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The present study was conducted at Atreypuramu, East Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh, India during June-August, 2022 with the preparation of paper sweet variants followed by fuzzy logic sensory analysis. Initially, polished/milled Jaya variety rice soaked, ground with water and made into batter. The batter without any coarse particles diluted in separate flat containers. Then, a thin cotton cloth was dipped in the diluted batter and spread over the hot curved surface of inverted pot almost maintained at 120-135°C. This structures the paper-thin external front of the sweet. The size of produced rice starch edible film was about 41×30 cm2 and thickness in the range of 0.02-0.05 cm. The four paper sweet variants were prepared by rolling the rice starch film stuffed with various fillings including jaggery/sugar and nuts & jaggery/sugar alone. Fuzzy logic sensory study was conducted for analysis of paper sweets and to compare the acceptability of these paper sweet variants. Ranking was assigned to each sample by calculating fuzzy membership unction, normalized fuzzy membership function, normalized fuzzy membership function matrix, judgment membership function matrix, judgment subset and quality ranking subset. Finally, the weightage average was compared with quality ranking of all paper sweet variants. The results concluded that all four samples were quite comparable; however, paper sweet with jaggery and nuts received the best response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green hydrogen can be the transitional solution required to reduce anthropogenic emissions and enhance energy independency from fossil fuel. To improve green hydrogen adoption, a cluster-based infrastructure, called a hydrogen hub, is devised taking into account the demand-supply interplay coupled with transport ease. In this paper, we have identified sites across states that are conducive for hydrogen hubs. It involves a multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) framework deployed to assign priorities within competing set of criteria. A comprehensive analytical hierarchy process (AHP) is used to rank criteria that are connected to establish a functioning hydrogen hub. These criteria include, but not limited to, proximity to refineries, fertilizer plants, substations, chlor-alkali units, steel manufacturing plants, water availability, access to gas pipelines, railway line access, and finally distance to highways. Our analyses indicate that proximity to refineries and fertilizers scored higher (scores directly proportional to importance) while railway line access scored the least. These prioritised scores are used to spatially locate sites using geographical information system. In a total of thirteen states identified, Gujarat had the largest parcel of most suitable land for setting up hydrogen hub followed by Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. For India to set up a functioning hydrogen economy and achieve green hydrogen goals, it is important to identify states that can drive the agenda forward. This paper illustrates a way (amongst many available ways) to identify states based on their strength and capability to fulfil the national goal of 5 million tons of green hydrogen by 2030. • The paper addresses setting up of green hydrogen hubs in India based on a multi-criteria site selection framework. • Nine selection criteria covering aspects of hydrogen ecosystem proposed to identify site(s) suitable for hydrogen hubs. • Integration of AHP and GIS is used to ascertain land parcels where hydrogen economy can sustain across states in India. • Zones in 13 states were identified as potential hydrogen hubs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Credit is an essential element in the production process in agriculture. There are two sources from which farm households can access credit: institutional sources and non-institutional or informal sources of credit. The informal sources of credit, such as moneylenders, charge exorbitant rates of interest, which further puts a financial burden on the farmers. Hence, to increase the flow of credit from institutional sources, a policy known as the interest subvention scheme (ISS) was introduced in the year 2006. This paper aims to find the effect of the ISS on the behaviour of farm households. Design/methodology/approach: The author has used difference-in-difference analysis for estimation. In the analysis, the author has taken Madhya Pradesh as the treatment state and Andhra Pradesh as the controlled state. The author has used the Village Dynamics in South Asia (VDSA) dataset of ICRISAT for analysis. The author has used data from 2009 to 2014 for the two states. Findings: The author has found that the difference between the average interest rate of Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh is significant for both pre-treatment and post-treatment periods and this gap has increased after the intervention period. The results suggest that the share of informal sector borrowings has reduced in the treatment group (Madhya Pradesh) as compared to the control group (Andhra Pradesh) in the post-treatment period. Originality/value: This paper is particularly important because of the dearth of literature on the impact of this scheme in India and may shed light on the much-needed policy implications of this particular policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the early 2000s, some Indian states started allowing private traders to buy directly from farmers outside the state-regulated market system. The experience of these states can shed light on the impact of market-oriented reforms and the role of public procurement. Using individual-level National Sample Survey Data on agricultural wages and a new dataset on state-level average real farm income per cultivator for 18 major Indian states between 1987–2012, this paper shows, using both a difference-in-difference and a triple difference framework, that marketing reforms alone did not contribute to higher farm incomes and agricultural wages. However, when these reforms were coupled with public procurement at the minimum support price, farm incomes and agricultural wages significantly improved. Our results suggest that market-reforms and public procurement at minimum support prices were complements which together contributed to raising rural incomes in states like Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the recent past, Andhra Pradesh (AP) has experienced increasing trends in surface air mean temperature (SAT at a height of 2 m) because of climate change. In this paper, we attempt to estimate the SAT using the GFDL-ESM2G (Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory Earth System Model version 2G), available from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase-5 (CMIP5). This model has a mismatch with the India Meteorological Department (IMD)'s observations during April and May, which are the most heat-prone months in the state. Hence, in addition to the SAT from the model, the