Activities In India Research Articles

Privatizing Space Missions: The Critical Route to Boost Indian Space Economy

Space-based services in India have reached a stage where demand is outpacing supply and is creating a unique opportunity for developing space industry. A major outcome of advances in space, information, and communications technologies, coupled with changes in policy environment in India, immensely favors deregulation of space activities in a strategic manner into a public–private domain; thrusted private sector investments and space assets ownership and operations; space services to burgeoning domestic demand and impacting global businesses; creating high technology manufacturing capability, and competitive alliances and cooperation. Prospects for growth of commercial space activities in India are promising given that there is still high potential for growth in demands for satellite capacity and for new services such as Geographic Information System (GIS) based decision support systems, mobile multimedia, positioning and navigation applications, disaster management support, rural connectivity and national security-related applications. Demand for satellite communications is very high with large downstream services business; constant need for repetitive and high res images from space and other platforms with downstream services potential for National GIS; expanding from a regional to a global positioning system and services and applications; large-scale supply of operational LEO/GEO launch systems capability based on operational Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV); catering to global markets of space manufacturing/applications by offering high-quality but cost-effective Indianized solutions are classic cases that can be easily privatized and migrated from present “ISRO regime” to a combinative “ISRO+private sector” capacity for future Indian space success—founding the possibility of Indian private sector space assets ownership and operations. The article creates a case and scenario for a time-bound strategy of “license-buyback” model of thrust for private-sector manufacturing, ownership and operations of Indian space assets—especially communication satellites, EO satellites, PSLV-type launch vehicle, and so on. for space services to meet Indian requirements. This approach will also bring in private sector investment in Indian space releasing financial resources for critical advanced technology development in the public regime of ISRO. The article analyses “sample cases” from an investment scenario assessment, policy dimensions, and risk environment that would be of interest for private-sector development for Indian space.

India’s emerging social policy paradigm: productive, protective or what?

ABSTRACTThis article presents a cross-disciplinary review of state-of-the-art explorations of India’s emerging social policy paradigm during the two recent Centre/Left Congress/United Progressive Alliance (UPA) governments (2004–2009, 2009–2014). In doing so, it revises existing classifications of social policy activity in India by tracing quantitative inputs and outcomes over time and assessing the extension of social rights via newly introduced social policy programmes. We find little evidence that India has moved beyond its failing informal welfare regime features characterized by a weakly developed mix of productive–protective welfare policy interventions, comparatively low social expenditure and mixed social outcomes. Furthermore, testing the transformative character of social policy innovations, we conclude that India’s approach to social protection has so far remained essentially residual, even minimalist, in character. Addressing the key developmental challenges India faces will therefore necessitate further reaching changes towards a more encompassing and inclusive social model that will in turn help to better generate productive assets among the Indian poor.

Network perspective of embodied PM2.5 – A case study

Economic growth due to social activities such as industrialization, urbanization, population growth, and transportation in countries like India is coupling with an increase in PM2.5 emissions, which are main contributors to air pollution. In this paper, the embodied PM2.5 emissions generated from economic activities in India were investigated. We quantified the PM2.5 emissions from each economic sector based on input-output analysis (IOA). Also, the control relations within these economic sectors were identified based on ecological network analysis (ENA) to determine the dominance and dependency of each sector. The results showed that 86% (4858 kt) of total PM2.5 emissions were direct and 14% (812 kt) were indirect in 2010. Furthermore, ENA-based results represented the pairwise control relationships among sectors by finding that “Sale, maintenance, and repair of motor vehicles, retail sale of fuel”, “Chemicals and chemical products”, “Smelting of nonmetal mineral products” and “Ordinary & special machinery & equipment” were the dominant sectors that controlled the flow of embodied PM2.5 emissions from other sectors such as “Construction”, “Agriculture”, “Mining and dressing”, “Catering services”, and “Waste manufacturing and recycling”. It is suggested that ENA be adopted as a more systematic approach to uncover PM2.5 flow pattern among the economic sectors, as compared to traditional methods.

