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Purpose: News items like "A whopping 2 lakh gullible investors were cheated......." amply illustrate the extent of problems and hardships caused by financial frauds related to Ponzi schemes, collective investment schemes (CIS), unregulated deposit schemes, etc. In India, over the years, many Ponzi and unregulated investment schemes have taken place, causing huge economic and financial loss to Indian economy. This paper aims to examine why investment such schemes like Ponzi schemes and CIS become popular, how such schemes got operated in different periods and what could be done to safeguard the interests of investors. Design/methodology/approach: The analysis is done based on secondary data and research work of various researchers, organisation and institutions, which are available in the public domain. Findings: This paper has tried to analyse various characteristics of such fraudulent schemes, like their modus operandi, promotional activity, background of promoters and legal process involved in recouping financial loss of millions of investors. This paper also examines the demand-side factors that are responsible for popularity of those schemes in India. Noting the regulatory changes and other initiative taken by regulatory authorities to control the supply of unregulated investment schemes, this paper indicates potential actions, which could be undertaken to make people aware about the risks and issues related with such fraudulent schemes. Originality/value: This paper gives an overview about various aspects of unregulated investment schemes, which have duped numerous people at different point of time. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this research work is original and has not been published in any other journal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the evolution of the postmodern novel in Indian writings in English, with a specific focus on The Great Indian Novel by Shashi Tharoor. Through a close analysis of the novel's themes, structures, and techniques, the paper argues that The Great Indian Novel represents a significant shift in the trajectory of Indian literature, moving beyond the constraints of colonial and nationalist narratives. Drawing on the theories of postmodernism and postcolonialism, the authors examine how Tharoor's novel challenges traditional notions of history, identity and power, and instead offers a complex and nuanced vision of India's past and present. The study also considers the reception of The Great Indian Novel, both within India and abroad, and discusses its impact on the broader field of Indian literature. Overall, the paper contributes to a deeper understanding of the postmodern novel in India and its role in shaping contemporary literary discourse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current Web of Science-based paper provides a scientometrics analysis of research publications in Psychology in India from 1989 to 2020. The data analysis was done using bibliometric software, including VOS viewer, Biblioshiny (R Studio), and MS Excel. The publications and citation structures are analyzed first, followed by the most cited papers and most favored journals. Further, top authors and institutions are analyzed as significant research areas. The results show that Andrade C from the National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences, Bangalore is the most productive author. At the same time, Patel V from Sangath, Goa, is the most influential author. The National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences is most productive among the institutions, while the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, is the most influential. The results indicate that the International Journal of Psychology is a key journal in publishing India's scientific production in Psychology. The results also show that culture, HIV, depression, anxiety, attention, cross-culture, gender, and mental health are significant research topics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The qualitative approach is immensely helpful in policy research as it provides a comprehensive, contextually grounded, and nuanced understanding of policy processes and issues. It is characterized by certain epistemological imperatives that demand the collection of rich, diverse data and a thick description of the context. However, conducting fieldwork to collect data required to fulfill these imperatives poses diverse and stiff challenges, especially for young policy researchers in the Indian context. In this background, this paper argues that, while epistemological principles require qualitative researchers to collect rich and diverse data, the researcher’s social identity and the socio-political ground reality in the field pose significant challenges for young policy researchers in collecting field data. More specifically, the paper discusses the challenges posed by different elements of the researcher’s social identity like economic class, caste, gender, and education. It also discusses the challenges posed by different elements of the socio-political ground reality in the field such as socio-economic inequality, gatekeeping, and by politics played by field-level actors like primary contacts, community leaders, participant groups, and public bureaucrats. It draws from the thematic analysis of fieldwork experiences documented (in the form of fieldnotes and different types of memos) by three Indian researchers (including two females) who were collecting qualitative data for three previous and separate qualitative research projects. This fieldwork was carried out in two different states in India. The discussion in this paper will prove helpful, especially to young qualitative researchers, in planning and executing their fieldwork in developing countries, especially