Volume 14 | Issue 1 |

 Abstract

Since independence in 1947, India has constitutionally committed itself to democracy, fundamental rights, and civil liberties. At the same time, the Indian state has enacted a range of extraordinary laws in the name of national security, public order, development, and social control. Many of these laws--often termed anti-people laws--have been criticized for curtailing civil liberties, enabling state excesses, and disproportionately affecting political dissenters, minorities, workers, and marginalized communities. This paper presents a historical and analytical overview of anti-people laws in independent India from 1947 to 2022, examining their origins, evolution, justifications, and impact on civil liberties. It also reviews judicial responses, civil society resistance, and contemporary debates, arguing that the tension between security and liberty has been a persistent feature of Indian democracy.

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 Keywords

Civil Liberties, Anti-People Laws, Indian Constitution, Preventive Detention, Emergency, UAPA, AFSPA, Democratic Rights

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 Abstract

Over the last decade, India has undertaken an unprecedented expansion in public infrastructure investment, recognising its central role in boosting gross domestic product (GDP), generating employment, and producing strong multiplier effects across the economy. Central government capital expenditure on infrastructure increased more than fivefold--from approximately INR2 trillion in 2014 15 to INR11.1 trillion in 2024-25. This article examines the institutional innovation of PRAGATI (Pro Active Governance and Timely Implementation) as a governance mechanism that enhances the efficiency, timeliness, and economic impact of large scale infrastructure spending. Drawing on official Government of India data, PRAGATI review outcomes, and sectoral evidence from transport, energy, and urban infrastructure, the paper empirically analyses the relationship between infrastructure capital expenditure, project execution efficiency, GDP growth, and employment creation. The findings suggest that PRAGATI, complemented by the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, has significantly reduced coordination failures, mitigated cost and time overruns, and strengthened the growth multiplier of public investment.

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 Keywords

PRAGATI, infrastructure investment, capital expenditure, GDP growth, employment, governance, PM Gati Shakti

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Human Robot Interaction (HRI) is an emerging research area focused on enabling robots to interact naturally and intelligently with humans. Most commercially available social robots are either expensive or limited to a single interaction mode, restricting their use in educational and research environments. This paper presents the design and implementation of a multi-touch sensing robot capable of real-time human interaction through touch, motion, vision, and voice inputs.The proposed system integrates touch sensors, ultrasonic sensors, a camera module, a microphone, and a gyroscope with a Raspberry Pi-based control architecture. Multiple sensory inputs are processed using an AI-based decision module to generate expressive outputs such as emotional eye animations, sound responses, and physical movements through servo motors and a four-wheel drive system. The robot demonstrates behaviors such as touch reaction, lift detection, obstacle avoidance, and person following.The developed robot serves as a low-cost, modular, and interactive platform suitable for STEM education, classroom demonstrations, and future research in affordable social robotics.

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Human Robot Interaction

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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 and The Open Definition

 Abstract

Ovarian cancer remains a leading cause of gynaecological cancer mortality, with treatment outcomes heavily dependent on accurate subtype classification. Manual interpretation of gigapixel Whole Slide Images (WSIs) is labour-intensive and challenged by extreme resolution, background noise, and class imbalance, particularly in large datasets such as UBC-OCEAN. This study presents a novel framework for ovarian cancer subtype classification that integrates a Vision Transformer (ViT-B/16) encoder within an attention-based Multi-Instance Learning (MIL) architecture. A hierarchical preprocessing pipeline incorporating texture-aware patch sampling is introduced to prioritize diagnostically informative regions by ranking patches using variance and edge density. The ViT encoder extracts context-rich representations from these selected patches, which are aggregated through single-head attention for slide-level prediction. The proposed system demonstrates strong classification performance across all five subtypes, achieving a balanced accuracy of 0.750, and offers a scalable, objective solution for computational pathology. These results highlight the effectiveness of combining transformer-based feature extraction with targeted sampling strategies to address key challenges in high-resolution medical image analysis and support more accurate personalized diagnostics.

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 Keywords

Ovarian Cancer, Subtype Classification, Multi-Instance Learning (MIL), Vision Transformer (ViT), Whole Slide Images (WSI), Computational Pathology, Texture-Aware Sampling

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Facial Recognition (FR) is a technique that helps recognize people's faces and has wide applications. New methodologies based on computer vision, deep learning, and transfer learning have been used to perform face recognition. However, limitations still exist. This study proposes a comprehensive methodology that evaluates multiple Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and transfer learning-based models, including VGG16, InceptionV3, and CBAM-enhanced CNNs, us ing a Kaggle celebrity face dataset. The VGG16-based model achieved the highest validation accuracy (88.65%) and lowest loss (0.4267), while a custom CNN (256 units, 128x128) offered a balance of accuracy (85.13%) and compu tational efficiency. Challenges such as overfitting and computational cost were observed, particularly in regularized models. Future work aims to enhance generalization through data augmentation, hyperparameter tuning, and model ensemble techniques to address scalability and real-world distortions.

