Traditions of Worship in N.Sriram's Works

The practice of worship has been inevitable in all societies, from primitive society, which was so caught up in the clutches of nature, to present-day society, which lives in a largely artificial world. When the human race was unable to understand the outbursts in the actions of nature, worship sprang up because it acted with a sense of fear and gratitude for thinking of the energies that were helping it. The worship of the deity is a traditional practice passed down from the ancestors. All the processes performed in the name of the deity are methods of worship. This benefits not only the worshippers but also their dependents. Thus, the purpose of this article is to highlight the worship-related traditions contained in the works of N. Sriram

Manoranjan Mohanty, Red and Green: Five Decades of the Indian Maoist Movement (Kolkata, Setu Prakashani, 2015)

The book under review examines the evolution of the Naxalite Movement in India from pre-organisational in the first decade of its existence to the current stage of the CPI (Maoist) as an organised movement that has been described by the former Indian Prime Minister as the “greatest internal security threat faced by the country.” This book contains in part one, an in-depth analysis of the peasant uprising in Naxalbari and Srikakulam within a four dimensional theoretical framework of revolutionary environment, ideology, organisation and strategy and examining its parallels with the Chinese revolution. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.336708

Waste water treatment systems

Waste water treatment system

Digitalization of Public Service Delivery: A Case of Immigration and Emigration Department of Sri Lanka

Adaptation of digital technologies leads public sector organizations to innovate and tap their potentials. The Immigration and Emigration Department of Sri Lanka (IEDSL) has commenced digitalization of its functions during the last decade. It is one of most efficient “one-stop” service centers that cater the requirements of 2,500 citizens on a daily basis. Therefore, this paper intends to explore the adoption of digitalization in the Immigration and Emigration Department of Sri Lanka and to identify the lesson learnt from digitalization process at IEDSL. This is a qualitative study which employs the case study approach. The study uses both the primary and secondary data sources. Primary data are collected through the in-depth interviews with five senior officials involved in digitalization process at IEDSL and secondary data sources are annual performance reports, other publications and the website of the organization. The IEDSL has digitalized the entire cycle of passport issuing process. This initiation enabled the IEDSL to provide efficient service delivery by reducing public waiting time and transaction cost for the public, maintaining an equal access to the service, and making information freely available. Also, it enabled inter-link between the Immigration and Emigration Department and the Airport Authority. This paper highlighted on the lessons learnt from digitalization experience of IEDSL as robust leadership, promote employee engagement, perceive continuous development through collaborations, improving the services through introducing value added services

Reclamation of thermal power plant waste as a distributed phase in electrodeposited Ni composite coating

In the exploration for newer and inexpensive distributed phases that can be used in electrodeposited Ni-composite coatings, cenosphere particles which are one of the constituents of fly ash, the waste product of thermal power plants has been explored as a potential candidate material. An attempt was made to prepare electrodeposited Nicenosphere composite coating. The as-received cenosphere particles could be codeposited only after reducing the particle size by ball milling. The loading of cenosphere particles in the Ni-sulphamate bath was varied (25, 75 and 100 g L−1) and a maximum microhardness of 430 HK at 50 gF load was obtained for the coating deposited from 100 g L−1 cenosphere containing bath. The Ni-cenosphere composite coating with higher microhardness exhibited lower wear rate. Thus cenosphere, a waste product from thermal power plants is a potential candidate for a greener surface engineering strategy for improving the wear resistance of electrodeposited Ni composite coating

ABHRAK BHASMA AND SiO2 INFLUENCED FREE RADICAL STATUS IN LIVER AND KIDNEY OF CCl4-INDUCED ACUTELY INTOXICATED MALE ALBINO RAT

Objective: The objective of the study was to study the mechanism of action of abhrak bhasma-mediated liver and kidney protection in CCl4-induced acute hepatotoxicity-induced male albino rats. Action of abhrak bhasma is compared with the action of SiO2 in similar experimental conditions to differentiate the role of silicon. Methods: Male albino rats (Rattus norvegicus) were used for experiments. The acute hepatotoxicity was induced by daily dose of CCl4 (3.0 ml/kg body wt for 7 days consecutive). Concurrent treatment of abhrak bhasma in graded doses (10, 20, 30, and 40 mg) was given for 7 days (PO). SiO2 (10, 20, 30, and 40 mg) in graded doses was also given in independent groups of rats as silica control. Lipid peroxidation (LPO) in liver and kidney was studied by malondialdehyde (MDA) estimations as parameter of toxicity and also to study protection. Results: CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity (MDA levels) is partially managed by low doses of SiO2 but not by high doses. Abhrak bhasma hepatoprotective activities were dose dependent. A 40 mg dose maintained normal levels of LPO. Abhrak bhasma also protected associated renal toxicity. Conclusion: Abhrak bhasma protected CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity and also associated renal toxicity. Silicon from both SiO2 and abhrak bhasma is hepatoprotective in 10 ml doses (10 and 20 mg) but silicon processed in abhrak bhasma by traditional Ayurvedic processes increased its potency and hepatoprotection and added the potency of renal protection