in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic research requires careful planning of study, execution, collection of data, data analysis, and publications. Although by following all steps and then receiving publication are always wonderful, the main aim of this research paper was to know about publication's ethics. Researcher did extensive review of literature on searching of search engines such as PubMed, Google Scholar, and Embase using various search studies from December 2022 to January 2023. Review of literature identified that before beginning of any study, the Clinical Trial Registry of India approval, Institutional Ethics Committee approval, and informed consent from study participants are always required. Research fraud such as data fabrication or data falsification should be taken care while doing any research. Before publication, always verify plagiarism and give researcher's credit according to their contributions. Simultaneous submission of the same manuscript in various journals at a time must be avoided. Most of journals are following the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors recommendations and that is must requirement for considering authorship for any paper. Conflicts of interest must be declared in each research paper. You can use the checklist for publication's ethics as a guide; if the score is ≥7, the publication is violating publication's ethics. Authors or researchers should be clear, must know publication behavior, do honest research, and pursue publication ethics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work has become a widespread phenomenon, affecting various sectors of the economy, including the services sector. This paper examines the effects of remote work and in-person work on productivity, profitability, satisfaction, and challenges faced by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the services sector. The paper employs a survey methodology to gather data from 200 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in the services sector across India, who have opted for remote work or in-person employment during the pandemic. To analyze the data and test the hypotheses, the paper employs descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression analysis. In the paper, it is found that remote work has a positive impact on the productivity and profitability of SMEs in the services sector, but also poses some challenges such as communication difficulties, cyber-security risks, and work-life balance issues. In addition, the paper finds that in-person work has a positive impact on the satisfaction and motivation of SMEs in the services sector, but also exposes them to health risks and operational costs. The paper concludes by presenting some recommendations for small and medium-sized enterprises operating in the services sector to effectively address the challenges of remote work and in-person work, and to capitalize on the potential offered by both forms of employment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims to present a comparative analysis of scholarly research output in the fields of Library and Information Science (LIS) in India and South Korea. The Web of Science database was used to retrieve the bibliographic data of the Indian and South Korean LIS published documents during 2001-2020 and the indicators were included in the analysis: research productivity, publication-quality, most prolific authors, institutions and journals, "Annual Growth Rate (AGR)", "Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)", "Relative Growth Rate (RGR)", and "Doubling Time (DT)". All types of documents such as articles, conference papers, book reviews, corrections, editorial materials, so on were included in the study. MS Excel, VOS viewer, and bibliometrix (R-tool) software were used for tabulation and mapping. The results show that South Korea placed the top in the overall output of LIS research publications during the last two decades. The Indian LIS research output, Annual Growth Rate (AGR), and Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) were good compared to South Korean LIS publications. In addition, the South Korean LIS researchers' output has increased rapidly in terms of publications, citations, average citations. Gangan Prathap (India), Seyoung Lee, and Heejin Lee (SK) are the most prolific authors; Indian Institute Technology, Delhi and Yonsei University, Seoul are the most prolific institutions; and the Scientometrics journal was the most preferred journal by the Indian and South Korean LIS researchers during the study period. The results of this study are useful to administrators, policymakers, and academics. In addition, the scope of this study might include looking at research published by LIS scholars in India and South Korea, as well as examining all types of academic publications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Global Journal of Economics & Business is the property of Refaad for Studies, Research & Development and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Efficient and reliable public road transportation systems are essential for ensuring accessible and sustainable mobility for the vast population of India. With a rapidly growing population and increasing urbanization, India faces significant challenges in providing affordable, safe, and efficient road transportation services. This paper aims to analyze the key challenges and explore opportunities for improvement in the public road transportation sector in India. As the paper begins, it emphasizes the importance of public road transportation for both urban and rural populations. In addition to facilitating economic growth, it provides essential services. Despite this, India's public road transportation system faces several challenges. Furthermore, the lack of reliable and standardized public transportation is a major concern. Private