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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]

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]

• Water withheld to maintain a certain level of reliability are a cost that are not evaluated in catchment wide studies. • Greater reliability is not always beneficial, as the value of water held to maintain a level of reliability is ignored. • Once considered on a system wide basis, the benefits of greater levels of reliability become circumspect. • Changing the level or reliability in an irrigation system will not affect all regions and parts of that system equally. Increasing water reliability in a catchment requires reducing the total quantity of water available to users in some years in order to supply it in more years when its supply is constrained. Thus, the more reliable the supply the more water that needs to be withheld. Consequently, increased levels of water reliability to a catchment, which reduces the costs associated with an unreliable supply, often comes at an incremental increase in costs that researchers do not consider; that of the water foregone that could be have been used productively if the system had been run less reliably. In this paper the trade-offs between the costs of water foregone to maintain a level of reliability and the costs associated with an unreliable supply of water at different levels of reliability in an irrigation system are discussed. The concepts developed are applied to the irrigation sector in the Musi catchment in Andhra Pradesh, India from 2011 to 2040. In this catchment it was found that the costs of water foregone to increase reliability rise as the level of reliability rises, while the benefits generally fall. When the level of reliability exceeded approximately 85% (where water is so scarce that it is used on only the most valuable output), the costs of greater reliability exceed the benefits resulting in net losses to the system. These results were found to vary in each demand centre across the catchment. These results have implications for those considering innovations that improve the level of reliability in a catchment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Having achieved remarkable improvements in basic education, India now faces the issues of low learning levels, and a high dropout rate. This paper examines whether the learning crisis is responsible for students dropping out of school using unique panel data that followed nearly 1000 Indian children from 2002 to 2013. We discover that literacy skills acquired by the age of 12 have long-lasting, positive effects on subsequent school progression. We also find that local job opportunities influence school progression. Further, we find that time spent on household chores negatively affects literacy acquirement during primary school years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to draw attention to two important, but less researched, areas regarding low fee private school provision in India. Firstly, the paper evaluates the impact of fees on household debt burden and decision-making, and secondly highlights the dynamic interplay between the private and government sub-sectors and the potential consequences this may have for educational delivery. The paper attempts to provide an overview of the historic growth, extent and performance of low fee private schools and private tutoring. Consistent with others, the paper finds that private provision is not currently accessible to the poorest and thus potentially deleterious to equity both within schools and within families. While drawing on existing research and particularly the longitudinal Young Lives data sets in Andhra Pradesh – findings are largely exploratory. The paper concludes that there is a need for further research on both household and school effects related to increasing privatisation in education. In particular there is a focus on how emerging inequalities emanating from school choice and private tuitions can be addressed. This is urgently needed to inform policy and investment decisions that maximise the contribution of both sectors and mitigate against inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the development of low T c SQUID (Superconducting Quantum Interference Device) based TDEM (Time Domain Electro-Magnetic) system for geophysical applications. The SQUID system has been used to perform central loop TDEM sounding measurements near Tumallapalle Uranium mine, Cuddapah (dt), AP, India, where the terrain consists of a thin conducting layer below which low grade Uraniferous Phosphatic Siliceous Dolostone is present. Locating the thin conducting layer which is covered by a thick and highly resistive layer is a challenging task due to the induction of weak eddy currents. In order to enhance the resolution of the target located at larger depth, it is essential to apply larger transmitter moment and use a sensitive receiver. In this work, we combine the use of sensitive SQUID sensor and transmitter loop with larger size to achieve better target resolution. The survey has been performed using