Nepali Migrants Political Activisms in India and their Engagement with Homeland

Dominance of research on Nepalis migration to India is considers as ‘for livelihood’, ‘passage of rites’, ‘taken for granted’, more importantly ’tradition’ or ‘Kamaune’ for majority of Nepalis. Nepal is an oldest nation-state of South Asia and its democracy had been, for a number of times, suspended or dismissed which forced Nepali leaders to exile in India. It still continues in different ways. Nepal’s political development is directly or indirectly influenced by political activism in India. India has been important ‘space’ for Nepal’s political change and it also has been a place for migrant’s political activism since a long time.
 Out of several Nepali migrants’ organizations in India, some are active in transnational political mobilizations. This study will look into the concept, evolution and contemporary discourse of the political transnationalism. It examines in the framework of transnationalism; development process of major political parties in Nepal, and situation of Nepali migrant’s political activisms in India and their associations with homeland politics.

Jain Mathematics

The present article will concentrate on the period after the advent of Jainism till the time of Aryabhata around 500 AD. The reason for selecting this time period is that, till recently, it was thought to be a time when there was very little mathematical activity in India. This period shall be referred to as Jain Mathematics period. Basically Jain religious literature is classified into four groups. “Anuyoga”(the exposition of the principles of Jainism) and “Ganitanuyoga”(the exposition of the principles of mathematics) were considered prominent among those. The Jain Mathematics played a significant role when the Brahamin granthas went behind the scenes and Saidhantic Astronomy started taking shape.

Intra Plate Stresses Using Finite Element Modelling

One of the most challenging problems in the estimation of seismic hazard is the ability to quantify seismic activity. Empirical models based on the available earthquake catalogue are often used to obtain activity of source regions. The major limitation with this approach is the lack of sufficient data near a specified source. The non-availability of data poses difficulties in obtaining distribution of earthquakes with large return periods. Such events recur over geological time scales during which tectonic processes, including mantle convection, formation of faults and new plate boundaries, are likely to take place. The availability of geometries of plate boundaries, plate driving forces, lithospheric stress field and GPS measurements has provided numerous insights on the mechanics of tectonic plates. In this article, a 2D finite element model of Indo-Australian plate is developed with the focus of representing seismic activity in India. The effect of large scale geological features including sedimentary basins, fold belts and cratons on the stress field in India is explored in this study. In order to address long term behaviour, the orientation of stress field and tectonic faults of the present Indo- Australian plate are compared with a reconstructed stress field from the early Miocene (20 Ma).

“Can we walk?” Environmental supports for physical activity in India

India is currently facing a non-communicable disease epidemic. Physical activity (PA) is a preventative factor for non-communicable diseases. Understanding the role of the built environment (BE) to facilitate or constrain PA is essential for public health interventions to increase population PA. The objective of this study was to understand BEs associations with PA occurring in two major life domains or life areas—travel and leisure—in urban India. Between December 2014 and April 2015, in-person surveys were conducted with participants (N=370; female=47.2%) in Chennai, India. Perceived BE characteristics regarding residential density, land use mix-diversity, land use mix-access, street connectivity, infrastructure for walking and bicycling, aesthetics, traffic safety, and safety from crime were measured using the adapted Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale-India (NEWS-India). Self-reported PA was measured the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. High residential density was associated with greater odds of travel PA (aOR=1.9, 95% CI=1.2, 3.2). Land use mix-diversity was positively related to travel PA (aOR=2.1, 95%CI=1.2, 3.6), but not associated with leisure or total PA. The aggregate NEWS-India score predicted a two-fold increase in odds of travel PA (aOR=1.9, 95% CI=1.1, 3.1) and a 40% decrease in odds of leisure PA (aOR=0.6, 95% CI=0.4, 1.0). However, the association of the aggregated score with leisure PA was not significant. Results suggest that relationships between BE and PA in low-and-middle income countries may be context-specific, and may differ markedly from higher income countries. Findings have public health implications for India suggesting that caution should be taken when translating evidence across countries.