buses and unregulated informal transport operators dominate the road transportation sector, leading to issues of overcrowding, irregular schedules, and inadequate passenger comfort and safety measures. To address these challenges and improve public road transportation in India, the paper explores potential opportunities and solutions. It highlights the need for increased investment in road infrastructure development, including the expansion of road networks, improved road design, and enhanced traffic management systems. Additionally, the integration of technology, such as intelligent transportation systems and realtime information systems, can optimize operations and enhance the overall passenger experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Bibliometrics refer to documents and citation-based measures that measure different aspects of performance of a journal, including impact, output and prestige. Objective The aim of this study was to collect bibliometric data of various Indian dermatology journals as well as Indian journals from other disciplines, in order to compare relative performances. Methods Journal metrics pertaining to various Indian journals, both from dermatology [Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology (IJDVL), Indian Journal of Dermatology (IJD), Indian Dermatology Online Journal, Indian Journal of Pediatric Dermatology and International Journal of Trichology] and other disciplines [Indian Journal of Medical Research (IJMR), Indian Journal of Pediatrics (IJP), Indian Journal of Ophthalmology and Indian Journal of Pharmacology] were sought. Data pertaining to the following 8 metrics during the year 2021 was collected: Journal Impact factor, SCImago Journal Rank, h5-index, Eigenfactor score and normalized Eigenfactor Score, Journal Citation Indicator, Scimago Journal and Country Rank H-index, CiteScore and Source Normalized Impact per Paper. Results Among Indian dermatology journals, for the year 2021, IJDVL had the highest impact factor (2.217) and h-index (48). IJD led in terms of prestige metrics such as SCImago Journal Rank (0.403), Eigenfactor score (0.00231) and Source Normalized Impact per Paper (1.132). IJDVL underperformed with respect to an average dermatology journal on all three prestige metrics. Among selected journals from other disciplines, two (IJMR and IJP) had impact factor exceeding five, despite lagging behind IJDVL two years ago. Most had normalized scores exceeding 1, indicating better performance than an average journal from their respective fields. Limitations Non-inclusion of altmetrics related data Conclusion IJDVL is one of the leading Indian journals in the field of dermatology, followed closely by IJD. A rise in IJDVL influence is evident over the past decade, as evident by various metrics. However, the progress still trails behind the average of global dermatology journals as evident by the field-normalized journal metrics, indicating potential for further growth of journal influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The mandate of journal metrics is to measure the performance of journals indexed in the concerned databases based on their citation impact. Such measurements are essential to understand the quality of research output and assess the quality of the journals in which such research gets reported. There are several such journal metrics in use and include Journal Impact Factors (JIF), CiteScore, Article Influence Factor, Eigenfactor (EF), Source Normalized Impact per Paper (SNIP), SCImago Journal Rank (SJR), h-index, i-10 index, Altmetric Attention Score, and PlumX metrics. Journal metrics help decide which journal to choose to publish one's manuscript in. Objective: The purpose of this paper is to highlight the Scopus journal metrics of Indian Earth and Planetary Sciences journals and to identify the top Indian Earth and Planetary Sciences journals based on their journal indices in Scopus for the period 2011 to 2020. Method: Data on the Scopus-indexed Indian Earth and Planetary Sciences journals from SCImago Journal and Country Rank databases available at https://www.scimagojr.com/journalrank.php was collected. These journals' metrics were collected from Scopus Source List available at https://www.scopus.com/sources.uri. Results: Indian Earth and Planetary Sciences Journals in Scopus are ranked based on their journal metrics in Scopus for the period 2011 to 2020. Conclusion: Based on the bibliometric parameters used, the Journal of Geological Society of India and the Journal of Earth System Sciences are the most impactful journals in Earth Science published in India. Journal of the Indian Society of Remote Sensing follows. Both journals are published on behalf of the most influential scientific societies in Earth Science in India by Springer. Several Indian Earth and Planetray Science journals have over four decades of publishing records but have impact factors <1.5. When the journal's prestige is considered, these three journals are joined by the Journal of Astrophysics & Astronomy also. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Menstrual health has reaped much attention with a swift increase in the related literature. This study intended to map the knowledge landscape of menstrual health research in India using a scientometric and information visualization approach. The scientometric analysis of Scopus data on parameters like publication output, publication share, growth rate, prolific authors, authorship pattern, scientific fields, citation analysis, international collaboration, etc., has been conducted. 