Publications

Nuclear energy law and decision making in India

Research Paper
| January 11, 2018

Nuclear energy as a safe source of energy has been a subject of constant debate. The benefits of nuclear energy for power production and its allied applications on the one side and the risks posed by nuclear energy to public health and safety, and to the environment on the other side have been a source of concern. The Government of India has taken a policy view that nuclear energy is necessary to meet the growing energy needs of the country.

Nuclear liability law of India: an appraisal of extent of liability, right of recourse and transboundary applicability

Research Paper
| January 11, 2018

The making of the 'Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act 2010' was one of the finest legislative endeavours in the recent times. The exercise was significant because nuclear energy and the consequences of pursuing such an energy form were debated extensively in the Parliament for the first time. The result was a liability law that had an exceptional domestic political acceptability, but in many ways appeared to defy conventional international practice.

Osmoregulation and the human mycobiome

Research Paper
| January 11, 2018

The last one-and-a half decades have made it amply clear that the human microbiota have a very significant role to play in health and disease. The human body can (or should) be better viewed as a complex ecosystem inhabited by micro-organisms that outnumber human cells 10 to 1 (Ley et al., 2006). However, most research in this field has been focused on the prokaryotic (specifically, bacterial) component of the microbiota. Sampling, in turn, is carried out mostly from sites that are readily accessible (Human Microbiome Project Consortium, 2012).

Outreach and dissemination of information services through electronic media: the case of Specialized Library on Climate Change, TERI

Research Paper
| January 11, 2018

The dynamic library and information science sector demands that libraries maintain and develop the information resources and services to anticipate and serve the information needs of users. There is a growing need for developing and disseminating information resources and services pertaining to specific subject areas to enable easy access by focused user communities. Climate change is one such area that has generated much interest in the national as well as international arena.

Photochemical roles of rapid economic growth and potential abatement strategies on tropospheric ozone over South and East Asia in 2030

Research Paper
| January 11, 2018

A regional air quality simulation framework including the Weather Research and Forecasting modelling system (WRF), the Community Multi-scale Air Quality modeling system (CMAQ), and precursor emissions to simulate tropospheric ozone over South and 5 East Asia is introduced. Concentrations of tropospheric ozone and related species simulated by the framework are validated by comparing with observation data of surface monitorings, ozone zondes, and satellites obtained in 2010. The simulation demonstrates acceptable performance on tropospheric ozone over South and East Asia at regional scale.

PMMA-cellulose acetate phthalate nanocomposites reinforced with silane-treated nanoclay

Research Paper
| January 11, 2018

A blend of cellulose acetate phthalate with 8 poly (methyl methacrylate) has been developed by 9 reinforcing it with silane-treated nanoclay. In order to 10 enhance interactions between the nanoclay and blend 11 components, maleic anhydride was added as the 12 coupling agent. The mechanical properties were 13 enhanced and were further analyzed by theoretical 14 models. The thermal properties and water absorption 15 characteristics were also assessed.

Preliminary feasibility evaluation of solar thermal power generation in India

Research Paper
| January 11, 2018

Results of a preliminary techno-economic appraisal of solar thermal power generation at three locations in India are presented. The study uses System Advisor Model developed by NREL, USA. The results of the study provide useful insight into (a) selecting appropriate reference direct normal irradiance for design of solar thermal power plants, (b) identifying suitable combinations of solar multiple and hours of thermal?energy storage and (c) cost reduction potential. The parabolic trough technology is used for exemplifying?the procedure for this purpose.

Random forest classification of urban landscape using Landsat archive and ancillary data: Combining seasonal maps with decision level fusion

Research Paper
| January 11, 2018

Mapping landscapes in a rapidly urbanizing region can contribute significantly to quantifying, monitoring and understanding the complex process of urbanization. However, mapping such urban areas is a challenging task due to issues of spatial heterogeneity and dynamic land use practices. In this study we propose an operational mapping algorithm using multi-season Landsat and ancillary data with minimum image pre-processing and limited training samples. The methodology was applied to produce a detailed land use land cover (LULC) map of National Capital Region of India.

Rapid, efficient and high-performance protocol for Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated hairy root transformation of the common bean Phaseolus vulgaris

Research Paper
| January 11, 2018

A rapid, efficient and high-performance transformation protocol employing Agrobacterium rhizogenes was developed for the common bean Phaseolus vulgaris. In this study, we examined competencies of various protocols to induce and explants that respond to hairy root transformation in bean plants. Utilizing young seedlings with severed radicles/hypocotyls, we developed a highly efficient procedure for achieving hairy root transformation frequencies as high as 100% as visualized by GUS reporter gene expression system.

Reforming LPG and Kerosene Subsidies: Short-term priorities and long-term ambitions

Research Paper
| January 11, 2018

A detailed study on the impact of re-alignment of subsidies on fuels used by the masses revealed that the move did help in eliminating hoarding and black- marketing of the subsidised fuels, but it also brought out the level of dissatisfaction among the beneficiaries with regard to the scheme as a whole.