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Understanding inclusive education challenges in India involves acknowledging the complex linguistic, cultural, religious, and caste-based diversity affecting marginalized groups. Ambiguity surrounds implementing the "inclusion" concept, necessitating critical evaluation and adaptation to align with India's unique dynamics. Despite increased enrollment (61%), concerns persist about omitting some children from inclusive education benefits, suggesting exclusivity. The 2020 National Education Policy aims for equitable opportunities, but challenges remain in implementation and access. Interchangeable terms (e.g., "inclusion" vs. "integration") and a lack of differentiation hinder progress. Robust research on classroom practices is vital to establish effective strategies, support families, and address diverse student needs. This multifaceted issue requires consideration of India-specific contexts. India's interpretation of inclusive education varies based on disability severity, and solutions should account for political, historical, and cultural contexts and the beliefs and experiences of disabled individuals.

In India, 80% of graduating engineers remain either underemployed or unemployed due to lack of specific professional and generic skills. This study focuses on understanding how engineering graduates can psychologically orient themselves concerning their career opportunities. Specifically, this study looks at the intersection between career planning attitudes, locus of control and employability perceptions of students. The study further investigates whether such career orientations can make graduate job-seekers more assertive and in control of their preparations for job interviews. A two-stage mixed-method design is applied to investigate this issue. In study 1, data is collected from 497 final year engineering students from several technical institutions from South India and subsequently analysed through hierarchical linear regression analysis. The findings reveal that locus of control orientation positively influences students' internal cognitive processes, affecting their overall belief about their employability potential. In study 2, in-depth interviews with eight corporate recruiters and six placement officers are conducted through an E-Delphi setting. The objective of study 2 is to understand whether generic employability aspects are considered important while deciding a candidate's suitability and how these cognitive career orientations can be inculcated appropriately among the students. The importance of developing a vocational mindset is stressed, and suggestions to foster the same have been explained at length.

"Dalits" are a historically marginalized caste group in India. In this study, we examine the impact that the institution of caste has on career change. Focusing on the shift from science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to non-STEM careers, we ask why members of the Dalit communities in India leave their STEM careers. To present a comprehensive understanding of this career change, we also examine the factors that facilitate their retention in STEM careers. Deriving data from in-depth interviews with 42 STEM scholars from the Dalit communities in India, we illustrate their organizational experiences that are based on casteism. Qualitative data analyses were done using the grounded theory method. Results suggest that while caste operates in a unique way to drive away Dalit scholars from their STEM careers, doing gender plays an important role in their retention within the same careers.

The university is a highly politicized and fractious realm for students and academics. Amidst trade-offs between the processes of massification, democratization, commodification, and globalization, the question of transformation "for" sustainability has become crucial to the social good(s) of higher education. This paper considers academic citizenry within Indian public higher education -- a context where the increase in the enrollment of first-generation students and female students, due to affirmative action policies, has not substantially translated into altering the composition of academic staff. Informed by a mixed-method study conducted in 2019 with the participation of academics and those in leadership positions at four higher education institutions, we found that the enactment of such policies was operationalized for the production of the "New Middle Class" by universities. Of concern is that neither the representation nor the participation of academics who are women, "lower" castes, or minorities meets the mark of just, inclusive institutions. Despite the rhetoric of inclusiveness and development, the implementation of related policies clothe subalterns with the veneer of the intellectual class, permitting access on condition that sociocultural identities are concealed, and the hegemonic status quo maintained. Terms such as "quality" and "equality" function as tools for social control rather than serving social justice, where assertions of caste identity and resistance are simultaneously repudiated and misrecognized.

The massive open online course (MOOC) and online learning concepts have received a lot of attention from educational stakeholders all around the world as a result of COVID-19. Initial studies demonstrated that people may use MOOCs as a tool for academic and professional advancement. This micro-study was conducted at two adjacent national higher educational institutions (HEIs) in India as case study sites (CSS) to learn more about the attitude of the students and faculties there. The research strategy used for the study was a mixed-method approach. To collect data, a tool that was created by the researchers was used. There was a type of atypical relationship between the institutions and the professionals. Comparing CSS2 students and CSS1 teachers to their peers from other institutions, it was discovered that they both displayed more optimistic attitude. The attitude of all four groups were discovered to be favorable. The study served as an example of some educational ramifications in the neighborhoods.

Classroom assessment is the process of documenting the knowledge, skills, attitudes and beliefs of learners. It provides essential feedback to both instructors and students to improve their teaching methods for guiding and motivating students to be actively involved in their learning. Assessment drives learning. Formative assessments enable the instructor to guide the students to learn well. Summative assessments enable the measurement of levels of attainment of course outcomes and act as feedback to course design and curriculum improvement. This article presents the underlying principles of assessment through a discussion of assessment approaches and their purposes, types of assessment items, quality of assessment and summative assessment plans. Quality assessment instruments can be developed through an understanding of the quality attributes of assessment items, the process of designing assessment instruments, designing a variety of assessment items, and devising plans to evaluate them through rubrics. An approach is presented for creating a summative assessment plan that can also lead to the attainment of outcomes as per the requirements of programme accreditation.

