9782 research outputs found
Sort by
Navigating Urban Air Pollution: Trends and Climate Links in Indian Megacities
No full textAir pollution remains one of the most critical environmental challenges in India, particularly in urban regions where rapid industrialization, population growth, and escalating energy demands have significantly deteriorated air quality. Addressing these challenges requires a deeper understanding of pollution trends and the factors driving them in urban areas. This study examines the spatiotemporal trends of key criteria air pollutants PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NOx, CO, and O3 and their association with climatic factors across four major Indian megacities: Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai, using data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) for the years 2018 to 2022. Statistical techniques such as the Pearson correlation, Mann–Kendall trend analysis, and generalized extreme value (GEV) analysis were employed to evaluate pollutant variability and association with meteorology. Particulate matter dominates the pollution profile, with average concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 reaching up to 108 and 215.1 µg/m3, respectively, while extreme events in Delhi recorded monthly maxima exceeding 344 and 536 µg/m3, respectively. Seasonal patterns indicate peak pollution during winters due to stable atmospheric conditions, whereas monsoons show significant reductions owing to wet deposition. Although pollutant levels are higher than the permissible standards in most cases, the overall pollution trend is declining in all other megacities except Mumbai, which has substantially higher concentrations, necessitating targeted interventions. Alongside ground-based observations, annual emission trends from the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) were used to assess inter-annual changes and regional distribution patterns of pollutants. Additionally, meteorological factors negatively correlate with pollutant levels, highlighting the importance of tailoring mitigation strategies to local climatology. This research offers critical insights for designing region-specific mitigation strategies to achieve sustainable air quality improvements
Sacrificing Cuckoo: Transgender representation and spatial containment in bifurcated Mumbai noir in Sacred Games
No full textThe representation of Mumbai in the Netflix adaptation of Vikram Chandra’s novel Sacred Games (2018–19) is structured around a binary between the magical urban and the criminal underworld, positioning the city simultaneously as a site of aspiration and of decay. In the 2018–19 Netflix adaptation of the novel, safety is not the absence of violence but a narrative mechanism that sustains the coherence of a caste-Hindu middle-class imaginary of Mumbai. This imaginary operates within a framework I term chronotoponormativity – where time and space coalesce to structure the visibility and mobility of marginalized bodies, particularly those that challenge the normative social order. This article explores how the character of Cuckoo, a transgender bar dancer, is framed through the logic of cinematic safety, in which her labour and mobility are carefully curated to uphold dominant spatial governance. Drawing on scholarship on urban underworlds, the criminalization of bar dancers and the gendered architecture of safety in neo-liberal Mumbai, the article situates Cuckoo’s visibility and eventual erasure within broader patterns of how trans and working-class bodies are made hypervisible as spectacles but systematically excluded from state protection. This article argues that these dynamics are not incidental but central to how Mumbai’s urban future is imagined – one in which normative femininity, caste privilege and middle-class respectability define who is safe and who must be contained or sacrificed
Article 19(1)(a), Third-Party Apps, and the “Right to Truth” post Kaushal Kishore: A Constitutional Analysis
Get PDFThis constitutional analysis examines the impact of the Apex Court decision in Kaushal Kishore v. State of Uttar Pradesh on India’s fundamental rights framework, particularly freedom of speech & expression. Fundamental rights in India have typically operated under a vertical paradigm, being wholly enforced against actions by the State & its instruments with private entities remaining largely immune from enforceability mechanisms being utilised against their actions. The judgement in Kaushal Kishore fundamentally altered this notion by allowing enforceability of certain fundamental rights, particularly Art 19(1)(a) and Article 21 against non-state actors particularly in their performance of duties that were historically a fiefdom of the State. This ruling had fundamental implications for our digital landscape, allowing horizontal application of rights recognising the enormous control and oversight social media and the larger mediascape had on public discourse which effectively allowed them to function in a quasi-state capacity mandating constitutional oversight
From social welfare to human rights : the evolution of India ' s mental health legislation
No full textHistorically, Indian mental health law has focused on safeguarding society from persons with mental illness (“PMIs”) instead of safeguarding the rights of PMIs. This focus has resulted in stigma and discrimination against PMIs. In 2017, the Indian Parliament enacted the Mental Healthcare Act (“MHA 2017”) to change this approach by prioritizing the rights of PMIs and improving their quality of life. While the MHA 2017 marks a departure from earlier Indian laws, it still lacks clarity. Because authorities have failed to allocate sufficient resources to care for PMIs, the MHA 2017 has also not fulfilled its purpose. This article examines the history of mental health laws in India, highlights the changes brought by the MHA 2017, and discusses how the current approach can be improved
