Southeastern India Research Articles

Opening Kailasanatha: The Temple in Kanchipuram Revealed in Time and Space

Opening Kailasanatha: The Temple in Kanchipuram Revealed in Time and Space

Spatio-temporal characterization of tropospheric ozone and its precursor pollutants NO2 and HCHO over South Asia

In recent decades, South Asia has experienced declining air quality, with much of the attention being focused on extremely high levels of particulate matter. Here, we analyze tropospheric ozone (O3), formaldehyde (HCHO), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) to assess other measures of air quality across South Asia from 2008 to 2018. The IASI-Forli retrieved tropospheric ozone data was validated with ozonesonde, reanalysis (ERA5), satellite (TES), and model simulation products (GEOS-Chem and TOMCAT/SLIMCAT). Space-based observations of these three trace gases were used to conduct a spatio temporal analysis over South Asia using trend analysis (Theil-Sen and linear regression), change-point detection (Pettitt's test), and hotspot identification (Getis-Ord Gi*). We used the formaldehyde-nitrogen dioxide ratio (FNR) to identify NOx limited, VOC limited, and transitional regimes in South Asia. Counter to previous studies, a statistically significant decrease of HCHO (−0.0041 DU yr−1) and O3 (−0.064 DU yr−1) was detected for South Asia; however, NO2 is increasing the 0.001 DU yr−1 over South Asia during 2008–18. The Indo-Gangetic Plains emerged as being critically affected by the three trace gases. Certain parts of southern and south-eastern India are gradually emerging as NO2 and HCHO hotpots. No significant O3 hotspots were discernible, though coldspots existed along the Himalaya belt of India, Nepal, and Bhutan and mountainous tracts of Pakistan. FNR indicates the reduction of NOx in NOx-limited regime of the Indo-Gangetic Plains reduced the formation of tropospheric O3 over South Asia.

Prediction of Heatwave 2013 over Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, India using WRF Model

Heatwaves are acknowledged to be the major meteorological disaster, causing a noticeable impact on humans and animals’ lives during the last few decades. The number, frequency, duration, intensity, and areal extent of the heatwaves are on the rise during recent years. The Maximum temperature data of 2013 is analyzed to assess the synoptic nature, intensity, frequency, and various significant facets of the heatwave over the south peninsular states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Indian subcontinent experienced a major heatwave during 2013, which claimed 1216 human lives. Even though the highest intensity of maximum temperatures is observed in May over major areas of India, the increasing (incidence, duration, number of spells, and the sweltering temperatures) number of heatwaves are observed over many parts of the country. The northwest and southeast coastal regions are the two heat wave prone regions. The advection of heat from the northwest with the aid of north-westerly winds causes heatwaves over northwest India to sweep or move towards India’s southeast and east coast. The heatwave record over south-eastern India, i.e, Andhra Pradesh and the adjoining Telangana state during May 22–24, 2013 were described in this study. Maximum temperatures above 40°C are observed with a sudden rise by 6 to 7°C over the study region. An attempt is made to predict the maximum temperatures 72 hours before the existence of a heatwave at 3 km horizontal resolution using the Advanced core of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Model predicted temperature values match with observations and the statistical metrics show a high index of the agreement, lower values for root-mean-square error and mean absolute error. Atmospheric circulation patterns associated with this heatwave are also presented. The arrest of sea breeze, the hovering of diabatic heat because of subsidence is the factor that abetted the heatwave blockade over the south-eastern part of the country. The WRF model forecasts could present the occurance of the heat wave over AP and Telangana region with 72 hour lead time with high accuracy.

Mineralogical justification for potentiality of producing marketable hematite products


 
 
