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This paper analyzes the economic integration of the East and South Asian economies in the global economy. East Asian economies are shown to be achieving much more of their potential trade than South Asian economies, both in terms of intra-regional trade and in trade with the rest of the world. Examination of the China- Japan, India- Pakistan and Taiwan-mainland China bilateral relationships shows that integration of these economies into the global economy has allowed economic relations to dominate and constrain difficult bilateral political relations in East Asia while in South Asia adverse political relations have hampered development of bilateral economic relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India being the second largest populated nation has always been energy deficit. In the run, several alternate sources of energy have been tested and utilized to compensate the energy deficiency; these sources include solar, wind, nuclear, hydro, and bioenergy. This paper focuses on the technical, social, and economic aspects of biodiesels produced from various nonpopular sources available in India, which at present are not been practiced on the commercial scale, but their viability has been tested successfully. The study has been made on biodiesels from neem oil, rubber seed oil, karanja seed oil, sal seed oil, kusum oil, simarauba oil, mahua oil, thumba oil, tobacco seed oil, cherua oil, pilu oil, jojoba wax, and tung oil. The paper also discusses the future and setbacks of biodiesel keeping Indian subcontinent in the vision and even throws light on various biofuel policies being implemented by the government. As the study concludes, we have identified that India's diverse flora, as well as agriculture pattern, has potential to boost the discovery, production process, technology transfer, and usage of various unsung nonedible oil‐based biodiesels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tsunami that struck the coasts of India on 26 December 2004 resulted in the large-scale destruction of fisher habitations. The post-tsunami rehabilitation effort in Tamil Nadu was directed towards relocating fisher settlements in the interior. This paper discusses the outcomes of a study on the social effects of relocation in a sample of nine communities along the Coromandel Coast. It concludes that, although the participation of fishing communities in house design and in allocation procedures has been limited, many fisher households are satisfied with the quality of the facilities. The distance of the new settlements to the shore, however, is regarded as an impediment to engaging in the fishing profession, and many fishers are actually moving back to their old locations. This raises questions as to the direction of coastal zone policy in India, as well as to the weight accorded to safety (and other coastal development interests) vis-à-vis the livelihood needs of fishers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The range of Yamuna Kachru's publications is tremendously broad, ranging from language pedagogy, to South Asian - especially Hindi - syntax and syntactic typology, to discourse in South Asian and other languages, to the broader issue of South Asia and world Englishes. This paper focuses on a number of those aspects of her work that have stimulated my own work on several facets of South Asian linguistics, and presents a personal perspective on Professor Kachru's work in this arena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper examines the impact of intra-Asia exchange rate volatility on intra-Asia trade in primary goods, intermediate goods, equipment goods and consumption goods from 1980 to 2009. For Asia, the evidence shows that as intraregional exchange rate volatility increases, intraregional exports in these goods fall. This adverse impact is even more pronounced in the subregion of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)+5 comprising ASEAN member countries plus the People's Republic of China; Hong Kong, China; Japan; the Republic of Korea; and Taipei, China; and especially among intermediate and equipment exports. Again, the impact magnifies in an even smaller subgroup excluding the smaller ASEAN economies. These results underline the significant impact of exchange rate volatility on the region's production networks. For South Asia, however, exchange rate volatility appears to have a positive impact on exports. Still, caution is warranted given that South Asian economies trade relatively little with each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Asia covers more than 30° of latitude with weather observation stations situated from 6°N at Galle, Sri Lanka, to 36°N at Chitral in Pakistan. Moreover, the South Asian station network ranges in altitude from sea level to nearly 4000 m above sea level. This paper uses time series of 11 objectively defined indices of daily temperature extremes at 197 stations in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka to examine the possible impacts of elevation and latitude on changes in temperature extremes over the period of 1971-2000. Trends in extreme indices are consistent with general warming only at low altitudes and latitudes. Stations at high altitudes and latitudes show both positive and negative trends in extreme temperature indices. As a notable example, the Diurnal Temperature Range (DTR), which has been known to decrease in most parts of the globe, has increasing trends over many high altitude stations in South Asia. Trends in extreme temperature indices at stations in South Asia higher than 2000 m above sea level are mostly in disagreement with those reported over the Tibetan Plateau. Observed trends at low altitude locations in South Asia suggest that these sites can generally expect future changes in temperature extremes that are consistent with broad-scale warming. High-elevation sites appear to be more influenced by local factors and, hence, future changes in temperature extremes may be less predictable for these locations. