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Energy efficiency plays a central role in climate change mitigation policies. Countries are using different methods to estimate energy savings from energy efficiency improvements. Improved methods to measure energy efficiency savings are adopted mainly in countries with mandatory energy efficiency targets. They use bottom-up and top-down methods to enhance the reliability of savings estimates. India has implemented various energy efficiency measures, and the impact of most of the schemes is estimated using the simplified deemed savings bottom-up approach. Index Decomposition Analysis is a top-down approach, but its use in India is limited due to a lack of reliable national energy balances. This study uses India's energy balances from International Energy Agency to estimate the energy efficiency savings in India during 2011–19. It is found that the IDA estimates are lower than the government's deemed savings estimates. The underlying assumptions in the simplified deemed savings approach may overestimate savings, or savings from index decomposition analysis may be underestimated due to data limitations. Improved methods and reliable and timely data is essential for measuring energy savings from energy efficiency. National-level targets on energy efficiency can push improvements in energy savings measurement techniques. The targets can also address several barriers in the energy efficiency markets. • Developing countries use simplified approaches to estimate EE savings. • Combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches increase reliability of estimates. • IDA estimates of saving from EE policies in India are lower than government estimates. • Energy intensity targets can improve energy savings measurement techniques in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic gastroparesis (DGp) is a common and preventable complication of uncontrolled diabetes mellitus (D.M.) and significantly affects the Quality of Life of patients. Diagnosis and management present as a clinical challenge due to the disease's complexity and limited effective therapeutic options. This review aims to comprehensively outline the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of diabetic gastroparesis, evaluating evolving approaches to guide clinicians and provide future recommendations. A literature review was conducted on scholarly databases of PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus and Web of Science encompassing published articles, gray literature and relevant clinical guidelines. Data were synthesized and analyzed to provide a comprehensive overview of diabetic gastroparesis, focusing on pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management. The review intricately explores the pathogenesis contributing to diabetic gastroparesis, emphasizing autonomic neuropathy, oxidative stress, inflammation, hormonal dysregulation, microbiota alterations, and gastrointestinal neuropathy. Primary management strategies are underscored, including lifestyle modifications, symptom relief, and glycemic control. The discussion encompasses pharmacological and surgical options, highlighting the importance of a multidisciplinary approach involving various healthcare professionals for comprehensive patient care. This review offers a thorough understanding of pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of diabetic gastroparesis, underlining evolving approaches for clinicians. A multidisciplinary approach is crucial to address both the physical and mental health aspects of diabetes and its complications. • The pathogenesis of diabetic gastroparesis involves autonomic neuropathy, inflammation, hormonal dysregulation, and gastrointestinal neuropathy, highlighting its complex origin and multifaceted nature. • Genetic factors, particularly variations in HMOX-1 and macrophage polarization, have been associated with Diabetic Gastroparesis severity, emphasizing the importance of personalized management approaches. • The management requires a collaborative approach including pharmacotherapy, lifestyle changes, and interventional approaches. • Prognostic factors of the disease, genetic correlates of diabetic gastroparesis, diagnostic methods, and their effectiveness assume a very important role in clinical management. • Cosideration of individual patient factors, co-morbities and mental health aspects allows a holitic and personalized treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Urban growth management strategy in India's National Capital Region is evaluated. • There is a lack of regulatory and non-regulatory instruments for growth management. • Problems in the institutional environment are determined. • Policy implications are derived for growth management in the global South. Abstract Considerable progress has been made in theoretically understanding the process of sprawl and devising corresponding growth management strategies in the global North. However, urban growth as sprawl remains a serious challenge in the global South, cutting across various geographic and municipal boundaries. The undesirable consequences are excessive expansion as well as inadequate infrastructure and service provision. At the core of steering this development are growth management strategies aiming to secure economically, socially and environmentally sustainable growth. This paper evaluates the performance of the growth management strategy in the National Capital Region of India based on a conceptual framework covering programme design, institutional setting and market interactions. It uses a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods to evaluate policy performance across multiple scales (city, metropolitan, state and region). The research found the limited success of policies, the failure to combine policy with regulatory and non-regulatory instruments, and insufficiencies in the institutional environment, all of which hinder effective growth management. To curtail sprawl, this paper recommends moving towards flexible growth boundaries, introducing self-contained communities as policy