 Hematite quartzites are a product of weathering of magnetite quartzites, which make up the ferruginous horizons of deposits of the Precambrian banded-iron formation. They occur all over the planet. The largest deposits are found in the iron-producing areas and basins of Central Kazakhstan, the Kursk magnetic anomaly, the Karelian-Kola region, Western Australia, Southeastern India, Brazil, the United States, and Canada. The geological and mineralogical issues of hematite quartzites as raw materials for producing concentrate and sinter ore have been studied most deeply and comprehensively for the deposits of the Kryvyi Rih basin and Central Kazakhstan. However, when developing an effective scheme for producing high-quality metallurgical raw materials, the mineralogical features of hematite ores have been taken into account insufficiently. The aim of the authors of the present work was to study the localization, structure of deposits and mineral composition of hematite quartzites as raw materials for sinter ore and concentrate production. Data from geological observations and mineralogical studies were used as source material. Proven geological, mineralogical, petrochemical methods were used. In accordance with the obtained results, the hematite quartzites are composed of ore-forming (quartz, hematite) and secondary (relict and newly formed) minerals. The total content of the hematite and quartz exceeds 90 mass %. The peculiarity of Ushkatyn III deposit ores is the high content of manganese oxides. The depth of distribution of the weathering crust composed of hematite quartzites varies from 200 to 1000 m. The hematite quartzites’ bodies are characterized by a zonal structure. Their central parts are represented by martite-micaceous hematite, micaceous hematite- martite quartzites; intermediate ones by martite quartzites; peripheral parts – by dispersed hematite-martite, kaolinite-martite-dispersed hematite quartzites. The horizons differ in the quantitative ratio of these varieties. The quantitative ratio of mineral varieties of hematite quartzites, morphology of individuals and aggregates of ore-forming and secondary minerals, their chemical composition and physical properties must be taken into account when developing the optimal technology for the production of high-quality hematite concentrate.
 
 

COVID-19 Pandemic-Frontline Experiences and Lessons Learned From a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital at a Suburban Location of Southeastern India.

The key challenges to any health care setup during emergency situations, such as that of the COVID-19 pandemic would be to rapidly address hospital preparedness and response tailored to the local population, societal influences, political factors within the existing infrastructure, and workforce. Second, to adopt and moderate policies, standard operating procedures (SOPs) and guidelines issued by national and international agencies, such as WHO, CDC, and the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) were tailor-made to the local conditions of the hospital and community. In this publication, we have discussed the challenges and experiences in preparation and responses to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic at a tertiary teaching hospital situated at a suburban locale in a small union territory. Puducherry is located in the South Eastern Coromandel Coast of India. The core processes, such as hospital preparedness, adoption, and amendments to SOPs based on dynamic changes in guidelines released by the central and local government, training given to health care workers, setting up the in-house diagnostic facility, surge capacity, management of supplies during the lockdown, infection prevention, and control and patient care are discussed. We have also reinforced our experiences in translating COVID-related opportunities for research and innovation in the form of awards and research proposals for the faculty and students of our institute. The lessons learned in terms of strength and limitations on the ground level of public health during this process is worth sharing as it would provide guidance in preparing the health care setups for pre- and post-pandemic.

The Globally Coherent Pattern of Autumn Monsoon Precipitation

AbstractOver most tropical land areas, the annual peak in precipitation occurs during summer, associated with the local monsoon circulation. However, in some coastal regions in the tropics the bulk of annual precipitation occurs in autumn, after the low-level summer monsoon westerlies have abated. Examples include the Nordeste region of Brazil, southeastern India and Sri Lanka, and coastal Tanzania. Unlike equatorial regions, they receive little rainfall during local spring. Such regions are present along the eastern coasts of nearly all continents, suggesting that they comprise a coherent yet previously unrecognized global phenomenon.In this study, we identify eight tropical locations that experience an “autumn monsoon” and show that this unusual seasonal cycle is generated by similar mechanisms in all of these. When these regions receive their peak rainfall, they lie poleward of the ITCZ in easterly low-level winds. The spatial structure of precipitation in these regions can be explained by their placement to the east of mountain ranges that organize moist convection on their windward sides. However, orographic forcing alone cannot explain their unique seasonal cycle: despite similarities in wind direction, surface humidity, and sea surface temperatures (SSTs) between autumn and spring, these regions receive significantly more rainfall in autumn than in spring. We show that this is due to differences in the large-scale atmospheric stability between the equinoctial seasons, which can be captured by a relative SST metric and is influenced by SSTs in the remote eastern upwelling zones of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

Metal accumulation and biomineralisation of coastal and mangrove-associated molluscs of Palk Bay, Southeastern India