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although social marketing is growing as a discipline, there are several social marketing programmes (SMPs) across the world which can guide us in achieving a better understanding of social marketing. In this paper, using a case study approach, we map the SMPs to the six Ps of marketing; and then attempt to provide key observations about the South Asian SMPs by critically reviewing and comparing them with the social marketing success stories of the USA. Important insights are provided on the variations in SMP strategies by the region and type of social issue. The role of partnership is important in making social marketing initiatives in developing countries effective and sustainable by providing support in manufacturing and distributing quality products at an affordable rate and in remote areas. We propose that the 'Partnership P' should be given equal importance as the classical four Ps of marketing mix. Moreover, the South Asian initiatives seem to be broader than those of the USA and therefore, perhaps there exist more learning opportunities for scholars from the experiences of South Asian social marketing initiatives. The social marketer should be cognizant of regional dissimilarities in terms of income, location, language, literacy, product requirement and culture, and these may be factored in the design and execution of future social marketing strategies. However, the limited number of case studies may restrict the generalisability of the findings and a further probing may be suggested with better coverage of diverse SMPs., Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on interviews and personal accounts of the author working in Nepal for the last 7 years, this paper discusses the evolution of social work education and challenges for its growth in Nepal, a country that is going through a series of transitions and is emerging from a recent decade-long armed conflict. Due to a lack of formal recognition and commitment from state and non-state actors, the future of social work in Nepal is in the hands of university-affiliated colleges and the few social work graduates and educators. Their commitment, strategies, and passion are crucial to the survival and growth of social work in conflict-stricken, transition Nepal in South Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally there is a growing tendency to involve men in preventing domestic violence. Since men are the main perpetrators of violence against women, proponents of men's involvement argue that men must be involved to prevent men's violence against women. Conversely, opponents of men's involvement argue that involving men would not bring about the expected outcome, since men's involvement is challenging, particularly in the cultural context, and men intentionally perpetrate violence against women. In this paper, an attempt has been made to critically justify the suitability of men's involvement and to find a more culturally acceptable alternative for preventing domestic violence against women in South Asia. This article critically discusses theories related to the sociocultural understanding of domestic violence, insightfully presents domestic violence in this regional perspective, argues the pros and cons of men's involvement, and proposes family involvement as a culturally suitable approach to prevent domestic violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Please cite this paper as: Bhuiyan A, Goodall D. The role of the South Asia Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (SAFOG) in South Asia. BJOG 2011; 118 (Suppl. 2): 22-25. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Please cite this paper as: Howarth LA, Walker JJ. The role of family planning in South Asia. BJOG 2011;118 (Suppl. 2):31-35. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. To provide an overview of the availability of pharmaceutical opioids and the evidence on the extent of diversion and injection in South Asia. Methods. This paper reviews existing peer-reviewed and 'grey' literature on the extramedical use and injection of pharmaceutical opioids in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Results. Reports indicate that prescribing for all types of pain is inadequate. There is a paucity of empirical data across South Asia regarding the mechanisms and extent of the diversion and misuse of pharmaceutical opioids, although the problem is widely acknowledged. India is believed to account for significant large-scale diversion within the region and further afield through poor regulation of licit opioid production and pharmacies. A recent decline in use of natural opiates has been accompanied by an increase in pharmaceutical opioid misuse and increasingly, injection, particularly in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan. The medications are typically buprenorphine preparations and/or other lower potency opioids, such as codeine, nalbuphine and dextropropoxyphene. Opioid substitution treatment and needle-syringe programs are available in some countries, but better coverage is needed. Studies identify a lack of comprehensive knowledge regarding HIV and high prevalence of risk behaviours among at-risk populations in the region. Conclusions. It is imperative for the region to rapidly facilitate access to opioids for the treatment of pain and opioid dependence, ensuring effective systems that maintain quality care, regulate and monitor retail pharmacies, and minimise diversion. Prevention of HIV among people who inject pharmaceutical opioids is essential.