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A palynological analysis of borehole RB-1, Raniganj Coalfield, Damodar Basin, has been presented here. Based on the quantitative analysis of the spores and pollen grains of the productive samples, three palynoassemblages have been identified: Palynoassemblage-I demarcated at a depth between 335.00 and 284.00 m is distinguished by the dominance of nonstriate bisaccate pollen Scheuringipollenites and subdominance of striate bisaccate pollen Faunipollenites suggestive of an early Permian (Artinskian) age; Palynoassemblage-II identified at a depth between 278.00 and 32.00 m shows the prominence of striate bisaccate mainly Faunipollenites, Striatopodocarpites and subdominance of Scheuringipollenites signifies late early Permian (Kungurian) age, and the youngest Palynoassemblage-III marked at a depth between 30.00 and 03.00 m contains dominance of striate disaccates pollen, viz., Striatopodocarpites, Crescentipollenites, and monosaccate pollen Densipollenites spp. (D. invisus, D. densus, D. magnicorpus) corroborate with the latest Permian Raniganj (Lopingian) age. The rare occurrence of Densoisporites contactus and Lundbladispora warti in the assemblage, define the upper limit of the Raniganj Formation. The assemblages have been correlated with the Indian as well as other Gondwanian continents. The dominance of gymnosperms pollen glossopteridales, conifers, and cordaites, lesser quantitative spores of lycopsids, sphenopsids, filiciopsids algal elements indicate that the palaeoclimatic condition was warm and high humid, during the deposition of these sediments in the study area of the Raniganj Coalfield. Research Highlights: Palynological study has been carried out for the subsurface coal deposits from the borehole RB-1, drilled at Raniganj Coalfield to attempt to establish chronology of the sediments. The palynological investigation reveals three palynoassemblage zones and dated as early to latest Permian (Artinskian to Lopingian) age and this assemblage reveals the dominance of gymnosperms plant group such as Glossopteridales followed by conifers and cordaitales. The FADs (First appearance of Datum) of Densoisporites contactus, Lundbladispora warti and Lunatisporites pellucidus in the assemblage III indicate the end of Permian period. The overall palynological composition suggests that a warm to very hot with medium to low humidity climatic condition were prevailing in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work elucidates miofloral records from the Ganmachidam Formation (late Carboniferous–earliest Permian) of Spiti Valley, Tethyan Himalaya. The Ganmachidam Formation was hitherto considered as unfossiliferous, both for the faunal as well as floral records, and has been subjected to contentious age assessment. The present study has been carried out to find out the microfloral remains, assess the palynostratigraphic status, and the age of the Ganmachidam Formation. From the splintery shale sequence, a rich assemblage of palynomorphs has been recovered, having a dominance of monosaccate pollen grains, namely Parasaccites (Cannanoropollis), Crucisaccites, Divarisaccus, Densipollenites, Maculatasporites, followed by diverse bisaccate pollen grains, namely Scheuringipollenites, Crescentipollenites, Faunipollenites (Protohaploxypinus), Lunatisporites, Striatopodocarpites, Striatites, Rhizomaspora, Primuspollenites, and the spores Callumispora (Punctatisporites) and Calamospora in addition to woody fragments and fungal spores. Three palynoassemblages are identified. The recovered palynocomposition is corroborated with known records of palynomorphs from the Tethyan realm of India and from the late Carboniferous–Early Permian records of contemporaneous sequences across the globe. The composition of these palynoassemblages shows close correlation with the Crucisaccites monoletus Zone and Vittatina costabilis Interval Zone in the northeastern area of the Paraná Basin, Brazil, and lower Barakar palynozone (Scheuringipollenites barakarensis Assemblage Zone) of Peninsular India which indicates the studied section of the Ganmachidam Formation is late Pennsylvanian to early Permian in age. Moreover, occurrences of palynomorphs from the Carboniferous sequences having a glossopterid affinity further strengthen the idea that glossopterids might have originated in Carboniferous time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macroscopic fossil charcoal fragments have been recovered from the borehole AK-19 (at a depth of 120.00 m) drilled at the Astona-Kothurna coal block, Wardha valley coalfield. In general, the occurrence of charcoal in sediments is accepted as a direct indicator for palaeo-wildfires. The charcoal fragments exhibits well preserved homogenized cell walls as well as anatomical details such as uniseriate and biseriate pitting patterns on tracheid walls under Field Emission Scanning Electronic Microscope (FESEM), suggesting a gymnospermous wood affinity of the studied material. The excellent preservation, their large size and almost unabraded