Government Of Maharashtra Research Articles

Regulation of Artificial Intelligence in India: Difficulties and Factors to be Considered

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing various sectors, particularly healthcare, by improving processes, enhancing efficiency, and driving economic growth. In India, the healthcare system faces significant challenges, including inadequate access to quality care, especially in rural areas, and a severe shortage of skilled medical professionals. Despite having world-class hospitals that bolster medical tourism, India struggles with disparities in healthcare access and affordability. AI has the potential to address these issues by improving access to high-quality care, reducing the burden on healthcare professionals, and enabling personalized treatments on a large scale. The Indian government is actively working to integrate AI into the healthcare system, as demonstrated by initiatives like the National Health Stack and the National Digital Health Blueprint. These policies aim to create a digital infrastructure that facilitates data sharing and supports innovation in the private sector. Additionally, collaborations between government bodies, technology companies, and healthcare providers are accelerating the development and implementation of AI-driven solutions. For example, NITI Aayog's partnerships with Microsoft and Forus Health focus on early disease detection, while the Maharashtra government is working with Wadhwani AI to enhance rural healthcare. These efforts highlight AI's potential to transform India's healthcare system, making it more efficient, accessible, and affordable, ultimately improving public health outcomes and reducing poverty related to healthcare costs.

Re-conceptualizing climate maladaptation: Complementing social-ecological interactions with relational socionatures

Cases of climate maladaptation are increasingly documented. Its identification and redressal has become a priority for researchers and policymakers concerned with climate vulnerability reduction. The ability to address climate maladaptation hinges on being open to its diverse causes, manifestations, and impacts. This study argues that climate maladaptation analyses are dominated by an “interactional ontology”—the understanding that it can be explained as an observable outcome from how separate social, economic, and political systems interact in moments of time. Consequently, efforts to curb climate maladaptation often target the institutional contexts (e.g., rules, regulations) understood as enabling adaptation practices to aggravate climate risks. But this only captures a partial aspect of climate maladaptation, neglecting underlying causes and processes. We argue a “relational ontology” can complement the “why and how” of maladaptation. A relational ontology understands climate maladaptation as an evolving process constituted through dynamic material and discursive relations, versus an observable outcome from separately interacting systems. By analyzing how adaptation initiatives are related to, framed, and politicized, assembly processes are rendered visible. To demonstrate this, we study the Government of Maharashtra’s (India) Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan, a program aimed at increasing water conservation to “free” 20,000 villages from drought impacts. From our theorization and empirical case, we discuss how a relational ontology contributes to debates in the climate maladaptation literature and invites approaches for mitigating this phenomenon.

Do climate adaptation programmes potentially exacerbate rural inequality? Identifying beneficiaries of a drought mitigation scheme in Maharashtra, India

ABSTRACT The adverse implications of climate change can exacerbate socially uneven distributions of vulnerability. Therefore, climate adaptation programs are maladaptive if benefits are captured by privileged social groups, contributing to heightened socio-economic inequality and leaving the plight of highly vulnerable population segments unaddressed. This paper examines this potential using the case of Birsa Munda Krishi Kranti Yojana, an irrigation subsidy program for Scheduled Tribe farmers administered by the Government of Maharashtra, India. We investigated this scheme in Talasari block, an impoverished rural sub-administrative area 135 km north of Mumbai. The research shows that benefits from the scheme tended to flow towards more well-off agricultural households, notwithstanding checks-and-balances within the program that sought to prioritise the needs of poorer farmers. In turn, these distributional effects contributed to intensified agrarian class stratification by providing more well-off farmers with enhanced capabilities to respond to climate stresses, shedding important conceptual insights into the interplay of climate change and government policy for class mobility within smallholder and tribal populations. The evidence from this paper highlights the imperative for inclusive agricultural development and raises questions about agricultural subsidy programs as policy levers to address climate adaptation.

Prevalence of non-communicable chronic diseases in rural India amongst peri- and post-menopausal women: Can artificial intelligence help in early identification?

