Utility In India Research Articles

Wake model selection in offshore wind energy: balancing efficiency and cost in Indian offshore wind farms

Abstract This study addresses the critical need for efficient offshore wind energy utilization in India, focusing on the impact of different wake models on turbine performance and financial viability. By evaluating models such as TurbOPark and Deep Array Wake Loss (DAWL), we examined their effectiveness in predicting wake losses and optimizing turbine layouts in offshore subzones. The findings reveal that higher wind farm capacity densities lead to significant differences in performance across models. The TurbOPark model predicts the highest array losses, resulting in the lowest capac1ity utilization factors (CUF) and highest Levelized Cost of Energy (LCoE), reflecting its conservative nature. In contrast, the Modified Park and Eddy Viscosity models consistently estimate lower array losses, leading to lower LCoE and reduced financial burdens on the government, particularly when LCoE is fixed. These results underscore the importance of selecting appropriate wake models that balance cost efficiency with accurate performance predictions. The study highlights the need for refining wake models with high-resolution data and complex environmental factors to optimize wind farm design and enhance energy production, especially in emerging markets like India.

A review of cultural acceptability and food utilization in India

A review of cultural acceptability and food utilization in India

Maternal and child health services during COVID-19 in India: Highlighting the role of primary care physicians in maintaining continuum of care

ABSTRACT Background: This study aims to address the lack of substantial evidence regarding the effect of COVID-19 on maternal and child health (MCH) services in India and also highlight the role of primary care physicians in maintaining essential services during a pandemic. While studies conducted worldwide and in India have examined the effects of COVID-19 on these services, a significant gap in robust evidence remains. Methods: Forty-two districts were selected randomly from seven regional states of India. Data on five selected MCH indicators were extracted from HMIS for the months from March to June 2019 and 2020. Relative changes in service utilization for each month from March to June over the two years were compared. Comparisons were also made between the selected districts based on the COVID-19 categorization into red and green zones. Results: COVID-19 and its associated restrictive measures created significant disruption to essential MCH service utilization in India across all states reviewed. Both institutional, and outreach services were impacted; however, hospital-based services were more impacted. Institutional deliveries and emergency obstetric services saw a decline in March and April 2020 which gradually improved between May and June in some states. Immunization sessions held in 2020 observed a decrease in April. Conclusions: The analysis indicates a disruption in service delivery during the initial phase of the lockdown. However, the services resumed gradually as national and state-specific operational guidelines were implemented to maintain a continuum of care.

Understanding the association of disability with multimorbidity, and healthcare utilization in India's older adult population: insights from cross-sectional evidence of SAGE-2.

Like other low-and middle-income countries, India is undergoing a demographic and epidemiologic shift that has led to a significant rise in the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Evidence suggests that chronic illnesses and disability are linked but limited studies have explored the association between disability and multimorbidity (simultaneous presence of two or more chronic conditions). Since the magnitude of multimorbidity is becoming a norm, it is prudent to understand the association between these two. We aimed to estimate the association between disability and multimorbidity and assess their healthcare utilization among older adults in India using a nationally representative data. We employed data from the second round of World Health Organization's Study on Global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) conducted in 2015. SAGE is a nation-wide survey conducted among a representative sample of older adults aged ≥50 years, a total of 7,118 participants aged ≥50 years were included in the analysis. The main outcome of interest was disability for which we used WHODAS 2.0 scoring scale which ranges from 0 to 100. Descriptive statistics such as frequency and proportion were used to report the characteristics of study population, and prevalence. We performed the univariable followed by multiple ordinal logistic regression to assess the association between disability and multimorbidity, reported as adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) and p-value. Healthcare utilization was presented as frequency and proportion. The overall prevalence of disability was found to be 89.0% (95% CI: 88.3-89.8) while that of multimorbidity was 39.7% (95% CI: 35.6-37.8). Most of the participants had moderate followed by mild disability. Hypertension (32.7%) was found to be the most prevalent chronic condition followed by cataract (21.3%). The chances of having disability among multimorbid individuals was AOR: 1.40 (95% CI: 1.13-1.75). Participants having disability and multimorbidity mostly visited private sector followed by public healthcare facilities. We observed that nine out of every 10 individuals had some kind of disability in India. We observed multimorbidity to be associated with disability that signifies the need for including disabilities as a part of NCD program as these factors could be bi-directional. Longitudinal studies for disability will be helpful to better understand and address the growing needs of these individuals.

