Delhi National Capital Region Research Articles

Political Leadership and the Urban Poor

Based on survey research and ethnographic interviews, we analyze struggles over housing and access to infrastructure in two low-income “unplanned settlements” in the National Capital Region of Delhi, India. We argue that political leadership in these two different areas cannot be regarded as a simple extension of traditional forms of authority from the village to the city. Rather, the local leaders emerge in the process of learning how to engage institutional processes of law and bureaucracy in an urban context to secure housing and infrastructure. The enfolding of structures of governance with democratic politics in these neighborhoods reveals the overlapping movements of law, bureaucracy, markets, and democratic mobilization through which social life is made durable for the urban poor. Instead of asking what democracy has done for the poor in India, we shift the focus to ask, How does the work that the poor perform through and with these institutions give form and substance to democracy in India?

An Empirical Analysis of Purchase Behaviour for Football Ancillaries: An Emerging Market Perspective

Marketers in the modern times are increasingly viewing globalization of the sports market as a huge opportunity to enter unchartered territories by riding on the popularity of a game. The enduring motivation of the sports consumers to connect with their favourite sport comes with an advantage for marketers who can create stronger product/brand associations with the sport. Researches establishing the relationship between the sports fanship and related consumption reinforce the belief. The present study in an exploratory attempt to understand the impact of sports enthusiasm and related consumption in the context of an emerging market uses a mixed method approach with qualitative focus group discussion and a quantitative analysis of the dataset of 226 actual buyers of football ancillary from the National Capital Region of Delhi in India. Consequently, a factor analysis of the key motivators for football ancillaries buying behaviour identified three drivers; namely, social approval, individual passion and utilitarian motivation, for the urban Indian sports enthusiasts. Further, segment-wise product decisions and purchase decisions were reported along with the relative importance of purchasing football ancillaries. The significant influence of football connectedness among urban Indian consumers despite cricket being the most followed sport added a whole new dimension to the study of sports market consumers in the emerging Indian market giving directions for future research and marketing practices in the domain.

Urban climate and its effect on biochemical and morphological characteristics of Arjun (Terminalia arjuna) plant in National Capital Region Delhi

This paper reports impacts of urban pollution on the biochemical and morphological characteristics of Arjuna (Terminalia arjuna) in particular the effects of urban industrial dustfall deposition on its foliar surface at a residential site (Jawaharlal Nehru University, JNU) and an industrial site (Sahibabad, SB) in Delhi region. Atmospheric dustfall fluxes were estimated for major anions and cations. Morphological analysis of foliar samples was carried out by using the scanning electron microscope. Biochemical parameters, namely chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, carotenoids, total soluble sugar, proline amino acid and ascorbic acid were also analysed in foliar samples. Results showed that the dustfall fluxes of () at the industrial site were almost three times higher than that of the residential site. This can be attributed to the emissions of industrial activities and diesel-driven vehicular traffic in the area. It was observed that these elevated fluxes of and had significant impacts on the biochemical constituents of the plant and foliar morphology. Concentrations of chlorophyll and carotenoids were recorded decreasing with increasing dustfall fluxes of (), whereas proline and ascorbic acid were found to be increasing with the increase in the dustfall fluxes of () indicating the effect of pollution stress. The study showed that the deposition of dustfall was responsible for damage to stomata and leaf surface morphology, more significantly at the industrial site.

Participatory identification and prioritization of agri enterprises in national capital region of India

The rural youth are disoriented and clueless in the face of lack of income generating and employment opportunities. The problems of young men and women, as well as their vision and aspirations are essential elements of the challenges facing today's societies and future generations. Farm and nonfarm enterprises in rural areas will be able to channelize energies of youth population in a constructive manner for regional and consequently national development. An action research project was undertaken by IARI for enhancing entrepreneurship among rural youth aiming at identification, prioritization of feasible agricultural technology, technological empowerment and hand holding for agripreneurship development in four selected villages of National Capital Region of Delhi; namely Partapur (Hapur), Hasangarh (Rohtak), Kansala (Rohtak) and Badarpur Said (Faridabad). The participatory prioritization was done involving micro screening exercise which is a very important step positioned between the project idea generation and the final decision about the most promising business idea. Micro screening exercise based on situational analysis of villages revealed that floriculture, seed production, net house cultivation, vermi compost/organic products, apiary, value addition, mushroom production and dairy enterprises excelled in order of scores gained irrespective of location. The psychological traits including need for achievement, aspirations and risk taking willingness of the potential entrepreneurs were found to be of moderate level at initial stage.