Feminist Perspectives On Alternative Dispute Resolution
Get PDFAlternative dispute resolutions (ADR) have seen a major surge in the contemporary society that we live in. It has acted as a significant mechanism to people who do not want to go through with in-court proceedings or litigation for dispute resolution. People hear about marginalisation faced by women and other genders in court proceedings. This paper on the flip side will explore feminist perspectives of ADR, the challenges faced by them and how gender, power, and justice intersect in the various restorative processes. It will also discuss how the patriarchal norms embedded in ADR mechanisms deter women and marginalised genders from attaining true justice. The confidentiality clause in arbitration agreements further make gendered harm and limiting legal recourse rather dubious. This paper will further explore gender sensitive reforms and more representation of women as mediators and arbitrators to make the process more inclusive and to ensure fair scrutiny. Feminist legal theories, case studies and other important objectives are covered in this paper to give an insight on the contemporary situation on women in ADR. Ultimately, this paper discusses the inclusivity of women in ADR, gender biases faced, how these gender biases can be curbed and how a more feminist perspective can be incorporated in this growing form of dispute resolution
Analyzing the Impact of International Law and Sanctions Mechanisms Towards Sustainable Outcomes
No full textThis chapter examines how international law, along with sanctions regimes, can interfere with the quest for sustainability by surprisingly stopping progress on global development goals. While the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement now make sustainability a main goal, international sanctions are seen as conflicting tools in that field. Using research and case studies from Iran, Russia, North Korea and Venezuela, it focuses on how sanctions prevent effective action in climate, health, energy transition and environmental protection. It looks at how sanctions have evolved, from covering all groups to just specific targets and asks whether these actions still follow basic rules of international law. The chapter ultimately calls for more sustainable thinking about sanctions and suggests innovations including impact assessments, special carve-outs for humanitarian action and ESG standards mechanism. Because we are facing climate, conflict and weakening institutions all at once, the chapter suggests supporting both peace and sustainable development more thoroughly
Legal Protections for Gig Workers: A Comparative Socio-legal Study of Indonesia and India
Get PDFThe platform economy has transformed the lines of labour in the last few years across both developed and developing countries. In the case of other countries, such as Indonesia and India, where informal employment has been a long-standing characteristic of the labour force, the rise of digital platforms, including Gojek, Grab, Swiggy, and Zomato, has added another layer of complexity to already existing labour issues. These services provide flexibility and earning potential, albeit in exchange for social safety nets and work rights. This paper undertakes a doctrinal and comparative socio-legal study to observe the way the legal jurisdictions of Indonesia and India are adapting to the emergence of platform-based gig work. Grounded on legal pluralism and access to justice approaches, the present research analyses the sufficiency of the existing labour laws regarding the changing characteristics of digital labour. Such statutory instruments, such as the Indonesia Omnibus Law on Job Creation or the India Code on Social Security, 2020, are used in the analysis to compare the way platform labour and its entitlements are conceptualised in different jurisdictions. Instead of conducting empirical data collection in the field, the study centres on legal sources, policy documents, and judicial opinions with the aim of finding out the normative premises behind whether the regulation of platforms is done. The research concludes that both states are prolific legislators with the tendency to implement economic liberalisation rather than labour rights, although rarely taking into consideration the vulnerability of the gig workers in the legal rhetoric. Through a socio-legal perspective, this paper indicates the contradictions between technological advancement, the dignity of workers, and legal responsibility. It demands the reconsideration of binary employment regimes and proposes implementing hybrid regulatory regimes that will consider the special status of platform workers. Finally, the article adds to the discourse of labour justice in the digital world a global south perspective that asks all policymakers to design legislation that is not total in its market-driven orientation but in social justice and equality of access to the law
Looking Back to Move Forward: A Scientometric Overview of the Journal of Creative Communications (2006–2025)
