Author: Ayushi ABSTRACT This study investigates how trust and perceived risk influence user satisfaction and continuance intention in AI-enabled FinTech platforms. Drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), and Trust-Commitment Theory, we develop and test a structural model using primary survey data from 412 users of digital banking and payment applications. Structural equation modeling (SEM) reveals that trust positively influences user satisfaction (β = 0.47, p < 0.001) and continuance intention (β = 0.38, p < 0.001), while perceived risk negatively affects both satisfaction (β = −0.29, p < 0.01) and continuance intention (β = −0.24, p < 0.01). Trust also partially mediates the relationship between perceived risk and satisfaction. Perceived ease of use and AI service efficiency emerge as significant antecedents of satisfaction. The findings carry practical implications for FinTech platform design, regulatory policy, and strategies to enhance user engagement in AI-driven financial services

Authors: Prangya Jyoti Samal, Amarilli Cuda, Musheer ul Hasan Ekrema, Gitonga Christine, Allan Odhong, Tejas Singh Charan, Mansewak Singh ABSTRACT This study examines transnational human trafficking of women as a critical failure of legal enforcement and stateaccountability, through a comparative analysis of the United States, Nigeria, and India. While all three countries formally align with international frameworks such as the Palermo Protocol, significant gaps persist between legal provisions and their implementation. The research highlights systemic challenges including weak enforcement, judicial delays, inadequate border governance, and the re-victimization of survivors within legal processes. It argues that human trafficking is not merely a criminal issue but a reflection of deeper governance failures. The study concludes that without stronger accountability mechanisms and a shift towards victim-centered approaches, existing legal frameworks will remain ineffective in delivering justice and deterrence.

Author: Nivedita Shukla, Vaishnavi Sathe ABSTRACT This study is designed to explore the relationship between the Skill India Mission and youth employability in some Indian states. Essentially, this study is intended to analyze the role of the Skill India Mission in promoting the employability of young individuals in the country by bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and industry needs, in line with the Indian government’s efforts to develop a competitive workforce in the country. In this study, the researcher presents a comparative analysis of the implementation and outcomes of the Skill India Mission in different states in India, highlighting some aspects such as training outcomes, placement trends, and policy outcomes, in order to gain deeper insight into the influence of skill development programs on youth employability.The study reveals that the Skill India Mission has developed an important structural framework in the country for skill development on a large scale, but it is also important to address some challenges in this regard to ensure the effectiveness of this mission in promoting the employability of young individuals in the country.

Author: Armando Estrella, Ruchi Bhavsar, Mireia Noriega Etxaide, Pernilla Rao ABSTRACT The global transition from hydrocarbons to critical minerals is often framed as a paradigm shift in material needs, yet the political logic of intervention remains driven by a consistent variable: Strategic Asset Value (SAV). SAV is operationalized in this study through three quantifiable indicators: (1) a state’s share of global critical mineral reserves, (2) the USD value of extractive exports as a percentage of world supply, and (3) the degree of great-power supply-chain dependency on those resources. This paper argues that the international response to political and humanitarian crises is not determined by the severity of human suffering, but by the strategic indispensability of the resources located within the crisis zone. By employing a Most Similar Systems Design (MSSD), this study contrasts the international responses to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Haiti, two states experiencing equivalent levels of severe institutional collapse and civilian distress. Utilizing quantitative Natural Language Processing (NLP) to analyze a corpus of 26 official UN Security Council Resolutions-13 per case-from 2021 to 2026, this research introduces the Moral-Material Ratio (MMR). The findings reveal a stark divergence in diplomatic framing. The resource-rich DRC is actively “morally securitized” using elevated normative concepts to justify long-term stabilization and supply chain access, yielding a high normative MMR of 1.41. Conversely, the resource-poor Haitian crisis triggers a logic of containment and neglect, dominated by tactical, depoliticized security rhetoric yielding a low material MMR of 0.53. Ultimately, this paper posits that great powers weaponize moral discourse selectively, demonstrating that extreme human suffering, absent strategic material value, is insufficient to trigger comprehensive international engagement.

Author: Ankisha Pandey ABSTRACT Artificial intelligence is shaping the world, the use of AI in many fields have enormously increased. While challenges remain surrounding ethics, equity and best practices, AI is transforming industries, driving innovations and developing technologies. Due to the use of AI in various fields, AI models and data analysis has tremendously helped in achieving the Sustainable development goals laid by the United Nations. As the urgency of sustainable development intensifies, AI stands out not only as a technological breakthrough but also as a powerful tool to accelerate progress across all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). AI models like, Machine learning (ML), Deep learning (DL), Large language models (LLM) and Natural language processing (NLP) as well as generative AI are some AI models that have emerged over the past decades highly contributing in achieving the SDGs effectively and efficiently. This research paper explores the contribution of AI and AI models in achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Findings suggest that AI-enabled solutions and AI models are expanding frontiers of sustainable developmentglobally, across all industries. AI is still debated upon due to ethical considerations; however, AI models developed of accurate data has enlarged the scope of success for SDGs. However, the use of AI is still controversial on the premises of ethical practices. This research paper aims to explore the use of AI in SDGsand laying a foundation for the importance of ethical use of AI, which needs systematic execution throughglobal governments and equitable policies.

