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Groundwater is a prime source for human intake, agricultural and industrial uses in several regions around the globe. Continuous depletion of groundwater is a global threats that primarily affects agriculture sector through contamination in groundwater such as fluoride discharge in water. Fluoride is one of the critical ions that negatively influencing the groundwater quality. Anthropogenic interventions such as overuse of phosphatic fertilizers in the farmers field, brick manufacturing industries, over deepening of well are the lead sources for the release of fluoride in ground water as well as the environment and it is becoming worldwide problem. India annually extracts around 251 cubic kilometre of ground water which is 52 per cent of the total global annual extraction of groundwater and also 90 per cent of groundwater is used for irrigation that covers 60 per cent of the total irrigated area. The current study is to estimate economic losses such as land and crop productivity, averting expenditure due to use of fluoride contaminated groundwater. The primary data were collected by using multistage random sampling method of about 248 farmers of low fluoride affected, moderately fluoride affected, highly fluoride affected and non-fluoride affected locales in the proportion of sample size. Analysis employed for the study percentage analysis and the results revealed that fluoride contamination could increase the area under fallow, increase years of fallow and decline in yield was increased. Fluoride contamination in ground water was the major factor that influenced these effects in affected locales as opined by the respondents.

Indian economy is experiencing the ageing of population recently, due to decline in fertility and mortality rates. The ageing of population creates some socio-economic issues and policy challenges such as - old age dependency, feminization of ageing, crisis in caring for the elderly etc. Actually, the increase in the aged population poses challenges to society and policy makers—how to provide socioeconomic support to the elderly? With the erosion of traditional family structures and values and the failure of the state to compensate for such social changes, many aged people participate in the labour market after retirement age. One of the most important issue related to the old age is feminization of ageing. In this paper, I have examined the labour market participation of female elderly in six different geographical zones of India. In particular, this paper examines whether the participation of the female elderly has increased in economic activity. The analysis has been carried out by taking NSS 55th (1999-00) and NSS 68th (2011-12) round data on ‘Employment and Unemployment Situation in India’. The analysis consists of two parts — tabular analysis followed by econometric analysis using appropriate models. A simple bivariate analysis shows that the work participation of 60 years and above female elderly people in India has decreased in recent years (2011-12) compared to the period just after globalization (1999-00). However, the female elderly in North and North-east India are participating more in the work in 2011-12 compared to 1999-00. Econometric analysis confirms that in North, Central and East India probability of work participation decreases with increase in age of the aged female but work participation increases among the West, North-east and South Indian female elderly. West, North-east and East Indian economically well off female elderly are having higher probability of participation in work compared to others in the 68th round. Probability of work participation is higher among the rural female elderly. Weaker section female elderly are participating more in the economic activity.

Hotel and restaurant industry is one of the largest providers of employment for skilled and unskilled labour. Over 96% of this employment is from unorganized sector which is riddled with low wages, poor working conditions and lack of awareness of rights. The present study gives an insight into the socio economic conditions of unorganized restaurant workers in Mangaluru. The study reveals that that restaurant employment is chosen due to poor economic conditions and they do not have access to welfare measures. The study also observes that the level of education influences the reason for joining hotel work and the level of satisfaction of the job.

Land continues to be a major source of income and survival nutrition for the rural people in India. However, the land degradation which reduces productivity and the quality of the soils poses a major threat to income and nutrition status of rural people who depend largely on agriculture. We studied the association of land degradation and the prevalence of anemia among women aged between 15–49 years and children aged between 6–59 months belonging to the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes in India. District-wise land degradation status map at 1:50,000 scale and anemia data were gathered from the Desertification and Land degradation Atlas of Selected Districts (2018) and the National Family Health Survey 2015–16 (NFHS), respectively. Multi linear regression was performed to study how factors independently associated with anemia among women and children. The weighted prevalence of anemia among women and children belonging to the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes were 58.3% and 59.6%, respectively. The results of the regression clearly showed that, among all explanatory variables, consumption pattern (food intake) and maternal anemia have made the biggest contribution to anemia among women and children in degraded districts of India. Land degradation induced anemia is one of the major causes of social marginalisation in India. The problems, such as income inequality and loss of eccentric culture are the main contributing factors to land degradation induced anemia. The results of the study suggested that the land degradation status should be taken into the consideration for anti-anemia programmes in dryland and non-dryland areas of rural India.

Keywords: Land degradation, Anemia, Women, Children, Rural

Industrial development affects per capita income by providing income to factors of production. The history of economic development shows that there is a positive correlation between industrial development and per capita income. India is the seventh-largest country in the world in which Rajasthan state is the largest state where 61 per cent area under the desert. The natural resources in the state are favorably suited for investments in sectors such as cement, ceramics, and agro-based industries. Government of Rajasthan is also promoting the investment through the development of several special economic zones in the sectors of gems and jewellery, handicrafts, IT, electronics and textiles. The industrial development of the state is very slow due to lack of infrastructural development however industries contributes about 30.19% in GSDP. This paper-based on industrial production and per capita GDP data from 1980-81 to 2015-2016. The results show that industrial production and per capita GDP are stationary at first difference. Johansen co-integration test shows that there is exist of cointegrating equations. There is two co-integrating vector with Johansen’s test. Error correction model-derived that there is a long-run connection. This empirical study does not support short-run causality.

Keywords: Industrial production, Per capita income, Economic growth, Long run