[Larance B, Ambekar A, Azim T, Murthy P, Panda S, Degenhardt L, Mathers B. The availability, diversion and injection of pharmaceutical opioids in South Asia. Drug Alcohol Rev 2011;30:246-254] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Please cite this paper as: Hussein J, Newlands D, D’Ambruoso L, Thaver I, Talukder R, Besana G. Identifying practices and ideas to improve the implementation of maternal mortality reduction programmes: findings from five South Asian countries. BJOG 2010;117:304–313. Objective The successful implementation of programmes to reduce maternal mortality is constrained by a ‘know–do’ gap: the disparity between what is known and the application of that knowledge in policy and practice. This study identified innovations, practices and ideas aimed to improve project and programme implementation. Design Cross-sectional. Setting Five South Asian countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan. Sample Sixteen projects and programmes, and 100 key informants. Methods In-depth review of documents, key informant interviews and focus-group discussions. Main outcome measures Innovations and ideas to improve programme implementation, and their perceived effects. Results Delegation of duties to intermediate-level health workers, incentivisation of health workers, providing the means to overcome financial barriers for accessing care, quality improvements and knowledge transfer were examples of ideas put into practice to improve programme implementation. There was a perception that these improved service use and availability, but objective evidence was lacking. Conclusions Some innovations, practices and ideas are supported by evidence of effect, and could be replicated, whereas others have not been formally evaluated. Testing of these innovations is required before more widespread adoption can be recommended, although experiences should be shared to narrow the ‘know–do’ gap, even though the evidence on beneficial effects remains unclear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we will explore the nature of English as it is used in one Muslim country and argue that, far from being a colonizing language, English used in Pakistan reflects Islamic values and embodies South Asian Islamic sensitivities. Through analysis of the current discourses on the politics of the English language and a study of Pakistani English, a framework is developed that can be used to study the relationship between Islam and English in other contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the discursive regime of Islamic study circles within an organization of female students (BICSa) informally affiliated with the leading Islamic political party in South Asia, the Jamaat-e-Islami. I investigate this textual modality of Islamic socialization as a site where members partly discipline their sensibilities in accordance with BICSa's project of Islamization, which is grounded in the jihad (exertion)-orientated model for Islamic reform in South Asia of the Islamist Abul Ala Maududi. I also explore group discussion dynamics arising from activists' daily experiences that not only critique conventional distinctions between the political, social, and religious, in accord with the Islamist worldview, but also facilitate argumentation interrogative of Islamist ideological-textual boundaries. The simultaneously centripetal and centrifugal ethos of the study circle as a contemporary Bangladeshi Islamist pedagogical technique is analysed in relation to shifting discussions of jihad among Islamist women. Résumé L’auteur analyse le régime discursif des cercles d’études islamiques au sein d’une organisation d’étudiantes (la BICSa) affiliée de loin au principal parti politique islamique d’Asie du sud, le Jamaat-e-Islami. Elle explore la modalité textuelle de la socialisation islamique comme lieu où l’on discipline partiellement sa sensibilité, selon le projet d’islamisation de la BICSa, calqué sur le modèle de réforme islamique de l’Asie du sud formulé par l’islamiste Abu Sala Maududi et fondé sur le jihad, au sens d’effort. L’auteur explore également la dynamique des discussions de groupe qui naît de l’expérience quotidienne des activistes. Celle-ci permet une critique des distinctions classiques entre politique, social et religieux, conformément à la vision du monde islamiste, mais facilite aussi une argumentation qui questionne les limites idéologiques et textuelles de l’islamisme. L’éthos à la fois centripète et centrifuge de ce cercle d’études, qui représente une technique de la pédagogie islamiste contemporaine au Bangladesh, est analysé en relation avec les discussions mouvantes du jihad parmi les femmes islamistes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the factors underlying the slow progress towards economic integration between the countries of the South Asian region, and discusses the worth and likelihood of an effective agreement. It is argued that substantial integration will only take place after further economic growth leads to increased complementarity in their economic structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theories that explain the origins of communal violence in South Asia often point to the discursive creation of the perception of distinct and adversarial Hindu and Muslim identity categories at the beginning of the twentieth century. This paper argues that these theories overemphasize imagined social differences without adequately considering how these boundaries were territorialized in everyday life through performative