State Of West Bengal Research Articles

Gold Smuggling in India and Its Effect on the Bullion Industry

This study strives to examine when and where most of the gold smuggling takes place in India. It further analyses the causal relationship between smuggled gold and other macroeconomic variables. Finally, it analyses how the smuggled gold affects the Indian bullion industry. The data related to gold smuggling has been sourced from the website of the Directorate Revenue Intelligence and analysed using graphs and the Granger causality test. The variables used in the study are the quantity of smuggled gold, exchange rates, the major stock indices in the world, the number of auspicious days in a month, domestic and international gold prices, India’s jewellery export, the GDP, customs duty, and the domestic gold supply. The results revealed that most of the gold smuggling takes place on Fridays and mostly occurs in the months of October, November, and December. The states of West Bengal, Delhi, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu account for most of the gold smuggling in India. A positive correlation is observed between the smuggled gold, India’s gold demand, the number of auspicious days in the month, India’s jewellery export, India’s GDP, India’s domestic gold supply, and stock indices such as SENSEX, FTSE100, DFMGI. Gold smuggling in India is caused by India’s gold demand, the level of jewellery export, the GDP, domestic and international gold prices, and India’s customs duty.

Child marriage among women in West Bengal: pervasiveness, spatial variation and socio-economic connections

ABSTRACT A human rights violation, child marriage among women, is not an uncommon practice and has continued for centuries in India. Whatever its origin, the reason for its persistence is an issue that needs to be re-looked. Therefore, the present study analyzed the spatial variation of child marriage and also identified the key drivers of this practice in the high prevalence state of West Bengal, India, using the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) dataset. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to measure the strength and direction of the relationship between child marriage and socioeconomic indicators. Multiple regression analysis has been used to examine the key determinants of child marriage. The result reveals that Uttar Dinajpur, Jalpaiguri, South 24 Parganas and Puruliya districts have performed well, whereas performances of Purba Medinipur, Paschim Medinipur, Murshidabad and Birbhum districts are disappointing. The study also finds that there is a significant association between child marriage and respondents' educational level, place of residence and household wealth. Findings suggest that by increasing the higher educational and employment opportunities, economic support for poor families and increasing awareness about the adverse effects of child marriage are the effective steps to mitigate the issue.

Association between people’s attitudes towards human-elephant conflict and their locational, demographic, and socio-economic characteristics in Buxa Tiger Reserve and its adjoining area, India

“Human-elephant conflict (HEC)”, the alarming issue, in present day context has attracted the attention of environmentalists and policy makers. The rising conflict between human beings and wild elephants is common in Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR) and its adjoining area in West Bengal State, India, making the area volatile. People’s attitudes towards elephant conservation activity are very crucial to get rid of HEC, because people’s proximity with wild elephants’ habitat can trigger the occurrence of HEC. The aim of this study is to conduct an in-depth investigation about the association of people’s attitudes towards HEC with their locational, demographic, and socio-economic characteristics in BTR and its adjoining area by using Pearson’s bivariate chi-square test and binary logistic regression analysis. BTR is one of the constituent parts of Eastern Doors Elephant Reserve (EDER). We interviewed 500 respondents to understand their perceptions to HEC and investigated their locational, demographic, and socio-economic characteristics including location of village, gender, age, ethnicity, religion, caste, poverty level, education level, primary occupation, secondary occupation, household type, and source of firewood. The results indicate that respondents who are living in enclave forest villages (EFVs), peripheral forest villages (PFVs), corridor village (CVs), or forest and corridor villages (FCVs), mainly males, at the age of 18–48 years old, engaged with agriculture occupation, and living in kancha and mixed houses, have more likelihood to witness HEC. Besides, respondents who are illiterate or at primary education level are more likely to regard elephant as a main problematic animal around their villages and refuse to participate in elephant conservation activity. For the sake of a sustainable environment for both human beings and wildlife, people’s attitudes towards elephants must be friendly in a more prudent way, so that the two communities can live in harmony.

