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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]

This paper examines the portfolio carbon footprint of Indian banking system. To this end, we combine the emissions data from India's Biennial Update Reports to UNFCCC and Reserve Bank of India's bank database from 2010 to 2016; apply Network for Greening the Financial System's backward-looking methodology and Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials Standards in conjunction with Leontief's Input-Output technique to estimate the weighted average carbon intensity (WACI) of bank's loans portfolio at three levels – System level, Bank group level and Spatial level. Our major findings include-first, at system level, the carbon footprint of Indian banks shows a rising trend over the study period with the aggregate WACI of bank loans increasing by 9.4% from 332.5 tCO 2 e/US$ million in 2010 to 363.7 tCO 2 e/US$ million in 2016. Second, at the group level, while the financed emissions of public sector banks have plateaued, for private sector banks they have nearly doubled during the study period, suggesting the increased exposure to carbon intensive assets. Third, on the spatial level, top five regions by WACI include Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana in descending order. • First study to estimate carbon footprint of bank loans for India. • Combines environment input-output analysis with PCAF standard. • Analyses carbon footprint at three levels – system level, bank group level and spatial level. • Carbon footprint of Indian banks show a rising trend over the study period. • Financed emissions of public sector banks plateaued, of private sector banks doubled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper analyses relationships between private supplementary tutoring and mainstream schooling in urban Maharashtra, India. The role of private tutoring progressively expands from the lower to the higher grades, and is especially visible in Classes 11 and 12 when it seems to supplant rather than supplement mainstream schooling. The paper notes the complex interplay of social, economic and educational factors in the shifting relationships, and has relevance not only for other parts of India but also other countries. The dynamics of private tutoring should be considered when conceptualising educational processes and devising policies for schooling, especially in relation to social inequalities and the efficiency of school systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even after 35 years of the National Leprosy Eradication Program (NLEP) and 15 years post-elimination, leprosy continues to be a public health challenge in India. This paper discusses the current awareness of leprosy among people living in urban slums of western Maharashtra. The study was conducted in an urban slum of western Maharashtra with 400 participants. A closed-ended questionnaire regarding the knowledge, attitude, practices, and stigma existing among the people was administered, followed by a small awareness talk and screening for leprosy. Of the total 400 participants, 205 (51.25) were females and 195 (48.75) were males. Only 154/400 (38.5%) people were aware of leprosy. 130/400 (32.5%) people thought that it is treatable; however, 71/130 (54.6) of them thought that it would recur even after completing the treatment. Only 103/400 (25.75) said that they would marry a person with leprosy, denoting prevalent stigma in the society, and 79/400 (19.75) were aware of government services for leprosy and NLEP. Screening of all the participants surveyed did not reveal any new or doubtful cases of leprosy. The present study shows a lack of awareness and knowledge of leprosy among the target population. With only 20% of them being aware of government services and the NLEP, combined with an extremely low knowledge about the disease; it shows the need to further augment the government programs. There is also an increasing need to educate people to accomplish a positive attitude of the community towards leprosy patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the wari as a discursive terrain produced by the interface of folk and Hinduised cultures. We focus on socio-religious interactions and divergences as crucial sites for the production of a discourse on the economy of worship, devotion and social equality. Popularly understood as a procession to Pandharpur, wari is understood here as a social force mediating the transmission of ideas and practices through the interface of various publics. We interpret wari as a process generated through the reflexivity of productive castes interacting with Brahminical Hinduism, and the articulation of social ethics reflecting specific realities and aspirations of allied communities with an emphasis on worldly relationships. The wari's grammar of devotion subverts abstract notions of the spiritual by embedding them in the local and everyday. Its emergence from regional counter-hegemonic agitations reflects the existential crises and agency of Maharashtra's productive castes, and the instrumentality of local parlance in demystifying Brahminical representations of society. The term discursive comprises a vocabulary of devotion addressing cultural material alienation, social disparity, agency and the formation of intentional publics in constituting sites for social reform. This paper