Proper Implementation Research Articles

Temporal Dynamic Regulation of Autophagy and Senescence Induction in Response to Radiation Exposure.

Autophagy and senescence are closely related cellular responses to genotoxic stress, and play significant roles in the execution of cellular responses to radiation exposure. However, little is known about their interplay in the fate-decision of cells receiving lethal doses of radiation. Here, we report that autophagy precedes the establishment of premature senescence in normal human fibroblasts exposed to lethal doses of radiation. Activation of the p53-dependent DNA damage response caused sustained dephosphorylation of RB proteins and consequent cell cycle arrest, concurrently with Ulk1 dephosphorylation at Ser638 by PPM1D, which promoted autophagy induction 1-2 days after irradiation. In addition, mitochondrial fragmentation became obvious 1-2 days after irradiation, and autophagy was further enhanced. However, Ulk1 levels decreased significantly after 2 days, resulting in lower LC3-II levels. An autophagic flux assay using chloroquine (CQ) also revealed that the flux in irradiated cells gradually decreased over 30 days. In contrast, lysosomal augmentation started at 1 day, became significantly upregulated after 5 days, and continued for over 30 days. After a rapid decrease in autophagy, p16 expression increased and senescence was established, but autophagic activity remained reduced. These results demonstrated that X-ray irradiation triggered two processes, autophagy and senescence, with the former being temporary and regulated by DNA damage response and mitophagy, and the latter being sustained and regulated by persistent cell cycle arrest. The interplay between autophagy and senescence seems to be essential for the proper implementation of the cellular response to radiation exposure.

Out-of-Pocket Expenditures of the Injured Patients Admitted in Casualty Unit of CMCH

Background: Cost of treatment is a major concern in Bangladesh, as well as in many other lower- and middleincome countries and more than half of treatment cost is beard by the patient’s family which is out-of-pocket expenditures. The casualty unit of a hospital is the ultimate place for moderate to severely injured patients. Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was commenced to estimate the out-of-pocket expenditures (OPE) incurred by the injured patients among 140 admitted injured patients. Data were collected by face-to-face interview through a pretested semi-structured questionnaire. Results: The mean age was 33.3±12.8 years and most of the patients (46.0%) resided in urban areas. The mean monthly family income was 26242.9±12698.9 taka. The majority of the patients had a single wound (71.4%), which was simple hurt (78.6%) in grading. The mean of the total direct costs was 8,936.5±9,437.7 taka and the mean of the total indirect cost was 2,057.0±3,189.9 taka. The mean of total OPE was 10,993.5±11,126.9 taka. Patient’s sex, residence and their grade of injuries (p<0.05) were statistically significant with total OPE by the patients. Conclusion: This study provided some insight into the OPE in the casualty unit of CMCH. Proper referral system and implementation of health insurance can reduce the OPE burden. This study might help developing strategies in hospital settings. JOPSOM 2021; 41(1):35-40

Powers and functional assignment of the High Council of Justice in the field of ensuring the independence of the judiciary

The coverage of the material in this article is aimed at focusing attention on the peculiarities of the functioning of the justice system in Ukraine, in particular on the bodies that play an important role in the structure of ensuring the functioning of the independent judiciary. Formation of Ukrainian statehood in the 1990s. years of the 20th century, contributed to the need for judicial reform and the separation of the body, which was supposed to take on the function of assisting judges for the proper implementation of the provisions of Article 124 of the Constitution of Ukraine, that justice in Ukraine is administered by courts, implementing such activities on a qualified and professional basis.
 According to Article 131 of the Constitution of Ukraine: «The Supreme Council of Justice operates in Ukraine.» The Supreme Council of Justice as a constitutional body passed the Law of Ukraine «On Qualification Commissions, Qualification Attestation and Disciplinary Responsibility of Judges of Courts of Ukraine» dated February 2, 1994 to the Law of Ukraine «On the Supreme Council of Justice» dated December 21, 2016 in order to build an effective judicial system. system and ensuring the functioning of an independent judicial system.
 Enshrining in the Constitution of Ukraine in Chapter VIII “Justice”, Articles 125, 128, 130, 131 of the Constitution of Ukraine, the provisions that determine the powers and functions of the High Council of Justice is evidenced by its granting it the status of a constitutional body of the state. Ukraine’s constitutional aspiration for membership in the European Union and ensuring the rights and freedoms is impossible without ensuring proper and independent justice. The judicial and legal reform carried out in recent years, reforming such a body as the Supreme Council of Justice, set the goal of updating the system of the judiciary and the judicial system of Ukraine, to attribute public trust to the justice system. The implementation of these tasks comes from the constitutional powers of the High Council of Justice to ensure the independent formation of the judiciary, to prevent influence on the judge and to protect him from any interference in his administration of justice.
 Ensuring such independence of judges is possible only if there are guarantees of their legal status, a special procedure for selecting candidates for the position of judge, and liability for interference in the administration of justice. Such reforms are designed to establish Ukraine as a democratic and legal state.

