59 research outputs found
The corruption of a republic
No full textEminent Indian psychoanalyst and social commentator Dr Ashis Nandy found himself in the middle of a controversy recently after he made a few remarks on corruption at a session entitled ‘The Republic of Ideas’ at the Jaipur literary festival, 24– 28 January 2013. Author and publisher of Tehelka magazine Tarun Tejpal spoke of corruption as an equalising force, to which Dr Nandy said:
Just a response to this part, very briefly. He’s not saying the most important part of the story, which will shock you and it will be a very undignified and, how should I put it, almost vulgar statement on my part. It is a fact that most of the corrupt come from the OBCs (Other Backward Classes) and the Scheduled Castes and now increasingly Scheduled Tribes and as long as this is the case, the Indian republic will survive.
A journalist present at the panel took up this statement, which was later endlessly replayed on a 24-hour television news channel. Dalit organisations and activists protested against Dr Nandy. Not surprisingly, considering the upcoming elections in some key states, some politicians jumped into the fray and called for Dr Nandy’s arrest. In India anti-Dalit speech is punishable under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989, and is a non-bailable offence. There were demonstrations and police complaints were filed against him in three different locations. Fearing physical harm and the possibility of imprisonment, Dr Nandy and his family went to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court of India did grant a stay order on the arrest warrants against him, but at the same time the Chief Justice of India told Dr Nandy’s lawyer ‘Whatever your intent, you can’t go on making statements. Tell your client he has no license to make such comments.’
The Indian social media and blogsphere exploded, with various arguments emerging on behalf of and against Dr Nandy. The most common complaint against Dr Nandy is that he was casteist, and that he had stereotyped Dalits. Such complaints came even from those defending him. A passionate critique by Anoop Kumar outlined Dalit oppression in India and accused specific media personalities of defending Dr Nandy instead of interrogating ‘upper caste anxieties’. There are blogs that, while disagreeing with Dr Nandy, argue for his right to express his opinion and to ‘be wrong’. There are those who argue that his remarks were made in humour, and lament the dearth of an understanding of wit, satire or irony.6 While the case seems to be closed after the Supreme Court judgment, there is still debate about whether this was a victory for freedom of speech or another instance of the way in which the upper castes in India can get away with any derogatory statement against the lower castes.
The freedom of speech argument is unsatisfying. The difference between ‘provocative speech that forces you to think’ and ‘provocative speech that is intended to hurt, denigrate or provoke’ is very context dependent. The intention of any speaker is not only difficult to prove, but also difficult to know. I would like to base my defence of Dr Nandy neither on his right to say what was on his mind, nor on his intention. Instead, I would suggest that his remarks should be understood through a discussion of corruption, and the way in which Dr Nandy uses the term.
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Shvetal Vyas is a PhD student in the International Centre for Muslim and non-Muslim Understanding, University of South Australia
A synergy of linear model and wavelet analysis towards space-time characterization of aerosol optical depth (AOD) during pre-monsoon season (2007–2016) over Indian sub-continent
No full textThe pre-monsoon aerosol concentration plays a significant role in modifying precipitation amount over the Indian sub-continent. A large variety of aerosol from different sources produces a complex radiative and climate response through the interaction with the hydrometeorological parameters. In this study, we analyzed the space-time dynamics of aerosol optical depth (AOD) in relation to the meteorological and surface parameters over Indian sub-continent during pre-monsoon season from 2007 to 2016. The level-3 daily aerosol products from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Multi-angle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR) were used. The IMD gridded rainfall and temperature, ECMWF derived RH and wind velocity, and GLADS derived soil moisture data were also used at daily time scale. For the space-time model, the Mann-Kendall trend test and a pixel-based multiple linear regression were used, while, wavelet transformation was used on these daily observations for analyzing periodicities of AOD. The time-series average shows moderate to high AOD (0.4–0.8), including a consistent positive anomaly in the Indo-Gangetic basin (IGP) in north India. A significant inter-annual variation is also observed both in MODIS and MISR datasets. The trend statistics shows an increasing trend of aerosol concentration in the eastern and southern India. The linear regression shows a variable response of AOD with changing magnitude of meteorological factors. However, a substantial spatial coverage of significantly decreased AOD is observed with increasing soil moisture content (β < −0.04). The wavelet analysis manifests the abundances of 32–128 days of cycle with a periodic interjection of 8–32 days of cycle suggesting occurrence of fine and coarse mode aerosols events, respectively. The coherency of time series AOD and other covariates shows varying leading and lagging dynamics in these two principal periodicities. The findings, however, evidenced a notable difference in the space-time patterns of AOD in MODIS and MISR datasets. The analyzed AOD cycles are coincided with the Madden-Julian-Oscillation (MJO) that recurs every 30–60 days interval. The findings also support the theoretical proposition of elevated heat pump theory (EHP) driven by fine mode aerosols for occurring pre-monsoon and monsoon precipitation over the Indian sub-continent. The analyzed periodicity of AOD can provide useful insights in studying the short/long term variability of precipitation over polluted environments during the pre-monsoon season.</p
