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The purpose of this study is to solve the problem of healthcare waste management in developing countries. The buildup of medical waste has attracted the attention of all spheres of society due to the expanding population and developing economy. Timely collection and processing of medical waste are extremely important due to its potential hazards. Although the problem of planning medical waste management has been addressed in developed countries, it persists in several developing countries. This research is motivated by an example of a city in India characterized by a dense population, abundant health-care facilities and a lack of planning for managing large medical waste generated daily.

The authors address the problem of designing the network of collection and processing facilities for medical waste and optimizing the vehicle route that collects and transfers the waste between facilities. Due to distinct topographic restrictions in the considered city, the collection and transfer process needs to be conducted in two echelons – from hospitals to collection centers using smaller vehicles and then to the processing facilities using trucks. This work addresses these two problems as a two-echelon location-routing problem.

A mixed-integer programming model is developed to minimize the cost of opening the facilities and transporting medical waste. Several managerial insights are drawn up to assist planners and decision-makers.

This study follows a case study approach to provide a descriptive and prescriptive approach to hospital waste management in the ancient city of Varanasi. The city has witnessed unplanned growth over the years and is densely populated. The health-care facilities in the city have a large catchment area and attract patients from neighboring districts. The situation analysis based on secondary data and unstructured interviews of the stakeholders suggests that the ad hoc approach prevails in present hospital waste management in the city.

National Food Security Act 2013 (NFSA) is a unique step taken by Indian government to fight against hunger and protect right of the people for food. With its peculiarities like the life cycle approach, women empowerment, consideration of vulnerable sections in society and proposed reforms in public distribution system (PDS), NFSA is a promising effort for food security in India. The purpose of this paper is to put forth various aspects of NFSA and to identify issues and challenges for its implementation in the light of Indian PDS.

Understanding the implications of NFSA, mapping the existing system of foodgrains distribution in India and analysing existing literature and secondary data available from assorted sources are the steps followed in this endeavour.

Limited resources and exponentially increasing population, lack of infrastructure, operational inefficiencies and poor performance of the PDS are the major hurdles in successful implementation of the proposed act. This study gives emphasis on the need of major reforms in procurement, storage, movement and distribution of foodgrains strategies.

This paper focusses mainly on the operational and strategic aspects of PDS and its implications on NFSA. There is a wide scope for future research on sustainability of the act through agricultural and biotechnological innovations, financial analysis and strategic aspects.

This study is an unique attempt of mapping and auditing of the entire complex value chain of the Indian PDS for implementation of NFSA. As NFSA is going to redefine the food security aspects, this pioneering work will be useful for researchers and policy makers working in this field in India and other developing countries.