Особенности реализации Национального плана противодействия коррупции на 2021-2024 годы на территории Мурманской области

The prevention of corruption in all spheres of life, including in the public sphere, has been singled out by the President, the Government of the Russian Federation and the legislator as one of the priority areas for the activities of public authorities. The increased relevance of this issue is due to the special military operation being carried out today and the sanctions policy of unfriendly countries that is in force in relations with our country. Proper implementation of planned anti-corruption measures is a key task for all executive bodies of the Murmansk region.
 In the author's publications published earlier, an assessment was made of the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Plan for 2018-2020 in the Murmansk Region and the role of executive bodies in this matter. As part of the study, the features of the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Plan for 2021-2024 in the Murmansk Region will be identified and promising directions for its development for 2023-2024 in the Murmansk Region will be formulated.
 Separate results of the study are taken from the Report on the implementation of the Plan of Main Anti-Corruption Actions in the Murmansk Region in 2022, posted on the website of the Department for the Implementation of Anti-Corruption Policy of the Murmansk Region and from in-person attendance at the Meeting of the Commission for the Coordination of Anti-Corruption Work in the Murmansk Region, a member of which is the author of this article.

Legal Regulation of the Status of Internally Displaced Persons in Ukraine: Theoretical and Administrative Aspect

The aim of the research was to reveal the legal regulation of the status of internally displaced persons in Ukraine in terms of theoretical and administrative aspects. A positive step towards realization of the rights and guarantees of forced migrants consists in the introduction by the Government of Ukraine of the following areas of assistance: monetary assistance, promotion of their employment, introduction of compensation for the costs of payment of communal services for families who have taken in displaced persons free of charge. It has been established that such a public initiative as «Prykhystok» («Shelter») plays an extremely important role in exercising the rights and guarantees of forced migrants. The following methods were used in the research: analysis of biographical sources, synthesis, deduction, comparative analysis and meta-analysis, etc. Conclusions: it has been shown that programs such as «Prykhystok» are a positive step towards proper implementation of the rights and guarantees of IDPs, but at the moment they are not working properly. Even fulfilling all the conditions, many forced migrants have not yet received their funds, they have been denied their certificates and most employers do not want to hire people belonging to this category.

Security and privacy oriented information security culture (ISC): Explaining unauthorized access to healthcare data by nursing employees