place-making practices. In order to fill this gap, ‘zones of tradition’, areas where religious or cultural practices are reified into official tradition, are suggested as one way of conceptualizing how group-making discourses are linked to places. As examples, the cow protection movement that campaigned to institute local bans on the slaughter of cattle and conflicts over Hindu processions playing music as they passed in front of mosques are considered. As these practices were contested, it is argued that zones of tradition were established across British India symbolically and tangibly dividing the territory before it was officially partitioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the relative strengths of the cross-cutting variables of religion and ethnicity. British Muslims are often referred to as if they were a single community. The 2001 Censuses of England and Wales and Scotland demonstrate that Muslims are ethnically heterogeneous. Ethno-religious ward-level data for London from the 2001 census are used to test whether Islam binds together peoples of different ethnicity or whether ethnicity links groups despite religious differences. London Muslims, as a whole, are much less segregated than Sikhs, Jews or Hindus. Paradoxically this low level of overall segregation is produced by high intra-Muslim ethnic segregation. Intra South-Asian mixing irrespective of religion is greater than intra-Muslim mixing, irrespective of ethnicity. Intra-Black mixing is high irrespective of religion, while religion over-rides race and ethnicity for Christian groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the early 1990s, large and rapid population declines of three species of vulture ( Gyps spp.) endemic to south Asia have occurred on the Indian subcontinent and have led to these species being listed by IUCN as critically endangered. Evidence of rates of population decline, cause of death and toxicity is consistent with these declines being caused by poisoning of vultures through the ingestion of tissues from livestock treated with the anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac. In this paper, analysis of repeated surveys in and near protected areas widely spread across India shows that populations of two other vulture species, Egyptian vulture Neophron percnopterus and red-headed vulture Sarcogyps calvus, have also declined markedly and rapidly, but probably with a later onset than Gyps vultures in the same region. The declines continued at least up to 2003. It is recommended that these two species are considered for inclusion in the IUCN Red List and for urgent remedial conservation measures. Research is needed to determine whether or not the principal cause of these declines is diclofenac poisoning and to establish population trends in other scavenging birds in the Indian subcontinent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fact that millions of females are “missing” in East Asia and South Asia has been attributed to cultural factors that support strong son preference in these countries. A widely disseminated paper by Emily Oster argues that a large part of this phenomenon can be attributed to excessively masculine sex ratios at birth resulting from maternal infection with hepatitis B. If her thesis is true, current policies to address this problem would need to be reframed to include biological factors in addition to cultural factors. The data show, however, that whether or not females “go missing” is determined by the existing sex composition of the family into which they are conceived. Girls with no older sisters have similar chances of survival as boys. However, girls conceived in families that already have a daughter experience steeply higher probabilities of being aborted or of dying in early childhood. This indicates that cultural factors still provide the overwhelming explanation for the “missing” females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contributes to the under-researched issue of how auditors charge for their services by empirically examining audit fee determinants in three emerging economies within South Asia. Using data from 118 Bangladeshi firms, 219 Indian firms and 229 Pakistani firms for the year 1998, the results show that size of the reporting entity, multinational affiliation and size of the audit firms are the most important determinants across the three countries. No significant relations were found between audit fees and the firm's financial condition and auditee complexity. The results of this study provide useful insights into the role of contracting cost variables and auditors’ billing practices in comparative and emerging economies in general, and South Asia in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay brings together and complicates three stories within South Asian education history by gendering them. Thus modern education was actively pursued by mothers for their sons; indigenous education should be understood as continuing at home; and women were crucial actors in men's reform and nationalism efforts through both collaboration and resistance. Gendered history should go beyond the separate story of girls and women, or the understanding of women as mothers and mothers as the nation, to see these three processes as gendered. The paper argues for the coming together of historical and anthropological arguments and for using literature imaginatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• With some regions of the UK containing areas where the ethnic minority population has grown to become the ethnic majority, both personal and business banking needs of these communities provide areas of potential growth for financial institutions. Previous research has