Background: Increasingly researchers are recognising the importance of including the perspectives of children and young people in research and in the development of interventions and innovations, in order to understand children's lives on their own terms. Purpose: This article reflects on the potential risks posed to children and young people in research and the role of gatekeepers in granting access and, in direct field activities, especially where the research could be deemed as 'sensitive'. Research Design: Using a combined descriptive and autoethnographic research design, questionnaires and reflections were gathered from the field experiences of researchers in four countries (India, Jamaica, Uganda and the UK) conducting research on children's experiences of violence victimisation as part of a gender-based violence prevention project. Data was collected retrospectively and analysed thematically with the aid of QSR NVivo. Results: Based on the five themes that emerged: accessing schools; approach to access; accessing participants; lessons learnt; and advice for other researchers, the overall findings indicate that researching sensitive topics with children and young people is necessarily problematic in order to safeguard them. This is especially the case in contexts where discrimination and stigma relating to certain topics may be a significant barrier to children's participation. Conclusion: Research planning requires attention to gatekeeper power, safeguarding children and young people, and understanding how processes and attitudes concerning the status and rights of children at national and institutional levels might influence the research process.

In this pilot study, we aim to identify the role of few genetic variants of GABA-receptor type A subunits "GABRB[subscript 3]" (rs4906902, rs7171660), "GABRG[subscript 3]" (rs208129, rs140679), "GABRA[subscript 5]" (rs 140681) in the aetiology of autism spectrum disorders in a population of West Bengal. 192 ASD probands, their parents and 184 ethnically-matched healthy controls were recruited for the study. The rs4906902G and the rs140679T conferred significant risk towards ASD. rs7171660 and rs140679 had transmission bias in the family. Neither alleles of rs 208129 and rs 140681 showed significant over-representation in either groups. All these variants were associated with at least one deficit in ASD-associated phenotypes like 'relating to people', 'Imitation', 'emotional response', 'body use', 'taste, smell, touch response' and 'activity levels'.

Scholars have examined Revans' problem-solving praxeology in many contexts but have not fully explored the concept in the case of physical co-location. Hence, we focussed on investigating Revans' conceptualisation in a co-located context by paying particular attention to the 'different forms of learning' that emerged from it. The research setting for this study involved two coworking spaces in Bangalore, India, whose constituents were co-located start-ups and established enterprises. Held from January to March 2020, the study involved conducting exploratory, semi-structured interviews with twelve firms. The findings suggested that in a co-located environment, a) firms learnt 'vicariously' from a rich, external knowledge base during the enquiry-led Alpha phase b) firms learnt 'experientially', through learning by doing and reflecting in the implementation-focussed Beta phase c) firms learnt through the process of 'emergence' that resulted from personal reflection and team interaction, in the revelatory Gamma phase. This study lends a novel direction in acknowledging that vicarious learning, that is, learning through the experience of others, serves as a starting point for problem-solving in a co-located context. We demonstrate that firms gain familiarity with the problem through vicarious sources, that is, from those experienced co-located firms who had journeyed on a similar path.

For more than a decade, hundreds of thousands of India's young adults have volunteered to collect data for an annual household education related survey. The survey is called the Annual Status of Education Report or ASER, for short. The ASER survey is a unique methodology of citizen-led assessments. The purpose of this article is to describe and report about how the ASER methodology is implemented. This article examines a case study of ASER volunteers (n = 37) who are prepared to carry out the ASER methodology. This article also analyzes how the ASER methodology supports a conceptual framework about equipping everyday citizens, like the volunteers in the case study, to better understand and use data-driven evidence to take action to improve the education and schooling in their communities.

Recent surveys and reports document a growing phenomenon of "Hitlermania" in some parts of India. This article investigates whether the way in which National Socialism is presented in school education has encouraged this development or, on the contrary, has discouraged a positive valuation of the Nazis, including their leader. It analyzes curricula and a sample of school history textbooks published by state and central education boards, which have been used in Indian schools over the last two decades, focusing on their treatment of National Socialism and the Holocaust. While the results can be partly attributed to government interference in the school history curricula and in textbook writing, there appear to have been other factors at play, such as the social environment.

The main purpose of this study is to understand the opinion of student trainee teachers towards Microteaching skills. In this study, survey method was adopted. The participants of this study were 130 trainee students from four Teacher Training Colleges of West Bengal, India in 2013-14 sessions. The tools used in the study for data collection was a questionnaire comprising of two parts, made by the researcher. Part-A comprises of 6 items and Part-B consists of 15 items. The Microteaching skills have been selected according to the revised B.Ed Calcutta University syllabus. Data were analyzed using Descriptive Statistics (Mean and Standard deviation). "t" test was performed to determine the differences in opinion towards Microteaching among rural-urban located students, deputed and fresher students and among male and female students. The findings revealed that, the deputed and fresher trainees hold mostly similar opinion towards the different skills of Microteaching and the different components within it. There is a difference in opinion between rural and urban located trainees and overall the respondents have a favorable opinion towards Microteaching skills which would help them to face the real classroom situations. To improve the quality of teachers, it is important to study the usage and applicability of Microteaching skills.