relies on field data and existing literature to consolidate its argument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Mini-Hydro power generation could be planned on small-scale on existing small rivers, canals etc. as it could be beneficial in utilization of all existing water reservoirs and streams so as to generate hydro power which is renewable in nature. By this, they do not encounter the problems of rehabilitation of people and environmental problems associated with the large hydro power plants. This paper presents the case study of two potential sites namely Shahnoor and Purna in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra State in India. Here, the hydrological data of a potential site for nearly sixty years is obtained and is thoroughly studied for possible development of mini hydro power plant. The basic parameters those are to be included in feasibility report which is to be prepared for every proposed hydroelectric project are also mentioned. This paper could be well utilized for planning and irrigating land in and around rural areas. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We used Microsoft XL optimizer and Particle Swarm Optimization to find optimized integrated combinations of RES. Thermal energy demand data is generated for a midtownand found highest requirement of hot water and cooking heat. Solar water heaters, biogas and biomass gasifier are the most promising RES technologies to satisfy the thermal energy demand of a midtown. To reduce the dependency on fossil fuels, the renewable energy systems must be utilized in an interactive manner and need to be optimized. Currently, the thermal energy demand of any city is mostly satisfied by the conventional resources. It produces considerable strain on fossile fuel reserves and lead to increase green house gas emissions also. The thermal demand of city can be satisfied by integrative use of renewable energy resources. This integrative use needs modelling and optimization. In this paper, optimised combinations of three renewable energy systems, such as solar water heating systems, biomass gasifiers and biogas energy systems are presented to satisfy the thermal demand of a region. A Microsoft excel optimizer software is used to solve the multiobjective optimization problem to find the optimum combinations. Minimization of lifecycle cost and CO 2 emission are considered as main two multiobjectives. Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm is utilized to solve the constraint optimization problem. The thermal energy demand satisfaction of Kolhapur city, a midtown city, in western Maharashtra, India, is taken for case study. The daily average thermal energy demand of one day for each month is satisfied in this case study for the whole year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Peri-urban and rurban settlements can be visualized at the district, block, and village scale. • A combination of field interviews, literature review, and GIS mapping are employed. • Four peri-urban drivers are distinguished: megacity, block town, highway, and industrial. • The smallest peri-urban census towns lack water and sanitation services. • Two water and sanitation indices characterize villages for water planning purposes. Drinking water programs in India treat urban and rural areas separately, generally neglecting the special conditions of settlements referred to as peri-urban or rurban. We show how the historiography of peri-urban areas acquired negative connotations of poor water and sanitation services while rurban places have come to be associated with positive well-disciplined conditions. Previous research on drinking water programs has taken two paths, one of which generates rigorous qualitative case studies that criticize neoliberal policies, while the other employs larger scale quantitative methods to advance neoliberal policy reforms. This paper adopts a hybrid pragmatic approach to visualize strengths and weaknesses of water and sanitation services in urbanizing rural areas of Pune district, Maharashtra. We re-assess demographic definitions of the rural-urban dichotomy in India, distance-based criteria used in Maharashtra, and Census of India water and sanitation data. A combination of field research and GIS mapping identified four main peri-urban patterns in Pune district: (1) megacity fringe; (2) highway corridor development; (3) industrial zones; and (4) block town expansion. We show that while water supply has improved in some rurban areas, sanitation and drainage problems have not kept up. A second pattern of deficiency was observed in transitional towns of 5000 persons. Annually updated water and sanitation datasets at the national and state levels will make this pragmatic combination of GIS mapping and field research approaches valuable for visualizing peri-urban and rurban conditions at the district scale of water governance and planning in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with an economic aspect of distributed generation systems which rural energy cooperatives may mainly support, since they can effectively coordinate the different stakeholders within an energy access initiative. Members of a rural energy cooperative would share the costs of deploying a distributed generation system, so that each of them can benefit from it. To minimise the overall investment cost, such a cooperative must consider both