South Asia Research Articles

The Water, Food, and Energy Nexus: The Inclusive Roles of Governance and Finance in South Asia

ABSTRACTThis research aims to identify the intricate connections arising from finance and governance to water, food, and energy, utilizing data from 2000 to 2021 for eight South Asian countries. To address cross‐sectional dependence and panel heterogeneity, this study applied an augmented mean group (AMG) approach to discover long‐term connections across the chosen indicators. The estimators' outcome shows interconnectedness across water, food, and energy (WFE) resources, showing that water promotes food and energy, and food promotes water and energy. In contrast, energy fosters food production and reduces water availability. Further, governance positively influences food production (0.434%), water (0.044%), and energy consumption (0.142%). Likewise, finance positively and significantly responds to WFE consumption. Our results highlighted that governance unilaterally influences energy dynamics while bidirectional causal links emerge between finance, food, and energy. The obtained outcomes are re‐validated with feasible generalized least square (FGLS) and Driscoll and Kraay (DK) estimators. Ultimately, our study offers valuable insights for shaping economic, environmental, and food and water security policies in the region and beyond.

Global health impacts of high BMI: A 30-Year analysis of trends and disparities across regions and Demographics

ObjectiveThis study explores the global disease burden associated with high Body Mass Index (BMI) from 1990 to 2021, using data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 (GBD 2021). MethodsWe applied Joinpoint regression to assess trends in deaths and Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) and employed ARIMA models to project future BMI-related burdens. ResultsFrom 1990 to 2021, global deaths linked to high BMI surged by 153.97%, rising from 1.46 million to 3.71 million. DALYs increased by 167.57%, with the highest rises in North Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. Women, particularly those aged 75 and above, experienced the most significant burden, with a faster rate of increase in disease burden compared to men post-2000. Future projections indicate a continued rise in BMI-related health impacts, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. ConclusionsThe global disease burden attributable to high BMI is increasing rapidly, particularly in low- and middle-income regions. Targeted public health interventions, especially for women and the elderly, are crucial to addressing this growing health challenge.

Cross-Market Volatility Dynamics Among Crude Oil and South Asian Emerging Markets During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic had profound impacts on the global economy, initially triggering a severe economic downturn due to widespread lockdowns, this outbreak generated various economic shocks, a major one being the oil price crash. A brief understanding of how this pandemic is affecting the financial markets, empirical analysis is done on three financial markets. Three stock exchange markets are selected from emerging markets in South Asia (Pakistan, China, and India). The world crude oil market is selected as a reference, to how it transmits volatility to South Asian markets during the COVID-19 period. We employ a bivariate BEKK-GARCH model for analyzing the volatility spillover from November 19, 2019, to March 31, 2021. All markets show negative coefficients with the oil market, indicating that the previous day’s shocks in oil prices reduce today's stock market volatility, with significant values for India and Pakistan. China has a negative coefficient while the rest of the two markets show a positive and significant coefficient means past volatilities in the stock market decrease today’s oil market volatility, likely indicating a reactive or adaptive market behavior to stock volatility. Generally, oil price changes have a significant impact on these markets, with both immediate effects (via ARCH terms) and persistent effects (via GARCH terms). The study's findings offer valuable insights for policymakers, as they help identify the direction of spillovers among interconnected economies. Additionally, portfolio investors can use this information to effectively allocate weights to different asset classes when making investment decisions.

