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This research paper explores the significance of historic urban landscapes (HUL) in the context of Indian heritage management policies. It investigates the challenges faced in preserving and managing historic urban areas and provides recommendations to enhance the integration of HUL approaches within the existing policy framework. The study draws upon a comprehensive review of scholarly articles, reports, and policy documents related to heritage management in India. The findings emphasise the need for a holistic and inclusive approach that recognises the multifaceted nature of urban heritage and fosters sustainable development while preserving historical significance. The paper offers practical recommendations for policymakers and urban planners to incorporate HUL principles into Indian heritage management policies effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a panel data-based discrete-continuous modeling framework to analyze driver behavior in two disparate trajectory datasets – one from a heterogeneous disorderly (HD) traffic stream in India and another from a homogeneous traffic stream in the United States. The panel data-based framework allows the analyst to isolate the subject vehicle- and driver-specific unobserved factors that influence driver behavior. Doing so helps reduce the confounding effects of such unobserved factors on analyzing the influence of observed factors, such as relative speeds and spacing between the subject vehicle and other vehicles, on driver behavior. The empirical results reveal both similarities and differences in driver behavior between the two trajectory datasets. In addition, the analysis sheds light on the suitability of different lengths of influence zones on driver behavior in the two datasets. The insights from this study can help improve driver behavior models and traffic simulation frameworks for both traffic conditions.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Belt of Schuppen (BoS) of Nagaland is a NE-SW trending linear zone lying adjacent to the Brahmaputra Valley of Assam in Northeast India. Geomorphic, stratigraphic and chronologic data from the Dzüdza and Chathe river valleys that cut across the BoS have been studied to understand the influence of climate on landform evolution in parts of the BoS. Fluvial landforms in the Dzüdza and Chathe river valleys evolved in four major phases bracketed between 22–17 ka (Phase IV), 13–9.0 ka (Phase III), 7–5 ka (Phase II) and 3.5–1.5 ka (Phase I), indicating multi-centennial to millennial changes in monsoon intensity. Climatically, Phase-III was dominated by valley aggradation initiated by onset of the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) and persisted intermittently till the early Holocene-strengthened ISM. The other phases of aggradation are attributed to transient or weak ISM. The present study suggests that fluvial aggradation was associated with enhanced precipitation and sediment supply in the BoS valley, whereas the transient and weak ISM is manifested in episodic pulses of alluvial ingression from the tributaries to the trunk valleys; along with post depositional tectonic modifications of the landforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In accordance with the 1964 Venice Charter, the preservation of wall paintings by detaching and mounting techniques is the last resort when all other means of protection prove to be ineffective. This method is a highly sophisticated method that is now rarely practiced. The technique has been used in India successfully to salvage many decorative schemes such as Rang Mahal at Chamba, Rupi Palace at Kulu, separation for the two-layered paintings of Thanjavur, the Buddhist rock-cut shrine at Bagh, and the Sinon and Phugtal monasteries in Sikkim and Ladakh by specific teams of specialized Indian conservators. Few of these extremely delicate techniques are included in the present knowledge systems of conservation. This paper presents the circumstances wherein the techniques of removal of wall paintings are applied, and the methodology followed in India. The knowledge and practical experiences in the transfer of historic decorative schemes during instances of natural calamities require the allocation of a specialized team of art conservators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landslide susceptibility is a dynamic phenomenon; it changes with slope intrinsic and transient factors. The study aims to evaluate the changes in the landslides, their size, location, and up to some extent, gradual stabilization impacts on susceptibility assessment. The majority of the models, which are developed to analyze landslide susceptibility, use landslide inventory as a dependent variable to compute the predictors' significance. Therefore, a slight change in the landslide dataset nullifies the susceptibility zones. Thus, the landslide susceptibility maps become irrelevant to mitigate slope failures. In the present study, we have used two reference period landslide dataset to execute the landslide susceptibility analysis using the frequency ratio method. The model result was validated with a landslide test dataset using the area under the curve (AUC) method. The AUC value is 0.89 and 0.91 for 2013 and 2019, respectively. The study finds that annual updating of landslide inventory is essential for susceptibility modeling for assessment of associated risks and implications