Urban Areas Of India Research Articles

Examining the Changing Processes of Aging in Urban Kolkata

The process of aging is gradually changing in urban India. In most of the gerontological literature of India, older adults have been projected as frail, disengaged and detached. However, the experience of growing old is transforming in urban areas of India. Recently a new class of older Indians are emerging who are financially independent, retain their freedom of choice, rely on means outside the family system to remain engaged and aim to have a meaningful old age. Within India, a large number of older adults who belong to the upper class, reside in Kolkata due to migration patterns, employment opportunities and urbanization. Hence Kolkata, is home to two sets of upper class older adults: those who live alone and those who live with their adult children and their families. Adopting a socio gerontological lens and relying on indepth qualitative interviews, the current study examines the lived experiences of growing old among upper class older adults of urban Kolkata. The study also draws from the social aging frameworks of activity and role theory and compares the processes of aging among the above mentioned two groups of older adults. Findings from the study suggest, that after the loss of a particular role due to life changing events such as widowhood, retirement or becoming a grandparent, older adults in both the groups develop new roles to have a purpose in their later lives. Finally, the study also highlights how gender and living arrangement determine the lived experience of aging.

Acoustic community structure and seasonal turnover in tropical South Asian birds

Abstract Birds produce diverse acoustic signals, with coexisting species occupying distinct “acoustic niches” to minimize masking, resulting in overdispersion within acoustic space. In tropical regions of the world, an influx of migrants from temperate regions occurs during winter. The effects of these migrants on acoustic community structure and dynamics remain unstudied. Here, I show that in a tropical dry forest bird community occurring within an urban area in India, the influx of winter migrants is accompanied by a change in species composition of the acoustic community. However, in spite of this, the acoustic community remains overdispersed in acoustic niche space. The winter community of vocal birds at this study site additionally exhibits lower energy in the 4–7 kHz frequency bands (consistent with species singing less continuously), as well as lower phylogenetic diversity. My data are thus indicative of seasonal turnover in acoustic communities but suggest that acoustic niches and community structure are stable across seasons. Migrants occupy similar regions of acoustic space as residents and are relatively closely related to some of these species. Their arrival, therefore, leads to greater phylogenetic clustering in the winter and thus lower phylogenetic diversity, although the acoustic community remains overdispersed. Studying seasonal dynamics of acoustic communities thus provides valuable insight into assembly processes, as well as a potential framework for long-term monitoring of urban ecosystems.

Definitions of sex and intimacy among gender and sexual minoritised groups in urban India

Understandings of sex and intimacy carry important implications for individuals’ behaviours and health. In many research studies, sex is narrowly defined as penile-vaginal intercourse, which may exclude the experiences of sexual and gender minoritised individuals. Likewise, sexual intimacy, or intimacy related to sexual experience between two or more people, is under-researched. Even less is known about how sexual and gender minoritised individuals in countries such as India understand these concepts. This qualitative study included focus group discussions and interviews conducted in three urban areas in India – Chennai, Bangalore and Kolkata. Data were analysed thematically. Participants described sex as a context-dependent experience, acknowledging that their definitions might not capture others’ characterisations. Participants reported numerous barriers to intimacy, especially for transgender and other gender minority individuals. We discuss the implications of simplistic definitions related to gender and sexuality for future sexuality research and public health in settings such as those discussed here.

Prioritising barriers for successful implementation of public bicycle-sharing system

Among Asian countries, India has a vast potential to adopt a public bicycle-sharing system (PBSS) as a sustainable mode of transport after China. However, various barriers pose as hindrances in the implementation of PBSS in Indian urban areas. The primary objective of this paper is to identify and prioritise PBSS barriers, which inhibit the implementation of PBSS. For this study, a total of 31 barriers out of 41 reported barriers worldwide are shortlisted and ranked using the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process. A group of experts assisted in ranking the barriers by using a pair-wise comparison survey. The main contribution of this paper is to identify critical barriers and to rank them according to the Indian scenario. These findings can help practitioners, municipal engineers, urban planners and decision makers to formulate PBSS planning policy, which will overcome the PBSS implementation issues.