Monsoon Winds and Ming Porcelains: Chinese Ceramics and Their Reception in Early Modern South Asia

Abstract This essay will explore the arrival, acquisition, and reception of Chinese ceramics within early modern South Asia, with a focus on the Mughal dynasty (r. 1526–1857) courtly context. The first step in placing South Asian ceramic collecting practices within the broader historical and geographic circulation of porcelains in the Gulf and Indian Ocean worlds is understanding the breadth and nature of South Asian collections. While the Safavid porcelain collections donated by Shah Abbas to Ardabil, and the massive Chinese porcelain collection of the Ottoman courts held today in Istanbul’s Topkapı Palace are well known and relatively well published, the Chinese ceramic collections of South Asia have received less scholarly attention. Fresh material presented here includes new evidence of the extent of multi-generational Mughal interactions with, and interest in, Chinese ceramics. The broader question to be addressed is how these porcelains were perceived, utilized, and displayed in the South Asian context. Considering textual evidence, contemporary paintings, extant architecture, archaeological finds, and surviving inscribed objects, this essay will argue that Mughal porcelain collections should be understood within the context of their broader collecting activities, and in relation to the porcelain collections and displays of their Timurid ancestors.

Interdecadal Springtime Aerosol Increase in the North Indian Ocean Observed From the Satellite AVHRR Instrument

AbstractA 38‐year aerosol optical thickness (AOT) satellite product from the Advanced Very High‐Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) is used to investigate the aerosol variabilities in the North Indian Ocean (NIO). A dipolar mode with a notable meridional contrast between the equatorial and northern NIO is revealed by the second mode of Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis with a sharp rise over the Arabian Sea (AS) and Bay of Bengal (BoB) since 2002. Our results show that the aerosol dipolar variation is primarily modulated by an El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) during 1983–2001 (ID1) and by a warm phase of Atlantic Multi‐decadal Oscillation (AMO) during 2002–2020 (ID2), leading to a dry‐and‐warming condition spanning the coasts of East Africa, the Arabian Peninsula (AP), and South Asia (SA) that favors increasing aerosol emission and a longer life cycle in the upstream regions. A warm phase of the AMO tends to excite an anomalous cyclone in western Siberia and reinforces anticyclonic circulation in the Tibetan Plateau. Correlation analyses between the second EOF mode time series and other parameters in ID1 and ID2 show that an interannual dry‐and‐warming condition over the AP–SA is associated with a noticeable north‐south contrast of convection between the equatorial NIO and AP–SA in ID1. But in ID2, a zonal contrast of anomalous convective activities between the AP–SA and the BoB‐South China Sea is dominant, partially due to the warming AMO, which aids the development of anticyclonic cells over the TP and the strengthened subtropical westerly jet streams.

Impact of compound warm and wet events on dengue fever infection in South and Southeast Asian countries

BackgroundMultiple studies have reported the profound influence of various climate factors on dengue fever infection, while the effects of joint exposure to warm and wet environment, a condition favouring dengue vectors, on disease transmission were less evaluated. This study aims to investigate the impact of various compound temperature, rainfall, and relative humidity exposures on dengue fever infection in the South and Southeast Asia regions. MethodsWeekly dengue fever surveillance data from 2012 to 2020 were collected from 48 locations in four countries named Singapore (1 location), Sri Lanka (15 locations), Malaysia (9 locations), and Thailand (23 locations, with 11 locations having different study periods). The distributed lag non-linear models were built to assess the impacts of compound temperature, rainfall, and relative humidity exposures on dengue fever infection risks. ResultsA total of 1,359,993 dengue fever cases were reported with 9.33%, 24.02%, 48.73%, and 17.91% cases contributed by Singapore, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Thailand, respectively. Compared to non-warm-non-wet, compound warm-wet was associated with an increased dengue risk (RR:1.32, 95% CI:1.21–1.44). Compared to moderate temperature-humidity, warm-wet environment was also associated with an increase in dengue risk (RR:1.37, 95% CI:1.22–1.55). In comparison to weeks with moderate temperature-rainfall, warm-wet weeks was linked to an elevated dengue risk (RR:1.39, 95% CI:1.27–1.52), whereas cold-dry weather would significantly reduce the infection risk (RR:0.70, 95% CI:0.62–0.80). Modification effects showed that the hot effect on dengue infection was more pronounced under higher humidity, while the impact of rainfall increased with warmer temperature. ConclusionWarm-wet events were associated with an increased dengue fever risk, while the infection risk would decline in cold-dry environment, and modification effects exist among exposures. Findings from this study highlight the importance of considering joint temperature, humidity, and rainfall dependency of dengue fever infection in disease prevention and control.