of mitigation measures along the highway corridor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture in Indo-Gangetic plains (IGP) of India is facing challenges of food security, low factor productivity, lowest per capita landholding and natural resource sustainability in the changing climate. Prevalent rice-wheat system (RWS) in this region requires more labour, water and chemical inputs leading to excessive groundwater exploitation and soil degradation. Present enterprise mix diversification study was carried out to improve productivity, profitability and resource use efficiency of the smallholders in reclaimed sodic lands of IGP during 2007–2015 at ICAR-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal, India. Total 2.0 ha area was diversified under grain, vegetable, horticulture, fodder, fisheries, livestock and poultry production systems. This system produced ∼20% higher (13.3 tha−1) rice equivalent yield (REY) than RWS(11.1 tha−1). This system also generated 15.3% higher eight years average net income ($ 5363), than RWS ($ 4650/-), and 875 man-days/annum employment. By recycling this system used ∼50% lesser water than RWS and also improved soil health. On farm production and availability of cereals, vegetables, fruits, milk, eggs, fish, etc. in the system also to ensure food and nutritional security of the farm family. Overall the enterprise mix diversification system enhanced agricultural sustainability with higher productivity, income, employment generation and minimized climatic hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the doctrine of restitution of conjugal rights (RCR) as a colonial legal transplant and examines how ideas of social and moral hygiene manifested in the debates around the doctrine in late-nineteenth century England and India. Originating in ecclesiastical law, the doctrine of RCR provides remedies and sanctions for the deserted spouse when one party has violated the obligation to cohabit as husband and wife. Through a critical examination of the history and application of the doctrine, the article traces the specific ways in which such suits developed and became rooted in Hindu, Parsi and Muslim marital law in India, while simultaneously falling out of favour in England. It places the doctrine in the context of changing ideas of marriage and argues that social hygiene became the tool through which the doctrine was both resisted in England and lauded in colonial India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors reflect on their early experiences of art and craft schooling in India and changes in Indian art and craft education. Topics discussed include the failure of the art curriculum to teach heritage arts and crafts, significance of combining aesthetic experiences outside of school and art and craft object awareness, and the significance of the textbook "Exploring the Craft Traditions of India: Field Study and Applications in Heritage Crafts for Grade XI and XII."

Conventional- till (CT) agriculture is known to be ecologically indiscreet, economically and environmentally unsustainable, and leads to degradation of soil and environment in Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP). Conservation Agriculture (CA) approach was introduced to manage agro-ecosystems for improved and sustained productivity, and increased farmers' profits while maintaining the natural resources. This comprises the management of natural resources at the farm, village, and landscape scales to increase synergies between food production and ecosystem conservation. CA-based rice-wheat (RW) system integrated with mungbean improved the system productivity by ∼10%, profitability by 20–30% using 15–30% less irrigation water, and 20–25% less energy input compared to conventional RW system in the IGP. However, the replacement of rice with maize improved the productivity by 10-15% and profitability by 40–50% using ∼70% less irrigation water. CA layered with subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) in CA-based rice/maize systems recorded ∼5% higher system productivity and saved ∼50% of irrigation water compared to flood irrigation in CT-based systems. CA-based systems are found more adapted to extreme climatic conditions and can mitigate the negative effects of climatic stresses like terminal heat, water stress and thereby helps in increasing crop yields to the tune of 0.4–0.8 t ha−1 per season over the conventional system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Degradation of soil quality caused by conventional tillage practices is a major concern for the sustainability of rice-wheat cropping systems in South Asian region. Therefore, suitable conservation agriculture (CA) practices are required. This study investigates the stratification and storage of soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) as affected by eight years of different CA practices in the North-West Indo-Gangetic Plains of India. There were four treatments: (1) conventionally tilled rice-wheat cropping system, (2) reduced-till CA-based rice-wheat-mungbean system, (3) no-till CA-based rice-wheat-mungbean system, and (4) no-till CA-based maize-wheat-mungbean system. The mean stratification ratio (SR) (i.e. a ratio of the concentrations of SOC and TN in the soil surface to those in a deeper layer) of SOC and TN for 0–5:5–10, 10–15, 15–20, 20–25 and 25–30 cm were found higher (> 2) under CA practices compared to intensive tillage-based conventional