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In India agricultural and packaging technology practices are constantly evolving to enhance crop production by improving soil quality and creating suitable environments, respectively. Mulching and improved packaging films have emerged as popular methods, but the use of non-biodegradable polyethylene (PE) for both poses disposal challenges. To address this, the focus has shifted to the biodegradable polymer, polylactic acid (PLA), in combination with fruit peel waste powder as filler. This literature review paper was written to describe a detailed survey about PLA with the incorporation of increasing amounts of fruit peel waste to enhance the properties of the PLA film. The primary aim was to explore the potential of PLA mulch film with the incorporation of fruit peel waste as an environmentally friendly alternative for mulching application in agriculture. To date we know of no review article published regarding the incorporation of fruit peel waste as a filler within the PLA matrix to enhance the properties of the films used in agriculture and the packaging industry. Moreover, this review paper also describes recent trends in the application and methods of preparation of PLA mulch films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Practical Note examines the nascent micro-insurance sector in West Bengal, paying particular attention to the corporate-NGO partnership model for micro-insurance distribution, which has been enabled by India's unique regulatory framework. We challenge the popular construction of this model as a 'win-win' for all parties by analysing conflicting understandings of micro-insurance schemes and their purposes by insurance companies, NGOs, and poor villagers. The article also considers the role of the specific political context of West Bengal in constricting corporate-NGO micro-insurance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the depiction of the Kashmiri protagonist in three popular Indian films, Roja (1992), Mission Kashmir (2000), and ... Yahaan (2005), in order to argue for a new emphasis, cumulatively evident through these films, on the Kashmiri as Muslim in the history of Bollywood's long engagement with the Valley of Kashmir. In analysing closely the visual, narrative, cinematic and affective aspects of this development, and in contextualising it against global and local politics of Islam, the article aims to contribute to a better understanding of how Kashmir, and Islam, while topics with separate discursive genealogies within Bollywood, have converged decisively at a certain historical juncture so as to open up new possibilities for the ideological co-optation of the Kashmir conflict, and the place of Muslims in India, by the popular cinematic apparatus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the major ‘Kashmir films’ of 1960s Bollywood: Junglee (1961), Kashmir Ki Kali (1964), Jaanwar (1965), Jab Jab Phool Khile (1965), Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon (1963), and Aarzoo (1965). These films made the Kashmir Valley the space for the expression of a new youthful modernity for urban Indians, especially through the technology of colour. Through a symptomatic and materialist analysis attentive to both cinematic strategies and contemporary political context, this article links the pleasures of these films with the formation of a modern Indian subjectivity, contrasts these pleasures with the mounting political tensions within Jammu and Kashmir, and based on fieldwork in Jammu and Srinagar, examines how they are remembered by Kashmiris today. The historicization it offers of Bollywood's long Kashmir obsession is thus equally an exploration of how this obsession fits into the contested political relationship between Jammu and Kashmir and the Indian Union. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India has an intricate nexus of groundwater irrigation, energy and climate. Subsidized electricity supply has led to unregulated groundwater pumping, causing a decrease in groundwater level and increase in carbon emissions. This complex nexus necessitates estimation of carbon emissions from groundwater irrigation. The study uses actual pumping data on 20.5 million groundwater structures from the Fifth Minor Irrigation Census (reference year 2013–14) to estimate carbon emissions. The estimates show that groundwater irrigation emits 45.3–62.3 MMT of carbon annually, contributing 8–11% of India's total carbon emission. This analysis shows deep tubewells have a huge carbon footprint, and their growing number is a serious environmental concern. Spatial analysis reveals India's western and peninsular region, which houses 85% of the country's over-exploited groundwater blocks, contributes most to carbon emission. Moreover, this region hosts 27 districts which are groundwater–energy–climate nexus hotspots, together accounting for 34% of carbon emissions from groundwater irrigation. Comparison with the previous estimate reveals that carbon emission from groundwater irrigation nearly doubled between 2000 and 2013. Findings of this study are vital to the discourse on the increasing environmental costs of groundwater pumping in the country and will contribute to carbon emission mitigation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accelerating prevalence of coal workers pneumoconiosis is considered as a serious occupational health problem. This cross-sectional study was designed to determine the prevalence of lung function impairment of underground coal miners in West Bengal, India. A total of 230 underground coal dust-exposed subjects and 130 nonexposed subjects were examined for lung function test and also information on sociodemographic characteristics, addiction, respiratory morbidity, personnel protective equipment and dust exposure were collected. Lung function impairment was significantly higher in exposed group than nonexposed group and personnel dust exposure level were exceeded above the NIOSH recommended level. In addition, respiratory ailments were found to be higher in exposed group than the nonexposed group. So, this study has established the need for an advanced understanding of the quantifiable and measurable remedies for protection of lung disorder of coal mine workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Government of India imposed the strictest lockdown from 25 March 2020 till 31 May 2020 to control the spread of coronavirus outbreak. Consequently, about 1.38 billion people were under home confinement. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, we studied circadian rhythm (CR) in the usages of Facebook Messenger (FBM), as a group phenomenon, and published the findings in this journal. We thought it would be worthwhile to carry out a sequel study to assess if there are any changes in the CR in the patterns of digital activity of the FBM users during the COVID-19-triggered lockdown. All the authors of this paper harvested real-time data from their FBM account for over 16 consecutive days between 26 March and 17 April 2020. A statistically significant CR in the digital activity pattern of FBM friends of all the authors was validated. Results of one-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed a statistically significant higher Mesor and amplitude of the rhythm in FBM activity patterns during the lockdown; however, acrophase remained unchanged. We concluded that the COVID-19-triggered lockdown did not affect the location of the peaks and the persistence of CR in the online activity patterns of FBM users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rhizosphere fungus was isolated from roots of bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) and identified asFusariumspp. PPF1. A pot experiment was conducted to test its ability to promote the vegetative growth of Indian spinach seedlings (Basella alba). Indian spinach seeds were sown in sterilised field soil amended with wheat grain inoculum of PPF1 at the rate of 0.5 and 1.0% w/w, and plants were grown for 21?days in a net house. Significantly, higher germination percentage and vigour index were observed due to application of PPF1 in the potting soil. Treatment with PPF1 also significantly increased shoot length, shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight, root length, root fresh weight, root dry weight, leaf area and leaf chlorophyll content of cucumber plants compared to non-treated control. The growth promotion rate increased with the increasing concentration of inoculum of PPF1 applied to the soil. The fungus was re-isolated from the roots of cucumber plants at higher frequencies, while a positive co-relation was found between the root colonisation ability and the plant growth enhancement by the isolate. These results suggest that growth promotion effect ofFusariumspp. PPF1 on Indian spinach (B. alba) are linked to root colonisation ability of the fungus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors aimed to analyze 35 commonly used medicinal plants in India by exploring the possibilities of translocation of lead and cadmium into humans and animals. They collected plant materials from the same sources used by traditional healers and commercial drug manufacturers and estimated lead and cadmium levels in leaf stem bark, roots, and seeds, depending on the medicinal value of the plant portion. The authors determined lead and cadmium content of the digested samples using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Lead and cadmium concentrations were higher in aerial parts of the medicinal plants than in the roots. Lead concentration in 54.29% of medicinal plants and cadmium concentration in 77.14% of medicinal plants exceeded the maximum permissible level designated by the World Health Organization. The results indicate that prolonged consumption of such medicinal plants may be detrimental to one's health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]