What has contributed to improvements in the child sex ratio in select districts of India? A decomposition of the sex ratio at birth and child mortality

Despite an overall downward trend in child sex ratios in India, some of the most imbalanced districts in 2001 (fewer girls than boys) showed signs of becoming more balanced in 2011. This analysis looked in depth at these districts to better understand the nature of the improvement in the child sex ratio using two rounds of data from the Census of India from 2001 and 2011. Data were used from the 153 districts that showed improvement in their child sex ratio between 2001 and 2011. The improvement was decomposed into: (1) less sex-selective abortion and (2) improved girl compared with boy mortality. Most of the improvement in child sex ratios were shown to be due to reductions in sex-selective abortion, although this still made up the majority of the cause of imbalanced sex ratios in 2011. Child sex ratio improvement has been happening in both rural and urban areas of India, and there is evidence of stagnation in mortality decline for urban girls.

Construction and demolition waste generation in cities in India: an integrated approach

ABSTRACTThis paper quantifies construction and demolition waste (C&DW) generation rate in Indian cities using bottom-up material flow analysis approach. A dynamic model was applied to different classes of cities in India to investigate how C&DW generation rate varies across different classes of cities. The data on construction and demolition activities in different classes of cities were estimated from information reported in secondary literature. The results show that urban areas in India generated over 150 million tonnes of C&DW in 2016, and almost 50% of waste was generated in small to medium towns. The paper concludes with discussion on opportunities for recycling of C&DW and closing the material loops in Indian cities.

Decline in surface urban heat island intensity in India during heatwaves

Heatwaves cause human mortality around the world and are projected to rise in the future. Despite the influence of urban heat island (UHI) on heatwaves, the role of UHI on heatwave intensification in urban areas in India remains unrecognized. Here using in situ, satellite observations, and model simulations, we show that urban areas in India do not intensify heatwaves. The frequency of hot-days has significantly (p-value <0.05) increased in urban areas during 1951–2016. The frequency of hot-nights has also increased in the majority of urban areas in India except those located in Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP). We show that a decline in the frequency of hot-nights (−4.5 ± 1.6 hot-nights) in IGP during 1951–2016 is mainly due to intensive irrigation in the region. We confirm the influence of irrigation on land surface temperature (LST) over IGP using simulations from Community Land Model (CLM4). Our results show that Surface Urban Heat Island (SUHI) intensity in major urban areas in India declines during heatwaves both during the day (−0.3 ± 0.7 °C) and night (−0.3 ± 0.4 °C) from the reference SUHIs. Surrounding non-urban areas (44.5 ± 5.5 °C) are warmer than urban areas (43.7 ± 6.8 °C) during heatwaves due to the absence of vegetation. Our results have implications for policy related to health impacts during heatwaves.

Association of urbanisation with demographic dynamics in India

The research paper provides an overview of India’s urbanisation, regional variations, and association with demographic dynamics. The study explores the contributions of the census and statutory towns to urban growth and components of urban growth. The paper examines the impacts of urbanisation on fertility and mortality in India by data collected from the Census of India and the Sample Registration System. The specific purpose of this paper is investigating the impacts of demographic changes and urbanisation in India during the period 1991–2011. The research paper has employed quantitative technical analysis with the help of ordinary least square regression for establishing the relationship of association between urbanisation and socio-demographic variables. The study has endeavored a theoretical model associating the process of urbanisation with the demographic transition. It finds that the process of urbanisation has lead to the reduction of both fertility and mortality rates in India. The smooth decline in fertility and mortality rates in urban areas of India during the 2 decades of 1991–2011 implies the positive contribution of urbanisation. Similarly, the paper argues that to a large extent, various demographic indicators have influenced the process of urbanisation. The study successfully pinpoints that the urbanisation is positively related to the demographic variables of population growth, density, and migration. It also finds positive and significant effects of per capita income and female work participation rate on urbanisation.