Income inequalities in maternal health-care service utilization in India: Applying the Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition method

Maternal health-care service (MHCS) utilization is a crucial indicator of a country’s progress in protecting the health and well-being of its women and children. This paper examines trends, patterns, determinants, and disparities in MHCS utilization between the poorest and richest women in India’s Empowered Action Group. The study used data from the second (1998 – 1999), third (2005 – 2006), fourth (2015 – 2016), and fifth (2019 – 2021) rounds of the National Family Health Survey. A logistic regression model was applied to assess MHCS utilization, and the Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition method (BODM) was used to explain inequalities in utilization between the poorest and richest women. The findings indicate that MHCS utilization has increased over the years among both groups. However, the utilization rate is higher among the poorest women. Furthermore, rural women are less likely to utilize MHCS compared to urban women. Key determinants include women’s education, their partners’ education, mass media exposure (MME), and women’s empowerment. The BODM results show that although MHCS utilization has increased among both groups, inequalities persist, largely explained by coefficient effects. A trend analysis reveals a reduction in discrimination between the poorest and richest women over time. Women’s education, MME, and autonomy are the key factors driving the reduction of inequalities. There is a need for comprehensive strategies to enhance education among disadvantaged women, increase MME, and promote health awareness. The government should empower women through incentives, such as cash benefits, to ensure higher MHCS utilization among poorer women.

Switching pattern of healthcare services and its determinants among patients with communicable and non-communicable diseases in India

BackgroundThe current study investigates the switching behaviour and patterns among patients in India, particularly in the context of various ailments such as Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), Communicable Diseases (CDs), and other health issues. To evaluate people's behaviour towards accessing healthcare facilities in public and private healthcare providers separately for CDs, NCDs, and other ailments. Material and methodsThe study design is observational and cross-sectional. The study included data from NSS 71st, NSS 75th, and LASI wave-1 datasets, which provide information on the incidence of switching behaviour among patients with different types of ailments. Statistical analysis usedThe Binary logistic regression analysis has been used to examine the determinants of switching behaviour in usage of healthcare facilities. Prevalence estimates were exhibited using weighted % and 95 % confidence intervals (CI). P values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. ResultsPresent study revealed that patients' behaviour in accessing healthcare facilities is influenced by a multitude of factors, including the nature of their ailment, socio-economic status, education, and regional disparities. Notably, patients suffering from NCDs exhibit a higher propensity for switching between public and private healthcare services, with a preference for the latter. The study found that among patients who were paying for special types of wards, there were significantly lower odds of switching behaviour. ConclusionsThe research highlights the nuanced dynamics of healthcare service utilization in India and underscores the need for tailored strategies to address the specific challenges posed by NCDs and communicable diseases while ensuring equitable and accessible healthcare services for all.

A Mixed-Method Study of the Utilization and Determinants of Private Health Insurance Schemes in the Residents of Rural Communities in Central India: A Study Protocol.