No full textOur study provides a scientometric overview of the Journal of Creative Communications ( JOCC) for the period January 2006 to April 2025. The evolution of major research topics and the influence of key contributors, including prominent journals, authors, institutions and countries, are examined. We identify landmark articles and patterns of intellectual connections, key research themes and collaboration patterns through co-citation network analysis, keyword co-occurrence mapping and examination of co-authorship networks. Furthermore, we examine the disciplinary influences and patterns of knowledge exchange across research fields. The findings reveal that JOCC makes notable contributions to fields such as general business, marketing, sociology and social sciences, information systems and computer science, demonstrating a substantial interdisciplinary impact. Over the past 5 years, keywords such as ‘artificial intelligence’, ‘brand love’, ‘social media’ and ‘digital media’ have attracted significant scholarly attention. Thematic analysis categorises research topics into basic, motor, niche and emerging themes. Among these, ‘artificial intelligence’ stands out as a well-developed and influential theme in shaping the future growth of JOCC’s research. We discuss the key findings and their implications for scientific stakeholders, followed by the study’s limitations and suggestions for future research
Exploring the challenges to circular supply chain (CSC) implementation in the chemical-intensive manufacturing industries of emerging economies: Implications toward sustainability
No full textWaste management strategies employed by emerging economies worldwide are often insufficient to address the new-age sustainability challenges. Especially in chemical-intensive manufacturing industries, increasing levels of waste production are a significant environmental threat. Adopting a circular supply chain (CSC) can be a viable solution to this problem since it incorporates the components of the circular economy into an organization’s supply chain, bringing an engaging viewpoint to the supply chain sustainability field. Nevertheless, the adoption of CSC in chemical-intensive manufacturing industries faces various intricate challenges in emerging economies. This study, therefore, aims to explore and evaluate the challenges associated with adopting CSC in the chemical-intensive manufacturing industries, using the empirical case of an emerging economy, Bangladesh. After a thorough literature review and expert validation, 26 challenges were analyzed using a probabilistic group decision-making approach, i.e., the Bayesian best-worst method (BWM). The result showed that the most significant challenge is the chemical composition-related complexity (global weight=0.0801), followed by strong emphasis on the take-make-dispose policy (0.0705), and insufficient investment and financial resources (0.0697). On the contrary, the least important challenge is the resistance toward the transition from conventional supply chain to CSC (0.0078). The outcomes of this study are expected to enrich existing knowledge and comprehension of the challenges linked to implementing CSC practices in Bangladesh and contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as SDG 3 (good health and well-being), SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities), SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production), SDG 13 (climate action), and so on
Cringe is the New Binge - Matrimony, Desire and the Female Body in Netflix's Indian Matchmaking and The Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives
No full textThis chapter examines Netflix’s two successful shows—Indian Matchmaking and Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives—to unearth the nexus between patriarchy, matrimonial alliances, women’s bodies and desire. Although both the shows were largely labelled as “cringe”, Netflix commissioned the second season for both as they received wide acceptance amongst audiences. By centralizing the institution of matrimony, both the shows reinforce patriarchal frameworks and reinstate gender stereotypes. Set in urban, upper-middle class households, Indian Matchmaking introduces us to popular matchmaker Sima Taparia, who is on the lookout for a perfect match for her Indian and non-resident Indian clients who seek a flexible, sanskari, fair-skinned, slim and beautiful girl ready to make compromises. Single, independent and ambitious women often threaten the status quo and face difficulty in finding a good match. The quest for finding an Indian girl with a “similar background” indicates the deep-rooted caste hierarchies still prevalent amongst modern South Asian men and women. Fabulous Lives, on the other hand, follows four rich perimenopausal wives of Bollywood celebrities who indulge in cosmetic surgeries and face yoga to defy their age and remain desirable to their partners. While the two protagonists, Maheep Kapoor and Bhawna Pandey, wish to rekindle romance in their decades-old marriage, Neelam Kothari prioritizes marriage over friendship when it comes to choosing between the two. Recently separated Seema Sajdeh, on the other hand, removes her husband’s surname from the name plate and yet seeks romance and stability through matrimony in the future. Female desire takes centerstage in both shows as on the one hand, these women seek desirability through fitness, beauty and fashion, and on the other, also desire young good-looking men like Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh. Through a textual analysis of the two shows and interviews with industry experts, the chapter attempts to understand the relevance of matrimony in contemporary times and its intrinsic relationship with women’s bodies and desire