present paper considers other parameters, such as mean sea level pressure, surface winds, surface relative humidity, and surface solar radiation downwards, that have influenced the SAT. Since all five meteorological parameters from the GFDL-ESM2G model influence the IMD's SAT, an artificial neural network (ANN) technique has been used to predict the SAT using the above five meteorological parameters as predictors (input) and the IMD's SAT as the predictand (output). The model was developed using 1981–2020 data with different time lags, and results were tested for 2021 and 2022 in addition to the random testing conducted for 1981–2020. The statistical parameters between the IMD observations and the ANN estimations using GFDL-ESM2G predictions as input confirm that the SAT can be estimated accurately as described in the analysis section. The analysis conducted for different regions of AP reveals that the diurnal variations of SAT in the IMD observations and the ANN predictions over three regions (North, Central, and South AP) and overall AP compare well, with root mean square error varying between 0.97 °C and 1.33 °C. Thus, the SAT predictions provided in the GFDL-ESM2G model simulations could be improved statistically by using the ANN technique over the AP region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports child mortality and associated factors among tribal (indigenous) populations from a South Indian district. In India, 104 million people belonged to 705 tribal groups, constituting 8.6% of India's population. Of the 705 tribal groups, 75 were classified as particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTG). The present study aims to report the under-five child mortality among the tribal (both PVTG and non-PVTG) population in Visakhapatnam district, a district with a higher concentration of tribes in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Four sub-districts were selected to conduct a cross-sectional study to understand health and health-seeking behavior, including maternal and child health. Socio-demographic details and obstetric history were collected through a pre-tested, interviewer-administered questionnaire from mothers with a child aged up to one year. These 277 mothers gave birth to 632 liveborn children, out of which 56 children died within 12 months. Multiple logistic regression revealed that living in villages with no health facility, woman-headed households, younger age at first childbirth and mother' aged 30 years or above were significantly associated with mothers experiencing child death. Implementation of home-based neonatal care is crucial in the vulnerability context of the tribes due to socioeconomic conditions and remote habitation. Health educational interventions to address early marriages leading to teenage pregnancies are needed immediately. This disaggregated analysis of under-five mortality and associated factors among the tribes highlights the need for population-specific interventions and improving infrastructural facilities like all-weather roads and improved access to quality healthcare services in addition to the overall socio-economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the link between decentralisation in school management and student achievement levels in secondary schools in India. It employs observational data from two school surveys conducted as part of the Young Lives project in the southern Indian states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to create a measure of decentralisation as a latent construct. The relationship between decentralisation and students' abilities in mathematics and English is measured using linear mixed effects models. Contrary to the expectations in much literature, we find a negative association between decentralisation and students' scores on Maths and English assessments, even when controlling for a variety of individual and school characteristics. The results from the analysis therefore problematises decentralisation initiatives such as school-based management to improve student achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is about the collaboration between the Centurion University of Technology and Management (CUTM), Odisha (India), and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim (Norway), initiated in 2017. The main objective of the collaboration was to facilitate students through educators to bridge the gap between higher education and the practical skills needed for assessing and advancing sustainable development in local communities. This paper presents the contribution of nine women interns within the framework of partnership among the universities, government, and social enterprises in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. It analyses the role of women interns in activities and experiences in Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), in motivating women farmers to join FPOs to benefit in terms of increasing productivity, value addition for better products, and improving market opportunities. The concluding observations section provides three sets of learnings each for the role of women interns and implications for higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the impact of social movements on the Indian state's developmental paradigm. Adopting from Varigonda's (2020) framework, the paper argues that the impact of social movements on state policy and its implementation is primarily determined by three key factors: the collective action repertoires of social movements; the politicization of the Indian state's developmental paradigm; and the openness of state input structures. This framework is tested through a comparative study of two movements that have emerged against two examples of the Indian state's developmental paradigm: a proposed nuclear plant at Kovvada and a proposed thermal plant at Sompeta, both in Andhra Pradesh. The Sompeta agitation was successful in impeding the thermal plant's inception while the movement in Kovvada eventually petered out. The paper demonstrates how the variation in the impact of the two movements can be attributed to the social movement in Sompeta benefitting from stronger collective action repertoires; greater politicization of the state's developmental paradigm; and more open state input structures, vis-à-vis the movement in Kovvada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is concerned with the contemporary relevance of caste to agrarian capitalism and the relations of dependency and allegiance it fosters in a village of Andhra Pradesh. It deploys the method of village study to examine the two‐way interaction between agrarian class and caste relations and the emerging rural‐based informal nonfarm economy. It elaborates the continuation of relations of debt, dependency, and political allegiance fostered by landlordism despite significant diversification to nonfarm by landlords and labour and identifies the crucial role of land inequality and the working of ritual hierarchy in locking Dalit caste in land‐based relations of dependency. The paper highlights the importance of expanding the definition of landlordism as the use of social power for accumulation by embedding it in the motives and values generated by the Hindu social order. While the new wave of literature focuses attention on global capital and commodity chains to understand differentiation of rural population and ruralities, the paper emphasizes the persistent significance of landholding provincial capital in shaping class/caste relations and rural politics and argues for a course correction in thinking about the processes of globalization and new forms of labour control and stresses the continuing significance of the agrarian question. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Publicly Funded Health Insurance Schemes (PFHIS) are intended to play a role in achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC). In countries like India, PFHISs have low penetrance and provide limited coverage of services and of family members within households, which can mean that women lose out. Gender inequities in relation to financial risk protection are understudied. Given the emphasis being placed on achieving UHC for all in India, this paper examined intersecting gender inequalities and changes in PFHIS coverage in southern India, where its penetrance is greater and of longer duration. Data and methods: This study used the fourth (NFHS-4, 2015–16) and fifth (NFHS-5, 2019–21) rounds of India's National Family Health Survey for five southern states: namely, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana. The World Health Organization's Health Equity Assessment Toolkit (HEAT) Plus and Stata were used to analyse PFHIS coverage disaggregated by seven dimensions of inequality. Ratios and differences for binary dimensions; Between Group Variance and Theil Index for unordered dimensions; Absolute and Relative Concentration Index (RCI) for ordered dimensions were computed separately for women and men. Results: Overall, PFHIS coverage increased significantly (p < 0.001) among women and men in Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala from NFHS-4 to NFHS-5. Overall, men had higher PFHIS coverage than women, especially in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana in both surveys. In both absolute and relative terms, PFHIS coverage was concentrated among older women and men across all states; age-related inequalities were higher among women than men in both surveys in Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Telengana. The magnitude of education-related inequalities was twice as high as among women in Telangana (RCINFHS-4: -12.23; RCINFHS-5: -9.98) and Andhra Pradesh (RCINFHS-4: -8.05; RCINFHS-5: -7.84) as compared to men in Telangana (RCINFHS-4: -5.58; RCINFHS-5: -2.30) and Andhra Pradesh (RCINFHS-4: -4.40; RCINFHS-5: -3.12) and these inequalities remained in NFHS-5, suggesting that lower education level women had greater coverage. In the latter survey, a high magnitude of wealth-related inequality was observed in women (RCINFHS-4: -15.78; RCINFHS-5: -14.36) and men (RCINFHS-4: -20.42; RCINFHS-5: -13.84) belonging to Kerala, whereas this inequality has decreased from NFHS-4 to NFHS-5., again suggestive of greater coverage among poorer populations. Caste-related inequalities were higher in women than men in both surveys, the magnitude of inequalities decreased between 2015–16 and 2019–20. Conclusions: We found gender inequalities in self-reported enrolment in southern states with long-standing PFHIS. Inequalities favoured the poor, uneducated and elderly, which is to some extend desirable when rolling out a PFHIS intended for harder to reach populations. However, religion and caste-based inequalities, while reducing, were still prevalent among women. If PFHIS are to truly offer financial risk protection, they must address the intersecting marginalization faced by women and men, while meeting eventual goals of risk pooling, indicated by high coverage and low inequality across population sub-groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective: To ascertain the local prevalence of reproductive tract infections. To research the impact of various factors on the prevalence of genital infections. To research the incidence of RTI symptoms during the intervention period. To evaluate the outcomes in light of a preintervention study carried out in 1996-1997. Method: Every married woman between the ages of 15 and 45 was the subject of a cross-sectional community-based study that was conducted at Department of Community Medicine, Narayana Medical College, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, India from February 2022 to January 2023 and evaluated by questionnaire, laboratory test, and physical examination to identify reproductive tract infections. To conduct the study, approval was requested. The health assistant went to the 412 women who were included in the study population, described how the examination would work, got their permission, and offered them to participate. Result: There were 70 abortions total, of which 12 were induced and 58 were spontaneous. Seven of the induced abortions used dilatation and curettage, two used injections, and three used tablets. 98 (22%) of the women had primary infertility. The variables for RTIs had a p value less than 0.2: housewife, intervention arm, tubectomy, sanitary napkins, husband's agricultural work, respondent's education, socioeconomic level, and husband's education. The intervention arm, the usage of sanitary napkins, the presence of a spouse who serves in the military, and the level of education of the respondent were all STIs factors with a p value less than 0.2. Conclusion: A comprehensive community-based intervention approach reduced reproductive tract infections in this study. Health-aides and female doctors were used. RTIs and STIs decreased postintervention. Health-aide and doctor arms fell significantly. Education was found to affect RTIs. Symptomatic RTI diagnosis was unreliable. Prioritise female literacy and school health instruction. Health-seeking couples should talk. Clinical examination and limited laboratory tests like wet preparation are needed to diagnose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sesame is an important oil seed crop affected by toxigenic fungal pathogens viz., Alternaria, Fusarium and Aspergillus. Among these, Alternaria sesami is seed borne and most destructive pathogen causing yield loss to an extent of 28.9 per cent. Hence the effect of artificial infection with A. sesami on seed quality of various samples of sesame was investigated during 2017-2018. Methods: A total of 28 samples were collected from different sesame growing areas of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and inoculated with A. sesami. The inoculated and uninoculated seeds were tested for germination and seedling growth by rolled paper towel method. Result: Significant differences in seed germination, seedling length and seedling vigour index were observed among the uninoculated as well as inoculated sesame seed samples. The results indicated that Alternaria sesami caused 15.13% to 49.68%, 12.77% to 46.14% and 28.28% to 72.87% reduction in seed germination, seedling length and vigour index, respectively, of inoculated seed over uninoculated seeds. The per cent reduction was highest in the seed samples of YLM-17 collected from farmers' saved seed samples of Prakasam district. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poor seed germination is a significant obstacle in the propagation of teak and may be due to dormancy but the specific mechanism has not been explored. In order to investigate the physiological mechanisms (promoters-inhibitors) involved in teak seed dormancy, teak drupes were collected from seven provenances of India ranging across four forest types. The collected drupes were used to study morphological, physiological and biochemical characters. Teak drupes collected from moist deciduous forest (Tamil Nadu) recorded significantly higher physiological parameters while drupes collected from semi-deciduous forest (Maharashtra) recorded the highest seed filling of 94%. Gibberellic acid, was found in all seven provenances of teak seeds. The highest levels of gibberellic acid (1.96 mg kg-1) in seeds were found in very moist deciduous forests in Kerala and dry deciduous forests in Andhra Pradesh. The presence of biochemical inhibitor coumarin in teak seeds of highly moist deciduous forest (Kerala) (1.88 mg kg-1) is reported for the first time in this paper. The findings suggest that coumarin is leached out during alternate soaking and drying before seeding teak drupes and this did not influence the germination of teak. Drupe and seed extracts of teak did not contain growth regulators such as indole-3-acetic acid, indole butyric acid and abscisic acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lack of a comprehensive property rights system is an issue of pressing concern in most economies in the Global South. Property rights-related issues have important social, economic and environmental consequences. This paper argues that one of the most impactful uses of blockchain in the Global South could be in the creation, implementation and enforcement of property rights. The article provides an in‐depth analysis of a blockchain-based land registry project in the Andhra Pradesh state of India. It also delves into facilitators for and barriers to a large-scale adoption and deployment of blockchain for this purpose. The paper shows that with blockchain, the benefits of digitisation of land records can be amplified and some of the major drawbacks of digitisation can be avoided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reviews a range of global aquaculture health and safety literature to inform and contribute to the development of a socio-economic profile of Indian shrimp farm workers including the occupational hazards and injuries they face. In addition, 60 shrimp farm workers were interviewed from each of the states of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. The study revealed that all shrimp farm workers were male, 58% were migrants, and ages ranged from 23 to 53 years with work experience of 5 to 24 years. Few workers (14%) had no formal schooling and many had secondary-level education. Reported physical hazards were high (93%) followed by biological (82%), chemical (77%), ergonomic (71%) and psycho-social (71%) hazards. The majority of physical injuries reported related to slips, falls and cuts (51%), electric shocks (44%), sunburn (41%), dehydration/ headaches (40%) and fractures (27%). Approximately 30%-39% had some chemical injury with skin infections/breathing problems. Indian shrimp farm workers face similar occupational hazards and injuries to shrimp farm workers in other countries. The occupational health and safety of shrimp farm workers should be integrated into the concept of 'One Health' to ensure aquaculture sustainability and safe, meaningful and good quality employment to workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the use of social media specifically WhatsApp for learning by undergraduate students of Arts and Science Colleges. Literature review shows that social media could be used as an instrument for learning in different parts of the world and reflects the advantages and disadvantages of using social media for learning. This paper uses Communities of Inquiry (CoI) model to prove the point that production of knowledge is done through three presences explained by the conceptual model of CoI developed by researcher. Survey questionnaire is used to elicit answers from the undergraduate students. 769 samples from 10 select Arts and Science colleges in Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh, South India, were collected. Nominal and ordinal measurements are used to construct the survey questionnaire. Demographic results presented in this paper show cross-sectional representation of the population. Using results of crosstabulation and Kruskal-Wallis-H tests, 3 sets of significant statements concerning teaching, social and cognitive and learning presences are tested and the results are presented. The paper concludes that results of tests prove that social presence and cognitive and learning presence are reflected more than the teaching presence. The social, cognitive, and learning presences make teaching presence a reality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present universal energy framework and expenditure rate are considerably more startling because of the massive increase in electrical power demand. Comprehensive generation through conventional fossil fuels is one of the fundamental causes and contributors to several environmental problems. Therefore, there has arisen a necessity for ecologically sound and sustainable alternative energy sources. Renewable energy resources (RER) may be extremely functional for environmental and economic goals. Solar energy is the most auspicious of RER and this industry has flourished enormously during the last decade. Photovoltaic cells are spreading in popularity because they are sustainable, clean, and efficient modes of power generation. Researchers are endeavoring meticulously to select superior photovoltaic materials. In this paper, a real-time multi-objective solar-thermal power dispatch problem is framed and optimized for two different photovoltaic materials by using the novel α- constrained simplex method (ACSM). The presented problem is developed to satisfy cost and environmental objectives for Tirumala in the Andhra Pradesh state of India, for two test systems. In the first test system, polycrystalline silicon is used as the photovoltaic material, whereas Copper Indium Gallium Selenide is employed in the second test system. The results of both test systems are compared with each other to procure the finer material. Also, the outturns attained by using ACSM are collated with particle swarm optimization (PSO) and the evolutionary method (EM). The results reveal the precedence of ACSM over PSO and EM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism plays a significant role in today's modern economic structure and is been a key