Search

Contrarian investment behavior on paper or Demat gold by private investors, India as a country cherishes the status of holding a large number of private investors in gold. Gold as a common term usually takes to the picture of multiple shaped ornaments made up of shiny yellow metal carrying huge value in society since ages to explore the search bit wider gives the option of Gold available in paper or Demat format. The concept of paper gold which has value without physical existence is quite a new concept to the current existing trend. The study focuses on such contrarian investment and their behavioral science on financial investment in the Indian Market amidst COVID-19 Pandemic. The objective of the study is to identify independent factors influence on contrarian investment on paper gold and investor's psychological behavior on decision making when rejecting the current trends over new instrument or investment pattern. This paper also identifies the role of gender in gold investment pattern and knowledge on gold being private investors who care higher rate of risk. The study has been conducted with the sample of 110 individuals through structured questionnaire and with the help of statistical tools "two way anova and correlation" has been carried. The study concluded how the contrarian investment was not based on the age of a private investor but qualification makes much difference on their behaviorin the Indian Market amidst COVID-19 Pandemic and the same type of influence on gender over preference of gold is limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The entire world seems to have responded to COVID-19 pandemic in a knee-jerk manner with a short mindset without building on the existing strengths of public health infrastructure. National governments cannot be blamed for this as we are dealing with a crisis that comes once in a lifetime. Realising this, the Organized Medicine Academic Guild (OMAG) an association of major health associations in this country has suggested measures for long-term solutions to COVID-19-like pandemics in the form of a policy paper by OMAG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has very high rates of hospital-related transmission among healthcare workers (HCWs), mandating the need for careful intensive care unit (ICU) designing, optimization of staff resources, implementation of vigorous infection control practices, environmental disinfection, meticulous sample collection, and criteria for staff quarantine. Most of the ICUs are not designed to deal with airborne viral infections and require redesigning for the safety of HCWs and patients. Infection control practices related to the prevention of spread of COVD-19 are unique and are well described. The training of staff on infection control practices reduces the infection rate among HCWs significantly. Adequate staffing not only helps in infection control but also prevents burnout of the staff. In case of infection to HCW, the staff must be assessed systematically, and institute's infection control committee should guide for isolation period as well as return to work based upon standard recommendations. This article focuses on infection control and prevention measures required in ICU during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Animal studies are an indispensable part of fundamental and applied research essential for the advancement of human and veterinary health, including the current global quest for treatments and a vaccine development to combat the infectious diseases. This necessity is now clearly highlighted by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic More recently a growing number of studies are published on this theme. Therefore, a bibliometric analysis of research on "Animal models in Covid-19" research is necessary and it is likely to focus on current status of research and indicate future direction in this study. Materials and Methods: The India's originated literature is searched on "Animal Models in Covid-19" using two set of keywords related to Covid-19 and animals in "Keyword" and "Title" (Title of articles) tags to reach the relevant publications. VOSviewer was applied to perform the bibliometric analysis of these articles. Bibliographical data obtained from above search strategy was analysed by using well-established bibliometric indices. Results: The bibliometric analysis of India's literature on the topic "Animal Models in Covid-19" research indicates that there were 2343 India's publications indexed in Scopus database during 2020-21. The topic witnessed the uneven participation of more than 160 countries, where 88.63% and more than 100.0% share of the global publications and citations share caming from top 10 countries. USA leads the ranking with global publication share of 28.16% share, followed by China (13.30%, U.K. (10.67%), Italy (9.93%). India's research output on this topic registered 7.46% share to global output. The 496 organizations and 869 authors participated in India's research on "Animal Model in Covid-19", of which the top 25 Indian organizations and 25 authors contributed 46.58% and 22.60% share to India's national publication output and 61.19% and 48.8% share to India's citation output respectively. AIIMS - New Delhi, PGIMER-Chandigarh, and IVRI-Bareilly were the most productive organizations (with 118, 115 and 68 publications). IVRIBareilly, PGIMER-Chandigarh and College of Veterinary Science, Mathura were the impactful organizations in terms of citation per paper and relative citation index. K. Dharma, R. Tiwari and Y.S. Malik were the most productive authors (with 63, 35 and 27 papers). H. Harapan, A.K.Singh and A Misra were the most impactful authors (with 90.42, 88.20 and 73.31 CPP). International Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Indian Journal of Medical Research and Diabetes and Metabolic Syndromes. Clinical Research and Review were the most productive journals (with 72, 56 and 50 papers). Conclusion: The paper provides a understanding of the current research on animal models presently used in Covid-19 research in India, identify key players and their collaboration patterns and key sub-fields, which may be useful to practicing scholars and clinicians to advance their future research in a more effective manner and to policymakers in deciding the area of research to be funded in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the world tries to grapple with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are concerns about the revivals of economies across the globe. The world is also trying to make sense of global restructuring trade, which is expected in the post-COVID-19 world. This paper attempts to analyze the emerging trade scenario between India and China. Atlas of Economic Complexity theory (ACE) by Ricardo Hausmann, Cesar A. Hidalgo has been taken as a base for this research. This study propagates that the countries with products that require more know-how have more potential to grow. Taking the Atlas map giving details of Indian exports as a base, the researchers have compared the data from the last two years. The purpose is to identify whether the complexity of Indian exports is increasing or not. A particular case study has been done on Indian exports to China. There has been little progress in this field as India is exporting more complex products slightly to China. There is an urgent need to formulate a strategy to enhance the complexity of Indian exports. The policymakers need to give impetus to the industries which have a cross-cultural demand in China and leverage this opportunity. This will open the path for consolidating India's position in the global trade as well as improving its strategic position vis-a-vis China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world is passing through a global pandemic of COVID 19. The number of positive cases has crossed over twenty thousand as of April 2020. Like everyone else, it is indeed a very challenging situation for family physicians and primary care providers as most of the guidelines presently have focused on screening, quarantine, isolation, and hospital-based management. Limited information or clarity is available on running small private clinics during pandemic times. The key concern is professional obligation versus risks of community transmission. Family physicians see routine flu-like illnesses throughout the year with seasonal variation within their practices. This document is intended to develop consensus and standard practices for the family physicians and other primary care providers during the pandemic, ensuring optimal continuity of care. This document was reviewed by the national executive of the Academy of Family Physicians of India and approved for dissemination among members. However, due to the dynamic status of the pandemic, all practitioners are advised to closely follow the instructions, guidelines, and advisories of national, state and local health authorities as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work has become a widespread phenomenon, affecting various sectors of the economy, including the services sector. This paper examines the effects of remote work and in-person work on productivity, profitability, satisfaction, and challenges faced by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the services sector. The paper employs a survey methodology to gather data from 200 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in the services sector across India, who have opted for remote work or in-person employment during the pandemic. To analyze the data and test the hypotheses, the paper employs descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression analysis. In the paper, it is found that remote work has a positive impact on the productivity and profitability of SMEs in the services sector, but also poses some challenges such as communication difficulties, cyber-security