Fishing Crafts and Gears Operated in Junput Mangrove, Purba Medinipur for Sustaining the Livelihood of Local Fishermen

Fishing practices are an old-age activity that has been carried out since time immemorial. Different primitive, low-cost, non-mechanized and motorized crafts and gears operated in different parts of the country. In our state of West Bengal, vast ranges of crafts and gears have been used to catch fish in different water bodies. Fishermen of our state evolved various fishing devices that enhance fish production and uplift local and national economies. Though emphasizing the above view, the present study was aimed to document different customary and mechanized fishing crafts and gears used in Junput coast, Purba Medinipur. Junput is a seaside resort city in the state of West Bengal, India. It lies at the northern end of the Bay of Bengal. It is the most popular sea resort in West Bengal, renowned for its beaches. In the Junput mangrove area, few canals were well connected with the Bay of Bengal. Thus, the diversity of ichthyofauna and shellfish was abundant. For harvesting them, local fishermen use different types of crafts and gears, which have been documented during the study period. Available crafts were Bamboo raft, Plank built boat (commonly known “Nauka”), Wooden framed boat (commonly known “Nauka or Dingi”), Thermocol raft, Rubber tube boat. Available gears used for capturing fishes were Gill net (commonly known as "Bindha jal, Phansa jal, Phanda jal”), Cast net (commonly known “Phenka jal, Khei jal”), Drag net (commonly known “Maha jal”), Scoop net without handle (commonly known “Chakni jal, Chha jal”), Hook and line (commonly known “Bardsi”), Trap.

Socio-economic impact of COVID-19 pandemic on dairy farm households in West Bengal state

India is one of the leading economies that have been stuck hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and the stringent measures were put in place to combat it. Among several sectors, dairy sector is the most affected as dairy products are highly perishable and rely on time-sensitive supply chains. Though studies are available on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on dairy sector, there are no studies on COVID-infected dairy farm households. The present study was an attempt to assess the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 pandemic on infected and uninfected dairy farm households in West Bengal. The study covered pre-lockdown, lockdown (both 1st and 2nd wave) and post-lockdown phases of COVID-19 pandemic. The primary data was collected from 150 dairy farm households (COVID-19 infected-75 and uninfected-75) in Murshidabad and Nadia districts of West Bengal. Dairy Economic Performance Index consisting of number of milch animals, milk yield, marketed milk, milk procurement price, concentrate price and veterinary cost was developed using principal component analysis. In order to make infected and uninfected groups statistically comparable, propensity score matching technique was employed. The index values were compared between matched infected and uninfected groups over different phases of COVID-19 pandemic. Dairy households incurred significant economic losses during the lockdown and post-lockdown periods due to increase in cost of concentrates, decline in the number of milch animals and drop in milk procurement prices. Dairy households faced constraints in procuring dry fodder, concentrate feed and in accessing veterinary care. COVID-19 infected dairy farm households had a greater socio-economic hurdle than that of uninfected households.

Public-Private Partnership for Treatment of Congenital Heart Diseases: Experiences From an Indian State.

Background: Treatment of congenital heart disease (CHD), being the most common congenital anomaly, puts immense financial burden in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and contributes significantly to infant mortality. We report experiences of treatment of CHD in the Indian state of West Bengal by a public-private partnership (PPP) model. Methods: Under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram, the government of the state of West Bengal in India launched a program called the "Sishu Sathi Scheme" to provide free treatment to children who need heart surgeries, irrespective of economic status. Treatment was provided in selected private hospitals and some public hospitals in a reimbursement model where government compensated the hospitals. Data were collected on such procedures from 2013 to 2022 and analyzed. Results: A total of 27,844 patients with CHD received treatment under the Sishu Sathi Scheme from August 2013 to December 2022. The average number of patients per year was 3,093. Detailed data of procedures from January 2016 to December 2022 showed a total of 22,572 procedures (6,249 device interventions, 4,840 cardiac catheterizations, and 11,483 surgical interventions). The in-hospital mortality of surgical procedures and catheterization lab procedures were 5.2% and 0.9%, respectively. Conclusions: A large number of patients with CHD were successfully treated under a PPP in the state of West Bengal in India. In spite of its inherent challenges, this model is of special relevance in LMICs where access and affordability for treatment of CHD always remain a challenge.

Air pollution status and attributable health effects across the state of West Bengal, India, during 2016-2021.