indicated that certain organizations do not understand particular cultural practices of customers within ethnic communities and have ineffectively targeted them. • This paper provides an insight into how a major bank has addressed the needs of particular ethnic communities. It reports on interview data with the Head of HSBC's South Asian Business Unit. The findings provide a contribution to the body of knowledge associated with the interface between subculture and financial institutions' marketing practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the African continent has the highest child labour force participation rates, Asia contains the largest pool of child workers. The nature, magnitude and decline in child labour vary sharply between Asian countries. East Asia now has little child labour; however, child labour continues to have a significant presence in South Asia and in parts of Southeast Asia. This paper surveys the literature on child labour in selected Asian countries, paying special attention to its causes and consequences. The evidence presented shows that Asian child labour, especially in South and Southeast Asia, has some common features. For example, the bulk of child labour is in the 10–14 years age group. The phenomenon is largely rural, and child domestic labour constitutes a significant share. The participation rate of Asian children in the 15–17 years age group in economic activities, 48.4 per cent, is the highest in the world. There is a significant gender element in Asian child labour with boys outnumbering girls in economically active work, while the reverse is the case with domestic child labour. A focus of the survey is the empirical findings that provide insights into the policy instruments that may be needed in combating this phenomenon. The survey also discusses some of the important international and national initiatives that have been taken to reduce child labour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proliferation of preferential trading agreements (PTAs) in different regions of the world has been a significant development over the last two decades. South Asian countries have been slowly moving towards a South Asia Free Trade Area (SAFTA) in recent years. The desirability of SAFTA has been questioned by some observers recently. Will SAFTA create gains for its members or not? Is it better for South Asian countries to promote non-discriminatory trade liberalisation rather than SAFTA? The main objective of this paper is to address the above questions, especially the desirability of SAFTA, using a global computable general equilibrium (CGE) model. From the existing empirical and theoretical studies, we have identified three viewpoints on the desirability (or viability) of SAFTA: pessimistic, optimistic, and moderate. The results from two policy scenarios (unilateral liberalisation and SAFTA) confirm the pessimistic view by showing that unilateral liberalisation would benefit South Asian countries much more than preferential liberalisation (SAFTA). In fact, under preferential liberalisation, small countries in the region would gain little or even lose. The present political climate in South Asia also seems to support the pessimistic view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The paper provides a realistic explanation for the persistently large loan costs in the informal and formal credit markets of South Asia. In the presence of the adverse selection problems that arise from information asymmetries and discrepancies in credit services, price competition in somewhat differentiated products is sufficient to generate the high interest rate convergence observed in Nepalese credit markets. Most prior literature emphasizes collusion as the cause and leads to ineffective entry-oriented policy prescriptions. The new interpretation stresses the need to reduce information asymmetries, product differentiation, and moral hazard risks, while widening the spatial orbits of agent competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses social security programmes for the disadvantaged elderly population in the unorganized sector in three South Asian countries: India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Owing to data constraints, the discussion is limited to social assistance, old age homes, and pensions. The analysis suggests that both the State and private voluntary organizations have played only a limited role in providing social assistance in old age. The outcome is inadequate coverage and funding for the programmes designed to assist older persons. Because of rapid ageing, if the current situation is allowed to prevail, the outcome will be even less promising. Increased coverage and funding will require greater focus on achieving higher economic growth rates and improving the fiscal management of public expenditure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how various and competing identity claims are negotiated by young deaf people and their families. Our findings, based on group and individual interviews with young South Asian deaf people and individual interviews with their families, illustrate the complex realities of identity negotiation and how this process occurs against the backdrop of ethnicity, religion, gender, racism and deafness. More generally, the structures against which these negotiations take place influence the identity choices to be negotiated. Equally, the struggles to define self-hood in meaningful and fulfilling ways show agency and ingenuity at work. This helps us to understand a fundamental tension facing young South Asian deaf people as they make sense of their deafness. Deaf culture represented a source of strength and inclusion in a community, which