component, integrating and enforcing land-use and transport planning, empowering lower-tier authorities and adopting regulatory and non-regulatory instruments for plan implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary urbanization, as experienced in India, is accompanied by increasing motorization and commuting lengths. A spatially unequal distribution of employment opportunities leads to important differences between urban and rural areas. Making use of newly released data at the district level on home-to-work commuting, this article examines the determinants of commuting patterns in the largest rural-urban megaregion of India. This paper finds that short trips and non-motorized travel are still predominant in the region. The residents of higher-income districts more often choose to commute by private motorized modes, including cars, whereas residents of poorer areas are tied to non-motorized modes and public transport, and they often must commute longer distances. One problem seems to be the low provision of rail service in the region compared to roads, which is more pronounced in rural areas. Overall, the socio-demographic, economic, infrastructure and area-based variables help explain the variation in the commuting patterns. This paper emphasizes that policy aiming at sustainable future transport in the National Capital Region requires (i) a shift in government policies from promoting road-based transportation to promoting transit, (ii) the regional integration of rural and urban areas by public transport, and (iii) investment in the provision of rural transport (roads and rail network) for regional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Appliance labels are a widely used policy instrument to increase the adoption of energy-efficient technologies. Most countries use categorical labels to facilitate comparison of appliances based on energy consumption. Studies have found that consumers respond positively to the labels, but the differentiated response to the categories on labels is not well understood in the literature. This study presents the results of a discrete choice experiment corroborated by an analysis of secondary market data to demonstrate that consumers differentiate between label categories; with a greater value being placed on appliances with higher levels of energy efficiency performance. We examine two appliances - air conditioners and refrigerators and observe that there are some differences in consumer response - likely due to the different usage patterns of the two appliances. Consumer responses were observed in hypothetical choice situations constructed ensuring statistical and design efficiency. In a mixed logit model specification with correlated random parameters, the magnitude and the distribution of consumer preference for the highest category of energy efficiency are estimated. The results are validated by estimating the incremental price of higher category of energy efficiency using market data for comparison. The sources of consumer heterogeneity for the highest category of energy efficiency are identified after controlling for other consumer variables. The findings presented in this paper are useful for improving the effectiveness of existing energy efficiency programs and designing new programs to accelerate adoption of energy efficient technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the countries of the Global South such as India, rapid urbanization and the increase in individual motorization may lead to a predominance of unsustainable commuting patterns. However, urbanization also has important positive effects, including the empowerment of women. This paper examines newly released, spatially disaggregated data on home-to-work commuting by non-agricultural workers in the National Capital Region of India. It aims to understand and compare commuting patterns in urban and rural areas, including choice of travel modes, commuting distances, and gender differentials. The results reveal a tendency observable in urban residents to use individual motorized transport more often both for short and for long trips, although the proportion of individual motorization is far from what it is in the industrial world. Rural areas are characterized by the predominance of non-motorized travel modes and a large share of long trips. The mobility gap between men and women does not appear to increase with literacy. In urban areas, women often choose to commute by car rather than using green modes of transportation (especially in higher-income districts). The paper stresses the importance of the area and gender differentials that need to be taken into account when formulating regional transport policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes and applies a novel interdisciplinary framework to study peri-urban land use dynamics in India, which is theoretically embedded in the concepts of land use transition, land change science and neoliberlisation of nature. The framework is operationalised by a mixed methods approach cutting across scale and time to provide a comprehensive understanding of land use transitions. The paper proves the applicability of land use transition theory in India by establishing that the core state Delhi is in the "urbanised/industrialised" stage of land use transition, whereas the peripheral states are in a transition from "frontier" to "agricultural" stage of land use transition. The paper also provides evidence for different political economy-derived logics of nature's neoliberalisation. Field visits as well as expert and household interviews uncover a nexus between the state, civil society and economy in exploitation and degradation of natural resources for their vested interests. The use of local and global open access data in the framework makes it transferable to similar regions of the Global South facing data constrains. • Interdisciplinary framework is applied to India's land use transition analysis. • Theoretical approach is embedded in land change science and political economy. • Mixed methods approach cutting across scale and time is applied. • Stages of land use