The aim of the present study is to assess the status of parental involvement among secondary school tribal students and compare to their gender and types of school. The study comprised of 174 tribal students and employed by descriptive survey method. The sample of the study was drawn from the secondary schools of Anuppur district of Madhya Pradesh state by using stratified random sampling. The data for the study were collected by using The Parental Involvement Scale (TPIS) developed by Vijay Laxmi Chouhan and Gunjan Arora (2009) and analyzed by using percentage, Bar diagram, Pie chart and t-test. The finding revealed that the parental involvement is not found optimum among tribal students as most of the tribal students have low (24.7%), moderate (26.4%) and high level (24.7%) of parental involvement but a few of students have very low (6.3%) or very high (17.8%) level of parental involvement. The result supports that there is significant difference in the level of parental involvement between male and female tribal students. The difference founds is in the favor of female tribal students. The result also shows that there is significant difference in the level of parental involvement between government and private school tribal students. The difference founds is in the favor of private school tribal students.

Education seeks to unfold the latent qualities of a person, thereby giving full development to the individual. As such, it has been described as the act or art of developing, or creating, cultivating the various physical intellectual, aesthetic and moral faculties of the individual. Scheduled Tribe has a history of social and economic deprivation, and the underlying causes of their educational marginalization are also strikingly distinct. About 87 percent of the main workers from these communities were engaged in primary sector activities. The literacy rate of Scheduled Tribes is around 47 percent, as against the national average of 74.04 percent. More than three-quarters of Scheduled Tribes women are non-literate. Not surprisingly, the cumulative effect has been that the proportion of Scheduled Tribes below the poverty line is substantially higher than the national average. The study intends to explore the state of education and the awareness of the disadvantaged groups towards right to education as a fundamental human right with special reference to Right to Education Act, 2010.

This study is an attempt to strengthen the existing knowledge about factors affecting the adjustment process of the trailing expatriate spouse and the subsequent impact of any maladjustment or expatriate failure. We conducted a qualitative enquiry using grounded theory methodology with 26 Indian spouses who had to deal with their partner's expatriate assignment relocation. The open and axial coding techniques and the process of theoretical sampling are discussed at length. Our investigation reveals the recurrence of several factors earlier studied in previous models such as cultural novelty, family and peer support, the organization's support and the spouse's personality. Additionally, we found that the Indian spouses' adjustment to expatriate assignments was influenced greatly by their perceived gender-role ideology and their marital obligations to their partners. The resulting extended model of spousal adjustment to expatriate adjustments may help management practitioners to enhance expatriate success in global assignments. (Contains 2 figures and 5 tables.)

In this paper, an attempt has been made to develop a hybrid ethnographic paradigm, taking the best points from the different approaches of ethnographic research. The pioneering proponents of ethnography differed in their conceptualization of the method, resulting in the development of three distinct schools of thought-holistic, semiotic and behavioristic. These three ethnographic paradigms have their respective benefits and shortcomings. Following any one of these approaches may lead to only partial comprehension of the phenomenon by the ethnographer. This study wished to address this issue by developing a best practice approach, which will have the virtues of all the three paradigms. It is hoped that this evolved paradigm will help in making the work of the ethnographer a lot more comprehensive and the experience much richer. (Contains 3 figures and 1 table.)

Instructors face difficulty in creating student-centred, customized learning designs (LDs) for teaching with information and communication technology (ICT) tools such as visualizations (animations, simulations or videos). This problem is compounded for tertiary-level instructors teaching in instructor-mediated classrooms. In such classrooms, common in many parts of the developing world, students may not have 1:1 access with the visualization and have to interact with it via the instructor. Here, the instructors' pedagogy becomes an important factor determining effective learning with the visualization. To address this problem, a set of design impediments faced by instructors in this context were first identified. Design guidelines were created to address these impediments. These guidelines evolved into the Customized Visualization Integration System (CuVIS). It is a wizard-like interactive tool that provides guidelines to instructors on how to create effective LDs that incorporate the principles of constructive alignment and meaningful learning with ICT, and is customized to instructors' requirements. The effectiveness of CuVIS has been tested with instructors along multiple dimensions: usefulness and usability, impact on instructors' pedagogical practice and impact on student learning when taught with CuVIS-generated LDs.

