Volume 13 | Issue 12 |

 Abstract

The rapid urbanization and industrial expansion in Kerala have led to a significant increase in waste generation, which has put immense pressure on the current waste management systems. The Government of Kerala has proactively responded to these challenges by introducing innovative, community-focused approaches to waste management that are both efficient and sustainable. The Haritha Karma Sena (HKS), a collaborative initiative, represents a strategic transformation in Kerala's waste management practices, emphasizing a holistic system of waste reduction, segregation, and recycling instead of merely focusing on disposal. Women members receive training in waste collection and segregation, along with education on public waste management, enabling HKS to serve as both a service provider and a catalyst for social change. In this context, the study examines the socio-economic and working conditions related to the challenges encountered by HKS workers. Primary data were gathered from 100 HKS workers in the Vatakara taluk of Kozhikode district, Kerala, utilizing a snowball sampling method with a structured questionnaire. The Haritha Karma Sena workers are predominantly middle-aged, possess moderate educational qualifications and have a relatively stable and moderate monthly income. These workers are vital in promoting environmental sustainability and public health by overseeing waste collection, segregation, and recycling at the community level. The study indicated that the HKS volunteers have demonstrated significant potential in their initiatives related to waste management and environmental preservation.

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Haritha Karma Sena, Waste Management, Segregation, Recycle, Women

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Academic burnout among secondary school students has become an emerging concern due to increasing academic demands and rapid digitalization of learning environments. Adolescents are required to manage intensive curricular expectations while simultaneously engaging with social media platforms that demand constant attention and cognitive effort. This article, prepared for Ph.D. thesis purposes, is based on an extensive review of related literature and examines academic burnout in relation to social media addiction and cognitive load. The reviewed studies indicate that excessive social media use contributes to attentional fragmentation, increased extraneous cognitive load, emotional exhaustion, and reduced academic engagement. Cognitive overload arising from poorly structured learning tasks and digital multitasking further intensifies burnout symptoms. The paper synthesizes theoretical perspectives and empirical findings to present a coherent understanding of how these variables interact and influence students' academic well-being. Educational implications and preventive strategies are discussed with reference to secondary-level teaching-learning contexts.

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Academic Burnout, Social Media Addiction, Cognitive Load, Secondary Students

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Transport infrastructure plays a critical role in shaping economic growth, employment generation and regional development, particularly in emerging economies. Among the various modes, railways occupy a strategic position owing to their ability to move large volumes of passengers and freight at relatively low unit costs while fostering market integration and industrial linkages. This study examines the role of Indian Railways in generating employment and contributing to regional economic development in India. Using secondary data drawn from the Indian Railways Year Books, Ministry of Railways Annual Reports, Economic Survey of India, NITI Aayog publications, and RBI state-level statistics, this study adopts a mixed quantitative approach. A descriptive analysis is employed to examine employment trends and capital expenditure, while employment multipliers are used to estimate direct, indirect, and induced employment effects. Additionally, a quasi-experimental difference-in-differences (DiD) framework is applied to assess the impact of railway connectivity upgrades on regional economic outcomes. The study findings reveal that Indian Railways remains one of the largest public-sector employers, with renewed recruitment and rising capital investment in the post-pandemic period. Employment multiplier estimates indicate that railway operations and infrastructure investment generate substantial indirect and induced employment across allied sectors such as construction, logistics, manufacturing, MSMEs, and services. Regional analysis shows that districts with improved railway connectivity experience significantly higher industrial investment, employment growth, and wage levels than non-connected regions. Overall, the study concludes that Indian Railways functions not only as a transportation backbone but also as a powerful engine for employment generation and balanced regional development. This study offers policy-relevant insights for leveraging railway investment to promote inclusive growth and long-term economic resilience in India.

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Indian Railways (IR), employment generation, infrastructure investment, regional development, employment multipliers, Difference-in-Differences.