Dispatches

Dispatches

The growth of household economy and transformation of Educational level in suburban village of Delhi National Capital Region

The growth of household economy and transformation of Educational level in suburban village of Delhi National Capital Region

Information technology sector in India and gender inclusivity

Purpose – This paper aims to address the issue of gender inclusivity in the information technology (IT) sector of India. The main objective of the paper is to find out the factors influencing female participation in the IT industry. It proposes some policy initiatives to support involvement of women in adequate proportion in the workforce. Design/methodology/approach – The study uses a unique set of data from 63 IT companies from three big cities of Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR), Bengaluru and Kolkata. An ordered logit model is applied to find out the determinants of female absorption in the IT industry. ANOVA is used to study the variations between and within the IT industry of female labor force participation. Findings – Result reveals that the percentage and mobility of female employees in an organization does not depend on the turnover or the total number of skilled employees in the organization. It depends on the location. Research limitations/implications – The main limitation of the paper is that many IT companies do not want to reveal data about the percentage of female employees. If more companies could have been included, more accurate results could have been found. Practical implications – The study discusses the aspect of gender inclusivity in the IT sector as well as the impact of higher skill on gender. The paper proposes some policy initiatives which can increase the number of female employees in the IT sector. Originality/value – The study fulfills the need to know about the gender inclusivity aspect of the IT sector in India.

Sepsis in fatal pelvic trauma patients: report from a level-1 Indian Trauma Centre

data, duration of survival, type of pelvic injury and any associated injuries, if any, were noted and analysed. The profile of infections developing in these patients was recorded and analysed as per the predisposing factors, infection, response, organ dysfunction (PIRO) grading system [6, 7]. Causes of death were acquired from the autopsy reports from the Department of Forensic Pathology at the hospital and were cross checked with the clinical data. The National Capital Region (NCR) of Delhi has an estimated population of 17.8 million currently with 21.7 million residing in its NCR areas. The JPNA Trauma Centre, AIIMS, New Delhi is a level-1 trauma centre which also serves as a national referral centre for trauma care. With bed strength of 186, the average total admissions per year during the study were 4,094 during the study period; the hospital bed occupancy rate was 83 % with an average bed turnover rate per day of 24. A total of 50,137 emergency visits and 4,850 surgical procedures were performed during the study period per year. Among these, 964 were admitted for pelvic injuries out of a total of 4,820 orthopaedic patients admitted for trauma care during the study period. During the study, a total of 213 consecutive fatal cases with pelvic injuries alone or with other associated injuries were included. The mean of the ages in this group was 36 years (range 3–95 years, SD 17.6). Although age did not meet the requirements for a significant predictor of mortality (P = 0.099), patients more than 45 years had >50 % mortality. Of the total 213 cases, male (196, 92 %) patients exceed females (17, 8 %). Road traffic accident was the most common cause of injury (182, 85 %), followed by fall from height (21, 10 %), train accidents (5, 2 %), firearm injuries (2, 1 %), fall in well (1, 0.5 %), assault (1, 0.5 %) and fall of wall (1, 0.5 %). Abdominal injuries (30 %, 94) were the most common associated injury, followed by limbs (65, 21 %), chest (53, 17 %), head injuries Sir,

Entrepreneurial intensity in relation to presence of entrepreneurship development cell: A study of institutes offering professional courses in national capital region Delhi, India

Entrepreneurship is the back bone of economic growth of any country. Entrepreneurship can be fostered by inculcating entrepreneurial skills right at the stage of education. The presence of Entrepreneurship Development Cell (EDC) in educational institutes helps in developing entrepreneurial culture in academic institutions so as to foster growth of innovation and entrepreneurship. With this premise a study was conducted on 1254 students of government and private institutes pursuing post graduation in Commerce, Science and Humanities with/without exposure to EDC in the national capital region of India. The results of the present study show that the students exposed to the activities of EDC are significantly higher on Innovation as compared to the students who do not get any such exposure. Also results shows that even the students of courses like science and humanities (these courses do not include business subjects) in private institutes are higher on Frequency of Entrepreneurial Activities where they are exposed to Entrepreneurial Development Cells.

