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The paper explores the complex interplay between economic development and environmental sustainability in the context of India's pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It examines the inherent contradictions and trade-offs involved, particularly in agriculture, industrialisation, and infrastructure sectors. The paper highlights how economic growth, essential for improving living standards, often conflicts with environmental objectives. The paper underscores the importance of integrating economic, environmental, and social objectives to achieve a sustainable and inclusive future for India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The usability of a paper mill sludge compost (PMSC) in the brick making is established. • Up to 10 wt% of PMSC was suitable for bricks production as per relevant standards. • It is proved that the products can be used in non load-bearing and infill walls. • TCLP procedure demonstrated the non-hazardous nature of the obtained bricks. This study's focus was to develop a potential pathway for recycling of the paper mill sludge compost (PMSC) in brick making. Composting reduces the paper mill sludge (PMS) moisture content considerably and shredding becomes easier. The addition of PMSC leads to an increase of porosities in bricks and makes them lighter, besides delivering energy to the firing process from burning organics. Lighter construction materials help minimize construction outlay by reducing labour and transportation costs and lesser expense on foundation construction. The variability in the experimental data and the brick properties were investigated for two types of soils, typical in the brick industry of India (alluvial and laterite soil), blended with PMSC in five mix ratios (0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%). The samples of oven-dried bricks were fired at two different temperatures (850 and 900 °C) in an electrically operated muffle furnace representing typical conditions of a brick kiln. Various properties of bricks were analyzed which included linear shrinkage, bulk density, water absorption and compressive strength. Conclusions were drawn based on these properties. It was found that the addition of PMSC to the alluvial and laterite soil by up to 10% weight yield mechanical properties of fired bricks compliant with the relevant Indian and ASTM codes. Toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) tests showed that PMSC incorporated fired bricks are safe to use in regular applications as non-load-bearing and infill walls. This study is timely in light of the European Green Deal putting focus on circular economy. Besides, it fulfills the objective of UN sustainable development goals (SDG). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: The accessibility and relatively low cost of nitrogen (N) fertilizers have been a gift to humankind and made it possible to feed the exponentially growing world population. The excessive use of N, in combination with a poor N use efficiency (NUE) in crop production, is associated with severe environmental impacts, and the scientific community has repeatedly warned that the safe operating space for N within the planetary boundaries has been exceeded. In the light of these considerations, a global player and India's largest fertilizer manufacturer, the Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative (IFFCO), has recently developed and patented a nanotechnology-based fertilizer marketed as Nano Urea (liquid). Strikingly, the producers state that it is now possible to replace a 45 kg bag of conventional urea, containing 21 kg N, by foliar application of just 20 g N in the form of nano urea (NU). If so, N from this novel high-tech fertilizer product should be able to increase the NUE of crops more than 1000 times compared to conventional urea. This year, the Indian government and IFFCO announced plans to massively boost production by building 10 new factories, with an annual production capacity of 440 million bottles NU by 2025 and to expand export of the product to another 25 countries, mainly situated in Asia, Africa and South-America. In the marketing of NU, IFFCO states that there is scientific evidence for distinct beneficial properties in terms of higher crop yields and reduced negative environmental impacts. Similar ambitions have recently been presented for Nano Zinc, Nano Copper, and Nano Di-Ammonium-Phosphate, a product that entered the market in March 2023. Methods: In this Opinion Paper, we compare the claims made by IFFCO scientists to the existing scientific evidence in the field of foliar nanofertilizers. Results: We observe that NU is a poorly described product with no scientifically proven effects. The product is marketed with misleading and wrong statements about its fertilizer efficiency, the underlying plant uptake pathways, and the environmental friendliness. Conclusion: The expectations raised by IFFCO are far from reality and may lead to large-scale yield losses with serious consequences for food security and the livelihood of farmers. At the same time, the confidence in innovative sustainable products as well as the science behind them may be threatened. Based on the IFFCO case, and considering the booming emergence of novel nano based fertilizers appearing all over the world these years, it is clear that much more priority should be given to scientifically prove their efficacy and mode of action, before they are launched on the markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to empirically analyze the impact of remittance inflows on sustained economic growth in India. Design/methodology/approach: This study has taken a time series dataset for the period of 1976–2021, and a nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag model technique (NARDL) has been applied to check the impact of remittance inflows along with other control variables, including broad money and service sector performance, on the sustained economic growth of India. Findings: The results of the study indicated that in both the short and long runs, any positive shock in remittance inflows has a positive impact on the economic growth of India, while negative shocks do not affect economic growth. Practical implications: The economic policymakers of India can use the findings of the study by implementing remittance-friendly policies. Moreover, NITI Aayog, the body working toward achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) in India, can also use this study as a reference while making strategies to achieve SDG. Originality/value: Economic growth has always been an area of interest among economists, researchers and policymakers. However, achieving sustained economic growth requires an analysis of those factors that themselves have sustained performance over a long period of time and have the potential to sustain it over the upcoming years. This study has taken remittance inflows as one such factor and investigated its impact on the sustained economic growth of India. At present, there is an evident gap in the literature that very little attention has been given to sustained Indian economic growth. Moreover, there is no study available in which the nonlinear impact of different variables has been tested on the economic growth of India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Almost 70% of women residing in urban areas and 48% of women in rural areas use sanitary napkins in India. According to menstrual health alliance India (MHAI), single sanitary pad will take about 500-800 years to decompose as the plastic used in manufacturing is nonbiodegradable and causes severe noxious effects contributing to global warming through the production of planet warming fuels which eventually have severe impact on environment sustainability. Hence, the study was undertaken to contribute the evidence for the "Clean and Green India". Aim: To know the perception and practice of disposal of sanitary napkins among young college-going females in India. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted throughout the country employing a self-administered questionnaire using a survey link sent through social media. Data collected were analyzed and interpreted using SPSS version 20.0. Result: The study population comprised 484 young college girls with a mean age of 20.92 ± 1.86 years and 96.9% of them are using sanitary napkins as menstrual absorbent aids. The most common method employed for the disposal of sanitary napkins was dumping them in the bin (87.4%). About 63.2% of them had no knowledge about sanitary napkin-burning machines. Around 92% think that improper disposal of sanitary napkins can cause health problems. Conclusion: The findings from the study revealed that a significant number of women were practicing noneco-friendly disposal methods and menstrual hygiene aids which are a bane to the ecosystem. Study warrants the education and training of females to achieve a green and clean sustainable India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper documents the traditional agricultural practices of Chuktia Bhunjia tribe of Odisha, India, and attempts to comprehend as to how they negotiate with their ecosystem in order to ensure sustainable agricultural production and livelihood. Data, collected using interview and observation, reveal that agricultural practices of the Chuktia Bhunjia are revolved around local ecology, beliefs, rituals and knowledge. The knowledge-based intercropping, agroforestry, crop rotation, crop diversity, rain-water harvesting and management of soil fertility are important domains involved in their agricultural practices that are found to as a function of long-term observation and experiments, and are reported to have been culturally reproduced through self-engagement and ritualistic practices associated with agriculture. Their agriculture is assumed to have significance in maintaining the soil fertility and moisture, and reducing greenhouse gases and enhancing carbon sequestration whereby to balance the landscape. The agroforestry-based agricultural practices, coupled with belief, ritual and technology, is also found to make their agriculture cost-effective and ensure conservation of ecological system. Climate change–driven agricultural decision-making among them is found to as a tool not only to arrest their crop failure but also to ensure sustainable food production and livelihood. Yet, the expected evacuation of inhabitant including Chuktia Bhunjia due to 'tiger-project' is assumed to be a threat to their agricultural knowledge and other cultural domains. Therefore, owing to the livelihood implication of traditional agriculture, any attempt to integrate their agricultural knowledge base with scientific knowledge would ensure sustainability of both ecology and livelihood together. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Musahar youth have been struggling for basic needs and face indignity at multiple facets in the society due to caste. In contemporary times, historicity of caste, stigmatized identity, indignity, poor social values and low participation status make it difficult to avail any kind of social, educational and employment support. Sustainability is a form of survivability, and lack of dignity diminishes wage work, forcing them to migrate. This paper is based on PhD research data and applied qualitative research methods following in-depth interview, oral history, seasonal calendar and so on. Historical marginality of caste persists and frames aspiration, dignity and sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the sustainability of the current account deficit (CAD) and validity of the intertemporal budget constraint of India for the period of 1980 to 2019. The cointegration results show that exports and imports are not cointegrated and the current account (CA) series is not mean reverting during the study period. Therefore, the results refute the sustainability of CAD and the validity of the intertemporal budget constraint in the Indian context. Furthermore, the study also emphasised the testing of the disaggregated CA and found that while the goods account is not sustainable, the services account found to be sustainable in the long run. Our findings thus indicate the potential for aggregation bias to have an impact on the overall CA sustainability results. Therefore, policies that help in achieving self‐sufficiency on the one hand and export promotion in goods on the other may eventually contribute to CA sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chitosan is a biocompatible polymer with vast applications in pharmacology, medicine, paper making, agriculture, and the food industry due to its low toxicity. Chitosan also plays an important role in the sustainable environment since chitosan is able to absorb greenhouse gases, harmful organic matter, and heavy ions. Therefore, this paper conducts a bibliometric analysis of chitosan for sustainable development using the Scopus database from 1976 to 2023. A performance analysis on the 8002 documents was performed with Harzing's Publish or Perish. Science mapping was conducted using VOSviewer. The annual publication on chitosan for sustainable development showed an upward trend in recent years as the annual publication peaked in 2022 with 1178 documents with most of the documents being articles and published in journals. Material science, chemistry, and engineering are tightly related subject areas. China had the highest publication of 1560 total documents while the United States had the most impactful publication with 55,019 total citations, 68.77 citations per document, 77.6 citations per cited document, h-index 110, and g-index of 211. India had the largest international collaboration with 572 total link strength. "International Journal of Biological Macromolecules", "Carbohydrate Polymers", and "Polymers" have been identified as the top three source titles that publish the most documents on chitosan for sustainable development. The emerging trends in chitosan on sustainable development focus on the application of chitosan as an antibacterial agent and biosorbent for contaminants, especially in water treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper documents local knowledge-based healthcare practices of Chuktia Bhunjia tribe of Odisha, India, and attempts to ascertain the socio-cultural rationale explaining its persistence against escalating modern healthcare facilities. Focusing on the coexistence of culture, ecology and healthcare, it describes the associated beliefs, rituals, institutions and practices concerning the healthcare. Data, collected using formal interview, observation and case study, reveal that the healthcare practices of Chuktia Bhunjia revolve around the customary beliefs, ecology and laws governing the access to healthcare services. Despite provision of modern medical facilities in their locality, their submission to culture, backed by purity-pollution, customary laws and absence of resource to afford modern medicine, continues to become determinant forces towards relying on traditional healthcare. With malfunctioning of the conventional healthcare institutions, coupled with communication constraint and lack of capability, ethno-ecological and community-based knowledge healthcare fill the gap between demand and supply of their healthcare services. Nevertheless, owing to the declining pathways of transmission of those knowledge bases due to state intervention, forest policies, migration of younger generation, socio-cultural transformation and disassociation of people with plant resources because of tiger project, healthcare knowledge and institutions are under threat. Therefore, given the implication of knowledge-based healthcare and possible threats to its existence, documentation of such practices would sustainably offer a solution to their healthcare, provided cultural diversity upholding those practices are preserved. Alternatively, owing to threats over cultural reproduction knowledge, any integration of their knowledge base with modern healthcare system can best just their healthcare practices in sustainable way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Food security is a critical concern for emerging nations, where