanding call distribution across diverse landscapes. Categorising calls by crop and query type offers insights into distinct farmer challenges, informing tailored policies and support programs. In conclusion, this research underscores the paramount importance of harnessing datadriven insights to enhance agricultural support systems in Rajasthan. By doing so, we can ensure the long-term sustainability and prosperity of the farming community, thus contributing to the overall well-being of the state's agriculture sector. The research is useful for informing evidence-based policy decisions and tailored support services to enhance agricultural productivity and sustainability in Rajasthan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Tourism industry has been defined as one of the largest and fastest growing industries. This industry is also considered to be one of the ancient industries of the world. Tourism industry in India is experiencing a boom at the moment. India has tremendous potential to become a major global tourist destination and Indian tourism industry is exploiting this potential to the hilt. A state like Rajasthan has all the elements to become a model state for tourism in the country. It has a rich cultural heritage and the tourists from all over the world visit it due to its climate, scenic beauty and ecological resources. The statistical figures reveal that Rajasthan gets the lion's share of total tourist arrivals, both foreign and domestic, due to its special climate and culture. The present paper assesses the impact of tourism demand on the economic development of Rajasthan. The paper measures the economic development of Rajasthan in terms of Gross State Domestic Product. It assesses the impact of tourism on various developmental activities. Various statistical techniques such as correlation, regression and neural network are used to measure the relation between these two factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of community participation has often been underlined as crucial in heritage-making and safeguarding, especially in the case of intangible cultural heritage (ICH), but has not been put into practice effectively. This paper critically examines the practice of community participation with respect to the UNESCO recognised ICH, Kalbeliya dance of Rajasthan state in India, and its impact on Kalbeliya dance and dancers. Drawing on interviews with Kalbeliya dancers, non-dancers and government officials, the findings reveal minimal participation of Kalbeliya community and show that the Indian state plays a dominant role right from the nomination of Kalbeliya dance as intangible heritage to its safeguarding. Through the case of Kalbeliyas, the paper analyses the scope of agency and power, given to heritage practitioners for their heritage safeguarding by the UNESCO, and the challenges it faces at the ground level. It further discusses how the neglect of heritage bearers or practitioners from the practice of heritage-making and safeguarding can become a source of their marginalisation along social, economic and political axes which can also be detrimental to the sustenance of any ICH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise in the temperature severely affects photovoltaic cell efficiency and hence its power output. Moreover, it also causes the development of thermal stresses that may reduce their life span. Thus, there is a need for an accurate estimation of the cell's working temperature. In this paper, a detailed thermal model based on various heat transfer modes involved and their governing equations has been presented to estimate the cell temperature of a PV module using MATLAB software under different climatic and solar insolation conditions. In order to validate the presented model, an experimental setup has been built and operated under actual outdoor conditions of Jodhpur, a city in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan. For the peak summer month of June, the predicted glass cover outer surface temperature has been found to be within 0.2–4.5°C of experimentally measured values and the back sheet temperature is found to be within 0.5–5.5°C. The predicted and measured power outputs have been found to be within 0.85–1.2 W while the efficiency values are within 0.17–0.38%. For the early summer month of April, the variations are 0.13–4.1°C, 0.2–4.1°C, 0.44–1.65 W, and 0.1–0.5% for glass cover temperature, back sheet temperature, power output, and efficiency, respectively. Thus, the predictions of the developed thermal model have exhibited a good agreement with the experimental results. The maximum glass cover temperatures recorded were 60°C and 65.5°C when the ambient temperatures were 35°C and 42°C near the noon for the early summer and peak summer day experiments, respectively. The presented model can be used to generate a year-round cell temperature data for the known environmental data of a location, which can help in the selection or development of appropriate cooling technology at the planning stage of the installation of a solar PV plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic growth and prosperity of a nation are inextricably linked to the agricultural sector. In the compass of agriculture, climate and other environmental changes are one of the main challenges. The present study attempts to predict crop yield for the Jaipur district which is an important region in the semi-arid eastern plain of Rajasthan (India). Machine learning (ML) techniques are used in forecasting and developing practical solutions for numerous challenges such as climate change with other environmental factors. Crop yield prediction is the process of predicting yield using historical data through meteorological parameters and past yield records. This paper used the agrometeorological time-series data from the year 1991 to 2020 for optimal yield forecasting. There have been numerous attempts to improve crop yield prediction by employing machine learning techniques. However, in