Air pollution is one of the most significant threats to human safety due to its detrimental health consequences worldwide. This study examines the air pollution levels in 22 districts of West Bengal from 2016 to 2021, using data from 81 stations operated by the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB). The study assesses the short- and long-term impacts of particulate matter (PM) on human health. The highest annual variation of PM10 was noted in 2016 (106.99 ± 34.17 μg/m3), and the lowest was reported in 2020 (88.02 ± 13.61 μg/m3), whereas the highest annual variations of NO2 (μg/m3) were found in 2016 (35.17 ± 13.55 μg/m3), and lowest in 2019 (29.72 ± 13.08 μg/m3). Similarly, the SO2 level was lower (5.35 μg/m3) in 2017 and higher in 2020 (7.78 μg/m3). In the state, Bardhaman, Bankura, Kolkata, and Howrah recorded the highest PM10 concentrations. The monthly and seasonal variations of pollution showed higher in December, January, and February (winter season) and lowest observed in June, July, and August (rainy season). The southern part of West Bengal state has recorded higher pollution levels than the northern part. The short- and long-term health impact assessment due to particulate matter shows that the estimated number of attributable cases (ENACs) for incidence of chronic bronchitis in adults and prevalence of bronchitis in children were 305,234 and 14,652 respectively. The long-term impact of PM2.5 on human health ENACs for mortality due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for adults, acute lower respiratory infections in children aged 0-5, lung cancer, and stroke for adults were 21,303, 12,477, 25,064, 94,406, and 86,272 respectively. This outcome assists decision-makers and stakeholders in effectively addressing the air pollution and health risk concerns within the specified area.

Demographic Influences on Creativity and Learning Styles in Elementary School Students

The aim of this cross-sectional survey was to investigate creativity (in terms of elaboration ability, originality) and learning style preferences of 303 elementary school students randomly selected from Grade-VI, VII and VIII, from schools of Paschim Medinipur district in the state of West Bengal, India. Creativity was measured using Baqer Mehdi’s Non-Verbal Test of Creative Thinking. Learning style preferences were assessed using the Learning Style Inventory developed by Richard Oliver. Collected data were analysed concerning the age, grade, gender, and social caste of the participants through frequency, mean, standard deviation, percentage, independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA and Chi Square test. Results revealed that age positively influence elaboration ability, with younger students displayed higher originality. Originality, and overall creativity did not show significant variations across age groups. Grade-VIII students performed best in all aspects of creativity; however, significant difference was present only in elaboration ability. No significant differences based on gender and social caste were observed in all aspects of creativity. A significant age and social caste difference was observed in learning style preferences, however, grade and gender differences were not found. Majority of students preferred unimodal learning styles, with visual learners demonstrating higher elaboration and originality. Elaboration ability was significantly influenced by learning styles preferences, however originality and overall creativity were invariant. The research fills the gap in existing literature by providing a comprehensive analysis of creativity and learning style preferences, offering insights into their combined impact on elementary school students' educational experiences. The findings contribute to the fields of education and social sciences, guiding educators and policymakers in adopting personalized learning approaches based on individual learning styles. This study underscores the significance of understanding creativity and learning styles concerning demographic factors, promoting inclusive and equitable educational practices for elementary school students.

Development of a Web-based calculator to estimate DALY and Productivity Losses due to COVID-19

ObjectivesEver since the emergence of COVID-19, health and the economy worldwide have witnessed a severe disruption, with infection spreading rapidly, covering 231 countries as of May 07, 2023. Policymakers and Governments have been working to offer tailored interventions to the most vulnerable cohorts. Given this background, the paper involves description towards developing a Web-based Calculator to compute various estimates that quantify health economic impacts as these are much helpful than just mortality and simpler measures. MethodsThe computations required to determine the estimates and the variables involved have been picked based on the observations and literature. The manuscript presents the significance of the estimates, a description of the Calculator developed, followed by validation. The values estimated using Calculator were validated against those computed using formulas for the state of West Bengal, India. ResultsThe results indicated that the Calculator is able to produce near accurate results with the highest error percentage witnessed for Cost of Productivity Lost due to Absenteeism as 0.946%. Error percentages for Disability-Adjusted Life Years was 0.175, and less than 0.1 for all other estimates. ConclusionsThis could prove to be an effective tool for the policymakers and practitioners to identify the long-term impacts and the most vulnerable cohorts and devise targeted interventions. Additionally, these tools will allow the policymakers and governments to save time in compute these estimates in the future.