Planning Approaches Towards Sustainable Urban Mobility

Urban mobility has become a matter of concern for most of million sized Indian cities. Rapid urbanization, rapid motorization and alarming rise in share of private vehicles, unregulated parking norms have led to severe road congestions, deterioration of air quality and road safety and as a result other related socio- economic problems. The main objective of the paper is to analysis the issues related to urban mobility, with focus on Kolkata through graphical and statistical analysis and propose some of the sustainable planning approaches to improve the traffic conditions prevailing in Indian urban areas.

Constrained Choices? Menstrual Health and Hygiene Needs Among Adolescents in Mumbai Slums

Menstruation, an essential and healthy biological function, is cloaked in a culture of silence. Sociocultural norms at the family and community level play a pivotal role in shaping how young unmarried women understand and manage their monthly period. Less is known about how unmarried young women living in low-income urban areas in India seek help for their menstrual needs. This qualitative study seeks to understand how young unmarried women (aged 15–24) living in a slum settlement understand menstruation and perceive menstrual problems, and identifies factors that influence their help-seeking behaviour for menstrual needs and problems. It also proposes recommendations for national health programmes addressing menstrual health and hygiene. The findings echo previous research findings emphasising young unmarried women’s low levels of awareness and misconceptions about menstruation. These girls perceived menstrual problems as a key concern, as it significantly interfered with their daily routine and caused emotional distress. Young women’s ability and willingness to seek help to address menstrual needs is influenced by a culture of silence that surrounds menstruation, excessive scrutiny and blaming by the community, and restrictions on their mobility and interactions with peers. The findings underscore the role of mothers as gatekeepers who greatly influence young women’s perceptions of menstruation and menstrual problems and their ability to seek help. Existing interventions need to be expanded to address young women’s need for emotional and social support, and to involve significant gatekeepers such as mothers in promoting the health and well-being of young unmarried women in slum communities. Intervention strategies should be expanded to enhance the capacity of mothers to recognise, understand and address their teenage daughters’ needs for information, emotional support and access to essential clinical and social services.

Relationship of Demographic Factors of Consumers with Online Shopping in Delhi

Urban area of India has witnessed exponential growth of Internet in last decade. This growth has led to introduction of new business format such as online shopping and emergence of e-commerce organisation. The e-marketers need to identify factors which have significant relationship in attracting and retaining customers and which can be used to develop marketing strategies. This will help not only in retaining existing customers but also converting potential customers into active one. The objective of the present study was to understand the relationship of different demographic factors with online shopping. To understands this relationship a survey was conducted using the structured questionnaire. The primary data was obtained from 100 respondents who have been using the online shopping. The data was analysed using SPSS software. Correlation was used to find if there is any significant relationship of demographic factors with online. It has been found that gender and age does not have significant relationship whereas education, annual income and marital status of respondents has significant relationship with online shopping.

Educational and Wealth Inequalities in Smokeless Tobacco Use: An Analysis of Rural-Urban Areas of Bangladesh and India.

This study aims to investigate the educational and wealth inequalities in smokeless tobacco (SLT) use in rural and urban areas of Bangladesh and India, the 2 largest global SLT users. Using the Global Adult Tobacco Survey, both absolute and relative measures of inequality were estimated. The analysis reveals that the educational inequalities in SLT use were higher in urban areas of India and in rural areas of Bangladesh, whereas the wealth inequalities in SLT use were higher in urban areas of both the countries. Moreover, the logit model showed that the odds of SLT use declined with an increase in the level of education and wealth in rural and urban areas of India. However, no consistent pattern was observed in rural and urban areas of Bangladesh. The findings clearly delineate the subgroups which require immediate attention for SLT cessation interventions in these 2 countries.

