India, the US and connectivity: in search of a clear vision

The change of government in America has raised questions around the future of two major connectivity projects mooted during the Obama Administration. Tridivesh Singh Maini and Sandeep Sachdeva introduce the New Silk Road and Indo-Pacific Economic Corridor, and write that consistent commitment from the US will be required if these ambitious plans are to be realised

Assessment of maternal and child health (MCH) practices with a focus on Janani Suraksh Yojana (JSY)

Background Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) is a safe motherhood intervention encompassing conditional cash transfer scheme initiated under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).Objective A rapid appraisal was conducted to assess selected maternal and child health (MCH) practices among rural mothers in a block of Haryana with a focus on JSY. Methodology Using stratified random sampling, 6 health subcentre area in a rural block of Haryana were selected and all available JSY (n=72) mothers with their child in age-group of 6-11 months were covered. Similar numbers of non-JSY (n=76) mother were also contacted by the investigators using pre-designed, pre-tested semi-structure interview schedule. Results Out of 148 mothers, majority (77.02%) were in the age-group of 20-24 years; overall 52.02% [45.83% (JSY) vs. 57.89% (non-JSY)] had completed atleast 9 years of schooling; all (100%) JSY beneficiaries belonged to affirmative group (OBC/SC) but only 38.89% of them possessed BPL-card; a total of 68 (45.94%), 62 (41.89%) and 18 (12.16%) mothers had one, two & three living children respectively and 93% women were home-maker. Higher proportion of non-JSY (72.36%) viz. JSY (54.16%) mothers had institutional delivery (p<0.05). Pre-lacteal feed was administered to 60% of newborn while 95% received colostrum; however only 32.43% were initiated on breast-milk within first hour of birth inspite of all being normal vaginal deliveries. Nearly 91.66% of JSY and 22.36% of non-JSY mothers were aware of the financial scheme (p<0.05); only 20.83% JSY mothers received money within one-month of delivery; 47.22% of mothers spent money either on themselves or child care while amongst rest it got utilized within general family pool

In the diplomatic row over Qatar, New Delhi needs to prioritise its national interests

Earlier this month, a number of countries severed ties with Qatar, accusing it of funding terrorism. However, Tridivesh Singh Maini and Sandeep Sachdeva write these countries were motivated by external factors, and given that India has a large diaspora and extensive economic ties with Qatar it must ensure that it does not jeopardise the relationship unnecessarily

India's diaspora policy: time for a rethink

As workers face lay-offs in the Middle East and America makes it increasingly difficult to get working visas the Indian diaspora is facing new challenges. Tridivesh Singh Maini and Sandeep Sachdeva write that both the centre and states need to take proactive steps to support and engage Indians living outside their borders

The five types of billionaires

In the 14 months since April 2020, as the planet reeled from the COVID crisis, the number of world billionaires increased by 660 to 2,755 (24 new ones in the UK alone). Sandeep Sachdeva writes that billionaires can and should be doing much more to help solve the humanitarian crisis of hunger and poverty exacerbated by the pandemic. He classifies billionaires by the type of reaction they may have when asked to share more of their wealth

What else can the world’s billionaires do?

Together, 2,000 billionaires hold US$9 trillion in wealth, but only 78 are taking significant action against the Covid-19 crisis, writes Sandeep Sachdev

What Does Iran’s Changing Foreign Policy Mean for India?

As India expands its strategic and economic ties with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and with Israel, New Delhi is also seeking to strengthen its ties with Tehran. The Iranian Nuclear Deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JPCOA), signed by Iran and six global powers in 2015, created new opportunities for New Delhi in Iran, especially since Iran is India’s potential gateway to Afghanistan and Central Asia

Development of a branch and price approach involving vertex cloning to solve the maximum weighted independent set problem

We propose a novel branch-and-price (B&P) approach to solve the maximum weighted independent set problem (MWISP). Our approach uses clones of vertices to create edge-disjoint partitions from vertex-disjoint partitions. We solve the MWISP on sub-problems based on these edge-disjoint partitions using a B&P framework, which coordinates sub-problem solutions by involving an equivalence relationship between a vertex and each of its clones. We present test results for standard instances and randomly generated graphs for comparison. We show analytically and computationally that our approach gives tight bounds and it solves both dense and sparse graphs quite quickly