Resistance to the platinum‑based chemotherapeutic drugs in oral cancer: Focus on the role of p22phox (Review).

Oral cancer, commonly known as oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), is an aggressive malignancy in the oral cavity with a poor prognosis and survival rate, particularly at the advanced stages. Oral cancer represents one of the most widespread cancers worldwide, in which the prevalence is particularly high in South and Southeast Asia. While the incidence and mortality rates continue to increase over the past decades, oral cancer treatment can be challenging and at times ineffective, largely due to drug resistance. To date, platinum-based drugs, such as cisplatin, remain the mainstay of chemotherapy for patients with oral cancer. However, long-term exposure to cisplatin inevitably leads to the development of resistance to the drug, which is still a major issue to overcome in oral cancer treatment. The molecular mechanisms of cisplatin resistance in oral cancer have been extensively studied in recent years and the present review places specific emphasis on a novel mechanism of resistance to the platinum drugs mediated by p22phox, an endoplasmic reticulum membrane protein. In addition to delineating the unique p22phox-dependent cisplatin resistance, the present review compares and contrasts the resistance mechanism to its current counterparts. Finally, with the goal of tackling the problem of chemotherapy resistance in oral cancer, various strategies are presented that may counteract p22phox-dependent cisplatin resistance, which may potentially improve the efficacy of the platinum-based drugs and warrant future clinical validation.

Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) – Economic corridor: an opportunity for regional connectivity and development cooperation in south and Southeast Asia

China is the largest country in terms of the purchasing power parity (PPP); and the country has started to invest hugely in the developing countries of the Southeast Asia, South Asia, Africa, Central Asia and the Middle-East. It wants to be connected with Europe, Africa and Middle East through its economic corridors such as BCIM, BRI, MSR and OBOR. It can be mentioned here that most of the South and Southeast countries are poor and need huge investment in the infrastructural projects. Therefore, the concept of BCIM is a win-win geostrategic and economic policy for South, Southeast and China. On the other hand, India is largest country in terms of the size of population; and its economy is also rising rapidly. And this country also needs huge investment and development cooperation from the different countries including China. Besides, Bangladesh is a lower middle-income country; it also wants to grow rapidly in terms of economic growth, transfer of technology and infrastructural developments. On other hand, Myanmar is a developing country in Southeast Asia which requires vast developments, transfer of technology, foreign investments in the coastal regions and regional connectivity for economic growth and development. Therefore, carrying out study on BCIM economic corridor is extremely important in the region. It’s a qualitative study in the context of mythology. This study has found that implementation of BCIM economic corridor is very important for South and Southeast Asia including Bangladesh for regional connectivity, trade and investment and development cooperation.

Rare and unusual snow leopard encounters in the broadleaf forest of the Bhutanese Himalayas

The snow leopard Panthera uncia, a top predator in Central and South Asia, faces population declines due to habitat degradation, prey depletion, retaliatory killings, poaching, and climate change. In Bhutan, where the species is protected, we report two rare sightings in the Gedu regionʼs broadleaved and fir forests, at 2,708 masl and 3,839 masl, respectively, which are lower than the typical speciesʼ prime habitats in Bhutan. These findings suggest that this area may function as an important corridor or a potential range expansion beyond typical high-altitude habitats (3,000 to 5,800 masl). This discovery underscores the speciesʼ ecological adaptability and highlights the need for enhanced conservation strategies, including habitat connectivity mapping and local community education. Additionally, it highlights the importance of protecting and conserving habitats outside of protected areas for speciesʼ long-term persistence.

Evaluation of Molecular Assays for Diagnosis of Amoebic Liver Abscess in India with Bayesian Latent Class Analysis.

