2025
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PublicationArticle Analysis of Solid Waste Management Scenarios in India: A Comparative Case Study of Indore and Varanasi with Special Emphasis on Policy Gaps and Interventions(ACCB Publishing, 2025) Deepak Rathore; Ravikant Dubey; R. S. Singh; Amrita DwivediVaranasi, the spiritual capital of India, is prominent in the country. It drastically improved its waste management capacity after 2014, when it became the constituency of the prime minister of India. At the same time, Indore established itself as a role model for sanitation in general and solid waste management in particular by securing the title of the cleanest city in India for the fifth consecutive year. Solid waste management is the biggest challenge in India, and it is growing continuously. A comparison between Indore and Varanasi will reveal the gaps in solid waste management in India's two-tier towns. Comparative data analysis of the solid waste composition, chemical composition, cleaning, collection, transportation, treatment, and disposal facilities will provide insight into the shortcomings of waste management. Analysing waste generation in different states and cities with varying population densities will reveal the patterns responsible for better or worse waste management in specific areas. We have analysed data and recognised patterns of waste generation with regard to economic prosperity. This study analyses the policy framework for waste and sanitation in India in comparison to the global context. Many successful policy frameworks are designed by international organisations like the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the World Bank. We have compared the Indian waste management policy and status with the World Bank's policy framework, as it is the most comprehensive policy framework currently available. We have primarily focused on Indore and compared it with Varanasi regarding policy frameworks and enforcement strategies. This study identifies potential gaps by analysing patterns in waste management and proposes improved ideas for waste-related policies and sustainable development. © 2025 Rathore et al. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.PublicationArticle Reinterpreting the Play: Women’s Cultural Performance as a Subversive Site(ACCB Publishing, 2025) Milan ChauhanThis study investigates women’s performances, such as Khela-Tamasha (play-act), Nakkal (enactment/imitation), and Kajari folksongs, as potent tools for questioning the gender stereotypes and hegemonic gender ideals which subordinate women. To achieve the objectives of this study, ethnographic data were collected in 2022–2023 across Mirzapur, located in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Drawing on Judith Butler’s gender performativity theory and Antonio Gramsci’s theory of counter-hegemony, this study argues that rural women’s traditional play-acts and enactments, characterised by cross-dressing, theatricality, and bold speech, challenge their oppression. Through their performative expressions, these women harness the power of cross-dressing, challenge traditional masculine roles, and display their erotic desires. Further, by embracing non-conforming gender roles and expressing their desires during performance, women’s traditional performative acts display the transformative power of folk traditions in challenging dominant societal structures. © 2025 Chauhan. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.PublicationArticle Determinants of Occupational Stress among Non-Gazetted CRPF Jawans-A Cross-Sectional Study(Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications, 2025) Gunjan Singh; Manushi Srivastava; Mona Srivastava; Pradyumn Srivastava; Priya SrivastavaPurpose: All occupations are associated with stress, but defence service is significantly more stressful than others. However, there are very few studies focusing on occupational stress in the defence force in the existing literature. The present study aims to assess the prevalence of occupational stress among Non-Gazetted Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Jawans and identify the factors influencing it. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the 148 th battalion of CRPF in India, including 353 Non-Gazetted Officers as participants. The study utilized a questionnaire containing the occupational stress scale developed by Srivastava and Singh in 1984. Descriptive statistics, Chi square, and logistic regression were employed to achieve the study objectives. Results: The study found that nearly three-fourths of the Non-Gazetted Officers experienced moderate occupational stress, while approximately 2% of officers reported high occupational stress. Factors significantly associated with stress included age at marriage, physical separation from family, insufficient time for family, involvement in hazardous activities, and additional sources of family income. Conclusion: The study successfully met its objective of assessing the prevalence of occupational stress among Non-Gazetted CRPF Jawans and identifying the factors influencing it. These results underscore the necessity for family support programs and organizational-level interventions, such as regular counseling, improved recreational facilities, and adequate rest, to help officers alleviate stress effectively. © 2025 Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.PublicationArticle Evolution of Dras arc in the backdrop of the India-Eurasia collision: evidence from the discovery of ammonite from Indus Suture Zone, Ladakh Himalaya, India(Springer Nature, 2025) Prasenjit Barman; Shruti Ranjan Mishra; Narendra Kumar Swami; Arindam Roy; Alok C. PandeWe report Late Jurassic ammonite Aulacosphinctes sp. from the volcano-sedimentary sequences of the Dras Formation in the Ladakh Himalaya, India, for the first time. The Cretaceous Dras Formation, characterized by its thick layers of volcano-sedimentary deposits, preserves mainly foraminifera and radiolarians. In this paper, we try to bring about a perception change regarding the age of the Dras Formation. The discovery of Aulacosphinctes sp. from the Dras Formation—undoubtedly speaks for the Tithonian age. The interspersed nature of the volcano-sedimentary sequences of Dras Formation with the basalt of Dras volcanics further indicates episodic volcanism along the southern margin of Neotethyan ocean between India and Eurasia. This discovery prompts a reassessment of the palaeogeographic position and evolution of the Dras arc during the Late Jurassic. © Indian National Science Academy 2025.PublicationArticle Association between flood-prone geographies and incomplete ANC in India: Implications for equitable maternal care access(Elsevier Ltd, 2025) Rakesh Chandra; Jeetendra Kumar Patel; Sonal Srivastava; Saradiya Mukherjee; Aditya P. SinghThis study examines the association between floods and incomplete antenatal care (ANC) visits in India to assess the impact of floods on ANC utilization, particulary among vulnerable groups. Data from the National Family Health Survey (2019–20) and Vulnerability Atlas of India (2019) were used and merged to create individual-level data. Binary logistic regression was employed to analyze the odds of incomplete ANC visits, adjusting for relevant variables. Interaction terms were incorporated to investigate the moderating effects of wealth (poor and non-poor) and social groups [Scheduled Caste (SC)/Scheduled Tribes (ST) and non-SC/ST]. Flood-prone districts showed a 50 % higher likelihood of incomplete ANC visits. When examining the interaction effects, wealth was found to be insignificant in flood-prone regions. Women from SC/ST households in flood-prone areas were two times more likely to have incomplete ANC visits compared to the rest. Floods have a significant association with poor ANC utilization in India. The heightened odds of incomplete ANC visits in flood-prone districts underscore the need for targeted interventions. Moreover, the amplified disparity between SC/ST and non-SC/ST women in flood-prone areas emphasizes the urgency of addressing inequities. We suggest policymakers and healthcare providers to develop inclusive strategies that ensure equitable access to maternal healthcare amid the increasing risks posed by floods and other extreme events associated with climate change, with a strong emphasis on effectively prioritizing vulnerable populations. © 2025 The AuthorsPublicationArticle Evaluation of MODIS, ERA5, and MERRA2 Derived Integrated Precipitable Water Vapor of India Using Ground-Based GPS Data(Taylor and Francis Ltd., 2025) Seema Rani; Jyotsna SinghThis study assesses the effectiveness of remote sensing (MODIS), reanalysis (ERA5 and MERRA2), and their ensemble data sets in monitoring integrated precipitable water vapor (PWV) across India. The study aims to assess the performance of these data sets by comparing them with daily Global Positioning System (GPS) PWV data from 1 March 2013 to 28 February 2014, using statistical metrics such as mean bias (b), root mean square error (RMSE), correlation coefficient (R), and Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE). Additionally, the study examines and compares the seasonal and annual trends in integrated PWV across different climatic regions of India from 2003 to 2022 using the given data sets. The findings reveal that ERA5, among all the data sets, exhibits better agreement (R ≥ 0.97, NSE = 0.88–0.99) with GPS data in India. The trend analysis