‘Constituting a Problem in Themselves’: Countering Covert Chinese Activity in India: The Life and Death of the Chinese Intelligence Section, 1944–46

ABSTRACTThis article explores the actions taken to address the issue of covert Chinese activities in India during the Second World War identified by Force 136, the Far East incarnation of the Special Operations Executive (SOE), which resulted in the creation of the Chinese Intelligence Section (CIS) in early 1945. It considers this development within the wider context of security intelligence in relation to British India, which has been the subject of increased academic study in recent years as a result of the increased availability of relevant archival material. The need for CIS to be established draws attention to the parameters within which the various intelligence and security agencies operated, their attention focused primarily upon clearly identifiable threats to British rule, particularly nationalism and communism. The issue of covert Chinese activity in India did not fit easily within this framework; the manner in which SOE’s concerns were ultimately addressed illustrates how the prevailing colonial security mindset shaped the conceptual horizons of security intelligence activity.

An Empirical Study of Inter-Sectoral Linkages and Economic Growth in India

The objective of the present paper is to examine casual relationship between GDP, agricultural, industrial and service sector output in India using time series data from 1950-51 to 2011-12.The study conducts an econometric investigation by applying methodologies, viz., Stationary tests, and Johansen’s Cointegration test, Johansen’s Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) in VAR and Impulse Response Function and Variance Decomposition Analysis. With all the variables in log terms being I(1), Johansen’s co-integration test confirms two long run relationships among the variables at 5% significance level. It reveals that there exists bidirectional causality among the agriculture, industry, service sector and GDP and agriculture and industrial sector with services sector, while there is a unidirectional causality between agriculture and industry sector. However, results based on vector error correction model indicate a weak association between the sectors in the short run. Dynamic causality results show that contribution GDP forecast error by the services sector is the highest, followed by agriculture and industry sectors, while the contribution to the agriculture sector forecast error by GDP is the highest, followed by the service sector and industry. In the case of the industry sector, the explanatory power of one standard deviation innovation in the agriculture sector and the services sector to forecast error variance is quite high (33.38% and 5.38%). Further, results of decomposition variance analysis and impulse response suggest that the agriculture sector plays the main role in determining the overall growth rate of the economy through its linkages to other sector. The analysis of inter – sectoral linkages identify agriculture as the main economic activity that controls most economic activities in India.

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad: Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim from Qadian, India

ABSTRACT: This writing discusses the background of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad founded Ahmadiyya and the response of Indian people at that time. Ahmadiy ya was founded by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in the city of Ludhiana, India , in 1889. H e was born on 13 th February 1835 in Qadian, India , and died in the city of Lahore, India , on 26 th May 1908. At the end of 1890, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad claimed to be “ Imam Mahdi ” and “Al-Masih” ( Messiah ) promised by the Prophet Muhammad to revive Islam and enforcing Islamic law at the end of time. Recognition of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as “Imam Mahdi” and Messiah is a revelation which he admits received from God, as well as the “P rophet ” (for Qadian ism ) and “M ujaddid ” (for Lahore ism ) is the core ideology of Ahmadiyya. At the beginning of his activities in India, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was accepted by the Muslims in general as “ mujaddid ” . However, after he claimed to receive revelations and ha d been appointed by God as the “Mahdi” and Messiah, and even claimed to be a “P rophet ”, then , many M uslims oppose d it. The ulemas in India also imposed infidel to Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and his followers. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and his followers were d owned on and isolated by the Muslims in general , because they were stipulated as astray and out of Islam. The conclusion of this writing is that although Ahmadiy ya considered astray and infidel, but Ahmadiyya continues to grow and expand s to all corners of the world , and now the movement is international. KEY W ORDS: Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Islam, Ahmadiyya community , revelation, astray, and infide l . About the Author: Kunto Sofianto, Ph.D. is a Senior Lecturer at the History Department, Faculty of Art and Humanities UNPAD (Padjadjaran University) Bandung, Jalan Raya Bandung-Sumedang Km.21, Jatinangor, Sumedang, West Java, Indonesia. For academic interests, the author is able to be reached via e-mail at: ksofianto@yahoo.com How to cite this article? Sofianto, Kunto. (2016). “Mirza Ghulam Ahmad: Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim from Qadian, India” in TAWARIKH: International Journal for Historical Studies , Vol.7(2) April, pp.183-200. Bandung, Indonesia: Minda Masagi Press and UIN SGD Bandung, ISSN 2085-0980. Chronicle of the article: Accepted (March 3, 2016); Revised (March 25, 2016); and Published (April 28, 2016).