52257 publications were produced globally during the study period, with 2668 papers from India. The majority of these research output is collaborative and multi-authored. America is the most productive country and India's top collaborative associate in menstrual studies. All India Institute of Medical Sciences and Clinical and Diagnostic Research journal is the most efficient institute and journal. Moreover, menstrual health, menstrual cycle and menstrual hygiene, menstrual syndrome, and studies on the function of hormones in menstruation were diagnosed as the mainstream topics in the fields of menstrual health. The study's findings will offer proof of the current status and trends in menstrual health. They will assist researchers and policymakers in understanding the panorama of menstrual health and expecting the dynamic research guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years Outcome Based Education (OBE) has become the focal point in the Indian Higher education system. The National accrediting agency, such as NBAand NAAC expresses the significance of assessing the program outcomes. This paper discusses assessing program outcomes through students' cocurricular activities such as paper and project presentations and internships/industrial projects. The proposed method gives an in-view of the rubricsbased measurement of program outcomes PO1-PO12, PSO1&2 mapped with students' co-curricular activities. The outcome-based assessment of program outcomes will be beneficial in advancing higher education in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indian securities markets have undergone significant transformations in the recent past. The paper discusses and documents initiatives taken by the market regulator to expand and deepen the securities markets, including encouraging innovations in financial instruments, improving market efficiency by appropriate and timely regulatory interventions, expanding issuers' base and investors' participation for inclusive growth, ensuring regulatory compliance for fair play of market forces. The study helps investors, intermediaries, and regulators outside India to gain insights into recent developments and opportunities they offer to make the Indian securities market their preferred investment destination. The study concludes with the papers' key findings on "Investor interest and innovative instruments" in the special issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aimed to investigate, analyze and visualize the scientific output of global virology research by examining the collaborative pattern and co-authorship network. A total of 80220 records were extracted from the web of science database after searching 'Virology' as a research area. Multi-authored papers are more than single-authored papers with 85% of the whole. The degree of collaboration was 0.994 in the field of Virology. Wang Y is the most active author with 429 papers, 5621 total citations, and 37 h-index. To understand the trend of evolution pattern and proximity of efficiency, we investigate a co-authorship network of a relatively new and emerging academic field. The approach and potential applications of co-authorship network analysis in virology research are discussed in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper developed a theoretical and research framework by identifying the behavioral biases in investment decision and by presenting a review of the available literature in the field of behavior finance-related biases. This paper aims to present a compressive review of the literature available in the public domain in past five decades on behavior finance and biases and its role in investment decision-making process. It also covers insights on the subject for developing a deeper understating of the behavior of investor and related biases. Design/methodology/approach: The work follows the comprehensive literature review approach to review the available literatures. The review carried out on different parameters such as year of publication, journal of publication, country, type of research, data type, statistical technique used and biases identified. This is a funnel approach to decrease the number of behavior biases up to six for further research. Findings: Most of the existing works have summarized behavior finance as an emerging area in finance. This indicates the limited valuable research in developing economy in this area. This literature review helps in identifying major research gap in this domain. It helps in identifying the behavior biases which work dominantly in investment decision-making. It would be interesting to explore the area of behavior biases and their impact on investment decision of individual investors in India. Originality/value: This paper worked on literature prevailing on the subject and available on various online research data source and search engines. It covers a long time frame of almost five decades (1970-2015). This paper is an attempt to look at the impact of behavior finance and biases and its role in investment decision-making process of the investor behavior. This study builds up a strong theoretical framework for researchers and academicians by detailed demonstration of available literature on behavior biases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Indian government made Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) mandatory in 2013 by amending the Companies Act, complicating research studies on the topic. This paper is a bibliometric analysis of recent trends in research on CSR in India. VOSViewer is employed to visualize networks such as keyword co-occurrences and author collaborations. With the help of BibExcel, other aspects of bibliometric analysis are carried out. Based on an analysis of 685 papers/retrieved articles from Scopus, the study finds that a company's financial performance has become central to CSR orientation in recent years. Co-occurring keywords suggest that sustainability issue is becoming important and that CSR fosters a positive brand image of companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India is home to a large number of tribal or Adivasi