Simultaneous Assessment of the Nitrates and Nitrites in the Ground Water Samples using Optical Spectrophotometry and Validating the Appropriate Wavelength of Measurement

Background: Nitrate is a renowned pollutant in water and soil. Nitrate is used mostly as a nitrogen fertilizer. When nitrate seeps into the ground it can get into drinking water. Traces of nitrite and nitrate in drinking water may lead to methemoglobinemia in infants and with long term exposure is a possible cancer risk. Concentration of nitrate above 45 mg/L as nitrate and 10 mg/L as nitrate-nitrogen is unsuitable for domestic use according to BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards). Methods: Nitrates are mainly determined by the spectrometric, colorimetric and ion chromatography methods. Majority of these methods are slow measurement, laborious and require the use of toxic and expensive reagents. In this study, ultraviolet spectrophotometric method is utilized for detection of nitrate optically with no chemical reagents. This method is simple and cost-effective. Nitrate and nitrite concentrations were analysed at various wavelengths (220 to 370 nm) and 240 nm was found to be efficient for detecting both nitrate and nitrite. Result: Various groundwater samples in and around Karunya Campus and nearby residential places, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu were analysed and compared with one borewell water sample from West Bengal State which was prone to contaminated ground water. The results show that all the ground water samples have nitrate and nitrite concentration within the permissible limit but the sample from West Bengal has higher concentration compared to Coimbatore samples.

Seroprevalence of brucellosis among animal handlers in West Bengal, India: an occupational health study.

Brucellosis is a highly contagious zoonotic disease and a major human health problem worldwide. Due to its ways of transmission, direct or indirect contact with infected animals or their contaminated biological products, the disease exhibits strong occupational association with animal handlers comprising a significant population at risk. This study was undertaken to estimate the seroprevalence of brucellosis in animal handlers and to understand the epidemiological and serological aspects of the same. The animal handlers from the state of West Bengal, India were included in this study. It was a prospective and observational cohort study from November 2021 to March 2022. A total of 669 sera samples were collected from animal handlers and tested using various serological tests for Brucella antibodies. All serum samples were tested using the Rose Bengal plate test (RBPT), standard tube agglutination test (STAT), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). 106 (15.8%) patients were diagnosed with brucellosis among the total number of patients tested. Most of the patients affected with brucellosis belonged to the age group 51-60 years (23.5%). The seropositivity rate in male animal handlers was higher than female animal handlers in this study. More studies are needed to understand the occupational association of this disease. Awareness programs, safe livestock practices, and prevention of the disease by timely diagnosis must be implemented in order to control human brucellosis.

Transformative crop insurance solution with big earth data: Implementation for potato in India

ContextCrop insurance has become an indispensable risk management tool in the agricultural sector because globally crops are being exposed to multiple hazards. The lack of reliable crop yield data has impacted the sustenance of area-yield crop insurance schemes. Index-based insurance, which links pay-outs to crop performance proxies rather than measured losses, is being explored to improve the effectiveness of crop insurance contracts. ObjectiveThis paper presents an innovative crop insurance scheme that has replaced the existing ‘area-yield’ approach using bias-prone crop yield estimates with the ‘area-crop performance approach’ using objectively measured satellite indices. MethodSatellite-based crop mapping, satellite and weather-based crop health indicators, field data collection and analysis, composite index generation, and insurance loss assessment are major tasks in the project. Data of Sentinel-1 and 2 satellites, weather datasets and mobile app-based field data from transplantation to harvesting of the crop constituted a huge repository of the database in this project. Metrics derived from established satellite indices, such as NDVI, LSWI and Backscatter, along with weather indices, were synthesized into a composite index of crop performance called Crop Health Factor (CHF). The input data matrix of the CHF model included eight input indicators. After data normalization, weights for these indicators were generated using the entropy technique, a proven method of information measurement that produces balanced relationships and unbiased weights. The CHF was first generated with data from the past years (2016–2019), and the resulting weights were then applied to the normalized data of the current year (2020). ResultsThe current crop insurance scheme, using CHF data instead of yield data, was implemented in the state of West Bengal, India, covering about 500,000 ha of potato across and one thousand insurance units in the 2020 crop season. The CHF and yield data from past years showed similar patterns in the majority of cases. The indemnity level was set at 70 % of the normal CHF, which was the average CHF of past years. Loss assessment and compensation payouts for the current year were determined by the extent of CHF reduction beyond the indemnity level. SignificanceThis new index-insurance scheme has many advantages over the conventional yield-based scheme in terms of transparency, objectivity and ease of implementation. There is scope for improving the composite index with additional features. Such technology-driven index-insurance schemes for field crops are expected to bring a paradigm shift in the crop insurance sector, giving rise to new business models and benefitting all the stakeholders.

