Augmented and Virtual Reality as Drivers of Consumer Adoption in India’s Fashion Sector

The rapid advancement of digital technologies has significantly transformed the global fashion industry, with Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) emerging as powerful tools influencing consumer behavior. In India’s fashion sector, these immersive technologies are increasingly being adopted to enhance customer engagement, personalize shopping experiences, and reduce uncertainty associated with online purchases. The Indian fashion industry is undergoing a digital transformation driven by the integration of immersive technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR). These technologies are redefining consumer interaction with fashion brands by enabling virtual product trials, immersive store environments, and enhanced visualization of apparel and accessories. This paper explores how AR and VR influence consumer adoption in India’s fashion sector by improving perceived value, reducing purchase risk, and enhancing overall shopping convenience. This study examines the role of AR and VR as key drivers of consumer adoption in India’s fashion industry by analyzing factors such as perceived usefulness, ease of use, technological trust, and experiential value.

Legality of Sea: Towards A New Methodology

This Article explores the intersection of legal frameworks and archaeological practices in protecting underwater cultural heritage (UCH), focusing on historic shipwrecks. It traces maritime law from medieval European customs treating wrecks as res nullius or subject to royal claims to modern regimes like the 1982 UNCLOS and 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage (CPUCH). UNCLOS is critiqued for its fragmented provisions (Articles 149 and 303), which offer limited protection and often prioritize commercial salvage over heritage preservation, enabling treasure hunting in EEZs and high seas. The UNESCO Convention provides a stronger framework by mandating professional archaeological standards, in-situ preservation and rejecting commercial exploitation. Case studies, the successful public preservation of the Mary Rose (UK), commercial salvages like the Atocha (USA), destructive looting of the Geldermalsen and state-sanctioned exploitation of a Chinese wreck in Indonesia highlight how legal ambiguities and economic pressures disproportionately affect developing nations. The article entails a balanced model for poorer states, temporary "loaning" agreements with capable parties for excavation, exhibition and tourism revenue generation, allowing cost recovery before reverting control to the country of origin. This aims to ensure financial sustainability, equitable heritage protection and prevention of loss to unregulated salvage

Digital Literacy as a Gateway to Lifelong Learning for Underprivileged Youth: Insights from a Case Study

This mixed-methods case study investigates digital literacy as a crucial gateway to lifelong learning among underprivileged youth aged 16 to 28. Focusing on participants at one Community Learning Center in Karachi, Pakistan, the research explores how acquiring digital skills fosters continuous learning tendencies within this demographic. Recognizing the critical role of digital skills in contemporary society and their potential to unlock continuous learning opportunities, this study applied a convergent parallel mixed-methods design. Two surveys administered to 135 youth quantitatively assessed their digital literacy levels using the Digital Literacy as a Gateway to Lifelong Learning for Underprivileged Youth Scale and their lifelong learning tendencies using the Adapted Lifelong Learning Tendency Scale (LLTS). Concurrently, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 selected participants and 3 center facilitators to gather qualitative insights into their experiences, perceptions, and the challenges faced. Findings indicate a significant positive correlation between digital literacy proficiency and higher lifelong learning tendencies among the youth. Qualitatively, participants reported increased confidence, expanded access to information and online courses, and enhanced self-directed learning behaviors as direct outcomes of their digital skill acquisition. Challenges such as limited access to personal devices, inconsistent internet connectivity, and the need for more advanced digital training persist. This study underscores the pivotal role of digital literacy in cultivating a culture of continuous learning among vulnerable youth, offering crucial implications for educational policy and program development in contexts aiming to empower disadvantaged youth, particularly through non-formal learning avenues

Mapping Rural–Urban Inequality in Mutual Fund Participation: An AMFI Data-Driven Study

