Colonial legacies,post-colonial (in)securities,and gender(ed) representations in South Asia's nuclear policies

Through a comparative study of India and Pakistan's national security discourses, this article explores the linkages between post-colonial India and Pakistan's nationalist/communalist identities, configurations of masculinities, and gendered representations underpinning their nuclear (in)securities. This paper contends that the colonial politics of place-making in the sub-continent has not only inscribed a process of ‘othering’ between these states but has also facilitated the rise of divergent visions of post-colonial nationalisms, which, at each of their phases and with particular configurations of masculinities, have used women's bodies to re-map India-Pakistan's borders and national (in)securities. This article particularly draws attention to a new form of gendered manipulation in South Asian politics in the late 1990s, whereby both states, embedded in colonial notions of religious/cultural masculinities, have relied on discourses of Hindu/Indian and Muslim/Pakistani women's violence and protection from the ‘other’ to pursue aggressive policies of nuclearization. It is at this conjectural moment of a Hinduicized and Islamicized nationalism (flamed by the contestations of a Hindu versus an Islamic masculinity) that one needs to provide a feminist re-interpretation of India-Pakistan's nationalist identities, gendered imaginaries, and their re-articulation of national (in)securities – that represents a religious/gendered ‘otherness’ in South Asia's nuclear policies.     

Methods of decomposing the difference between two rates with applications to race-sex inequality in earnings

"Four general methods of decomposing the difference between two rates into several components are provided. For data cross-classified by several factors, all four methods can be used treating the factors either hierarchically or symmetrically, and within each treatment, the methods are expected to give very similar results. Since the results may differ significantly depending on whether the factors are hierarchical or symmetrical and since there is no objective way of arranging the factors hierarchically, symmetrical treatment of the factors is recommended. The latter approach is used to study race-sex inequalities in mean annual earnings for year-round full-time workers in the United States based on the 1980 census data cross-classified by education, age, and occupation." (SUMMARY IN FRE)     

A general method of decomposing a difference between two rates into several components

In her work on the components of a difference between two rates, Kitagawa (1955) was successful in dividing the difference into the rate effect and the effect of the factor, for data classified by one factor. Her formulation for data classified by two factors, however, involves an interaction term which is difficult to interpret. Retherford and Cho (1973) devised a method that does not include any interaction terms. However, their method has other limitations, such as the dependence of the results on the order in which the effects of the factors are computed. In this paper, we provide a general method capable of handling any number of factors, which is developed along the lines suggested by Kitagawa and by Retherford and Cho but without the limitations of their methods.     

Some imputation methods to compensate with non-response for estimation of population mean in two-occasion successive sampling

Abstract

Non-response is an unavoidable phenomenon in almost all sample survey, and if it is not dealt carefully at the very starting of the analysis, results may lead to significant biases in the survey estimates. Keeping these facts in mind and inspired by the work of Singh (2009 Singh, S. 2009. A new method of imputation in survey sampling. Statistics 43 (5):499–511. doi:10.1080/02331880802605114.[Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), this article suggests some alternative efficient methods to deal with the missing data problems at the beginning of the analysis and proposes estimation procedures of the current population mean in two-occasion successive sampling. The properties of the resultant estimation procedures have been examined and supplemented with empirical studies. Results have been critically analyzed, and recommendations are made to the survey practitioners.     

Scheduling material handling vehicles in a container terminal

Increasing global trade has created the need for efficient container ports. The goal of the port is to move containers as quickly as possible and at the least possible cost. Goods that are delayed at the port are inevitably tardy when delivered to the customer, and thus sanctioned by late charges. Two key activities in the port are (i) unloading of containers from truck and then storage in the export area, and (ii) removal of containers from import storage and then loading onto the trucks. Since containers are large and heavy, specialized material handling vehicles are required for transporting them within the terminal. The focus of this paper is on port terminals where straddle carriers are primarily used to move containers. Container terminals typically have well developed computer and communication networks. Through these networks a terminal scheduler will control and schedule the movement of the straddle carrier fleet in real time. The objective of the terminal scheduler is to minimize the empty travel of straddle carriers, while at the same time minimizing any delays in servicing customers. This paper presents a straddle scheduling procedure that can be used by a terminal scheduler to control the movement of straddle carriers. At its core, the procedure is driven by an assignment algorithm that dynamically matches straddle carriers and trucks, as each becomes available. The procedures were developed and tested in collaboration with the largest container terminal operator in the Port of New York and New Jersey. Using a simulation model of the real system, the superiority of the proposed procedure over two alternative scheduling strategies is illustrated.     