Amoebic liver abscess (ALA) is the most common extra-intestinal complication of Entamoeba histolytica, accounting for 50,000 deaths annually, and is endemic in South Asia. Diagnosis based on microscopic examination is insensitive, and serological assays are not discerning of current infections in endemic settings with high exposure. For a rapid and confirmatory laboratory diagnosis of ALA, the performance of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR), quantitative real time PCR (qPCR), digital droplet PCR (ddPCR), and a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay that detects E. histolytica DNA in liver abscess pus, and a lectin antigen detection ELISA were evaluated against clinical diagnosis (based on predefined criteria) as the gold standard. Owing to the lack of a laboratory gold standard, a Bayesian latent class analysis approach was also used to determine sensitivity and specificity of these assays. In the latent class analysis, qPCR and ddPCR showed the highest sensitivity (98% and 98.1%) and specificity (both 96.6%), and although clinical diagnosis had a comparable sensitivity to qPCR and ddPCR (95.2%), poorer specificity (64.3%) was seen. Kappa agreement analysis showed that qPCR and ddPCR had a perfect agreement of 1 followed by an agreement of 0.76 (95% CI: 0.64-0.88) with PCR. Considering the performance characteristics and relative ease of setting up qPCR as well as the wide availability of qPCR equipment needed, this would be the most optimal assay for rapid, confirmatory, molecular diagnosis of ALA in the tertiary care laboratory setting in India, whereas further optimization of LAMP or antibody-based detection is required for use at smaller or secondary hospitals.

Analysis of the global burden of cardiovascular diseases linked to exposure to ambient particulate matter pollution from 1990 to 2019.

This research endeavors to scrutinize the temporal trends and global burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) associated with ambient particulate matter (PM) pollution spanning from 1990 to 2019. Age-standardized death rates (ASDRs) and age-standardized disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for CVDs, as well as their estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs), were calculated using data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 (GBD 2019). The global ASDR and age-standardized DALYs due to CVDs associated with PM pollution increased from 1990 to 2019, with a higher increase in males. The burden was higher among middle-aged and older adults. The ASDR and DALYs increased in low-Socio-demographic Index (SDI), low-middle-SDI, and middle-SDI countries, while they decreased in high-SDI countries. The highest burden was observed in Central Asia, North Africa, the Middle East, East Asia, and South Asia. The highest burdens were reported in Iraq, Egypt, and Uzbekistan at the national level. The burden of CVDs linked to PM pollution has grown significantly from 1990 to 2019, with variations across regions and countries, highlighting the need for targeted prevention and pollution management strategies.

Impacts of elevated anthropogenic emissions on physicochemical characteristics of black-carbon-containing particles over the Tibetan Plateau

Abstract. Black carbon (BC) in the Tibetan Plateau (TP) region has distinct climate effects that strongly depend on its mixing state. The aging processes of BC in the TP are subject to emissions from various regions, resulting in considerable variability of its mixing state and physicochemical properties. However, the mechanism and magnitude of this effect are not yet clear. In this study, field observations on physicochemical properties of BC-containing particles (PMBC) were conducted in the northeast (Xihai) and southeast (Lulang) regions of the TP to investigate the impacts of transported emissions from lower-altitude areas on BC characteristics in the TP. Large spatial discrepancies were found in the chemical composition of PMBC. Both sites showed higher concentrations of PMBC when they were affected by transported air masses outside the TP but with diverse chemical composition. Source apportionment for organic aerosol (OA) suggested that primary OA in the northeastern TP was attributed to hydrocarbon OA (HOA) from anthropogenic emissions, while it was dominated by biomass burning OA (BBOA) in the southeastern TP. Regarding secondary aerosol, a marked enhancement in nitrate fraction was observed on aged BC coating in Xihai when the air masses were brought by updrafts and easterly winds from lower-altitude areas. With the development of boundary layer, the enhanced turbulent mixing promoted the elevation of anthropogenic pollutants. In contrast to Xihai, the thickly coated BC in Lulang was mainly caused by elevation and transportation of biomass burning plumes from south Asia, showing a large contribution of secondary organic aerosol (SOA). The distinct transported emissions lead to substantial variations of both chemical composition and light absorption ability of BC across the TP. The thicker coating and higher mass absorption cross-section (MAC) of PMBC in air masses elevated from lower-altitude regions reveal the promoted BC aging processes and their impacts on the mixing state and light absorption of BC in the TP. These findings emphasize the vulnerability of plateau regions to influences of elevated emissions, leading to significant changes in BC concentration, mixing states and light absorption across the TP, all of which need to be considered in the evaluation of BC radiative effects for the TP region.

