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Nitrate concentrations in surface and groundwater bodies in India are increasing due to rapid urban development as a consequence of increasing economic-growth rates and N fertilizer applications in agriculture to meet food demands of increasing population. High nitrate concentration in drinking water poses threat to human and animal health and may cause eutrophication of aquatic systems threatening fish, biodiversity, aesthetics, and economics. In states such as Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh with intense economic and agricultural activities, nitrate concentrations are increasing in ground and surface waters. Nitrate concentrations in river systems tend to be higher in regions of high-economic activity and population pressure compared to those of less-economic activity and population. Overexploitation of groundwaters accompanied by urban development and agricultural intensification will exacerbate nitrate pollution of groundwaters in the country. Subsidy for N fertilizers in India has resulted in increasing inputs of reactive nitrogen to the environment. Improved sewage treatment and fertilizer N management methods coupled with recent policy initiatives, such as using more organics in agriculture and mandatory coating of all urea with neem, and river cleaning missions will reduce nitrate pollution of waters. More comprehensive monitoring of nitrate in surface and groundwaters accompanied by the implementation of water policy regulations will help in combating nitrate threat to water quality.

An earlier study conducted under glass house conditions revealed a strong synergistic relationship between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF-Glomus monosporum) and the plant growth promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR-Pantoea dispersa) screened and selected for inoculating Ocimum tenuiflorum. The present study was undertaken to validate the results of glass house studies under field conditions. The field experiment was conducted with selected microbial consortia with varying levels of chemical fertilizers in order to find out the possibility of reducing the recommended level of chemical fertilizers for O. tenuiflorum cultivation. The results obtained from the field experiment suggested that inoculation with microbial consortia increased plant growth, dry weight, essential oil concentration compared to uninoculated plants. The results also brought out that 50% of recommended NPK fertilizer can be reduced through inoculation with microbial consortia with no adverse effect on growth and yield of O. tenuiflorum.

The paper examines the relative influence of social, economic, health and familial variables in explaining the sex differences in the life satisfaction of the black elderly. The dependent variable was measured using the life satisfaction Index A scale on a sample of 240 retired individuals living in a Southern metropolitan area. Multiple regression analysis revealed that nearly 52 percent of variance in life satisfaction for males was explained by all (24) independent variables while only 19 percent of variance in the dependent variable for females was explained by the same independent variables. The stepwise regression analysis yielded a six-variable optimal model for life satisfaction for males while a two-variable model was found for females. It is suggested that additional research be conducted to determine if this difference exists in other populations and samples of the black elderly.