this study, fusing the intelligence of reinforcement with deep learning, we got a comprehensive framework for mapping raw data to crop prediction values, allowing an optimal estimation of crop yields with higher accuracy. Upon comparative analysis of numerous ML algorithms, Random Forest is found the best-performing algorithm with an accuracy of 92.3% using supervised machine learning methods. With an accuracy of 92.3%, the proposed Random Forest-based model outperforms other techniques that are currently being used to predict crop yields. The study predictions could significantly help in choosing the best cropping pattern and planning for action accordingly. The results provide the best ways to solve environmental and agricultural problems in this semi-arid region of the specified Rajasthan state facing climate change issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The remote villages in arid and semi-arid inland regions of Rajasthan state in India and many other countries are dependent on brackish groundwater for potable uses. Generally, community RO (Reverse Osmosis) plants are installed for brackish water treatment in rural agglomerations where the MLD (Minimal liquid discharge) scheme is followed which includes pre-treatment and pre-concentration technologies, that consumes relatively low energy than thermal technologies for ZLD (Zero liquid discharge). This paper discusses the application of hybrid processes involving MLD technologies such as IEX (Ion Exchange), NF (Nanofiltration), RO, FO (Forward Osmosis) and UF (Ultrafiltration). for brackish water treatment. The impact of feed water quality and operational parameters such as flux, feed flow rate and transmembrane pressure are discussed. Further, performance indicators such as salt rejection, recovery, energy consumption and scaling propensity are discussed to evaluate the feasibility of various configurations. The findings of this review indicate NF as impressive membrane technology for conjunction with IEX, RO and UF. Further, the use of FO or NF as a pre-treatment for RO has been found to reduce the scaling propensity of RO membranes; and the use of UF as a pre-treatment for NF has been found to reduce the propensity of organic fouling on NF membranes. Also, IEX as a pre-treatment can be coupled with low-pressure RO/NF to remove the scale-causing divalent ions and enhance recovery along with an option of reusing RO/NF reject water for regeneration of IEX column. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parwan Gravity Dam is under construction stage in the Jhalawar district of Rajasthan, India. A thin sub-vertical surficial fracture trending N 75°W to S 75°E has been observed in the foundation area of the dam. Geophysical techniques such as electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), seismic refraction tomography (SRT), and multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW) are utilized extensively in the field of civil engineering, exploration geophysics for the assessment and construction of large-scale infrastructures such as dams. These methods provide critical information about the subsurface conditions without the need of extensive drilling and excavation. The combination of electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), seismic refraction (SR), and multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW) techniques with the different acquisition parameters have been used to image the extent of shallow subsurface geological structures. Various geophysical Surveys have been carried out along several profiles in the longitudinal direction and along the transverse direction to the fault axis. A total of 13 refraction and resistivity profiles were conducted of which 9 were transverse profiles and 4 were longitudinal profiles. A total of nine MASW profiles were conducted of which 8 are transverse profiles and 1 is a longitudinal profile. In this paper, the subsurface distribution of seismic wave velocity and electrical resistivity have been studied to identify any possible anomalous zone in bedrock and to detect the downward extension of surface fracture of brittle fault using the afore mentioned methods. The vertical and lateral extent of the surface fracture of the fault has been investigated by the analysis of these survey results. The analysis of the results indicates that a very tight and narrow fracture is present in the shallow subsurface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to examine the viewpoints of teachers and students regarding basic and modern employability skills. For the study purpose, secondary and primary data were gathered. For primary data, two separate questionnaires were framed with a five-point Likert scale, and for secondary data, various websites, blogs, newspapers, journals, reports and research papers, etc. were explored. To collect the viewpoints of teachers and students, data was gathered from various universities in Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana and Chandigarh. From the analysis, it is concluded that for students, gaining marks is the priority, and for teachers, it is not the basis of education. Teachers try to impart multiple skills to the students, but most of the students focus on theoretical knowledge. There is a need for proper training to the students so that they can understand the actual market demand and work on building their personality for better future opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What business entrepreneurs are to the economy, social entrepreneurs are to the social change? They are the driven, creative individuals who question the status quo, exploit new opportunities refuse to give up and remake the world for the better (David Borntein). Most of what we know as "social service" in the early days was aid to help people in need. Gradually we saw the emergence of relief and welfare organisations. In fact these groups were some of the first NGOs. However, many of these organisations have