Branch expansion and deposit mobilisation of the scheduled commercial banks located in rural and urban areas of India: A comparative analysis

Branch expansion and deposit mobilisation of the scheduled commercial banks located in rural and urban areas of India: A comparative analysis

Quantification of social cost at product price-level for urban freight: a study of industrial products

The urban area largely relies on the movement of goods and services. Additionally, pollution and congestions, the two negative externalities of urban freight movement, has led to a plethora of restrictions and regulations from operational and supply chain perspective. The paper tries to develop a bi-level programming model to analyse the social cost of pollution and congestion due to freight movement within urban areas of India at the product unit price-level. The model was based on government's toll and time-windows based regulation for vehicular entry restrictions within the urban areas for pollution. The model was iterated for various buyer-supplier for various buyer-supplier scenarios and for different service levels for backorders and deliveries during restricted time windows. It was observed that for various levels of service, profit differential varied between (−1.7%) to 2.8% of the product unit price and seemed to be significant enough for supply chain policy consideration.

Acculturative stress of internal migrants: impact on work attitudes

Accelerated urbanisation and industrialisation have engendered more employment opportunities in the urban areas of India. The constant flow of migrants to the metropolitan cities each year makes the study more vital. These internal migrants strive hard to acquire better well-being in their life. The employees who migrate to industrialised urban areas for job are the major component of this internal migrants. These internal migrants are unaware of the cultural and environmental changes that they experience which in turn leads to acculturative stress. The major objective of the study is to understand the role played by acculturative stress on the work attitudes of internal migrants. The work attitudes considered in the study are job satisfaction and intention to quit. The moderating effect of perceived income adequacy and migration characteristics is also studied. The 607 respondents of the study are internal migrants who are working in organisations at Chennai. Acculturative stress has a negative effect on job satisfaction of internal migrants whereas it has a positive effect on intention to quit the job. Perceived income adequacy is contrary to the effect of acculturative stress on work attitudes. Migration characteristics enhance the effect of acculturative stress on work attitudes. Based on the outcomes, the implications for the various stakeholders are discussed.

Restless leg syndrome in general population of an urban area in India

Restless leg syndrome in general population of an urban area in India

Profiling Noise Induced Hearing Loss among Selected Auto-Rickshaw Drivers in Chennai City, India: A Pilot Study

Background: The main reasons of city noise pollution in India are vehicle density and traffic congestion. Frequent travelling in auto-rickshaws in most of Indian urban areas may lead to noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) where drivers are primary victims followed by its daily passengers and outside commuters. This study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of NIHL among auto rickshaw drivers in three selected routes in Chennai city, India.Methods: Thirty drivers with age-range between 26 and 58 years and a minimum of five years driving experience were included in this study. As per questionnaire records, they had no history of hearing disabilities at the beginning of this profession. Noise Dosimeter was used to assess personal noise and pure-tone audiometric testing was conducted to quantify hearing loss for all participants. In an average, they were found to have on driving mode for about 4 hours and would wait in auto-rickshaw stands for another 4 hours during 8 hours personal monitoring. Consequently, a few stand areas were monitored using Sound Level Meter (SLM) to assess background noise. Measurements were taken thrice within three consecutive months starting from January 2016. Relevant questionnaires and participants&amp;#8217; informed consents were also taken into account for ethical approval from the institute.Results: Average 8 hours personal exposures and area noise levels were recorded as 92.02 and 79.30 dBA, respectively; higher than prescribed permissible limits. Among all participants, 23 (76.7%) were found to have noise induced hearing loss as diagnosed by Air and Bone Conduction tests.Conclusion: Studies on noise exposure assessment among auto-rickshaw drivers are still inadequate in India. Despite a few limitations of recruiting auto-drivers in larger scale, the findings of this study would encourage to conduct more organized epidemiological studies on hearing loss even for long-distance professional drivers.