The present study aimed to determine metal accumulation levels in tissue and biomineralisation in shells of 20 species of molluscs (13 gastropods and 7 bivalves) from Palk Bay, India. In most cases, metal concentrations in the tissues were higher than in the shells of the same species collected from same location, meaning that in many cases biomineralisation factors of metal ratios were <1. The highest biomineralisation factor for Cd was detected in Melampus sincaporensis (3.72 ± 0.1) from the Thondi mangrove, for Pb in Cerithidea cingulata (2.51 ± 0.17) from the Vattanam mangrove, for Cu in Melampus sincaporensis (0.88 ± 0.2) from the Thondi mangrove, and for Zn in Cerithidea cingulata (0.93 ± 0.3) from the Devipattinam mangrove. In most cases, metal concentrations were higher than reported in previous studies but were within the maximum limits stated by national and international regulatory agencies. Variations in the biomineralisation factor of metal ratios among the molluscan species likely stems from variations in bioaccumulation efficiency, selectivity of individual organisms, and availability of metals in the mangrove and coastal environments.

Cumulate gabbros in the South Andaman Island ophiolite suite (India): their bearing on the tectonic setting

The Andaman ophiolite of southeastern India is located on the outer arc of the Andaman–Java subduction zone. It is represented by thrust slices formed in the Mesozoic Neo-Tethys Ocean. Lithologically, it consists of dismembered mafic and ultramafic rocks and associated oceanic pelagic sediments. The present study focuses on the mafic cumulate rocks of the Andaman ophiolite preserved in the Kodiaghat and Munda Pahar area of South Andaman Island. The mafic cumulates are represented by olivine-bearing and olivine-free gabbros. The sequence of crystallization in the gabbros is olivines (Fo∼80) ± chromian spinels (Cr# = 57–59), plagioclases (An61–95), clinopyroxenes (Mg# = 82–89), and amphiboles (Mg–hornblende, edenite, and pargasite). Major oxide and trace element whole-rock geochemistry and mineral compositions are consistent with a hybrid signature of island arc tholeiite (IAT) – mid-oceanic ridge basalt (MORB). Geochemical modelling shows that trapped melt fractions of 0%–20% can produce the observed trace element signatures of these gabbros. Our findings suggest that the gabbroic cumulates of the Andaman ophiolite were formed in an oceanic back-arc and oceanic arc setting developed in the Neo-Tethys oceanic domain between the Indian and Burmese plates during the Late Cretaceous.

Population health risks in multi-hazard environments: action needed in the Cyclone Amphan and COVID-19 – hit Sundarbans region, India

ABSTRACT The local population of Sundarbans, an environmentally vulnerable delta region in south-eastern India, is currently affected by combined negative impacts of cyclone Amphan and the COVID-19 pandemic. The lockdown measures have created an additional burden on the health care system, while flooding during Amphan increased the risk of spreading water-borne diseases. In this viewpoint, we provide a conceptual model of the complex interlinkages among the combined multi-hazard effects, human health and water availability, with possible mitigation measures. We then discuss the specific pathways through which these immediate and long-term impacts occur and highlight the risk of together slowing progress on SDG3 and SDG6 in the Sundarbans. Finally, we call for coordinated assessment, support and appropriate intervention measures to secure clean water availability and minimize the health impacts of the recent multiple disasters in this tropical delta region.

Estimation of soil erosion and sediment yield concentration across the Kolleru Lake catchment using GIS

Flat lakes with a large catchment area are especially affected by sediment inputs. The Kolleru Lake catchment (south-eastern India) with a surface area of approximately 6121 km2 belongs to such types of lake basins. The study’s main objective was the assessment of both soil erosion and sediment yield concentration rate of the Kolleru catchment. The study was conducted using the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) model due to its simple and good applicability for soil erosion estimation. Data such as rainfall, soil texture, topography, crop cover management, and support practice factor were integrated into the modeling using RUSLE and ArcGIS. Field data were used both to analyze the soil texture and the slope length factor. The results showed that average annual soil loss was estimated with 13.6 t/ha/year, classifying the Kolleru Lake Basin under a very high erosion rate category. About 38% of the catchment area has encountered slight soil loss. Areas covered with moderate, strong, severe, very severe erosion potential zones are 29%, 17%, 9%, and 5.5%, respectively. This study identified that upland areas with less vegetation cover exported high potential erosion rates. Unlike the soil loss, the sediment delivery ratio values for the catchment were not affected by land use, while it showed a strong relationship with the catchment drainage system. Whereas, the average annual sediment yield was determined with 7.61 t/ha/year, had identified with the same pattern of the soil erosion. Catchment topography, vegetation, drainage system, soil properties, and land use cover played a major role in exporting the highest sedimentation. The outcome of these studies can be used among others to identify critical erosion areas on a pixel basis for the planning of erosion management practices.