Lessons from a decade of suicide surveillance in India: who, why and how?

This paper investigates trends in suicide rate, the reasons for and means of suicide and the occupation of deceased, to prioritize suicide prevention activities in India and to highlight the limitations to data quality for surveillance. Data available in the public domain from the National Crimes Record Bureau (NCRB) were analysed from 2001 to 2010 at the national and sub-national levels, split by age groups and sex for ages 15 years and above. The reported suicide rate was 14.9 and 15.4 suicides per 100 000 population in 2001 and 2010, respectively. More developed states reported significantly higher suicide rates than the less developed (mean 20.5 versus 8.16), but neither experienced large changes over time. Among males, the reported suicide rate changed slightly (17.8 to 19.5); it remained almost similar for females (11.9 to 11.1). Housewives accounted for the highest proportion of suicide deaths over the decade. Distribution of the reasons for suicide remained almost constant over time; most suicides (33.7%) were due to personal/social reasons, followed by health at 24.3% and unknown reasons at 16.4%; differences were observed between the more and less developed states. Marriage-related suicides were higher for females, and health reasons increased with increasing age. Nationally, poison/overdose with drugs/pesticides was the leading means of suicide through the decade, although the gap between this and hanging decreased over time. The state level data showed considerable heterogeneity in the quality of data across the indicators assessed. These data provide a range of information to identify vulnerable groups, to formulate appropriate suicide prevention strategies. Addressing the limitations in data quality would facilitate further utility of surveillance data to prevent suicides.

Supporting Research-Inspired Entrepreneurial Activities in India

Nations built on innovation, entrepreneurship, and production are able to dominate the world economy. However, risk taking has traditionally been discouraged in developing nations. The uncertainty and financial insecurity associated with entrepreneurial activities are the greatest barriers that budding entrepreneurs need to overcome in order to transition into successful entrepreneurs. This challenge needs substantial effort and steady support from society. Easy access to information, mentorship, and a network of venture capitalists and angel investors also play critical roles in promoting entrepreneurial activities. To this end, the Government of India recently launched a nationwide campaign to promote entrepreneurial activities across the country. Some of the recently emerging trends indicate that scientific and technological innovators from India are now willing to be a part of the global entrepreneurial revolution. Research-inspired entrepreneurial initiatives are expected to play a key role in facilitating India’s economic growth in the coming years. This article focuses on the initiatives undertaken by the Indian Government and by various academic institutes to facilitate entrepreneurial activities across the country. Cherish creativity, be bold, and have the audacity to seek and discover. Never lose your nerve!

Supporting Research-Inspired Entrepreneurial Activities in India

Supporting Research-Inspired Entrepreneurial Activities in India

Adapting and Validating the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) for Trivandrum, India, 2013.

IntroductionA limitation of the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) in assessing physical activity in India is that it does not capture the diversity of activities across cultures and by sex. The purpose of this study was to culturally adapt and validate the GPAQ by using an accelerometer in Thiruvananthapuram City, India.MethodsWe developed a modified version of the GPAQ by adding a physical activity chart specific to the locale. We identified local physical activities through in-depth interviews, group discussions, and observation, and used Actigraph GT3X accelerometers to validate the modified GPAQ for a subsample of 47 women. Participants were drawn from a cross-sectional survey of 1,303 women aged 18 to 64 years, selected by multistage cluster sampling. Spearman rank correlation coefficients and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated to determine the correlation and level of agreement in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) on the basis of accelerometer measurement and the modified GPAQ.ResultsThe correlation for MVPA between the modified GPAQ (overall) and the accelerometer (non-bouted MVPA) was 0.69 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.39–0.85) with a moderately high ICC of 0.78 (95% CI, 0.56–0.90). The correlation for MVPA between the modified GPAQ and the accelerometer-based MVPA within bouts of at least 10 minutes was 0.60 (95% CI, 0.26–0.80) with an ICC of 0.55 (95% CI, 0.20–0.77) indicating a moderate level of agreement.ConclusionThe GPAQ can be used for assessing physical activity among women in India, and its adaptation and validation may be useful in other low-income or middle-income countries where activities are diverse in type and intensity.

