Understanding the Primary Reason(s) Responsible for the Conflict in Darfur under the Larger Backdrop of the Sudanese Civil War

Understanding the primary reason s responsible for the conflict in Darfur under the larger backdrop of the Sudanese Civil War is an attempt by the author to understand the ethnic conflict and the subsequent genocide in Darfur as a continuation of the larger Sudanese Civil War The brutal civil war and genocide with its roots embedded in the post-colonial ethnic division raged in the country for more than fifty years According to the UN figures it resulted in more than three hundred thousand casualties Flowing from the understanding of these religious tribal and geographical ethnic complexities in Sudan which percolated from the divisive conflict between North and South Sudan to Darfur the research paper also tries to understand the events in terms of comparing and analyzing it through two very prominent Ethnic Conflict Theories - Edward Azar s Protracted Social Conflict Theory and Fredrik Barth s Boundary Maintenance Theory Laden with chronological details subsequent ethnic grievances international intervention and violent development of the conflict complemented by the author s analysis this paper will be an enriching read for everyone especially those who are experts or have considerable interest in Conflict Management Ethnic Studies and Peace Studie

A compendium of Technologies, Practices, Services and Policies for Scaling Climate Smart Agriculture in Odisha (India)

Stakeholders engaged in agricultural research for development (AR4D) are increasingly tackling risks associated with climate change in smallholder systems. Accordingly, development and scaling of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) are one of the priorities for all the organizations, departments and ministries associated with the farm sector. Having a ‘one-stop-shop’ compiled in the format of a compendium for CSA technologies, practices and services would therefore serve a guide for all the stakeholders for scaling CSA in smallholder systems. Bringing out a Compendium on Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) for Odisha, India was therefore thought of during the workshop on ‘Scaling Climate-Smart Agriculture in Odisha’ organized at Bhubaneswar on 18-19 July 2018 by International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in collaboration with Department of Agriculture (DoA) & Farmers’ Empowerment, Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Rice Research Institute (ICAR-NRRI), Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) & International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) under the aegis of CGIAR Research program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). The main objectives to bring forth this compendium are: to argue the case for agriculture policies and practices that are climate-smart; to raise awareness of what can be done to make agriculture policies and practices climatesmart; and to provide practical guidance and recommendations that are well referenced and, wherever possible, based on lessons learned from practical action. CSA programmes are unlikely to be effective unless their implementation is supported by sound policies and institutions. It is therefore important to enhance institutional capacities in order to implement and replicate CSA strategies. Institutions are vital to agricultural development as well as the realisation of resilient livelihoods.They are not only a tool for farmers and decision-makers, but are also the main conduit through which CSA practices can be scaled up and sustained. The focus in this compendium is on CSA and it’s relevant aspects, i.e., (i) technologies and practices, (ii) services, (iii) technology targeting, (iv) business models, (v) capacity building, and (vi) policies. The approaches and tools available in the compendium span from face-to-face technicianfarmer dialogues to more structured exchanges of online and offline e-learning. In every scenario it is clear that tailoring to local expectations and needs is key. In particular, the voice of farmers is essential to be captured as they are the key actors to promote sustainable agriculture, and their issues need to be prioritized. CSA practices are expected to sustainably increase productivity and resilience (adaptation), reduce Greenhouse Gases (mitigation), and enhance achievement of national food security along with sustainable development goals. CSA is widely expected to contribute towards achieving these objectives and enhance climate change adaptation. CSA practices have to be included in State’s Climate Policy as a priority intervention as the state steps up efforts to tackle climate change. Furthermore, emphasis shoud be laid on CSA training for a sustainable mode to enhance CSA adoption in the state hence the relevance of developing this document. The adaption of climate related knowledge, technologies and practices to local conditions, promoting joint learning by farmers, researchers, rural advisor and widely disseminating CSA practices, is critical. This compendium brings together a collection of experiences from different stakeholders with background of agricultural extension and rural advisory services in supporting CSA. The contributions are not intended to be state-of-the art academic articles but thought and discussion pieces of work in progress. The compendium itself is a ‘living‘ document which is intended to be revised periodically

New spectrophotometric techniques for the estimation of osimertinib mesylate in tablet dosage form