Examining the Demographic, Socio-cultural, and Economic Dimensions of In-migrant Construction Workers: A Case Study on Internal Migration Trends, Working Conditions, and Quality of Life

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) of the United Nations, the global scenario for the number of international migrants increased to 281 million in 2020, meaning that 3.6% of the world's population lived outside their country of birth in that year. The objective of the study demographic condition of the internal migration population, working conditions of in migrant construction workers, inmigrant construction workers socio culture condition, psychological condition, the consequences and problems faced unorganized migrant construction workers. The research study adopted Descriptive Research design for the present study because the primary of the study is to attain information concerning the existing status of quality of life of migrant construction workers. The researcher moved to another location with the reference of previous contact, in the way, snowball sampling method was used to access the required number of population. It was noted that the majority of the construction workers were semi-skilled and were illiterate. Most of the respondents spoke Hindi as their major language, 38 percent of them spoke Oriya. The workers are said to be receiving monthly wages and the majority of them have a monthly income of up to Rs.10,000 on a average. It was identified that construction workers migrated from other states at 19 to 25 years. Temporary migrants migrating with their families are found to be higher. Among the migrant construction workers within the age group of 26 to 35 years migrate more than others. Sizeable size 94 percent of the respondents belong to the male category, most of the people working as a construction labourers are married. Among the in-migrant construction workers, migrants from Odisha are more in number, followed by people from West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and other states. The Hindu community is dominated in number compared to Muslim and Christian community.

Economic Decline of Indian State of West Bengal During Post-Colonial Period: Impact of Partition

Economic Decline of Indian State of West Bengal During Post-Colonial Period: Impact of Partition

Working Environment and Benefit Differences in Indo-Nepal Labour Migration

The open border between Nepal and India has encouraged people to migrate across the border for better livelihood. People from Sudurpaschim Province are disproportionately attracted to India for four important reasons: close distance, low travel cost, access to jobs and network. Likewise, Indian people from particularly from the border towns of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal States usually come to Nepal searching for employment or better opportunities. The burgeoning migration research in Nepal often ignores migration to India, and there has hardly been any research on Indian migration to Nepal. This paper attempts to make a comparative study of Indo-Nepal migration, focusing on working environment, i.e., work natures, working conditions, and their benefits such as income, and welfare benefits of both migrants’ groups. Bhimdatt Municipality of Kanchanpur District was selected as the study area. A mixed methodology has been adopted for this study. For Quantitative data collection, sample survey was conducted with 650 respondents (370 for Nepali-labour migrants to India and 270 Indian labour-migrants to Nepal). Using ISCO/08, ILO (2012), skills classification framework, this paper shows Nepali migrants works lack technical skills (91% being at basic level, as menial workers) as opposed to the Indian migrants, majority of whom have some technical skills, such as operating machines (54.3% vs. 7.3%). This has reflection on their earning and welfare benefits and condition of work and living. Indian migrants earn an average of NRs. 40635.5 per month, compared to NRs. 19061.6 earned by Nepali migrants. In case of Nepali labour-migrants who work in registered companies, business houses along with mutual agreement for job get allowances, overtime facility, medical insurance however, it is not found in case of Indian labour-migrants working in different technical sectors in Nepal. Policy makers need to work on promoting skills of the migrant workers enabling them to take up better paid jobs at home and migration destinations.

Is the Ecosystem of Kolkata Sustainable?: Machine Learning Based Study on Air Quality Index

Timely and accurate forecasting of Air Quality Index (AQI) helps the Industries to select suitable control of air pollution measures. It helps people to reduce exposure in pollution. In this present age Air quality Index is one of the burning issues in India. The air contaminations are harmful for our biological system and also for the climate. To keep up the best air quality cross the country different types of air toxins are estimated through the air quality measuring standards. The aim of this research work is modelling air quality of a location with respect to time with the help of Machine Learning (ML). The proposed and developed model was emphasizes particularly in Kolkata, capital of the state West Bengal in India and the findings have direct implications to build & maintain a sustainable ecosystem over there.