risks, and work-life balance issues. In addition, the paper finds that in-person work has a positive impact on the satisfaction and motivation of SMEs in the services sector, but also exposes them to health risks and operational costs. The paper concludes by presenting some recommendations for small and medium-sized enterprises operating in the services sector to effectively address the challenges of remote work and in-person work, and to capitalize on the potential offered by both forms of employment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Global Journal of Economics & Business is the property of Refaad for Studies, Research & Development and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The paper examines productivity performance of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) vis-à-vis large firms in India's organised manufacturing sector in the backdrop of COVID-19. To address simultaneity and endogeneity associated with firm size and productivity, the paper applies the Levinsohn and Petrin method to an unbalanced panel to estimate the production function and calculate the total factor productivity (TFP). The results suggest that productivity levels in financial years 2012 to 2022 were comparable between MSME firms and large firms, with the latter performing marginally better. TFP growth stagnated in the pre-pandemic period for both MSMEs and large firms. Post-COVID-19, productivity increased for both large firms and MSMEs, with productivity growth in MSMEs catching up with that of large firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to determine the implications of Covid-19 on the livelihood of marine fishermen. It gives a concrete picture of how vulnerable communities like marine fishermen are affected due to the lockdown policies. The paper examines these communities' present status and the extent of vulnerability during the post-Covid period. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses an exploratory research design to find the solution to the research problem. 298 samples were collected and analysed within a sustainable livelihood theoretical framework. The scope of the study is limited to marine fishermen in Kerala, residing in six districts out of the nine coastal districts. The impact of the lockdown on income was analysed using paired t-test and results linked with the theory. Findings: The study has done an empirical analysis for three periods: before lockdown, lockdown and after lockdown, to identify the impact of lockdown on marine fishermen. The study's significant findings are that these fishermen's livelihood is at risk during the post-lockdown period, and many families are moving into a "debt-trap". Research limitations/implications: Policymakers can develop appropriate policy strategies to enhance the livelihood assets of vulnerable communities to include them in a sustainable framework. Originality/value: Only a few studies are highlighting the impact of Covid-19 on vulnerable communities in India. The effects of climate change on the marine ecosystem are already endangering marine fisher folks' livelihoods. In this light, it is vital to study the extent of the impact of income shock on the livelihood assets of marine fishermen due to the lockdown policy implemented in the State to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-03-2023-0192 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) play a salient role in converting scarce financial resources into capital formation. They supplement the role of traditional banks by meeting the financial needs of the organised and unorganised sectors. They fill the credit gaps where the reach of banks is minimal. The paper provides a general review of NBFCs in India. The paper throws light on how NBFCs can increase their scope in micro, small and medium enterprises and retail sectors. The NBFCs have a cutting edge over banks because of their customised product offerings. The paper discusses the role of digitalisation in NBFCs' functioning. The paper further evaluates the challenges faced by NBFCs due to the Infrastructure Leasing and Financing Services crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. The degrading asset quality, decreasing profitability and evasion of capital due to sluggish industrial growth and increased provisioning remain current challenges. The corrective actions taken by NBFCs and the Reserve Bank of India to mitigate the risks arising from these challenges are also discussed. The study is concluded by recommending that the entire framework of NBFCs be recalibrated such that precedence is given to enhancing corporate governance and establishing resiliency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All over the world, waste and its disposal are becoming a more prominent issue, as landfills swell up and growing evidence points to its contribution to climate change and environmental degradation. In the developing world, waste pickers sort through solid waste and sell it to vendors, who will recycle the product into something consumable. The work they do is vital to climate change mitigation, as well as urban cleanliness. In a way, waste pickers, especially in India, are vehicles of environmental justice, but they are often discriminated against and subjected to inhumane working conditions. In this environment, the pandemic hit, making waste pickers' already precarious life even worse. This paper attempts to fill the gap in the academic literature by compiling a systemized literature review of the impacts of COVID-19 on waste-pickers' lives using an environmental justice perspective. The review also uses a Feminist Political Ecology perspective to illuminate the double jeopardy that female waste pickers face in the era of COVID-19, which academia often ignores. Ultimately, this paper shows that COVID-19 exacerbated the preexisting injustices that the waste picker community face and created an immense burden on women. This paper will show that it is important to notice the differentiation between female and male waste picker challenges, especially at the crux of the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper has important policy implications as well as research considerations for both environmental justice and feminist political ecology scholars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This research paper aims to study the achievement of the objectives set by the Government of Kerala through the Arogyakeralam Pain and Palliative Care project. Design/methodology/approach: The research paper delves into diverse facets of an individual's well-being including medical, emotional, spiritual and social aspects, when confronted with an incurable and incapacitating disease through the intervention of the PPC project. This insightful study was conducted in the state of Kerala, India. Findings: The analysis reveals that quality of life (QoL) is most influenced by spiritual, social and psychological factors. This paper raises pertinent questions about the effectiveness of PPC initiatives within the realm of medical care. Social implications: The thought, conception and preparation of the subject is on improving social health care by assessing the existing practices followed by the local governance. This, by far, would benefit millions by formulating appropriate policies for improving the QoL. Originality/value: The Kerala model of health care has garnered global acclaim, standing shoulder to shoulder with the health systems of developed nations. Adopting "active total care" to address pain and allied indications, the Arogyakeralam palliative care program significantly enhances patients' QoL. The focus was to uplift the QoL of patients suffering from terminal illnesses post-pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed several chinks in the armour of public health infrastructure across the world. However, the impact of the pandemic has been assessed primarily from the perspective of the 'privileged' members of society. The experiences of the 'other' world inhabited by the marginalised communities, who have had their livelihoods crushed under the weight of the pandemic, have been scarcely documented. As thousands of migrant workers were more scared of death caused by hunger rather than the disease itself, the various steps taken by different countries to curb community transmission have unveiled the ugly side of these measures. For example, as several states such as the US, the UK, Singapore, Hong Kong, and India/Bharat imposed lockdowns, border closures, quarantines, inter alia, the most vulnerable section of the human population has been the migrant workers, especially those individuals who were employed in the unorganised sector. Thus, the global health crisis has unravelled deep-rooted deficiencies, racial biases, and an overall lack of concern and empathy for the lesser privileged, apart from the growing socio-economic divide between the rich and the poor. This research paper aims to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on migrant workers in the informal sector by exploring the measures imposed by the US, the UK, Singapore, Hong Kong, and India/Bharat and analyse how their fundamental rights, including the right to development, were compromised. Through this paper, the author provides a five-point strategic framework that can be adopted globally to prevent such instances in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to study the experiences of middle-class working mothers from the ITES (Information Technology Enabled Service) sector in India during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their experiences of work from home are studied in the backdrop of the ideal worker model at work and the adult worker model at home. Further, the study aims to identify the need for sustainable, inclusive practices for working mothers in Indian organizations to break the male breadwinner model in middle-class households. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative approach to collect data from 39 middle-class mothers working in MNCs in four metro cities in India. The semi-structured, in-depth interviews focused on their experiences of motherhood, care and work before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings: The pandemic made it evident that the ideal worker model in organizations and the adult worker model at home were illusions for working mothers. The results indicate a continued obligation of the "ideal worker culture" at organizations, even during the health crisis. It made the working mothers realize that they were chasing both the (ideal worker and adult worker) norms but could never achieve them. Subsequently, the male breadwinner model was reinforced at home due to the matrix of motherhood, care and work during the pandemic. The study concludes by arguing the reconstruction of the ideal worker image to make workplaces more inclusive for working mothers. Originality/value: The study is placed in the context of Indian middle-class motherhood during the pandemic, a demography less explored in the literature. The paper puts forth various myths constituting the gendered realities of Indian middle-class motherhood. It also discusses sustainable, inclusive workplace practices for mothers from their future workplaces' standpoint, especially in post-pandemic times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covid 19 brought to light the importance to personal and environmental hygiene and hence masks came into usage. Personal hygiene and community hygiene are an integral part of health and needs to be a priority for all. Throughout the Indian History and culture, we find importance given to the same. This paper tries to look into the historical understanding of hygiene and materials used for cleansing. Literature review and understanding of hygiene in the present day have been used to analysis and frame this paper. Through this paper the author shall conclude that no matter how much did the society change over a period of time in history, it still stressed upon the cleansing agent and cleanliness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extent of COVID 19 pandemic results in closing down the universities and colleges across the world. The most vulnerable of tuition-dependent institutions, particularly the ones already facing demographically driven declines in demand, will be the hardest hit by the pandemic. The online teaching learning and assessment at this time becomes a crucial part of education. Taking the online test was crucial as lots of malpractices would happen. The developing countries like India, where the advancement of e-learning, online education, MOOC has not reached to its peak level, the assessment and evaluation of students becomes very difficult. Due to unforeseen situation like COVID-19 lockdown, the above paper shares a fruitful experience of conducting online case study-based paper and its online evaluation. The case study was conducted in the classrooms of the undergraduate class of NMIMS University for Multimedia Systems Course. This case study-based paper leaves with the message of acceptability of the online teaching-learning and its effect near the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In India, COVID-19 outbreaks and economic disruptions have caused widespread human suffering, including deaths and livelihood losses. This has exacerbated vulnerabilities in socially and economically disadvantaged communities. The pandemic has highlighted the need for evaluators to be adaptable and innovative in addressing uncertain and dynamic situations. Using literature and the authors' own experiences of conducting evaluation during the pandemic in India, this paper discusses what may be key evaluator competencies in a post-pandemic world. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to critically consider how evaluators practiced research and evaluation during the pandemic from the perspective of their competencies, and to explore issues of adaptability, communication, and ethical dilemmas, as well as the role of communities in shaping and informing evaluations. Setting: The study was conducted in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and evaluation practice in India. Intervention: Not applicable. Research Design: Case studies with interpretive approach. Data Collection and Analysis: In addition to three case studies and secondary literature and media reports, this study is based on a few in-depth interviews. Findings: The paper suggests that evaluators need to develop two core competencies-strategic thinking and emotional intelligence and resilience, to navigate unforeseen challenges and engage diverse communities in a sensitive and empathetic way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a hybrid model of teaching and learning that proposes new possibilities for exchanging tangible and intangible cross-cultural knowledge in textile craft education. The paper aims to demonstrate how online platforms can be used creatively to disseminate traditional craft knowledge and skills in new ways. The discussion centres on a unique virtual global studio between fashion and textile undergraduate students at the University of Technology Sydney and on an artisanal woodblock print studio, Tharangini, based in Bengaluru (Bangalore), India. The hybrid workshop was an adaptation of the studio in response to travel restrictions caused by the pandemic. The author argues that while the internet cannot replace the immersive cultural experience of studying in another country, digital platforms have a place alongside teaching to offer otherwise impossible opportunities. This paper explores a methodology for disseminating craft knowledge and skills across cultures through a combination of online and in-house practicum. Classes were structured around weekly Zoom sessions with Director Padmini Govind, where sustainable approaches to print production were disseminated through a suite of commissioned films and hand-carved woodblocks to explore on campus. The results show how this unique adaptation allowed students to interact with the artisan craft of woodblock printing in rich and varied ways, and it proposes that this novel hybrid model can be creatively adapted to future craft education in the 2020s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper investigates the dynamic nature of risk in pre-, during- and post-COVID duration. It investigates how commercial office portfolio stakeholders in India perceived risk during the COVID pandemic, their risk response and mitigation strategies, and emerging structural changes that would impact the commercial office portfolio (COP) in the post-COVID period. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative and applied research method is adopted for the study. Through purposive sampling, commercial office portfolio stakeholders were selected and interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire having two parts. In the first part, risk attributes were accessed on the Likert scale and in the second part there were open-ended questions. Findings: The uncertainty during the COVID period increased the risk perception significantly. There was a sense of urgency to retain the tenants, preserve the headline rentals and keep the properties operational. COP managers were forthcoming to offer rent deferments, common area maintenance discounts and upgrades in the physical office in form of touchless equipment, better air filters, etc. Post-pandemic there would be extensive use of technology and data for facility management and space utilization analytics; mainstreaming of hybrid working and flexible office spaces; increased certification of buildings; adoption of ESG and sustainability norms; and better-designed buildings with a focus on EHS and wellbeing. Practical implications: Identifying structural changes in the post-pandemic period will help the COP managers to align their portfolios to the emerging office market requirements. Originality/value: This study helps in developing an understanding of the dynamic nature of the risk across pre-, during- and post-COVID periods. And risk responses and mitigation strategies adopted during the COVID period in an emerging market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to explore the intricate relationship between religio-political influence and its impact on social work in contemporary India. The escalating trends of majoritarianism, homogeneity, the instrumentalization of religion for political power, growing inequality, and the prevalence of caste-based violence have contributed to an alarming increase in intolerance among various religious, ethnic, and linguistic groups. These challenges, primarily driven by religio-political factions in India, pose significant obstacles to effective social work practice and intervention. The question arises: Can social work disentangle itself from religion and religio-political influence, or should a new narrative be developed within social work practice to address these concepts? This article underscores the pressing need for a fresh perspective that integrates religion, religiopolitics, and their influence on social work. New narrative can facilitate the development of effective strategies and interventions that mitigate the adverse effects of religio-political factions while promoting social justice and inclusivity. In conclusion, this paper emphasizes the necessity of reimagining the relationship between religion, religio-politics, and social work in India. Thus, social work can play a crucial role in fostering positive societal change, addressing inequality, and countering the rising tide of intolerance fueled by religio-political influences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has hugely affected the world