transmitter loop sizes of 100 m × 100 m and 400 m × 400 m. In order to compare the performance of the SQUID based TDEM system, the same experiments have also been repeated using induction coil as receiver which has been built for this work. In this article, we describe in detail the results obtained from the central loop TDEM measurements. • TDEM sounding measurements with low Tc SQUID at Tumallapalle, AP, India. • Experimental site is a thin conductive layer buried under high resistive layer • Enhanced depth of investigation with transmitter moment • Better target resolution achieved by SQUID compared to fluxgate and induction coil [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of hydro geochemical exploration for sub-surface uranium mineralization is becoming significant due to the geochemical properties of uranium. The oxygen in natural water enhances the mobility of uranium by the complexing action of carbonates and bicarbonates with oxidized uranyl ions. The uranium and its decay products (i.e., radium group) can be used as good tracers for pinpointing uranium mineralization. The basement complex in the south of Cuddapah basin comprises granite, gneiss-migmatites and patches of greenstone belts. There are different generation of fractures and mafic dykes trending E–W, N S, NW-SE and NE–SW directions. The NNE–SSW to NE–SW trending fractures are youngest and often show higher uranium values in water along the same trend indicating possible mineralization. The fractures are often intruded by younger basic intrusive rocks and quartz reefs which often show high uranium content. Several NE–SW to NNE–SSW trending fracture zones with uranium mineralization are observed in the areas around Shivaramapuram-Nutankalva, Kamaguttapalle and T. Sundupalle villages. These sympathetic fracture zones are important for further sub-surface exploration. The present focus is given on a NE-SW fracture zone along Sivaramapuram–Nutanakalva tract extends over a strike length of ~15 km with a plan width of ~1 to 1.5 km. The tract is mostly soil covered and rock outcrops are scanty. Radioactive anomalies are located at small outcrops in fractured basic dyke, fractured and altered granite, deformed quartz vein, sludge samples collected from private village drilling sites, Pincha river channel sands and soils (U 3 O 8 values up to 0.19% (β/γ); n = 44;). Hydrogeochemical exploration along this fracture zone has indicated anomalous concentration of uranium in water samples ranging from 100 to 19,434 ppb U (n = 110). Selective borewells have been monitored for 8 months to check the seasonal variation. The data remain persistent and indicated encouraging outcome. This NE–SW fracture zone has affected the Nagari quartzite of Cuddapah Supergroup, thus indicate Post Nallamalai Mesoproterozoic Grenville orogeny, which is metallogenically favourable epoch for fracture controlled uranium mineralization. The surface anomalies vis-a-vis the hydro uranium anomalies and suitable geochemical condition along the NE-SW trending fracture make this zone a potential target for further sub-surface exploration. • The application of hydro geochemical exploration for sub-surface uranium mineralization is the topic of the paper. • the study area is mainly a granitoid province where a soil covered concealed fracture controlled uranium mineralization is being reported. • NE-SW trending fracture zone showed upto 19434 ppb uranium content in water. • Radioactive anomalies are located at small outcrops exposed near Sivarampuram in fractured basic dyke [0.13 and 0.19% U 3 O 8 (β/γ; n =2)] and Katramuduku in fractured granite [0.014 to 0.135% U 3 O 8 (β/γ); n =3]. • These surface anomalies vis-a-vis the hydro uranium anomalies and suitable geochemical condition along the NE-SW trending fracture make this zone a potential target for further sub-surface exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recently explored sites, Kandhanthi and Mekala benchi are situated in the western part of the Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh, South India. This is considered to be one of the richest archaeological hubs in the world of the primitive man activities. Substantial Rock Art in the form of petroglyphs, stone tools, and potsherd discovered in these sites dates back to Neolithic, Megalithic and Historical periods indicating the cultural continuity of the human race. However, the main aim of the present investigation is to record the socio-cultural profile and communicative activities of the early man. It also attempts to study the Geo-Archaeological implications of the area. The primitive man and his palaeo-art activities can well be established by knowing the geological and environmental history of the archaeological sites. This work also assayed to inter-relate the socio-cultural conditions of the primitive man activities to the present human activities at and around the investigated sites. Hence, this paper attempts to document the historicity of the newly explored sites in archaeological, ethno-archeological, and geological perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]