Protecting sensitive healthcare data is particularly challenging. Nursing employees are critical in protecting healthcare data since they make up a large portion of the healthcare workforce and have direct access to healthcare data. Information security culture (ISC) plays a prominent role in protection of healthcare data albeit their relationship remains unclear. In this study, we first define and operationalize two new dimensions of organizational ISC related to security and privacy. Then, a survey of Slovenian nursing employees (n = 527) was conducted to validate the measurement instrument and examine the associations between the newly developed ISC dimensions and unauthorized access to healthcare data by nursing employees based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB). The measurement instrument was first validated with an exploratory and then with a confirmatory factor analysis. Both analyses indicate adequate validity and reliability of the newly developed ISC dimensions. The results of PLS-SEM analysis show that security oriented ISC is negatively associated with subjective norm and normative beliefs while privacy oriented ISC is negatively associated with attitude towards behavior. Additionally, they indicate that TPB explains well unauthorized access to healthcare data. The results of our study thus indicate an indirect relation between ISC and unauthorized access to healthcare data. Awareness training is considered as essential means for ensuring proper practical implementations of ethical norms, such as privacy-preserving behavior, by nursing employees. Our study suggests that such awareness interventions may aim either to strengthen the social influence on nursing employees, their attitudes or both. Awareness interventions aiming to strengthen the social influence of nursing employees may focus on established organizational data protection practices and other important organizational values, norms, and accepted ways of working in an organization. Attitudes of nursing employees may be strengthened with awareness interventions focusing on their personal beliefs and ethics.

Application of the Residue Method in Steam Superheater Fault Detection

Steam superheaters experience various defects that can affect the system’s operation differently. Maintaining a constant temperature and pressure of the steam at the turbine input is crucial for optimal steam turbine running conditions. This is achieved by regulating the steam temperature in the superheater, which is divided into three parts with devices mounted at each connection point to allow for the injection of condensates to cool the steam. The steam pressure is controlled by adjusting the fuel flow command. However, controlling the output temperature can be challenging because of the transfer time delay between the points where the water is sprayed and the points where the steam temperature is measured. To address this challenge, a temperature control system was developed and tested in three different environments using an electronic simulator, the block-oriented simulation hardware BORIS, data acquisition board dSpace, and a MATLAB R2020a Simulink with a PI controller model. These simulations allowed for the study of the superheater’s function in both normal and fault conditions, with the possibility of controlling the system structure and detecting faults through the proper implementation of weighting matrices.

Exploring Transversal Green Skills Required Of Technology Graduates For Environmental Sustainability

The main aim of this study is to explore transversal green skills required of technology graduates for environmental sustainability. Thematic analysis was used for this study. Cluster sampling technique was used to sample four states out of seven states mentioned in the area of the study and all the 18 technical colleges and 6 building construction firms in the four sampled states in north western Nigeria were used. Purposive sampling was used to select 27 experts based on their working experience and educational qualification in building construction to participate in the qualitative segment of this study. For the qualitative section, interview guide/protocol was developed based on the specific objectives of the research. It was made up of 3 open-ended questions designed to obtained sufficient information on the area of transversal green skills considered appropriate for the study. To ensure reliability of qualitative result of this research, two procedures were followed; member checking and peer debriefing. For the validity of the findings of this study, the researchers used member checking to determine the accuracy of the findings. The results of the data obtained from the interview was analyzed and interpreted using transcription, coding, thematic, content analysis and categorization. The findings for this study include Reflective Thinking Skills, Presentation Skills, Resourcefulness Skills and Application Skills. The study recommends that Federal and state Governments should via NBTE adopt and ensure proper implementation of this findings for technology graduates at technical colleges in Nigeria with the aim of achieving environmental sustainability.

Assessing and overcoming the barriers for healthcare waste management in India: an integrated AHP and Fuzzy TOPSIS approach

PurposeDue to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the world faces different issues, and proper healthcare waste (HCW) treatment is one of them. If appropriate disposal of HCW is not performed, it will have hazardous effects on humanity. This paper has identified the significant barriers hindering the proper treatment of healthcare waste management (HCWM) with the strategies to overcome these barriers.Design/methodology/approachThis paper has identified the significant barriers hindering the proper treatment of HCWM with the strategies to overcome these barriers, and different barriers are identified and categorized into organizational, waste handling, human resource and technical barriers. The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) process is used to rank the barriers and sub-barriers. Then, the Fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method evaluates the strategies for proper implementation of HCWM.FindingsThe results show that organizational barriers are the most significant barrier, with a lack of coordination of hospitals with other authorities and no priority given to waste management issues as highly ranked barriers. The results of the Fuzzy TOPSIS method indicate that “Increase govt support and policies” and “Enhance training and awareness of employees” are the most feasible strategies to overcome these barriers for the successful implementation of HCWM.Practical implicationsThis study will be helpful in policy formulations for the proper treatment of HCW in an efficient manner. This paper helps to complete the research gap by providing the different characteristics of barriers.Originality/valueThis paper fills the research gap by expanding the limited knowledge in this field and providing further evidence on this phenomenon. The study also enables the distinctive characteristics of barriers to be understood within a particular context.

