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This paper aims to examine the stability of the currency demand function for India with private consumption expenditure, tax–gross domestic product ratio and deposit rate as explanatory variables for the period 1996:1 to 2014:4. Additionally, this paper also tries to detect the presence of endogenous financial innovation in the currency demand function.

For the theoretical foundation of the study, this paper has used a modified version of money-in-the-utility function. To examine the stability of currency demand function empirically, seasonal cointegration technique developed by HEGY (1990) and EGHL (1993) was applied. Finally, to detect the presence of endogenous financial innovation in the currency demand equation, the Gurley and Shaw (1960) hypothesis was tested by presenting the currency demand equation in a state–space form.

The empirical findings show that there is the absence of long-run cointegrationg relationship among the variables at the zero and annual frequency; however, there is evidence of a relationship among the variables at the biannual frequency. Moreover, the time-varying coefficient of deposit rate elasticity, used to test the Gurley–Shaw hypothesis, suggests that innovations in financial markets, especially improvements in the payment technology, raise the deposit-rate elasticity, beginning from 2010 onward.

The empirical results of the paper suggest that there would be shrinkage of currency demand in future. From the monetary policy angle, the Reserve Bank of India needs to adapt adequately to a situation of shrinking demand for currency.

Apart from using seasonally unadjusted data to examine currency demand function for India, this study, for the first time, and to the best of the authors’ knowledge, tries to test the evidence of financial innovation in India by testing the Gurley–Shaw hypothesis. The findings of the study will have significant implication in the planning of the issue and distribution of currency in the fast-changing economic environment.

This review has two purposes: (1) to systematically analyse the literature on export competitiveness (EC) and (2) to provide an overview of various determinants and the methodological trends in the subject field, making it possible to develop a roadmap for future researchers.

The systematic literature review (SLR) method was employed in this paper. The authors have covered three decades of research articles published in Scopus listed journals between 1991 and 2020. The determinants of EC are synthesized and widely used theories, and methodologies are identified and classified. The authors have also provided directions for future research.

The key determinants identified are labour and capital productivity, labour costs, exchange and real effective exchange rate (REER), domestic gross domestic product (GDP), trade liberalization and barriers. The findings reveal that EC is now a scientific measure, since the studies in this subject field have moved towards measuring EC and its determinants.

There has been no comprehensive review in this area exploring the theories, context, constructs and methodologies until now. Therefore, this review provides deep insights into the topic and also offers a unified picture of the subject field.

The role and performance of a teacher is central to the teaching and learning process in any educational system, but they are often misinterpreted in the context of educational monitoring and quality assurance. Although efforts to relate teacher quality to educational quality are rarely challenged, establishing linkages between teacher quality and student performance have proven to be complex and inconclusive. This holds true especially in the Indian context wherein teachers experience diverse working conditions that may make traditional measures of teacher quality seem impractical and speculative. Teacher roles and performance, apart from being subjected to contrasting realities in schooling systems, are influenced by cultural capital, systemic forces, and teacher education programs. This chapter attempts to unravel the complexities of an Indian school teacher and highlight some of the issues that teachers are likely to face and grapple within their work situations. Nevertheless, the role of a professional and humane teacher will stand paramount in building the future of India.

The cities are distinctly engine of economic growth, which depends upon speed at which innovations are brought out and trigger entrepreneurship. Smart city initiatives are one of the opportunities to unleash innovation and entrepreneurship in developing countries like India. Entrepreneurial ecosystem research in smart cities is still in its nascent phase. Therefore, the study aims to bring out elements for a start-up ecosystem to promote entrepreneurship in smart cities.

Focus group discussion has been applied to gain a variety of insights and opinion from selected participants with diverse expertise.

The study proposes a framework for developing a start-up ecosystem in smart city. The findings suggest the technology infrastructure along with the elements of start-up framework as knowledge hub, public policy, entrepreneurship and city economy.

The study does not show the impact of smart city strategies over an extended period.

A robust entrepreneurial framework usually impact on utilization of technologies for economic activities and regional development. The innovators, policymakers, city administrators, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and various stakeholders in society will get benefit from the outcomes of this study.

The evolution of smart cities is a social initiative with various stakeholders –such as governments, residents, businesses and entrepreneurs. The creation of start-up ecosystem in smart cities requires several levels of interventions such as new programs and institutional reforms.

The research explores pillars and constituents that describe a start-up ecosystem in smart cities and nurtures a collaborative culture of innovations and entrepreneurship.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a conceptual framework for the application of blockchain in the Public Distribution System (PDS) in India to manage the supply of food grains to the targeted beneficiaries. The framework will help prevent diversions and leakages of grains at the warehouse and Fair Price Shop (FPS) level. The paper also identifies the enablers and disablers in the context of the framework.