agriculture is a vital source of livelihood for a significant proportion of the population. However, ineffective food grain storage management (FGSM) poses a substantial threat to food security, resulting in significant post‐harvest loss (PHL). This research aims to identify and analyse the challenges to sustainable FGSM in emerging nations, with a specific focus on India using Total Interpretive Structural Modelling (TISM) and Matrice d'Impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliquée á un Classement (MICMAC) analysis. The study identifies 15 critical challenges after doing a thorough literature review, consulting with industry experts, and a dedicated questionnaire survey. The study finds that inadequate government policies and a lack of commitment from the top management are the major challenges to sustainable FGSM. The combination of the qualitative and quantitative model provides a comprehensive understanding of the identified factors and their interrelationships, offering a logical framework to support decision‐making and encourage sustainability. This paper contributes to the broader debate on sustainable food production and consumption by highlighting the importance of sustainable FGSM in emerging nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines India's environmental policies and budget allocations from 2016–2024, revealing a focus on infrastructure that may overshadow environmental conservation. Significant discrepancies between policy rhetoric and budgetary commitments suggest that there is a need for realignment. Advocating an 'environment-centric' approach, the study calls for increased budgetary commitments to environmental protection, a strategic shift away from fossil fuels, and stringent regulatory oversight, all essential to ensure sustainable development in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnobotany genomics is gaining popularity, and there is a renewed interest in traditional medicine around the world. Ethnobotany genomics is proving useful not only for the conservation of biodiversity and agricultural productivity but also for drug discovery. In terms of traditional medicine and biodiversity, India is one of the world's richest countries. However, as industrialisation, population pressures, migrations, and urbanisation have increased, socio-environmental changes have become more dynamic and complex. This has raised concerns about sustainable production and consumption, as well as governance. As a result, the current paper is an attempt to map the emerging innovation system in Indian ethnobotany genomics. The paper examines the actors', agencies', and institutions' responses to the emerging innovation system's requirements. Finally, this paper provides new insights into the opportunities and challenges of developing Indian ethnobotany genomics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well established that the existing building environmental assessment methods and sustainability assessment methods are intended to foster detailed design stage while there is a need to support early design stages. This research intends to develop a framework that actively supports design development at the formative design stages. The paper reviews the well-established building environmental assessment methods: CASBEE, LEED, BREEAM and GRIHA, and the existing sustainability assessment methods: iiSBE's Sustainable Building Tool (SB Tool), German Sustainable Building Council's Certificate Program (DGNB), Living Building Challenge (LBC) and ARUP's Sustainable Project Assessment Routine SPeAR®. Further, well-known theories of ecological Sustainability are reviewed. The critical points of convergence and divergence of anthropocentric and biocentric approaches are identified to articulate the parameters of sustainability assessment. Specialists in the sustainable built environment assigned weights for assessment parameters (criteria) by applying the analytical hierarchy process (AHP). Their specialist opinions manifest the particular features of the Indian context. The paper delineates the Biocenosis, a novel framework for sustainability assessment of the built environment rooted in the concept of the synergy of nature with social, economic, environmental and cultural benefits for the context of India. It is intended to aid building professionals in the formative design phases as it enables an integrated and comprehensive assessment of the level to which the requirement of a sustainable built environment is satisfied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable development is the concept that prioritises current demands without compromising the capacity of future generations The term sustainable development found importance after Bruntland Commission where it was used in 1987 in its report, our common future. Then the term Governance implied the structure for distributing the rights and responsibilities among different parties in the corporation and includes the rules and procedures for making decisions in corporate sector. This paper examines the modern concept of governance and sustainability in the context of cement industry in India. It is an attempt to understand and appreciate the importance of sustainability in the field of the cement corporations of India. This paper defines the key sustainability parameters and then reviews the various cement corporations in accordance to these parameters. This paper measures the sustainability against factors like economical, social and environmental. The findings of this paper conclude that cement industry in India has taken a major step in sustainable growth and development. The cement companies contribute to society, environment, communities, management of natural resources and building public properties in order to contribute to the Indian economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper describes the emergence of multiple economies of water in India's capital Delhi, using a neo-Polanyian approach of instituted economic process. It analyses the systems of provision, distribution, appropriation and consumption of water, and the formation of scales of these economies of water. The paper systematically compares and analyses the spatially divided and partially overlapping economies of water in the planned colonies and slum-designated areas in the city. It describes the dynamics of growth and stagnation of the different economies of water within the waterscape of the capital and its implications for sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on an ongoing research study funded by UKRI to map India's creative industries. Using an ecosystem framework, it has focused on strategy/policy; tangible and intangible infrastructure; funding and investment to understand innovation drivers and barriers across nine sub-sector value chains. The research established there is no one creative industries policy. Responsibility is split across 16 government ministries and 28 states. Much of India's economy is informal, with limited data on policy effects. Nevertheless, four important policies are shaping the creative industries landscape, supplemented by investment from global brands into textiles, media and advertising. These are driving innovation and design for social and ecological sustainability. At the time of writing the study is undertaking deep dives into CreaTec, Design for sustainability in fashion and textiles, and emerging geographic concentrations. It has identified a distinctive focus on how supply chains might inform UK circular fashion and media production policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the role of nuclear energy in promoting ecological sustainability in India, focusing on three ecological indicators: ecological footprint (EF), CO2 emissions (CO2), and load capacity factor (LF). In addition to nuclear energy, the study considers the influence of gas consumption and other drivers of ecological sustainability using data spanning from 1970 to 2018. The analysis also takes into account the impact of the 2008 global financial crisis on the model, employing the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) and frequency domain causality approaches to assess the relationships. Unlike previous studies, this research evaluates both the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) and load capacity curve (LCC) hypotheses. The ARDL results support the validity of both the EKC and LCC hypotheses in the Indian context. Furthermore, the findings reveal that nuclear energy and human capital contribute positively to ecological quality, while gas consumption and economic growth have a negative impact on ecological sustainability. The study also highlights the increasing effect of the 2008 global financial crisis on ecological sustainability. Additionally, the causality analysis demonstrates that nuclear energy, human capital, gas consumption, and economic growth can serve as predictors of long-term ecological sustainability in India. Based on these findings, the research presents policy recommendations that can guide efforts towards achieving SDGs 7 and 13. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lessons learnt from past experiences push for an alternate way of crop production. One such is conservation agriculture (CA), which can be seen as a new way forward for conserving resources and enhancing productivity to achieve goals of sustainable agriculture. In recent past, progressive and significant efforts are made to develop, refine and disseminate conservation-based agricultural technologies across globe. Tremendous efforts on zero-till practices and surface management with crop residues for crop production were reviewed. This work was done at Department of Agronomy, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Madurai-625 104, Tamil Nadu, India. A systematic cum integrative review of research work done in different parts of World, particularly in India was comprehended. Literature search was done during 2020. About 200 review and research papers were screened from various databases like TNAU e-library, ARCC journals, google scholar, research gate and scopus and 84 papers were used. This review article comprehensively documents major principles of CA along with extent and spread of CA across the globe. It also highlights CA in Indian perspective. Various merits and demerits were also discussed with literature support. This review paper discusses rising concerns of conventional agriculture systems with regard to its adoption, positives and negatives of conservation agriculture in promoting conservation agriculture in tropics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By tracing specific moments in the history of the more‐than‐human landscape constituting the food geography of western Avadh, a long settled agricultural heartland in the Indo‐Gangetic plains, this paper challenges the neat formulations of the Anthropocene laying out decisive global impacts of humans on the environment. Building upon the concept of the 'patchy Anthropocene', we show how outcomes are shaped by an imbrication of humans and non‐humans—where powerful human actors seek to coerce people and corral the environment into their projects of remaking the landscape, but also where recalcitrant ecologies and resistant people thwart these intentions, especially during the colonial encounter. Contestations across power hierarchies and unintended outcomes litter the wake of the Anthropocene — as we show, efforts to save the non‐human cow in the last decade have intensified processes associated with the Great Acceleration. Instead of treating the trajectory of food geographies like western Avadh as outliers and marginal to the normative process of defining change, we argue for treating it as constitutive of the norm. Only through such a process of decolonisation, by 'provincialising the Anthropocene', can we hope to push for epistemic justice, ecological sustainability and a more equitable world. By tracing the history of the more‐than‐human landscape constituting the food geography of western Avadh, a long settled agricultural heartland in the Indo‐Gangetic plains, this paper challenges the neat Anthropocene formulations of decisive global impacts of humans on the environment. We show how powerful human actors seek to coerce people and corral the environment into their landscape remaking projects, but also how recalcitrant ecologies and resistant people thwart these intentions. We also describe unintended outcomes – efforts to save the nonhuman cow in the last decade have intensified processes associated with the Great Acceleration. Only through decolonisation and 'provincialising the Anthropocene', can we hope to push for epistemic justice, ecological sustainability and a more equitable world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the conditions of the spread of globalization processes, growing interdependence, and interconnectedness of countries, a significant intensification of the academic society efforts to ensure national energy security and independence is necessary. The purpose of the paper is to provide a systematic review of the scientific environment aimed at analysing the contents and features of scientific publications dealing with new trends and patterns in sustainable energy consumption. In order to create a semantic and definition basis and research the main trends of scientific publications on the subject of developing energy efficiency and sustainable consumption, the paper carried out a bibliometric analysis concerning the categories «energy efficient» and «energy consumption» using the Scopus and VOSviewer tools. The main question is, what are the main scientific and research trends and patterns in the field of energy efficiency and sustainable consumption? For this purpose, the quantity and quality tendencies of the scientific articles which are studying issues connected with energy efficiency and sustainable consumer behaviour were determined. A sample of more than 24000 scientific publications on this issue was generated from publications indexed by the Scopus database. The study period covers 2001-2021. On the global level, the analysed investigated area is represented by the countries: China, the USA, and India. VOS viewer tools were used to systemize 5 clusters of scientific articles that analysed sustainable energy consumption from different points of view. Identification of regularities in the developing of scientific approaches to energy-efficient consumption and developing sustainable energy sector was carried out using bibliometric analysis, which has made it possible to describe the dominant retrospective evolutionary and temporal tendencies in the development of this theory concerning the concepts of sustainable development, environmental management, and development of renewables. As a result, one of the most significant trends is a green brand and tendencies connected with developing green marketing and green consumer awareness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hillside planning, design, and development require an intensive understanding of human habitats, man–environment interaction, hill environment sensitivities, spatial planning, and design issues to ensure contextually appropriate development. Although numerous tools, techniques, and frameworks have been developed and implemented to assess urban sustainability, these have not been applied to environmentally sensitive hilly areas, nor have their appropriateness been determined. Therefore, this paper aims to develop a new urban sustainability assessment tool (USAT) named the "Sustainable Urban Development of Environmentally Sensitive Hilly Areas Suitability IndeX (SUDESHA-SIX)" to evaluate the sustainability of hillside settlements using an analytical hierarchy process. The methodology combines descriptive and deductive analytical techniques and geographic information systems-based statistical methods. SUDESHA-SIX was first developed some years back and was applied to the New Tehri Township as it received the National Award for Excellence in planning and design in hills in the year 2000 by the then Prime Minister of India. The results showed that out of the six broad factors, "site suitability" was ranked as the