agricultural practice (< 2). No-till CA-based rice-wheat-mungbean system stored the highest amount of SOC (25.32 Mg ha−1) whereas reduced till CA-based rice-wheat-mungbean system stored highest amount of TN (3.21 Mg ha−1) at 0–30 cm soil depth. This study shows that CA stratifies SOC and TN and helps to enhance SOC sequestration and soil quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Our paper reviews current teaching practices used to support students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the South Asian region, and to what extent these teaching practices reflect key research based effective practices. We have focused our attention on teaching practices at a time when we are witnessing a greater thrust towards achieving inclusive education at both, regional and global levels. Methods: We have used an eclectic approach for the study by employing a scoping review methodology to identify peer reviewed journal articles from South Asian countries. Having identified 10 articles and three dissertations in total from India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, we have used a matrix method to present our data against nine best teaching practices for students with ASD. Results: Results from the review indicate three practices (of the nine best teaching practices) were most frequently used. These are assessments, alternative, and augmentative communication systems, and parent-implemented instruction/program. The other six teaching practices were not widely reported. Conclusions: We identify significant implications for practitioners, educators, and teacher education programs within the Asian region and beyond. The use of an eclectic approach in making choices regarding teaching strategies, incorporating varied research based effective teaching practices, and following a systematic and informed approach of assessments – teaching interventions – ongoing evaluation are key to supporting students with ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India is one of the world's largest producers of papaya. Viruses, mainly begomoviruses and potyviruses, cause a significant loss in papaya production. The study described here has identified a new species of begomovirus and a new species of betasatellite infecting Carica papaya in India. The sequences of the begomovirus and betasatellite show 90.03% nucleotide sequence identity to an isolate of Radish leaf curl virus and 92.25% identity to an isolate of Tomato leaf curl betasatellite, respectively. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree of begomovirus sequence of isolate DP2 (KX353622) showed distant relationships with previously characterised begomoviruses. Recombination analysis proposed six recombination breakpoints in begomovirus genome with other geographical begomovirus isolates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon (C) mineralization of crop residues is an important process occurring in soil which is helpful in predicting CO2 emission to the atmosphere and nutrient availability to plants. A laboratory experiment was conducted in which C mineralization of residues of rice (Oryza sativa), wheat (Triticum aestivum), maize (Zea mays), mungbean (Vigna radiata) and their mixtures was applied to the soil surface or incorporated into an Alfisols from Northwest India. C mineralization was significantly affected by residue placement and type and their interactions. Rice residue had a higher decomposition rate (k = 0.121 and 0.076 day−1) than wheat (0.073 and 0.042 day−1) and maize residues (0.041 day−1) irrespective of placements. Higher decomposition rates of rice and wheat were observed when placed on soil surface than incorporated in the soils. Additive effects of the contribution of each residue type to C mineralization of the residue mixture were observed. When mungbean residue was added to the rice/wheat or maize/wheat mixture, decomposition of the residue mixture was enhanced. Crop residues with low N and high C/N ratio such as maize, wheat, rice and their mixtures can be applied on the soil surface for faster C and N mineralization, thereby helping to manage high volumes of residues under conservation agriculture-based practices in northwest India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a shortage of psychiatrists in India and psychiatry as a subject of specialization is not a preferred option among medical undergraduates. There is inadequate exposure to psychiatry during the medical undergraduate training in India which might contribute towards it. There are attempts to overcome the negative attitudes towards psychiatry and mental illness among medical undergraduates by changes in the curriculum. In this paper we attempt to review studies on attitudes of undergraduate students towards psychiatry and compare the results with findings from our own survey done as a part of International Study of Student Career Choice in Psychiatry (ISoSCCiP) project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a research related to effect of cropping systems and crop residue on productivity and soil properties in organic ecosystem. It mentions that in field trials conducted at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, the effect of rice-wheat (RWVS) and rice-wheat-mungbean (RWMVS) cropping systems on protein yield, energy output and soil properties was analyzed. It informs that RWMCS exhibited higher productivity, energy output and protein yield as compared to RWCS.

