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This paper aims to proffer a glimpse of diverse e-resources and materials accumulated by National Digital Library of India (NDLI) for facilitating open access resources (OARs) during the difficult times of global pandemic. Out of all the resources, an attempt has been made to place a focus on COVID-19 research repository maintained at NDLI platform to facilitate related research activities for envisaging experiments by scientists and researchers.

The study is based on COVID-19 research repository assimilated by NDLI, and a detailed investigative research has been made about various resources and materials available for research community. The official website of NDLI (direct link of NDLI website: https://ndl.iitkgp.ac.in/) has been referred for collection of requisite data for study. The collected information has been presented through eight tables, two charts and two figures, which have further been analyzed and interpreted to attain the objectives.

The brief examples in this paper indicates that a wealth of OARs related to COVID-19 such as scholarly communications, data sets, documents and videos and journals and conferences, etc. are available for access and research by scientists and researchers to expand their research during and also beyond this global crisis. Social distancing has forced academics to displace to online platform from physical deliverables. Institutions are forced to adopt new technologies for delivering education in online mode such as online teaching, online access of educational resources, online conferences, webinars and a host of such related activities. NDLI has been instrumental in this journey by accumulating providing research materials through its platform.

In addition to the blended learning process, this paper provides a structured overview about COVID-19 research repository facilitated by NDLI to provide access about related research activities by scientists and researchers. This investigative research on NDLI platform has been done originally by the author with a sacrosanct aim to help serious academia and has a high referral value for the scientific, technocratic and realistic researchers with deep thrust on availability of all materials under one roof, i.e. NDLI.

The purpose of this paper is to study the flow and heat transfer characteristics of a phase transition, melting problem. In this problem, phase transition between solid and liquid takes place within a square enclosure in the presence of natural convection.

The physical problem, described with non-linear partial differential equations, is simulated using a hybrid finite element and element free Galerkin method (FEM/EFGM) approach. In energy conservation equation, the fixed-domain, effective heat capacity method is used to take into account the latent heat of phase change. The governing partial differential equations are solved with a meshfree, EFGM near the phase transition front while in the region away from the front with uniform nodal distribution; problem is simulated with traditional FEM.

A sensitivity analysis of characteristic dimensionless numbers Rayleigh number (Ra), Prandtl number (Pr), Stefan number (ste) is presented in order to investigate their impact on thermal and flow fields. Typically computational times of EFGM are higher than that of FEM. Therefore, by using EFGM only in that portion of physical problem where phase transition occurs, the hybrid FEM/EFGM strategy employed in present paper could reduce the computational time of EFGM while still retaining its accuracy. Also, the consistent performance of the results obtained with this hybrid approach is validated with those already available in literature for some special cases.

The hybrid methodology adopted in this paper, is quite new for solving such type of phase transition problem.

This paper is a Conference Report (ICDT-2019) organized by Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala, Punjab, India

The whole conference is articulated in the form of a Conference Report.

The conference provided an opportunity for participants to share ideas, reach some consensus, agree on differences of opinion and create a future action agenda. All the participants from all different backgrounds were able to bring new things to light and deliberate on contemporary issues related to knowledge trends and digital strategies that will lead to smart future.

The International Conference on Digital Transformation-2019 on the theme of “A Cognitive learning towards Artificial Intelligence” was convened by Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala, Punjab, India during September 6-8, 2019 in Patiala, Punjab, India.

This paper is to examine the factors associated with partner violence (IPV) in Bhutan.

The nationally representative National Health Survey data conducted in 2012 was used. The survey included 12,210 women aged 15–75 years. Multiple logistic regression accounting for complex survey design was performed to assess the possible association of the putative factors with physical, sexual, psychological and any IPV experienced in the past 12 months before the survey.