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 Keywords

Facial Recognition (FR), Deep Learning, 3D Face Modeling, OpenCV, LS-SIFT Descriptor

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The Tripuri community, indigenous to the northeastern Indian state of Tripura. Possesses a rich culinary heritage deeply intertwined with their agrarian lifestyle, shifting cultivation (jhum), and close connection to the region's biodiversity. Known collectively as Mui Borok, Tripuri cuisine reflects an organic, sustainable approach to food, emphasizing fresh, locally sourced ingredients with minimal processing. Rice serves as the staple, often accompanied by a variety of non-vegetarian and vegetarian dishes that highlight the community's non-vegetarian preferences, particularly pork, while incorporating fermented elements for distinctive tangy flavours. Central to Tripuri food habits is the extensive use of berma (dried and fermented fish), a probiotic-rich ingredient that adds umami depth to many preparations. Fermentation is a hallmark technique, preserving foods and enhancing taste in the humid climate; bamboo shoots (muya), abundantly available in the hills, are fermented or fresh and feature prominently in dishes like Muya Awandru (bamboo shoots with rice flour and berma) and Chakhwi (pork stewed with bamboo shoots, jackfruit, papaya, and spices). Pork is a beloved protein, seen in specialties such as Wahan (roasted or boiled pork), Wahan Mosdeng (spicy pork salad with chilies and herbs), and Gudok (a traditional stew of vegetables, fermented fish, and pork cooked in bamboo pipes for smoky aroma). Cooking methods prioritize health and simplicity: boiling, steaming, roasting, or grilling with little to no oil, resulting in nutritious, low-fat meals. Vegetables, wild greens, and herbs complement proteins, while spicy chutneys like Mosdeng Serma (pounded berma, tomatoes, chilies, and garlic) provide bold accompaniments. Beverages include Chuak, a traditional rice beer fermented for social and ceremonial occasions, symbolizing community bonding. Tripuri cuisine not only sustains the body but also embodies cultural identity, seasonal rhythms, and communal feasts during festivals. In an era of modernization, it remains a testament to ecological harmony, offering flavourful, healthful alternatives that continue to evolve while preserving ancient traditions.

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 Keywords

Bamboo Shoot, Fermented Fish, Berma, Rice-based Diet, Traditional Cooking Methods.

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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 and The Open Definition

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Gender representation in foundational educational materials exerts a critical influence on students' perceptions of societal roles, leadership, and historical agency. This action research was specifically undertaken to analyze the extent of perceived gender bias within the Grade 9 History textbook utilized at H.K. Gidwani Cos. Eng. High School & Junior College (Mumbai) and to empirically measure the impact of a focused pedagogical intervention designed to challenge this documented imbalance. The study utilized an Action Research framework involving Census Sampling of a cohort of early adolescents (N=40 for Pre-Test, N=40 for Post-Test). A comparative pre-test and post-test assessment was deployed to capture shifts in both factual knowledge and critical historical perception. The pre-test established a clear baseline of pervasive textual bias, with an overwhelming majority of students (92%) affirming that male figures were more represented than female figures in their primary instructional materials. Following this diagnostic phase, a three-day intervention module was implemented, concentrating on historically marginalized female figures, including women in the Indian Constituent Assembly and lesser-known social reformers and freedom fighters. Post-test results demonstrated a significant and immediate positive impact on student attitudes and historical valuation: 78.4% of participants subsequently agreed that women's historical contributions were equally important as men's. Furthermore, 55% reported a direct shift towards a more balanced perspective on history. Despite the profound attitudinal shift, a critical finding emerged: 51% of students still perceived the physical textbook content as favouring men or remained uncertain, suggesting that short-term pedagogical correction struggles against the deeply entrenched authority of official curricula. The research concludes that while targeted instruction is highly effective at fostering critical thinking and historical consciousness, it must be strategically coupled with systematic, structural curriculum reform mandated at the policy level to achieve enduring gender equity in educational materials.

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 Keywords

Gender representation, History textbook, Education, Curriculum analysis, Gender bias, Inclusive learning, Action research, Historical narratives

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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 and The Open Definition

 Abstract

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banana pseudostem, pectin extraction, biodegradable film, mechanical properties, barrier properties, soil biodegradation, sustainable packaging, agro-waste valorization

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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 and The Open Definition

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This paper critically examines the history, administration, and resistance of the Western Poligars under the leadership of Nelkattanseval during the 18th century. The Poligar (Palaiyakkarar) system formed a unique feudal-military structure under Nayak and later Nawab rule. Nelkattanseval emerged as a principal stronghold of Western Poligars, particularly during colonial conflict and resistance to British expansion. The study draws on primary sources, colonial records, McKenzie manuscripts, and scholarly works to narrate the socio-political trajectory of the Poligars, focusing on their martial traditions, agrarian control, and participation in the South Indian Rebellion. This work contributes to the understanding of regional resistance, indigenous governance, and colonial transformations in South India.

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 Keywords

Poligars, Nelkattanseval, Tirunelveli, Palaiyakkarar, Colonial resistance, South Indian Rebellion, Nayak rule, Nawabs of Arcot, British colonialism.

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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 and The Open Definition

 Abstract

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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 and The Open Definition

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Coscinium fenestratum, leaf explants, callus, antibacterial activity

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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 and The Open Definition