Gender-based violence in New Delhi, India: forecast based on secondary data analysis

Background: Violence against women is a global phenomenon. Aims: To estimate and forecast cognizable crime against women in New Delhi, India, from 2016 to 2020. Methods: Reported cognizable crime against women in New Delhi for 2009–2015 was extracted for statistical analysis, synthesis and modelling. The cognizable crimes reported are rape, attempt to commit rape, kidnapping and abduction, dowry deaths, assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty, insult to modesty of women, cruelty by husband or his relative, importation of girls from foreign countries, abetment of suicide of women and indecent representation of women. Results: The actual number of registered cases of crime against women ranged from 4251 (‎2009)‎ to 17 104 (‎2015)‎. The projected number of cases ranged between 18 991 [‎95% confidence interval (‎CI)‎: 13 092–24 889)‎ in 2016 to 28 663 (‎95% CI: 22 314–35 013)‎]‎ in 2020. A rising trend in crime against women was noticed in New Delhi, ranging from 204.6 (‎2016)‎ to 308.8 (‎2020)‎ per 100 000 women. After witnessing a substantive increase (‎116.2%)‎ in reported crime against women in New Delhi in 2013, the subsequent actual and projected rise appears to be incremental in nature, with an annual percentage point change ranging between 9% and 18%. Conclusion: Within limitations, it is concluded that the safety of women will continue to be a concern in the near future. Contexte : La violence à l’encontre des femmes est un phénomène mondial qui nécessite une attention constante. Objectifs : Évaluer les délits caractérisés à l’encontre des femmes à New Delhi (‎Inde)‎ entre 2016 et 2020 et établir des projections à cet égard. Méthodes : Les délits caractérisés à l’encontre les femmes, rapportés à la police, à New Delhi pour la période allant de 2009 à 2015 ont servi de base à un travail d’analyse statistique, de synthèse et de modélisation. Les délits caractérisés à l’encontre des femmes ayant fait l’objet d’un dépôt de plainte sont : le viol, la tentative de viol, l’enlèvement et le détournement de femmes, les meurtres liés à la question de la dot, les agressions sur les femmes avec intention d’attenter à leur pudeur, l’outrage à la pudeur, les actes de cruauté de la part du mari ou d’un parent, la traite de jeunes filles originaires de pays étrangers, l’incitation au suicide des femmes, la représentation obscène de la femme. Résultats : Les données disponibles indiquent que le nombre véritable de délits enregistrés à l’encontre de femmes était compris entre 4251 (‎2009)‎ et 17 104 (‎2015)‎. Selon les projections, le nombre de cas varie entre 18 991 (‎IC à 95 % : 13 092– 24 889)‎ en 2016 et 28 663 (‎IC à 95% : 22 314–35 013)‎ en 2020. On a observé une tendance à la hausse des délits perpétrés contre des femmes, le taux allant de 204,6 (‎2016)‎ à 308,8 (‎2020)‎ pour 100 000 femmes à New Delhi. En outre, on a constaté qu’après avoir enregistré une augmentation importante (‎116,2 %)‎ des délits à l’encontre des femmes à New Delhi en 2013, ayant fait l’objet d’un dépôt de plainte, la hausse réelle et prospective semble être progressive par nature, l’évolution en points de pourcentage allant de 9 à 18 %. Conclusion : Dans certaines limites, l’étude conclut que la sécurité des femmes restera une préoccupation sérieuse dans un avenir proche, exigeant une attention accrue à la fois au niveau politique et au sein de la communauté

Protective Role of Herbal Drugs in Diabetic Neuropathy: An Updated Review

Medicinal plants play a beneficial role in health care and are commonly used in preventing and testing diseases and specific ailments. The advantage associated with herbals plants are numerous and cannot be ignored as they have less adherence issues and are accepted widely by the population due to greater belief in Ayurveda since ancient times. Neuropathic pain has immersed as a serious threat to patient that occurs by damaging the blood vessels leading to morbidity and mortality. The present review paper aims in providing an account of various herbal plants that could be employed in treatment of neuropathic pain