Revisiting the levels of aerosol optical depth in South-Southeast Asia, Europe and USA amid the COVID-19 pandemic using satellite observations
No full textThe countries around the world are dealing with air quality issues for decades due to their mode of production and energy usages. The outbreak of COVID-19 as a pandemic and consequent global economic shutdown, for the first time, provided a base for the real-time experiment of the effect of reduced emissions across the globe in abetting the air pollution issue. The present study dealt with the changes in Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), a marker of air pollution, because of global economic shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. The study considered the countries in south and south-east Asia (SSEA), Europe and the USA for their extended period of lockdown due to coronavirus pandemic. Daily Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) from Moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) and tropospheric column density of NO2 and SO2 from Ozone monitoring instrument (OMI) sensors, including meteorological data such as wind speed (WS) and relative humidity (RH) were analyzed during the pre-lockdown (2017–2019) and lockdown periods (2020). The average AOD, NO2 and SO2 during the lockdown period were statistically compared with their pre-lockdown average using Wilcoxon-signed-paired-rank test. The accuracy of the MODIS-derived AOD, including the changing pattern of AOD due to lockdown was estimated using AERONET data. The weekly anomaly of AOD, NO2 and SO2 was used for analyzing the space-time variation of aerosol load as restrictions were imposed by the concerned countries at the different points of time. Additionally, a random forest-based regression (RF) model was used to examine the effects of meteorological and emission parameters on the spatial variation of AOD. A significant reduction of AOD (- 20%) was obtained for majority of the areas in SSEA, Europe and USA during the lockdown period. Yet, the clusters of increased AOD (30–60%) was obtained in the south-east part of SSEA, the western part of Europe and US regions. NO2 reductions were measured up to 20–40%, while SO2 emission increased up to 30% for a majority of areas in these regions. A notable space-time variation was observed in weekly anomaly. We found the evidence of the formation of new particles for causing high AOD under high RH and low WS, aided by the downward vertical wind flow. The RF model showed a distinguishable relative importance of emission and meteorological factors among these regions to account for the spatial variability of AOD. Our findings suggest that the continued lockdown might provide a temporary solution to air pollution; however, to combat persistent air quality issues, it needs switching over to the cleaner mode of production and energy. The findings of this study, thus, advocated for alternative energy policy at the global scale
A Critical Analysis of the Post-structuralist Thought with Reference to ‘The Death of the Author’ by Roland Barthes
No full textRoland Barthes in his famous essay “The Death of the Author” from a post-structuralist position took a stand against the notion of authority in a text. He while referring to the myth of Sarrasine in Balzac asks certain essential question regarding the position of authorship. For him the author only is a participant in the existing discourse of the time—a mere explorer of the existing symbols and pre-existing linguistic and literary systems. One the other hand he only narrates the events through the existing codes but never participates in it. It is here where Barthes connotes that the author might be praised for his mastery over the existing codes but not for his genius. Likewise, Barthes explores various concepts of post-enlightenment to give his concept of the death of the author not in a literary sense where the work is found importance rather than the author who is the product of the industrial strategy and his position changes over time according to the changes in society
Detecting High Saturation- and Groundwater Flow Zones Using Active Heating-Based Distributed Temperature Sensing
No full text博士（理学）博士（理学）島根大
Advances in fibre-optic-based slope reinforcement monitoring: A review
