Publications

The lion-tailed macaque is an endangered species, endemic to the Western Ghats of southern India. In this paper, we provide evidence for the emigration of an entire troop of the species out of a forest fragment into nearby human settlements, leading to the inclusion of areas completely devoid of natural vegetation into the core home range of the troop. 

Traditionally coal has been extensively used as a dominating fossil fuel in a wide range of industries due to its abundance. In India, industries like thermal power plants, cement industries, iron, and steel industries along with many captive power plants consume a huge quantity of coal each year to meet energy demand. The potential radionuclide hotspot regions across the nation are identified, which could be used as an important tool to assess its impact on the chronic exposure of millions of residents living near these sources. Cleaner or green energy could be the best alternative to combat the unseen health disaster. More effective and safe utilization of fly ash can minimize the hazardous effect of radionuclides emission.

Near real-time monitoring of major air pollutants, i.e., particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5, PM1), trace gases (O3, CO, NO, NO2, NOx, NH3, CO2, SO2) and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs: benzene, ethylbenzene, m-, p-xylene, o-xylene and toluene) along with climatological parameters was done in eight-cities field campaigns during the rabi (wheat) crop residue burning period in the northwest of Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) region. This multi-city study observed that semi-urban regions have the most compromised air quality during the rabi crop residue burning and need attention to address the air quality issues in the IGP region.

Nonhuman individuals and groups, living in anthropogenic landscapes, often adopt adaptive foraging strategies, mediated by their day-to-day interactions with humans and their artefacts. In this study, employing field experiments, we investigated an example of human-induced, extractive foraging behavior – the extraction of liquid contents from plastic bottles – in a synurbic bonnet macaque Macaca radiata population. The main aims of the study were to examine the distribution, diversity, inter-individual variability and intra-individual flexibility of bottle-directed manipulative behaviors, and to explore the social and environmental factors driving this behavioral practice. 

Nonhuman individuals and groups, living in anthropogenic landscapes, often adopt adaptive foraging strategies, mediated by their day-to-day interactions with humans and their artefacts. In this study, employing field experiments, we investigated an example of human-induced, extractive foraging behavior – the extraction of liquid contents from plastic bottles – in a synurbic bonnet macaque Macaca radiata population. The main aims of the study were to examine the distribution, diversity, inter-individual variability and intra-individual flexibility of bottle-directed manipulative behaviors, and to explore the social and environmental factors driving this behavioral practice. 

Computer literacy is as critical as being literate. World Computer Literacy Day is observed every year on 02 December, to celebrate the role played by computers in society and their importance in today's world. The focus is to encourage the development of IT skills, particularly among children. Bridging the gap between the technologically backward and technologically developed nations is the need of the present. 

This study presents a novel weighted-average method (WAM) that captures the detailed nuances of shoreline change patterns over long and short periods by considering shorelines belonging to five different time frames. Using the WAM, the average shoreline modification for the longer period (136 years with intervals of ~ 34 years) and for the shorter period (annual changes over a period of 5 years) have been calculated for the 9 km stretch of the Kollam coast in Kerala, India.

Air quality and health co-benefits of climate change mitigation and adaptation actions by 2030: An interdisciplinary modelling study in Ahmedabad, India