edges of charcoal fragments suggest a par-autochthonous origin. These findings add further evidence for the widespread occurrence of such wildfires during the Early Permian not only in India, but on the entire Gondwana continent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work documents for the first time a palynological assemblage in the Rajmahal Basin, tentatively considered probable youngest Late Pennsylvanian assemblage, which was hitherto considered early Permian. The palynocomposition consists of 39 species (5 spores, 25 monosaccate, 5 bisaccate- 3 non striate and 2 striate grains, scarce Navifusa sp., scolecodont, algae and fungal hyphae). Two assemblages are described based on the first appearance of taxa, Assemblage I (608.90–599.00 m) dominated by monosaccates and absence of bisaccates and spores. Assemblage II (592.0–590.80 m) also dominated by monosaccates but with the inception of spores, bisaccates and marine palynomorphs. The Assemblage I is correlated to the oldest Potonieisporites neglectus Assemblage Zone of Tiwari and Tripathi based on their similarities and the absence of species recorded in the Assemblage II which is correlated to their overlying Plicatipollenites gondwanensis Assemblage Zone. Palynoassemblages similar to the Assemblage I, radiometrically constrained to the Late Pennsylvanian across Gondwana, along with the lack of diagnostic Permian pollen grains as well as marine Eurydesma fauna and terrestrial glossopterids, tentatively support an older age at least for the lower interval of the Talchir Formation. The latter fossils associated to Assemblage II confirm an early Permian age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Secondary education and delayed marriage provide long-term socio-economic and health benefits to adolescent girls. We tested whether a structural and norms-based intervention, which worked with adolescent girls, their families, communities, and secondary schools to address poverty, schooling quality and gender norms, could reduce secondary school drop-out and child marriage among scheduled-caste/scheduled-tribe (SC/ST) adolescent girls in rural settings of southern India.Methods: 80 of 121 villages in Vijayapura and Bagalkote districts, Karnataka State, were randomly selected (control = 40; intervention = 40). All 12-13 year-old SC/ST girls in final year of primary school (standard 7th) were enrolled and followed for 3 years (2014-2017) until the end of secondary school (standard 10th). Primary trial outcomes were proportion of girls who completed secondary school and were married, by trial end-line (15-16 years). Analyses were intention-to-treat and used individual-level girl data.Results: 92.6% (2275/2457) girls at baseline and 72.8% (1788/2457) at end-line were interviewed. At end-line, one-fourth had not completed secondary school (control = 24.9%; intervention = 25.4%), and one in ten reported being married (control = 9.6%; intervention = 10.1%). These were lower than expected based on district-level data available before the trial, with no difference between these, or other schooling or sexual and reproductive outcomes, by trial arm. There was a small but significant increase in secondary school entry (adjusted odds ratio AOR = 3.58, 95% confidence interval CI = 1.36-9.44) and completion (AOR=1.54, 95%CI = 1.02-2.34) in Vijayapura district. The sensitivity and attrition analyses did not impact the overall result indicating that attrition of girls at end-line was random without much bearing on overall result.Conclusions: Samata intervention had no overall impact, however, it added value in one of the two implementation districts- increasing secondary school entry and completion. Lower than expected school drop-out and child marriage rates at end-line reflect strong secular changes, likely due to large-scale government initiatives to keep girls in school and delay marriage. Although government programmes may be sufficient to reach most girls in these settings, a substantial proportion of SC/ST girls remain at-risk of early marriage and school drop-out, and require targeted programming. Addressing multiple forms of clustered disadvantage among hardest to reach will be key to ensuring India "leaves no-one behind" and achieves its gender, health and education Sustainable Development Goal aspirations.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov registration number NCT01996241. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The palynostratigraphic data given here are based on the explored borecores (TRBD-2, TRBD-3 and TROD-1), by Geological Survey of India. The Permian strata worked-out is about 1174.00 m thick and comprises from base to top - Talchir, Barakar and Barren Measures formations. The palynological content enables delimitation of five palynological assemblages. (i) Scheuringipollenites barakarensis, (ii) Faunipollenites varius, (iii) Gondisporites raniganjensis, (iv) Densipollenites magnicorpus, and (v) Krempipollenites indicus in ascending order from the subsuface rock strata. The lithologically identified strata Talchir Formation in borecores TRBD-2 and TRBD-3 is palynologically dated late Early Permian in having the Scheuringipollenites barakarensis and the Faunipollenites varius palynozones. Subsequently, the part of Barakar strata in these borecores corroborates with Barakar Formation. In borecore TRBD-3, the Barren Measures rocks do not match with the palynological dates, and are affiliated with the palynoflora of the Raniganj Formation. In TROD-1, the strata identified as Barakar Formation is dated Late Permian in having Gondisporites ranigangensis Palynozone; while that of Barren Measures Formation is palynologically dated Early Triassic having Krempipollenites indicus Palynozone. The palynology has helped in the precise dating of the Lower Gondwana succession of Odari and Bartikhurd blocks in Tatapani-Ramkola Coalfield of South Rewa Gondwana Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gondwana sediments comprising fine-grained shales, carbonaceous shales, sandstones and the coal horizon in borecore RT-4 (approximately 547.00m thick) from Tamra block, Raniganj Coalfield, Damodar Basin, are analyzed palynologically. Based on the distribution pattern of marker palynotaxa, two assemblage zones are identified. In the Barren Measures Formation, dominance of enveloping monosaccate ( Densipollenites) along with striate bisaccate ( Striatopodocarpites, Faunipollenites) pollen taxa, and the FAD's of Kamthisaccites and Arcuatipollenites observed at 30.75, have equated this strata (30.75-227.80 m thick) with the Raniganj Formation of Late Permian in age. Downwards in the Barakar Formation, between 423.80-577.70 m depths, an abundance of non-striate ( Scheuringipollenites) and striate ( Faunipollenites and Striatopodocarpites) bisaccate pollen taxa is observed, that dates late Early Permian in age. Fair occurrences of hyaline, distorted and blackish-brown plant matter is observed within 231.00-408.40 m depths. Present study infers the existence of the Raniganj Formation in the lithologically delimited Barren Measures Formation in the study area, and the underlying unproductive strata (approx. 177.40m) might represent the part of the Barren Measures Formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Permian-Triassic (P/T) mass extinction qualifies as the severest biotic perturbation in the history of our planet. Biomarkers, stable isotopes and palynomorphs are excellent proxies offering glimpses into palaeobiota and past ecosystems. These were investigated from coal-bearing upper Permian (Raniganj Formation) and Lower Triassic (Panchet Formation) Gondwana sediments recovered from the Raniganj Sub-basin, eastern India. The geochemical and palaeobotanical data suggest a shift in the terrestrial vegetation during the Early Triassic. A distinct change occurs from high abundance of n -C 23 and n -C 25 alkanes and higher CPI values in the upper Permian sediments to predominantly n -C 27 and n -C 29 alkanes along with relatively lower CPI values in the Lower Triassic. A sharp decline of the diterpenoid compounds and Glossopteridales pollens with a concomitant rise in lycopsid spores in the Lower Triassic sediments reflects the waning of a gymnosperm-dominated mire and onset of a stressed environment. Unlike the Glossopteridales, the Coniferales appear to be a resilient floral group with several new genera adapting to the growing arid conditions in the Early Triassic. The microbial community also responded to the contemporaneous ecosystem shift, with higher concentration of C 27 sterane relative to C 29 sterane in Lower Triassic sediments indicating proliferation of algal phytoplankton. The decreasing moretane/hopane (M/H) suggests that the soil bacteria were adversely affected plausibly due to enhanced soil erosion at the early part of the Triassic. A marked shift in the bulk isotopic composition (δ13C org) from higher values in the upper Permian sediments (˗21.0 to ˗24.1‰) to lower values in the Lower Triassic sediments (˗21.2 to ˗32.5‰) is diagnostic of a vegetation changeover as a result of environmental deterioration. This is the first integrated study using molecular organic geochemical proxies and palynology from terrestrial Gondwana sediments in the Indian subcontinent, designed to investigate the pattern of floral and microbial restructuring as a result of an environmental shift during the Permian-Triassic transition. • Biomarkers, δ13C org and palynomorphs reported from Gondwana sediments, India. • Molecular and palaeobotanical proxies suggest a declining palaeomire. • Changeover of vegetation as a response to environmental shift could be discerned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The late Cretaceous Corsinipollenites from central India and its nearest living fossil pollen Ludwigia from Pleistocene Karewa sediments in Kashmir shows morphometrical affinities with pollen of seven extant Ludwigia species (L. octovalvis (Jacq) P.H. Raven , L. octovalvis subsp. sessiliflora (M.Micheli) Raven , L. adscendens (L.) H. Hara , L. perennis (L.), L. hyssopifolia (G.Don) Exell , L. peruviana (L.) H. Hara