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Bangladesh is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world, frequently exposed to floods, cyclones, storm surges, riverbank erosion, and rising temperatures. These climate-induced hazards pose serious threats to the built environment, particularly to housing and critical infrastructure. This study examines the concept and practice of climate-resilient construction in Bangladesh with the aim of identifying effective strategies for building a safer and more sustainable future. The research analyzes existing construction practices, climate-related risks, and policy frameworks, alongside case studies of resilient housing and infrastructure projects implemented in vulnerable regions. Emphasis is given to the use of locally available materials, innovative design techniques, elevated structures, flood-resistant foundations, wind-resistant roofing systems, and environmentally sustainable construction methods. The study also explores the role of government regulations, community participation, and capacity building in promoting climate resilience. Findings indicate that integrating climate-responsive design, appropriate technology, and strong institutional support can significantly reduce disaster-related losses and enhance long-term sustainability. The study concludes that climate-resilient construction is not only a technical necessity but also a socio-economic imperative for Bangladesh, requiring coordinated efforts among policymakers, engineers, planners, and local communities to ensure safe, affordable, and adaptive infrastructure development.

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Climate-resilient construction, Bangladesh, disaster risk reduction, sustainable infrastructure, resilient housing, cyclone-resistant structures

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Effective grievance redressal is fundamental to ensuring transparency, accountability, and trust within educational institutions. Despite its importance, many colleges and universities continue to rely on manual or fragmented digital mechanisms for grievance handling, which are often inefficient, non-transparent, and poorly scalable. These limitations result in delayed responses, inadequate follow-up, and reduced student confidence in institutional support systems. The proposed system introduces a mobile-based grievance management application that enables students to securely submit grievances, track complaint status, and receive real-time updates. The application is developed using Flutter with Firebase as the backend to ensure secure authentication, scalable data management, and real-time grievance handling, thereby fostering a student-centric and transparent academic environment.

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Grievance Redressal System, College Students, Flutter, Firebase, Mobile Application, Transparency, Accountability

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This paper investigates the similarities that exist between colonial education systems and current skill development initiatives in India. It particularly focuses on skill-based education programs that focus largely on English, that is training for soft skills, as provided under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) and Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) programs. The study used postcolonial theory, and discourse analysis, in addition to empirical evidence gathered from both media investigations and audit reports to demonstrate the continuing relevance of colonial pedagogical principles in today's India. By following a line of thought originating with the 1835 Minute on Indian Education by Lord Thomas Babington Macaulay through its evolution to a modern-day neoliberal model of government, it can be shown that the linguistic economic capital afforded to graduates of these skill-development programs helps facilitate the ongoing control and exclusion of India through a colonial framework. The analysis reveals that skill-development initiatives often transform rural youth into measurable outputs rather than autonomous subjects, thereby sustaining linguistic imperialism and epistemic dependence. The paper ultimately contends that meaningful decolonization requires reimagining education beyond employability-driven, English-dominated frameworks.

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Skill Development, Soft Skills, Postcolonial Theory, Linguistic Imperialism, Decolonization

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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 and The Open Definition