and human lives, the economy, and lifestyles. The pandemic control measures, such as lockdowns, forced many people to migrate from their destination to their source in various states, leading to increased vulnerability of migrants. The present review aimed to explore the different health, economic, and social impacts on internal migrants of India during the pandemic. The publications on internal migration and COVID-19 from India were retrieved from PubMed and Google Scholar using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A total of 159 articles were extracted, of which 28 were reviewed. The articles published after March 1, 2020, were included in the review, irrespective of the design. Out of 28 articles, only half were original studies; the rest were either perspective, opinion, and review studies or editorial and commentary papers. Depression, anxiety, and stress due to job loss and lockdown were the major health issues documented. There was livelihood disturbance due to loss of income, such as inability to pay rent, loans, borrowing from relatives, and fear of its consequences. The migrants also faced stigma and discrimination from the villagers. The review also highlighted that although the government implemented various schemes to help the migrants, the majority were left out due to the non-availability of identity proof and ration cards. The safeguarding measures for these unregistered migrants must be facilitated to access health, economic, and social protection. Although various publications have focused on the mental health of the migrants, the socio-ecological aspects have been least explored, which calls for further studies. The literature on the impact of COVID-19 on other vulnerable populations like women and children and access to healthcare services is also scant, which needs to be explored further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mining is an important enterprise that will supply essential minerals for the country's infrastructural development. Mining is a key industry and a development engine in the Indian economy. The epidemic has had both immediate and long-term effects on the labour and industries in India. Short-term effects include the cessation of mineral production, salary loss due to absenteeism and pandemic limitations, unemployment, and the selling of minerals on the market. The reputation and economic health of industries, fresh mineral deposit exploration, and new mining complex development have all been impacted in long-term. Aside from the mining industry-specific impact of COVID-19, the social fabric of the mining workers has been impacted since they are living in an environment of fear and uncertainty. This paper attempts to analyse the effect of COVID-19 on extractive industries in India. It also focuses the steps which taken by the Indian government. The paper concluded with the negative effect of COVID-19 which disrupts the mining sector and the contribution declined during COVID-19. However, for instance from mineral rich-Odisha, the mining sector takes up by its growth in post COVID-19 period with remarkable increment from negative growth to high positive rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Even after COVID-19 pandemic, several organizations intend extending work-from-home (WFH), to the extent of making it permanent for many. However, WFH's impact on productivity remains uncertain. Therefore, this paper aims to study personal and job factors determining the likelihood of amount of work done at home being same/more vis-à-vis office. Design/methodology/approach: Employees' basic psychological needs and job crafting tendencies; job-related aspects of task independence, technology resources and supervisory support; and several demographic factors are examined as determinants. Firth logistic regression analysis of data from 301 Indian white-collar employees is performed. Findings: Demographically, longer exposure to WFH, greater work experience and being a support function worker increased the likelihood of same/greater amount of work done at home. Being a woman or married reduced the likelihood, while being a manufacturing/services worker was non-significant. Among psychological needs, greater needs for autonomy and relatedness decreased and increased the likelihood of same/greater amount of work done at home, respectively. Regarding personal and job resources, job crafting to increase structural job resources and supervisor support increased the likelihood of same/greater amount of work done at home versus office. Originality/value: This paper adds to the limited India-centric literature on WFH; uniquely examining influences of individual personal attributes on amount of work done by combining job demands-resources (JD-R) model and basic psychological needs theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-Help Groups (SHGs), the credit based voluntary groups in India are widely known for their potential to alleviate poverty and empower women. This research article explores a lesser-known theme. It tries to analyze the possibility of utilizing the current SHG model of the Indian Government to build and strengthen resilience of the SHG members in case of an external shock like financial stress, food insecurity, dispute in home for joining SHG, and difficulty to repay loan amidst lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This article also focuses on their coping mechanisms and attitude towards these crises. By utilizing primary data collected from 320 SHG members in one of the aspirational districts in West Bengal, India, the present paper tries to fulfill its objective. It provides a comprehensive understanding of the problems faced by the SHG members by combining both quantitative and qualitative techniques. The findings reveal that from organizing vocational trainings to relaxing loan repayment, SHGs and its women members overcame various adversities with tenacity, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the study findings, it is reasonable to conclude that the current SHG model in India presents a promising avenue for enhancing the resilience of its members in the face of external shocks. Article Highlights: Idiosyncratic stress like financial stress and systemic stress like the COVID-19 pandemic were ranked the top two crises faced by the SHG members. Recognizing financial stress and stress due to the COVID-19 pandemic as the top challenges faced by SHG members implies the need for immediate support (that includes access to financial resources, and assistance in adapting livelihood strategies to withstand external shocks), resilience-building efforts (by providing members with skills to diversify their income sources, creating emergency funds, and fostering community solidarity to collectively address crises), and policy attention (implementing policies that provide targeted assistance, such as social safety nets, healthcare access, and economic stimulus). The SHG members mostly had an active attitude towards the crises faced demonstrating their remarkable resilience and adaptive capacity. This highlights the most dominant role of SHGs in their ability to foster a sense of solidarity and collective problem-solving. Members often share experiences, skills, and resources, which can be invaluable during times of crisis. Additionally, the group dynamic encourages mutual support and encourages members to take proactive steps to address challenges rather than feeling overwhelmed by them. Moreover, participating in SHGs often empowers individuals to develop skills, build confidence, and access resources that enable them to better cope with crises. Thus, it implies the importance of community-based approaches like the SHGs to resilience-building. The primary role of SHGs in strengthening resilience among its members, particularly during challenging times like the COVID-19 pandemic was preventive measures (organizing COVID awareness programs), followed by promotional measures (organizing vocational trainings) and protective measures (distribution of food grains). By engaging in these preventive, promotional, and protective measures, SHGs bolstered the resilience of their members by equipping them with knowledge, skills, and resources to navigate challenges effectively. Overall, the implication is that SHGs have played a multifaceted role in supporting their members through the COVID-19 crisis, by focusing on prevention, promotion, and protection measures to enhance their resilience and mitigate the adverse effects of the pandemic on their well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak and the subsequent restrictive measures such as lockdown/shutdown have gravely impacted everyday life by suspending regular activities. This unprecedented situation has also led to a potential reorganization of social practices. The distinction between social spaces such as work, education, entertainment and family became linear, and the superseding of public, private and leisure time was evident. As a vibrant public space that plays a significant role in the personal and social life of the public, libraries had to explore novel methods to continue their services and social role during the lockdown period. This paper discusses rural public libraries in Kerala, India, by exploring their modalities of work execution and program organization during the pandemic-affected lockdown period between 2020–2022. The paper seeks to find out how the rural libraries of Kerala managed to engage in their daily services, focusing on how these libraries utilized digital media technologies and social networking sites in day-to-day activities. Based on the in-depth interviews with eleven local librarians this study explains different approaches planned and executed by the libraries to reach out to their readers and how these attempts mobilized and integrated the public to respond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: As Covid-19 became a pandemic, numerous people were forced to stay at home, leading to increased intimate partner violence (IPV) in many countries, particularly in developing and least-developed ones. This paper aims to highlight the IPV based on 15 different cases formed from the practical evidence of five developing countries. Design/methodology/approach: The authors interviewed 15 women from five countries who were the victims of IPV during the early periods of Covid-19 outbreak. Due to geographical remoteness, the authors conducted informal telephone interviews to collect the participants' personal experiences. The conversations were recorded with participants' permission; afterwards, the authors summarized participants' experiences into 15 different cases without revealing their original identities (instead, disguised names were used). Findings: It was revealed that the women were the primary victims of such violence, particularly from their intimate partners (husbands). In most cases, such IPV, as reported by the interviewees, originated or increased after the pandemic when they were forced to stay at home, losing their partners' jobs or income sources. Originality/value: The authors summarized the causes of IPV and put forward a few action recommendations based on the interviewees' practical experience and existing literature. This paper will open a new window for research investigations on IPV during emergencies such as Covid-19 outbreak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper empirically explores the impact of COVID‐19 pandemic and its accompanying lockdown on adolescent girls' and women's access to sanitary pads in India. We have used the National Health Mission's Health Management Information System (NHM‐HMIS) data for the study, which provides data on pads' distribution on a district level. The empirical strategy used in the study exploits the variation of districts into red, orange, and green zones as announced by the Indian Government. To understand how lockdown severity impacts access to sanitary pads, we used a difference‐in‐difference (DID) empirical strategy to study sanitary pads' access in red and orange zones compared to green zones. We find clear evidence of the impact of lockdown intensity on the provision of sanitary pads, with districts with the strictest lockdown restrictions suffering the most. Our study highlights how sanitary pads distribution was overlooked during the pandemic, leaving girls and women vulnerable to managing their menstrual needs. Thus, there is a requirement for strong policy to focus on the need to keep sanitary pads as part of the essential goods to ensure the needs of the girls and women are met even in the midst of a pandemic, central to an inclusive response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines how Hindu nationalist social service organizations, specifically the Deseeya Seva Bharathi (DSB), reconfigured the religious conception of 'Seva' to advance the project of constructing a Hindu social identity during the COVID-19 pandemic in the state of Kerala. The southern Indian state of Kerala has remained an exception in the story of the rise of the Hindu nationalist movement in contemporary India, which has repeatedly failed to make any considerable political inroads in the state. However, the disastrous economic consequences and livelihood challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic in the state, which was heavily dependent on foreign remittance and service industries, have opened up new spaces of engagement for Hindu nationalists. Drawing on the fieldwork conducted in central Kerala during the pandemic, this paper will elaborate on how the DSB used the crisis moment of the pandemic to reach out to economically and socially disadvantaged communities using the language of 'Seva' to build a Hindu social identity, which imbues the influence of majoritarian Hindu nationalist politics. The paper argues that the DSB's articulation of 'Seva' as a distinct and superior form of social service that is 'self-less', 'non-instrumental' and 'non-reciprocal' is significant in understanding the growing appeal of Hindu nationalist social service in the contested political sphere of Kerala, which is marked by competing social provisions by the state as well as other secular and religious groups. The paper notes that the reconfiguration of 'Seva' as a continuous religious concept enables Hindu nationalists to attain greater acceptance and legitimacy that even the secular state welfare could not achieve, while also concealing the inherent instrumental nature of its social service towards the construction of a Hindu social identity in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The fraud landscape for FinTech industry has increased over the past few years, certainly during the time of COVID-19, FinTech market reported rapid growth in the fraud cases (World Bank, 2020). Taking the consideration, the paper has qualitatively understood the loopholes of the FinTech industry and designed a conceptual model declaring "Identity Theft" as the major and the common fraud type in this industry. The paper is divided in two phases. The first phase discusses about the evolution of FinTech industry, the second phase discusses "Identity Theft" as the common fraud type in FinTech Industry and suggests solutions to prevent "Identity Theft" frauds. This study aims to serve as a guide for subsequent investigations into the FinTech sector and add to the body of knowledge regarding fraud detection and prevention. This study would also help organisations and regulators raise their professional standards in relation to the global fraud scene. Design/methodology/approach: This paper revisits the literature to understand the evolution of FinTech Industry and the types of FinTech solutions. The authors argue that traditional models must be modernised to keep up with the current trends in the rapidly increasing number and severity of fraud incidents and however introduces the conceptual model of the common fraud type in FinTech Industry. The research also develops evidences based on theoretical underpinnings to enhance the comprehension of the key fraud-causing elements. Findings: The authors have identified the most common fraud type in the FinTech Industry which is "Identity Theft" and supports the study with profusion of literature. "Identity theft" and various types of fraud continue to outbreak customers and industries similar in 2021, leaving several to wonder what could be the scenario in 2022 and coming years ahead (IBS Inteligence, 2022). "Identify theft" has been identified as one the common fraud schemes to defraud individuals as per the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. There is a need for many of the FinTech organisations to create preventive measures to combat such fraud scheme. The authors suggest some preventive techniques to prevent corporate frauds in the FinTech industry. Research limitations/implications: This study identifies the evolution of FinTech industry, major evidences of Identity Thefts and some preventive suggestions to combat identity theft frauds which requires practical approach in FinTech Industry. Further, this study is based out of qualitative data, the study can be modified with statistical data and can be measured with the quantitative results. Practical implications: This study would also help organisations and regulators raise their professional standards in relation to the global fraud scene. Social implications: This study will serve as a guide for subsequent investigations into the FinTech sector and add to the body of knowledge regarding fraud detection and prevention. Originality/value: This study presents evidence for the most prevalent fraud scheme in the FinTech sector and proposes that it serve as a theoretical standard for all ensuing comparison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the beginnings of the COVID-19 pandemic, India's government instituted a severe nationwide lockdown in late March 2020. In this paper, we analyze household survey data on income from an Indian state, Punjab. We analyze the impacts of the pandemic and lockdown on total household income, as well as its components, including wages, business income and transfers. This paper innovates in this area by using Poisson Pseudo Maximum Likelihood estimation to deal with the skewed distributions of various income components, as well as quantile regressions to examine differential impacts across the income distribution. We examine the differences between rural and urban households, differential impacts on female-headed and laborer households, and the time pattern of impacts. We find that rural households experienced more persistent income declines than urban households, and their wages suffered relatively more. Households with daily laborers were most badly affected, and this was especially true at the bottom of the income distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to reflect on how the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the social and economic vulnerability of Indian elderly women, thereby making them prone to varied forms of abuse and denying them of the basic rights of secured existence. Design/methodology/approach: This study was conducted by analyzing primary data from government sources that dealt with the aging Indian population and the common predicaments that elderly women experienced during the pandemic. A qualitative interview was conducted in three old-age homes in India where the experiences of 26 elderly female residents were documented for understanding their experiences during the pandemic. The secondary data collected from different newspaper articles and online resources also enabled in perusing the difficulties that they faced both at home and the caregiving space at the critical juncture of