Regional wages and economic development: A case study of manufacturing wages in India, 1950–1960

This paper examines some hypotheses with respect to the interregional wage variations in Indian manufacturing from 1950 to 1960. The choice of this period was determined by the availability of relevant data. It was found in an earlier study that the regional wage structure tended to be flexible during the period under consideration. In this paper, an attempt has been made to explain the inter‐regional wage differentials by analysing the data on trade unionism, per capita income, productivity, capital intensity, non‐primary employment and consumer prices. It is argued that the level of regional wage differentials can be explained by relative differentials in productivity and in trade unionism, but the change in wage differentials depends upon the changing capital intensity in respective regions.     

What’s Law Got to Do With It? Economics,Nation-Building,and Human Rights in India and Beyond

The review essay examines three recently published books: Eleanor Newbigin’s The Hindu Family and the Emergence of Modern India: Law, Citizenship and Community, Narendra Subramanian’s Nation and Family: Personal Law, Cultural Pluralism, and Gendered Citizenship in India, and Yüksel Sezgin’s Human Rights Under State-Enforced Religious Family Laws in Israel, Egypt and India.     

Hair-MAP: a prototype automated system for forensic hair comparison and analysis

This paper demonstrates the feasibility of the automation of forensic hair analysis and comparison task using neural network explanation systems (NNESs). Our system takes as input microscopic images of two hairs and produces a classification decision as to whether or not the hairs came from the same person. Hair images were captured using a NEXTDimension video board in a NEXTDimension color turbo computer, connected to a video camera. Image processing was done on an SGI indigo workstation. Each image is segmented into a number of pieces appropriate for classification of different features. A variety of image processing techniques are used to enhance this information. Use of wavelet analysis and the Haralick texture algorithm to pre-process data has allowed us to compress large amounts of data into smaller, yet representative data. Neural networks are then used for feature classification. Finally, statistical tests determine the degree of match between the resulting collection of hair feature vectors. An important issue in automation of any task in criminal investigations is the reliability and understandability of the resulting system. To address this concern, we have developed methods to facilitate explanation of neural network's behavior using a decision tree. The system was able to achieve a performance of 83% hair match accuracy, using 5 of the 21 morphological characteristics used by experts. This shows promise for the usefulness of a fuller scale system. While an automated system would not replace the expert, it would make the task easier by providing a means for pre-processing the large amount of data with which the expert must contend.     

Toxicological findings in 889 fatally injured obese pilots involved in aviation accidents

Prevalence of drugs in fatally injured obese pilots involved in aviation accidents has not been evaluated. Therefore, toxicological findings in such pilots (body mass index ≥30 kg/m(2) ) were examined in a data set derived from the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute's (CAMI's) Scientific Information System for 1990-2005. Aeromedical histories of these aviators were retrieved from the CAMI medical certification and toxicology databases, and the cause/factors in the related accidents from the National Transportation Safety Board's database. In 311 of the 889 pilots, carbon monoxide, cyanide, ethanol, and drugs were found, and glucose and hemoglobin A(1c) were elevated. Of the 889 pilots, 107 had an obesity-related medical history. The health and/or medical condition(s) of, and/or the use of ethanol and/or drugs by, pilots were the cause/factors in 55 (18%) of the 311 accidents. Drugs found were primarily for treating obesity-related medical conditions such as depression, hypertension, and coronary heart disease.     

Taliban 2.0 and China's Counterterrorism Diplomacy in Afghanistan

The US withdrawal that left the Taliban in control of Afghanistan has created a security dilemma for China. Beijing considers its Uyghur population to be a terror threat, and it believes the Taliban are allowing the group to use Afghanistan as a refuge from which to plan attacks and transit into Central Asian neighbors. This article analyzes both the historical record and recent moves by China to explain Beijing's strategy of engaging with the Taliban and developing the Afghan economy. The study indicates that the approach has some potential benefits if, as the Chinese assume, economic growth yields stability, good governance, and a cohesive state that can combat terror groups. However, the article demonstrates that Afghan history, the Taliban's ideology, and the vicious circle of instability, economic stagnation, and further chaos are likely to subvert China's goals.     

Practice-based insights in developing and implementing a sport-based programme for girls

Parivartan Plus is a structured sports mentoring programme for girls, implemented in a Mumbai slum where social expectations around gender-appropriate behaviour and good parenting restricts girls’ mobility and visibility in public spaces. This article presents practice-based learning from developing and implementing programme theory to empower girls in achieving changes in their everyday social interactions at home and beyond. Gender and social norms theory were combined with local practical wisdom to turn main implementation challenges into opportunities. The article reflects on the strategies that gave visibility to, and achieved community endorsement for, the erosion of restrictive gender norms while ensuring community safety.     

Analysing social-change practice in the Peruvian Amazon through a feminist reading of participatory communication research

This article analyses the social-change practices of Minga Perú, an NGO in the Peruvian Amazon which promotes gender equality and reproductive health through radio broadcasts and community-based interventions. This analysis, grounded in participatory research methods, reveals a feminist and gender-equitable approach, allowing participants to take the role of leader rather than of passive research subject. Such participatory research methods helped to empower both individuals and their communities in the Peruvian Amazon, encouraging the development of more productive group dynamics and leadership.