reaffirmed and respected their difference as deaf people, while at the same time denying and undermining their ethnic and religious difference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patterns of dental disease among Bronze Age people of the Indus Valley Civilization are currently based on early and incomplete reports by non-specialists. This deficiency precludes accurate diachronic analysis of dental disease and its relationship with increasing agriculturalism in the Indian subcontinent. The objective of this paper is to document prevalence of dental disease at Harappa (2500-2000 B.C.), Punjab Province, Pakistan, comparatively evaluate the Harappan dental pathology profile, and use these data to assess theories regarding the dental health consequences of increasingly intensive agricultural dependence. Pathological conditions of the dentition included in the study are abscesses, ante-mortem tooth loss (AMTL), calculus, caries, hypoplasia, hypercementosis, pulp chamber exposure, and alveolar resorption. The Harappan dentition exhibits a dental pathology profile typical of a population whose subsistence base is agriculture. Dental caries at Harappa are present in 6.8% (n = 751) of the teeth and 43.6% (n = 39) of the more completely preserved dental specimens. The use of a caries correction factor is recommended to permit an estimate of caries induced AMTL in calculating the caries prevalence. All dental lesions are present at higher rates in this Harappan study sample than were reported in previous investigations, and important differences in prevalence of dental disease occur between the genders. Prevalence of dental disease increases in the greater Indus Valley as subsistence becomes more intensive and as food preparation and storage technology becomes more efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we present examples from four research projects in India that were influenced by the values and ethics of decolonized and participatory research, and shaped by engendered perspectives. Each project built on earlier experiences that forced us to critically examine the ways we engaged with participants, crafted our field identities, and formed relationships. Using insights from linguistic anthropology and attending to intersectional inequalities and the construction of epistemic authority, we showcase how conducting an ethnography of communication and employing tactics of intersubjectivity influenced archaeological outcomes. We argue that close attention to context of communication, identity expression, and intersectional inequality enhances intersubjectivity, a necessary ingredient for successful participatory archaeology projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The Mauryan Empire, an early South Asian polity, was once presumed to have exerted control over most of the Indian subcontinent. A reexamination of both archaeological and historical evidence suggests a different interpretation of Mauryan imperialism - one that has less to do with territorial control and instead looks to a relational network perspective. This perspective allows a view of the Mauryan polity that goes beyond the political dimension to examine long-term patterns of interaction during the Early Historic period (ca. 600 B.C.E.-C.E. 600). Additionally, this model may be extended to include parallel networks of interaction that existed independently of political authority and would endure beyond the decline of various dynastic powers. [Mauryan Empire, sovereignty, territoriality, Early Historic period, South Asia] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID‐19 pandemic has brought about significant changes to the the learning process, prompted by the shift away from traditional physical classrooms to virtual ones. With unequal access to remote learning technologies, there are concerns regarding undergraduate students' academic progress. A primary survey was conducted to create a composite learning score to quantify learning losses. A significantly higher learning loss is visible among students belonging to families facing income losses during the pandemic, and public university students. We find that compared to India, students of Bangladesh and Pakistan are affected more severely in terms of learning losses. The article also measures the extent of psychological distress and academic demotivation related to online learning. We find that the same groups of students face higher psychological distress and academic demotivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following Sadorsky (Energy Economics, 2011, 33, 739), we examine the nexus between energy and trade in South Asia in a panel framework using annual data from 1990 to 2015. Given the cross‐sectional dependency issue, we use robust second‐generation panel econometric methods for the analysis. We find that variables are stationary at the first difference and cointegrated in the long run. The Dumitrescu‐Hurlin panel causality test shows a long‐run unidirectional causality from trade openness to energy consumption but not vice versa. Moreover, the panel symmetric and asymmetric estimation techniques reveal that energy consumption rises by 0.47 per cent on average and 0.83 per cent, with a 1 per cent rise in trade openness in the long run. However, a negative shock of similar magnitude reduces energy consumption by 0.37 per cent. We further fortify the panel results in the country‐level data with robust methods. We recommend energy efficiency and conservation policies and renewable energy technology augmentation policies through bilateral or multilateral trade strategies for sustainable development in the selected South Asian countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]