driver in social progress. This sector has been identified as the only sector that involves a majority percentage of populace, directly or indirectly, for earning a decent livelihood. This reflects the fact that the tourism is fast turning into a volume game where an ever-burgeoning number of participants are pushing up revenues of industry players (hotels, tour operators, airlines, shipping lines, etc) and thus offers an interesting investment opportunity for long term investors. In this paper we through a light on the service provider perceptions on various parameters relating to their satisfaction on their revenue, Eco tourism and its sustainability. Primary data was collected from 379 Service providers, the data was analysed and the findings and suggestions were made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper highlights ways to address the knowledge–practice gap in the agricultural domain by examining the initiatives of the Community-managed Natural Farming (CNF) Program of the Andhra Pradesh Government in India. The novel initiative to motivate and involve youth known as "Natural Farming Fellows" (NFF), amongst others, has facilitated farmers' transition to sustainable agriculture practices. As agricultural graduates trained in the mainstream knowledge systems of chemical farming, the NFFs journey entails unlearning and learning with farmers. Through interviews with the NFFs, we suggest that such institutional innovations offer newer pathways in managing sustainable transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital identity platforms are a recent e-governance innovation for improving social assistance programming in the development context, the most well-known of which is India's Aadhaar. While a significant number of studies have accumulated on Aadhaar, so far under-researched is the importance of local government practices and processes in shaping usage of the platform to support social assistance programming. In this paper we theorize how local government intermediation on digital identity platforms can improve social assistance programming through a case study of the Aadhaar-enabled Fertilizer Distribution System (AeFDS) in Andhra Pradesh. Our findings show how the relevance of the platform for low-income farmers depends crucially on the proactive adaptation of the technology by key local government intermediaries. From a policy perspective, this result emphasizes the importance of supporting efforts to acknowledge the role of responsive local government agencies in ensuring that centralized digital identity platforms remain relevant for implementing social assistance programming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A robust mathematical model is presented in this paper for the multi-connected domain with variable bathymetry using dual reciprocity boundary element method (DRBEM) to analyze the combined effects of wave diffraction-refraction and reflection on the arbitrarily shaped harbor. The influence of sloping bathymetry and the impact of the bottom friction on the harbor resonance are investigated. The fluid domain is primarily separated into two regions Region-I (open sea region) and Region-II (harbor region). Further, Region-II is divided into multi-connected regions. The mild slope equation is rearranged to obtain the non-homogeneous Helmholtz equation, and utilizing the ordinary boundary element method to this non-homogeneous equation, the non-homogeneous part will convert into a domain integral. The present model is verified by comparing it with the analytical examination of Wang et al.2015; Shao et al.2017. The wave amplification is determined for the T-shaped and TT-shaped domains to analyze the influence of bottom friction, and slopping bathymetry. Further, the present numerical approach is employed to the realistic port, Visakhapatnam port, India, and the four key locations are identified to analyze harbor resonance in the bottom friction and slopping bathymetry of the multi-connected region. • A Dual reciprocity boundary element method (DRBEM) with wave diffraction-refraction on the arbitrarily shaped harbor. • The influence of sloping bathymetry and effect of the bottom friction is also investigated. • Wave Amplification of the T-shaped and TT-shaped domains to analyze the influence of bottom friction, and bathymetry. • Implemented on the realistic Visakhapatnam port, Andhra Pradesh, India. • To analyze the harbor resonance on slopping bathymetry and effectively for redesigning, renovating and constructing ports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a hyper game analysis of the Krishna waters dispute and demonstrates its potential to yield an equilibrium solution even in the face of uncertainty that may be plausible in the intent behind the apparent position taken by contending parties. The approach can accommodate the real-world conflict situation in which players conceal their negotiating strategies and develop perceptions about apparent positions that may be misperceived. The hypergame model of the conflict formulated to resolve the water-sharing dispute amongst the riparian states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, India. The paper demonstrates the potential of hypergame-based conflict resolution model to yield an equilibrium solution elegantly and which appears to have attributes of a "Fair and Equitable"" allocation. Hypergame is formulated by considering the perception of one player about the other 'players' game. All the possible perceptions are taken, and the stability analysis is carried out. The results of the stability analysis show that Fair and equitable allocation is part of the equilibrium solution. Our analysis demonstrates that the game-theoretic technique can be applied to solve any real-world conflict. Any allocation made based on "Fairness and Equity" undoubtedly lead to the equilibrium solution as seen in the present work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GEP (Generation Expansion Planning) is one of the most complex tasks in which planning is done to find the best possible distinct solutions to install new generating units to meet future load demands. This paper uses the Low Emission Analysis Platform (LEAP) software environment to analyse the GEP for the AP Power sector from 2021 to 2050. In recent years, the AP power sector has faced several issues, such as frequent service cuts due to power shortages. In this paper, five scenarios such as Business As Usual (BAU), Low Demand Growth (LDG), High Demand Growth (HDG), Least Cost Optimization (LCO) and Climate Mitigation Scenarios, have been analysed with environmental, technical, and economic parameters. This study has estimated the total environmental emissions and total cost of all scenarios. At present, Andhra Pradesh has a total installed capacity of 25.4 GW. The best scenarios can be selected based on environmental impact, cost-effectiveness, efficiency, and reliability. The results show that the LDG scenario will be an optimal choice for AP due to the state's economic crisis, and the government should also