technical sizing and cost allocation among its members. For the latter, an important issue to take into account is the so-called willingness-to-pay. For obtaining the design of the distributed generation system we propose to use facility location covering (FALCO) models. The solution of the FALCO model provides both the structure of the distributed generation system and the investment cost to be covered by the members of the cooperative. We take advantage of the structure of the primal and dual optimal solutions of the FALCO model to endogenously determine the minimum and maximum willingness-to-pay of the cooperative members and then to apply rationing techniques to obtain the final allocation of costs to each member. Thus, our approach optimises the generator locations and minimises the total system cost, while assigning to each member at least her minimum willingness-to-pay. From our point of view, this method may help the beneficiaries to accept the investment cost allocation. Finally, a case study based on real data from a rural village in Maharashtra, where a group of farmers wanting to buy and share an energy system to pump water for irrigating their fields, is used to illustrate the working of the proposed cost allocation methodology. • Fair cost allocation methods and game theory can support distributed generation planning. • Each user minimum willingness-to-pay serves as reference for defining fair shares. • Technical and topographical conditions are critical for both system sizing and cost allocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Recognizing the failure of past interventions to provide water services to all citizens in developing countries, worldwide a reform process of water policies has been initiated. The Indian State of Maharashtra is a front-runner in formulating and implementing such a reform policy. Its policy aims at demand-led, participatory and democratic decision-making for project implementation (as distinct to the previous supply-driven policies). This paper evaluates the success of this reform policy for 12 villages of the Deccan Plateau in Maharashtra. There, these projects were implemented under two funding programs of different donors that implemented the reform policy through different guidelines. The paper confirms that promoting bottom-up decision-making supported by capacity building can lead to better outcomes. However, it also highlights several risks, which may be mitigated by selective top-down control mechanisms. Hence, a combination of bottom-up and top-down decision-making may lead to best results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The paper is an announcement of the recent discovery of a small and yet well-preserved skeletal assemblage belonging to nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus) and an equid in Pleistocene alluvial deposits that have also preserved the acidic volcanic ash and Stone Age artefacts at the banks of River Karha near Morgaon in District Pune. Only 15 postcranial elements, a ramus with two lower teeth and an isolated upper tooth comprise the fossil record. The state of preservation reveals interesting clues to its taphonomic history, pointing to the semi-primary context of deposition. Systematic palaeontology and a brief taphonomic history of the assemblage are discussed in the paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In the mid-1980s, the state government of Maharashtra, India, introduced a slum redevelopment strategy in its capital city, Mumbai (Bombay). In contrast to traditional housing improvement strategies that focus primarily on legalizing the land tenure of residents, slum redevelopment is a more complex strategy. It involves the demolition of existing slums and the redevelopment of new, higher density, medium-rise apartment blocks, including, entirely cross-subsidized housing for the original slum dwellers. Mumbai''s experience, documented through a single case study in this paper, illustrates that contrary to the conventional focus only on private property rights, upgrading policy must be based on a differentiated view of property rights. Furthermore, policy must also consider the property values, the physical attributes of the real property (underlying asset), and the interplay among property rights, property values and physical attributes. Second, the paper demonstrates that under certain conditions, there is a constituency among slum dwellers for complex initiatives, like redevelopment. This suggests that planners should be skeptical about popular, simplistic myths regarding low-income housing preferences. However, slum redevelopment''s slow pace also implies that planners need to be cautious in their enthusiasm for redevelopment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • Indian electricity demand reduced by 11 % vis-à-vis 2019 during the lockdown. • Sectoral demand reduction—73 % industrial, remaining 27 % commercial. • Pan India lights-off event—hydropower provides the bulk of the flexibility (60 %). • The plant load factor of coal dropped to a record low of 35 % during phase-1. • Power sector emissions reduced by 16 % (86 MtCO2) compared to 2019. This paper aims to understand the responsiveness of the power sector during the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic beginning from March 25, 2020 and analyses its impact on the demand, operation and supply of electricity