Background Private health insurance plays a critical role in healthcare financing, yet its utilization and determinants in rural settings still need to be studied, particularly in Central India. This study aims to address this gap by investigating the utilization and determinants of private health insurance schemes among residents of rural communities in Central India. Materials and methods A convergent parallel mixed-method study design, consisting of quantitative and qualitative approaches, will be employed. Quantitative data will be collected through structured questionnaires administered to residents aged 18 and above within the field practice area of a tertiary medical college hospital. Qualitative data will be gathered through in-depth interviews with key stakeholders. Statistical analysis will include descriptive and inferential statistics, while thematic analysis will be employed for qualitative data (CTRI Number CTRI/2024/06/069155). Conclusion The findings of this study will provide valuable insights into the utilization and determinants of private health insurance schemes in rural communities of Central India. By identifying barriers and facilitators to insurance uptake, policymakers and healthcare providers can develop targeted interventions to improve healthcare access and affordability in rural areas. In addition, the study will contribute to the existing literature on private health insurance utilization in India, informing future research endeavors and policy initiatives.

Exploring barriers to seek mental health services among patients with severe mental illness and their caregivers in a modified assertive community treatment program: A qualitative thematic analysis.

Affordability, lack of public mental healthcare facilities, inadequate insurance coverage, and stigma and discrimination are barriers to mental healthcare utilization in India. There is limited research on these barriers and the factors influencing the use of mental health services. To explore the barriers to seeking mental healthcare for individuals with severe mental illness and their caregivers in a modified assertive community treatment program. In a qualitative study using a descriptive thematic analysis, we conducted in-depth interviews with 19 adults, including seven individuals with severe mental illness and twelve caregivers. All the participants had been in the modified assertive community treatment program for at least two years. Using thematic analysis, we identified and grouped codes into subthemes and then clustered into themes. Three major themes on barriers to seeking mental health services emerged: service-related factors, societal-related factors, and illness-related factors. Service-related factors included affordability, accessibility and geographical disparity, and noncoverage under insurance schemes. Societal-related factors included social stigma and discrimination, lack of mental health service knowledge and seeking other forms of treatment, and poor social support. Illness-related factors included poor insight into the illness and no relief from the symptoms despite medication. Barriers to seeking mental healthcare can be categorized as service-related, societal-related, and illness-related. Identifying these factors will improve mental health service delivery.

Bio-Pesticides: Essential for Controlling Insect Pests

In the context of India's agricultural landscape, where synthetic chemical pesticides have played a significant role, this exploration underscores the pressing need for sustainable alternatives. Biopesticides, sourced from natural materials, emerge as pivotal tools in eco-friendly pest management. The diverse types of biopesticides, their current utilization in India, and the potential for expanded adoption are discussed. Despite constituting a mere 3% of total pesticides, the intrinsic qualities of biopesticides, exemplified by Neem-based products, present a promising avenue for sustainable pest control. The significance of India's biodiversity and traditional knowledge is highlighted, suggesting their potential in shaping innovative biopesticides. With a growing emphasis on organic farming, there is a foreseeable shift towards increased acceptance and integration of biopesticides in Indian agriculture.

Waste to Wealth: A Futuristic Outlook for Waste Utilization in India

India, having one of the largest agro-basedeconomies in the world, produces a significant amount of wastes, both from farming activities and agro-based industries. These wastestreams pose critical environmental and public health challenges that necessitate efficient management strategies.The present review examines the current status and future perspectives of waste utilization in India. We have attempted to criticallyidentify the most prominent features of effective waste management and the constraints in resource recovery for achieving the sustainable development goals. This review provides an overview of the prevailing practices in waste utilization, highlighting various methods employed and the types of industries that can benefit from this approach. In particular, techniques such as co-processing, recycling, waste-to-energy conversion, and industrial symbiosis to be extensivley made accessible to maximize the value derived from wastes. Some of the major challenges we identified include limited awareness, inadequate infrastructure, and regulatory gaps, which can significantly hinder the optimal utilization plans. To address these challenges, the review proposes potential strategies such as awareness campaigns, infrastructure development, technology transfer, and policy strengthening both at community and organizational levels. The findings of this review canshed light on the current landscape of waste utilization in India and present pathways for a more sustainable and efficient approach in the near future.