No full textReal-time assessment of slope reinforcements to diagnose their state in all stages of service life is imperative for prompt evaluation of slope stability and establishing an efficient early warning (EW) system. Many point-based monitoring instruments have been used in the last few decades. However, these sensors suffer from a particular risk of detection failures and practical limitations. Fibre-optic sensing (FOS) technologies have been developed, tested, and validated across various geoengineering applications, including slope monitoring, as they offer exceptional advantages, such as high data-carrying capacity, precise mapping of physical parameters, durability, and immunity to electromagnetic interference. The deformation of rock/soil causes the deformation and fracture of reinforcement materials, which are subsequently transferred to the encapsulated fibre-optic (FO) sensors, providing valuable information on reinforcements' safety state and performance for early failure detection. This paper is devoted to critically analysing the application of cutting-edge FOS technologies for slope reinforcement monitoring. Firstly, a concise overview of the fundamental principles underlying discrete and distributed FOS methods is provided. The key considerations for selecting FO cables and the appropriate packaging techniques necessary to withstand the challenges posed by complex geological environments are also summarised. We delve into the details of three distinct cable installation techniques within slope reinforcement components: surface bonding, slot embedment, and clamping. The recent advancements in FOS methods for monitoring slope reinforcements such as rock bolts, soil nails, anti-slide piles, geosynthetics, and retaining walls are extensively reviewed. The paper addresses this novel sensing technique's challenges and comprehensively explores its prospects. This review is anticipated to be a valuable resource for geoengineers and researchers involved in slope monitoring through FOS technology, offering insightful perspectives and guidance
Application of novel distributed fibre-optic sensing for slope deformation monitoring: a comprehensive review
No full textImprovement of Mechanical Properties in Light Weight Mg-based Materials
No full textAbstractSome of the important mechanical properties, mainly strength and ductility of magnesium- based structural material can be improved by alloying element; grain size refinement of the alloy and reinforced with nano-particles. Each processing techniques have their own mechanism of strengthening and fracture. In this study, bulk monolithic Mg material and their alloy and composite were synthesised by powder metallurgy technique. The process involved consolidation of powders through iso-static compression followed by sintering and hot extrusion. The microstructural studies were conducted on the extruded sample through XRD test and microscopic observation. In order to measure the strength and ductility, the tensile tests for all the samples were carried out at room temperature. Significant improvement in strength and ductility are observed in the samples of alloys and composite when compared with the sample of pure Mg. Further improvement can also be seen in the refined grain size sample. The possible strengthening mechanisms for each case are discussed. It is speculated that the deformation mechanism in all the cases are controlled mainly by the mechanism of grain boundary movements. The fracture surfaces were examined to identify the possible fracture mode of the samples
Perspective of medical graduates from Patan Academy of Health Sciences on the management of COVID-19, during the initial phase of pandemic in Nepal: Perspective of medical graduate on management of COVID-19
No full textIntroduction: Nepal with a poor health infrastructure and resources when hit by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the health system and the health workers were not well prepared to handle the crisis.
Method: We conducted a survey during the initial phase of the pandemic (July-October, 2020) to understand the perspective of PAHS medical graduates on the management of COVID-19. A survey questionnaire was prepared in Google form and circulated through official group emails.
Result: Total 80 graduates participated in the survey of which 55(68.8%) were working in the country (36/55 working within the government health system) during the pandemic and 7(8.8%) were enrolled into residency program in the country. Of the participats 66% reported that their health facility was only partially prepared to take care of COVID-19 patients. The local government and the community of their workplace were reported as supportive for the efforts of the pandemic management by 30(37.7%) and 33(41.5%) respondents respectively. The graduates working during the pandemic were involved in various activities like swab collection (8), screening (30), critical care (37), patient education/counseling (41), managing non-COVID-19 patients (47) and administrative work (17).
Conclusion: Inadequate planning of service delivery, finance, risk communication and resources were identified as major lacking nationally while shortage of human resources, logistic and PPE were reported as the major lacking locally by the participating graduates. The fresh PAHS graduates were found to be contributing at their respective workplaces fitting into both the clinical and non-clinical roles during the initial phase of pandemic in Nepal.
 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
No full textThe author would like to express his utmost gratitude to the following: Dr. Fereydoun Aghazadeh, for his advise, for his direction of this dissertation, invaluable guidance, financial assistance, constant support and encouragement throughout his graduate study; Dr. Craig Harvey, for introducing him to eye tracking studies that led to this study, for his guidance and encouragement; The members of the dissertation committee: Dr. Andrea Houston, Dr. P. Brian Wolshon, Dr. Todd Monroe, Dr. Brygg Ullmer for their helpful suggestions; Maryam Amin for her assistance during the experiment. Ashok Darisipudi, Ashis
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