Mutual fund industry of India has achieved a significant growth over the past decade. Assets Under Management has grown from Rs. 22.19 lakh crores in 2019 to Rs. 77 lakh crores in 2025. This growth is apparent in the AMFI Reports. Despite robust industry growth, T30 (urban centres) still hold more share than B30 (rural centres) i.e., contributing over 80% of total AUM. On the other hand, rural population being 68% of total population contributes only 18.44% to total AUM in 2025. This study examines the rural-urban disparities using secondary data from AMFI data from 2019 to 2025. This study analyses the AUM contribution, composite trend, percentage of growth in rural centres, rural-urban gap ratio, disparity indices and future projections of AUM till 2030. This study employs a quantitative approach and visualisation to interpret AMFI data. It provides detailed quantitative data with qualitative insights derived from key policy documents and industry reports. This research contributes to the discourse of financial inclusion.  Additionally, the study also confirms the role of industry in channelling household savings into productive assets, promoting economic resilience and evolving sustainable development. The future research may explore micro-level behaviours, rural-urban disparity and various aspects of composition of asset-class.

Public Speaking Anxiety in Academic Contexts: A Biopsychosocial Analysis and Emerging Interventions

Public Speaking Anxiety (PSA) is a common phenomenon that significantly impacts students’ academic performance and emotional well-being, especially in oral communication contexts. Despite widespread recognition, existing research predominantly relies on self-reported data and lacks integration with behavioral and physiological indicators, limiting the depth of understanding regarding PSA’s multidimensional nature. This paper evaluates PSA through a biopsychosocial lens, highlighting the disconnect between subjective and physiological markers and the role of distorted self-perception in socially anxious individuals. Gender disparities are critically examined, revealing that female students consistently report higher anxiety levels and fear of negative evaluation than their male counterparts. The function of fear of negative evaluation as an important mediator on academic achievement is examined. Moreover, while traditional rehearsal-based strategies remain foundational, the emergence of virtual reality (VR) exposure therapy offers promising short-term benefits—though questions remain about its long-term impact and accessibility across diverse educational contexts. Ultimately, the study advocates for inclusive, scalable, and culturally sensitive pedagogical interventions. It highlights key research gaps and provides suggestions for developing a more full-spectrum, data-driven, and equitable approach to PSA in global academia. The paper highlights the importance of culturally tailored, wide-reaching and multifaceted measures to successfully tackle PSA in various educational contexts

Digitalizing Seafarers’ Well-being: Addressing Mental Health Challenges in Autonomous Shipping

As the maritime industry shifts toward increased automation and the implementation of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS), the role of seafarers is undergoing a critical transformation. This study investigates the dual impact of digital tools namely the MARENG Maritime English learning software and the Wysa AI mental health application on enhancing both the technical language proficiency and psychological well-being of marine cadets. Using a quasi-experimental mixed-method design, 120 cadets were divided into experimental and control groups over a six-week intervention period. Quantitative data from Maritime English Assessment Tests (MEAT) and DASS-21 psychological scales revealed significant improvements in the experimental group’s communication skills and mental health scores. Correlation analysis further showed that reduced stress levels positively influenced language performance. Qualitative insights from focus group discussions affirmed that cadets using digital tools experienced heightened confidence, emotional regulation, and learning autonomy. These findings support a holistic, technology-integrated approach to maritime education that aligns with the evolving demands of autonomous shipping and human-centered digital resilience

Financing Financial Inclusion and the Rise of Indian Social Enterprises: A Pathway to Sustainable Development

Financial inclusion, meaning access to suitable financial services and products, is still a major development goal in emerging economies. In India, many people remain outside the formal financial system. This study explores how social enterprises can help close these gaps by using innovative, impact-focused financing. Through a mix of literature review, data analysis, and case studies, we show that well-financed social enterprises can effectively bring formal financial services to underserved groups. Our results suggest that blended financing - using grants, concessional loans, and impact equity - helps social enterprises stay sustainable while making a real social difference. We also highlight challenges such as mission drift, over-indebtedness, and regulatory uncertainty, and propose a step-by-step financing approach to help social enterprises grow sustainably. This paper adds to development finance theory by showing, with evidence, that social and financial goals can work together when the right financing is in place

The Pivotal Role of R&D in Driving Sustainable Social Innovation and Empowering Societal Transformation