shows an overall increase in integrated PWV during the period from 2003 to 2022, with seasonal trends ranging from 0.08 mm/year to 0.18 mm/year. The postmonsoon season records the highest rising trend (0.18 mm/year), followed by the monsoon (0.11 mm/year), winter (0.10 mm/year), and premonsoon seasons (0.08 mm/year). Notably, MODIS NIR, ERA5, and MERRA2 exhibit a rising trend in PWV at both the seasonal and annual scales, whereas MODIS IR shows a positive trend only during the postmonsoon season. Annually, MODIS NIR shows the highest increasing trend of 0.17 mm/year, whereas MODIS IR shows a declining trend of −0.06 mm/year. Interregional variations in PWV trends across India reveal that the West Central region exhibits the highest annual PWV trends, followed by the Peninsular region, whereas the Northwest records the lowest annual trends. The significance of the study lies in improving the accuracy and reliability of PWV estimates, which enhances the precision of meteorological models, improves early warning systems for extreme weather events, and supports sustainable water resource management. This is particularly crucial in India, where diverse climatic conditions and seasonal variability significantly influence societal and economic activities. © 2025 by American Association of Geographers.PublicationArticle Navigating the Travel Norms: The Interplay of Online Reviews, Credibility and Hedonic Motivation in the Hotel Industry(Routledge, 2025) Abhijeet BiswasThe study investigates the online booking intentions of tourists in India by augmenting the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology 2 (UTAUT2) and the theory of reasoned action. It employs structural equation modeling (SEM) to evaluate both direct and indirect associations utilizing mediation and moderation analysis. The results disclose that positive online reviews, perceived credibility, and perceived affordability favorably shape attitudes toward the hotel, consequently enhancing tourists’ online booking intentions. Perceived credibility and attitudes toward the hotel partially mediate between the constructs in the conceptual framework. In addition, hedonic motivation strengthens the relationship between attitudes toward the hotel and tourists’ online booking intentions. The study identifies essential enablers of perceived credibility, attitudes toward the hotel, and tourists’ online booking intentions that might encourage hoteliers to captivate travelers and increase market share. © 2025 Banaras Hindu University.PublicationBook Chapter Full Antenatal Care Service Utilization Among Tribal Mothers in India: A Multilevel Analysis(Springer Nature, 2025) Aditya P. Singh; Mahashweta Chakrabarty; Sourav Chowdhury; Vineet Kumar; Rakesh Chandra; Shivani Paratap SinghScheduled Tribes (ST) are one of the most disadvantaged socioeconomic groups in India, with a significant maternal mortality and morbidity burden. The coverage of full antenatal care (ANC) is low among ST mothers, leading to poor maternal and child health outcomes. We analyzed the data from the fourth round of the National Family Health Surveys (NFHS-4), conducted in 2015–2016. A multilevel binary logistic regression model was used to examine the factors associated with full ANC among ST mothers in India. Only one in every six tribal mothers in India received full ANC. Although 46% of ST mothers had four or more ANC visits and about 88% received one or more tetanus toxoid (TT) injections, only 27% consumed 100 or more iron–folic acid (IFA) tablets/equivalent amount of IFA in syrup during their pregnancy. Household wealth, maternal education, pregnancy registration, and spouse’s presence at the last ANC visit were associated with higher odds of receiving full ANC. High parity and undergoing the first ANC visit in the second or third trimester were associated with lower odds of receiving full ANC. India’s northern and central regions reveal a deplorable condition compared to southern and western regions in terms of the utilization of full ANC. To improve the coverage of full ANC, the government should prioritize reaching out to poor, illiterate, and high-parity ST women and encourage early registration of preganacy and a timely first ANC visit. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2024.PublicationBook Chapter Inadequate Iron–Folic Acid Consumption Among Pregnant Mothers in India: A Spatial Analysis(Springer Nature, 2025) Aditya P. Singh; Mahashweta Chakrabarty; Sourav Chowdhury; Shivani Paratap Singh; Rakesh ChandraDespite guidelines recommending that every expectant mother take 100 iron–folic acid (IFA) tablets or an equivalent amount of syrup for 100 days, over 70% of Indian mothers do not adhere to this recommendation. Understanding the geographical distribution of insufficient IFA intake and the factors influencing it is crucial for developing targeted prevention and intervention strategies. However, prior to this chapter, research exploring the geographic disparities in IFA consumption and its determinants in India has been limited. Therefore, this chapter aims to address this research gap by examining the spatial patterns of inadequate IFA consumption at the district level and identifying the factors explaining these district-level spatial patterns. This chapter analyzed data from 141,875 married women aged 15–49, using the fourth round of the NFHSs (2019–2021). The dependent variable, inadequate IFA, was defined as consuming fewer than the recommended 100 IFA tablets or equivalent syrup. A district-level prevalence map was prepared to assess the spatial pattern of inadequate IFA consumption. Further, spatial clustering in IFA consumption was evaluated by using Moran’s I statistic and bivariate local indicators for spatial association (BiLISA) maps. Finally, the correlates of inadequate IFA consumption were examined by using ordinary least squares, spatial lag, and spatial error models. The overall prevalence of inadequate IFA consumption in India was 70%, with substantial spatial heterogeneity across different regions, districts, and even socioeconomic groups. The statistically significant spatial autocorrelation value for inadequate IFA consumption indicated the existence of clustering in the distribution of inadequate IFA consumption across the districts of India. Further analysis revealed that several clusters of high values of inadequate IFA were concentrated primarily in the districts of empowered action group (EAG) states—i.e., Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Rajasthan. BiLISA analysis revealed that the districts with high rates of inadequate IFA consumption also had high rates of poverty and illiteracy, a higher number of Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) mothers, high rates of early marriage, the inadequate coverage of antenatal care (ANC), and low levels of mass-media exposure. Among the three regression models applied, the spatial error model was the best. The results of the model suggested that inadequate IFA consumption at the district level was positively associated with ANC visits and negatively associated with a respondent’s education. Considerable spatial heterogeneity exists at the district level in the consumption of inadequate IFA among expectant mothers in India. Redirecting resources to vulnerable subgroups and geographical areas that were identified as lagging in this study would be critical to ensuring equitable progress in reducing IFA deficiency-related anemia among expectant mothers across the country. In addition, appropriate interventions need to be introduced to increase the average number of ANC visits in districts where IFA consumption is substantially low. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2024.PublicationBook Chapter Menstrual Irregularities Among Women: A Literature Review(Springer Nature, 2025) Mahashweta Chakrabarty; Subhojit Let; Sourav Chowdhury; Vineet KumarMenstrual cycles are considered irregular when their duration is less than 21 days or more than 35 days, and they are characterized by unusually light or heavy bleeding. These irregularities are typically caused by hormonal imbalances, which alter the menstrual pattern and are associated with various health conditions. Given these implications, irregular menstruation is a significant indicator of women’s overall health. This review aims to clarify the definitions and types of menstrual irregularities, discuss their prevalence, identify risk factors, and explore their broader impact on women’s health. A thorough search of the PubMed, Medline, and Google Scholar databases was performed. The study included articles published in English from 2015 to 2023, focusing on the epidemiology and health impacts of menstrual irregularities. Articles that were reviews or duplicates were excluded to ensure data accuracy and integrity. This review highlighted that irregular menstrual cycles are linked to various health conditions, such as metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. These irregularities can also lead to complications like anemia, osteoporosis, psychological challenges, diminished quality of life, and infertility. Additionally, menstrual irregularities increase the risk of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy and adverse obstetric and neonatal outcomes. Understanding the factors contributing to menstrual irregularities is crucial for developing preventive measures and treatment strategies. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2024.