The highly contagious nature of the novel Coronavirus locks-unlocks and economic uncertainty around the world have changed the complete landscape of the tourism sector. To attract tourists, it is necessary to revise the content strategy of Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) in the post-Covid economy. This study explores how different characteristics of DMO’s social media posts influence tourists’ online engagement. We used 876 posts from July 2021 to June 2022 on the official Facebook handle of Incredible India, through which we assessed the tourists’ ‘engagement’, using the number of likes, comments, and shares. Additionally, linguistic features-based categorization of posts was done using LIWC. The results demonstrate that message format, message appeal, motives, and time orientation of posts significantly influence the tourists’ online engagement. These findings are relevant to information dissemination and provide valuable insights for DMOs. DMOs could use this study to design their future messages to gather maximum engagement through social media posts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Dalits" are a historically marginalized caste group in India. In this study, we examine the impact that the institution of caste has on career change. Focusing on the shift from science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to non-STEM careers, we ask why members of the Dalit communities in India leave their STEM careers. To present a comprehensive understanding of this career change, we also examine the factors that facilitate their retention in STEM careers. Deriving data from in-depth interviews with 42 STEM scholars from the Dalit communities in India, we illustrate their organizational experiences that are based on casteism. Qualitative data analyses were done using the grounded theory method. Results suggest that while caste operates in a unique way to drive away Dalit scholars from their STEM careers, doing gender plays an important role in their retention within the same careers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The longevity of people with intellectual disabilities is increasing in developing nations. However, developing nations lack a proper system of care for aging persons with intellectual disabilities. Until now the care has been provided by parents and relatives in the home environment in developing countries, but this scenario is also changing; therefore, there is a strong need to explore a plan of care for this population which is also feasible and replicable. The National Trust is an autonomous body of the Government of India which has developed a comprehensive plan of care for adults with intellectual disabilities. In this article, the National Trust is discussed using a socioecological model. The replicability and suitability of this model for other developing countries are discussed.

The considerable similarity in the growth paths of the Chinese and Indian economies since their respective reforms has changed after the 2008 crisis. This article tries to understand the trajectories of different parameters of economic growth in the two countries, and how these changed after the crisis. Growth has declined in both the economies, more consistently in China, compared to India. The share of exports in GDP has also declined in both economies. The dependence of the Chinese economy on exports has decreased; however, its dependence on investment has increased. Investment's share in GDP in China has increased, whereas it has decreased in India. The structure of the manufacturing sector in China has undergone changes, which is not the case for India. The increase in the share of services and decline in the share of manufacturing in China implies that the production structure is becoming less unbalanced. JEL classification: E58, E62, F32, F41 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educational organizations are facing severe problems in terms of competition, quality degradation and deteriorating standards. There is a need to identify, define, develop strategy, initiate action and solve the problem. The present research holds significance in the rapidity of changing environment that affects our educational organizations today, which need to be continuously assessed for future requirements so that they can meet the demands of the changing world and remain institutes of excellence by maintaining their standards. To establish the importance of organizational development (OD) interventions in the education arena was the primary aim of conducting this research so that education sector too is able to reap benefits as all others, be it industrial, business, scientific, etc. Descriptive research method was employed wherein three variables--organizational culture, organizational climate and effective team building--were juxtaposed between one central and one state university in New Delhi. Sample was drawn from 10 academic departments of the universities and 10 teachers from each department; thus, the total sample size comprised 100 teachers. Results revealed that central universities have bureaucratic and autocratic culture with moderately favourable organizational climate and team effectiveness being high, while state university was diametrically opposite with technical, entrepreneurial culture, more favourable organizational climate and very high team effectiveness. This study proves to be an eye-opener for educationists, administrators, policy planners and academicians so as to help them understand the principles, practices, diagnose problems and bring about a paradigmatic shift in policy structures by accommodating the innovative changes for building empires out of organizations.

This article opens up questions around introducing Bharatanatyam, a form of Indian classical dance, to undergraduate learners within a North American university setting. The aim is to observe how the learners understood and received a particular cultural practice and to explore issues related to learning goals, curriculum content, approaches to pedagogy and classroom management. A qualitative approach used the combined methods of action research, ethnography and autoethnography to reveal layers of meanings related to the nature of learning and challenges incurred in implementing traditional teaching method into practice. It is discussed how critical spaces for dialogue and deliberation between the learners and the teacher have generated an adaptive method for accommodating the needs of multicultural classrooms. The study recommends further inquiry-based dialogues among scholars and practitioners to utilise the critical theories for classroom instructions. (Contains 20 notes.)