Alcohol consumption, quarrelling habits and extramarital relationships of husbands/partners were associated with the experience of all types and any IPV. Women performing household chores had increased odds of sexual and any IPV, and those whose husbands had low education levels were more likely to experience physical IPV. Women living in households with >9 members had reduced odds of physical and any IPV. Women married to older husbands/partners were less likely to be psychologically abused. Women from poorer wealth quintiles and who married before reaching 18 years of age also had greater odds of any IPV.

Poor relationship quality, alcohol use, household size, low education, early marriage, poor wealth status and husband’s age were factors associated with one or more types of IPV in Bhutan. Interventions to reduce alcohol use, transform social norms, promote healthy relationships and enhance female empowerment through socio-economic programs may help prevent IPV.

The present study aims to investigate the factors of loan access that affect entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) and operating efficiency of Indian Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). Furthermore, the study intended to investigate the influence of ESE on the operating efficiency of Indian MSMEs and its mediating role.

In this study, exploratory research design is used. The study heavily relies on the primary data which has been collected by using the survey research method from a cross-section of 617 women-owned MSMEs, located in urban, rural, suburban and exurban areas of Haryana, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and NCR-Delhi. The partial least square structural equation modeling method version 3.3.3 has been used to evaluate.

In terms of the selected factors affecting access to finance, it has been established that the Loan Formalities, Banking Process, Loan Process, Staff Responsiveness and Incentive Scheme have a positive and significant influence in enhancing accessibility to finance and improving the self-efficacy and operating performance of firms. The findings also show that ESE mediates the relationship between various factors of loan access and the operating efficiency of MSMEs.

The study’s findings show that entrepreneurial capacity is significantly and favorably impacted by attitudes toward entrepreneurship, ESE, perceived access to findings and business operations. It has also been demonstrated that entrepreneurial intentions are strongly and favorably influenced by entrepreneurial ability to access commercial bank financing for small businesses and the impact of the same on the women-owned MSMEs in India. It also revealed unfavorable loan terms, limited collateral, fear of repaying of loan and intricate loan application were among the many reasons for loan denial.

The study offers a comprehensive approach that simultaneously considers financial accessibility and ESE. This all-encompassing method offers a thorough grasp of the variables affecting MSMEs' operational efficiency (OE). In contrast to earlier research that might have concentrated only on direct relationships, this study explores the mediating mechanisms involved. This study examines how ESE modulates the influence of financing availability on OE, providing a comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms. By taking into account particular MSME sector characteristics like size, industry or regional variations, the study may provide a unique contextual lens. Understanding how these contextual factors interact with entrepreneurial attributes and access to finance adds depth to the analysis.

The purpose of this study is to synthesize the impacts of climate change on agriculture and assess the status of policies, programs and strategies to adapt small farm holders to climate change in South Asia.

The authors collected secondary information through a desktop review of policy documents, action plans and published reports. Face-to-face interviews with policy makers, agriculture and climate experts representing the government, non-governmental organizations, international development agencies and the private sector were also conducted to validate the secondary information.

The results revealed that agriculture is the dominant economic mainstay providing livelihood to over 70 per cent, employing 60 per cent of the labor force and contributing about 22 per cent of the regional gross domestic product. Climate impacts, such as floods, sea level rise and salt intrusion, increased frequency and intensity of storms, and pests combined with increasing water scarcity continue to reduce arable land, reduce yield of crops and threaten the food security of farmers. Adaptation efforts include using improved varieties of crop; changing cropping patterns and planting seasons; and water conservation techniques. However, progress remains low because of a lack of adequate technical knowledge and financial resources.

The amount of published literature on climate change and its impact on agriculture is increasing, but there is little effort to analyze and document impacts and strategies to adapt small farm holders to climate change at a landscape level, particularly in South Asia. This study fills in this gap and will serve as a valuable source of information for those wishing to conduct research or develop adaptation strategies for any of the four countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal.