Policy analysis on municipal solid waste management in Dhaka South City Corporation, Bangladesh: A qualitative study

Background: Inadequate and improper municipal solid waste (MSW) management is one of the significant reasons behind the environmental deterioration in Bangladesh. The projected daily waste generation for 2025 in Dhaka City is 47,665 tons, half of which remains uncollected despite door-to-door community-based waste collection. There are few studies on MSW management in Bangladesh, most focusing on household-level waste management, measurement of the amount of MSW, etc., but none applied a political economy lens to examine the policy issues related to MSW management. This study aimed to explore the context, actors, and processes regarding MSW management of policies in Dhaka City, Bangladesh, applying the policy-triangle-framework. Methods: This study adopted an exploratory qualitative approach, and document reviews and key informant interviews were conducted from September 2016 to January 2017. Results: We found that the issue of MSW slowly entered the policy documents starting with the Sixth-Five Year Plan (2011-2015), with some earlier sporadic policy initiatives. Due to its being a relatively new concept, stakeholders still lack the expertise to tackle the issue leading to donor dependence. MSW management demands multi-stakeholder involvement, which, in turn, depends on multi-ministerial and -departmental coordination, which is chronically deficient. MSW policies, like most other social policies, demand citizen involvement, without which both policy formulation processes and their proper implementation are compromised. Conclusion: In order to overcome these policy challenges, the technical and financial capacity of the stakeholders for MSW management should be enhanced, high-level multi-ministerial coordination needs to be strengthened, and citizen empowerment and engagement must be ensured at every step of the MSW policy cycle.

The symptom burden and the assessment of palliative symptoms in patients with metastatic upper gastrointestinal cancer: A qualitative interview study.

Patients with metastatic upper gastrointestinal (GI) cancer may experience a large physical symptom burden. However, less is known about existential, social, and psychological symptoms. To provide the patient with palliative care, quality-of-life questionnaires are used for structured needs assessment. These are sporadically implemented, and there seems to be uncertainty to the efficiency of current practice. The aim of study was to explore the experienced assessment-process and treatment of palliative symptoms, as well as the experienced symptom burden, in patients with metastatic upper GI cancer. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews were conducted in 10 patients with metastatic upper GI cancer. Data were analyzed using content analysis. The patients did not expect treatment for all physical symptoms. Existential symptoms revolved around death and dying, social issues were mainly related to family, and psychological issues were based in the continuous dealing with serious illness. Existential, social, and psychological symptoms were mostly not considered part of the expected care when admitted to hospital. Patients had only vague recollections of their experiences with structured needs assessment, and the process had been inconsequential in the treatment of symptoms. Patients with upper GI cancer experience symptoms related to all 4 areas of palliative care being physical, existential, social, and psychological, but these are differentiated in the way patients perceive their origins and treatability. Structured needs assessment was not routinely carried out, and in cases where this had been done, no follow-up was effectuated. This calls for increased focus and proper implementation for the process to be relevant in the treatment of palliative symptoms.

Extending Point-Based Deep Learning Approaches for Better Semantic Segmentation in CAD

Geometry understanding is a core concept of computer-aided design and engineering (CAD/CAE). Deep neural networks have increasingly shown success as a method of processing complex inputs to achieve abstract tasks. This work revisits a generic and relatively simple approach to 3D deep learning – a point-based graph neural network – and develops best-practices and modifications to alleviate traditional drawbacks. It is shown that these methods should not be discounted for CAD tasks; with proper implementation, they can be competitive with more specifically designed approaches. Through an additive study, this work investigates how the boundary representation data can be fully utilised by leveraging the flexibility of point-based graph networks. The final configuration significantly improves on the predictive accuracy of a standard PointNet++ network across multiple CAD model segmentation datasets and achieves state-of-the-art performance on the MFCAD++ machining features dataset. The proposed modifications leave the core neural network unchanged and results also suggest that they can be applied to other point-based approaches.