The paper contributes the literature in the following ways: (a) It establishes negative sole impact of urban outdoor air-pollution and its interaction-effect with growth, poverty, and urbanisation on female life-expectancy (FLE), hence on female labour force participation rate (FLFPR); proving the positive two-way relation between these two through estimating a simultaneous panel-model comprising equations of FLFPR and FLE, for Indian-states over the period 2017–2022. The significant impact of the interaction-effect shows partial-effect of a change in the concerned variable on FLE and on FLFPR depends on air-pollution. Thus, measures to raise growth, urbanisation or reduce poverty can improve FLE and FLFPR, provided air-pollution is mitigated. (b) Moreover, significant impact of interaction-effect of household-size and growth (Lnnsdp × HHsz) on FLFPR is supported, i.e., the impact of growth on FLFPR depends on household-size and vice-versa. A critical-level of Lnnsdp × HHsz exists; FLFPR increases/falls with Lnnsdp × HHsz according as actual Lnnsdp × HHsz is lesser/higher than critical-level. The higher sample-mean of Lnnsdp × HHsz than critical-value implies FLFPR falls with both growth and household-size, i.e. given household-size, income-effect dominates and women value leisure more. It adds the earlier inverted-U feminisation hypothesis for India investigating only sole-impact of growth on FLFPR. (c) Further, the relationship between interaction-effect of female education and household-size (Hedu × HHsz) on FLFPR is U-type, i.e., a critical level of Hedu × HHsz exists, FLFPR falls/rises with Hedu × HHsz according as actual Hedu × HHsz is lesser/higher than critical-level. The lower sample-mean of Hedu × HHsz than critical-value implies, FLFPR falls with education and household-size, i.e., female education does not necessarily imply higher FLFPR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondrial dysfunction has long been associated with the pathogenesis of lung cancer (LC). Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroups have been reported to modify the risk of LC in a few different populations; however, no study has been done among the Indians. Here, we explore the relationship between mtDNA haplogroups and LC in a representative eastern Indian sample set. Different combinations of six mtDNA SNPs, which define the major Asian mtDNA haplogroups M and N, and their sub-haplogroups D, G, M7, R, and F were genotyped via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) – restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) – sequencing approach in 94 smoker LC patients and 100 healthy smoker controls from an eastern Indian cohort. The distribution of 7 mtDNA haplogroups did not show any significant differences between patients and controls (p<0.05). We did not find sub-haplogroup M7 in our study population. Our study is the first to indicate that the major Asian mtDNA haplogroups have no significant (p<0.05) association with LC in East Indian population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following UNICEF's analysis of National Family Health Survey-III Data (NFHS-III), it was opined that households with access to better sanitation and better access to improved water sources have much better infant survival rates than the others. Sahu et al. (2015 , The Indian journal of medical research, 141 (5), 709), Arun et al. (2017 , International Conference on Cognitive Computing and Information Processing (pp. 81–92), Springer) and Tripathy and Mishra (2017 , Journal of Tropical Pediatrics, 63(6), 431–439) supported these findings. However, Banerjee (2020a , Journal of Health Management, 22 (1), 57–66), analysing NFHS-IV data, has vehemently criticised such findings and showed using regression with robust standard errors that improved access to better water sources leads to higher infant mortality. In another article published in the same year, Banerjee (2020b , Journal of Health Management, 22 (3), 466–471) explained this paradox. Now with NFHS-V data coming out, time is apt to test the robustness of Banerjee's findings (2002a). However, owing to the incomplete NFHS-V data published so far, unlike Banerjee (2002a) that has used data of 29 states, the present analysis is based on only 17 states. The findings support that the findings of Banerjee (2002a) were robust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The banking sector in India plays a crucial role in economic growth. A bank provides an opportunity for investments to encourage economic growth and the potential to yield higher returns. In this study, we develop a bankruptcy prediction model by using machine learning (ML) techniques, namely logistic regression, random forest, and AdaBoost, and compare these models with those developed using deep learning (DL) techniques, namely the artificial neural network (ANN). ANN results in the highest accuracy and the most favourable prediction model for bankruptcy. Data used in this study are collected from survived and failed private and public sector banks from India from March 2001 to March 2018. For bankruptcy prediction, we use the bank's macroeconomic and market structure-related features. The feature selection technique 'Relief algorithm' is used to select useful features for the bankruptcy prediction model. Because failed banks in comparison with survived were less in the dataset, the issue of imbalanced cases may have arisen, in which case most ML and DL techniques do not perform well. Thus, we convert the dataset into a balanced form by using the synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE). The results of this study can help in performing financial analyses of banks and thus have significant implications for their stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) provides precise Position, Velocity, and Timing (PVT) information. Various types of receivers of varying cost and complexity are used for collection and use of GNSS data. Currently, cost-effective, compact, low power consuming, multi-constellation enabled, single, or dual-frequency GNSS modules are being increasingly available having the capability of providing modest position solution accuracy. This paper presents the results of GPS, BeiDou, and GPS + BeiDou hybrid positioning capabilities of few commercially available modules based on systematic analysis from data collected during two time periods from two locations of India using geodetic and commercial patch antennas w.r.t. the reference points created through PPP (Precise Point Positioning). The results are compared with those provided a survey-grade GNSS receiver. It is witnessed that, selected single frequency module can provide 3-4m 2DRMS (Distance Root Means Square) precision and their dual frequency counterparts can provide 2DRMS solution precision around 3 m in GPS-only operation, around 7 m in BeiDou-only operation and around 3.5 m in case of GPS + BeiDou hybrid operation. The performance of the compact modules clearly presents the cost-performance benefit of the compact modules for real-time applications and the results of this study would help in understanding the capabilities of these modules for mass-market applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we aimed to understand experience of students about transition from lecture mode to case study pedagogy in business management courses. Indian education system is predominantly a follower of the lecture mode of teaching from the grass-root level till graduation. Hence Indian students are relatively less familiar with the case based teaching method. In recent times, the case pedagogy has been rapidly replacing the lecture mode in higher education institutes of India, especially at the business management colleges. We conducted a grounded theory based interview of 33 post graduate students enrolled in a business school (B School) in India, which incorporated a pedagogy shift from lecture to case method during academic session 2010-2011. We found that some of the major factors which facilitated the transition process of the students to this new style of learning were previous educational background, prior work experience, course evaluation methods, institute policies and proper orientation through preparatory sessions. Our findings substantiated extant studies conducted in the context of western countries. The findings also provide a systematic analysis of the various issues in incorporating such pedagogic shifts, which may help academicians to successfully troubleshoot any problems associated with commencement of case based teaching in the Indian context.