Begomoviruses cause a number of serious diseases of cultivated crops and are considered as the major constraint for the cultivation of several crops all over the world. During a survey in the years 2007 and 2008, the typical symptoms of Begomovirus (yellow mosaic and yellow vein) were observed on six cucurbitaceous crops, viz. bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.), pointed gourd (Trichosanthes dioica), pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo), pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima), sponge gourd (Luffa cylindrica) and ridged gourd (Luffa acutangula) being cultivated in northern India. Begomovirus infection was suspected due to significant infestation of whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci, the known vector of Begomoviruses) on these species. The presence of Begomovirus was detected from the total DNA extracted from six infected leaf samples of these species by polymerase chain reaction using the specific primers of a well-characterised Begomovirus. The ∼800 bp amplicons of these isolates were cloned, sequenced and the data obtained were compared with each other and with sequence database available in GenBank for best sequence identities and phylogenetic relationships. Based on highest 97–99% sequence identities and closest phylogenetic relationships, four representative Begomovirus species were identified as Ageratum enation virus (from T. dioica), Squash leaf curl China virus (from C. maxima), Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (from M. charantia, L. cylindrica and L. acutangula) and Tomato leaf curl Palampur virus (from C. pepo). These results suggested the existence of a high genetic diversity among Begomoviruses infecting cucurbitaceous crops. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article focuses on the design and construction of an eight-lane and 4.7-kilometer long offshore road bridge Rajiv Gandhi Sealink in Mumbai, India. It notes that the bridge provides an alternative connection across the Mahim Bay between the districts of Bandra in the North and Worli in the South. It also looks into the technical and logistical challenges on the construction due to its late design changes and the annual monsoon seasons.

This article explores the creation and transmission of second generation memories concerning the 1947 Partition of British India. The research is based on oral interviews with Punjabi families who migrated because of Partition and now live in Lahore and Delhi. It explores how Partition memories have been transmitted across generations within these families, and also examines similarities and differences between how the second generation interviewees from Delhi and Lahore remember Partition. It demonstrates that the second generation have not passively accepted everything that the first generation, or the state, has told them about Partition. The second generation's memories are also shaped by their age, nationality, religion and class, and the nature of contemporary politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stylosanthes is regarded as an important forage legume for the humid to semiarid tropics in India. Comparative potential of single and dual inoculation of N fixers (native Rhizobium spp.) and AM fungi consortia was studied in unsterilized soil with two Stylosanthes species (S. hamata accession CPI 110123 and S. seabrana accession CPI 105546B) for nodulation, fodder production and quality, ninety days after sowing. Dual inoculation resulted in the significantly greatest nodulation, fodder production, macronutrients (N, P and Ca) and micronutrients (Fe, Zn, Cu and Mn) in both the species followed by single inoculation of Rhizobium spp. There was 91 and 92, 89 and 91, 46 and 47% increase in nodulation, nodule biomass and fodder production in S. hamata and S. seabrana, respectively, with dual inoculation over the control. The fodder quality in terms of crude protein (CP) and total digestible nutrients (TDN) was significantly higher with dual inoculation in both Stylosanthes spp. over the control. Neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) were slightly lower in some inoculated treatments. Both microsymbionts acted synergistically and enhanced each other's density in rhizosphere soil that resulted in positive improvement in the potential of plant species. Overall performance of S. seabrana was better than S. hamata for all the parameters. These results suggest that multiple strains of biofertilizers could be more efficient than single strain for fodder production and quality improvement in Stylosanthes species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides a critique of authoritative development discourses on the migration of men from Nepal to India. Drawing on my ethnographic fieldwork at multiple sites, I illustrate how migration is not perceived as a problem by migrants themselves but as an integral practice in people's livelihoods. Many see migration to work in India as an escape from a difficult socio-economic, cultural and familial situation and an opportunity for young men to experience a distant place, experiment with the pleasures and possibilities of consumption and earn and remit money home to fulfil their obligations as responsible men with the hope for upward socio-economic mobility of their families. The authoritative discourse is criticized for failing to comprehend the socio-cultural meanings associated with this form of human movement and for viewing 'migration' and 'migrants' as aberrant. The presence of a disjuncture between the