COVID-19. Findings: Nearly 73% of the elderly population in the country has faced an incidence in different forms of abuse and exploitation during the subsequent waves of the pandemic. Disrespect and neglect were the most common type of mistreatment and around 23.1% reported physical assault. The elderly women were victimized further on socioeconomic grounds and their rights of living a secured and dignified life were significantly neglected. Research limitations/implications: The basic premise of this paper operates on the ground that the family as an institution has shunned taking care of the responsibilities vis-a-vis the elderly and therefore formal institutions have been introduced to aid in the conventional caretaking responsibilities in the Indian societal structure. This situation became all the more grave during the pandemic and therefore needed much intervention. This paper follows the theoretical lens of gender theory and case study method to analyze the data. Social implications: The HelpAge India report findings entail that elderly women/widows are doubly marginalized in the Indian society, and the COVID-19 pandemic has escalated the caregiver stress on manifold levels, thus exacerbating the problem. As most of the female senior citizens are economically dependent on their children and relatives, financial exploitation became one of the important premise that deprived them of a healthy living both at home and elderly caregiving institution. Despite the prevalence of certain elderly assistance schemes in the country, the older women's needs and well-being got heavily impacted and their voice gets hardly recognized in the wider spectrum of sociopolitical events. To extend the requisite help and assistance to this socially vulnerable section, the government on September, 2021, launched a pan-India, toll-free helpline number "Elder Line" to provide relevant information on elderly legal and medical aid and guidance on procuring pension. Originality/value: According to the secondary findings, a significant percentage of elderly women have been susceptible to physical and emotional abuse and factors such as widowhood, economic dependency, physical infirmity, cognitive impairment along with other stressors have aggravated their exposure to ill-treatment during the pandemic span. Thus, to recognize and mitigate the existing problems affecting the elderly subjects, the government should devise the necessary protocols and adopt essential measures to ensure the welfare of the marginalized section and protect their basic rights of a holistic existence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: With the advent of the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic, there is a need to analyse the scenario of panic buying (PB) behaviour of the customers which was evident in the first wave. This paper aims to examine the PB scenario as well as the moderating effect of past buying experience (PBE) on PB in the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach: This study is based on the theories of stimulus–organism–response model and the competitive arousal model. Based on these theories, this paper investigates how panic situation created by external stimuli such as perceived scarcity (PS), perceived risk (PR), news in media (NM) and social learning affect the perceived arousal (PA) among people which in turn influence the PB behaviour of customers. Data were collected from 253 customers from different parts of India. Structural equation modelling is used to analyse the moderating effect of PBE on the PB in the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic. Findings: The results indicate that the PS, PR and NM continue to be strong predictors of a buyer for PA. However, the PB is not reinforced by the moderation effect of PBE. Research limitations/implications: This paper investigates the consumers' PB behaviours in the wake of third wave of COVID-19 pandemic which add to the existing literature of COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, this study also examines how previous buying experience can moderate the PB behaviour of the customers in subsequent phases of COVID-19 pandemic. This supports the potential effectiveness of self-regulation as an intervention strategy for reducing PB behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic. Practical implications: This study emphasises the impact of external stimuli like PS, PR and media coverage on PB behaviour, marketers and policymakers should manage to avoid triggers. Although PBE may not moderate PB during a pandemic, it can play a significant role in future buying behaviour. Anticipating potential triggers and designing effective marketing strategies that cater to customers' needs can help manage PB behaviour during disasters or pandemics. In addition, promoting conscious consumption awareness and self-regulation practices among customers can help manage PB behaviour, benefit the environment and society and make customers more responsible buyers. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study examines the PB behaviour of customers during the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic for the first time. This study also investigates the moderating effect of PBE on the PB behaviour of customers during a pandemic which is new and significant that extends the literature on PB behaviour during a pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: During the COVID-19 pandemic, many working mothers in India adopted involuntary telecommuting work option for the first time. However, no research explored their adjustments and experiences in the new work setting. This paper aims to gain an in-depth understanding of Indian working mothers' lived experience of involuntary telecommuting. Design/methodology/approach: A phenomenological research design was adopted. The authors conducted 14 in-depth, semi-structured telephonic and online interviews. Data were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis framework. Findings: The data analysis yielded two interconnected superordinate themes in this research: (1) characteristics of involuntary telecommuting and (2) the impact of involuntary telecommuting. Under the first theme, four sub-themes emerged: long working hours, increased family demands, reduced interaction with coworkers and technology-enabled communication with supervisors. The second theme comprised five sub-themes: time-based work interference with family, time-based family interference with work, strain-based family interference with work, absence of emotional and professional support and performance management concerns. Involuntary telecommuting mothers faced challenges due to lack of control over their daily work schedule and demands, along with an increased burden of unpaid household work, leading to difficulties in managing their work schedule and negotiating their professional role identity within the family. These findings emphasize that working mothers who participated in involuntary telecommuting encountered bidirectional time-based conflicts and unidirectional strain-based conflict. Research limitations/implications: The study examines a particular subset of women telecommuters who were working mothers with young children. These potential limitations are to be addressed in future research. Practical implications: The findings suggest that managers should develop HR policies and telecommuting ecosystems in order to enhance effectiveness of telecommuting. Specifically, organizations offering telecommuting work options should create opportunities for informal interaction among peers and formal one-to-one interaction with managers. Moreover, HR managers should develop and implement employee-friendly telecommuting policies. Social implications: The research contributes to HRM and gender literature. Originality/value: The paper contributes to the discourses of work-life balance, workplace relationships and work policies within telecommuting literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recurrent stock market fall and rise sequel by COVID-19, rising global inflation, increase in Fed interest rates, the unprecedented meltdown of technology stocks, fear of trade wars, tightening of governments' fiscal policies call for a new trend in international investing. It is time for the investors to rethink, rebalance and reset their investment strategies to position and protect their portfolios during and post-pandemic period. This paper attempts to forecast the gold prices for the post-pandemic era and explores whether gold will serve as a decisive hedge during this transition period. The techniques of ARCH, GARCH, E-GARCH, A-PARCH, and GARCH-M is employed in forecasting the conditional volatility of gold spot price from Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) of India. A total of 3631 observations were collected from the daily spot prices of gold from January 2009 to December 2022. The findings show that the gold prices in India are highly persistent similar to other emerging markets and that gold will remain a safe haven for investors and institutional investors in the post-pandemic period. This paper is the first of its kind to forecast gold prices for the post-pandemic period. The forecast price of 10-gram gold is expected to trade for 65,948 ₹ in the Indian MCX by 2026 if the gold prices behold its previous momentum. This forecast will help the investors to plan their portfolio diversification for the post-pandemic period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The COVID-19 outbreak has significant psychological effects because of reduced support system and social quarantine, making women the worst-hit population of shadow pandemic, i.e. domestic violence. While food shortages, unemployment and increased domestic-work burdens are the immediate effects of the lockdown, women at home have to bear its far-reaching impacts in