transition trajectory are detected for peri-urban areas in India. • Urban expansion is faster than population growth and depleted arable land and water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the growth of census towns in India's Capital Region because the unregulated growth of census towns has been the key feature of recent urbanization in India. The article first examines the population and municipal status dynamics, location and economic characteristics of census towns as well as their migratory and commuting patterns. The status and costs of providing basic amenities and social infrastructure are then analyzed. The paper emphasizes the contribution of contemporary theories that explain the growth of census towns and the role of secondary and primary data in capturing their characteristics. Taking advantage of the economic potential of India's urbanization as census towns will require the following: (i) the enforcement of reforms to empower Gram Panchayat for spatial planning and growth regulation; (ii) the discontinuation of subsidized infrastructure provision and charging development tax; and (iii) investment in decentralized infrastructure for more accountable and more efficient delivery of basic amenities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Appliance labels provide consumers with information on energy usage of appliances and mandatory labeling is an important policy tool for promoting the adoption of efficient appliances. Following global practice, standards and labeling programs have been adopted in India for various appliances since 2006. This paper provides empirical support for this approach, by estimating the value placed by consumers in India on energy labels. The estimates of willingness to pay (WTP) for energy labels and higher efficiency as indicated on labels are obtained using a discrete choice experiment in purchase decisions of air conditioners. A mixed logit model is specified to estimate the parameters for chosen attributes of air conditioners. The results show that consumers place a positive value on the presence of labels. The preference for star rating levels is heterogeneous in the sample. The WTP for higher star rating is estimated which is a useful input in designing other energy efficiency programs in conjunction with the labeling program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper empirically examines the applicability of the planetary urbanization concept to understand the complexities associated with the rural-to-urban transformation process unfolding in India. It contributes to the rural-urban debate by investigating the role of non-urban spaces – here census towns – in accelerating India's process of urbanization. The Capital Region of India is taken as a study area and a mixed methods approach is used to establish concentrated and extended urbanization as interlinked processes in relation to the growth of census towns. The applied mixed methods approach helps to overcome the critiques of deploying Global North theories, here planetary urbanization, on the Global South context by not only establishing a general pattern and dynamics of growth but also by contextualizing the local characteristics of rural to urban transformation as census towns. The analysis established a dense network of transport and a high level of commuting for work between statutory towns and census towns in the urban periphery and hinterland overcoming the traditional urban and rural divide. This paper makes a methodological and analytical contribution to the concept of planetary urbanization, whereby growth of census towns can be explained as an interlinked process of concentrated, extended and differential urbanization. The political economy analyses established that the differences between statutory and census towns can be traced back to state rescaling and investment policies. In this process, rural areas are rapidly acquiring urban characteristics as census towns and to some extent perform better on socioeconomic and infrastructural aspects compared to statutory towns (official urban areas). • Concept of planetary urbanization applied to India's rural to urban transformation. • Concentrated and extended urbanization established as interlinked processes. • Rural areas are rapidly acquiring urban characteristics as census towns. • Mixed methods help overcome the critique of planetary urbanization concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The policy of economic liberalization pursued by the Indian government since the 1990s in response to an economic slowdown has led to the creative destruction of institutional space and the built environment. India launched the Smart Cities Mission and the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor to enhance infrastructure delivery and employment opportunities. Focusing on these cases and using direct observation and in-depth personal interviews, this paper explores the role of emergent neoliberal projects in the country's institutional and spatial restructuring at different scales. The aim is to make a twofold contribution to urban research: first, to contribute to the discourse on neoliberalism by identifying institutional and spatial restructuring in India based on the concept of creative destruction; and second, by validating the significance of strong state and political willingness in distributing neoliberal benefits such as affordable housing and services to the poor. The paper argues for a stronger role of the state in creating equity in the urban development process and infrastructure delivery. • Institutional and spatial restructuring under neoliberal projects in India is examined. • The concept of "creative destruction" is operationalized. • Moments of restructuring are supported by in-depth personal interviews. • A stronger role of the state in urban development process is argued for. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 20th and 21st centuries, the world has experienced rapid urbanization and slum proliferation. Slum residents form a significant portion of urban populations and contribute to the development of cities. However, due to their highly concentrated consumption and waste production patterns, slums endure and exacerbate, among other things, environmental degradation. To date, our understanding of slums in Indian cities has been primarily based on census data and evidence from remote sensing images. These data do not yet provide spatial slum dynamics over time and are limited to static and statistical representation. In addition to the obsolescence of spatial data, the non-availability of consistent socio-economic data leads to data integration problems. Therefore, new approaches that consider the scarcity of data and the choice of analytical techniques are needed; planners without advanced technical training should also be able to easily apply these approaches. This study provides a comprehensive approach to examine the urban transformation of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT-Delhi), India, from 1971 to 2011. Combining data from multi-temporal remote sensing images, census population statistics, slum enumeration and the provision of essential services, these investigations reveal a previously undocumented rapid increase in built-up areas outside municipal boundaries. The findings confirm the spatial shift of slums from the city center towards the periphery. The analysis provides a revealing insight: the emergence and growth of slums are outcomes of the prevailing urban planning environment, the limited success of adopted policies and the government's inability to foster growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Managing growth in rapidly growing complex mega urban regions in India is a growing concern for planners and scholars. Although the government attempts to regulate the development by spatial decentralization, there are no easy solutions, resulting in undesirable growth and associated problems. However, a good mix of (fiscal and regulatory) interventions, although difficult to implement, has the potential to achieve effective urban growth, as exemplified by Tokyo in Asia and London in Europe. Examining the National Capital Region (NCR) Delhi as a case study, this study evaluated the performance of some aspects of spatial decentralization policy. The investigation identified the need to link jobs and housing, redefine the concept of greenbelt, and integrate transport and land-use planning. We recommend introducing a mix of interventions to effectuate spatial decentralization. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

While neoliberalisation has long drawn scholarly attention, there have been few attempts to quantify the course of restructuring under neoliberal urbanisation. This paper aims to describe and quantify the restructuring process in India for the period 1991–2011. Theoretically embedded in the notion of "creative destruction", the paper adopts a multi-method approach to better discern the interjurisdictional differences of the restructuring process. This research contributes to the urban debate by statistically measuring and distinguishing restructuring process between urban and rural areas using creative destruction moments as well as by underscoring the need for an integrated analysis of rural and urban areas for addressing spatial disparities. • Concept of creative destruction is applied to India. • Multi-method approach is operationalized across space and time. • Neoliberal restructuring is measured by a set of destructive and creative moments. • Features of the restructuring process in urban and rural areas are discerned. • Integrated analysis of rural and urban areas is recommended to curtail disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, scholars of urban studies have advocated strategic spatial planning as a way to better integrate infrastructure provision with spatial development in the Global South, especially given escalation in large-scale development projects under neoliberalism. This paper outlines a conceptual framework that applies a multi-method approach to policy evaluation so as to identify gaps in policy integration. In particular, content analysis is used to analyze consistency between policy documents, while GIS analysis and regression analysis are employed to identify and describe the current status as well as the potential future impacts on spatial development. Applying the framework to the case of an envisioned transport corridor in India, the study shows how spatial planning instruments remain detached from infrastructure funding policies, the national government's spatial development initiative is isolated from that of state governments, and the expansion of built-up area outside municipal boundaries is escalated by state government funding for urban development and decentralization planning. The findings lend support for specific institutional reforms of national- and state-level planning to ensure the integration of spatial development with infrastructure provision. • A conceptual framework for strategic spatial planning in the Global South is outlined. • A disconnect between spatial and infrastructure funding policies is established. • National and state governments development initiatives remain separated. • Policy reforms are derived to integrate spatial and infrastructure funding policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper revisits the potential of urban cycle models to investigate the current challenges of urbanisation in India. It contributes not only by empirically examining the past, current and future trend of urban development, but also by predicting the demand for social infrastructure for sustainably accommodating the predicted growth. Using a non-spatial model, rapid growth is predicted in small cities in developed regions and in intermediate cities in developing regions. The adopted spatial model suggests a decline of megacity cores, but the growth of million-plus city cores and respective peripheries should be anticipated. Socio-economic factors are helpful for understanding the growth of million-plus city cores and megacity suburbs. In those cities predicted to grow, the provision of health and education