AimsTo identify peri- and post-menopausal women at risk of non-communicable diseases in rural India and to assess their prevalence amongst these groups via the use of artificial intelligence. Settings and designAn observational study conducted by the Indian Menopause Society in collaboration with the Government of Maharashtra. The study included rural women residents of three villages in the Latur district of Maharashtra, India. Materials and methodsAccredited social health activist workers identified 400 peri- and post-menopausal women aged 45–60 years. Specific symptoms able to predict the presence of a non-communicable disease were identified through the use of artificial intelligence. Statistical analysis usedDescriptive statistics and predictive network charts analysis. ResultsThe mean age of 316 women included in the analysis was 50.4 years and the majority of them were illiterate (68 %). The prevalence of dyslipidaemia, osteopenia, diabetes mellitus, obesity and hypertension were 58 %, 50 %, 25 %, 25 %, and 20 % respectively. None of their symptoms or laboratory reports could be significantly correlated directly with any of these non-communicable diseases. Hence, we used a cluster of symptoms to suggest the presence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis and hypothyroidism via predictive network analysis charts. ConclusionsScreening of at-risk women can be done using an artificial intelligence-based screening tool for early diagnosis, timely referral and treatment of non-communicable diseases with the support of community health workers.

Knowledge and Attitude of Homeopathy Doctors Attending the Modern Pharmacology Bridge Course toward Psychiatry – A Cross-sectional Study

Aim: The aim of the study is to assess the knowledge and attitude of homeopathy doctors attending modern pharmacology course toward psychiatry. This is the first ever course approved by the state government of Maharashtra in India for registered homeopathy practitioners. We have considered them as our study group because they work at a grassroots level and are the first level of contact between the individual and the health system. Methodology: One hundred subjects were included in the study. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to assess their knowledge and attitude toward psychiatry. Informed consent was obtained from all the participants. Results: Of the 48 participants included in the study, most belonged to ages 44–53 years, with 83.4% of males. All had completed a degree before 2000 AD with about 50% of the sample having completed a bachelor’s degree. Of these, 74.5% had more than 20 years of homeopathic practice. Based on the Attitudes Toward Psychiatry-30 questionnaire, majority of the sample had a negative attitude toward psychiatry. Conclusion: Most of the traditional homeopathy doctors carry a negative or neutral attitude toward the field of psychiatry and its therapeutic interventions.

Design of UG Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering Curriculum aligned to NEP 2020

Abstract— The increasing youth population of India requires high-quality educational opportunities to shape their future. It is the urgent need to design education policy which provides the key to scientific advancements, national integration and economic growth to ensure India’s continued progress globally. Thus Ministry of Education of Government of India passed National Education Policy (NEP) in 2020 and thus Directorate of Technical Education of Government of Maharashtra decided to design and implement the curriculum in all autonomous Higher Educational Institutes (HEIs) with effect from academic year 2023-24. This paper describes the implementation of Electronics and Telecommunication engineering curriculum structure at the department of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering of Rajarambapu Institute of Technology, Islampur, Sangli, Maharashtra, India. Author has summarized components of different categories mentioned in Government Resolution of Government of Maharashtra on NEP 2020 as well as AICTE Model curriculum and compared the category wise credits suggested by both. The author further highlighted the courses and credit requirements to get Honors, Double Minor, Honors with Research degrees for gifted students and multiple entry multiple exit for students facing obstacles in their learning path. The designed curriculum has ensured the multidisciplinary and holistic education and is in line with NEP 2020. Keywords— Curriculum Structure, Education Policy, Holistic Education, Model Curriculum, Multidisciplinary Education

Examining district-level disparity and determinants of timeliness of emergency medical services in Maharashtra, India