in the Indian power system. The role of the C&I load share in reducing the electricity demand of the different states in India has been examined using multi-sectoral regression analysis. The impact of the pan India lights-off event on the short-term operational flexibility response of the power system has also been analysed using high-temporal resolution data. The results indicate that there has been a reduction of nearly 70 TWh of electricity demand during the lockdown period, an 11 % reduction compared to 2019. The top three states recording the highest reduction were Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu at 11 TWh, 10.6 TWh and 8.4 TWh, respectively. Regression analysis revealed that out of the total drop in load demand — 73 % is owed to the industrial sector, while the remaining 27 % is to the commercial sector. This demand drop also impacted the upstream electricity supply mix where 96 % of the reduction in supply was borne by the coal generating units, recording its lowest national plant load factor at 35 % with a 16 % reduction in overall CO 2 emission compared to the same period in 2019. In conclusion, a case study of Maharashtra has been used to analyse the impact of this reduction in electricity demand on the supply mix, hourly load profile and cost of supply under the different lockdown phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we use hedonic testing methods adopted from food science literature and the Becker-DeGroot-Marschak mechanism adopted from economic valuation literature to estimate consumer demand for biofortified high-iron pearl millet (HIPM) in Maharashtra, India. Unlike biofortification with provitamin A, biofortification with minerals, such as iron and zinc, does not change the color or the appearance of the biofortified crop. Therefore, we test the impact of both nutrition information, and branding and certification, as well as the nature of the brand and of the certifying authority (state level versus international), on consumer demand for HIPM. We find that even in the absence of nutrition information, consumers assign a small but significant premium to the HIPM variety relative to the local variety. This is consistent with consumers’ more favorable rating of the sensory characteristics of the high-iron variety. Nutrition information on the health benefits of HIPM increases this premium substantially, and regression analysis reveals that consumers prefer international branding and international certification authority to their state-level counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we examine the interplay of entitlement and empowerment through qualitative research on the micropolitics of two social protection programs in rural Maharashtra, India. The case study assesses the implications of the expansion of state space into a rural society through such programs and argues that hitherto existing social relations and micropolitics in villages produce differentiated biopolitical outcomes. Extending Amartya Sen's entitlement and capabilities frameworks, we contribute to the discussion on the relationship and distinctions between entitlement and empowerment by situating social protection programs within the ambit of technologies of biopower that are aimed at sustaining “make-live” conditions for certain populations. Our fieldwork in western India in 2012–2013 demonstrates the following: first, entitlements must be claimed and the ability to realize one's entitlements requires a minimal form of empowerment in village society vis-à-vis the local administration that administers entitlement programs. Second, we claim that state-led entitlement programs when introduced at the village level, encounter micro-politics that produce patronage relationships and blur the distinction between legal and extra-legal means of accessing food entitlements. We conclude by outlining the limits of an entitlement approach to social protection, especially in relation to the potential for empowerment of marginalized social groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the results of evaluation of compliance of the bag net fishery of Maharashtra coast, India with the relevant clauses of Article 7 (Fisheries management) of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF). Questionnaire-based approach that covered ten categories of stakeholders responsible wholly or partially for the management of the bag net fishery was used in the present study. Evaluation of the Code revealed an overall compliance level of 67.52%. The study identified the critical areas of low compliance levels that require immediate attention. Though the bag net fishery is the most common and traditional fishery of Maharashtra that supports livelihood of several fishers, there is no specific policy to regulate, develop and ensure sustainability of the bag net fish resources. Therefore the Code could be taken as a reference document to facilitate responsible management of the bag net fishery taking the local conditions into account. The findings of the present study could be used as a diagnostic tool to help in suggesting measures to ensure sustainability of the bag net fishery resources achievable by making amendments to the fisheries policies of the State. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CONTEXT Access to information is crucial in decision making for viable and sustainable farm business. Thus, the farmers need different types of information from various sources to refine existing practices and adopt new technologies for yield and income advantages. Knowledge about farmers' information needs, access and its impact in different production contexts help in improving the effectiveness of extension and advisory services in the country. This paper examines the farmers' information needs, access to information from different sources and its impact on cotton output and value of output in two different regions having predominantly rainfed and irrigated production contexts. Household level survey data of 644 cotton farmers were collected using multistage sampling from two districts representing distinct production contexts in the Maharashtra state of India. Factors determining the access to information from particular sources were obtained using the Probit model. The impact of access to information was estimated using Inverse Probability Weighted Regression Adjustment (IPWRA). The information needs of the farmers from the two regions were slightly different. In the Jalgaon district with predominantly irrigated cotton production, farmers receiving information from at least one formal source had a significant positive impact on cotton output and the value of output per unit area. While considering each formal information source separately, heterogeneity in impact was observed. Access to information from public sources and mass media had a significant positive impact on cotton output. Mass media sources played a significant role in increasing the value of output per unit area. Despite government and other agencies' efforts and better access to information in predominantly rainfed areas (Yavatmal district), information received by farmers could not produce the desired impact. It necessitates appropriate tailoring of information, specific for these regions; as general information failed to produce much impact. This is a holistic study about information dynamics in agriculture, covering information need to its impact in two different cotton producing regions. The study reflects the heterogeneous impacts of access to agricultural information considering different sources. It suggests the importance of region specific customization of agricultural information and emphasizes more role of public sources in provision of market intelligence. Study advocates efforts to effectively channelize agro-advisories through Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and Information Communications Technology (ICT) sources. [Display omitted] • The impact of access to information on cotton output and value of output was estimated in two different production regions. • The educational level of the farmers was a major determinant of access to information from various formal sources. • In a predominantly irrigated production region, access to information from at least one formal source had a positive impact. • A heterogeneous impact of access to information from different sources was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Rockfalls are frequent phenomena in hilly regions and have threatened manmade environment as well as generated loss of human life and property. Therefore, the detachment of large size boulders and their fall track represent issues that should be evaluated for urban planning and for the construction of lifelines. In order to achieve this evaluation, several methodologies has been proposed and applied, regarding rockfall hazard. In this paper, a delineation of areas susceptible to rock-falling at the foothills of around the Saptashrungi Gad temple has been investigated. Various cases were simulated and analyzed using numerical tools and pertinent parameters incorporated and calibrated in field and laboratory using silent witnesses. The area mainly comprises compact and amygdaloidal basalt with weak planes of red bole. The outcome of this study is the estimation of simulated fall track and the rockfall bounce height with distance, variation of bounce height with mass of the falling block and dependence of translational kinetic energy on block mass. Bounce height decreases as the mass of the falling block increases whereas translational kinetic energy increases with the mass of the falling block. Also rockfall simulations have been used to know the capacity of the protection barrier and the barrier capacity has found to be 180kJ for 200kg of falling blocks. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The growth potential of any state is linked with infrastructure and electricity infrastructure is the most important parameter for economic growth. Maharashtra, a prominent state in India consumes 12 per cent of India''s electricity. Maharashtra''s power sector is facing the electricity deficit and shortage since early 2005. On the other hand, industrial and service sectors are rising in the state. The present paper discusses electricity situational analysis of the state. Electricity demand analysis has been presented and comparison of state electricity demand vis-à-vis Mumbai''s demand (state capital) has been carried out for two years. Variation for monthly average demand for two years and load shedding have also been analyzed. Power supply situation analysis and analysis of major power suppliers have been carried out. The State Load Distribution Center data is used to depict the load variation for a