authoritative discourses and the complex ethnographic reality raises important questions about the politics of migration in international development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Musa balbisiana is one of the progenitors of present-day bananas. The B genome from M. balbisiana has been a rich source of genes conferring resistance to various biotic and abiotic stresses, yet studies on this species are very limited. The present study analysed 29 pure M. balbisiana types (BB), collected from the Indian mainland and from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, using RAPD markers. The total number of amplified fragments was 48, of which 39 showed polymorphism. A tree matrix based on these DNA markers was constructed using NTSYS software. The results clearly distinguished two clusters, one containing accessions from the Indian sub-continent, and the other, accessions from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The dissimilarity between these two clusters was more than 65%. From the results, we propose that M. balbisiana originated from one location, North Eastern India, but now has three distinguishable areas of diversity including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cucumis sativus var. hardwickii (Royle) Alef, a wild sympatric botanical variety of C. sativus L. var. sativus has long grown in the foothills of the western Himalayas and is believed to be either a progenitor or feral relative of the cultivated cucumber. It is a source of several valuable genes for the improvement of cultivated cucumber but is poorly represented in major genebanks world over. A detailed inventory of C. s. var. hardwickii from various parts of the country was therefore made for collecting the germplasm accessions, and assessing the genetic diversity in the assembled germplasm. The species is widely and abundantly distributed in the north-western Himalayas, followed by fair distribution in the Western Ghats, and sporadic distribution in the Eastern Ghats, Chhota Nagpur plateau and the central Plateau region at elevations from 800 to 1700 m.a.s.l. Of the 41 accessions collected from these regions, a set of 29 representative accessions (including one cultivated landrace) were used for assessing the diversity for morphological and RAPD markers. Some of the populations were relatively more vigorous in growth, late maturing and had more laterals. High diversity for morphological as well as RAPD markers was observed, although the clustering of accessions with respect to the composition of specific groups was not identical. In each region, the presence of segregating populations of natural crosses between C. s. var. hardwickii × C. s. var. sativus were observed, indicating the existence of free gene flow between these two taxa. This underlines the importance of collecting more populations of the weedy races (natural hybrids). The results indicate the presence of high genetic diversity for useful traits, hence C. s. var. hardwickii has high potential for the improvement of cultivated cucumber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proposes a framework for investigating the socio-economic influences of e-commerce and Internet adoption in India. Changes in the socio-economic characteristics of several communities; Increase in digital divide; Social disparities and income distribution; Social isolation; Loss of individuality or privacy concerns; Employment and community level impacts.

Seventeen azide resistant mutants were isolated from six strains (103, HT-54, HT-54 (2), 10P, E-12 and MSX 9) of Azotobacter chroococcum. All the parent strains were tested for their minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) by growing cells in liquid medium containing different concentrations of sodium azide (5 μ gml1 to 200 μ gml1). The strains showed different MIC values indicating that the resistance pattern varied with each individual strain. These azide resistant mutants were assessed for their performance on two cotton cultivars- Gossypium hirsutum, var. H- 117 and Gossypiun herbaceum var. HD-123 under pothouse conditions for various plant parameters. Inoculation of cotton seed with Azotobacter mutants showed better results than inoculation with their respective parental strains. Azide resistant mutants showed increased plant height, early flowering, more yield, high biomass and high total nitrogen content. Better performance by these mutants might be due to high indole acetic acid, ammonia excretion and high nitrogenase activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ramsar Convention of IUCN held in 1971 in Iran raised global awareness of the conservation and management of wetlands. Wetlands, the transitional zones that occupy an intermediate position between dryland and open water, regulate the flow of water and nutrients, thereby facilitating optimum functioning of the physical and biological cycles of nature. Harike wetland in the Indian State of Punjab has been declared a wetland of international importance. Thus it is felt necessary to reclaim and develop Harike wetland for its optimum potential use, but a reliable and accurate wetland database is not available. This study aimed at the generation of a database in terms of landuse/landcover, extent of waterspread and its seasonal variation, aquatic vegetation status and turbidity levels of lake water, using multidate satellite data. The threats of the Harike wetland have been identified and adequate measures for its conservation and management suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]