Factors Determining Farmers’ Decision for Buying Irrigation Water: Study of Groundwater Markets in Rajasthan

The emergence of groundwater markets has helped in mitigating inequality in physical access to the groundwater resources, on the one hand, but on the other hand, it may lead to exploitation of the buyers of water, i.e. resource-poor, small farmers. For the sellers of water, it is becoming a remunerative business economically, leading to serious environmental as well as social concerns. The present study conducted in the arid and semiarid zones of Rajasthan has addressed these issues. The study has shown that prevailing terms of water transactions, particularly ‘in-kind’ terms, lead to the over-exploitation of groundwater resources. The credit policies and the power pricing policies of the government also help in the unsustainable and inequitable use of this resource. Water policy ensuring mandatory recharging of the abandoned wells mainly for the sellers of water is the need of hour for the efficient and sustainable use of this scarce natural resource. The analysis of farmers’ decision to participate in water markets employing logit regression has suggested that the farmers having higher fragmented landholdings have higher probability of buying groundwater. Joint ownership of wells is negatively associated with the farmers’ probability of buying groundwater. This implies that the consolidation of holdings or installing cooperative wells may economize the irrigation investment and lead to efficient management of resources of the farmers and sustainable utilization of water. In the national and state water policies as well as in the Model Bill to regulate and control the groundwater resources, this aspect has not been given any emphasis.Agricultural and Food Policy,

Thermal instability in compressible fluids in the presence of rotation and magnetic field

AbstractThe thermal instability of compressible fluids pervaded by a uniform rotation and a uniform magnetic field, separately, is considered. For (Cpg)β < 1, with Cp, g, and β denoting the specific heat at constant pressure, the acceleration due to gravity, and the uniform temperature gradient, respectively, the system is shown to be stable. The magnetic field as well as rotation introduces oscillatory modes in thermal instability of compressible fluids, which are completely missing for (Cpg)β > 1 in the absence of rotation or magnetic field. The sufficient conditions which do not allow overstable modes are obtained

Synthesis and Significance of Carbon Quantum Dots (A Review)

CQDs were first discovered in 2004 accidently during the purification of single walled carbon nanotubes.[1]. Much progress has been achieved in the synthesis properties and application of CQDs.[2] As a new class of fluorescent Carbon nanomaterial CQDs processes. The properties of high solubility good. Conductivity, low toxicity, environmental friendliness, simple synthetic route are well as comparable optical properties to quantum dots.[3] Carbon quantum dots have been extensively investigated especially due to their strong and tunable fluorescence emission properties

Measurement of Natural Radioactivity, Radon Exhalation Rate and Radiation Hazard Assessment in Indian Cement Samples

AbstractBuilding materials are assumed to be the second source of Radon inside buildings. Due to low level of radon emanation from these materials, long term measurements are needed. Radiation doses from the building materials vary depending upon the natural radionuclides 226Ra, 232Th and their daughter products and 40K present in them. Cement is the main and important component used in the construction of buildings in many countries. These radio nuclides pose exposure risk due to their gamma ray emission and internally due to radon and its progeny that emit alpha particles. In the present study radon exhalation rate and the activity concentration of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K radionuclides in cement samples used in Aligarh region (U.P.), India have been measured by “Sealed Can technique” using LR-115 type II detectors and a low level NaI (Tl) based gamma ray spectrometer, respectively. From the measurements activity concentration of radionuclides 226Ra, 232Th and 40K vary from 9 to 28 Bq kg-1, 21 to 43 Bq kg-1 and 280 to 554 Bq kg-1 with overall average value of 19 Bq kg-1,35 Bq kg-1 and 406.7 Bq kg -1 respectively. Radon equivalent activity (Raeq) and external hazard index (Hex) have been found to vary from 60.8 to 121 Bq kg-1 and 0.16 to 0.30 respectively. The values are lower than the recommended safe values

Psychiatric comorbidity in multiple sclerosis

Aim: To study the prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities in patients of multiple sclerosisand their association to the degree of disability. Method: Psychiatric symptoms were assessed in 90 patients of multiple sclerosis using GHQ-12, MMSE, HADS, Beck Depression Inventory and AUDIT. Neurological disability wasassessed using Expanded Disability Status Scale. Correlations were determined between EDSS scores and psychiatric scale scores. Result: 61% of patients had significant psychological distress. Depression was most common (38.8%) which was followed by anxiety symptoms (27.8%). Cognitive functioning was relatively intact in patients with mild to moderate neurological disability. Alcohol abusewas mostly restricted to male gender. Conclusion: Psychiatric illness is highly prevalent in patients of multiple sclerosis leading to poor quality of life and significant distress. Psychiatric disability was higher in patients who had greater deterioration in neurological function. All cases of MS should be assessed for psychiatric morbidities as can be alleviated by appropriate intervention