This article focuses on the need for a differentiated curriculum for classical dance courses and a curriculum for undergraduate students in the liberal education framework. It begins with a retrospective analysis of dance pedagogy with a specific focus on its evolution in ancient India and reiterates the need for modifying dance discourses in a liberal education curriculum. It discusses the issues and problems that need to be addressed to frame the curriculum to ensure knowledge flexibility in terms of connecting the training to an interdisciplinary approach. (Contains 1 figure and 2 notes.)

Divakaruni reflects on her path to becoming an author for children, including her formative encounters with stories told by her grandfather in her native India, and experiences as a mother and as an Indian woman in the post-9/11 context of the United States.

A cross-sectional study in a representative sample of 751 women, living in slums, examined their perspectives on partner and relationship factors of domestic violence. More than 17% of women experienced physical violence in the past year. Individual factors related to the husband--namely, poor socioeconomic status, use of alcohol, extramarital relations, and visiting red light districts--increased the risk of violence. The following relationship factors were associated with a higher risk of violence: age difference of 5 years or less between spouses, husband's irregular contribution to family expenses, not sharing information about his personal expenses, manifestation of controlling behaviors, and longer duration of marriage. The study concludes that adverse socioeconomic conditions create low self-esteem and insecurity among men, who find expression in aberrant behaviors, and violence is used as a compensatory behavior. Interventions, therefore, need to go beyond the victim-centric approach and address partner and relationship issues for greater impact. (Contains 2 tables.)

This paper is a reflection on the process of dance choreography, an assignment for pedagogical evaluation at postgraduate level in an Indian university. It is also a recapitulation and reconstruction of my experiences while undergoing a Master's course in Bharatanatyam (a style of classical dance) in the Centre for Performing Arts (CPA), University of Pune, India. The formal assignment of dance choreography, placed at the end of the final semester, is compulsory and an integral part of the syllabus. It enables the learner to make independent choices in creating new variations within the scope of a dance style. In the curriculum an assignment of choreography drives and motivates the learner to be creative in constructing their knowledge into a visible and distinct form. This is how educators justify the process of creation in terms of a measurable account of effective learning. However, it does not tell anything about the intrinsic forces, the inner struggle and the conflict that acts "behind the screen" to make this dance possible. The aim here is to reflect on the various elements involved: the dilemma between tradition and innovation, the confusion of the overlapping selves, the inner struggle to create a new form within the preset parameters and the psychological fear to be condemned as "archaic" or "iconoclast". All these experiences will be analysed in detail such as to unfurl the nature of the Indian dance teaching and learning process within a prescribed curriculum from the learner's viewpoint. (Contains 3 notes.)

We discuss the shift in program modalities during COVID-19 within the Scheme for Adolescent Girls and Kanyashree Prakalpa (SAG-KP) Convergence Program in the state of West Bengal, India. Field insights as well as available program data from the Child in Need Institute's (CINI) intervention areas revealed that strict lockdowns and restricted unlocking phases during the pandemic led to changed program pathways--from offline/in-person activities to online adolescent group discussions and health message dissemination, plus counselling services through social media and telephone. Prolonged school closures impelled the adolescent girls to undertake vocational/skill-based training, including kitchen garden work to supplement their nutritional needs. The circulation of key messages through online groups also helped in preventing child marriages. Important lessons learned from the lockdown phase are that adolescent girls can benefit from regular contact and regular online/offline sessions or workshops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kanchi, an eastward flowing river, traverses through the Ranchi plateau of the Proterozoic Chhotanagpur granite gneissic complex to meet its trunk stream, the Subarnarekha River. The present study analyzed longitudinal profiles and associated geomorphic indices of the Kanchi River and its tributaries to identify spatial variation in profile form and fluvial response to prevailing controls. This work was carried out using a digital dataset and maps, which were processed in a GIS environment to obtain longitudinal profiles, and different data required in best-fit modelling and geomorphic investigation of longitudinal profiles. The analyses indicate that the rivers are in dynamic equilibrium condition. Spatial distribution of geomorphic indices values reveals that longitudinal profile forms vary from one segment to another along river channels, and these irregularities in the form of prominent and minor knickpoints are highly concentrated in middle river basin areas. The absence of lithological variation and active tectonics, and close association of anomalously steep river segments with structural lineaments and landforms demonstrates structural control on river channel development. PCA denotes strong similarities between geomorphic indices. This understanding of longitudinal variation in river nature may help to formulate strategies for the sustainable development and management of river related resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes one educational television initiative, the Countrywide Classroom Project in India that has created a niche audience of youth and adults in cities, small towns and remote areas devoid of adequate educational facilities. Discusses the Project's infrastructure, production, transmission, limitations and future directions. (AEF)