Real estate market led land development strategies for regional economic corridors – A tale of two mega projects

The rapid population growth has outpaced the planning interventions in most large Indian cities resulting into unplanned, leapfrogged physical development and considerable transport challenges for intra-city and regional traffic. As an afterthought, these concerns have been addressed by formulation of spatial development strategies to guide rapid urban expansion creating planned real estate development opportunities, and to ease regional traffic movements. This paper is based on two unique case studies of regional transportation corridors developed in the fringe areas of rapidly growing mega cities – Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Global Corridor (KMPGC) in the national capital region of Delhi (16 million people and the largest city in India) and Sardar Patel Ring Road (SPRR) in the City of Ahmadabad, India (6 million people and the seventh largest city in India). Both the cases employed unique land development strategies to achieve the larger public purpose while creating planned land and real estate development opportunities. The KMPGC Delhi case employed compulsory purchase for reserving 325-foot wide right-of-way (ROW) and created multiple economic nodes as theme cities, strategically located along its 135 km (84 miles) corridor. While, the case of SPRR Ahmadabad employed land readjustment (LR) technique for reserving 76 km (47 miles) long and 200-foot wide ROW of a regional ring road. Using these two cases, this paper explains both types of land development processes and the financing models involved in these cases, and compares benefits and constraints of compulsory purchase and LR technique, especially in context of regional level real estate and economic development opportunities via new real estate markets as spatial corridors and economic nodes. The paper finally recommends a new hybrid model – a strategy for rapidly growing cities, where both models can be used in a hybrid form to achieve regional level public asset, create real estate market opportunities in fast growing fringe areas and achieve a planned development.

Impact of urban sprawl on groundwater quality: a case study of Faridabad city, National Capital Region of Delhi

The present study describes the urban sprawl and groundwater quality of Faridabad city of National Capital Region of Delhi. Urban sprawl was analyzed using remote sensing techniques. It was observed that since 2000, the city has experienced pronounced urban sprawl, which resulted in a substantial impact on water quality. The growth of urban areas has resulted in land use/cover changes. The analysis of the results shows the major increase (149 %) of barren land and built-up area (65 %) at the cost of vegetation and fallow land. Groundwater samples were analyzed for chemical parameters. The physico-chemical parameters (total hardness, F, TDS, Ca, Mn, Alkalinity and NO3) of the groundwater varied significantly between seasons and sites. Groundwater quality of site II (industrial area) is highly polluted in comparison of other sites. The impact of urban sprawl on water quality is attributed to the population growth, urbanization, rapid industrialization, and blooming of residential colonies.

Industrial dust sulphate and its effects on biochemical and morphological characteristics of Morus (Morus alba) plant in NCR Delhi.

Abundance of CaCO3 rich soil dust is a typical feature of atmospheric environment in the Indian region. During prevailing dry weather conditions, dustfall is deposited onto the foliar surfaces of plant affecting their morphology, stomata and the levels of biochemical constituents. This study reports the chemical characteristics of dustfall, its effect on foliar morphology and biochemical constituents of a medicinal plant (Morus alba) at two sites which are differentiated on the basis of landuse pattern, viz., (i) residential, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), and (ii) industrial, Sahibabad (SB), located in the National Capital Region (NCR) of Delhi. Dustfall was characterized for major anions (F(-), Cl(-), NO3 (-) and SO4 (--)) and cations (Na(+), NH4 (+), K(+), Mg(++) and Ca(++)). Biochemical parameters such as chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, carotenoid, proline and ascorbic acid were determined in foliar samples. The results showed that the dustfall fluxes of all the major ions were found to be higher at the industrial site (SB) as compared to the residential site (JNU). Foliar analysis revealed that the levels of biochemical parameters were more affected at SB site due to higher levels of dust SO4 (--) contributed by various anthropogenic sources resulting in more stressful conditions affecting the biochemistry of the plant. The possible entry pathways for dust SO4 (--) into foliar cells are also discussed in the paper. It was noticed that the deposition of urban dust was responsible for the damage of trichome, epidermis, cuticle and stomatal guard cells significantly affecting foliar morphology. SB exhibited more damage to these morphological parts suggesting that industrial dust is harmful to the plants.