most critical factor of environmentally sensitive hilly areas, followed by "built environment," "environment and ecology," "climate and energy," "transportation and connectivity," and "visual resources." When applied to existing projects, the developed tool provided a more objective and detailed information on the urban sustainability of hilly areas, which could help architects, planners, designers, and decision-makers develop strategies to improve the overall urban sustainability of hilly regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent development in tourism is ecotourism. It is one of the tourism industry's fastest-growing subsectors. Ecotourism refers to any type of tourism that is focused on nature, has a little impact on the environment, includes locals in its planning and execution, and emphasises the importance of educating visitors. Ecotourism is distinct from other types of tourism because it is reliant on the maintenance of natural ecosystems so that they, and the cultural values they represent, can be experienced and appreciated by visitors. Many nations have come to rely on ecotourism as a major source of revenue. Ecotourism's ability to foster both economic growth and environmental protection in poor nations is exciting. This article will highlight the vast potential of Ecotourism in India by examining a few of the country's most popular Eco-tourism destinations. The present study also explores the emergence of ecotourism as an economic reader and the use of ecotourism as a tool for balancing environmental issues and sustainable development. This paper also includes a discussion of the government's efforts to promote ecotourism as a means of addressing modern environmental problems, as well as the results of a few studies of India's most popular ecotourism destinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This introductory article makes a critical estimation of the impact of pandemics on the Global South consumer's well‐being. Our paper moves beyond the concerns of the other papers of this Special Issue. Instead, we focus on the issues of the vulnerable, marginal, and subaltern consumers of the Global South—experiences and anxieties, distinct from those of more "modern," capitalized, industrialized, democratized, and economically liberated Global North consumers. We offer the North–South comparisons across national lines or from block to block that bring in a series of promising directions and new currents in the critical, interdisciplinary studies of consumer affairs. Primary perspectives and associated topics for future agenda impacting TCR highlighted are (i) socio‐economic inequalities and injustices, (ii) environmental injustice and sustainable future. We finally suggest an innovative research paradigm, "altruistic‐activist consumer research," to address the concerns and impact the well‐being of marginal consumers from the Global South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Science and policy are human constructs to understand biodiversity. This paper attempts to review the relationship between science and policy for biodiversity in India. It has been found that sciences and policies/programmes for biodiversity were shaped by national objectives and commitment to global and transnational goals for the planet’s well-being, where biodiversity is an integral part of planetary well-being. The paper also shows how utilitarianism marked both research as well as policies and programmes with respect to biodiversity. Biodiversity conservation demands policies that are not just about economic gains within a plan period, but about larger conservation, threats to survival (species extinction), and inter-generational time scales. Given the global emphasis on biodiversity conservation particularly in the context of climate change and food security, country like India needs to balance multiple demands and multiple stakeholder’s interests. The relationship between science and policy for biodiversity Post independence in India has converged for increasing utility from natural resources and simultaneously increasing human wellbeing. There is a need for biodiversity policy in the country to be fed by robust science and different knowledge forms where biodiversity is understood not only as a species or breed to be conserved but the system’s heterogeneity and the ontology of biodiversity to ensure sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to focus on the housing situation in Indian cities and the various stakeholders involved in the housing sector. This study addresses the conflict in expectations of the supply and demand side of the housing and establishes the factors crucial to making housing successful for all the stakeholders, essential for sustainable urban development. Design/methodology/approach: This paper is developed using the content analysis of preceding independent reviews on housing sustainability by authors across the globe, a review of the current housing situation in Indian cities and a Pilot study of the desired qualitative aspects of housing by the consumer group. Findings: This paper identifies the challenges and constraints of the various stakeholders involved in the housing sector. A comprehensive list of all the parameters, both qualitative and quantitative, essential for successful housing implementation, focused on the preferences of the demand side, also referred to as the "Critical Success Factors (CSFs)" is generated. The results advocate a strict consideration and integration of these CSFs with the housing policies for all future housing projects. Research limitations/implications: Most of the studies conducted in the past have reviewed the housing situation in India from the perspective of the government authorities and the initiatives undertaken by them to improve the housing crisis. However, a gap exists in achieving a balanced understanding of the supply-side constraints, with the demand-side expectations from the housing. Focusing only on the supply without adequately understanding the consumption can only lead to further chaos in the already turbulent housing situation. Originality/value: To the best of author's knowledge, this is among the first attempts to address the housing scenario in urban centers of India, simultaneously from the perspective of both the demand side and the supply side of the housing, giving additional impetus to the expectations of the demand side which are often ignored. This study becomes more relevant in the ongoing pandemic situation to be able to provide appropriate and acceptable housing solutions to all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic growth and development with least harm to the environment is one of the biggest challenges for the human. Mining which is considered to be the most inherently unsustainable industry, is at the same time, plays key role in the development process in India and across Globe. It occupy primary position in the supply chain, contributing to the foreign direct investment, exports, government taxes, GDP (National Income) and provide huge labour employment. This paper studies industrial elimination of women, prolong industrial patriarchy, impetuous production, rising demand pressure has added to the quadrupling problems of land degradation, disposal of over burden/waste discharge, deforestation, pollution(air, water, and noise), and damage to forest flora and fauna, occupational health hazards and extreme global environmental damage in a rapid, continuous manner. These continuous and multilayered problems are giving us reason to re-visioning steps, where we went wrong. Theoretical foundation of eco-feminism traces that negligence and suppression of women in general and in the mining industry, is one of the probable cause that hit environment fiercely. With this in mind, this paper suggests theory of eco-feminism into male centric mining industry as a perspective which is more likely to lead to industrial sustainability, making it more responsible and may provide pro-environmental solutions to the industry. This feminist concept extending it from individualistic level into mining