and L. decurrens Walt.) commonly growing in swampy ecosystems of India. The Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) and Light Microscope (LM) study draws plausible lineage of extant Ludwigia species with that of fossil specimens recovered at two different time frames based on similarities in pollen morphometry. The pollen aperture and its character along with the sexine pattern were main identifiable features to distinguish different species of extant/fossil Ludwigia pollen. The aspidote aperture varies from brevi-colporate to slit-like colpi (colporate). The sexine is stenopalynous type characterized by rugulate to reti-rugulate pattern. The multivariate principal component analysis (PCA) was applied on the numerical data obtained from pollen morphometry of living and fossil Ludwigia spp. The Pleistocene Ludwigia morphotype with slit-like colpi shows close proximity to L. octovalvis, L. octovalvis subsp. sessiliflora and L. adscendens. However, Late Cretaceous, Corsinipollenitis characterized by brevicolpi is closer to L. perennis and L. hyssopifolia with respect to primary pollen characters and inferred as primitive species having lineage to the "Old World" (paleotropical) species. A short pollen key of Ludwigia spp., is presented here to enable the identification of living/fossil pollen. • Morphometry and morphology of seven extant species of Ludwigia from India. • A plausible lineage of living Ludwigia with their fossil pollen records. • Pleistocene Ludwigia and L. octovalvis subsp. sessiliflora shares similar pollen characters. • Late Cretaceous, Corsinipollenitis is similar to L. perennis and L. hyssopifolia. • Ludwigia perennis and L. hyssopifolia are primitive species having lineage to the "Old World." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secondary education among lower caste adolescent girls living in rural Karnataka, South India, is characterized by high rates of school drop-out and absenteeism. A cross-sectional baseline survey (N=2275) was conducted in 2014 as part of a cluster-randomized control trial among adolescent girls (13-14 year) and their families from marginalized communities in two districts of north Karnataka. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used. Overall, 8.7% girls reported secondary school dropout and 8.1% reported frequent absenteeism (past month). In adjusted analyses, economic factors (household poverty; girls' work-related migration), social norms and practices (child marriage; value of girls' education), and school-related factors (poor learning environment and bullying/harassment at school) were associated with an increased odds of school dropout and absenteeism. Interventions aiming to increase secondary school retention among marginalized girls may require a multi-level approach, with synergistic components that address social, structural and economic determinants of school absenteeism and dropout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early Permian floral diversity and palaeodepositional environment of the Lower Permian Rajhara sequence of Damodar Basin have been studied based on mega-, microfossil and geochemical proxies. Even though Gondwana sediments are generally considered as fluvio-lacustrine deposits, recent studies indicate marine inundations with patchy records. Here in the present study, an attempt has been made to address the changeover from fluviatile to shallow marine conditions and also to address the palaeodepositional aspects. Luxuriant vegetation during deposition of the Lower Barakar Formation generated thick coal seams. The macroplant fossil assemblage shows Glossopteridales, Cordaitales and Equisetales comprising one palynoassemblage with the dominance of bisaccate pollen grains having glossopterid affinities. However, Lycopsids are absent in the megafloral record and are represented in megaspore assemblage. The present floral assemblage led to envisage the presence of dense forest with swampy conditions and prevalence of warm and humid climate during the deposition of Barakar sediments. Correlation with the coeval Indian assemblages and those from other Gondwanan continents also supports an Artinskian age and reveals a stronger affinity with flora of Africa than that of South America. Biomarker analysis reveals low pristane/phytane values (0.30-0.84), noticeable absence of hopanoid triterpenoids and long-chain n-alkanes that is attributed to the obliteration of organic compounds and subsequent alteration of composition due to thermal effect. The high chemical index of alteration, A-CN-K plot and PIA also suggest severe denudation under a warm/humid climate. The V/Al 2 O 3 and P 2 O 5 /Al 2 O 3 indicated freshwater-near-shore conditions. However, signature of possible marine influence is identified from Th/U and Sr/Ba ratios resulted from the eustatic fluctuations during Permian., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Background: Gender-related norms and poverty remain important structural barriers to secondary school attendance among adolescent girls in southern India. We