The quality of emergency medical services remains a major public health issue in developing countries in terms of access, availability, or timely delivery, owing to high socio-economic and ethnic disparities. Particularly, the timeliness of EMS remains a drawback, leading to higher mortality and morbidity. The aim of the study is to assess the district-level differences and factors that influence ambulance travel time, as there was no study done in the Indian scenario. Sequential Explanatory Design was applied here, which involved a descriptive study and spatial analysis of the call volume and distribution to understand the operational challenges of MEMS, followed by in-depth interviews among medical officers and officials to explore the reasons for the challenges. The data, shared by the Department of Health, Government of Maharashtra, consisted of 38,823 records (emergency: 16,197 and hospital-to-hospital transfer: 22,626), including emergency and hospital-to-hospital transfer calls across 36 districts of Maharashtra for November 2022. Spatial analyses were performed to identify the districts with challenges of timeliness. The average ambulance response time (T) across the districts was reported at 134.5 min for emergency cases and 222.80 min for hospital-to-hospital transfer cases. The total ambulance response time, was classified as preparation time (t1:3.53 min for emergency, 3.69 min for hospital-to-hospital transfer), travel time from base to scene (t2: 23.15 min for emergency, 17.18 min for hospital-to-hospital transfer), time required at scene (t3: 12.12 min for emergency, 14.72 min for hospital-to-hospital transfer), travel time from scene to hospital (t4:39.41 min for emergency, 74.34 min for hospital-to-hospital transfer), patient handover time (t5: 10.85 min for emergency, 13.84 min for hospital-to-hospital transfer), and return from base to hospital (t6: 41.89 min for emergency, 94.72 min for hospital-to-hospital transfer). Multivariate linear regression was conducted to investigate the factors that influence ambulance travel time. The finding identifies that the ambulance travel time increased for the districts with lesser population density, lower road density, fewer hospitals, a higher district area served per ambulance, and a higher population served per ambulance. Additionally, socio-cultural reasons affecting health-seeking behaviour, early closing of healthcare centres, undercapacity and resource-deficit healthcare centres, and overloading of specialised tertiary hospitals were identified as determinants of delay in patient assessment and handover time in qualitative findings. A decisive and multi-sectoral approach is required to address the timeliness of EMS in the Indian context.

Role of Maharashtra Government and Administration in Tribal Development

Role of Maharashtra Government and Administration in Tribal Development

The Grid Connected Roof Top Solar Project in Army Institute of Technology; a Case Study

Abstract: Educational Institutions are often under pressure for cost cutting. Electricity charges, especially in a residential institution, is one of the biggest drain on finances. In this case study, we would like to discuss the grid connected roof top solar project in Army Institute of Technology (AIT), Dighi, Pune. This 350 kW system has been installed without any cost to AIT, on Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model, for 25 years at the rate of Rs 6/- per electricity unit. The power generated by the system is approximately 1000 to 1200 electricity units per day as against a requirement of about 1800 to 2000 electricity units per day. Net Metering Policy implemented by Maharashtra Government enables AIT to send excess electricity generated during day time back to the grid. This excess power given to the grid is credited back during night time. A new Net Meter has been installed in AIT that provides daily status of the power import/export. This has resulted in Cost Savings of nearly Rs 1,50,000/- per month which comes close to Rs 18,00,000/- per annum. Keywords: AIT, Build-Operate-Transfer, cost cutting, grid, roof top, solar

A study of land acquisition and compensation process for national highway in Maharashtra

The proposed Samruddhi Mahamarg expressway project in Maharashtra, India, has been facing significant challenges with regards to land acquisition. The project requires around 20,000 hectares of land, of which 8,000 hectares have been acquired so far. However, the land acquisition process has faced opposition from farmers, landowners, and opposition parties, who have raised concerns about the compensation being offered, the impact on agriculture, and the displacement of local communities. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), which is responsible for the project, has made changes to the land acquisition process, including increasing compensation, providing jobs to displaced persons, and setting up a grievance redressal mechanism. The Maharashtra government has also passed a law to expedite the land acquisition process. Despite these measures, the land acquisition process remains a contentious issue, with many continuing to oppose it. The Samruddhi Mahamarg project aims to improve connectivity and reduce travel time between Mumbai and Nagpur, two major cities in the state. However, the challenges faced in land acquisition have caused significant delays in the project. The outcome of the land acquisition process will have a significant impact on the future of the project and the economy of Maharashtra.