organisations proposes as one of the alternative to combine ecology and commerce to envision sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental trepidations are global issues, environment sustainability is conceivable with the noble motive, which takes real shapes with the insights and perspectives from different religions. In the process of learning and teaching laid down by religion help to expand our understanding and develop our behavior towards nature. Role of religion to shape our attitudes to the natural world is significant, because its domination in human personality is always recognizable. The paper would like to find out different prospect to achieve environment sustainability with the help of imperatives given by Indian religion. This imparts many valuable imperatives which unify nature as an inseparable part of human life and vice versa. Three major religions originating from India were explored in this paper: Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. The paper tries to show the human affiliation with nature is well expressed in every aspect of Indian religious life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing number of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) engenders a genuine concern for achieving sustainable development. Properly recycling ELV is paramount to checking pollution, reducing landfills, and conserving natural resources. The present study evaluates the sustainability of India's ELV recycling system from techno-socio-economic and environmental aspects as an instrumental step for assessing performance and progress. This investigation has performed the Strength-Weakness-Opportunity-Threat (SWOT) analysis to evaluate ELV recycling in the long-term viability and examine the critical factors and potential. This research makes practical recommendations for effectively encountering persistent challenges in the ELV recycling system based on Indian values. This research adopts an explorative and Integrated bottom-up mixed approach; it interfaces qualitative and quantitative data and secondary research. This study reveals that the social, economic, technological, and environmental aspects of the sustainability of India's ELV recycling system are comparatively limited. The SWOT analysis demonstrates that potential market size and resource recovery are more significant strengths, whereas lack of an appropriate framework and limited technology are major challenges in the recycling of ELVs in India. Sustainable development and economic viability have emerged as great opportunities, while informality and environmental impact have surfaced as primary potential threats to ELV recycling in India. This paper offers insights and yields critical real-world data that may assist in rational decision-making and developing and implementing any subsequent framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical inland capture fisheries are susceptible to a series of vulnerabilities such as habitat destruction, biodiversity loss, pollution, overfishing, invasive species and anthropogenic climate change. A comprehensive review of the impact of climatic uncertainties on Indian inland fisheries has not been adequately attempted yet. Recent approaches emphasizing ecosystem-based management in a regional context, specific to inland fisheries for combating climatic changes, have not been reported to date. The paper presents a critical bibliometric review of the climatic vulnerabilities faced by Indian inland fishery resources and various adaptive and mitigation strategies put forward by the country for the sustainability of the resources. In this communication, a systematic review of the impact of climate change and other stressors on various inland ecosystems of the subcontinent and the ecosystem-based management strategies adopted in India is presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slow tourism is looked upon as a means of achieving green & sustainable tourism and is seen as an alternative to mass tourism. It is becoming popular amongst tourists, destination managers and tourism service providers. Slow tourism is an integrative concept that promotes sustainability in all aspects of a travelling journey. Advertisers and tourism service providers are marketing different features of slow tourism. Local Government bodies and state tourism development corporations are also promoting slow tourism through various social media and promotional campaign. The present research tries to explore the perception and preferences of Indian travellers regarding the concept of slow tourism. Methodology: This an exploratory research intending to study the perception and preferences of Indian travellers towards slow tourism. Semi structured interviews of tourists, destination managers and tourism service providers from India will be used to collect the data. Thematic apperception test will be used to evaluate the respondents' patterns of thoughts, emotional responses & attitudes towards slow tourism. Principal of saturation will be used to determine the sample size. Findings/Outcomes/Results: As an outcome of this paper the researchers propose to develop a model framework through which slow tourism can be embedded in the existing tourism practices of tourists, destination managers and tourism service providers. Implication: Through this research the researchers intend to create awareness about slow tourism and help to reduce the increasing environmental threats of fast tourism. It is also proposed to understand the perceived challenges in adapting slow tourism and to provide probable solutions to overcome this perception of the tourist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) initiative, a pioneering approach initiated by India to propel sustainable urban development through targeted behavioural change. Positioned at the nexus of individual action and urban sustainability, LiFE underscores the potential of integrating lifestyle adjustments into the broader urban planning and policy-making framework. By examining the initiative's evolution from a grassroots movement to a key element of government policy, this paper highlights its innovative strategies aimed at promoting eco-friendly living and its significant impact on urban environments. Through case studies and an analysis of the initiative's alignment with global sustainability goals, we reveal how LiFE complements existing urban agendas by focusing on the micro-level actions of individuals and communities. This paper contributes to the discourse on sustainable urbanization by showcasing the critical role of behavioural change in achieving urban sustainability goals, thereby offering insights into the formulation of more holistic and effective urban policies. Significantly the paper articulates how LiFE's principles, through enhancing global policies and harnessing the power of technological advancements within the Smart Cities agenda, herald a new paradigm in urban sustainability efforts. • The LiFE initiative emphasizes individual behavioral changes over infrastructural reforms to promote urban sustainability. • The concept originated as a grassroots movement in India and has evolved into a significant element of governmental policy on environmental sustainability. • Case studies, such as the eco-village of Piplantri, demonstrate how individual and community actions can significantly contribute to sustainability goals. • LiFE strategically complements Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11) and the New Urban Agenda by focusing on micro-level actions that bridge the gap between policy intentions and tangible outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: India is unique, having enshrined in law the teaching of sustainability education (SE) within all levels of formal education. This study aims to examine the integration and perceptions of SE within the higher education (HE) sector in India and identify any lessons that can be exported about the teaching of SE from the Indian HE environment. Design/methodology/approach: Focusing on a science-based teaching and research institute at a private university in India, a quantitative, cross-sectional study examined the extent to which SE was integrated into the university and how it was perceived by students and staff. Data were collected through two online questionnaires administered to lecturers and undergraduate students during the 2017 academic year. Findings: Most students reported that their university experiences had contributed significantly to their knowledge about sustainability. Results also showed there was a positive association between the teaching and learning about sustainability, although staff and students reported that this could be improved by including more active, student-centred teaching and learning approaches. However, students felt that they had learnt the most about sustainability from the informal "hidden" rather than the "formal" curriculum. This suggests that research is now required into ways to capitalise on this as a medium to further develop, not just Indian, but students' worldwide sustainability literacy. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this paper is the first to present a detailed study of the perceptions of the contribution of the "formal" and the informal "hidden" curriculum to SE by students and staff at an Indian university. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impacts of COVID-19 in maritime transportation and its related policy measures have been investigated by more and more organizations and researchers across the world. This paper aims to examine the impacts of COVID-19 on seaport transportation and the maritime supply chain field and its related issues in India. Secondary data are used to analyze the performance indicators of major seaports in India before and during the COVID-19 crisis. We further explore and discuss the expert's views about the impact, preparedness, response, and recovery aspects for the maritime-related sector in India. The results on the quantitative performance of Indian major seaports during the COVID-19 indicate a negative growth in the cargo traffic and a decrease in the number of vessel traffic compared to pre-COVID-19. The expert survey results suggest a lack of preparedness for COVID-19 and the need for developing future strategies by maritime organizations. The overall findings of the study shall assist in formulating maritime strategies by enhancing supply chain resilience and sustainable business recovery process while preparing for a post-COVID-19 crisis. The study also notes that the Covid-19 crisis is still an ongoing concern, as the government, maritime organizations, and stakeholders face towards providing vaccine and remedial treatment to infected people. Further, this study can be expanded to the global maritime supply chain business context and to conduct interdisciplinary research in marine technical fields and maritime environment to measure the impact of COVID-19. • With the outbreak of COVID-19, maritime industry accounting to 90% of the international trade has been impacted. • The major seaports of India handle about 60% of the country's total cargo traffic. • This paper examines implications of COVID-19 on Indian major ports by identifying patterns for quantitative performance data before & during the COVID-19 crisis. • This study explores & discusses expert's views about impact, preparedness, response, and recovery aspects for the maritime-related sector in India. • The results for quantitative performance data for major seaports in India indicate negative growth in during COVID-19 compared to pre COVID-19 period. • The expert survey result suggests a negative impact of COVID-19, and there is a need to develop future strategies by maritime organizations. • The overall findings of the study assist in formulating maritime strategies by enhancing supply chain resilience and sustainable business recovery process while preparing for a post-COVID-19 crisis in Indian maritime Context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The era of rapid industrialization succeeded by a shift in organizational focus on research and technology development which has fueled many industries along with the dairy industry to grow at an exponential rate. The dairy industry has achieved remarkable growth in the last decade in India. Waste produced by dairy industry consists of a high organic load thus cannot be discharged untreated. Even though treatment and management of waste are well documented, but the main problem is concerned with sludge produced after treatment. There is a gap in the application of various methods for effective treatment of the waste, hence there is a need for technology-oriented research in this area because of a paradigm shift in perspectives towards sustainable management of waste to recover value added products including energy as energy demand is also rising. Sludge which is generally land spread can also be used for energy generation. This paper discusses the environmental effects of waste generated due to dairy industrial activities; various methods used for the advanced treatment of dairy waste. This review article aims to present and discuss the state-of-art information for recovery of value-added products (single cell protein, biofertilizers, biopolymers and biosurfactants) from dairy waste with emphasis on integration of technologies for environmental sustainability. This paper also includes challenges and future perspectives in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The whole world is in the crisis of monumental proportions because of the effects of COVID 19. It is the most deadly pandemic not only in India but globally. The cost of the pandemic as concerning the loss of human lives is painful, but the effects on the global economy and the prospects for sustainable development are also worrying. How to sustain the business organization in this time of pandemic is one of the most crucial questions raised in this time. The present paper investigates the role of business leaders in this time of COVID 19 and their concerns towards business sustainability with special reflection to Indian business organisations. This paper basically deals with two questions the first one is what is COVID 19 and its effects, the second one is the role of transformational leaders towards business sustainability in this time of the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water conservation simply means using less water, avoiding or minimizing the wastage of water and/or recycling water, so that it can be used again for different purposes. In dry parts of India, conserving water is of prime importance and so, different techniques need to be adopted. In this paper, a model of water conservation strategies and systems in the residential home, using the city of Aurangabad as a basis, has been explored using the multi-criteria decision-making technique. The Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) is applied to structure the decision problem into a hierarchy framework and thereby five criteria were used to evaluate the elements. The paper is intended to present an integrated model of the major options in residential water conservation in 4 different degrees using a case study. Applications of all the technologies/systems obtained from FAHP are used to address the entire lifecycle of water, right from its arrival on site to its use and eventual expenditure. The study also compares the financial implications among the different systems, where it is found that the payback period is least for plumbing fixtures and highest for wastewater treatment system. It is also observed from the case study that around 39.13% of water savings is achieved after the up-gradation of the existing plumbing fixtures. It is found that dependence on municipal water supply is reduced by 67.30% after recycling water in various sectors in house. The greywater generated in house is completely being used in water closets and outdoor use. Various internal purposes are satisfied from the harvested rainwater and savings of around 86.75% are achieved. As all of the water requirements are satisfied from the technologies used, less than 40% of wastewater is discharged in the municipal