Tuberculosis in South Asia: A regional analysis of burden, progress, and future projections using the global burden of disease (1990–2021)

BackgroundTuberculosis (TB) is a major public health issue in South Asia and accounts for a large share of the global TB burden. Despite global efforts to curb TB incidence and mortality, progress in South Asia has been uneven, necessitating focused regional analysis to guide effective interventions. This study aims to analyse the trends in the TB burden in South Asia from 1990 to 2021 and project future TB incidence rates up to 2031. MethodsThis study utilized data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 results to analyse trends in age-standardized incidence (ASIR), prevalence (ASPR), mortality (ASMR), and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) rates (ASDR) associated with TB in South Asia from 1990 to 2021. Joinpoint regression analysis was employed to identify significant trends, whereas ARIMA models were used to project future TB incidence rates up to 2031. ResultsThis study revealed significant declines in the ASIR, ASPR, ASDR, and ASMR related to TB in South Asia over the past three decades. Prominent reductions were found in Bangladesh and Bhutan, whereas India, Pakistan, and Nepal continue to bear the highest TB burdens. The ARIMA model projections indicate a continued decline in TB incidence across the region, although the extent of the decline varies by country, with less favourable trends observed in Nepal and Pakistan. The analysis also highlights tobacco use, high fasting plasma glucose, and high body mass index as significant risk factors contributing to the TB burden. ConclusionsSubstantial progress has been made in reducing the TB burden in South Asia; however, sustained and intensified efforts are needed, particularly in countries with inconsistent progress. These findings emphasize the need for targeted interventions to meet the WHO End TB Strategy (WETS) targets by 2035. Continuous monitoring and adaptive strategies will be crucial in maintaining and accelerating progress toward TB elimination in South Asia.

Discovering Dadu: A Ludemic Enigma from South Asia

Abstract Dadu is a traditional board game exclusively played within the Muslim Dawoodi Bohra community in South Asia. Most households have their own hand-stitched cloth board, together with a set of wood-turned playing pieces and cowrie shells for dice. Though formally a two-player game, it is commonly played in large teams during family gatherings. Non-community members rarely take part and the game remains virtually unknown to outsiders. Descriptions of the game are absent from the scholarly literature and it does not find mention in any of the major game encyclopedias. Surviving boards and communal memory trace the game back to the early 20th century, but the hybrid nature of the game and the origin of the Dawoodi Bohra community in Yemen suggest that it may go back several centuries further. The present article uses ludemic theory to analyze the constituent elements of the game and demonstrate their affinity with elements in other games both inside and outside South Asia. The findings are contextualized within the wider history of the Dawoodi Bohra community, suggesting that Dadu may have resulted from the adaptation of a West Asian Tab game to a South Asian single track race game. A detailed set of rules gathered from interviews with members of the Dawoodi Bohra community is appended to the article.

Leveraging HIV self-testing to achieve the UNAIDS 2025 targets in the South and Southeast Asia region.