North-eastern Himalayan (NEH) region of India possesses numerous unique and traditionally important Capsicum landraces. The extent of phenotypic variation and phylogenetic relationship of the NEH Capsicum landraces is poorly understood. Therefore, Capsicum landraces consisting of 34 Capsicum annuum L., 5 C. chinense Jacq. and 57 C. frutescens L, that were collected from different states NEH region of India, were studied for morpho-genetic diversity. Accessions were agro-morphologically characterised using the IPGRI minimal descriptors. Genetic diversity analysis was done using 20 microsatellite markers spanning all 13 linkage groups of Capsicum. Multivariate analyses indicated that C. frutescens accessions were agro-morphologically different from both C. annuum and C. chinense. On an average, 3.6 alleles per locus were detected. Considerable genetic diversity (polymorphic information content, PIC = 0.46) was found within the accessions. The phylogenetic and model-based population structure analyses classified the landraces into two to three groups with varied species homogeneity with a majority of members in a cluster belonging to the same species. This study provides important information on the morpho-agronomic variability and genetic structure of chilli landraces of northeastern India which will be useful to identify groups with similar genetic backgrounds for conservation and effective selection of parents for future breeding programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Written test was developed and administered to diagnose misconceptions in different areas of chemical equilibrium among 162 undergraduate chemistry students and 69 teachers of chemistry. Responses reveal widespread misconceptions among students and teachers in areas related to the prediction of equilibrium conditions, rate and equilibrium, applying equilibrium principles to daily life, and to acid-base and ionic solutions in water. (Author)