communities. Particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs) are one among them. The Indian state initiated several development programs in its affirmative action to benefit PVTGs. However, these initiatives have shown some effects on the ground, still a long way to go. After globalization, a lot of studies claim and argue that the state is slowly withdrawing from its agenda and encouraging multinational companies or corporations (MNCs) to take its role. The MNCs have started their operations by extracting resources without helping Adivasi communities. It led to large-scale protests by the tribal people and civil society organizations. The paper critically discusses development initiatives of the post-independent state to ameliorate the conditions of the PVTGs as part of their affirmative action policies. Furthermore, the paper draws inferences from secondary data sources collected from published and unpublished sources, documents, reports, and online sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to gain insight into managers' perspectives on the concept and practice of workers' participation in management (WPM) in Indian organizations. WPM is a critical ingredient in organizational effectiveness. However, the most fundamental aspects of WPM, such as the attitudes, expectations of managers and the factors facilitating or hindering the participation process, are less explored. This paper attempts to answer those questions concerning WPM in the context of Indian organizations. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses data from 138 managers of Indian public and private sector organizations. Data were collected through an online survey as well as through semi-structured interviews. The study explores potential benefits, roadblocks and supporters from the managers' perspective. Further, to test the hypothesis, the author used multiple regression analysis. Findings: The paper demonstrates managers' perception of workers' participation at the board level as the most beneficial and supportive compared to joint consultation and joint decision-making; however, at the same time, it is the one having the most roadblocks in the present Indian Labour laws. Workers, unions and managers' lack of legislative support and intention fuel the fire. The study also found that implementation of WPM is primarily based on statutory norms, and public sector managers are more willing to take the workers on board than managers of private sector organizations. Practical implications: This research is of practical significance as it extracts new visions for policymakers in India already planning to implement four new labor codes, namely, wages, industrial relations, social security and occupational safety, health and working conditions. The data from the study will facilitate the Indian labor ministry to lay down policy decisions concerning WPM. Further, the government can acclimatize this analysis to plug the ambiguities in the present WPM system. Originality/value: To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first study to give insights into the manager's perspective regarding the WPM using a scenario-based approach. In addition, this paper offers valuable suggestions for policymakers to restructure and streamline the country's existing and overlapping labor laws. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forecasting of load is essential for operating power systems. India recently witnessed one of the worst power crisis with the highest ever power demand of 207 GW on April 29, 2022. The demand in the month of May and June 2022 was estimated to reach 215 GW. The peak demand this year 2023, according to the electricity ministry, is predicted to be around 230 GW from April to June. The inability to meet certain fundamental issues as power can take a toll on any country's economy. Proper prediction helps in proper decision making and planning. The main objective of this paper is to predict day ahead electrical load demand for Assam. Statistical and Machine Learning Algorithms has been studied. The study has been carried out using real-time data for the years 2016, 2017 and 2018. The paper presents a detailed analysis of the different hyper parameters of the deep learning models and their effect is seen on the learning efficiency. A novel stacked forecasting model is proposed using neural networks as base learners and CatBoost as the meta-learner. The performance of the proposed model has been evaluated and compared with individual models in terms of training time and accuracy using different error metrics namely MAE, MSE, RMSE, MAPE and R2 score. A comparison of the proposed prediction model with the prediction models available in literature has been presented. The conclusion states that both the statistical and machine learning algorithms used in this study act as useful tools for daily load forecasting with considerable accuracy; yet machine learning algorithm outperforms the statistical methods. The entire work has been done in Google Colaboratory using Python as the programming language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elections are a critical aspect of democratic governance, providing citizens with the power and right to express their views. A secure voting system with innovative features can improve this process. Blockchain technology is considered a disruptive innovation, and its potential for enhancing the evoting system is significant. The modern voting system is focusing more on blockchain technology to strengthen and secure the process. Blockchain is a reliable, decentralized database that can offer increased security compared to electronic voting machines (EVMs). This research paper presents a detailed study of the design, smart contracts, evaluation of action, and survey on the acceptance of blockchain-based e-voting systems. It examines the requirements for such a