State of cancer care in India and opportunities for innovation.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in India. Despite recent medical and technological advances, the cancer burden in India remains high and continues to rise. Moreover, substantial regional disparities in cancer incidence and access to essential medical resources exist throughout the country. While innovative and effective cancer therapies hold promise for improving patient outcomes, several barriers hinder their development and utilization in India. Here we provide an overview of these barriers, including challenges related to patient awareness, inadequate infrastructure, scarcity of trained oncology professionals, and the high cost of cancer care. Furthermore, we discuss the limited availability of cancer clinical trials in the country, along with an examination of potential avenues to enhance cancer care in India. By confronting these hurdles head-on and implementing innovative, pragmatic solutions, we take an indispensable step toward a future where every cancer patient in the country can access quality care.

Cyber Security for Power Distribution System

Electricity distribution utilities in India are facing major challenges such, as higher revenue realization gap and AT&amp;Closses. One of the ways to overcome this challenge is by adoption of smart technologies and automating the networkfor increased visibility, monitoring and automated control. The adoption of smart technologies merges the conventionalpower distribution system with modern communicable devices having sensing and control features. The use of suchmodern communicable devices makes power systems vulnerable to cyber-attack. This paper presents the SCADA systemarchitecture for power distribution systems, NIST guidelines and framework, cyber-security for power systems andstandards for security implementation for telecontrol equipment and systems.

Comparing multi-criteria models for ranking the Performance of India's water supply utilities

Correct performance evaluation and ranking of water utilities involve several conflicting objectives. The solution to such problems can be obtained using multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques. However, the results of most of these methods are affected by the weights assigned to the criteria and the normalization process used in the development of the evaluation matrix. This study addressed these limitations by comparing two relatively new MCDM methods, MOOORA and MAIRCA, for ranking urban water utilities in India. Both methods were illustrated for ranking 20 urban water supply utilities in India based on 13 indicators.

Interpretation of IS/IEC and IEEE Standards for Dielectric Type Testing of Instrument Transformers

The requirements of Instrument Transformers are given in standards IS16227-1, IEC 61869-1 and IEEE Std. C57.13.5. Indian Standard IS 16227-1 is in line with IEC 61869-1. Most of the utilities in India are the following IS: 16227-1/IEC 61869- 1. Many failures of the high voltage instrument transformers are being reported by the utilities. In this connection, a review of the requirements/test procedure and acceptance criteria specified by IEC 61869-1 and IEEE Std C57-13.5 for dielectric-type tests are reviewed in this paper which may help decision-making for adopting a particular standard for dielectric-type tests on instrument transformers considering Indian climatic conditions.

An assessment of demographic variables affecting employees’ organizational commitment in India’s thermal power sector

This study aims to analyze the impact of three demographic variables (gender, age, and work experience) on the commitment levels of employees in the Indian thermal power sector. 379 responses were collected through convenience sampling from the executives of NTPC Ltd, a major power utility in India. The facets of organizational commitment (affective commitment, normative commitment, and continuance commitment) were assessed using a standard scale. The quantitative research was done using statistical instruments of one-way ANOVA and independent sample t-test. The findings revealed a positive correlation between the three components of organizational commitment: affective, continuance, and normative. Further, the results highlighted that age plays an essential role in organizational commitment levels; it is found that commitment increases with the age of employees (F = 5.781, p &amp;amp;lt; 0.01). However, gender is not making any variation in organizational commitment (F = –0.502, p &amp;amp;lt; 0.01). Therefore, male and female employees enjoy equal commitment levels toward their work. The study further indicated that work experience significantly influences organizational commitment (F = 4.800, p &amp;amp;lt; 0.01), and it is found to be greater for more experienced employees.

Does health insurance coverage improve maternal healthcare services utilization in India? Evidence from National Family Health Survey-5, 2019–21

Does health insurance coverage improve maternal healthcare services utilization in India? Evidence from National Family Health Survey-5, 2019–21

Factors associated with underutilization of antenatal care in India: Results from 2019-2021 National Family Health Survey.