system. So, it is expected that the proposed system will enable occupants to be aware of their water usage and control and reduce water usage levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regime complexes have been discussed in international literature as an intervening variable which bring about policy coherence at national levels. There is a dearth of literature which examines aspects related to the link between global biodiversity regime, national policy coherence and sustainable development goals (SDGs) reporting. By taking the case study of India and using liberal institutional approaches and critical appraisal, this paper seeks to analyse the role of SDGs reporting for promoting coherence between the international biodiversity regime complex and country level planning. This paper will have implications for praxis on biodiversity and sustainable development policy as well as have implications for theory related to liberal institutional scholarship. This paper argues that while the normative scope of the global biodiversity regime has evolved to encompass principles such as scientific enquiry as well as sustainable development, national level reporting on biodiversity related SDGs have to still catch up to facilitate better policy coherence at all levels. Further the paper also calls for a greater science-policy interface to supplement SDG reporting framework towards better understanding of conservation and ecosystem services aspects of biodiversity in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Bamboo plays a vital role in social, economic and ecological development in India. • Analyzed dataset of 9000 sample of 27 commercial Indian bamboo species. • Special properties of bamboo helped the industry to grow rapidly. Bamboo, a rapidly growing grass, plays a vital role in social, economic, and ecological development of India. India's big market for bamboo opens up an enormous potential to enhance the quality of life of both urban and rural communities. Bamboo has versatile applications in construction material, pulp ö paper industries, rods, weaving material, plywood, baskets, headgears, environmental regeneration quality, soil binders, food and medicine describing the commercial importance and ecological sustainability of its products. This paper presents details of 27 commercial species of bamboo collected through field studies in India. The market value of different species among all twenty-seven species has been assessed using clustering techniques. The study provides information about the clusters including area of application, turn-over, international imports-exports value of products and supports from State and Central Government and thereby determining their commercial values. The major conclusion leads to the development of an appropriate intervention plans in different industrial areas with respect of marketing and technological upgradation etc. which would also provide a way to strengthen cooperation among clusters regardless of their size of business operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developmental actors are pushing the diffusion of solar powered irrigation technologies using different technology diffusion models in resource-constrained, underdeveloped agrarian regions of the Global South. Among the varied models, the hybrid model of technology diffusion and environmental governance has gained a lot of traction and support among the technology promoters in recent years. In this article, we analyse two cases of hybrid environmental governance employed for the diffusion of solar powered irrigation technologies in rural Bihar, India. The promoters of solar powered irrigation technologies wish to achieve environmental sustainability, enhance farmers income and mitigate climate change through promoting renewable-based technologies. The top-down framing of technology and environment in hybrid environmental models often uncritically negates the place-based embedded experiences of end-users and non-users. The paper argues that the role of end-users and non-users in hybrid environmental governance need to be understood using the bottom-up approach. The paper makes a case for acknowledging and incorporating the views and environmental subjectivities of end-users and non-users while planning developmental interventions. The paper ends up suggesting a few policy-relevant suggestions for hybrid models of technology and environmental governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As India, a country with a complex relationship with cleanliness, modernizes rapidly, urban infrastructures are increasing even faster than the growing population. This paper explores the relationships between access to infrastructures, social mobility and resource consumption in everyday lives through the case of cleanliness in Mysore, Southern India. We draw on interviews with 28 Mysoreans about cleanliness perceptions and practices. Analysing cleanliness across class, caste and gender reveals that in the globalizing cleanliness cultures of Mysore those who are precarious and have less access to hygiene infrastructures, tend to have to clean more but don't resist expectations. We argue that, as cleanliness contours citizenship claims, the 'great unwashed' are excluded from participating in society. We question whether infrastructures and policies purported to increase the quality of life and provide basic human rights through increasing cleanliness, actually inadvertently contribute to deepening social stratification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper is a qualitative-based work on the ethnographic study of Ema keithel of Manipur. The study put forth the after-effect of the economic lockdown of Ema keithel due to COVID-19 and the present condition of women traders after the upliftment of the lockdown. The economic data was comparatively based on the pre-COVID-19 situation and the post-lockdown period. The women in Ema keithel are predominantly the sole bread earners and providers in their families; through their income, financial expenses are sustained. However, with the sudden lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, many thousands of women and their families had lost their only hope and financial support system. This study brings out the present situation of the women in the economic activities in the Ema keithel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dairy sector has been poised for fierce competitiveness due to the commercialization of the dairy sector and the presence of a global market size of 893 billion dollars. It has received a new dimension with the challenge of environmental sustainability. Considering all these challenges, the present research paper studies the major growth factors and the sustainable approach to dairy development in an emerging economy like India. Fifteen major dairy-developed states of India have contributed 90% of the milk production of the country examined from 2001 to 2019. The significance of key growth factors for dairy farming and the dairy value chain is assessed. The opportunity for sustainable dairying is examined. The authors have found that the growth factors of dairy farming and dairy value chain are significant by 1% through the fixed effect (FE) model and random effect (RE) model respectively. Indian dairy farming practices and their approach create optimism about environmental sustainability. The present study has observed a series of operational activities that are conducive to the triple bottom approach. With that, this study has mentioned strategies that can steer growth momentum and support sustainable Indian dairy development in the coming times. [Display omitted] • Three key areas, namely, dairy farming, dairy value chain and environmentally friendly practices for sustainable dairy development. • Two main types of variables (internal and external growth factors) are involved in the development of the dairy farming. • Strategies are formulated to improve milk productivity. • In line with the triple bottom line approach, a series of operational activities are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]