Post-exposure prophylaxis awareness for HIV in India

AimThe study was designed and conducted to evaluate awareness and attitude towards the use of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for accidental exposure to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among dental students in India. MethodA cross-sectional survey was conducted using a self-developed close-ended questionnaire containing 10 questions on HIV and AIDS-related knowledge, sources of information and methods needed to educate dental students regarding HIV. SampleThe sample consisted of 600 undergraduate dental students in dental colleges from six different dental colleges, spread over in cities in National Capital Region of Delhi (NCR), India. 63.5% were females and 36.5% were males – all within the age range of 18–22 years. AnalysisResponses were exposed to descriptive statistical analysis using SPSS version 18. Results were expressed as means, standard deviations and percentage frequencies on inter-item as well as combined score basis with graphical representation. ResultsThe study highlighted that the undergraduate students have only moderate level knowledge about PEP for HIV/AIDS with a mean awareness score of 57.94%. About two-third level of disagreement was obtained about the fact that PEP-related information was taught at the college level and that anti-PEP drugs were available at clinics. ConclusionSuggestive measures in the direction of greater emphasis on HIV/AIDS and its PEP in the dental curriculum and training emerge necessary with three quarter agreement about revision in teaching. With only 60% sample willing to treat HIV patients, a greater sensitivity about this much-stigmatized population must also be ensured through an exposure to diverse patient population and regulation of ethical practices for dentists.

Stress, anxiety, and depression among call handlers employed in international call centers in the national capital region of Delhi.

Call handlers employed in call centers repeatedly undergo stress in their day-to-day lives and this can have deleterious effects on their health. The objectives were to study the levels of stress, anxiety, and depression, and their predictors among call handlers employed in international call centers in the National Capital Region (NCR) of Delhi. A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was conducted among 375 call handlers aged 18-39 years. Depression Anxiety Stress Scale- 42 (DASS-42) was used to measure stress, anxiety, and depression along with a pretested sociodemographic questionnaire. Univariate analysis was done to find out the association of stress, anxiety, and depression with various factors. Variables with P < 0.25 were included in multiple logistic regression and three models were developed each for stress, anxiety, and depression. The prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression among call handlers was 46.7%, 57.1%, and 62.9% respectively. Abnormal sleep quality, prolonged travel time, and lack of relaxation facilities at the office were predictors of stress and depression. The presence of physical ailments, the absence of hobbies, temporary/part-time employment, and traveling long-distance to office were significant predictors of anxiety among call handlers. Call handlers face a high burden of stress, anxiety, and depression. Public health specialists need to pay adequate attention to their health problems.

Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among dentists: A pilot cross-sectional survey

Introduction: Musculoskeletal symptoms are of major concern among dental practitioners. Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WRMSD) has been reported to have a high prevalence among dentists in different parts of the world. Aim: To assess the prevalence of self-reported WRMSD among dental professionals in Gurgaon, one particular region of Delhi National Capital Region (NCR). Materials and Methods: A pilot cross-sectional survey of 250 dentists (response 81%) was done using a self-administered questionnaire, which consisted of 21 items based on the Nordic questionnaire for screening WRMSDs. Participants work related physical load characteristics, musculoskeletal symptom characteristics, etc., were evaluated. Results: A total of 206 dentists participated in the study, of which 106 were male, and 100 were female. The study yielded a prevalence of 81.06% (167 dentists) of which 79 males and 88 females were affected with MSD. There were 104 dentists who were young aged 20-29 years, 41 were 30-39 aged, 11 were above 40-49, and > 50 years suffered from MSDs. Around 59.2% young dentists aged 20-29 years, 24.2% were 30-39 years, 4.8% were 40-49 years, and 5.8% were above 50 years who were right handed, 2.9% dentists of 20-29 years age, 1.94% were 30-39 years, and 0.97% were 40-49 years who were left handed. Conclusion: This study found an overall prevalence rate of 81% among dentists with WRMSD in Delhi NCR. The measures for improving education and ergonomic evaluations are indicated on a large scale to prevent a decline in work performance and the incidence of WRMSDs among Delhi NCR dentists.

