Publications

 One of the most difficult aspects of studying consciousness scientifically, particularly in other-than-humans, is to develop functional definitions for the phenomenon in non-verbal beings, wherein consciousness has to manifest itself in behavioural actions that can be unambiguously ascribed to being products of conscious states of the mind. In this paper, I offer glimpses into the phenomenologically complex minds of wild individual bonnet macaques Macaca radiata – a cercopithecine nonhuman primate endemic to peninsular India – examined through deep naturalistic observations of their cognitive decision-making processes. Such explorations, I believe, are critically important, in not only revealing the innovative responses of these cognitive beings to the pathological complexity presented by the socioecological realities of the everyday but also in uncovering the mechanisms by which these individuals may be able to ‘consciously’ synthesise their various subjective experiences to take novel decisions at different stages of their challenging life histories in the long term.

Particulate chloride (pCl) is a significant constituent of atmospheric particulate matter, playing a critical role as a key precursor to secondary aerosols via nocturnal heterogeneous reactions. While coarse pCl typically prevails along the coastal belt, however, the growing presence of fine pCl in the interior regions is an emerging air quality concern. Anthropogenic sources driving these emissions remain poorly characterised, particularly in India, where existing global inventories lack resolution and specificity. This study presents the first high-resolution (0.1° × 0.1°) national anthropogenic emission inventory of pCl across India for 2023, identifying 42 discrete sources. Total pCl emissions are estimated at 245.6 Gg/yr, of which biomass burning contributes ~68 % and waste burning ~21 %. Emission hotspots are concentrated in the northern and southern Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Northeastern states, with over 60 % of total emissions originating from just 8 % of the country's area. Despite an estimated uncertainty of ±71 %, this comprehensive dataset offers critical insights for chemical transport modelling and policy formulation, enabling targeted mitigation strategies and advancing understanding of pCl dynamics at the national level.