Legal problems of the existence of "sacrifice" zones as an indicator of environmental injustice

In order to ensure proper implementation of the principle of environmental justice, which is based on guaranteeing the realization of citizens’ right to an environment safe for life and health, it is necessary to identify all possible environmental risks that block the achievement of such a goal. The system of identifying the most environmentally dangerous enterprises and measures to ensure their environmental safety, introduced by domestic legislation, is considered insufficient in the framework of ensuring environmental justice, since it does not guarantee overcoming the ecological risk of technogenically polluted territories, and therefore makes it impossible to realize the constitutional right of citizens to an environment safe for life and health. This is evidenced by the movement initiated in foreign practice in order to recognize territories that are artificially overloaded as “sacrifice” zones.
 It was found that such zones are considered as: areas whose residents are exposed to a higher level of influence due to the neighborhood with environmentally hazardous objects; part of the legacy of environmental racism and environmental injustice; areas of mass diseases caused by consumption of polluted environment; moral stains of the nation. Therefore, in “sacrifice” zones it is not possible to guarantee the right to an environment safe for life and health, since the concept of “environment” in this case is not considered in the sense of “primordial nature”, but as “the cheapest possible”. In this case, both human life and natural resources are considered “disposable” and cannot be passed on to future generations.
 Taking into account the outlined circumstances, a scientific conclusion was formed in which it was noted that the main direction of overcoming such negative factors as the imbalance of environmental risks on the territory of Ukraine is the need for full-scale greening of material production, and at the intermediate stage - the provision of social payments to residents of “sacrifice” zones for the purpose of conditionally guaranteeing environmental justice and compensation for environmental damage caused to the health and life of people in technogenically polluted territories.

Role of Cyber Security in Building Smart Bangladesh by Ensuring Smart Bangladesh Vision, 2041: A Critical Analysis

The promise made by the Awami League in its election manifesto before the 2008 National Parliament elections to form 'Digital Bangladesh' by 2021 is now visible. This digital Bangladesh has changed the course of development progress in the country. Looking ahead to the year 2041, the new challenge is smart Bangladesh. This smart Bangladesh will make people's lives easier; everything will be at hand. Bangabandhu is the dreamer of digital Bangladesh. The fairy-tale country 'Smart Bangladesh' will come into the hands of Sheikh Hasina. Now the question is: What is smart Bangladesh? Why is it necessary? How will it be implemented? Smart Bangladesh refers to a technology-based lifestyle where everything from all types of civic services can be done smartly. Every citizen will get guaranteed rights and an excellent opportunity to fulfill duties without suffering. The Awami League government, under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina, has taken up the future action plan by dividing the outline of that smart Bangladesh into four parts. It is possible to realize the Smart Bangladesh Theory through the proper implementation of the words smart citizen, smart economy, smart government, and smart society. A step forward from digital Bangladesh, the new vision of smart Bangladesh is expressed here to further advance the services of citizen life. Special sectors have been chosen to further modernize civic and social life, such as smart citizens, smart economies, smart governments, and smart societies. In order to develop the mentioned issues in a smart way, there must be a guarantee of safe and dynamic information technology, so there is no substitute for safe technology or cyber security in building a smart Bangladesh.

Lifestyle choices and awareness of fundamental rights

This paper deals with the need to recognise the pluralism of the ways of life in modern legal systems, so that each person in a diverse world can find his or her own modus vivendi. Such an approach is especially relevant when discussing the rights of LGBTQ persons, when the relevant practice of the Supreme Administrative Court of Poland (Naczelny Sąd Administracyjny) can become a starting point. The author notes that the proper implementation of rights and tolerance for the pluralism of values, worldviews or ways of life are impossible without the legal awareness of the members of specific minorities, which is formed by the sensitive and pluralistic approach of judges when making judicial decisions.