 Abstract

?????? ?? ?????????? ??????? ?????? ??????? ??????? ?? ??????? ?????? ???????????? ???????? ? ????? ???? ???? ????? ????? ?????? ????? ???????? I ????????? ?????????? ????????? ????? ?????? ?????? ???? ? ????? ??????? ???????????? ?????? ???? ?????? ?????????? ??? ???????? ?????? ?????? ??? ???????? ?? ???? ?? ?????? ??????? ??? ?? ??????? ???? ????? ????? ?????? ?? ??????????? ????? ???? ????????? ???????? ??? ????? ?????? ?????? ??????????? ?????????/????????????/???????/?????? /?????? - ?? ??????? ?????? ?????????? ??????? ???????? ???? ?????? ???; ????? ????, ??????????? ??? ???????? ??????? ????? ???? ??, ???? ?????? ??? ??? ???? ?? ??? ??? ???? ???? ?? ??????? ?????????????? ??????, ???? ???????????? ????? ??? ??? ?????? ??? ????? ????? ?????????? ???? ????? ????? ??? ?????? ????????? **???????? ???? ???? ????????? ?????? ????????????? ??????????? ????? ?????? ?????? ??????????,???????? ??????? ??? ???????? ??????? ?????? ??? ??????????? ??????? ????? ???????? ??????? , ???????? ??? ???? ??? ??? ???????? ??????? ???, ???? ???????? ????? ???????????? ????????? ????????? ???? ????????????? ??????? ????????????? ???????, ???????? ?????? ??????? ??? ??????? ??????? ?????? ????? ??? ? ??? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ??? ?????? ????????????? ????? ??????, ??????? ??? ??????? ???? ???????? ??? ??? ???, ????????? ????? ?????????? ??????? ???? ????????????? ???? ?? ?? ???? ???????? ????? ?????? ??? ?????? ??????? ???? ??? ? ???? ??????? ???? ???????? ????? ???? ??????? ???, ??????? ??????? ???? ???? ??? ??????? ?? ??? ??????? ??, ??? ???? ???? ??????????? ???? ????? (???? ????????? ???? ????? ??????? ??? ????????????? ???? ????????)? ????? ???????? ???? ?????? ????,?? ?????? ???? ????? ??? ????????????, ???????, ???? ??? ?????? ?????? ? ?????? ????????? ????????????? ????? ????????, ???? ??? ????? ??????? ???? ????? ?????? ???, ??? ????? ?????????? ???? ???????? ???? ??????????? ???????? ????????????? ????? ???? ????? ???? ???, ?? ?????????? ??? ????? ??? ????? ????????? ??????? ??? ? ???? ????? ???????? ?????? ?? ????????? ??????? ??? ?????? ??? ????? ???????? ???? ???? ??? ??????????? ????? ?????? ??????? ????????? ??????? ???? ????? **????? ???????? ?? ???? ????????????? ??????? ??? ?? ???????????? ?????? ??????? ???? ??? ? ??? ???? ????????? ???? ???????? ?? ??????? , ???? ??????? ????? ??? ???? ???? ???? ??????? ?? ?????? ????? ???? , ???? ??????? ????? ????? ???? ,???? ???? ???? ?????????? , ???????????? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ????? ????????? ??? ?????? ??? ???????? ????, ??????? ?????? ???? ????? ????? ??? ???? , ??????? ???????? ???? ?? ??? ??????? ??? ??????? ???? ?? ???? ???? ??? ???????? ?????? ??????? ???? ????? ???????? ???? ??? ? ???? ???? ??????? ?????? ????,????????????? ????? ??????? ???????? ??????? ???? ????? ???????? ???? ??? ??????? , ??? ???????? ?????????? ????????? ??????? ???? ???? ? ????????????? ???????? ??????? ???? ?????? ??????? ???????? ???? ???? ?????? ?????? ???????? ????? ????? ???? ??????????? ???? ??????? ??? ????? ???????? ??????? ??? ??????? ?????? ????? ??? ???? ??? ??? ??? I???, ????? ???????? ????????? ? ?????????? ????????? ??????? ???? ???? , ???? ??? ??? ????? ??????? ??? ?? ???????????? ????????? ??????? ???? ????? ???? ??????? ????? ???????? ?????? ???? ????, ???????? ???? ???????? ????????? ????? ????? ???? ??? ????? ???????, ???????? ????? ?????????? ?? ????? ????? ???????? ???? ???? ????, ?? ??????? ??????? ??? ??????? ???? ???? ?? ????? ????????? ???????? ????????? ??????? ??????? ????? ????????? ??????? ????? ???? ????? ??? ???? ?????????? ?? ?????? ???????? ???, ??? ???? ???? ???? ?????? ???????????? ???? ???? ???? ????? ????? ???? ??? , ?? ????? ???????? ?????? ???? I ?????? ???? ????? ??????? ????? ??? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ??? ??????????, ?????? ?????? ????????????? ?????? ?????? ?? ?????? ????? ???? ????? ????? ??? ???? ????????? ???? ?? ????? ??????? ??? ??? ?????? ??? ????????? ??????? ??????? I ???????? ??? ???? ???? ??? ????? ???? ?????? ?????? ???? ???????? ????? ????? ?????????? ?????? ?????? I

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#????????#UNIFORM#????????????? ????? ????????#????#????