the long term in the form of domestic abuse, making the study of the psychological impact of domestic violence against women imperative. This paper aims to identify the factors and causes responsible for domestic violence and its psychological impacts on women in different aspects. This paper further focuses on the reasons behind an escalation in psychological violence against women. Design/methodology/approach: This paper is based on extrapolating data from various journal articles, Indian Government reports, newspaper articles and other printed materials that are recent, relevant and discuss domestic violence and mental stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers use Indian National Commission for Women's (NCW) data on complaints received regarding violence against women and domestic abuse in the year 2020 and 15 journal articles that discuss domestic violence against women during the COVID-19 period in different countries to discuss social inequalities and power relations impact on women' mental health. Findings: The findings suggest that economic instability during the pandemic and social and cultural norms of India ignited psychological abuse against women during the pandemic. The number of monthly complaints of dowry death, dowry harassment and protection of women against domestic violence reflect on increased registered complaints in the postlockdown period in the year 2020. The number of monthly complaints received by the NCW from January 2020 to December 2020 in India represents that WhatsApp chat is a powerful tool for reporting domestic violence. Originality/value: The pandemic lockdown has an adverse psychological impact on women, making them suffer from posttraumatic symptoms, substance abuse, panic attacks, depressions, hallucinations, eating disorders, self-harm, etc. This paper strives to reflect upon mitigation strategies to curb domestic violence in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores mainstream print media depictions of women’s work during COVID-19 and associated lockdowns in India. Specifically, it aims to understand perceptions of educated upper- and middle-class women regarding remote working arrangements during the pandemic. It delineates two broad themes that emerge from an analysis of selected articles in four national dailies; first, many women regarded these arrangements as mutually beneficial for women employees as well as their workplaces, and its counternarrative characterised by women having to juggle paid and care work with little support from the family, market or state. The paper then unpacks the arrangement of work from home that emerges in the media analysis and offers a critique of the simplistic and binary understanding of flexibility, choice, and agency sustained by the neoliberal and postfeminist framing of pandemic work arrangements. Our analysis provides a feminist critique of these dominant perceptions that invisibilise the complexity and heterogeneity embedded within women’s experiences. Finally, the paper reiterates the urgent need to consider the structural factors that undermine gender equality across work and home; and pushes for a rethink of neoliberal and postfeminist notions of ‘flexibility’, ‘choice’ and ‘agency’ through the intersecting lenses of gender, labour, care work, and time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: The second peak of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) experienced by India in April-May 2021 overwhelmed the health care system. A severe shortage of oxygen was experienced, and it was realized that some method of estimating the oxygen consumption should be available in order to streamline the distribution network of oxygen. Methods: In this paper, the authors propose a method of estimating the daily oxygen consumption for a hospital based on different formulae used to calculate oxygen consumption by various oxygen therapy devices. The proposed method was tested for its accuracy by measuring the actual oxygen consumption during the same period on the basis of pressure gauge readings difference observed on the liquid oxygen tank. The estimated and actual oxygen consumption was calculated each day for a period of 10 days. Results: The mean estimated oxygen consumption was 1.26±0.11 metric Tonne (MT), and the actual consumption was 1.34±0.08 MT. The estimated and actual consumption had a positive and significant correlation between them (correlation coefficient of 0.699). Reliability analysis performed using the Cronbach’s alpha revealed a factor of 0.94 as a coefficient between both variables indicating that the actual and calculated oxygen consumptions are nearly equal. The Bland and Altman analysis revealed a good agreement. Interpretation and Conclusions: It is concluded that the total oxygen requirement can be reliably estimated based on the proposed formulae, which can be useful to estimate the oxygen consumption of different hospitals, and plan the distribution of oxygen in a city or a district as a part of preparedness to deal with future surges of COVID-19 infections, if any. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to describe a response to the needs of mental health workers (MHWs) in India during COVID-19 pandemic, through an online training program on trauma-informed intervention and care. Design/methodology/approach: A four-module online training program was developed. Two modules were aimed to bridge the knowledge gap on trauma for MHWs, so that they could effectively address the associated symptoms of fear and grief. The other two modules aimed to support MHWs' self-care and create supportive connections among colleagues. In this mixed method evaluation study, needs expressed before the training and lessons derived from the training were collected through questionnaires, focus group discussion and interviews. Findings: Of the 3,168 MHWs who registered for the training, 534 completed the pre-questionnaire. Of the 125 post-questionnaire records, 38 had watched all four modules. A great need for learning to work with grief and manage the increased workload without burnout was observed. Post-training gains included skills for working with fear and grief, which increased the confidence of MHWs. The importance of self-care was an eye-opener for many. Social implications: This study indicates a way to equip MHWs to address the trauma that will continue to live in people in the aftermath of crises. Originality/value: This study examined the challenges MHWs in India faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, revealing a knowledge gap on dealing with this level of trauma. It can contribute to the knowledge on how to support MHWs in such crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to extend the enhanced "unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT)" model with pandemic precautionary measures (PPM) to examine the variables that influence the adoption of "cashless transactions (CLT)" during pandemic periods such as COVID-19. For this purpose, this research polled 363 people from 15 zones of Chennai City, India. Utilizing the responses, the relationship between components was explored using a PLS-SEM approach in two distinct research models to examine the influence of PPM in the enhanced UTAUT. The results indicate that the model with PPM (model 2) exhibited an improvement over the model without PPM (model 1) in the variance explained of behavioural intention from 77.3 to 82%. Further, in model 1, performance expectation is the most potent predictor of individuals' intentions to use CLT, and in model 2, performance expectations deteriorated slightly in its ability and PPM became the most potent predictor. Furthermore, these findings reveal that the PPM-included enhanced UTAUT has significantly strengthened its ability to explain behavioural intent to adopt CLT. Thus, this research model has the potential to be of great use in investigating the adoption of CLT in any epidemic period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the way the outbreak of coronavirus and the subsequent lockdown has egregiously impeded the Hindu death ceremonies and mourning rituals in India. It makes a comparative analysis of how Hindu death rituals get renegotiated, modified and reinterpreted across two vastly different regions of India, both of which have their local customs. Whilst death rituals in India are contingent on the deceased's caste, community, class, gender and age, the impediment to the major death rituals creates a central conundrum for all mourners. It results from the substitution of 'sacred' ritual guidelines with new 'profane' ones for the 'disposal' of deceased COVID-19 patients. Departure from many significant pre-liminal rites, specific transition rites, and post-liminal rites has eschatological, ritual and cultural ramifications. The inability to grieve in unison during a Shraddh ceremony denies mourners any scope to quell distressing feelings about mortality which serves as a source of consolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both diabetes mellitus (DM) and tuberculosis (TB) are prevalent all across in India. TB‐DM comorbidity has emerged as a syndemic and needs more attention in India considering gaps in screening, clinical care, and research. This paper is intended to review published literature on TB and DM in India to understand the burden of the dual epidemic and its trajectory and to obtain perspectives on the gaps, constraints, and challenges in care and treatment of this dual epidemic. A literature search was carried out on PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, using the key words 'Tuberculosis' OR 'TB' AND 'Diabetes' OR 'Diabetes Mellitus' AND 'India', focusing on the research published between the year 2000 to 2022. The prevalence of DM is high in patients with TB. Quantitative data on the epidemiological situation of TB/DM in India such as