India’s Macroeconomic Performance and Policies since 2000

The paper reviews Indias macroeconomic performance and policies since 2000. The first section briefly summarizes key macroeconomic developments regarding economic growth, inflation, external balance, the fiscal situation and aggregate savings and investment. The second section considers some of the challenges posed to macroeconomic management in this period and the efficacy of the policy responses adopted. In particular, it analyses the progress in fiscal consolidation and the policies adopted to deal with the challenge of the unprecedented surge in external capital inflows into India. The final section outlines some of the major macro policy issues that need to be addressed in the years ahead, including : the resurgence of high fiscal deficits; the issues relating to external convertibility and exchange rate management; the role of the Reserve Bank of India in macroeconomic policy and coping with a weak international economic environment.economic growth, inflation, Fiscal Policy, savings and investment, Capital Inflows, exchange rate policy, central bank role

Impact of climate change on human livelihood and agricultural growth in Himalayan Country Nepal

Present-day concerns continue to grow about the adverse impacts on human life of climate change, which includes issues such as increased food insecurities. Climate change has many impacts on the overall ecosystem, directly and indirectly, however its impact on agriculture can be understood to be more direct as it is particularly vulnerable to these changes. Concern about climate change in Nepal may be particularly acute as the result of the observed early symptom of rapidly increasing average temperatures. Partly as a result of these temperature changes, Nepal has recently become a rice importer, where it was an exporter previously. Nepal now faces a food deficit in more than 27 districts in the hill and high hill areas. Productivity and quality of food production is also in question in Nepal as both of them are in deterioration. In reaction to these challenges, farmers are employing excess chemical fertilizer and pesticides, which has led to widespread soil contamination in particular and increasing pollution in general. Amid this emerging crisis, the proposed paper, seeks to examine empirically over time the relationship between climatic variables such as temperature and precipitation and agricultural gross domestic product (AGDP), while controlling for the use of agriculture inputs (chemical fertilizer, pesticides, improved seeds, irrigation etc). In a paired qualitative analysis, the research will highlight the current trends of human habitat displacement and corresponding efforts at rehabilitation

Scrub Typhus: Re-emerging Public Health Problem in India

Scrub Typhus is emerging as an important cause of fever of unknown origin and needs to be differentiated from other causes of febrile illnesses. During March to June 2014, a systematic search on ‘Scrub typhus’ was conducted to determine epidemiology and factors causing re-emergence of this disease in India. Scrub typhus is an acute, febrile, infectious illness caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi, transmitted to humans through bites of the trombiculid mites. The infection can range from a mild, self-limiting disease to a fatal illness in 35-50% of cases, with multi-organ dysfunction, if not promptly diagnosed and appropriately treated. The reports of the disease were rare for several decades, but currently a clear re-emergence has been documented from several states in India. This resurgence may be attributed to changes in the human behavior-unplanned urbanization, deforestation and rapid transport leading to displacement of vectors as well the rodents from one place to another. There is an urgent need for awareness generation among the medical and para-medical professionals especially at the peripheral levels. Standard treatment guidelines for timely diagnosis and treatment of Scrub Typhus should be available, especially in rural areas, where the disease remains undiagnosed, and this should be in accordance with the facilities available at sub-centers, PHCs, and CHCs. Active surveillance of rickettsial diseases is required to be carried out to know exact magnitude and distribution of the disease

Carbon storage and sequestration in Southeast Asian urban clusters under future land cover change scenarios (2015–2050)

Land-use land-cover (LULC) changes are occurring rapidly in Southeast Asia (SEA), generally associated with population growth, economic development and competing demands for land. Land cover change is one of the vital factors affecting carbon dynamics and emissions. SEA is an important region to study urban-caused LULC emissions and the potential for nature-based solutions (NBS) and nature climate solutions (NCS), as it is home to nearly 15% of the world’s tropical forests and has some of the world’s fastest rates of urban growth. We present a fine-scale urban cluster level assessment for SEA of current (2015) and future (2050) scenarios for carbon sequestration service and climate mitigation potential. We identified 956 urban clusters distributed across 11 countries of SEA. Considering the urban expansion projected and decline in forests, this region could see a carbon loss of up to 0.11 Gigatonnes (Scenario SSP4 RCP 3.4). Comparing carbon change values to urban emissions, we found that the average offset value ranging from −2% (Scenario SSP1 RCP 2.6) to −21%. We also found that a few medium and large urban clusters could add to more than double the existing carbon emissions in 2050 in the SSP3 and SSP4 RCP 3.4 scenarios, while a minority of clusters could offset their emissions under SSP1. Our study confirms that NCS, and particularly reforestation, are in many cases able to offset the direct emissions from land cover conversion from SEA urban clusters. Hence, documenting the plausible LULC transitions and the associated impacts gains significance in the SEA region as the results can be useful for informing policy and sustainable land management.Peer Reviewe