analyse how gender norms interact with family deprivation and dynamics to result in girls dropping out of school; we identify the main facilitators of school retention and changes to gender socialisation., Methods: Longitudinal qualitative case studies with 36 girls were nested within a cluster randomized trial to evaluate the Samata intervention targeting adolescent girls in Bagalkote and Vijayapura districts in northern Karnataka. We used two rounds of in-depth interviews, conducted in 2014 at a time when respondents were in 8th standard at the age of 13 to 14 and sixteen months later. We combined thematic and narrative analyses., Results: Our study found that poverty and socioeconomic realities at the household level strongly affect conformity with discriminatory gender practices such as restricting girls' mobility. The value placed on education by parents clearly differentiates the regular school goers from those frequently absent and others who dropped out. With active encouragement of the girls' educational and career aspirations, parents engendered the girl's agency to communicate openly both at home and at school, allowing subtle changes to gender performance while resisting the pressure of social sanctions. In contrast, where educational aspirations were weak, parents invested more intensely in enforcing correct performance of gender, prioritising her well-being by aiming to secure her future in a good marriage. Among poorer families, girls' domestic duties came at the cost of schooling with concerns about protecting her sexual purity predominating., Conclusions: In contexts where a strong gender ideology of virginity before marriage rules, subtle shifts in harmful gender practices are possible. Interventions aiming to improve education need to target the most deprived families, focussing on trust building through open communication., Competing Interests: On behalf of all the co-authors, Satyanarayana Ramanaik declares no competing interests in this study. Our funders, namely, DFID and ViiV Healthcare, had no direct role in designing the study, data collection, analysis, preparation of the manuscript, or the decision to publish. However, technical support was provided by London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and University of Manitoba while designing the study, data analysis, and preparation of the manuscript. Being ViiV Healthcare is a commercial source of funding, we declare no competing interest of ViiV Healthcare relating to employment, consultancy, patents, products in development, marketed products etc. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

Background: Research has increasingly documented the important role that violence by clients and the police play in exacerbating HIV vulnerability for women in sex work. However few studies have examined violence in the intimate relationships of women in sex work, or drawn on community partnerships to explore the social dynamics involved. A community-based participatory research study was undertaken by community and academic partners leading intimate partner violence (IPV) and HIV prevention programs in Bagalkot district, Karnataka state, India. The purpose was to explore the experience and understandings of intimate partner violence and HIV/AIDS among women in sex work and their intimate partners in Bagalkot that would inform both theory and practice., Methods: A community-based, interpretive qualitative methodology was used. Data was collected between July and October 2014 through in-depth interviews with 38 participants, including 10 couples, 13 individual female sex workers, and 5 individual male intimate partners. Purposive sampling was done to maximize variation on socio-demographic characteristics. Thematic content analysis was conducted through coding and categorization for each interview question in NVivo 10.0, followed by collaborative analysis to answer the research questions., Results: The results showed that an array of interrelated, multi-level factors underlay the widespread acceptance and perpetuation of violence and lack of condom use in participants' intimate relationships. These included individual expectations that justified violence and reflected societal gender norms, compounded by stigma, legal and economic constraints relating to sex work. The results demonstrate that structural vulnerability to IPV and HIV must be addressed not only on the individual and relationship levels to resolve relevant triggers of violence and lack of condom use, but also the societal-level to address gender norms and socio-economic constraints among women in sex work and their partners., Conclusion: The study contributes to a better understanding on the interplay of individual agency and structural forces at a time when researchers and program planners are increasingly pondering how best to address complex and intersecting social and health issues. Ongoing research should assess the generalizability of the results and the effectiveness of structural interventions aiming to reduce IPV and HIV vulnerability in other contexts.