Largest Indian State Research Articles

National-scale maps for soil aggregate size distribution parameters using pedotransfer functions and digital soil mapping data products

Soil aggregate size distribution (ASD) is a key soil property for quantitative characterization of soil structure. Typically, dry and wet sieving methods are followed to measure mass fractions of soil aggregates under each aggregate size class and their cumulative fractions are used to estimate ASD parameters. In general, available soil ASD databases are small and a comprehensive assessment of existing models to describe ASD data is not available for soil aggregates. With objectives to comprehensively assess available ASD models, parameterize each model through pedotransfer functions (PTF), and generate ASD parameter maps for large region, we evaluated 26 models using 1373 soil ASD datasets generated from four large Indian states. The lognormal distribution-based Buchan model was observed to best describe most of our datasets. In fact, 1305 ASD datasets met the threshold criteria consisting of ‘coefficient of determination (R2) > 0.95′ and ‘corrected Akaike information criterion (AICc) < − 45′ for the Buchan model. Once ASD models were chosen, we used both soil properties and terrain attributes as predictors in the random forest (RF) and extreme gradient boosting models to develop PTFs for their parameters. To check whether soil properties estimated through digital soil mapping (DSM) can replace measured soil properties in the PTFs, we extracted soil properties from available DSM products. With measured soil properties and terrain attributes as predictors, RF-based PTFs yielded R2 values in the range of 0.55–0.76 for ASD parameters. Comparable performance was observed when measured soil properties were replaced by the DSM-estimated soil properties. Such a result enabled us to create national digital soil maps for ASD parameters based on DSM-derived soil properties for the first time.

Grey forecasting models based on internal optimization for Novel Corona virus (COVID-19)

Pandemic forecasting has become an uphill task for the researchers on account of the paucity of sufficient data in the present times. The world is fighting with the Novel Coronavirus to save human life. In a bid to extend help to the concerned authorities, forecasting engines are invaluable assets. Considering this fact, the presented work is a proposal of two Internally Optimized Grey Prediction Models (IOGMs). These models are based on the modification of the conventional Grey Forecasting model (GM(1,1)). The IOGMs are formed by stacking infected case data with diverse overlap periods for forecasting pandemic spread at different locations in India. First, IOGM is tested using time series data. Its two models are then employed for forecasting the pandemic spread in three large Indian states namely, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and union territory Delhi.Several test runs are carried out to evaluate the performance of proposed grey models and conventional grey models GM(1,1) and NGM(1,1,k). It is observed that the prediction accuracies of the proposed models are satisfactory and the forecasted results align with the mean infected cases. Investigations based on the evaluation of error indices indicate that the model with a higher overlap period provides better results.

Water and Sanitation: Achievement of Large Indian States

In this paper we make a comparative analysis of water and sanitation facilities across Indian states. We also analyse the trend and pattern of state expenditure in the water and sanitation sector and relate the expenditure with the nature of the existing facilities. Furthermore, we assess whether the state governments are adequately financing the sector in accordance to their GDP. Using data from the state statistical reports during 2001–2012, we find that the sanitation facilities are alarmingly low, particularly in the states Assam, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. There are high interstate disparities in drainage facilities and latrine usage, with no sign of convergence during the study period. However, in terms of the provision of sanitation facilities, Haryana has showed significant progress over the years, whereas the progress in Assam, Rajasthan and Maharashtra does not seem promising. Along with the poor facilities, state spending for the provision of such facilities is also limited. We find that the correlation between expenditure and the facilities is also not direct and strong. Lastly, we notice the extent of expenditure in accordance with their gross state domestic product is astonishingly low for most of the states except Haryana.

Maternal dietary diversity and odds of low birth weight: Empirical findings from India

ABSTRACTIndia has the highest proportion of low birth weight (LBW) babies born in the developing world. Poor maternal nutrition during pregnancy is associated with adverse infant health outcomes. The main objective of this paper was to assess the socioeconomic factors associated with dietary diversity among pregnant women and to investigate the association between maternal dietary diversity and LBW among their babies. The data for these analyses were derived from a survey conducted in November and December, 2014 among 230 women who had newly delivered in hospitals in Uttar Pradesh, the largest Indian state that has the poorest maternal outcomes in the country. The results from multivariate binary logistic regression model indicated that low maternal education and economic status was significantly associated with poor dietary diversity among participants. Also, women with low maternal dietary diversity had a significantly higher proportion of LBW babies compared to those in the medium to high dietary diversity categories. From a policy perspective, these findings suggest that continuous tracking of pregnant women’s nutritional needs through existing monitoring systems, e.g., the Nutrition Resource Platform and Health Management Information System, and necessary interventions through Integrated Child Development Services may yield better results, thereby, addressing maternal under-nutrition and LBW.