The South and Southeast Asia region has the second-highest number of people living with HIV globally. Despite progress in reducing HIV incidence and AIDS-related deaths, the region still has a long way to go in achieving the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) 95-95-95 HIV testing, treatment and viral suppression targets. HIV self-testing (HIVST) is recommended by the World Health Organization as an additional approach to HIV testing. This paper provides a commentary on the implementation status, benefits, barriers and recommendations for HIVST implementation in South and Southeast Asia. Additionally, it presents perspectives from HIV testing service experts from 11 countries in the region to put forth recommendations to accelerate the implementation of HIVST in South and Southeast Asia. There is uneven progress in national HIVST policy development and implementation across the region. HIVST, as an additional testing approach, can help to enhance testing coverage, frequency and demand for follow-up HIV services among key populations. Key factors influencing the implementation and scale-up of HIVST include the degree of awareness of HIVST among general and key populations, the development and implementation of supportive national HIVST policies and the availability of public funding for HIVST. To address barriers and leverage enablers to HIVST implementation, generating evidence on cost-effectiveness and budget impact, developing multisectoral partnerships for market shaping, promoting differentiated and decentralized delivery models, and optimizing linkage to further testing and care are recommended. It is crucial to accelerate the implementation and scale-up of HIVST to differentiate and decentralize the delivery of HIV testing services in South and Southeast Asian countries. Sharing experiences among country experts is vital to foster the adoption of best practices and facilitate the trial-and-error process of HIVST implementation. Such collaborative approaches can help South and Southeast Asian countries attain the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets, especially the first 95 on HIV diagnosis, and play a significant role in ending the global AIDS epidemic.

Role of Initial Conditions and Meteorological Drought in Soil Moisture Drought Propagation: An Event‐Based Causal Analysis Over South Asia

AbstractThe role of meteorological droughts and initial conditions (land and atmosphere) in soil moisture drought (SMD) propagation are not yet fully understood. This work uses a drought event‐based causal framework to investigate the relative importance of meteorological drought (MD) duration and intensity and initial conditions that result in surface and rootzone SMD, considering their event‐level propagation time (PT) over South Asia. Initially, spatial variability of drought propagation is assessed by the Propagation Ratio (PR) computed based on MD counts that trigger SMD at various lags. PR depicts 2–3 months slower rootzone propagation than at surface. The gradual decrease in PR with increasing regional aridity indicates faster propagation over humid regions. The causal impact of initial conditions and MD parameters on propagating SMD are evaluated using normalized mutual information and a newly proposed normalized conditional mutual information. We found greater importance of triggering MD parameters followed by initial soil moisture condition on propagating SMD. This behavior is more evident for the surface layer propagation at shorter PT. There is a confounding effect of initial atmospheric conditions on drought propagation through initial soil moisture, depicting the significance of land‐atmosphere interactions prior to propagation. In the rootzone propagation, initial soil moisture has a greater influence on propagation, especially at longer PT, indicating the significance of soil moisture persistence. Stronger causal links obtained through the joint influence of MD parameters on SMD suggest the importance of accounting for MD duration and intensity simultaneously, which are not considered in drought index‐based propagation studies.

Is digitalization essential for abating carbon emission growth in South Asia?

Output generation processes across South Asia are deemed unclean (highly emission-intensive) due to excessive reliance on fossil fuels. Thus, decarbonizing the growth processes within this region has critical emphasis among policymakers. However, since the South Asian countries are yet to be ready to undergo the renewable energy transition, it is unlikely that “their annual carbon discharge levels will subside” anytime soon. Under such circumstances, these countries need to limit the rate at which their carbon emission levels rise each year. Therefore, the impacts of digitalization on annual carbon emission growth rates in selected South Asian countries are assessed in this study. Overall, considering internet penetration rate as a proxy of digital technology adoption, the results confirm that policies aimed at digitalizing the concerned South Asian economies not only exert emission growth rate-reducing impacts via a direct channel, but also indirectly reduce emission growth rates by making natural resources sectors more productive, expediting the energy sector greening processes, greening the financial sectors, making corruption controlling measures within institutions more effective, and limiting urbanization-induced environmental quality-worsening effects. Therefore, it is relevant for the South Asian government to emphasize on digitalization while simultaneously ensuring that green digital technologies are adopted within the major macroeconomic sectors across this region.