Residential dissonance in TOD neighborhoods

Metro rail transit (MRT) system in Indian urban areas is growing at a rapid rate, to enhance public transportation and decongest the road transportation. To assess the neighborhoods of urban areas it is essential to evaluate the behavioral attitudes of commuters. Existing studies have shown that behavioral attitudes influence residential selection and mode choice, which might result in a dissonance between individuals' preference and actuality in residence. Residential dissonance has become a critical issue that affects commuter mode choice in urban areas. Majority of studies on residential dissonance were conducted in developed countries. This research is still at the infancy stage in developing countries like India. The objective of this study is to fill this gap by evaluating the effect of residential dissonance on commuter mode choice behavior in National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi. For this, 2633 individual responses from Transit Oriented Development (TOD) and non-TOD neighborhoods of NCT Delhi were considered. The actual neighborhood types were derived by using Two-step cluster analysis and the preferred neighborhood types were derived by using a binary logit model. The dissonance analysis shows that 23.25% of TOD residents were dissonant in NCT Delhi. The study findings suggest that an attitudinal change of 0.5 units might change an average of 26% of consonance/dissonance levels in TOD neighborhoods. Multinomial Logit (MNL) models were employed to understand the mode choice and dissonance connections. The MNL model results show that the presence of women commuters and their safety will enhance the choice of active transport in TODs and public transport in non-TODs in NCT Delhi. Findings of this study will contribute to the necessary policy implications towards urban structure design and TOD policies to the developing world, especially in the Indian context.

Rural–urban differentials in out-of-pocket health expenditure and resultant impoverishment in India: evidence from NSSO 71st Round

In low- and middle-income countries including India people often face the problem of affordability and access to health care, especially the poor and vulnerable. A high share of out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditure in total health expenditure puts a catastrophic burden on population and pushes them below the poverty line. Therefore, the present paper seeks to examine the level of economic burden and the resultant impoverishment of OOP expenditure among different socio-economic variables, separately for rural and urban areas in India. The current paper uses the cross-sectional data from the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) 71st (Key indicators of social consumption in India: health, 71st round (January–June 2014). Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India, New Delhi, 2014) round. Results reveal that in urban areas, the incidence of OOP health expenditure is concentrated towards poorer consumption groups, whereas in rural areas, it is pro-rich, especially at higher threshold levels. Rural population spent a higher proportion of consumption expenditure on health care, whereas average per capita health expenditure is higher in urban areas. Results also show that 8.1 and 7.9% population in rural and urban areas, respectively, fell below the poverty line due to OOP health expenditure. The poverty deepening is much higher in rural areas as compared to urban areas. Among different socio-economic variables, Muslims, Other Backward Classes, and casual labour have a higher burden of OOP health expenditure and poverty impact, especially in urban areas. We conclude that the unavoidable and extensive dependence on OOP health expenditure leads to poverty, thus making a strong case for the implementation of universal health coverage.

Enablers of co-creation in hospital-supplier relationships: empirical study in Indian healthcare context

ABSTRACTOne of the biggest challenges in healthcare is cost containment. In the face of continuously spiralling cost hospitals are facing steep competition to provide increased access to high quality services. In this backdrop, network relationship become vital and offers extensive opportunities to explore hospital-supplier relationships. Past literature highlights interaction and collaborative ambience as pre-requisite to value co-creation. This study focuses on co-creation aspect in the hospital-supplier relationship context (medical-surgical suppliers) and uses a Service-Dominant-Logic lens besides drawing support from Relational-View and Relational-Coordination-Theory. This study aims at empirically exploring the relational antecedents of co-creation and establishing the DART (Dialogue-Access-Risk-Assessment-Transparency) framework proposed by Prahalad and Ramaswamy in the year 2004, trust and commitment as antecedents to co-creation. Data were collected from 229 private tertiary-care hospitals in and around four major urban areas in India. The relationships proposed in the research model were tested using structural equation modelling. Results indicate that DART parameters and relational variables (trust, commitment) act as antecedents to co-creation and have significant and positive relationships, thereby enhancing co-creation activities. Study also explored the impact of interdependence between hospital and suppliers on DART-parameters, trust and commitment besides exploring trust to DART linkages. Structural model outcomes indicate significant and positive relationship for the linkages.