system and provides an understanding of the model. As the acceptance of information technology-based services and products increases, future innovation in the e-voting system may depend on blockchain technology. The survey conducted in this paper explores the differences in opinion based on gender, age, and profession among eligible voters from India regarding the acceptance of blockchain technology-based secure e-voting systems. The analysis of these differences sheds light on the potential for blockchain-based e-voting systems to enhance trust and security in the voting process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropospheric systems are widely used by military forces as they provide long-distance, real-time communication. Slow-fading propagation loss reduces link availability and limits its data-carrying capacity. Beam pointing dynamics provides knowledge of favorable heights at different times of the day in different seasons and a useful steering range. Beam steering, based on the beam pointing dynamics of the link, can overcome slow fading. The main contributions of this paper are the derivation of a realistic and accurate tropospheric channel model obtained by making important modifications to Dinc's ray-based model. This paper also presents a method for determining beam pointing dynamics using the modified model. Beam pointing dynamics for two different links located in India have been determined in this paper using real-world data obtained from the Indian Meteorological Department. Another significant contribution of the paper is presenting the prospect of dual data streaming on tropospheric links using a fixed beam and a dynamically steered beam, based on the examination of beam pointing dynamics obtained for the two links. The main result presented in this paper is the comparison of powers received from the most favorable heights in a steerable beam system with the powers received in conventional fixed-beam systems for different days of the year. It has been shown that a higher received power can be achieved with beam steering. Another important result shown is the comparison of the achievable data rates for a single fixed-beam system and a dual-beam (one fixed beam and one dynamically steered beam) system. It has been shown that almost double the data rate is achievable in a dual-beam system. The method for the determination of beam pointing dynamics and the possibility of dual data streaming presented in this paper can significantly enhance the availability and capacity of tropospheric links. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are over 63 million MSMEs (micro, small, and medium enterprises) in India, and most of them depend on loans to sustain and grow. This paper identifies the key determinants of timely repayment of loans by MSMEs by examining data obtained from a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) based in South India focused on lending to micro businesses. I find that backward caste-owned businesses have repaid their loans slightly better than general caste-owned businesses. Furthermore, default rates increased as a consequence of COVID-19. Even in the Post Covid analysis, backward caste-owned businesses have repaid their loans better. Even while estimating the loan outcomes in relative terms, I find that the effect continues to be of economic significance. A positive selection of lower caste borrowers cannot explain these results. This finding is important. While approval of loans might still suffer from biases against backward castes, this paper shows that purely based on on-time repayment track record; lenders would do well to lend to backward caste-owned businesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We assessed knowledge, attitudes, practice, and perceptions about COVID-19 among a convenience sample of the general public in India anticipating the second wave of the pandemic. Methods: This questionnaire-based survey was conducted among the general population quarantined at various institutional quarantine facilities in the city of Nagpur, Maharashtra, India. Informed consent was obtained from each participant. The self-designed questionnaire comprised 25 questions regarding knowledge, eight for attitude, and ten for practice. Knowledge questions were responded to on a Yes/No basis with an additional ‘don’t know’ option. The true answer was given 1 point and false/I don’t know answers were given 0 point. Results: The majority of the participants were aware of COVID-19 (97.9%) and did not either wash or knew how to properly dispose of the used mask (88.02%). Only 10.96% of the participants agreed that they verify the social media posts shared over WhatsApp and Facebook on government authentic websites before sharing them with family and friends. Conclusion: Awareness about the virus, modes of spread, good practice, and an optimistic attitude is the prime requisite to curb the spread and to avoid the impending severity anticipating the second wave of the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study focused on the research publications of women faculty in the field of physics, Astrophysics, Astronomy and Atmospheric Science in India. To collect the data we have covered the women faculty of Central Universities, State Universities, IITs, NITs, IISER's, NISER's, research institutes, laboratories and some selected deemed universities. The first fact we found was that the number of women were very less as compare to male staff. To see the publication productivity of women authors we tried to analyze the year-wise productivity, authorship pattern, preferred journals, place and designation and the research papers received highest citations for the period of five years from 2011- 2015. Year 2014 found to be the most productive year and in authorship pattern, women authors preferred to publish their research in collaboration. Highest