Impact of social security schemes and welfare programmes on Beedi Rollers

<p>Beedi rolling is one of the major informal<br />sector activities in India, which employs a<br />large number of women and children. The<br />Government of India estimates that there are<br />about 50.53 lakh workers in this industry and<br />44,49,352 identity cards have been issued<br />to beedi workers. Of these, the majority are<br />home-based female workers who live below<br />poverty line. Beedi workers constitute one of<br />the most vulnerable sections of the country’s<br />workforce. This paper is an attempt to<br />evaluate the effectiveness of social security<br />and welfare programmes and its provision<br />such as educational, medical, insurance,<br />pension and other issues. The paper “Impact<br />of Social Security and Welfare Programmes<br />on Beedi Rollers”, is based on the primary<br />data collected from the Sagar district of<br />Madhya Pradesh and Rajnandgaon district of<br />Chhattisgarh.</p>

Regional Specialization and Diversification of Economic Activities in India

Regional Specialization and Diversification of Economic Activities in India

Organizing in the Informal Sector: A Case Study in Mumbai’s Shipbreaking Yards

ABSTRACTBuilding on empirical data collected through interviews with representatives of the Mumbai Port Trust Dock and General Employees Union, the International Metalworkers’ Federation, and shipbreaking workers, this paper presents the results of a case study conducted from 2011 to 2013 in the shipbreaking yards of Mumbai. I first examine India’s liberalization shift in the early 1990s and observe its effect on the transformation of labour markets, then present a brief overview of the literature related to unions and the informal economy. Using the conceptual framework developed by Sousa Santos (2004) around the “sociology of absences, the sociology of emergences and the work of translation” and the analytical tool developed by Comeau (2005) to study collective struggles, the core of the article explores the development of shipbreaking activities in India, chronicles the history of collective action in the shipbreaking industry, discusses practices, strategies and demands put forward by the unions, and identifies issues arising from the difficulties facing traditionally organized unions engaged in transforming their practices to adapt to the growth of the informal economy.

Health Professionals' Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices about Pharmacovigilance in India: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BackgroundSpontaneous or voluntary reporting of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) is one of the vital roles of all health professionals. In India, under-reporting of ADRs by health professionals is recognized as one of the leading causes of poor ADR signal detection. Therefore, reviewing the literature can provide a better understanding of the status of knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of Pharmacovigilance (PV) activities by health professionals.MethodsA systematic review was performed through Pubmed, Scopus, Embase and Google Scholar scientific databases. Studies pertaining to KAP of PV and ADR reporting by Indian health professionals between January 2011 and July 2015 were included in a meta-analysis.ResultsA total of 28 studies were included in the systematic review and 18 of them were selected for meta-analysis. Overall, 55.6% (95% CI 44.4–66.9; p<0.001) of the population studied were not aware of the existence of the Pharmacovigilance Programme in India (PvPI), and 31.9% (95% CI 16.3–47.4; p<0.001) thought that "all drugs available in the market are safe". Furthermore, 28.7% (95% CI 16.4–40.9; p<0.001) of them were not interested in reporting ADRs and 74.5%, (95% CI 67.9–81.9; p<0.001) never reported any ADR to PV centers.ConclusionThere was an enormous gap of KAP towards PV and ADR reporting, particularly PV practice in India. There is therefore an urgent need for educational awareness, simplification of the ADR reporting process, and implementation of imperative measures to practice PV among healthcare professionals. In order to understand the PV status, PvPI should procedurally assess the KAP of health professionals PV activities in India.

One Subject, Two Lands: My Journey in Condensed Matter Physics

This is an account of a professional life in the field that was generally known as solid-state physics when I started working in it; India and the United States of America are the countries in which this life was largely played out. My attempts to understand various things in condensed matter physics, and efforts to put together people and activities in India in this field, are mainly the story.

Forecasting H1N1 Activity in India

Forecasting H1N1 Activity in India