Knowledge and attitude of Indian clinical dental students towards the dental treatment of patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune-deficiency syndrome (AIDS)

Oral health care of patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune-deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a growing area of concern. Information on HIV- and AIDS-related knowledge among dental students provides a crucial foundation for efforts aimed at developing an appropriate dental curriculum on HIV and AIDS. The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge and attitude of Indian clinical dental students towards the treatment of patients with HIV/AIDS and perceived sources of information regarding HIV-related issues. Data were collected from clinical dental students (third year, fourth year and internship) from three dental institutions in Delhi National Capital Region (NCR). The questions assessed the knowledge and attitude towards treatment of patients with HIV and the perceived source of information related to HIV. The willingness to treat HIV-positive patients among dental students was 67.0%, and 74.20% were confident of treating a patient with HIV/AIDS. The potential problems in rendering treatment to these patients were effect on the attitude of other patients (49.90%) and staff fears (52.50%). The correct knowledge regarding the infection-control practice (barrier technique) was found among only 15.50% of respondents. The respondents had sufficient knowledge regarding the oral manifestations of HIV/AIDS. There was no correlation between the knowledge and attitude score, demonstrating a gap between knowledge and attitude among dental students regarding treatment of HIV-infected patients. Appropriate knowledge has to be delivered through the dental education curriculum, which can instil confidence in students about their ability to manage HIV-positive patients.

Assessment of outdoor workers’ exposure to air pollution in Delhi (India)

Air quality monitoring (PM2.5, CO, NOx, SO2 and EC/OC) was carried out at highway toll plazas, municipality toll plazas and control sites (n = 23) in the National Capital Region of Delhi, to determine the exposure of toll plaza workers to air pollution and its effect on lung function. Lung function indices (n = 45) were also measured for these workers. The results reveal the high level of air pollution at almost all locations with PM2.5 values exceeding the national permissible limit except at a few control sites. Observed reduction in lung function indices was significant over years of occupational exposure even after adjusting for age, amongst non-smoking outdoor workers. This study found pollutant concentrations were highest at municipality toll plazas with minimum protective work area. The paper suggests measures to reduce the exposure of outdoor workers.

Evaluation of vendors ranking by EATWOS approach

Purpose– In order to improve the supply chain performance, organizations need to improve the efficiency of vendors. Although many techniques are used for vendor efficiency measurement, there is a lack of research about defining satisficing level to analyze improvement potential of vendors. The purpose of this paper is to incorporate satisficing level of some outputs to determine efficiency improvement potential of existing vendors.Design/methodology/approach– Method used in this paper is an extension of Data Envelopment Analysis, which has been used frequently for efficiency measurement of Decision Making Units. This method is known as Efficiency Analysis Technique with Output Satisficing (EATWOS), which has been mainly used in the field of economics for efficiency measurement.Findings– A case illustration of a National Capital Region of Delhi, India, based manufacturer and distributor of packaged drinking water is depicted to portray the practical application of EATWOS in vendor efficiency evaluation and their relative ranking. This method has helped in evaluating the improvement potential in performance of given vendors and helping in strategic decision making for the given organizationResearch limitations/implications– In case of more variables, this method becomes more complex to get the solution. Second, sometimes difference in vendors ranking without and with satisficing concept is very less, as in this case. Therefore, recording and analysis of output data of vendors should be done very carefully.Practical implications– Major implications of this study is that while selecting vendors, organizations should also try to understand improvement potential for given vendors by applying satisficing concept as given in this research. This approach helps in analyzing improvement potentials of suppliers.Originality/value– This paper explores an innovative approach to rank vendors on basis of certain criteria after considering the satisficing concept and improvement potentials of vendors.

Dynamics of an Evolving City-Region in the Developing World: The National Capital Region of Delhi Revisited

While the differential growth patterns of urban peripheral settlements around large cities continue to hold an important place in the urban research agenda, examination of regional urban systems from a theoretical perspective has received much less attention in developing countries. Based on demographic data of 1991–2011, an analysis of settlements in the National Capital Region of Delhi, India, reveals mixed spatial forms in the periphery of the traditionally monocentric Delhi. Our observation raises questions such as whether a polycentric, poly-nodal configuration, or a combination thereof, is in the making in the immediate periphery of Delhi. This emerging scenario has potential planning implications and questions the applicability of the traditional ‘Eurocentric’ theories to the evolving urbanization phenomena in the developing world.

Willingness to Forgive the Spouse: A Qualitative Study

The study examined the phenomenon of forgiving and willingness to forgive in the context of marital relationship in the Indian context. The participants, included six couples and two divorcees (women) residing in the National capital region of Delhi. Following interpretive phenomenological approach semi-structured interviews were used, which were later transcribed verbatim. The common themes included unwillingness to let go of the past; a feeling of anger or frustration; unfulfilled or unclear needs and expectations; closeness and intimacy of the relationship determining the ease with which one accepts and forgives. Invariably, forgiveness was perceived as a necessary precursor for a happy and satisfied relationship.