Osimertinib Mesylate is used for a treatment of non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Whereas only few simple, precise and accurate spectrophotometric methods were developed for the determination of Osimertinib Mesylate (tagrisso) in pharmaceutical dosage forms. The absorption maxima was found to be at 267 nm in method A (0.1N HCl) and shows linearity over the concentration range of 0.002-0.02 µg/mL with regression equation y=0.4323x + 0.0104 (r2 = 0.9992). In Method B (Sodium acetate buffer, pH 4.5) the drug obeys Beer Lambert’s law (λmax267nm) in the concentration range of 0.002-0.02 µg/mL with regression equation y=0.484x-0.017(r2= 0.9992). In Method C (phosphate  buffer, pH 7.2) the drug obeys Beer Lambert’s law (λmax267nm) in the concentration range of 0.002-0.02 µg/mL with regression equation y=0.2949x+0.0108(r2= 0.9992) In Method D (Methanol ) the drug obeys Beer Lambert’s law (λmax267nm) in the concentration range of 0.002-0.02 µg/mL with regression equation y=0.6323x+0.003 (r2= 0.999). 1st derivative spectrophotometric method (E, F, G and H) were developed in 0.1NHCl and Sodium acetate pH 4.5 and phosphate buffer pH 7.2 and methanol in which Osimertinib Mesylate obeys Beer Lambert’s law 0.002-0.02 µg/mL and 0.002-0.02 µg/mL and 0.002-0.02 µg/mL and 0.002-0.02 µg/mL with regression equations y=0.0259x + 0.0008 and y=0.0137x - 0.0005 and y=0.0097x-0.0008 and y=0.0087-0.0007 respectively. The proposed spectrophotometric method was validated as per the ICH guidelines and can be applied for the determination of Osimertinib Mesylate in pharmaceutical formulations. Osimertinib Mesylate, Derivative spectroscopy, Spectrophometry, Validation, Tagrisso. Keywords: Tagrisso, Osimertinib Mesylate, Derivative spectroscopy, Spectrophometry, Validation

Effect of molybdenum trioxide nanoparticle-mediated seed priming on the productivity of green gram (Vigna radiata L.)

A field experiment was undertaken in the post-Rabi season of 2019-2020 to reveal the response of greengram (Vigna radiata L.) to seed dressing and seed priming with nano molybdenum trioxide (MoO3). The experiment was laid out in randomized block design (RBD) consisting of 10 different treatments i.e., M0 (no seed treatment with Mo); M1 (seed dressing with Sodium molybdate @ 400 ppm); M2, M3, M4, and M5 (seed dressing with nano Molybdenum trioxide-MoO3 @ 50, 100, 200 and 400 ppm, respectively); and M6, M7, M8 and M9 (seed priming with nano MoO3 @ 50, 100, 200 and 400 ppm, respectively). Inoculation of greengram seeds cv. Shreya (IPM 2-14) with Rhizobium sps. was undertaken in all treatments as per the recommended practice, except in M0 (control). The MoO3 nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized from Ammonium molybdate through calcination at 600 0C for 5 hours indicated globular-shaped NPs of 68.55 nm in TEM and XRD. Nanopriming with MoO3 @ 200 ppm (M8) was most promising in recording significantly superior growth and yield attributing parameters and yield, whereas Mo (control) produced the least. Crop height, number of branches, root length, shoot dry matter, pods/plant and seeds/plant and root nodulation at harvest in M8 were 39.4% and 22.6%; 39% and 5.6%; 23% and 9.3%; 43.9%, and 16.3%; 28.2% and 5.3%; 28.1% and 0.8%, and 73.3% and 36.5% higher than M0 (control) and M1 (farmers’ practice), respectively. Superior growth and yield attributing characters in M8 treatment produced the highest grain and stover yield of 0.88 and 3.74 t/ ha that was 32.53% and 8.37%, and 35.5% and 14.7% higher than M0 (control) and M1 (farmers’ practice), respectively. Seed priming with nano MoO3 @ 400 ppm (M9) and seed dressing with nano MoO3 @ 400 ppm (M5) were of second and third order in recording grain and stover yield but M0 recorded the lowest among all the treatments

The interpretation of religious texts and historical narratives around Hindu-Muslim conflict in contemporary India

The nationalist ambitions of individual leaders during the independence struggle, and the subsequent ethnic violence during partition, did not deter India from making itself a constitutionally safe haven for religious minorities. However, the system or its political parties are not without electoral entrenchment in religion, bolstering its agenda of communal divide through the institutionalisation of ethno-religious conflict. More than often, this communal divide is a projection of animosity between two major religions – Hinduism and Islam. The vice of this othering and vilification has led to countless pockets of violence throughout India, sometimes re-branding the entire socio-political context of the nation. Academics have explained this othering as a post-modern phenomenon, exacerbated by the socio-political or economic ‘divide et impera’ of the colonial rule in India. Nevertheless, answers were not provided for the resolution of this protracted, cold conflict, which has majorly been backed by religious symbolism, ‘mythomoteurs’, instances of cosmic war, and invocation of historical storytelling to widen the gap between us vs them. Moreover, the ontological defect of neglecting interfaith friction in western peacebuilding theories has ignored the rationale of these religious narratives in keeping the skirmish between Hindus and Muslims alive, even today, playing effectively into the hand of certain political parties to peddle their agenda of never-ending religious hatred in India. It is this religious and historical hatred that percolates and upholds every other sector of friction between Hindus and Muslims in India