Publications
Africa Rising: What does it Mean for African Citizens?
Research Paper
| January 11, 2018
The past decade has seen African economies registering headline gross domestic product growth rate. Will GDP growth lift Africa’s bottom pyramid populace which is a majority of its citizens? Even more, will GDP growth effectively contain the risks imposed by climate change? The paper observes that too many of Africa’s citizens remain ensnared in poverty despite the du jour GDP growth. African countries are also the most vulnerable to climate risk in terms of adaptation and disaster preparedness.
Aging and the human gut microbiota—from correlation to causality
Research Paper
| January 11, 2018
The human gastrointestinal (GI) tract harbors the largest number and concentration of microbes found in the human body. Perturbations in the gut microbial ecosystem have also been associated with conditions as diverse as chronic GI diseases (e.g., Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis), metabolic disorders (e.g., diabetes types 1 and 2, obesity) and antibiotic use (for a review see Sekirov et al., 2010). Metagenomic culture-independent methods have enabled the unraveling of the complexity of the gut microbiota (Rajilic-Stojanovic et al., 2009).
Agriculture biomass in India: Part 1. Estimation and characterization
Research Paper
| January 11, 2018
Biomass residues or wastes generated in the agricultural sector represent a source of potentially sustainable feedstock for bio-refineries. The strategy toward such a bio-based economy will only succeed if enough biomass and adequate qualities can be provided not only to produce bioenergy but also to fulfil the food security and health requirements of the growing population. In India, the majority of the biomass generated come from agriculture sector.
Agriculture biomass in India: Part 2. Post-harvest losses, cost and environmental impacts
Research Paper
| January 11, 2018
The growing bioeconomy sector aims to reduce the amount of waste generated and to promote the unavoidable waste generated as a resource and achieve higher levels of recycling and safe disposal. Post-harvest losses contribute to a substantial proportion of the loss that the agricultural biomass undergoes in India. It is therefore important to make an assessment of this loss and assign a certain cost to it.
An Assessment of Lighting a Billion Lives Program in Karnataka
Research Paper
| January 11, 2018
TERI's 'Lighting a Billion Lives' initiative envisions toprovide clean and affordable source oflight to un-electrified or poorly electrified villages of India through the establishment of energy enterprises (solar charging stations). An assessment study was conducted to understand the impact of solar charging stations (SCS) on the social dimension of the SCS entrepreneurs and user families.
An exploratory analysis of occupational accidents and risks from nuclear reactors in India
Research Paper
| January 11, 2018
Modeling analysis of rare events like occupational accidents from nuclear power plants are crucial to understand potential risks. India is poised for a major expansion of civil nuclear energy in the coming decades; such an analysis with this background becomes more important. With this background, this paper explores the pattern of the historical data on severity and frequency of accidents in the select nuclear power plants of India.
An inclusive strategy to trigger solar technology market: Case studies of rural distribution models from Ethiopia
Research Paper
| January 11, 2018
The paper is based on study of the distribution chain in Ethiopia. The changes in sale, flow of inputs and the partnerships triggered through incentive- based funding is analyzed over a period of almost one year. The findings show that there has been a growth in sales, an increase in frequency of marketing and promotional activity at the final consumer level through the micro and small enterprise network, a development of customized financial products and also an initiation of new channels and strategies of distribution.
An overview of local credit systems and their implications
Research Paper
| January 11, 2018
Credit and debt are bound to play a central and challenging role in a post-growth economy, seen as an economy that seeks to stabilize or downscale production and consumption for more well-being and sustainability. This is so because on one hand the current credit system is widely seen as the major engine behind the unsustainable imperative of growth. On the other hand, access to credit is essential for the survival of countless low-income households worldwide. In this context, what kind of credit arrangement is compatible with a sustainable and equitable economy?
Analysis of genetic diversity and fatty acid composition in a prebreeding material of Jatropha
Research Paper
| January 11, 2018
Genetic and fatty acid variability in four datasets of accessions and prebreeding lines of Jatropha curcas was analyzed. The datasets were comprised of J. curcas accessions (13), BC1 (28), BC1F2 (12) and single seeds (12). The BC1, BC1F2 and single seed dataset were derived from an interspecific cross between J. curcas and J. integerrima. The average within-group (within dataset) polymorphism revealed by AFLP markers was 28.5 %. The average genetic similarity within the four datasets, namely, J.
As Green Delhi Turns Grey
Research Paper
| January 11, 2018
The joint study by economists from the University of Chicago, Harvard,and Yale (Michael Greenstone et al, “Lower Pollution, Longer Lives: Life Expectancy Gains if India Reduced Particulate Matter Pollution,” EPW, 21 February 2015) has reignited the debate on the issue of unsustainable air pollution in Indian cities, particularly Delhi.