Identifying potential habitats of Himalayan Red Panda Ailurus fulgens (Cuvier, 1825) (Mammalia: Carnivora: Ailuridae) in Neora Valley National Park, West Bengal, India

The Himalayan Red Panda Ailurus fulgens (Cuvier, 1825) is a globally Endangered species whose population is reported to be declining in the wild. It is a priority species for the Neora Valley National Park (NVNP) since it is the flagship species of this ecosystem. Moreover, this landscape functions as an important connecting link of the Himalayan Red Panda habitat between the state of West Bengal and Sikkim. The spatial habitat of the Himalayan Red Panda in this National Park is little known. Our study attempts to identify the spatial distribution of potential habitats for the Himalayan Red Panda using the maximum entropy algorithm (MaxEnt 3.4.1). The model predicted a 55 km2 of potential habitat with the current climate scenario. With climate change, predicted potential habitats are likely to experience significant loss and upward shift to a relatively higher elevation. Hence, the management of the NVNP should identify the potential habitats and accomplish realistic goals to help conserve the Red Pandas.­­

Agaricus sect. Xanthodermatei (Agaricales) of West Bengal, India

Four species of Agaricus (Agaricaceae, Basidiomycota) belonging to the A. sect. Xanthodermatei of A. subg. Pseudochitonia, viz. Agaricus punjabensis, A. endoxanthus, A. melanocarpus, and A. xanthodermulus, are described from West Bengal, India, based on morphological and molecular sequences (nrDNA ITS and LSU rDNA) data. Comprehensive descriptions, field photographs of the specimens, and comparisons with morphologically similar and phylogenetically related taxa are provided. Among the four taxa, Agaricus punjabensis, A. melanocarpus, and A. xanthodermulus represent their first records for India, and Agaricus endoxanthus is newly reported for the state of West Bengal.

Environmental impact of green house gas emissions from the tea industries of northeastern states of India

MotivationTea, derived from the Camellia sinensis plant, holds the position of being the most widely consumed manufactured beverage globally. Its cultivation necessitates specific agro-climatic conditions, leading to its production being confined to select regions, notably including India. India contributes about 20.81% to the world’s tea output. The production and processing of tea leaves to final product consume energy in terms of machinery, fertilizer, irrigation etc. The energy consumption involved in tea production is a pressing concern, given the associated high costs and CO2 emissions resulting from fossil fuel usage. To achieve a net-zero carbon balance, there is need to pay attention towards promoting renewable energy technologies as a means to mitigate the CO2 emissions stemming from fossil fuels in India’s tea sector.ObjectivesAligned with the objective of sustainability through the integration of renewable energy sources, a pilot study was conducted in the primary tea-growing regions of northeastern India during 2021–22. The primary aims of this study were twofold: to gauge the quantity of CO2 emissions originating from conventional energy sources and to explore the feasibility of incorporating renewable energy sources as viable substitutes.Data and methodsData on various inputs used in tea production were collected from Assam and West Bengal states of India by using a stratified random sampling method with equal probability and without replacement.ResultsThe findings of this investigation underscore a noteworthy potential for the adoption of renewable energy, particularly solar energy, within the tea estates situated in the north eastern region of India. Such a transition would yield benefits for both the tea estates themselves and the overall environment.

Energy-related financial literacy and energy consumption: a study of residential households in West Bengal, India

Purpose Energy-related financial literacy (ERFL) which consists of energy literacy, financial literacy and lifecycle cost literacy, can play an instrumental role in addressing climate change by ensuring efficient energy consumption (macro level benefit) and promoting financial well-being (micro level benefit) of households. This study aims to highlight the ERFL level and its effect on the energy consumption of the sample households in the state of West Bengal, India. Design/methodology/approach The study used primary data on 155 sample households from the two districts, i.e. Hooghly and North 24 Parganas in West Bengal, India, surveyed from September 2022 to November 2022 using a structured questionnaire. The study used the conceptual framework suggested by Blasch et al. (2018) to measure the ERFL. Pertinent statistical techniques and the ordinary least square regression method were used to attain the objectives of the study. Findings The outcome of the study showed that the average ERFL score was found to be moderate (63%). The findings of the study also indicated that the ERFL exerts a positive influence on reducing energy consumption among the sample households in India. Originality/value There is a dearth of research studies on the topic of ERFL around the globe. The very few studies so far conducted are mostly in the context of European economies and Nepal. Perhaps, to the best of the our knowledge, this is the first study on the issue of ERFL in the Indian context. Therefore, the present study will make an original contribution to the small but growing scholarship on ERFL.