Effect of IT Alignment on Employee Performance and the Operating Role of Operating Environment

The thesis was about the information technology alignment and employee performance in private service sector a case of Umeme Uganda limited. The study set out to: examine the IT Alignment practices in Umeme (U) Limited; to analyses the relationship between IT Alignment and employee performance; and to examine the moderating role of the operating environment on the relationship between IT Alignment and employee performance. The study was cross-sectional in nature, using both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Data was collected using self-administered questionnaires, and interviews with top management of Umeme limited central Uganda. Out of a population of 290, the study targeted a sample size of 165 respondents. The study applied Statistical Programmed for Social Scientists (SPSS) to test all four hypotheses. The results were presented as descriptive statistics and inferential statistics specifically correlation, regression analysis and hierarchical regression analysis models. The study confirmed a positive significant predictor relationship between information technology alignment and employee performance in Umeme this was done by Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA).
 The moderating role of the operating environment on the relationship between IT Alignment and employee performance at Umeme (U) Limited Central Uganda using a hierarchical regression analysis where interaction term (ITA*OP) appeared a significant predictor of employee performance The study designed a model, the Information Technology Alignment Innovative Preference Model (ITAIP) to build capacities and conduct research activities that would result in long-term and sustainable improvements in employee performance in private service sector. The study concluded that since ITA influence employee performance, the management of Umeme in support of IT needs to build a dynamic ITAIP, that will enable them cope with continuous improvement for greater efficacy and increased productivity as protocols are more strictly followed when orienting new employees. The study suggests that in order to build and install new IT governance the firm needs a detailed knowledge of how to improve efficiency, Costs optimization, Collaboration, collective decision, commitment, time management, creativity and digital work to release new services to customers, Transformational of ITA and improve the overall quality of the IT services provided in UMEME limited Uganda.
 Purpose: The purpose of this study was to empirically establish the relationship between IT alignment practices and employee performance in the Private Service Sector particularly in Umeme Limited.
 Design/methodology/approach: The study took a cross-sectional descriptive and analytical design. Out of a sample size of 165 employees, a total of 165 usable questionnaires were identified implying a response rate of 100%. The paper applied Statistical Programme for Social Scientists (SPSS) to test four hypotheses. The results are presented in terms of correlation and simple regression analysis models.
 Findings: Results indicate that of the four hypotheses developed in literature review, three were positive and significant predictors of employee performance. IT governance, IT implementation and IT investment were found to be significant positive precursors of employee performance. The authors did not test the Integration of IT activities – employee performance association as Integration of IT activities was eliminated during Exploratory Factor Analysis.
 Practical implications: This study is relevant and useful to private service entities as it provides them with a blue print on how to implement IT alignment practices with the aim of improving employee performance. To policy makers at National level, the study outcomes will be helpful in collecting, analyzing, and disseminating economic data that will serve private decision makers at all levels, on fiscal and monetary policy, business finance and investment strategy, and personal household economic matters.
 Originality/value: This study demonstrates that the proper implementation of IT alignment practices leads to improvements in employee performance in terms of collaboration, collective decision making, commitment, time management, creativity and digital work within the workplace.

Jurisprudence of the ECtHR under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Legal Economic Order

It is proven in the article that the mechanism for ensuring the sustainable economic development is based, among other things, on the need to reasonably limit the economic activity, which simultaneously forms the legal economic order in the state and protect the human right to life. The ECtHR also contributes to this mechanism functioning through the analysis of the states’ compliance with the positive obligations under Article 2 of the ECHR in cases when the Court diagnoses the nature and effectiveness of the measures taken (to be taken) by the states to secure and protect the human right to life.
 As it was found the adoption of the restrictive regulatory measures in the business sphere is a positive duty of the states to ensure the human right to life. The states must establish these measures, ensure their proper implementation and necessary supervision of the implementation. The importance of the ECtHR legal positions in the mechanism for ensuring sustainable development lies in the fact that they a fairly clear pointer to the regulatory policy of the national governments. The author individually focused on the study of the relevant ECtHR positions concerning specific areas of the construction and medical activities. 
 Key words: legal economic order, business restrictions, sustainable development, the case-law of the ECtHR, human right to life, Article 2 of the ECHR, construction activity.

