AUTHORS: Aditi Natasha Bhuinyan and Ayush Paul ABSTRACT This study evaluates the financial performance and crisis resilience of ESG-focused versus traditional equityindices in India. Using daily data from April 2011 to December 2024, it compares the NIFTY ESG Index with theNIFTY100 Traditional Index across cumulative returns, volatility, Sharpe ratios, and maximum drawdowns. Theanalysis reveals that the ESG index consistently outperforms the traditional benchmark, delivering highercumulative and risk-adjusted returns while maintaining comparable or lower downside risk. During periods ofmarket stress, notably the COVID-19 pandemic, ESG investments demonstrated superior resilience, with lowervolatility, faster recovery, and stronger Sharpe ratios. These findings suggest that ESG integration enhances bothlong-term financial performance and portfolio stability, challenging the notion that sustainable investing requiressacrificing returns. The study provides robust empirical evidence that ESG considerations in India cansimultaneously support profitability, risk management, and sustainable growth, highlighting their strategic valuefor investors, corporations, and policymakers seeking to align financial objectives with long-term sustainabilitygoals.

AUTHORS: 1. Edward Nicholas :- Syiah Kuala University, Indonesia.2. Chia Jindal :- GGDSD College, Punjab University.3. Rida Siddiqui :- MBA University of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.4. Syed Suheb :- St Joseph’s University, Bengaluru5. Barron Madison Lau Jia Jie :- University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. ABSTRACT India’s urban centers are experiencing rapid economic growth alongside persistent inequality, infrastructural deficits, and environmental stress. Despite extensive literature on urban economic growth in India, few studies have empirically examined how structural challenges such as demographic pressures, labor market inefficiencies, and environmental degradation simultaneously affect urban productivity across major cities. This study addresses this critical gap by employing a descriptive quantitative approach and a robust panel econometric framework to analyze how population growth, unemployment, and air quality influence GDP per capita in New Delhi and Mumbai from 2017 to 2023. Unlike prior research that treats urban centers as homogeneous, this paper captures the contrasting urban trajectories of India’s political and financial capitals using FMOLS, GLS, and Robust Least Squares to model both long-run equilibrium and short-run dynamics, while correcting for endogeneity, heteroskedasticity, and cross-sectional dependence. The findings reveal a novel insight: while Mumbai gains from population-driven economic agglomeration, New Delhi suffers from growth-induced infrastructural strain. Unemployment remains a consistent drag on urban GDP in both cities, and, counterintuitively, higher pollution levels are linked with GDP growth, highlighting India’s continued reliance on emission-intensive industries. These differentiated outcomes expose the limits of one-size-fits-all urban policy models. The study contributes new evidence to urban sustainability literature and proposes a multidimensional SDG 11-aligned policy roadmap that integrates job creation, environmental resilience, and inclusive infrastructure planning to reshape India’s urban future.

AUTHORS: Dhruv Singh Jodha and Namita Chawla ABSTRACT The current study investigates the relationship between internet addiction and self-esteem among undergraduate students from public and private institutions across Delhi NCR. Using the Internet Addiction Test for Adolescents (IAT-A) and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, data from 14 participants revealed a strong negative correlation between internet addiction and self-esteem. Private college students showed slightly higher addiction scores, while public college students consistently reported lower levels of self-esteem. Behavioral patterns of students emphasized extended online usage and prioritization of internet usage above other tasks. The findings highlight the influence of institutional and socio-cultural factors, as well as the universality of the internet addiction–self-esteem nexus, further informing targeted interventions for young adults.

AUTHORS: Harshdeep Kaur, Anand Raj Despite progress in education and health, India continues to have one of the world’s lowest rates of women participating in paid work. This paper explores how women’s economic engagement influences their bargaining power within households and how social and structural barriers shape that relationship. The study is grounded in the Naila Kabeer (1999) framework of “resources–agency–achievements” and builds on a flow of concerns: limited participation, safety and mobility restrictions, earnings without decision-making control, concentration in informal work, the invisibility of unpaid care, restrictions despite education, and the resulting economic loss for the nation. Using secondary data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), and the Time-Use Survey (2019), supplemented with international reports and recent literature, the paper examines multiple hypotheses, including: (1) whether women’s income contributions strengthen their role in household decision-making; (2) the influence of job type and social respectability on bargaining outcomes; (3) the impact of unpaid care work on participation and agency; and (4–7) the roles of household wealth, social identity, demographic factors, and the exclusion of educated women in shaping bargaining power and national growth potential. A descriptive and analytical design is applied, combining statistical trends with contextual interpretation. Findings suggest that while income is important, social norms, job quality, and caregiving burdens critically mediate women’s bargaining power. The study concludes that enhancing women’s economic agency is not only central to gender equity but also to India’s long-term growth, as undervaluing women’s work leads to both social and economic costs.

AUTHOR: Urvi Wadhwa ABSTRACT This paper investigates whether India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) can serve as a scalable model for reducing transaction costs and enhancing financial integration in cross-border payments. UPI has revolutionised India’s domestic payment ecosystem by reducing costs, improving efficiency, and fostering financial inclusion. Building on this success, India has pursued cross-border collaborations with Singapore, the UAE, Bhutan, and Nepal. Using a case study and comparative analysis methodology, this paper reviews secondary data from the RBI, NPCI, BIS, IMF, and World Bank to assess the role of UPI in cross-border integration. The findings suggest that while UPI reduces costs and improves access, challenges such as interoperability, foreign exchange management, and regulatory harmonisation remain. The study applies Transaction Cost Economics and Network Effects theory to frame UPI’s scalability and evaluates policy implications for the G20’s cross-border payment agenda. The paper concludes that UPI offers a promising framework, though its global adoption depends on sustained policy coordination and technical interoperability.