moved much further today and involved in what is referred to as "development". In recent years, the definition of philanthropy has evolved and got a new meaning. Its application can be seen in numerous innovative projects introduced by social entrepreneurs. It holds a significant position in uplifting quality of life of society. They are a new breed of people who strive to bring social change by their out-of-box thinking. The paper seeks to explore the concept and meaning of social entrepreneurs. It further illustrates various social entrepreneurs of Rajasthan and their contribution in bringing change to society and examines their role in generating employment opportunities to the rural people of Rajasthan. The research methodology which is applied during the research is descriptive in nature. Secondary data used in this study is collected through existing available literature related to entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship. Therefore, when we speak of developing a community it is the process or effort of building people or a group on a local level, to transform their capacities to handle their social relationships, their basic economy, improve their surroundings and in fact overall strive for a better quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper highlights flora of series Inferae of Deoli tehsil (Tonk district) Rajasthan. The study is aimed to evaluate the taxonomic status of this series of the area. The observation is dependent on continuous collection tours of study area. Sixty-two plant species of series Inferae have been observed in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mystery tourism is a novel topic related to travelling to events or destinations based on some stories, myths, and beliefs of the host community or tourists. This also includes the myths and curiosity of locals and travellers about some known and unknown incidents or places. This paper aims to find out the experiences and perceptions of locals regarding mystery tourism in Kuldhara, Rajasthan. Ghost tours, paranormal investigations, and haunted stories have attracted many tourists to Kuldhara. In-depth interviews with 25 residents of Kuldhara, Rajasthan, reveal that residents have positive beliefs and ideologies regarding ghosts and paranormal activities. The study took in a year (March 2022 to Feb 2023). The researchers identified judgemental sampling, which has also been used in previous studies. This study is qualitative, and researchers employed thematic analysis techniques manually. Five major themes emerged from mystery tourism in Kuldhara, i.e., Myth and tales, Perception of locals, Role of Government and Private bodies, Impact of mystery tourism and economic benefits. The study reveals that most locals face mysterious incidents and believe in ghosts and paranormal activities. This study generates curiosity among the readers and researchers to understand and explore the concepts of mystery tourism better. Implications for developing mystery tourism attractions and support for resident well-being are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the quality of a source of drinking water is assessed by measuring eight water quality (WQ) parameters using 710 samples collected from a water-stressed region of India, Jodhpur Rajasthan. The entire sample was divided into ten groups representing different geographic locations. Using American Public Health Association (APHA) specified methodology, eight WQ parameters, viz., pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), total alkalinity (TA), total hardness (TH), calcium hardness (Ca-H), residual chlorine, nitrate (as NO3−), and chloride (Cl−), were selected for describing the water quality for potability use. The quality of each parameter is examined as a function of the zone. Taking the average parametric values of different zones, a unique number was used to describe the overall quality of water. It was found that the average value of each parameter varies significantly with zones. Further, we used neural network (NN) modeling to map the nonlinear relationship between the above eight parametric inputs and the water quality index as the output. It can be observed that the NN designed in the present work acquired sufficient learning and can be satisfactorily used to predict the relational pattern between the input and the output. It can further be observed that the water quality index (WQI) from this work is highly efficient for a successful assessment of water quality in the study area. The major challenge to uniquely describing the drinking water quality lies in understanding the cumulative effect of various parameters affecting the quality of water; the quantified figure is subjected to debate, and this paper addresses the difficulty through a novel approach. The framework presented in this work can be automated with appropriate equipment and shall help government agencies understand changing water quality for better management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global energy needs have risen in recent years, and traditional energy sources such as fossil fuels are no longer viable. To meet the growing electricity demand, attention has moved to renewable energy sources such as solar and wind energy. Furthermore, the development of clean energy is vital for combating climate change. Various studies have shown the effectiveness of using hybrid systems (combination of solar photovoltaic and wind energy systems) for generating power. However, a significant amount of energy gets wasted. To prevent the wastage of energy, a dual-energy generation system for integrated grids has been suggested in this paper. The load data have been collected from various regions in Rajasthan, India. An optimal grid system configuration is designed using net present cost and cost per unit of energy. Other factors such as the tilt angle of PV array optimization, wind energy, and inverter optimization have also been used for increasing the reliability