Overview of rural Development at District Level: Case of Dhalai District, Tripura

Situated in the North-eastern piece of Tripura, the Locale of Dhalai covers a space of about 2312.29 sq km. Over many years, the land has been known for its reach culture and diversity. A detailed analysis of multiple sectors such as demography, economy, physical and social infrastructure shows that the land has a rich potential to be developed as one of the best land in terms of vital resources. The existing resources and infrastructure need to be fully developed for its people. Many central level as well as the state level policies have been launched for the purpose of uplifting the rural development scenario in the country. Proper implementation and awareness about specific policies will augment the growth scenario in the rural areas. Key Words: rural development, infrastructure, government policy, resource development

How a low income state of India managed the unemployment situation during COVID-19? Lessons for future pandemic management.

The partial and complete lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 caused enormous economic and social disruptions throughout the world. India witnessed the sharpest decline in its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and the unemployment rate rose sharply in the first quarter of 2020-21. Odisha, one of the low income states of India, has faced a steep rise in unemployment, with lakhs of migrant workers returning to the state. This article attempts to examine Odisha's unemployment situation compared to the low-income states of India as well as with the national average during COVID-19. This also investigates to what extent the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) provided relief to the people by providing short-term employment opportunities. This is a descriptive study and is based upon repetitive cross sectional secondary data on unemployment rate and labour force participation rate across the low-income states of India. The study used descriptive statistics to analyze the secondary data from the Center for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) and MGNREGA report. The labour force participation rate (LFPR) and unemployment rate (UER) data were collected from the CMIE trimester reports. The information related to number days of employment demanded and employment provided were collected from the MGNREGA reports. Total time period was divided in to two parts - 2017-19 pre pandemic period and 2020-2021 pandemic period. The analysis of UER revealed that the unemployment situation in Odisha was better than the low-income states and overall India. The UER during COVID-19 (Sep-Dec 2020 to Sep-Dec 2021) was lower than the pre COVID-19 level in Odisha (1.6% in Sep-Dec 2020), compared to all India, where this was more than the pre-COVID-19 level (7.4% in Sep-Dec 2020). Odisha government had nearly doubled the employment generation through MGNREGA during 2020-21.The state government undertook a number of proactive measures - increasing wage rate, providing extra days of work in vulnerable districts to address the unemployment situation during the pandemic. The state government's effort to manage the livelihood crisis was notable during the pandemic.. Proper implementation of the wage employment programmes led to higher decline in the UER in Odisha compared to other states These experiences can be emulated by other states or countries.

Association of Insanitary Practices and Faecal Sludge Management with Drinking Water Quality: A Lesson Learnt from Sheohar District, Bihar

Presence of faecal coliform in drinking water is a major public health concern in many countries. It is critical to know how faecal coliforms find ways to the drinking water. The common causes are believed to be poor sanitary practices and unsafe faecal sludge management. This paper examines the presence of such causal factors in drinking water, found to be contaminated with faecal coliform, through a field survey in Sheohar district of India. Secondary data on sanitary status of the region was collected followed by collection of primary data on structure of toilets constructed and sanitary practices from households and village level institutions through a questionnaire-based survey. Ground water samples used for drinking in the surveyed villages were tested for presence of E-coli using Compartment Bag Test kit following WHO norms. It was found that even after reaching near universal coverage of toilets, there have remained many pathways to contaminate the ground water. The findings have important implications on proper implementation of sanitation and drinking water supply programmes and steps to be taken to avoid contamination of ground water with faecal coliform even after an area has been declared as open defecation free. This will also help to identify the risk factors for designing water & sanitation safety plan to ensure water quality and improving public health and nutrition.