number of research papers was published in Journal of Applied Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The editorial describes the aims of the conferences reuniting the papers presented in "Urbanism Architecture Constructions" for several successive editions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The total of 3,818 publications collected from the Web of Science database had their collected data measured using scientometric techniques. The search strategy TS=topic for black holes research was refined to 15 years, from 2008 to 2022, and only selected Indian research productivity. The collected data was measured from various angles and types of documents, with 97.590% articles and the highest annual growth rate of 23.664% in 2018. The most prolific author, Ajith Parameshwaran, from the Bangalore International Center for theoretical science, published 119 papers with 32,405 citations (61 h-index). The Journal of Physical Review is the most prolific, with 604 publications and 16,068 citations. The most frequent keyword occurrences are "black holes," with 435 reflected. The Department of Science and Technology in New Delhi is the most prolific, having published 664 papers with a total of 14,346 citations (58 h-index). The black research involved 80 countries, out of which India secured the 8th place in the world's contribution. The prepared research area related to black holes, namely the astronomy and astrophysics research area, is 2,423 with 47.45% of publications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines productivity performance of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) vis-à-vis large firms in India's organised manufacturing sector in the backdrop of COVID-19. To address simultaneity and endogeneity associated with firm size and productivity, the paper applies the Levinsohn and Petrin method to an unbalanced panel to estimate the production function and calculate the total factor productivity (TFP). The results suggest that productivity levels in financial years 2012 to 2022 were comparable between MSME firms and large firms, with the latter performing marginally better. TFP growth stagnated in the pre-pandemic period for both MSMEs and large firms. Post-COVID-19, productivity increased for both large firms and MSMEs, with productivity growth in MSMEs catching up with that of large firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unit weight of municipal solid waste is a critical parameter in engineering analyses of landfills execution, design, and stability of landfills, but significant uncertainty as of now exists with respect to its value. By using synthetic municipal solid waste (SMSW) that replicates the typical composition of waste produced in India. To determine the relation between Maximum Dry Density (MDD) & Optimum Moisture Content (OMC) of fresh SMSW "Modified Proctor Test" has been performed. MSW is a very heterogeneous material, numerous efforts have been made in the past to generalize the density of MSW, but still, the effect of each material on the density is Obscure. In this paper, the variation in MDD & OMC has been provided depending on the varying percentage of each material (Paper, Plastic & Organic Content) present in it. As a result of regulations and shifting consumer habits, waste is continually changing. Engineers must therefore be mindful of the evolving mechanical characteristics of trash, and it's possible that prior findings may not be a reliable indicator of how waste will behave in the future. Therefore, Calculating the variation in unit weight can be useful in designing engineered MSW landfills and for future references. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Air Quality Index (AQI) in India is steadily deteriorating, leading to a rise in the mortality rate due to Lung Cancer. This decline in air quality can be attributed to various factors such as PM 2.5, PM 10, and Ozone (O3). To establish a relationship between AQI and Lung Cancer, several predictive models including Linear Regression, KNN, Decision Tree, ANN, Random Forest Regression, and XGBoost Regression were employed to estimate pollutant levels and Air Quality Index in India. The models relied on publicly available state-wise Air Pollution Dataset. Among all the models, the XGBoost Regression displayed the highest accuracy, with pollutant level estimations reaching an accuracy range of 81% to 98% during training and testing. The second-highest accuracy range was achieved by Random Forest. The paper also explores the impact of increasing pollution levels on the rising mortality rate among lung cancer patients in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to provide an in-depth awareness into the research on customised training programme for the indigenous population in India. The central aim is to conduct a systematic review on the available studies to explore its crucial themes interweaving with skill development. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses systematic review method, for which the author uses Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, SPIDER tool and Mendeley to identify relevant articles from 2011 to 2022. Findings: Results show that the customised training programme is useful for the first-generation population to upgrade their skills. It aids in improving scalability, supports job creation and facilitates in mitigating low level of training exposure by meeting the local needs. However, poor approachability on customised training, its oversimplification and lack of research dents the critical insights and prospects. Originality/value: The novelty of this paper lies on retrieving the essential indicators of customised training from previous studies by systematic review tools. It can aid academicians, educators, local administration and policymakers to understand its benefits for indigenous