REGRESSION ANALYSIS OF ENTREPRENEURIAL BEHAVIOUR OF SWEET ORANGE GROWERS

A sweet orange (Citrus sinensis L.) is an important fruit crop of Maharashtra state of India. It is grown on an area of 55,000 ha. The area under this fruit crop is increasing rapidly as a result of dynamic employment guarantee scheme launched by the Government of Maharashtra for fruit crops. Sweet Orange is a major fruit crop in Marathwada region of the State. 0.77 lakh hectares area is under this crop (Anonymous, 2014a). The development of any nation depends primarily on the important role played by entrepreneurs. Hence, the part played by entrepreneurs is of vital importance in a developing country like India. Thus in all economic development activities more attention is being given to entrepreneurship development. An entrepreneur is primarily concerned with changes in the formula of production over which he has full control. Further, it is commonly believed that an entrepreneur is basically an intelligent person and has a definite ability to create something new to prove its worthiness. The Ex-post-facto research design was used for the present study. The study was conducted in Aurangabad district. Three tahsils namely, Aurangabad, Paithan and Kannad were selected purposively on the basis of the maximum area under sweet orange cultivation. The main objective of this study is to study the regression analysis of entrepreneurial behaviour of sweet orange growers. It is revealed from that coefficient of determination (R2) of the independent variables was 0.5040. It means that 50.40 per cent of the total variation in entrepreneurial behavior of sweet orange growers was explained by the selected 10 independent variables i.e. Farming experience, Education, Family size, Occupation, Land holding, Annual income, Social participation, Mass media use, Economic motivation and Market orientation. The present study was used as a multistage sampling procedure. Collected data were classified, tabulated and analyzed by using multiple regression.

On the Editions of Dr B. R. Ambedkar’s The Buddha and His Dhamma

This article seeks to outline the history of the addition of references to what is often considered Dr B. R. Ambedkar’s magnum opus, his posthumously published The Buddha and His Dhamma (1957). It discusses the original edition, the 1961 Hindi translation by Bhadant Anand Kausalyayan, which was the first to add references, the 1992 reprint of the original edition as Volume 11 of the collection Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar: Writings and Speeches published by the Government of Maharashtra, and the 2011 ‘critical edition’ edited by Aakash Singh Rathore and Ajay Verma and published by Oxford University Press. Through a critical appraisal of these editions, the article aims to press the general need turned urgent for scholars of Ambedkar to produce competent scholarly editions of Ambedkar’s texts, especially his later writings, which were left incomplete and unpublished during his lifetime.

Maharashtra Government's Policy on Tourism: A Comprehensive Analysis

Maharashtra Government's Policy on Tourism: A Comprehensive Analysis

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on maternal and neonatal outcomes: A narrative review and evidence from the PregCovid registry

More than 533 million Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases and associated 6 million fatalities were reported globally whereas 43 million cases and 0.5 million deaths in India were reported till June 2022. Maharashtra state alone reported about one-third of the total cases of COVID-19 in India in the early period of COVID-19 pandemic. The lack of epidemiological, demographic, and impact data of COVID-19 on pregnant women and newborns, advocated the need for recording and documenting population specific data for clinical management and policy decisions in India. The PregCovid registry was launched in April 2020 by the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute for Research in Reproductive and Child Health, Mumbai, in collaboration with the Medical Education and Drugs Department, Government of Maharashtra, and Topiwala National Medical College and Bai Yamunabai Laxman Nair Charitable Hospital to gain insights into clinical and socio-epidemiological characteristics of pregnant women with lab confirmed COVID-19 and assess its impact on maternal and neonatal outcomes. The registry has collected data of 8428 pregnant and postpartum women with COVID-19 from 19 participating centers across Maharashtra in a near real-time manner. The registry first reported that the delta variant (B.1.617.2) dominant second wave was more lethal (case fatality rate 5.7%) to pregnant and postpartum women than the alpha (0.7%) dominant wave of COVID-19 in India. There was also a higher incidence of moderate to severe cases, intensive care admissions and maternal complications including pre-eclampsia, low birth weight and preterm deliveries during the delta wave. The omicron dominant third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic exhibited a higher transmission rate compared to the previous two waves, causing a surge in cases but minimally impacting adverse outcomes. The registry further analyzed and reported the impact of COVID-19 on pregnant and postpartum women with comorbidities, coinfections, twin pregnancies, and neonatal outcomes, while providing crucial policy inputs to improve maternal and newborn health during the pandemic. The registry model can be replicated at tertiary care hospitals across India to understand various maternal-neonatal outcomes. The evidence generated from PregCovid registry was useful for improved clinical management and also contributed to a policy decision on COVID-19 vaccination in pregnant women in India. The registry envisions a collaboration with similar regional, national and international registries to form an international consortium for data sharing and reporting to promote global policy level interventions and advocates a sustainable and collective response to improve the COVID-19 global vaccination coverage.