For resolving pressing societal challenges, Social innovation presents a dynamic approach . Social innovation addresses difficult society problems including poverty, inequality, health inequalities, climate change, and environmental degradation by producing fresh, collaborative, scalable solutions stressing social value and system transformation. This review paper looks at the important relationship between research and development (R&D) and social innovation. It shows how R&D helps to systematically find social needs, create new ideas, carefully evaluate them, and then effectively scale them for long-lasting societal benefits. It traces the historical development of social innovation, investigates major sectoral applications in education, healthcare, and environmental sustainability, highlights successful case studies, looks at new technology like AI and blockchain, talks about how policy can help, and talks about how to deal with current problems with practical solutions. The study highlights the need of multi-stakeholder cooperation, moral governance, and inclusive ecosystems to guarantee fair results in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Combining both traditional and contemporary excellent academic sources from 2006 to 2025, the article urges more R&D funding to create resilient, inclusive communities in the face of worldwide unknowns

Krahnke’s Syllabus Continuum Revisited: Is It Still Relevant in 21st-Century Language Teaching?

The paper provides a conceptual review of the syllabus continuum of Karl Krahnke (1987), the first theory that proposed a basic taxonomy of curriculum organization at the Structural (synthetic/form-oriented) and Content-Based (analytic/use-oriented) ends. Traditionally, this model has been the one that offered priceless insights into how to organize the contents and mirror the transition of grammar-oriented teaching into communication-oriented teaching. The given paper will assess the viability of the model as of now by providing answers to three fundamental questions: what the theoretical background of the continuum is, how it is related to other modern frameworks, such as Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) and Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), and how it applies to digital, multimodal, and AI-enhanced learning contexts. The conclusion of the analysis is that although the continuum by Krahnke is a key diagnostic axis in determining the theoretical orientation of a program (form vs. use); its inflexible, bipolar division of the contents is no longer a generative design model in the 21st century. This obsolescence is related to its inability to provide a sufficient consideration of the merging of instructional elements (Focus on Form), the need to negotiate curriculum and provide learner agency individually, and the multimodal and intricate needs of ecological (Complex Dynamic Systems) and multimodal communication models

Fiscal Devolution and Regional Equity in India: A Quantitative Assessment of Finance Commission Performance

This study provides empirical evidence that India\u27s fiscal devolution mechanism, despite achieving unprecedented vertical resource transfers, has fundamentally failed to reduce regional disparities. Analyzing four Finance Commission cycles (2005-2026) through a novel Fiscal Stress Index and rigorous  descriptive analysis, we document a critical paradox: while the 14th Finance Commission\u27s historic increase in states\u27 share from 32% to 42% enhanced fiscal autonomy, the coefficient of regional variation stubbornly persisted at 0.60-0.65, demonstrating that transfers alone cannot bridge structural development gaps. The Bihar case exemplifies this failure—receiving 43% above-average per capita transfers yet exhibiting the nation\u27s worst development indicators, revealing absorptive capacity constraints that render additional resources ineffective. Furthermore, systematic erosion through cesses and surcharges reduced effective devolution from 42% to 33.4%, undermining constitutional principles. Our analysis reveals that 40% of India\u27s population resides in crisis states (FSI > 6.0) trapped in self-reinforcing cycles of low revenue generation, high transfer dependence, and poor development outcomes. Statistical validation confirms fiscal stress explains over 50% of variance in development indicators across education, health, and economic dimensions. Critically, while relative disparities remained stable, absolute income gaps widened dramatically—the Maharashtra-Bihar gap increased 150% (₹79,000 to ₹198,000) between 2011-2022, undermining equity objectives. International comparison with Germany and Brazil demonstrates that institutional design trumps transfer quantum; successful federations achieve superior equity through conditional transfers, systematic capacity building, and performance accountability—mechanisms absent in India\u27s framework. These findings necessitate transformational reform toward performance-based, conditional fiscal federalism. Recommendations include restructuring devolution formulas to reduce income distance weight from 45% to 30% while introducing 25% performance-based allocation, restoring constitutional devolution by bringing cesses under the divisible pool, and establishing crisis intervention protocols for high-stress states. Without such reforms, persistent disparities threaten national integration and federal democratic governance