Authors: Megha Gupta, Pallavi Shaktawat, Kanupriya Awasthi, Sachin Gupta, Muskan Dugar, Nehmat Deol, Aradhya Srivastava, Lakshita Purwar Abstract The study paper explores the area where gender budgetary practices meet food security, and further discusses how financial policies can significantly contribute to the occurrence of who possesses equal access to food. This study enlightens on how gender-responsive budgeting could be used to bridge the gaps regarding the distribution of the resources by analyzing the existing structures and government initiatives which will aid the marginalized groups (particularly women) to ensure their food supply at home and community levels. It discusses that gender lenses are relevant in the financial planning, where the investment in a specific project with women emphasis can return higher agricultural harvest, nutrition, and socioeconomic prosperity rates. Based on the qualitative and quantitative information, this paper displays the obstacles of implementation of the gender budgeting indicating policy gaps, a lack of awareness, and structural obstacles, offering at the same time effective case studies, which can be used to model effective approaches. The extended implications of gender-sensitive fiscal policies on sustainable developments further elaborated in the paper put more emphasis on the inability of achieving food security if there is equitable governance and inclusive decision making. It connects budgetary allocations and direct results in nutrition and livelihoods, whose evidence shows that strategic gender-based interventions have the capacity to decrease food insecurity, the reduction of poverty and inclusive growth. Conclusively, this research paper suggests an integrated approach of using gender budgeting, in which it acts as both a means of creating social change as well as a means of financial change by balancing economic planning based on the needs of the vulnerable populations and the long-term fix of food security among all people. Keywords: Gender budgeting, Gender responsive budgeting, South Asia, Gender roles, Food security, Social Security Initiatives, Household resources, Food Equity, Nutrition Outcomes, Food policy, Government schemes, Post-COVID, state-level gender budgeting, India, Constraints, Comparative analysis, food policy

Authors: Manish Singh, Paawanpreet Kaur, Vemana Vijaya Naga Durganjali, Zaira Bashir and Anjali Kushwaha Abstract This paper examines how India’s climate diplomacy operates as a soft power strategy within contemporary international relations. Rather than treating soft power as an outcome or reputational attribute, the study analyses the mechanisms through which climate-related engagement may generate non-coercive influence. Focusing on climate finance, institutional initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), and emerging clean technology pathways including the National Green Hydrogen Mission. The paper explores how India seeks to enhance legitimacy, institutional presence, and normative standing within global climate governance. The analysis situates India’s climate diplomacy within broader debates on equity, South–South cooperation, and development-sensitive sustainability, highlighting its dual positioning as both a developing country advocate and an increasingly active climate actor. By linking finance and innovation with diplomatic practice, the study contributes to understanding climate diplomacy as a constrained yet significant avenue through which states pursue soft power in a system shaped by voluntary cooperation and normative contestation. Keywords: Climate Diplomacy, Soft Power, Climate Finance, Technology Transfer

Author: Atish V. Meghe ABSTRACT This paper evaluates how large mergers and acquisitions affect the performance of corporations within India’s fast‑moving consumer goods (FMCG) and adjacent consumer‑tech ecosystem. The study focuses on two recent, high‑profile case studies: Zomato’s all‑stock acquisition of quick‑commerce player Blinkit (formerly Grofers) in 2022, and Dabur India Ltd’s acquisition of a 51 percent stake in spice manufacturer Badshah Masala at the end of 2022 (effective January 2023). The analysis compares pre‑ and post‑merger financial performance over a multi‑year horizon, typically three years on either side of the transaction. The deals are evaluated using financial parameters such as revenue, revenue growth, gross margin, EBITDA margin, net profit margin, operating expense ratio, and cost–revenue ratio. These indicators are used to assess whether the acquisitions contributed to scale, profitability, and cost efficiency. Descriptive statistics are complemented with two‑sample t‑tests to examine whether changes in mean values between the pre‑ and post‑merger periods are statistically significant. While the short time window and reliance on firm‑reported data limit strong causal inference, the findings provide case‑based evidence on how M&A activity in India’s FMCG landscape is associated with shifts in financial performance, shareholder value, and strategic positioning.

Authors: Pulkit Raikwar, Gautham Shine ABSTRACT This paper focuses on a comparative India-based exploration of the policy frameworks and institutional reformsexpected to help achieve sustainable development goal 4 ( Quality Education) in the choice of countries in the South Asian region India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Having acknowledged education as the key pillar to sustainable development, the paper explores how these countries are converging their education policies with SDG 4 goals (4.1 – 4.7) that include universal access to education, gender equality, quality education, and lifelong learning. Based on secondary research sources, including UNESCO, UNICEF, World Bank, and national education policy reports, the study analyzes the variation between the governance models, financing scheme, teacher education changes, and digital inclusion. Results show that there has been a significant improvement in access and gender equity yet inequality in quality, monitoring, and resource distribution persists. India National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 presents a revolutionary policy that unites digital learning and inclusivity, whereas Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are promising in terms of gender parity and ICT-promoting quality improvement. It is observed in the paper that SDG 4 in South Asia can be achieved through regional cooperation, evidence-based policymaking and institutional reforms that are sustained. Keywords: SDG 4, Quality Education, India, South Asia, Policy Framework, Institutional Reform, Inclusive Learning