Strontium isotope evidence for a trade network between southeastern Arabia and India during Antiquity

Cotton (Gossypium sp.), a plant of tropical and sub-tropical origin, appeared at several sites on the Arabian Peninsula at the end of the 1st mill. BCE-beginning of the 1st mill. CE. Its spread into this non-native, arid environment is emblematic of the trade dynamics that took place at this pivotal point in human history. Due to its geographical location, the Arabian Peninsula is connected to both the Indian and African trading spheres, making it complex to reconstruct the trans-continental trajectories of plant diffusion into and across Arabia in Antiquity. Key questions remain pertaining to: (1) provenance, i.e. are plant remains of local or imported origin and (2) the precise timing of cotton arrival and spread. The ancient site of Mleiha, located in modern-day United Arab Emirates, is a rare and significant case where rich archaeobotanical remains dating to the Late Pre-Islamic period (2nd–3rd c. CE), including cotton seeds and fabrics, have been preserved in a burned-down fortified building. To better understand the initial trade and/or production of cotton in this region, strontium isotopes of leached, charred cotton remains are used as a powerful tracer and the results indicate that the earliest cotton finds did not originate from the Oman Peninsula, but were more likely sourced from further afield, with the north-western coast of India being an isotopically compatible provenance. Identifying the presence of such imported cotton textiles and seeds in southeastern Arabia is significant as it is representative of the early diffusion of the crop in the region, later to be grown extensively in local oases.

Prevalence of dengue NS1 antigenemia among healthy blood donors in a tertiary care hospital in Southern India.

INTRODUCTION:Transmission of dengue by transfusion of blood products has been documented, although the frequency of these occurrences and the level of viremia required to cause clinical dengue are unknown. The primary objective was to assess the prevalence of dengue NS1 antigen among healthy blood donors at our blood center.METHODOLOGY:This was a cross-sectional study conducted in the Department of Transfusion Medicine, a tertiary care hospital in South-eastern India, from February 2019 to January 2020. A total of 968 donor samples were included in the study. Dengue NS1 antigen detection was done using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Data regarding clinical, epidemiological, and demographic characteristics were collected from the donor questionnaire and records.RESULTS:In the study, the overall prevalence of Dengue NS1 antigen was 0.9%, with nine positive samples among the 968 samples tested. Eight of them were male, and 1 was a female donor. All of them were in the age group <32 years. Half of the positive donors were detected during December-January, the immediate post rainy season in this part of the country. Two-third of the positive donors were from rural areas.CONCLUSION:This study with a 0.9% throws light on the seroepidemiological prevalence of dengue among asymptomatic donors and gives an insight into whether dengue screening is required to be implemented in routine transfusion transmissible infection screening in blood transfusion services and shall assist in devising strategies to be adapted as to improve the blood safety.

Taxonomic note – New Cretaceous nannofossil taxa from the onshore Cauvery Basin, south-eastern India.

Taxonomic note – New Cretaceous nannofossil taxa from the onshore Cauvery Basin, south-eastern India.

Greater biodiversity in regenerated native tropical dry evergreen forest compared to non-native Acacia regeneration in Southeastern India

The 20 km-50 km-wide belt of tropical dry evergreen forest inland from the southeastern coastline of India has undergone biodiversity loss due to timber harvest and agriculture in the last 200 years. Reforestation restores ecosystem function and increases population sizes and diversity. Sadhana Forest reforested an area of 28 ha and replenished the water table through intensive soil moisture conservation. Results show rapid growth of planted native species and germination of two species of dormant Acacia seeds. Using standardised inventory methods, we documented 75 bird, eight mammal, 12 reptile, five amphibian, 55 invertebrate species, and 22 invertebrate orders. Bird abundance at point count stations, invertebrate sweep net captures and leaf count detections, and Odonate and Lepidopteran visual detections along fixed-paced transects were significantly greater in areas with native plants. Sadhana Forest's reforestation demonstrates the potential to restore ecosystems and replenish water tables, vital components to reversing ecosystem degradation, and corroborates reforestation efforts in other regions of the world.