The 2014 Parliamentary Elections in India: A Study of the Voting Preferences of Muslims in Uttar Pradesh

This paper analyses the manner in which over the past few years, the major political parties in the largest Indian state of Uttar Pradesh have calibrated their policies with the objective of wooing Muslim voters. It examines the factors which shaped Muslim electoral behaviour in the general election of 2014 to the Lok Sabha (Lower House of the Indian Parliament) and how the electoral arithmetic was transformed in the run-up to this election. By analysing institutional, political and intra-community factors, it explores the reasons for the declining importance and representation of Muslims in the electoral arena of Uttar Pradesh.

Inequity in access to inpatient healthcare services for non-communicable diseases in India and the role of out-of-pocket payments.

Growing evidence suggests that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) result in considerable economic burden for individuals and households. With the poor facing a greater burden of NCDs than the rich in India, we undertook this study to analyse the horizontal equity in utilization and vertical equity in out-of-pocket expenditure for NCD care. We used data of 1 4 large Indian states from the National Sample Survey 60th round to compute hospitalization rates for NCDs. Mean per capita consumption expenditure (MPCE) was computed and used as a proxy measure for socioeconomic status. Out-of-pocket payment as a proportion of MPCE was estimated by wealth quintile (Q) to assess the vertical equity in payments. Concentration index (CoI) was computed to measure the extent of equity, and its 95% confidence interval was estimated to assess statistical significance. Overall, NCD hospitalizations in public facilities in India were used more by the poor (Col -0.041 ), while the rich used proportionately more services in the private sector (CoI 0.174). Out-of-pocket expenditure in public facilities was consistently lower than that in private facilities in urban and rural areas. The mean out-of-pocket expenditure for inpatient services for NCDs was found to be more among the rich in both public (Q5 ₹13 016, Q1 ₹4197) and private (Q5 ₹22 974, Q1 ₹8225) facilities. Public facilities are utilized more by poorer individuals. Strengthening the capacity of the public sector to deliver NCD care is required to meet equitable outcomes.

PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL OF KASHI GOMTI SAMYUT GRAMIN BANK : WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO EASTERN U.P.

Kashi Gomti Samyut Gramin Bank is a rural bank of Eastern UP. Rural Bank is a local level banking organizations which operates in different states of India. RRBs had been constituted with a view to serve basic banking and financial services in the rural areas. It mobilizes financial resources from rural / semi-urban areas and provides loans and advances primarily to small and marginal farmers, agricultural labourers, and rural artisans. It is also worked as variety of different functions as an agent like carrying out government operations related to disbursement of wages of MGNREGA workers, distribution of pensions, locker facilities, debit and credit cards facilities etc. Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state in the Republic of India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It covers 243,290 square kilometers (93,933 sq mi), equal to 6.88% of the total areas of India, and is the fourth largest Indian state by area and the third largest Indian state by economy, with a GDP of ?9,763 billion (US$150 billion). Agriculture and service industries are the largest parts of the state's economy. More than 60 percent population's livelihood is based on agriculture. Due to non availibity of banking facilities, they could not maintain qualities and quantities of food grains production; adaptation of new technology and also compensation of natural calamities losses. KGSG bank established in UP's main rural bank to solve the problems of rural. This study has been attempted an appraisal of the performance of KGSG bank in esteem of Period-wise Deposit and Advance Growth, Analysis of Income, Analysis of Expenditure and Analysis of Profitability etc.

DECENTRALISATION AND CORRUPTION REVISITED: EVIDENCE FROM A NATURAL EXPERIMENT

SUMMARYDecentralisation of powers and responsibilities from a higher to a lower level of government has been held out as an answer to a multitude of diverse political challenges. It is often assumed that as an organising principle, decentralisation reduces corruption by bringing government closer to the people. This article adds to the small literature dealing with the relationship between decentralisation and corruption by examining decentralisation of water supply from one level of sub‐national government to another. It extends this literature by considering a dynamic situation and examining whether the relationship changes over time. The area of study covers the rural and semi‐urban areas of two large Indian states. The study compares the level of corruption in piped water supply schemes run by centralised agencies and decentralised agencies. The study is based on experiential, not perception‐based corruption measures We find that decentralisation increases corruption significantly in the immediate aftermath of decentralisation. At the same time, we observe that with time, this increase in corruption is reduced substantially, although the increase persists in the medium term. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Decentralisation and corruption: evidence from drinking water sector

AbstractThis article presents empirical findings regarding the relationship between decentralisation of provision of water supply and corruption in provision of services. The current policy advice from the international agencies of aiming for decentralisation as an end in itself is questioned. The conventional wisdom that decentralisation brings management closer to the service recipients and is therefore likely to reduce corruption is also disputed. Drawing on a large database from two large Indian states of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the interaction between various actors is analysed. We find that the level of corruption in water supply agencies run by local governments is higher than that in the agencies run by the regional government. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

The Demographic Challenge: A Study of Four Large Indian States

The Demographic Challenge: A Study of Four Large Indian States