focus on energy conservation and limit demand growth to 4.5%. While presenting a general GEP, the study presents comprehensive system performance scenarios from which planners can choose. • Making a generation expansion planning • Making a sustainable environment • Presented a good solution for power generation • Analysed the total environmental emissions • Analysed the energy demands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tanks are the important traditional source of irrigation in India. They are a low-cost source with fewer management problems, but their performance has been deteriorating over the years. Using time-series data from the periods 1960–61 to 2013–14, this paper analyses the performance of tank irrigation across the districts, regions and categories of farmers in Andhra Pradesh, India. The study shows that districts that traditionally had a large tank irrigated area have registered a sharp reduction in that area. A substantial reduction in tank irrigated area is found in the Rayalaseema region where tanks are critical for farming. Correlation analysis suggests a significantly negative impact of groundwater area on tank irrigated area in most districts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is a major concern the world over more so for a predominantly agrarian country like India. In this paper we analyze the time horizon dynamics of crop and climate variables at the regional level in India. We also analyze the co-movements of crop yields with temperature and rainfall to observe the coherence across heterogenous time horizons. We employ Bai-Perron structural break and Continuous wavelet transform methods on yearly data of seven crop yields and climate variables. Observed variables are analyzed from 1956 to 2010 for the un-divided state of Andhra Pradesh, India. Breakpoint analysis shows an increase of around 1.0° temperature with two observed break points. Rainfall depicts no systematic change with fluctuations being largely random. The framework of wavelets-based time–frequency analysis employed in this study captures climate and crop dynamics at heterogeneous time horizons, allowing one to study the impact of climate and crop yields at both short and longer time-horizons. Wavelet based coherence analysis exhibited significant co-movement between climatic and crop variables. Given shifts in climate patterns and subsequent shifts in co-movements across time horizons at the regional level, policy makers and crop scientists should design time specific and locally viable adaption and mitigation policies to tackle the impact of climate change on crops and livelihoods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to see the process of SHG, VO (Village Organization) and MS (Mandal Samakhaya) formation and their norms which strongly promoting women’s empowerment in the Andhra Pradesh. For said purpose Information’s were collected through personally interaction with the members of SHG in Village Organization Meeting (VO Meeting) during five days exposer visit (25 Nov to 30 Nov, 2013) which was supervised by National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD), Hyderabad (A.P.) Staff members on the recommendation of Deendayal Upadhyaya State Institute of Rural Development, Lucknow (U.P.). Result can be concluded in terms of the SHG formation, VO and MS and their rules for the women empowerment in Warangal district is fully transparent and empowered the rural women at each stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The system performance depends on the availability, efficiency of maintenance and operating conditions. The industrial systems are designed, manufactured and tested/simulated under laboratory/ideal conditions. But the conditions in which the systems are working in real-time industries/companies are different. Due to this, the components of each system will fail well before the schedule given by the company even though the periodic maintenance is carried out as per the manufacturer's standard operating procedures (SOP). The complexity of the system will increase the failure probability and these failures will affect the performance of the system. Therefore, it is important to know the critical components of the system. In this paper, a methodology has been applied to identify the bottlenecks in the fleet as the availability estimation. Optimum maintenance intervals are calculated for each variety of systems based on the minimization of downtime. The presented methodology is applied to on-road vehicles in Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) as a case study. The transmission subsystem is identified as a bottleneck in transportation vehicles, availabilities and optimum maintenance intervals are estimated for TVG SML SL and EXP type buses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pulicat lake is the second largest brackish water lagoon in the country, lying partly in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu states along the Coromandel Coast of South India. The present paper gives information on occurrence, habitat preference, trophic level, human utility and fishery status of finfish and shellfish species of the Pulicat lake. Methods: An extensive survey was conducted on finfish and shellfish diversity of Pulicat lake from November 2019 to March 2021, selecting four fish landing centres viz, Pazhaverkadu, Arambakkam (fishing villages in Tamil Nadu), Venadu and Vatembedu (fishing villages in Andhra Pradesh) situated along the Lake. Result: In the present study, A total of 145 species including species of finfishes (95), prawns (8), crabs (7) and 35 molluscs (35) were documented from the lake. Among the four selected landing centres, the highest diversity was observed in Pazhaverkadu, registering 143 species followed by Arambakkam (123), Vatembedu (85) and Venadu (77). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron is the most important of all metals and ∼ 98% of it, in the form of iron ore/pellets, is used as the key raw material in making steel, with its per-capita consumption often seen as an Index for a nation's Prosperity. Salient aspects of the industries of iron ore mining and steel-production are presented. These include deposit-types and grades of iron-ore, iron ore minerals with Fe-contents, major producing-exporting-importing countries, international/national prices of iron ore; and major producing countries of steel, international/national production figures, processes of steel-making, including recent hydrogen-energy based green steel/iron ore under de-carbonisation. The less available high-grade Fe ore (>63.5% Fe), as compared to that of the benchmark or standard grade (62% Fe) and low-grade (< 59% Fe) iron ores, has many beneficial features in steel-making, carries a premium price of US $ 1–2/tonne for every 1% increase in Fe-grade over that of the standard grade and, hence, is much sought after. In this communication, two low-cost, potential alternatives to the highgrade Fe ore for steel-making are proposed from the mineral sand industry. These are: (i) placer magnetite-sand, with