Datafying anti-poverty programmes: implications for data justice

ABSTRACT

This paper seeks to illuminate the significance of datafication for anti-poverty programmes, meaning social protection schemes designed specifically for poor people. The conversion of beneficiary populations into machine-readable data enables two core functions of social protection, those of recognising entitled beneficiaries and assigning entitlements connected to each anti-poverty scheme. Drawing on the incorporation of Aadhaar, India’s biometric population database, in the national agenda for social protection, we unpack a techno-rational perspective that crafts datafication as a means to enhance the effectiveness of anti-poverty schemes. Nevertheless, narratives collected in the field show multiple forms of data injustice on recipients, underpinned by Aadhaar’s functionality for a shift of the social protection agenda from in-kind subsidies to cash transfers. Based on such narratives the paper introduces a politically embedded view of data, framing datafication as a transformative force that contributes to reforming existing anti-poverty schemes.     

Habitat-wise distribution of the House Sparrow (<Emphasis Type=Italic>Passer domesticus</Emphasis>) in Delhi,India

Recently, there have been several reports from different parts of the World on the declining populations of the House Sparrow (Passer domesticus). In order to assess the population of this species in the National Capital Territory of Delhi-India, this study was conducted during June– August in 2007. Twenty-eight Fixed-Radius Point Count stations were established in five habitat types viz. High-density Urban Area, Medium-density Urban Area, Low-density Urban Area, Agriculture Area, and Forested Area, within the study area. The results show that the House Sparrow is still a dominant species in the agriculture area. However, its density is very low in the urban areas as compared to the other co-occurring common bird species viz. Rock Pigeon (Columba livia domestica), House Crow (Corvus splendens) and Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis). As, this study was conducted only over one season, the data is not sufficient to provide a clear picture of the population trend of the House Sparrow. Further studies are therefore required to investigate the relationship of the House Sparrow with other co-occurring common species, and to analyse the data on the type and quality of greenspaces and their relation with the House Sparrow in the study area. A long-term monitoring and conservation programme involving local people may be a good approach for maintaining the population of House Sparrow in the study area.     

ANALYZING THE IMPACT OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST PUBLIC WORKS PROJECT ON CRIME

India started the implementation of a rural public works program in 2006, covering all districts of the country within 3 years. The program guarantees 100 days of employment per year at minimum wage to each rural household, with the goal of reducing joblessness and poverty. We exploit the design and implementation of this program to investigate its employment impact on various types of crimes to provide rare evidence on the employment–crime relationship in a developing country context. We find that employment generated by the program has a negative impact on both property crime and violent crime. The same conclusion is reached when we analyze the impact of the program using its staggered rollout structure as the source of identification in a difference-in-difference analysis. Although crime elasticities with respect to employment are small, this finding represents another dimension of the social benefit generated by the program. (JEL K4, E24, H54)     

Multi-item inventory model with quantity-dependent inventory costs and demand-dependent unit cost under imprecise objective and restrictions: A geometric programming approach

A multi-item inventory model with constant demand and infinite replenishment is developed under the restrictions on storage area, total average shortage cost and total average inventory investment cost. These restrictions may be precise or imprecise. Here, it is assumed that inventory costs are directly proportional to the respective quantities, and unit purchase/production cost is inversely related to the demand. Restricted shortages are allowed but fully backlogged. First, the problem is formulated in crisp environment taking the deterministic and precise inventory parameters. It is solved by both geometric programming (GP) and gradient-based non-linear programming (NLP) methods. Later, the problem is formulated with fuzzy goals on constraints and objectives where impreciseness is introduced through linear membership functions. It is solved using the fuzzy geometric programming (FGP) method. The inventory models are illustrated with numerical values and compared with the crisp results. A sensitivity analysis on the optimum order quantity and average cost is also presented due to the variation in the tolerance of total average inventory investment cost and total average shortage cost following Dutta et al., 1993, Fuzzy Sets and Systems, 55, 133-142.     

Choosing a diversification project in a regulated economy

Choosing a diversification project in a regulated economy involves consideration of a large number of micro and macro issues. In order to make an optimal choice of strategy, a formal approach to diversification planning is necessary. This article develops an approach which aims at breaking up the problem of identification and selection of projects into manageable components. The approach involves three steps: identification of broad industry groups: identification of specific projects within each broad industry group; and comprehensive feasibility study. The major benefit of this approach lies in providing a systematic mechanism for reducing the number of alternatives and in recognizing the link between the internal management processes of strategy formulation with the political and administrative processes in government and regulatory bodies. The article is based largely on the Indian experience.