and stability of the system. Sensitivity analysis has been performed to analyze the effective variations of the capital costs on the developed system economy. The results obtained from the simulations show that the overall costs of generating electricity from diesel systems and nongrid-based systems have been reduced to 20% at 10% annual capacity shortage allowance. Upon cost analysis, we found that the total cost for installing the suggested system is 49,500 USD, whereas for other systems, the costs came out as 66,000 USD, 56,500 USD, and 56,300 USD, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper deals with the secondary metabolite contents such as saponin, total tannin and anthraquinone during three different developmental stages such as vegetative, flowering and fruiting in Alhagi maurorum from the Rajasthan desert. The study of this plant is needed due to its higher medicinal values. The aim of the study is the quantitative estimation of selected secondary metabolites. The quantitative amounts of saponin, total tannin and anthraquinone contents were evaluated by HPLC, titrimetric and GC/MS/MS methods, respectively. The maximum amounts of total tannins and saponin were observed during the flowering stage, while anthraquinone was in the vegetative stage. The most suitable stage for obtaining the maximum amount of the total tannins and saponin is flowering, but vegetative for anthraquinone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper an islanded microgrid fed through the wind and solar energy resources is presented. The power flow within the microgrid is controlled using a Neutral Point Clamped Dual Active Bridge (NPC-DAB) converter. In the proposed dc microgrid, the solar energy source is associated at the low voltage (LV) bus and the wind energy source is connected at the high voltage (HV) bus. A permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) machine is used in wind energy conversion system. The real time solar radiation and wind speed data of Rupangarh, Rajasthan, India is used as an input for renewable energy resource. The NPC-DAB will work as a power electronics juncture for expediting the energy exchange in the islanded DC Microgrid. The proposed closed loop controller based on the capacitor voltage and load voltage will expedite a complete automatic operation of the islanded DC-microgrid considering various load changes. The system is studied without storage element as the automatic control of energy generation and load feeding is carried out by the NPC-DAB, also this makes the scheme cost effective. The optimum duty ratios for NPC-DAB operation are obtained and thus the increased load demand is met. The modeling of PMSG, NPC-DAB and wind energy system is discussed in details in this work. The proposed system is studied in MATLAB/Simulink environment and results are obtained for different load variations. All the wind control parameters, NPC-DAB waveforms, load waveforms are also plotted using MATLAB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The healthcare industry has evolved to a great extent. Facilitating healthcare services and carrying out operational obligations need conscientious and ethical management. The practice of medicine is a shared knowledge that has been gained, perceived, practiced, learned, and comprehended after years of assiduous and diligently seeking of knowledge along with the evolutionary process and hence cannot be assumed or entitled by one or group of individuals. Healthcare services belong to everyone and hence stewardship of resources for patient care and community health is of paramount significance. This paper attempts to give a decisive answer to pivotal and indispensable healthcare issues which sometimes permeate as a result of sheer negligence and dereliction of duties. The issues so highlighted have been considered pertinent for the study after a thorough and rigorous literature review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper conceptualises the factors responsible for water quality change in the aquifer on the basis of a study of flow dynamics, hydro-chemical, and bacteriological processes in a gypsum, lignite, oil, and gas-rich Barmer sedimentary basin in India. The change in colouration, odour, and presence of gases in flowing wells has been analysed. The study revealed that such a change in the quality of the water is mainly occurring in those wells that are located in the transition zone between unconfined and confined parts of the same aquifer. The field and lab analyses have further revealed the presence of pyrites, other iron-rich minerals, hydrogen sulphide (H2S), carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane (CH4) gases in the aquifer. The study suggests that changes in flow dynamics, hydro-chemical equilibrium, and microbiological processes like sulphate reduction, methanogenesis, and reverse methanogenesis are responsible for such changes in groundwater quality. The change in water quality in the unconfined parts of the aquifer is mainly due to in situ pyrite dissolution, bacteria-mediated sulphate reduction, or reverse methanogenesis taking place in the nearby confined parts of the aquifer. The presence of CH4 in non-flowing wells or while drilling new wells appears to be biogenic in nature and has migrated from deeper, confined parts of the same aquifer. The overexploitation of the aquifer has changed the flow dynamics and hydro-chemical equilibrium within the aquifer, and it has prompted the migration of gases from deeper, confined parts of the same aquifer. The water quality change is more prominent in the transitional zone between unconfined and confined parts of the aquifer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Outpatient services are crucial for strengthening primary healthcare and reducing out-of-pocket spending, which has been one of the major causes of impoverishment. So it is also critical to comprehend the people's preferences in accessing primary healthcare facilities, as