AUTHORS: Diptika Chatterjee and Daman Kaur The paper represents the dynamic study about inequality in India with its serious implications on the natives of our country. In this paper, by considering alternative survey sources and data collection methods, we begin by developing a measurable cum outcome-based approach, which allows us to study the income dynamics of our country over the past 5 years. We observed studies that are examining education, inequality, and growth across multiple countries. Trends of income inequalities, by a more formal examination of inequality, can also be taken through the decomposition of the Gini coefficient, which measures inequality in household income and consumption. The (Hces 2023–24, n.d.) showed an overall Gini index of consumption expenditure of 0.36, with a higher Gini of 0.39 for urban India as compared to a Gini of 0.30 for the rural area. We emphasised that the quality of economic data in India is notably poor and has seen a constant and significant decline overall. The Annual Status of Education Reports (ASER) data, reported for the years 2020–2024, also reinforces these observations as it offers information about participation and indications of qualitative differences in learning outcome.

AUTHORS: Vishwaraj Chavan and Simin Qureshi This study examines the effect of Public–Private Partnerships (PPPs) on the upgrading educational systems at both levels in India, particularly on Case Studies Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, the Bharti Foundation, and the National Model Schools project. Taking a case study research strategy, the study assesses PPPs against the criteria of affordability, accessibility, governance, and sustainability, and situates the research within the frame of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 10, 11, and 16). The research validates that PPPs lower the initial capital requirement for the government and encourage private innovation while their equity records are mixed. Maharashtra’s ITI joint ventures that did use private sector finance sacrificed affordability for low-income students. Delhi’s PPP schools accelerated infrastructure development yet lacked strong enforcement of the EWS quota. Andhra Pradesh Model Schools and SALT initiative offered technological and institutional innovation while seen apprehensions on long-term viability. Bharti Foundation’s approach to development was extremely inclusive but was dependent upon repeated donations from donors. The study opines that PPPs in education are feasible if equity and accessibility is embedded in contract relationships and underpinned by open governance frameworks and timely funding. There should be longitudinal follow-up on endpoints in subsequent research, inter-state comparisons, and unconventional funding devices to ensure PPPs not only produce efficiency, but also equitable and persistent gains in schooling.

AUTHOR: Adiba Saifi ABSTRACT India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP, 2023–2025) represents a watershed moment in the country’s evolving digital privacy landscape. This research provides a critical examination of the Act’s legislative ambitions, practical implementation realities, and the persistent “user experience gap” that often transforms consent forms and terms of use from enablers of privacy into obstacles to meaningful engagement. Employing a dual-lens framework that integrates technical infrastructure considerations with human behavioral practices, the paper draws on original empirical survey data complemented by comprehensive policy analysis to reveal persistent gaps in user awareness, consent usability, and equitable access to digital privacy protections (Saifi, 2025). The study synthesizes these insights with scholarly literature to propose actionable recommendations aimed at transforming data protection laws from abstract rights into everyday lived realities. Crucially, the research foregrounds the concept of “security as practice”—the understanding that privacy protection is not merely a legal or technological product but a dynamic, context-driven process shaped by the interplay of technical tools, institutional frameworks, and user behaviors (Schneier, 2000; Williams, 2020). Findings reveal that while the DPDP Act establishes a robust legal foundation, its transformative potential depends fundamentally on bridging the critical divide between formal protections and the lived experiences of diverse user populations. This research contributes to the broader understanding of how emerging digital governance frameworks can balance legal rigor, technological innovation, and user-centric design in diverse socio-cultural contexts, with particular relevance for other Global South nations navigating digital policy reform.

Aadya Shri Sinha, Dikshita Sarmah, Krishnapriya P Sajith, Naseema Begum M, Nihal AKGautam, Utkarsha Rautela, Veni Arora ABSTRACT This paper looks closely at the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), one of India’s flagship maternal health schemes, through the layered realities of caste, gender, and class. While the scheme has led to a rise in institutional deliveries and helped in reducing maternal and neonatal death rates, these gains have not reached everyone equally. Dalit, Adivasi, and other marginalized women continue to face barriers that go beyond just policy. They face exclusion rooted in deep social hierarchies, everyday discrimination, and a healthcare system that often fails to see them with dignity. Using insights from literature, data trends, and policy reviews, this study brings out the structural gaps that limit JSY’s reach and impact. It draws attention to issues like fund delays, poor quality of care, and the absence of culturally sensitive support systems. The paper ends by suggesting concrete ways forward: from intersectional policy thinking to more inclusive implementation, from ground-up community involvement to systemic change, so that no woman is left behind in her most vulnerable moments.

Mehar Kaur Bindra, Radhika Gupta, Surbhi Prajapati, Sajan Jaiswal, Deepshikha ABSTRACT This study explores the psychosocial consequences of emotional suppression and adherence to traditional masculine norms among young men in India. Using a sample of 79 Indian men aged 18–25, the study employed the Confirmity to Masculine Norms Inventory-22 and the Emotional Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) to assess internalized norms and emotional regulation strategies. Results indicated a high degree of conformity to norms such as risk-taking, emotional control, dominance, and self-reliance, alongside elevated scores for expressive suppression. The findings highlight a significant link between emotional suppression and challenges such as heightened psychological distress, strained relationships, and reluctance to seek help. These outcomes underscore the urgent need for culturally sensitive mental health interventions, emotional education, and a redefinition of masculinity that validates emotional expression. Such efforts are critical to improving mental health outcomes and interpersonal well-being among Indian men.