Incidence of Distal Radius Fracture in Children Peaks Around the Pubertal Growth Spurt: A Hospital-Based Study Over Twelve Years (2000 to 2011)

Introduction: A significant asynchrony between statural growth rate and mineral mass accrual may contribute to the increased prevalence of low-energy fractures observed during puberty. This disparity is most pronounced when the compact bone of the radius exhibits a temporary surge in porosity concurrent with the most rapid phase of linear growth. Materials & Methods: The district hospital, Sindhadurg complete medical records are used to identify all distal radius fracture younger than 18 years, treated during 2000 to 2011. The medical record linkage system of regular and periodical school health medical examination performed by medical officers tested biannually, anthropometrically, physiologically and clinically for whole district children provides the unique data on velocity of growth. This demographic data of distal radius fracture in children and adolescents are compared with, documentation of longitudinal velocity of growth of the same children that was collected during the identical time period for children from the same student population of Sindhudurg. Results: After adjusting for age and sex, the annual incidence rates per 100,000 population showed a statistically significant increase from 2.8 (95% CI 2.4-3.3) in 2000, to 6.3 (95% CI 5.7-6.9) in 2006, and 12.7 (95% CI 11.9-13.4) in 2011. The average age for peak growth velocity was 14.2 years in boys and 12.6 years in girls, according to the Government of Maharashtra’s school health program. Notably, the incidence of fractures peaked at ages 13.1 to 15.2 in boys and 11.4 to 13.8 in girls. Conclusion: This long term data for the whole Sindhudurg district indicates a correlation between the peak incidence of distal radius fractures and the age of maximum growth velocity in both boys and girls, suggesting a potential vulnerability during this critical growth phase. Keywords: Distal radius fracture in children, adolescent, puberty, growth spurt, longitudinal velocity of growth.

A successful recipe for localization: a case of GIMP (GNU image manipulation program)

PurposeFree Open Source Softwares (FOSS) witnessed the development of many very good alternatives to proprietary softwares. These free softwares can be localized in several local languages. This paper aims to illustrate a very interesting empirical investigation on FOSS. Several significant benefits of localization are described in introduction and subsequent sections.Design/methodology/approachAlthough the localization process is standard and well documented for most of the FOSS, it is a more complex task as it involves coordination among developers, linguists and domain experts. Hence, a very few open source softwares are successfully localized in Indian languages. In this paper, the authors present an approach that they have used for GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) software Marathikaran (localization in Marathi language) project of by Rajya Marathi Vikas Sanstha of Maharashtra Government (RMVS), India.FindingsThis localization project has been described by RMVS as a pilot project that would guide such similar localizations in many other Indian languages for other popular open source softwares.Social implicationsThe localization work overcomes the general misconception that regional languages are good only for communication (Boli Bhasha) but cannot be used for dissemination of knowledge (Gyan Bhasha). This work is notably contributing to language preservation, language revitalization and Digital India Initiative.Originality/valueThis work is the pioneering work in this domain for Marathi language with respect to GIMP. The authors presented systematic steps used to localize the GIMP software in Marathi language (from 2% to 100%).