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Drug abuse among children is emerging as a serious social and legal concern in India, posing significant threats to physical, psychological, and social development of the children. This research examines the multifaceted causes and consequences of drug use among children, focusing on genetic, psychosocial, and socioeconomic factors that contribute to substance dependence. In India Despite the existence of stringent legal frameworks, children remain vulnerable to drug addiction due to peer influence, social instability, and inadequate preventive mechanisms. The study highlights the growing link between drug abuse and juvenile delinquency, as affected children often become entrapped in cycles of crime and problematic behaviour. Furthermore, the paper explores the pivotal role of the Indian judiciary in combating this issue through judicial activism, landmark judgments, and policy interventions aimed at safeguarding the rights of the children. It evaluates the effectiveness of existing laws, rehabilitation programs, and awareness initiatives while emphasizing the need for stronger enforcement and inter-sectoral collaboration. By adopting a socio-legal perspective, this research seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of the drug abuse crisis among children in India and proposes strategic measures to mitigate its long-term impact on the nation's youth and society.

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Drug abuse, socio-economic, juvenile delinquency, rehabilitation, safeguarding

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Cervical cancer remains a major public health concern, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, despite being largely preventable. Persistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) is recognized as the primary etiological factor, highlighting the critical role of both primary and secondary prevention strategies. Advances in vaccination programs, sexual health education, and lifestyle modifications constitute the cornerstone of primary prevention, while early detection through high-performance HPV testing, cytology, and visual inspection-based screening facilitates timely intervention. Management strategies are tailored according to disease stage: early-stage cervical cancer is primarily treated with radical hysterectomy or fertility-sparing surgery, whereas locally advanced disease relies on concurrent chemoradiation with brachytherapy. Recurrent, persistent, and metastatic cases increasingly benefit from systemic chemotherapy combined with targeted therapies, including anti-VEGF agents and immunotherapy, with emerging modalities such as antibody-drug conjugates and induction chemotherapy showing promising results. Despite these advances, challenges remain in accessibility, treatment-related morbidity, and the integration of novel therapies in resource-limited settings. This review comprehensively examines current prevention, screening, and treatment strategies, highlighting the global progress and ongoing challenges in cervical cancer care, and underscores the importance of a multi-faceted approach to ultimately reduce disease burden and improve survival outcomes.

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Cervical cancer; HPV; Screening; Vaccination; Prevention; Treatment; Immunotherapy; Chemoradiation; Early detection; Pathogenesis.

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Air pollution in Indian cities constitutes one of the most severe forms of negative externality in contemporary environmental economics, where private decision-making systematically diverges from socially optimal outcomes. This paper examines the economic dimensions of air pollution externalities in major Indian urban centers through the analytical framework of market failure theory. Using data from twenty non-attainment cities identified under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), the study quantifies the social costs of particulate matter (PM?.? and PM??) using the Value of Statistical Life (VSL) and Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) approaches adapted to Indian income conditions. The analysis estimates that air pollution imposes an annual welfare loss of approximately INR7.2-8.6 lakh crore, equivalent to 3-4 percent of India's GDP. The paper further investigates how uninternalized pollution externalities distort housing, labor, and healthcare markets, resulting in reduced property values, productivity losses, and increased health expenditures. A comparative cost-effectiveness evaluation of existing regulatory instruments--command-and-control measures, pollution charges, and emission trading schemes--demonstrates that market-based instruments achieve pollution reduction at substantially lower economic cost. The study proposes an integrated policy framework combining Pigouvian taxation, cap-and-trade mechanisms, and limited Coasian bargaining solutions tailored to India's institutional context. The findings underline the urgency of internalizing environmental externalities to improve economic efficiency, public health outcomes, and long-term urban sustainability.

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Environmental Economics, Air Pollution, Externalities, Market Failure, Pigouvian Tax, Emission Trading, Urban Economics, India

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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 and The Open Definition