Theoretical Framework and Empirical Modeling for Time Required to Vaccinate a Population in an Epidemic

The paper describes a method to understand time required to vaccinate against viruses in total as well as subpopulations. As a demonstration, a model based estimate for time required to vaccinate H1N1 in India, given its administrative difficulties is provided. We have proved novel theorems for the time functions defined in the paper. Such results are useful in planning for future epidemics. The number of days required to vaccinate entire high risk population in three subpopulations (villages, tehsils and towns) are noted to be 84, 89 and 88 respectively. There exists state wise disparities in the health infrastructure and capacities to deliver vaccines and hence national estimates need to be re-evaluated based on individual performances in the states.Comment: 14 pages, 1 Table, 5 Figures (A preliminary draft

Maternal and child nutrition in rural Chhattisgarh: the role of health beliefs and practices

Commonwealth Scholarship Commission; Foundation for Urban and Regional Studies; Parkes Foundatio

Conventional and Molecular Breeding Approaches for Biofortification of Pearl Millet

Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] is an essential diet of more than 90 million people in the semi-arid tropics of the world where droughts and low fertility of soils cause frequent failures of other crops. It is an important nutri-rich grain cereal in the drier regions of the world grown on 26 mha by millions of farmers (IFAD 1999; Yadav and Rai 2013). This makes pearl millet the sixth most important crop in the world and fourth most important food crop of the India, next to rice, wheat, and maize with annual cultivation over an area of ~8 mha. Pearl millet is also primary food crop in sub-Saharan Africa and is grown on 15 mha (Yadav and Rai 2013). The significant increase in productivity of pearl millet in India is attributed to development and adoption of hybrids of early to medium duration maturity. More than 120 diverse hybrids/varieties have been released till date for various production environments. The heterosis breeding and improved crop management technologies increased productivity substantially achieving higher increased production of 9.80 mt in 2016–2017 from 2.60 mt in 1950–1951 in spite of declined of area under the crop by 20–30% over last two decades (Yadav et al. 2012)