Greater biodiversity in regenerated native tropical dry evergreen forest compared to non-native &lt;i&gt;Acacia&lt;/i&gt; regeneration in Southeastern India

The 20 km-50 km-wide belt of tropical dry evergreen forest inland from the southeastern coastline of India has undergone biodiversity loss due to timber harvest and agriculture in the last 200 years. Reforestation restores ecosystem function and increases population sizes and diversity. Sadhana Forest reforested an area of 28 ha and replenished the water table through intensive soil moisture conservation. Results show rapid growth of planted native species and germination of two species of dormant Acacia seeds. Using standardised inventory methods, we documented 75 bird, eight mammal, 12 reptile, five amphibian, 55 invertebrate species, and 22 invertebrate orders. Bird abundance at point count stations, invertebrate sweep net captures and leaf count detections, and Odonate and Lepidopteran visual detections along fixed-paced transects were significantly greater in areas with native plants. Sadhana Forest's reforestation demonstrates the potential to restore ecosystems and replenish water tables, vital components to reversing ecosystem degradation, and corroborates reforestation efforts in other regions of the world.

Pollen based inference of Holocene sea level changes, depositional environment and climatic history of Cauvery delta, Southern India

Palynological and other sedimentary records in the south-eastern peninsular India where the retreating (North-East) monsoon brings the main rainfall are scarce. This paper tries to address not only this gap in data but also the methodological challenges of interpreting such data in terms of sea level, depositional environment and climatic changes of the area going back nearly 11040 years. In addition to other (chemical) proxies studied previously, pollen data of a chronologically well constrained sediment core (~20 m) from Porayar (11°01.178′N 79°50.446′E), in the coastal marginal part of the Cauvery delta, Southern India, have been analyzed. The three major pollen zones observed since 11,040 years are presented and discussed, as are the methodological challenges of interpreting the vegetation record in such a dynamic and diverse environment (the delta plains of southern India). The zones observed indicate various transitions: from a lower sea level condition to a more stable sea level that created an estuarine environment filled with brackish water that supported pollen assemblages of a marshland but not a true mangrove. Concurrently, pollen assemblages that indicate catchments at multiple spatial scales – local to regional, extending from the North-East monsoon dominated delta to the Western Ghats is also inferred for climate interpretation.

Tectonothermal evolution of a collisional orogen in the Khammam region, southeastern India: insights from structures, phase equilibria modeling and U–Th–(total) Pb monazite geochronology

The Khammam Schist Belt (KSB), southeastern India, represents a part of the collision zone that is sandwiched between the Eastern Dharwar Craton to the west and the Eastern Ghats Mobile Belt (EGMB) to the east. Quartzofeldspathic gneisses of the EGMB and garnet–kyanite metapelites of the KSB have been investigated to characterize P–T–t evolution of the Khammam region. Pseudosection modeling reveals that the melt-bearing quartzofeldspathic gneiss experienced peak and post-peak metamorphism at P–T conditions of 7.9–8.1 kbar/790–810 °C and ~ 7.0 kbar/740–750 °C, respectively. In contrast, metapelite witnessed peak metamorphism at 7.4–7.8 kbar/600–640 °C, followed by post-peak retrogression at 6.1–6.6 kbar/590–625 °C. U–Th–(total) Pb monazite ages from the gneiss constrain the peak and retrograde metamorphic episodes at 1.63–1.53 Ga and 1.48–1.38 Ga, while those in the metapelites were determined at 1.25–1.20 Ga and 1.18–1.10 Ga, respectively. These P–T–t estimates indicate that the KSB, Vinjamuru, and Ongole domains evolved distinctly during Late Paleoproterozoic–Late Mesoproterozoic. The younger ages (0.90–0.81 Ga) were ascribed to the formation of the Eastern Indian Tectonic Zone, implying its extension beyond the western margin of the EGMB. Besides, the distinct Neoarchean ages (2.79–2.45 Ga) are related to the Archean protolith of the quartzofeldspathic gneisses, which were likely derived from the Archean crust of the Napier–Rayner Complex. This tectonothermal restoration is new and characterizes the Khammam region as the hot and composite collision zone with protracted geological history. (250 words)

Cretaceous (Albian-Turonian) calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy of the onshore Cauvery Basin, southeastern India