Biology and Management of Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) Shoot and Fruit Borer: A Review

Eggplant (Solanum melongena Linnaeus) is a vital crop in South Asia, valued for its use in both raw and cooked dishes. However, its cultivation is severely threatened by the eggplant shoot and fruit borer, Leucinodes orbonalis (Guen.), which damages the plant from the seedling stage to harvest. The larval phase of this pest bores into shoots and fruits, potentially causing up to 90% loss and a decline in quality. Farmers often use excessive insecticides to combat L. orbonalis, leading to residue accumulation in food, insecticide resistance, pest resurgence, secondary pest outbreaks, and harm to beneficial organisms and the environment. In South Asia, this pest is the primary threat to eggplant fields, attracting significant research attention. This review paper examines biology, damage and control measures of eggplant shoot and fruit borer including resistant and tolerant varieties, sex pheromone traps, physical and mechanical barriers, biopesticides, biocontrol agents, and cultural and chemical methods, supported by previous studies and research findings. J Bangladesh Agril Univ 22(3): 267-276, 2024

Explaining Political Violence In South Asia: Theories And Concepts

Political violence in South Asia has escalated significantly since the region’s independence, primarily driven by the erosion of social cohesion. This paper investigates the socio-political and economic foundations that underlie violent political actions. By examining key movements across South Asia, including the Bengali liberation struggle, Kashmir and tribal conflicts in Northeast India, the MQM problem in Pakistan, the JVP and Tamil insurgency in Sri Lanka, the study identifies internal colonisation, state repression, and resource mobilisation as central catalysts of violence. The analysis highlights the role of relative deprivation, land disputes, and marginalisation as pivotal motivators for insurgencies. Additionally, state incapacity and external support further exacerbate and sustain violent movements. The paper concludes that the exclusion of marginalised groups from political power and economic opportunities, compounded by uneven development, continues to fuel cycles of violence in the region

Seasonal variation of particle number concentration in a busy urban street with exposure assessment and deposition in human respiratory tract

Ultrafine particles (UFP) associated with air quality and health impacts are a major concern in growing urban regions. Concentrations of UFP (particles of size between 10 and 100 nm) and accumulation mode (Nacc) (particles of size >100 and up to 1000 nm), are analyzed over a highly polluted megacity, Delhi, in conjunction with vehicular flow density, during peak (morning, and evening) and non-peak hours. UFP contributes ≥60% to total particle concentration during autumn and monsoon. UFP concentrations are about 50,000 particles per cm3 in winter which reduces to about 25,000 particles during monsoon. Nacc are about 20,000 (winter) and 10,000 (monsoon) particles per cm3. UFP concentration and Nacc during peak hours are at least twice higher than those obtained in non-peak hours, confirming the dominant influence of emissions from vehicular exhaust in the study region. Seasonal analysis of UFP size distribution reveals that direct emissions dominate the particle concentrations during winter and autumn, whereas new particle formation mechanism contributes the highest in spring and summer. Assessment of inhalable particle number concentration and particle deposition in the human respiratory tract using Multiple Path Particle Dosimetry (MPPD) model, performed for the first time, shows that the order in which these particles deposit in the human respiratory tract is alveoli > bronchiole > bronchus. The deposition ranges between 10 and 18 million nanoparticles during different hours of the day, whereas the estimated inhalable particle concentration (IPN) varies between 0.5 and 1 billion. Results on the IPN during activities classified from light (walking), medium, heavy, very heavy to severe (long-distance running) provide insights into health effects on vulnerable populations. These quantitative results obtained over a megacity on hourly and seasonal variations of nanoparticles along with IPN and deposition rates for different activities are important, and are invaluable inputs for developing mitigation policies aimed to improve air quality and public health, both of which are major concerns in South Asia.