E-learning in medical education: students’ experience, challenges and perspectives: a cross-sectional study in India

Background: Due to COVID-19 pandemic, online classes were initiated in medical colleges for continuation of learning. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 537 undergraduate medical students in an Indian medical college using Google forms. The questionnaire contained sections on students’ online or e-learning experience and role of instructor in enhancing it; challenges and further scope of improved implementation of e-learning. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics. SPSS 23 was used for data analysis. RESULTS: Among study participants, (46.7%) regularly joined e-classes on time. Prior scheduling of classes (88.6%) and sharing of study material in e-learning application (84%) by teachers/instructors; interactive discussion with teachers (71.1%) and their response to students’ queries through e-learning application (77%) facilitated learning among participants. For (42.6%) e-learning represented considerable challenge in acquiring clinical medical skills. Theory lectures were found suitable for learning by e-learning mode while clinical case discussions were not preferred. Conclusion: E-classes had some definite advantages; however, undergraduate medical students preferred blended approach as e-learning represented a challenge for learning clinical medical skills. Instructors were found to have definite role in enhancing e-learning experience. Providing solutions to barriers like poor internet connectivity and resolution of technical glitches are essential for improved implementation of e-learning

Replacing the Transfusion of 1-2 Units of Blood with Plasma Expanders that Increase Oxygen Delivery Capacity: Evidence from Experimental Studies.

At least a third of the blood supply in the world is used to transfuse 1-2 units of packed red blood cells for each intervention and most clinical trials of blood substitutes have been carried out at this level of oxygen carrying capacity (OCC) restoration. However, the increase of oxygenation achieved is marginal or none at all for molecular hemoglobin (Hb) products, due to their lingering vasoactivity. This has provided the impetus for the development of "oxygen therapeutics" using Hb-based molecules that have high oxygen affinity and target delivery of oxygen to anoxic areas. However it is still unclear how these oxygen carriers counteract or mitigate the functional effects of anemia due to obstruction, vasoconstriction and under-perfusion. Indeed, they are administered as a low dosage/low volume therapeutic Hb (subsequently further diluted in the circulatory pool) and hence induce extremely small OCC changes. Hyperviscous plasma expanders provide an alternative to oxygen therapeutics by increasing the oxygen delivery capacity (ODC); in anemia they induce supra-perfusion and increase tissue perfusion (flow) by as much as 50%. Polyethylene glycol conjugate albumin (PEG-Alb) accomplishes this by enhancing the shear thinning behavior of diluted blood, which increases microvascular endothelial shear stress, causes vasodilation and lowering peripheral vascular resistance thus facilitating cardiac function. Induction of supra-perfusion takes advantage of the fact that ODC is the product of OCC and blood flow and hence can be maintained by increasing either or both. Animal studies suggest that this approach may save a considerable fraction of the blood supply. It has an additional benefit of enhancing tissue clearance of toxic metabolites

Effect of heat stress on crossbred dairy cattle in tropical Nepal: Impact on blood parameters

Chitwan district of Nepal has been known as the dairy kingdom of the country considering its strategic location andpotential to easily provision inputs and produce as well as market quality milk across the country. However, theclimate especially during summer has been a challenge to farmers that potentially compromise the daily milk yieldof cows. Therefore, sixteen crossbred dairy cattle were placed in a RCBD fashion to assess the impacts of cold waterbathing in ameliorating effect of heat stress on their performance and body physiology. Routine assessment of themicroclimate within the experimental shed and blood parameters was made. The results from the experimentinferred that frequency of bathing (none, once, twice or thrice a day) did not have any significant impact onHaemoglobin, Haematocrit, Sodium, Potassium, Chloride and Bicarbonate levels in the blood plasma(p>0.05). Inaddition, the animals did not exhibit any signs of physiological distress clinically either. A detailed study scopingtemperature humidity index and over a number of other milk and blood parameters are to be tested across a numberof other available breeds too in order for the researchers to come to a meaningful strategy to beat the heat stress