an example from the coastal Nizampatnam heavy mineral sand deposit in Andhra Pradesh, and (ii) by-product Fe, generated during the beneficiation of ilmenite-sand for high Ti-products such as synthetic rutile/anatase, titanium dioxide pigment, Ti-sponge, Ti-metal etc. A brief account of the mineral sand deposits, including the processes to obtain the above proposed alternatives and the consequent multiple benefits for both the steel and mineral sand industries, is presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently there has been an outbreak of invasive South East Asian thrips, Thrips parvispinus (Karny), in 2021 reportedly causing 80-100 per cent yield loss to chillies in the southern states of India. Systematic surveys carried out in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telanagana revealed T. parvispinus completely dominated the thrips species generally observed in chilli mainly, Scirtothrips dorsalis. Only a small proportion of T. hawaiiensis, T. florum and T. palmi were observed on chilli during the survey period and incidentally not even a single specimen of S. dorsalis was observed in any of the surveyed chilli fields in these states. There is a need to continue the monitoring of the thrips species in chilli, to ascertain the dominance of T. parvispinus over other species like S. dorsalis. and T. palmi, to know whether the present ecological observation of species dominance is temporary or permanent or season oriented. In the chilli ecosystem, apart from chilli, other hosts reported for this invasive thrips are capsicum, black gram, red gram, cotton, beans, mango, coriander, watermelon, bitter gourd, ivy gourd, jasmine are presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent study found that adoption rates of improved chickpea varieties were above 90 per cent in Andhra Pradesh, India. In this paper, we use a novel perspective to reconstruct and attribute how this outcome came about. The accepted success narrative is that the public international agricultural research system developed some excellent new chickpea varieties, which were well suited to local agro-ecologies, farming systems and cropping patterns, and highly appreciated by farmers. We argue that this narrative is incomplete, because it constitutes only a partial explanation of the confluence of factors that led to the outcome. We reconstruct the success story using a recent conceptual framework that decomposes the technological change process into four aspects: propositions, encounters, dispositions and responses (PEDR). We show that many of the factors which contributed to the spread of modern chickpea varieties in Andhra Pradesh lay beyond the control of the international agricultural research system, and operated across large spatial and temporal scales. In conclusion, we argue that the success of improved chickpeas in Andhra Pradesh underscores the value of basic plant breeding and research, which aim to produce public goods. We relate our analysis to current discussions about the future strategic direction of international agricultural research organisations and the CGIAR. Our argument implies a criticism of the drive to develop new varieties which conform to product profiles that are based on predictions of current and near-term demand. While that approach makes sense for product developers seeking to serve commercial markets, basic research is needed to create and diversify technical options, which anticipate a range of future needs that are hard to predict in the present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Hybrid renewable energy systems (HRES) are proving a promising solution for rural electrification in India, where grid power availability is limited. This paper aims to identify the optimal design and pre‐feasibility techno‐economic analysis of the hybrid grid‐independent renewable system for rural electrification. The proposed hybrid system integrates the various renewable energy system configurations to provide continuous power for the electric load demands of Kanakadri palle village, Andhra Pradesh, India. HOMER software is utilized to design the proposed hybrid system, perform optimization, techno‐economic analysis, and simulation. Here, six different hybrid system configurations were taken into account to perform a comparative economic analysis. The results obtained shows that one of the hybrid systems, PV/DG/converter/battery system (120 kW‐PV modules, 54 kW‐DG, 200 number of batteries with 260 Ah ratings, and 50 kW‐power converters), is the least economical optimal system based on least net present cost and Levelized cost of energy (COE), highest renewable fraction, and zero unmet electric loads percentage (NPC: $341 280, COE: $0.217, highest renewable fraction: 96.6% and unmet electric loads: 0%). For the site considered, this optimal hybrid system can provide a reliable power supply to the total energy requirements of 332.97 kWh/d and achieve 75.68% carbon emission reduction compared to a diesel generator. Moreover, the comparison of different system configurations was carried out based on economic analysis. This analysis shows that proposed hybrid system can be an appropriate model to provide reliable power at a low generation cost for the village considered in this study and can be recommended for future electrification projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid growth in dairy consumption and food scandals in India in the 2000s increased awareness of food safety issues among consumers and policymakers. This led to the introduction of new standards. However, there is li ttle information about how they affected farm-level activities and whether value chains played any role. Our paper addresses these questions using a two-round panel survey of dairy farms in Punjab and Andhra Pradesh. We find significant improvements in adoption of farm-level hygienic practices, especially in Punjab. Value chain innovations do not play a significant role in stimulating safety and quality improvements among dairy smallholders in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The state of Andhra Pradesh has a long history of library system before Indian independence as part of the Madras Presidency. Significant changes have taken place in the public library system over the time. This paper gives a brief description of the public library movement, aims and objectives of the library movement, library legislation and organizational structure of public library system in A.P. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conflicts are inevitable concerning sharing of the resources. Most of the time, due to the opacity of the conflict resolution technique, players involved do not accept the final solution. Therefore, any method adopted for resolving a conflict should involve players to get the equilibrium solution. Besides, the conflict resolution technique needs to be transparent, and the procedure must be the same for all the players involved. Metagame Analysis has the potential to accommodate the above conditions. In this study, we have discussed Metagame Analysis and its application to resolve India's Krishna river basin dispute. Since the environment is an integral part of the river ecosystem, it has also been included as a conflict resolution player. We have also defined and derived Fair and Equitable (F&E) allocation in this regard, considering the factors that form the basis for their right as a rightful owner of the resource. The factors considered for F&E allocation are drainage area, cultivable area, and virgin runoff. The derived F&E allocation is then selected as one of the options for the Metagame Analysis. Metagame Analysis is carried out using two scenarios before and after Andhra Pradesh's reorganization (in 2014). In scenario 1, equilibrium outcomes are 454, 458, and 469. Our results show that excessive demands may harm the water allocation if it violates the total flow. Outcome 469 is the F&E outcome in which all the players are going for cooperated negotiations which maximize their share. Outcomes 454 and 458 are those outcomes in which Karnataka is benefitted as it is getting its first option share. AP's demand cannot be accommodated in any strategy as it exceeds the total flow, while there is a strategy available in which Karnataka's first option can be sustained. The paper shows that the game-theoretic-based techniques can solve real-world disputes and that too as complex as water sharing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Globally, mental health problems are a growing public health concern. Resources and services for mental disorders are disproportionately low compared to disease burden. In order to bridge treatment gaps, The Systematic Medical Appraisal, Referral and Treatment (SMART) Mental Health Project was implemented across 12 villages in West Godavari district of the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. This paper reports findings from a process evaluation of feasibility and acceptability of the intervention that focused on a mental health services delivery model to screen, diagnose and manage common mental disorders (CMDs). Methods: A mixed methods evaluation was undertaken using quantitative service usage analytics, and qualitative data from in-depth interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with stakeholders including primary care physicians, community health workers, field staff and community members. Barriers to and facilitators of intervention implementation were identified. Andersen's Behavioral Model for Health Services Use was the conceptual framework used to guide the process evaluation and interpretation of data. Results: In all, 41 Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) and 6 primary health centre (PHC) doctors were trained in mental health symptoms and its management. ASHAs followed up 98.7% of screen positive cases, and 81.2% of these were clinically diagnosed and treated by the PHC doctors. The key facilitators of implementation were adequate training and supervision of field staff, ASHAs and doctors, use of electronic decision support, incorporation of a door-to-door campaign and use of culturally tailored dramas/videos to raise awareness about CMDs, and organising health camps at the village level facilitating delivery of intervention activities. Barriers to implementation included travel distance to receive care, limited knowledge about mental health, high level of stigma related to mental health issues, and poor mobile network signals and connectivity in the villages. Lack of familiarity with and access to mobile phones, especially among women, to accessing health related messages as part of the intervention. Conclusions: The evaluation not only provides a context to the interventions delivered, but also allowed an understanding of possible factors that need to be addressed to make the programme scalable and of benefit to policy makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the use of thematic collages as a methodological innovation to participatory photography as a research framework. Participatory photography was used to understand the subjective "off-script" motivations behind the full or partial adoption of Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) by members of women's self-help groups in Andhra Pradesh, India. The addition of thematic collages to existing participatory photography methods was developed as a mechanism to better support the dialogic generation of new Freirean "generative themes" for investigation by a group. Further, the use of thematic collages invites the integration of "renegade" or non-thematic images into participant group analysis. ZBNF is an agricultural practice that has become an extension priority in Andhra Pradesh. It emphasizes the use of defined chemical-free inputs and regenerative farming techniques as a holistic approach toward socio-ecological resilience. As part of an interdisciplinary research project, this participatory photography design was piloted parallel to a soil science experiment in three geographically distinct agroecological zones in Andhra Pradesh. We show how participatory photography, with the novel addition of thematic collages, can be integrated into interdisciplinary research as a method to discover the underlying motivations to adopt agricultural practices and participate in agricultural movements like Zero Budget Natural Farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India has one of the largest agricultural input support programs in the world, delivered in the form of subsidies to farmers, raising concerns about its sustainability. This paper evaluates the performance of one such support, the micronutrient subsidy program in the state of Andhra Pradesh (AP) and presents a case for providing this support in the form of direct cash transfers. Under the program, key soil micronutrients- zinc, boron, and gypsum were distributed free of cost to farmers living in micronutrient-deficient areas, with identification and targeting managed entirely by the state. We survey 1621 farmers, 61 agriculture extension officers, and 78 agriculture input dealers to assess the efficacy of the program and to identify bottlenecks preventing effective targeting, with a focus on zinc. We find that use of non-subsidized zinc is high in AP, and awareness of benefits of zinc and physical access to input dealer shops are significant predictors of zinc use. We argue that the free provision of micronutrients may have created demand among farmers, but there is little justification to continue subsidizing such a program at such high rates or resorting to public distribution. We find that micronutrient procurement and distribution has become a burden on extension staff and crowds out the private sector. Our analysis shows that the subsidy can benefit more farmers if it is channeled through the network of private fertilizer dealers. We use administrative data on budgetary outlays and digital soil maps to suggest fiscal redistribution in the form of direct cash transfers that may ensure more effective targeting at a lower cost to the state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]