Emphasizing Health Insurance as Social Security System of Unorganized Sector in Maharashtra: The Case of the Ragpickers

The Indian economy is categorized into two sectors, namely: organized and unorganized sectors. The unorganized sector consists of a pivotal part of the Indian economy. Ragpickers are that class of employees who can be considered as an organized-unorganized labor class. Ragpicking business entails collecting, sorting, and selling various waste materials, mainly plastics or metals. After doing all this work, they sell recyclable material to the junkyard dealers at very petty prices, making them economically poor. Ragpickers are a major contributor to the Indian economy, as they are involved in recycling. Ragpickers mostly work without being equipped with any protective gear and are exposed to many health hazards while doing their role. They suffer from occupational risks and are often found hospitalized paying their bills from their pockets. There are times when they even do not go to hospitals because of hospital expenses. The paper primarily focuses on analyzing the different health insurance schemes, which are provided as social security by the Maharashtra Government and tries to find out the possible loopholes in health insurance policies because of which the ragpickers are not able to utilize or avail the benefits of the policies for which they are eligible. For developing a better understanding of the subject, the researcher has conducted an empirical survey on the ragpickers of Pune. Based on this, the researcher has recommended some policy changes, which can prove beneficial for the welfare of the Ragpickers.

Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health, Well-being and Quality of Life of Women in Rural Maharashtra

In Maharashtra, Mahila Aarthik Vikas Mandal (MAVIM), a non-profit initiative of the Government of Maharashtra, India, works to build the overall capacities of women. It acts as a nodal agency to implement various female-empowerment schemes of central and state governments. The general observation of MAVIM was that post-COVID-19, women from rural sectors experienced high rates of depression and anxiety. Hence, to understand the extent of the mental well-being of rural women, a cross-sectional field study was planned in the two worst-affected rural sectors of the Vidarbha region, located in central India.

Analysis of Physicochemical Properties, Available Nutrients of Soil and their Correlation with Incidence of Telya Disease of Pomegranate at Northern Nasik, Maharashtra

Maharashtra government reported 10,000 crore production loss of Pomegranate every year, due to the incidence of Telya disease. The present study was aimed to analyse the physical, chemical properties, and available micro-macronutrients in the soil of pomegranate orchards infected with Telya disease. Estimation of incidence and severity of disease was done on fifty selected orchards from different villages that were MangiTungi, Daswel, Dasane, Mulher, and Sompur. Results revealed that minimum incidence (58.66%) and severity (59.89%) were recorded in Sompur village whereas maximum incidence (74.40%) and severity (68.70%) were recorded in Daswel and MangiTungi village respectively. The pH (7.5-7.9) and free lime concentration 7.4-9.4%) were exceptionally very high for all test and control samples. Deficiency of essential macronutrients N (<150-250 Kg/ha) and K (<125-200 Kg/ha) was recorded in all test samples along with additional deficiency of Zn micronutrient (<1.0-2.0 ppm). In the case of mock orchards, all the parameters were in accordance with reference values.Statistical analysis of data declared that there was a significant difference among parameters of tested groups (P>0.05) while for control fields there were no significant differences (P<0.05). Further, a positive correlation between macro-micronutrients (Na, Ca, N, P, K, Mn) and incidence of disease was recorded which concludes that an imbalance in nutrients promotes growth of pathogens and increases susceptibility of plants to pathogenic attack. Further, balancing nutrients through fertilisers or foliar spray could be an effective strategy for an integrated pest management system.

Structural Audit of Cancer Hospital Building Sawangi (Meghe), Wardha

Now a Days we are designing RCC framed structure which is heart of building with consideration of factors and various and codes which is necessary and using different techniques to assess the old RCC framed Structure. In India, safety of old buildings is one of the major issues. As the strength of old hospital buildings get reduced in due course of time it creates structural defects such as unexpected over loading, material deterioration, physical damages or structural deficiency and if further utilization of such damaged structure is done, it may lead to serious damage of life and property. As Structural Audit of old building is mandatory as per municipal authorities and Government of Maharashtra has made "Structural Audit" of all old building compulsory As Prevention is better than cure, In this present dissertation we adopted Structural Auditing of Cancer hospital building which is situated at sawangi (meghe),Wardha (Maharashtra) is constructed in the year span of 1990-1992 So at the present scenario this building is 32 year Old and required to be checked in all aspect to Assure its safety. with Rebound Hammer Test, Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity Test, Half-cell test, pH and carbonation test including Visual Inspection and assessing the stability and safety of the structure to withstand for its remaining life by diagnosis and root cause of the problems by recommending strengthening and then retesting after strengthening is done to check the required strength which is expected.