Resident perceptions of tourism impacts are a swiftly growing area in tourism research that has the potential to contribute to sustainability of destinations. Understanding and analyzing the perceptions of local communities for improving destination attractiveness is key to many destinations, the most popular being mountainous regions. Leh, Ladakh, in the northern part of the Trans-Himalayan region is a renowned Indian tourist place, which sees hordes of tourists in the short summer season. The influx of a large number of visitors in the short season has proved beneficial and also a problem for the destination as tourist numbers overpower the local population numbers leading to pressure on natural resources. Costs of mass tourism are becoming prominent each year and if not scrutinized can damage the likeability of the place. This research attempts to understand resident opinions of impacts of tourism in Leh through primary research. It also aims to find out the link between the demographic profile of residents and perceptions of tourism impacts using a Chi-square test. Results suggest that residents perceive many unfavorable impacts of tourism along with positive impacts. The Chi-square test reveals a significant association between demographic variables and tourism impacts.

The purpose of this paper is to present multiple case studies of women in leadership roles in India with a view to identifying inhibitors, facilitators and the strategies adopted by them to mitigate the challenges in their odyssey to these positions. The paper contributes to the pivotal subject of under-representation of women in apex positions, which has garnered the attention of researchers in recent years grappling with the identification of the underlying causes. Thus, with a view to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions, a greater understanding of this phenomenon is called for.

The paper adopts exploratory case study method using multiple case studies. Empirical data were gathered using in-depth semi-structured interviews and personality test (NEO FFI) from women in leadership positions. The qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis.

The analysis of data has led to the identification of challenges faced by the women that were categorised as personal, professional, organisational and social issues. Further, six themes emerged as the strategies adopted by the women leaders to overcome the challenges. The paper also highlights the critical social, behavioural and organisational facilitators that played an important role in their leadership journey. The paper also includes context-specific findings of women leaders from Indian industry.

The paper would have relevance for researchers and practitioners in the field of gender diversity, leadership, organisational behaviour and human resource management. The findings of this paper can be leveraged by organisations to retain and manage female talent, which is a focal area in the present dynamic business environment, when a need for gender diversity is widely acknowledged by the top management in organisations. The exploratory case studies provide vistas for gender-based context-specific and cross-cultural research on the challenges faced by women executives in their leadership journey and the strategies adopted to mitigate these.

Though a great deal has been written about the barriers to women’s career advancement, less is known about the facilitators of women’s advancement. Also, women in the Asian context face unique challenges which present a major problem for multinational companies whose hopes for growth are pinned on emerging markets. The paper has identified new emergent themes, which have not been mentioned in the extant literature nationally or globally. The findings provide inputs to companies to adopt policies and practices to facilitate gender equality in leadership. The paper bridges the knowledge gap and makes conceptual contributions for future research.

This chapter studies the link between urban planning and health. Access to safe drinking water is already a very serious issue for large urban populations in fast-growing economies such as India. Water availability is further being impacted by climate change, leading to the drastically increased spread of water-related diseases.

Leh Town, which is located in an ecologically vulnerable semi-arid region of the Himalayas in Ladakh, has been considered for this study because it is undergoing large-scale transformation due to rapid growth in its tourism industry. In 2012–2013 our interdisciplinary group comprising researchers from Germany and India conducted field surveys, including geographic information system-based (GIS) mapping of point sources of water pollution, questionnaire surveys of 200 households and 70 hotels and guesthouses and semi-structured interviews. We also reviewed secondary medical data.

We found that diarrhoeal incidence has increased in the local population in Leh in the past decade, which may be linked to water pollution: Further, we found that rapidly increasing water consumption coupled with a lack of adequate water and sanitation infrastructure is causing serious water pollution.

Further, data is needed for causal connections between water pollution and health impacts to be conclusively drawn.

This study discusses the use of GIS to support a call for the need for more integrated urban planning and decision-making that holistically addresses water and health challenges in Leh and advocates the development of a decentralized or hybrid sanitation system to support water resources conservation as a central dimension of an integrated health management approach.

GIS is also a very useful platform for supporting participatory urban planning in Leh.

With such an integrated urban planning approach, Leh would be a lighthouse example for other towns in the region.