infrastructure will be below the government norms. Given the data constraints, rapid growth and institutional constraints, this research develops and implements an analytical approach, thereby enhancing understanding of spatial development and elucidating the policy reforms needed to reduce the spatial disparities in India. This approach is transferable to the regions of the Global South facing similar constraints. • Urban cycle models are revisited to establish urbanisation stages in India. • Growth of small and intermediate-size cities is predicted. • Megacities core will decline and million-plus cities core will grow. • Provision of health and educational infrastructure is inadequate in cities. • Policy reforms for reducing spatial disparities in the Global South are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although strategies to create transport corridor are prevalent in the global South, there is a lack of empirical research to evaluate these initiatives, in particular whether they have realised their general goal of reducing regional disparities. The current paper describes a multi-method approach involving spatial and non-spatial analysis to investigate spatial disparity along a proposed corridor and examine its integration within the existing settlement structure. The analytical framework is tested on India's Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor. A rationale is developed to enable a critical view of corridor policies as strategies for development in the global South. One important finding regarding policies on transport corridors is the risk that future growth will remain concentrated in districts directly linked to a proposed corridor, leaving peripheral areas marginalised. An integrative analysis of current spatial and social disparities in India shows growth to be high in areas with good accessibility between urban and rural areas. Specifically, growth in rural areas is fostered by the availability of good road network, and polytechnic and vocational institutions, whereas in urban areas, growth is positively associated with the provision of secondary schools. In order to prevent or even reduce disparities, this research recommends that spatial strategies be developed with mechanisms to enable their implementation by lower tiers of governments, that spatial plans and infrastructure outlays be reformed to improve accessibility between proposed corridors and peripheral areas, and that accessibility indicators be included in the design and implementation of transport development policies. • An ex-ante evaluation of disparities along transport corridor in India is conducted. • A multi-method approach involving spatial and non-spatial analysis is used. • Socioeconomic disparities are established. • Lack of integration between corridor and existing settlements is ascertained. • Evidence-based policy reforms are recommended for reducing disparities in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urbanisation process in the Global South is characterised by the blurring of the boundaries between urban and rural areas and the lack of institutional capacity, which have made the process highly unsustainable. In India, an example of such development is the rapid growth of "census towns". These settlements are not acknowledged as urban by the state, but they play an important role in accommodating population growth. This paper aims to elucidate and understand the process and characteristics of Indian urbanisation better in light of relevant theoretical discourses by using a mix of statistical analysis and field survey. It argues for moving from traditional master planning, which originated from the Global North to a more participatory and strategic approach in order to achieve infrastructure integrated development. • Contemporary theories are validated on census towns growth in India. • Mixed-methods approach helps uncover important characteristics of urbanisation. • Census towns are unplanned developments, but are crucial for Indian urbanisation. • A move from master planning to participatory strategic planning is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mortality associated with lower respiratory tract infection is high. Indiscriminate use of antimicrobials leads to alteration of respiratory tract flora and development of multi-drug resistance. Rapid diagnostic tests to confirm infection can guide the clinicians about antimicrobial treatment. So the present study was planned to evaluate the role of direct gram stain examination as a rapid and simple test to help clinicians for appropriate patient management. The present study was conducted on 1000 respiratory specimens which were processed using conventional microbiological techniques. Gram stain smear and culture results were compared statistically to assess the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value. The agreement between gram stain smear examination and culture was calculated using kappa statistics. Potential pathogens were obtained from 28 of 209 deeply coughed out sputum samples (13.3%) and from 19 of 315 saliva mixed sputum samples (6%). Out of 473 tracheal aspirates, 115 (24.3%) had potential pathogens. The sensitivity for predicting infection was higher for good quality sputum samples (54%) as compared to poor quality sputum samples (37%). The gram stain and culture of tracheal samples had a good agreement for predicting infection whereas there was only moderate agreement for sputum sample. Gram stain smear examination from respiratory samples can be used to guide empiric antibiotic therapy pending final culture sensitivity results if the attending physicians ensure appropriate sample collection and transport. In absence of these supportive measures smear examination should not be relied upon for empiric treatment. • Gram stain and culture of tracheal aspirates has good agreement for predicting infection. • Only moderate agreement for sputum sample. • Sputum Gram stain can be used to guide empiric antimicrobial therapy provided proper collection and transport are ensured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]