Despite progress in recent years, full antenatal care utilization in India continues to be relatively low and inequitable, particularly between states and districts. In 2015-2016, for example, only 51% of women aged 15-49 in India attended antenatal care at least four times during pregnancy. Using data from the fifth iteration of India's National Family Health Survey, our study aims to explore factors related to the underutilization of antenatal care in India. Data from the most recent live birth in the past five years among women aged 15-49 years were included in our analysis (n = 172,702). Our outcome variable was "adequate antenatal care visits", defined as four or more antenatal visits. Utilizing Andersen's behavioral model, 14 factors were identified as possible explanatory variables. We used univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression models to analyze the association between explanatory variables and adequate visits. Associations were considered statistically significant if p<0.05. Of the 172,702 women in our sample, 40.75% (95% CI: 40.31-41.18%) had an inadequate number of antenatal care visits. In multivariate analysis, women with less formal education, from poorer households and more rural areas had higher odds of inadequate visits. Regionally, women from Northeastern and Central states had higher odds of inadequate antenatal care utilization compared to those from Southern states. Caste, birth order, and pregnancy intention were also among the variables associated with utilization of antenatal care. Despite improvements in antenatal care utilization, there is cause for concern. Notably, the percentage of Indian women receiving adequate antenatal care visits is still below the global average. Our analysis also reveals a continuity in the groups of women at highest risk for inadequate visits, which may be due to structural drivers of inequality in healthcare access. To improve maternal health and access to antenatal care services, interventions aimed at poverty alleviation, infrastructure development, and education should be pursued.

Assessment of the Present Scenario and Future Prospects of Hydrogen (H2) Production and Utilization in India for Sustainable Energy Development

Assessment of the Present Scenario and Future Prospects of Hydrogen (H2) Production and Utilization in India for Sustainable Energy Development

Selection of IoT service provider for sustainable transport using q-rung orthopair fuzzy CRADIS and unknown weights

Internet-of-things (IoT) is a fast-growing technology and sustainable transportation is a crucial application area of IoTs. Selecting an appropriate IoT service provider (IoTSP) is cumbersome and viewed as a multi-criteria decision problem. Recent studies on IoTSP selection inferred that uncertainty and subjectivity during preference elicitation are not flexibly handled. Moreover, they mentioned hesitation and interrelationship are crucial behaviors to be modeled. Motivated by the inferences, this research aims to develop an integrated framework with q-rung orthopair fuzzy sets (q-ROFSs) to evaluate IoTSPs. In this line, the CRITIC method is presented for experts’ importance determination under the q-ROF context. Later, Cronbach’s measure is used for criteria weight calculation with q-ROFSs. Also, an algorithm for prioritization is developed by extending the CRADIS formulation. Lastly, the proposed framework is testified through a case example of IoTSP selection for smart city utilities in India. Results infer that availability, total cost, and security/privacy are crucial criteria for evaluating IoTSPs. Sensitivity and comparison analysis is further conducted to determine the framework’s robustness. This study can assist urban planners, politicians, and other stakeholders in selecting proper IoTSPs when forming sustainable smart cities.

Status of Coal-Based Thermal Power Plants, Coal Fly Ash Production, Utilization in India and Their Emerging Applications

Both fossil and renewable fuel sources are used widely to produce electricity around the globe. The dependency on fossil fuels for energy leads to the depletion of reserves and various forms of pollution. Coal fly ash (CFA) is one of the most burning issues in the whole world due to its large amount of production in thermal power plants. Every year a million tons (MTs) of CFA are generated globally of which almost half is utilized in various forms, while the remaining half remains unused, leading to various types of pollution. Hence, there is an immediate requirement for CFA management approaches for the efficient and sustainable use of fly ash. In the present review, the authors emphasize the status of energy and its supply and demand. A detailed description of coal fly ash-based thermal power plants, fly ash production, and utilization is provided. Moreover, the current and emerging applications of CFA are also provided.