Social capital is often argued an important non-monetized capital for poor people which can be instrumental for poverty eradication and overall economic development. This paper investigates these claims for informal workers. Based on data from a primary survey in Hooghly district of West Bengal, India, an individual level composite social capital index is calculated considering the structural-relational-cognitive dimensions of social capital. Then OLS method has been used to test the impact of social capital on income with respect to the socioeconomic condition of responders. The findings suggest that the role of social capital to improve income is limited by the poor socioeconomic condition and therefore the optimistic view about the role of social capital in poverty eradication should be treated cautiously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary aim of the study aims to provide a solution for scheduling examinations for most of the universities and colleges across India which follow the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) using a graph coloring algorithm. Nowadays, due to the flexibility of opting various subjects, and many students taking up different courses in their colleges and universities, it becomes difficult to schedule these examinations. Creating an examination schedule can be quite challenging and time-consuming for controlling the body of an examination. Our research work focuses on reducing the efforts for scheduling such examinations. With the knowledge of graph theory and graph traversing and coloring algorithms, our algorithm with the help of a few assumptions gives an efficient solution to the examination scheduling problem. A detailed correctness proof along with performance analysis has been done. The efficiency of our proposed algorithm is then compared to that of the coloring algorithm using backtracking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary feminism manifests itself in the form of blogs, hashtags, e-magazines, and digitally planned protests through online communities that address the prevailing concerns of feminists in the digital age. This feminist approach to digital activism aims to reclaim the power of technology which is inherently hegemonic and masculinist by creating alternate spaces and modes of protest. Transnational feminism is increasingly being shaped by online discourses and the new digital space enables social movements in shaping feminist solidarity and complex netizen identities. This paper adopts discourse analysis of online contents that question the prevalent patriarchal system in South Asia and thus situate it in the changing socio-cultural context globally. Popular hashtag movements in various countries such as #YesAllWomen, #notallmen, #MeToo, #SheInspiresMe, #WomenMarch4Change, #WhyLoiter, #IWillGoOut, #AuratMarch #GirlsAtDhabas, #SafeCityIndia #PinjraTod as well as other online forums which raise the voices of women against various forms of violence will be analysed with a view to uncover their multilayered impact. These multifaceted discourses on gender-based violence have reached a wider audience across the world through social media, and academic webinars during the Covid-19 pandemic have also largely contributed to the debate. The resonance of these dialogues has transcended the local to the global level; a close study of the transnational character of these digital messages in social media aims to examine the strict demarcation between the public and the private, thus challenging the concept of gendered spaces. This paper employs a multidisciplinary approach to methodologically analyse the online resources and nature of activism in India and investigate its global relevance. Additionally, the paper will also explore how the online campaigns are establishing networks notwithstanding time and place, by interrogating and understanding the relationship between online activism and its significance in conceptualizing transnational feminism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Telemedicine represents an innovative but untested approach to maintain patient care and reduce the risk of COVID-19 exposure to patients, health-care workers, and the public. In this study, we evaluated the applicability and efficacy of telemedicine in a kidney transplant recipient (KTR) cohort in COVID 19 era. Materials and Methods: An observational cohort study was conducted at a tertiary-care public-sector kidney disease institute in western India between March and September 2020. We evaluated the reasons, modes, and outcomes of patient contacts by telemedicine in the KTR cohort. We also evaluated the utility of telemedicine across three age groups. Results: Of 840 participants, whose mean age was 38.78 ± 12.39 years, male to female ratio was 4:1. The most common mode of communication was WhatsApp (653, 77.7%) followed by in-person surrogates (126, 15%). Acceptability of telemedicine was significantly better in younger and middle-age groups (P < 0.00001) compared to the elderly. Request for drug delivery (n = 756) was the most common reason for contact overall and managed through postal parcels. KTRs (n = 200) and donors (n = 75) were evaluated for medical illnesses. The most common medical reasons for contact were for febrile illness (n = 120) and graft dysfunction (n = 60). COVID-19-related disease was diagnosed and managed in 80 KTRs and 2 donors. COVID-19 updates were given to all contacts. Conclusion: Telemedicine is underutilized in the care of the KTR cohort. Telemedicine can be used across all ages although it's best suited for young and middle age groups. The impact of telemedicine on short- and long-term patient outcomes is unclear and warrants further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The major challenge in recent time, more or less in all the sectors is acquiring and retaining talent. Professional employees are found to be always on the move today for better and better opportunities. So, loyalty and commitment seem to have taken a backseat, not appreciated much either at the individual or at the organizational level. In the present paper, an attempt has been made to find out whether the employees' intent to leave the organization depends on their levels of motivational force as measured in line with Vroom's (1964) expectancy theory. In addition, another effort has been made to explore if there is any difference lies between the findings in comparison between two different sectors. The sample of the present study are the employees (n = 155) working in the Information Technology Sectors and employees (n=157) working in Academic Sectors (Technical) in different cities in India. The available data seem to indicate that there exists a significant positive relationship between employees' level of motivational force and their tenure in the job. These may be considered while deciding a strategy for retaining employees in an organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Trading regulations are important to control biological invasions. • Evaluated biosecurity framework related to invasive plant species trading in India. • Legal framework exclusively to deal with these species is absent in the country. • Proposed a set of policy interventions considering stakeholders' varied interests. • Outlined a standard operating procedure for effective execution of the policies. Biological invasions are a major global challenge for the conservation of biodiversity, maintenance of ecosystem health and sustainable livelihoods. As the number of novel introductions of invasive species is predicted to increase due to rising trade volumes in the emerging economies, regulatory policies to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species are of paramount importance. However, poor response capacities, lack of coordination between stakeholders, heavy dependence on biological resources and little public awareness are some of the formidable barriers in framing and implementing such policies in developing countries. This study was conceptualized to establish common ground by considering the diverse interests of different actors and design a policy framework to control invasive alien plant species (IAPS) in the lower-middle income economies considering India as a case study. To achieve this objective, we evaluated the introduction pathways and current economic uses of IAPS in India and critically reviewed the infrastructure and current response capacity of the country for regulating pre- and post-border trading of these problematic species. We found that the majority of IAPS were introduced for ornamental purposes and some of them are still actively traded and used for several economic purposes. Despite having a rich legacy of environmental policies, a legal framework exclusively to deal with invasive species is non-existent in India. Here, we propose a set of policy interventions, for international and domestic trading, by integrating trade regulations based on a risk assessment framework with interests of both consumers and traders to ensure effective compliance from all stakeholders. Further, we identify potential hurdles for policy implementation in India and therefore, based on the existing biosecurity infrastructure, we outline an operable and dynamic decentralized system having a standard operating procedure to ensure coordination between different stakeholders, increase public awareness and guide further research direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entrepreneurs are innovators, job providers and people who perform economic activities while fulfilling responsibility towards the society (Ahmad N & Seymour R, 2006). According to the 6th Economic Census released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, there are 58.5 million entrepreneurs in India, of which 14 % are women entrepreneurs. The aim of the research paper is to outline empirical research on the competencies required by women entrepreneurs to start a business and to sustain the same successfully. This paper also aims to discuss the problems and challenges encountered by women entrepreneurs in running their business. A survey of women entrepreneurs was conducted in Gujarat using a structured questionnaire and personal interview. The questionnaire was designed with a list of competencies, problems and challenges faced by the women entrepreneurs that were compiled from previous theoretical and empirical research. The entrepreneurs were asked to give their ratings based on their perception and experience on five-point Likert scales. A factor analysis was conducted in order to identify clusters of competencies that loaded onto each group. The most common problems and challenges faced by women entrepreneurs were identified statistically. The factor analysis identified 9 clusters of competencies from the list of 36 competencies, which are necessary for entrepreneurs to start the business and sustain with it. The results show that the major problems faced by the women are lack of finance, difficulty in work-life balance and high socio-cultural barriers over the life of the business. The outcome of this paper can be used by researchers, government agencies, nongovernment organisations and incubation centres to understand and develop policies that help more and more women to become entrepreneurs and run their business successfully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India's announcement at the Glasgow Climate Conclave in 2021, regarding the nation's short- and long-term climate actions portrayed an ambition of becoming a green leader in the years to come. The article discusses how accountability has broad horizons which in turn is linked with legitimacy, often neglected in research and when incorporated, in relevance to India's solar energy transition will revolve around accountability crisis. An accountability-legitimacy framework is created in which the Indian solar energy paradigm is tested where the major findings are solar uptake discrepancies, pertinent to four typologies of legitimacy--technocratic, bureaucratic, financial, and discursive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]