population to fill the policy gaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) play a salient role in converting scarce financial resources into capital formation. They supplement the role of traditional banks by meeting the financial needs of the organised and unorganised sectors. They fill the credit gaps where the reach of banks is minimal. The paper provides a general review of NBFCs in India. The paper throws light on how NBFCs can increase their scope in micro, small and medium enterprises and retail sectors. The NBFCs have a cutting edge over banks because of their customised product offerings. The paper discusses the role of digitalisation in NBFCs' functioning. The paper further evaluates the challenges faced by NBFCs due to the Infrastructure Leasing and Financing Services crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. The degrading asset quality, decreasing profitability and evasion of capital due to sluggish industrial growth and increased provisioning remain current challenges. The corrective actions taken by NBFCs and the Reserve Bank of India to mitigate the risks arising from these challenges are also discussed. The study is concluded by recommending that the entire framework of NBFCs be recalibrated such that precedence is given to enhancing corporate governance and establishing resiliency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper assesses the social environment required for enhancing social sustainability in a social housing project in India, with a case study of Ajith Singh nagar, social housing project of Vijayawada of Andhra Pradesh, India. Social sustainability is less thought off out of Three pillars of sustainability (Environment, social and economic). Social sustainability is quality of life in a neighborhood with its social environment. This paper studies the Informal social spaces such as informal meeting places, eating, sitting places, religious places and other activities of informal enterprise and trades which add to sustainable neighborhood environment. These spaces generate psychological comfort, enable to establish social relationships, that creates opportunity for informal interactions and social cohesion. Provision of these places in a neighborhood will address the social sustainability. This research arrives at what social spaces and activities required in a neighborhood by analysing existing housing layout which is otherwise just series of buildings and roads. The interactions between people and their surroundings strengthen community building and social bonding. This paper finds out that adding these places and activities enhance the social interactions and in turn establish social Capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As India moves toward enacting a comprehensive data protection legislation, it becomes essential to examine the possible application of India's proposed data protection law to the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The various challenges posed by AI to data protection principles and data principals' rights need to be examined. The need for data maximisation in the use of AI challenges the principle of collection limitation. The difficulty in anticipating the processing purposes of AI challenges the principle of purpose limitation. With a brief introduction to AI and data protection law in India, the paper examines the compatibility of various data protection provisions under India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 with AI. The paper also provides recommendations for data protection regulation of AI. The paper proposes the need to hold data fiduciaries accountable using Data Protection Impact Assessments, Codes of Practice and Security Measures. Besides, there is a need to define the fiduciary duty of care between the data principal and data fiduciary. There is a need recognize data protection by design and default and the Right against automated decision making. Technical solutions need to be explored, but at the same time, AI must not be over-regulated. Lastly, there is a need for flexibly interpreting the provisions of the proposed data protection law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to examine personal and professional factors in determining the research activity and research culture among dental teaching faculty members in Hyderabad City, Telangana. Materials and Method: Two dental schools with ongoing dental undergraduate and postgraduate programmes were included in the study. The Research and Development (R&D) Culture Index Questionnaire comprising 16 items was employed for this study. Also, self‑reported research activity undertaken in the past twelve months was recorded. The association of demographic variables and professionally related variables with the perception of R&D culture and participation in research activities was assessed using the Chi‑square test. A P value was set at 0.05. Results: Of the one‑hundred and fifteen faculty members who participated in the study, seventy‑four (64.4%) worked in the government sector and forty‑one (35.6%) in privately funded dental college. The mean age of the study population was 34.11 + 7.13 years. The majority of them presented a paper or poster at the conference (66.1%; 76) followed by publishing paper in peer‑review journal (42.6%; 49) and grant application for research (6.1%; 7), and authoring of a textbook was undertaken by only 2.6% of the study population. Males (61.1%; P = 0.04) and those employed in private dental college (65.8%; P = 0.02) had significantly high levels of overall perception than their respective counterparts. Conclusion: Our study concludes that this study population has a positive perception (50.32 + 6.95) towards research with the majority of them having done a paper or poster publication (66.1%) in the last one year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]