typical day. Interventions needed to sustainably meet the growing demands are also discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: MicroSources and Renewable Energy sources refers to Distributed energy resources(DERs) and MicroGrids refers to a distribution network for electrical energy,starting from electricity generation to its transmission and storage with the ability to respond to dynamic changes on energy supply through co-generation and demand adjustment.Utilising potential of available distributed energy sources, MicroGrids can provide improved electric service reliability and better power quality to end users of electricity at conservative approach which might not be with the MicroGrids (centralized power grids). A worldwide research is going on MicroGrids, its application and control to overcome the weaknesses of the centralized power grids. In India due to power crisis a heavy load shedding has been carried out since last five years as load demand increasing day by day. Presently the concept of MicroGrids has been utilizing in rural areas of countries namely Canada, US, UK, Kenya etc. India is also having rich potential for Distributed energy resources (DERs). In this paper, potential of Distributed energy resources (DERs) in rural areas of Maharashtra state India has been predicted and suggested how application of Microgrids can reduce energy losses, improve power quality, deliver sustained power by Zero Load Shedding Model. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, the parameter-wise optimization training process is implemented to achieve an optimal configuration of focused time lagged recurrent neural network (FTLRNN) models by embedding the gamma, laguarre, and multi-channel tapped delay line memory structure. The aim is to examine the prediction ability of the proposed models in order to predict one-day-ahead electric power load simultaneously as usual to oppose 1–24h forecast in sequel with a special emphasis on seasonal changes over a year. An improved delta-bar-delta algorithm is used to accelerate the training of neural networks and to improve the stability of the convergence. Experimental results indicate that the FTLRNN with time delay neural network (TDNN) clearly outperformed the gamma and laguarre based short-term memory structure in various performance metrics such as mean square error (MSE), normalized MSE, correlation coefficient (r) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) during evaluation process. Empirical results show that the proposed dynamic NN model consistently performs well on daily, weekly, and monthly average basis in terms of prediction accuracy. It is noticed from the literature review that an optimally configured FTLRNN with multi-channel tapped delay line memory structure is not currently available to solve short-term electrical power load prediction. The proposed method gives acceptable errors in all seasons, months and on daily basis. The average prediction error on three weeks is obtained as low as 1.67%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explicates the role of community-level intermediaries in post-liberalized economic sectors. Focusing on nascent commercial markets for improved, smokeless cookstoves in southwestern Maharashtra, I describe how development is encountered by three analytic groups – artisans, female stove users and NGO field officers. This study highlights patterns of strategic intermediary action, or forms of brokering, used to negotiate the commercialization process for individuals involved in the fabrication, distribution and use of improved cookstoves. A close analysis of the mediating agent can strengthen theories on how individuals and communities encounter sector privatization and state retrenchment. This study reveals a diverse set of brokering activities and actors, and shows how intermediaries combine tasks associated with traditional conceptions of the political fixer and market broker by working within and between groups of market, village and state operatives to transform market supply chains. Mediating agents coordinate counter regulating activities within civil society in the absence of heavy state intervention and play a crucial role in activating and connecting community interests to latent neoliberal state resources. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Conventionally, measurement of cost of children by iso-prop method [Int. Stat. Inst. Anal. 9 (1895) 1] involves equating budget share on food of the two households compared. In this paper we use an alternative necessary commodity, viz., adult good (as suggested by Blackorby and Donaldson [The Measurement of Household Welfare, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1994)]) in place of food and measure the relative cost of a child using iso-prop method in a single equation framework as well as in a demand system framework. The demand system, proposed herein, is a rank-two Quadratic Logarithmic (QL) system. Household level consumption expenditure data for the rural sector of Maharashtra, India, are used in this study. The results indicate that the nature of the commodity along with the effect of children on consumption of that particular commodity, plays a major role in determining child cost. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Large on-site survey to provide real-world investment data of 108 iron-steel plants. • Agent-based integrated assessment framework to assess industry fuel-switching. • Fuel-switching assessment including 4 investment metrics and 5 comparable scenarios. • Partial-equilibrium agent-based scenarios of an evolving socio-technical system. • Partial-equilibrium agent interactions produce non-smooth gas uptake patterns. This paper presents the formulation and application of a novel agent-based integrated assessment approach to model the attributes, objectives and decision-making process of investors in a long-term energy transition in India's iron and steel sector. It takes empirical data from an on-site survey of 108 operating plants in Maharashtra to formulate objectives and decision-making metrics for the agent-based model and simulates possible future portfolio mixes. The studied decision drivers were capital costs, operating costs (including fuel consumption), a combination of capital and operating costs, and net present value. Where investors used a weighted combination of capital cost and operating costs, a natural gas uptake of ~12PJ was obtained and the highest cumulative emissions reduction was obtained, 2 Mt CO 2 in the period from 2020 to 2050. Conversely if net present value alone is used, cumulative emissions reduction in the same period was lower, 1.6 Mt CO 2 , and the cumulative uptake of natural gas was equal to 15PJ. Results show how the differing upfront investment cost of the technology options could cause prevalence of high-carbon fuels, particularly heavy fuel oil, in the final mix. Results also represent the unique heterogeneity of fuel-switching industrial investors with distinct investment goals and limited foresight on costs. The perception of high capital expenditures for decarbonisation represents a significant barrier to the energy transition in industry and should be addressed via effective policy making (e.g. carbon policy/price). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Non-dietary pathways can potentially address micronutrient outcomes for women. • Women's iron status improves with higher empowerment levels in agriculture. • Women's minimum dietary diversity score is unable to reflect iron status. • Detailed data on blood tests fills the gap for reliable iron estimates in India. In this paper we study the relationship between women's empowerment in agriculture and their iron deficiency status in Maharashtra, India. This is the first time the Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) has been used in association with explicit measurement of medical biomarkers for women's iron deficiency status. Using primary data for 960 women we find that the log odds of a poor iron status in women decline as women's empowerment levels in agriculture improve. Further, this decline is seen in the presence of multiple dietary diversity measures (dietary diversity score, share of rice and wheat in the diet, total iron intake and iron intake from iron-rich food groups – all for 24-h and 30-day recalls) suggesting that in addition to dietary pathways women's empowerment can play a role in addressing micronutrient deficiencies like those of iron in a vulnerable sub-group of the population. It also reinforces the need to move away from the 'staple grain fundamentalism' that has characterized agricultural policy in India, towards more nutrition-sensitive food systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Loksatta files a court case against water use for IPL cricket at a time of drought. • We discursively analyse the contestations around water use in this case from 2016. • A neoliberal view of water as an economic good is institutionalized in Maharashtra. • This is opposed by Loksatta and India's Judiciary that view water as a Human Right. • While Loksatta wins the Court case, we argue that the victory is symbolic in nature. In this paper, we analyze a major controversy regarding the allocation of water for Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket matches during a period of extreme drought in the state of Maharashtra in India. We use a discursive approach to public policy to understand water policy production and to analyze the competing narratives on water advanced by opposing discourse coalitions during the 'IPL vs. drought' controversy. We find that the neoliberal view of 'water as an economic good' is dominant and institutionalized in the water allocation priorities determined by the Maharashtra State government. This is resisted by civil society actors like Loksatta and by the Indian judiciary, who view 'water as a Human Right.' Our reading of the 'IPL vs. drought' public interest litigation (PIL) shows that Loksatta's decision to target water allocation for the IPL through the Courts leverages the popularity of the IPL in the Indian media, as well as the uneven unfolding of neoliberalism across institutions of the state in India. At the same time, Loksatta's PIL focuses solely on the IPL and does not pay attention to the water allocation to larger users like industry and sugarcane cultivation that best represent the institutionalization of the neoliberal view of water in Maharashtra. We argue that the focus on the IPL makes it the site of contesting water policy on ideological grounds. We conclude by examining the challenge provided by Loksatta's PIL to the dominant neoliberal view of water in Maharashtra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]