government primary healthcare facilities in India are underutilized. The current paper explores the factors that construct the individual's decision to seek outpatient care in primary healthcare facilities in India's largest state Rajasthan. Methods: It was a cross-sectional survey conducted in 72 primary sample units of 24 primary health centers in 11 districts of Rajasthan, India, from November 2019 to January 2020. The study selected 368 households through purposive sampling. Out of 368 households, 460 people reported any illness and 326 reported outpatient visit to any health facility in the last 30 days from the date of the survey. Analysis: The focus was on analyzing the data in the context of public and private health facilities to understand the factors influencing people's choice to access outpatient services. The principal component analysis is used to understand the relationship between facility preparedness and OPD uptake. Also, multivariate logistic regression is applied to assess the significant predictors in using primary health facility services. Result: Except for the 29% of patients who received no care, the proportion of patients attended public health facilities was 35%, and the rest were utilizing private health facilities. Those who sought care at PHCs were mostly over 45 years age, non-literate, and from the lowest wealth quintile. Logistic regression suggests that people belong to upper wealth quintile (OR = 0.298; 95% 0.118–0.753) are less likely to visit PHCs for treatment. Also, increase in distance of PHC (OR = 0.203; 95% CI 0.076–0.539) reduces the likelihood of their visit outpatient care. People are 9.7 times (OR = 9.740; 95% CI 2.856–33.217) more likely to visit a PHCs that are better equipped in terms of human resources, equipment, and medicine. Conclusion: The uptake of PHCs depends on several factors, which should be considered to ensure that all segments of society have equitable access to them. Through improved accessibility and quality of service, PHCs can be made more appealing to the larger population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The importance of monsoon rainfall cannot be ignored as it affects round‐the‐year activities ranging from agricultural to industrial. Due to the nonlinear and dynamic nature of monsoon rainfall, its accurate forecast becomes a challenging task. In this paper, we propose a novel deep and wide neural network model to predict summer monsoon rainfall using historical time‐series data of 118 years. We have considered Rajasthan as our area of study, which is the largest state of India with varying atmospheric regions. Two different types of datasets are used: gridded rainfall dataset from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) and station rainfall data from Water Resources Department (WRD). Results obtained on both the datasets demonstrate that a single model works well in efficiently predicting summer monsoon rainfall in different geographical regions of Rajasthan, ranging from plains and plateaus to deserts and hills. We compare the results with various advanced deep learning algorithms such as 1‐dimensional convolutional neural network, long short term memory, and multilayer perceptron. The comparison results show that the proposed method clearly outperforms these algorithms in terms of its forecasting ability, which is evaluated using root mean square error and mean absolute error. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aim: Although India is relatively better resourced as compared with other low middle income countries in several aspects, it shares several challenges and vulnerabilities like high population, resource constraints (limited number of hospital beds, skilled healthcare personnel, intensive care units) and socioeconomic milieu, and it is important that these resources are spent wisely to maximise lives saved and minimise disruption to health services for all COVID-19 patients. Hence for dealing with this pandemic quickly and efficiently, a centre which could be set up urgently at a low cost for efficient oxygen triage was needed and thus cater to the sudden enormous load of patients who were unnecessarily occupying oxygen beds in hospitals. Methods: This study describes the setting up, management and outcome of seven hundred bedded COVID-19 care centre at Jaipur, India, within three days, at low cost, by multidisciplinary efforts of the Government of Rajasthan for efficient triage of patients and to share the excessive patient load of the biggest Government medical college of the state. Results: More than 700 patients were successfully managed at the centre within a period of one month with a favourable outcome. The perceptions of patients assessed via questionnaire also establish the success of this endeavour in sharing the load of hospitals at the peak of the pandemic. Conclusion: This paper describes the positive impact of setting up this COVID-19 care centre, and experience presented in this paper can be utilised as a novel and future oriented solution to address effectively the unprecedented pressure on the healthcare systems, created by the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apart from government spending on healthcare, the immediate and most effective solution that a government can provide is almost free or free health insurance coverage to all irrespective of income. This paper attempts to explore the benefits of the newly launched scheme ‘Mukhya Mantri Chiranjeevi Swasthya Bima Yojana’ (MCY) by the Rajasthan government. This paper further analyses the crowding-out effect of private health insurance companies by comparing and contrasting the features of MCY and private health insurance. The results indicate that a person would choose MCY over other private insurance due to its increased insurance coverage. The paper suggests that the MCY scheme can be used as a model by other states resulting in affordable healthcare for all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]