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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]

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

• 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]

Abstract: The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) involves a package of management practices for rice cultivation that was developed by a French Jesuit priest in Madagascar. Although the technical and economic efficacy of the package is heavily contested among rice scientists, the package has spread rapidly across the globe, at least in the sense that many rice farmers now identify them with the term ‘SRI’. Understanding the spreading process of SRI may yield important lessons for agricultural research and extension establishments which often have difficulty to spread their ideas and technologies. This paper seeks to throw some light on the spreading process of SRI within the context of Andhra Pradesh, India. Inspired by innovation theoretical considerations, we do not orient ourselves to the spread at the farmer level, but rather to the way in which SRI was adopted by higher level organisations and institutions. This paper suggests that the formation of a heterogeneous ‘support network’ which transcends the conventional agricultural networks is likely to have played a significant role in the spreading of SRI. As part of this network, an important newspaper has reported disproportionally about SRI and represented it in a highly favourable manner. This simultaneously mirrors support for SRI among higher level actors in the agricultural innovation system, and is likely to have contributed to further awareness and opinion formation at this level. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Since the early 1990s, significant progress has been made with regard to education in India. This positive development stands, however, in sharp contrast with the way in which government teachers themselves think and talk about education. Instead of feeling pride and satisfaction, many teachers are unhappy, and often self-critical. Based on focus group discussions and interviews with teachers in Andhra Pradesh, south India, this paper analyses the reasons behind motivations and demotivations of government school teachers. The paper concludes that there is a need for a new professional ethos and culture. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper reflects on the functioning and shortcomings of the Food-For-Work (FFW) program in the Indian State of Andhra Pradesh. Drawing upon 12 months of primary field research conducted in 2001-02, it shows how design faults, administrative mismanagement, and local power relations excluded very poor and lower caste people from participating in the program. The main problem areas were ineffective village assemblies (Gram Sabhas), the engagement of "con- tractors," the selection of beneficiaries by contractors, inappropriate wage setting, payments in cash instead of grain, the use of labor-displacing machinery, and disregard of the labor:material ratio in works executed. The paper concludes with policy lessons for improving the design and implementation of future FFW programs. [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]

Abstract: This paper informs debates about the potential role for low-fee private schooling in achieving Education for All goals in India. It reports Young Lives’ longitudinal data for two cohorts (2906 children) in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Eight year olds uptake of private schooling increased from 24 per cent (children born in 1994–5) to 44 per cent (children born in 2001–2). Children from rural areas, lower socioeconomic backgrounds and girls continue to be under represented. While some access gaps decreased, the gender gap seems to be widening. Evidence on risks to equity strengthen the case for an effectively regulated private sector, along with reforms to government sector schools. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper reports further evidence from an archaeological occupation surface in southern India that was buried by tephra from the Toba volcanic super-eruption ca. 74,000 years ago. The open-air site, designated Jwalapuram Locality 22 and located in the Kurnool District of Andhra Pradesh, preserves more than 1600 stone artefacts assigned to the Indian Middle Palaeolithic. Sedimentological, isotopic and lithic data along with optically stimulated luminescence ages confirm the site as occupied closely prior to the eruption. The hominin taxon responsible for creating the site is not known, but the stone tool evidence is most consistent with contemporaneous Homo sapiens technologies in Africa and to the east of South Asia. The findings have relevance for understanding Indian Middle Palaeolithic technology, and for identifying the behavioural and environmental adaptations of the hominin group(s) that occupied India when Toba erupted. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The practical viability of performance-based pay programs for teachers depends critically on the extent of support the idea will receive from teachers. We present evidence on teacher opinions with regard to performance-based pay from teacher interviews conducted in the context of an experimental evaluation of a program that provided performance-based bonuses to teachers in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. We report four main findings in this paper: (1) over 80% of teachers had a favorable opinion about the idea of linking a component of pay to measures of performance, (2) exposure to an actual incentive program increased teacher support for the idea, (3) teacher support declines with age, experience, training, and base pay, and (4) the extent of teachers’ stated ex ante support for performance-linked pay (over a series of mean-preserving spreads of pay) is positively correlated with their ex post performance as measured by estimates of teacher value addition. This suggests that teachers are aware of their own effectiveness and that implementing a performance-linked pay program could not only have broad-based support among teachers but also attract more effective teachers into the teaching profession. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Leucaena leucocephala is widely used as raw material for the manufacture of paper and packaging material and in biomass based power plants in the state of Andhra Pradesh, Southern India. Experiments were conducted to study the affect of tree density on the growth, biomass partitioning and wood productivity. Six treatments 1 × 1 m, 1.3 × 1.3 m, 3 × 0.75 m, 3 × 1 m, 5 × 0.8 m and 3 × 2 m corresponding to a tree density of 10,000, 6666, 4444, 3333, 2500 and 1666 were evaluated with leucaena variety K636. At 51 months after planting, spacings significantly influenced tree height, diameter at breast height (DBH), number of branches and biomass partitioning. Wider tree rows resulted in greater tree height and diameter growth resulting in higher per plant productivity. At harvest, 70% of trees in 3 × 2 m attained a diameter of more than 7.5 cm, while 35% of the trees attained the same DBH in 1 × 1 m spacing. Increased spacing levels decreased the relative amount of growth allocated to the bole of the tree. Marketable biomass yield was highest with 1 × 1 m spacing. Spacing of 3 × 0.75 m produced marketable biomass comparable to that of 1 × 1 m and greater proportion of stems with more than 5 cm diameter. Leucaena can be grown at 3 × 0.75 m spacing either for pulpwood or fuelwood depending on the prevailing market prices and demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to identify and analyze the factors that explain differential outcomes of joint forest management (JFM) in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Factors affecting the performances of JFM communities are analyzed using an ordered logit model. The results indicate that JFM communities are more likely to perform well when they are smaller in size and when forest resources in the JFM community are scarce. Presence of social capital and high value forests are also likely to promote good forest growth. Effective protection of forests is likely to contribute to the growth of forests. JFM communities that were initiated by NGOs are more likely to manage forests effectively than the one initiated by the Forest Department. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: If wind park configurations are globally coordinated across the service area of a power utility, then electricity can be generated for the grid with substantial cost advantages. Based on this premise, the paper introduces a model by which large scale assessment of grid connected wind based power generation may be undertaken for a utility service area. The model can be useful to the policy maker for decisions regarding suitable wind portfolio standards (WPS) definition. The utility on the other hand, may use the model to study its service area for prospective wind based generation. Aspects of the problem modelled include cost-of-energy from individual generating units, daily load variations for the utility with emphasis on limited penetration, features of wind at prospective installation sites, makes of wind energy conversion systems (WECS) available, and recovery of expenditure through revenue. Application of the model to an assessment exercise for the state of Andhra Pradesh (India) is presented as an example. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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]