incidence, prevalence, mortality, and management are lacking. During the last 2 years convergence of TB‐DM syndemic with the COVID‐19 pandemic has increased cases with uncontrolled DM but also made coordinated control of TB‐DM operationally difficult and of low effectiveness. Research regarding TB‐DM comorbidity is required in the context of epidemiology and management. Detection and bidirectional screening are aggressively warranted. Management of DM in those with TB‐DM comorbidity needs more efforts, including training and supervision of frontline workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper reviews different media sources to understand the experiences of Indian women working from home between March, 2020 and September, 2020 during the Covid-19 induced lockdown in India. Methodology: A systematic search was conducted on Google search engine using keywords like Indian working women, work during Covid-19, work from home during pandemic, etc. Relevant data and information from 52 online print media outlets were selected to be included in this review. Findings: After careful analysis of the selected articles, three main themes emerged and were found to be repeated with gradual development across the seven months (March, 2020 - September, 2020). Originality/Value: It is hoped that this thematic and chronological analysis will help in giving a clear outlook on the problems women are facing while working from home during the pandemic, and suggest effective measures that can be taken in the coming future to resolve the same. Based on our research, such an online print media based analysis has not been conducted by other studies. This paper tries to reach out to the very core of the chosen topic by looking at online media because actual problems of real women were reported there. It tries to feel the pulse of the Indian society and the challenges that the women are facing everyday during the Covid-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of social isolation due to COVID-19 on the vulnerable geriatric population. Design/methodology/approach: Ten individual interviews of people above 70 years of age were conducted in 2021. The data was collected through interviews and observation. The authors observed the people from the age. Findings: The geriatric population faced physical challenges like poor sleep and digestive health along with neglect of their persisting ailments, which needed attention. Mental issues were also very serious, such as fear of death, anxiety, stress and depression. This paper urges the policymakers to focus on coming up with support systems for the geriatric population and finding long-term solutions to mitigate the repercussions faced by them. Originality/value: This paper attempts to underline the mostly unnoticed physical and psychological issues troubling usually neglected strata of the population as they do not make a part of an income-earning segment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to provide an insight on effect of stringency in Covid-19 spread in India especially in Chennai, a city were more lockdown, and restrictions was imposed to control the infection. Even though the restriction was imposed in the country by the end of March 2020, the growth reduction was seen in the mid of June as the awareness was increased. The average Covid-19 case growth was got reduce from 3.43 to 2.62% by July mid. To analysis the impact of stringency, a detailed analysis was done on Chennai city which was imposed with more repeated lockdowns to flatten the curve. We tried to fit a regression line with three difference scenario of data. The results show a promising R-squared and p value, with a right skewed distribution normal probability plot. The impact of lockdown in people's lives in different sectors were also discussed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural tourism is an emerging concept in India with a diversity of tourist attractions and facilities. Many tourists prefer rural tourism destinations as their first choice during COVID 19, as it has excellent opportunities for historical and cultural resources. This paper mainly focuses on the benefits, importance, and challenges of Rural Tourism in the Indian Context. In addition, the purpose of this paper is to highlight the recent trend of Rural Tourism during the current pandemic period. The basic concept of rural tourism was predicted with profit ensuing to the local community through commercial opportunities, income generation, employment opportunities, conservation and preservation of natural resources, and infrastructure development. The potential for rural tourism to be a major force in rural economic development is yet to be realized to the fullest extent. As a result, this paper emphasizes the concept and potential of rural tourism in India. This study is descriptive and based on secondary data from various sources like books, articles, research papers, newspapers, rural tourism websites etc. Based on the concepts, recommendations are provided and future research/industrial directions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feminist economists have long questioned the dichotomy between the "private" versus "public" spheres of women's work and have argued for a more nuanced understanding of the marketable paid work and the unpaid work of household caregiving. This paper focuses on women street food vendors' (SFVs) experiences before and during Covid‐19 pandemic to understand how street food vending as a livelihood activity interacts with social dimensions like gender and division of labor. Through multiple in‐depth interviews with 23 women street vendors in Bengaluru, India, before and during the pandemic, we show that there is a blurring of the dichotomy between the work done in the private and public spaces before the pandemic, which is disrupted by Covid‐19 crisis. The first half of the paper explores the household labor dynamics in the context of paid and unpaid work of women and explains how the women SFVs, capitalizing on their existing skills of "cooking," were able to gain agency and recognition for themselves within the households. The second half of the paper focuses on the narratives of the same women SFVs during the first wave of the Covid pandemic and the subsequent lockdown. We find that the Covid crisis brought back the dichotomy between private and public spheres, making it more pronounced, with women losing their control over the public sphere and their work being restricted only to the private sphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic compelled the closure of educational institutions and forced students to complete nearly two years of schooling online, impacting their physical and emotional development tremendously. This exploratory study investigates the wide-ranging impact of online education on Indian students during the COVID-19 pandemic and discusses the challenges exacerbated by disparities in access to digital devices and reliable internet service. The paper also focuses on the physical and mental health issues that arose in student cohorts as a result of the abrupt shift to online learning, and investigates the relationship between students' socioeconomic status and the nature and frequency of health issues experienced by them. Methods: A total of 832 respondents completed a 40-item survey that was administered online and through interviews. The paper analysed the impact of access to digital resources and teachers' training in information and communication technology on the perception of the quality of education provided by the institutions. We further analysed the impact of the adoption of online educational platforms on students' mental and physical health. Results: The study found a positive relationship between the number of hours spent online, and the physical and mental health issues experienced by students. Participants reported an overall higher perception of stress and anxiety, loss of concentration, and dissatisfaction with the quality of education. Our data suggest that COVID-19 has exacerbated the digital divide. Discussion: Urgent investments are needed to provide universal access to reliable internet services, and to develop a pedagogy that supports an agile and adaptable educational system, capable of providing effective learning and evaluation, while supporting students' physical and mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goods and Services Tax (GST) completed its four years in July 2021. It was expected that by implementing GST in the country, the governments (Central and States) would be able to solve many tax-related problems such as tax evasion, cascading effect, increasing competition among states for inviting investment, and most importantly increasing states' tax revenue, more autonomy and expenditure. Has the imposition of GST in India impacted the tax revenue of states? Has the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic impacted the GST of all the states and union territories? The paper deals with these specific questions constituting a sample of all states and some union territories for the period 2015 to 2021 categorized into pre-GST (2015-2017) and post-GST (2017-2021) period. The secondary data comprises average proportion of own tax revenue of states in their total revenue, and the data has been analyzed to find out whether imposition of GST has impacted the collection of own tax revenue of states, and whether the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the collection of SGST and UTGST of states and union territories. The tools and techniques applied for testing the hypothesis are Wilcoxon Sign Rank Test, paired t-test and Kruskal-Wallis H-test. The findings reveal that imposition of GST has no significant impact on own tax revenue of states, but Covid-19 significantly impacted SGST and UTGST. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]