This paper will firstly review the previous literature in PDS and blockchain-enabled agricultural and food supply chains. The study then proposes a framework that could be implemented in the PDS in India using blockchain technology.

The proposed framework provides an effective way to combat corruption, exclusion errors of targeted beneficiaries, leakage of PDS food grains and is cost-effective. The identified enablers and disablers give an insight into the application of blockchain in PDS in India.

The research work may have implications for the Ministry of Food and PDS (Central Government), Food Corporation of India and State Governments to manage the supply of the grains more efficiently and effectively.

The current study caters to the implementation of blockchain technology starting from the warehouse level to the FPSs and consumers and simultaneously connecting them to concerned authorities to ensure transparency and accountability.

Although there have been considerable discussions on the business value of adopting blockchain in supply chains, it is unclear whether such blockchain-enabled supply chains (BESCs) can help firms mitigate the negative impact resulting from the recent COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to answer this important question.

The authors conduct an event study to quantify the financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and compare the differences in such effects between treatment firms that have adopted BESCs and matched control firms that have not adopted BESCs. The authors also perform a regression analysis to examine how the role of BESCs in mitigating COVID-19's negative impact varies across firms with different levels of supply chain leanness and complexity. The analysis is based on 88 treatment firms and 88 matched control firms, all of which are publicly listed on the US stock markets.

The test results suggest that although both the treatment and control firms are negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the effect is less negative for the treatment firms compared to the control firms, demonstrating the role of BESCs in mitigating the negative impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the mitigating role of BESCs is more pronounced for firms with lean and complex supply chains.

This study is among the first to provide empirical evidence on the mitigating role of BESCs during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the importance of adopting blockchain in supply chains with high uncertainties and disruption risks.

Adoption of solar energy plays an important role in the growth of a country. There are many factors which influence the adoption of solar energy in India. The study is designed to identify factors that determine the acceptance or rejection of solar energy systems in India.

Relationship among identified variables is established through interpretive structural modelling (ISM) and thus a conceptually validated model is evolved. Further, MICMAC analysis is conducted to understand the driving power and dependence of these variables.

It is revealed that experience and habit, awareness and social influence are the intermediary variables. MICMAC Analysis shows that no variable is disconnected from the system and all the variables influence the adoption of solar energy in India.

The present study is expected to be useful to decision makers, end users and research organisations related to solar energy adoption.

Various intentional factors influencing solar energy systems adoption have been acknowledged in the present study, thus making it useful for formulation of action plans and enhance the usage of solar energy systems to improve environment quality.

The evolving landscape of digital transformation, businesses are increasingly recognising the intrinsic link between technological innovation, sustainability and the critical role of photovoltaic (PV) cells in smart cities. This nexus represents a compelling proposition, not only for addressing the imperatives of business sustainability but also for achieving United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11 – the aspiration for sustainable and resilient urban communities. The use of PV cells within smart city infrastructure serves as an exemplar of how digital transformation can be harnessed to drive sustainability and innovation concurrently. With harvesting solar energy through PV cells, smart cities can reduce their carbon footprint, enhance energy efficiency and offer cleaner, more sustainable living environments for their inhabitants. This chapter investigates how the integration of PV cells in smart city infrastructure not only aligns with SDG11 but also serves as a potent catalyst for turbocharging digital transformation endeavours, fostering business sustainability and fuelling innovation.

Personal Protective Equipment plays an inevitable part in the current scenario of pandemics in the world. A novel coronavirus, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Corona Virus-2 (SARS-Cov 2), began as an outbreak of pneumonia in Wuhan, China, in late December 2019, and quickly spread worldwide. It quickly escalated into an international public health crisis. This opened up the high demand for the innovation and research of new materials in the Personal Protective Equipment industry.

PubMed, Embase and Google Scholar were searched for relevant literature regarding personal protective equipment and the information was organized in a systematic way.

There are no adequate number of studies taken up in the field of use of textiles in medical applications especially with PPEs.

This structured review will generate a sense of the significance of using PPE for controlling pandemics and also awaken need for additional research and innovations in this area.

The authorities of the management should take timely intervention in choosing the right material for their PPE in their hospitals. Hence health care professionals teams have an inevitable role in preventing the adverse environmental impact due to the inadvertent disposal of PPEs.

There is a lack of systematic way of disposing contaminated single-use face masks in a safe, environmentally acceptable manner. The dumping of single-use PPE in domestic garbage has had an adverse effect on the environment. Mismanaged plastic waste endangers the health of ecosystems by polluting marine and terrestrial environments, posing a significant risk of ingestion or injury to animals and contaminating habitats.

This review article provides an in-depth review of the use of different materials in PPE and challenges regarding its long-term use and implications on the environment.