A suite of outcrop samples from the Cauvery Basin belonging to the mudrock-claystone dominated Karai Formation were analysed for nannofossil biostratigraphy in two newly measured sections at Karai and Garudamangalam. The age of the Karai Section is interpreted as early Albian to early Turonian, whereas the Garudamangalam Section is interpreted as late Albian to late Cenomanian. The Albian ‘BC’ zones of Bown et al. (1998) are applicable in both sections, whereas the Cenomanian and Turonian ‘UC’ zones of Burnett (1998), are only partially applicable, due to some problematic primary and secondary markers. The Albian-Cenomanian boundary appears to be continuous and is approximated in both sections using the FO of lower Cenomanian ammonites of the M. mantelli Zone. The Cenomanian-Turonian boundary interval is incomplete in the two sections, with a hiatus of ~0.66 myr, indicated by the absence of the upper Cenomanian Nannofossil Zone UC5. The nannoplankton assemblages are composed of broadly cosmopolitan taxa, despite the relatively high-latitude setting of SE India during the Albian (~45°S), which is reflected in the common occurrence of biogeographically bipolar taxa such as Repagulum parvidentatum and Seribiscutum primitivum. The palaeobiogeographic affinity of the nannoplankton, however, does not bear a distinct Austral stamp, as typical Austral taxa, such as Sollasites falklandensis and Zeugrhabdotus kerguelenensis are very rare in the studied sections. The early appearance of Crucibiscutum hayi in the lower Albian, and Gartnerago segmentatum in the upper Albian in the Cauvery Basin suggests that these two species may have originated in southern high latitudes before migrating to the northern Boreal regions. Four new calcareous nannofossil species, Calculites karaiensis, Loxolithus bicyclus, Manivitella fibrosa and Tranolithus simplex are described.

A Newly Recognized Endemic Region of CKD of Undetermined Etiology (CKDu) in South India—“Tondaimandalam Nephropathy”

IntroductionChronic kidney disease (CKD) is being increasingly recognized as a public health problem in India. The entity of CKD of undetermined etiology (CKDu) is increasingly being reported globally. Here we describe the burden of CKDu in a heretofore undescribed population in South India.MethodsWe prospectively enrolled all patients with CKD referred to the nephrology department in an observational registry. We analyzed their sociodemographic and clinical features over 4 years. The diagnosis of CKD and its etiology was determined using predefined criteria. Geolocalization of CKD patients was performed. Subsequently, CKD screening was conducted in a village located in an area of CKDu clustering.ResultsA total of 2424 patients were analyzed; the median age was 52 years and 75.3% were male. Seventy-five percent had advanced CKD. CKDu was the most common (51.7%) etiologic category. This is the highest proportion of CKDu reported among all published CKD studies to date from India. The clinical and demographic profile of this patient population match that of CKDu patients reported from Sri Lanka and Central America, where CKDu is endemic. A clustering of cases of CKDu was noted in specific districts using a geographic information system software. Screening of 447 people in an outreach program at a village located in an area identified to have clustering of CKDu showed a CKD prevalence of 19%.ConclusionWe report a previously unrecognized endemic area of CKDu among the underprivileged population engaged in agricultural labor in coastal southeastern India in the states of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry (Tondaimandalam) in India.

Predictive role of socio-demographic and chronotype on health-related quality of life of cancer patients from southeastern India

ABSTRACT It is well known that cancer and its treatment produce marked impact on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of cancer patients. Research concerning impact of chronotype on HRQoL in cancer patients is almost not studied yet, but the interests are growing in several diseases. Present study was carried out to explore the impact of socio-demographics, chronotype and consumption of tobacco, alcohol and sleeping medicine on HRQoL of Indian oncology patients. Self-reported Quality-of-Life questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) were administered to the cancer patients (N = 1000) in the native Hindi language. Results revealed that among the socio-demographic factors, only age exhibited significant negative association with physical, role and cognitive functioning and positive association with symptoms, namely fatigue and pain. Interestingly, chronotype was found to be positively associated with emotional functioning and negatively with nausea-vomiting, dyspnoea, diarrhoea and depression. Patients who consumed tobacco, alcohol or sleeping medicine exhibited lower functioning and higher symptoms. Further, treatment of cancer also produced effect on a few measures of HRQoL of patients. In conclusion, age, chronotype and consumption of tobacco, alcohol or sleeping medicine were found to be important determinants of HRQoL of the patients.