Authors: Aryan, Yash, Pooja, Vasu, Parth, Ayetri, Lavanya, Kanak, Priyal, Srija ABSTRACT This study evaluates plastic pollution present in water bodies worldwide. The impact and the negative nature of microplastics on Mother Nature and human lives make this thing that needs to be tackled like an emergency. These larger sizes of plastics, which go into the water bodies, tend to become smaller and smaller pieces, which are called microplastics, through various kinds of natural and human-made things like sunlight, chemicals released in water bodies, etc. This process leads these big amount of plastics to become smaller and smaller ones, which tends to become the cause of infertility in both men and women and sometimes cancer in people. Both these categories of plastic pose serious risks to aquatic organisms and can also enter human food and water systems. In this study, the occurrence, transport pathways, detection technologies, and research gaps associated with plastic contamination in aquatic environments are examined. This is conducted through a comprehensive review of recent literature and secondary analysis of 4 major global datasets. A secondary data analytical approach is used following these recognised databases: the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) global marine litter model, the  Atlas of Ocean Microplastics (AOMI), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Global Plastics Outlook dataset, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Centres for Environmental Information marine microplastics database. These long-term trends in plastic production and waste generation were analysed. It was also used to identify the global hotspots of plastic contamination. Further, transboundary transport pathways for plastic pollutants were mapped, and modelled pollution distributions were compared with real field-based observations. Findings of this study also account for anthropogenic factors such as urbanisation, industrial discharge, agricultural runoff, and improper waste disposal. While technologies like the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, deep learning detection systems and automated monitoring systems have improved the detection of plastics more smoothly, there are still a few methodologies that are not able to compare between the studies. Due to dissimilarity between the mesh sizes, digestion protocols and other techniques, the results are not reliable. This can easily complicate the policy formulation. It is seen that the main reason behind the pollution in water bodies is the unstandardized methods used for monitoring the pollution in water. INTRODUCTION Plastics are made by humans, produced with the help of petroleum-based chemicals, which is why they are so stretchable and durable, making them a daily used product. The same properties that make them useful (they don’t break down easily) make them a serious environmental hazard (Barnes et al., 2009). When plastics enter water bodies, they don’t disappear. Sunlight (UV radiation), physical friction, wave action, and microbial activity break them into smaller and smaller pieces – but the plastic molecules remain intact, potentially for hundreds to thousands of years. A single plastic bottle can eventually fragment into millions of microplastic particles, each capable of being ingested by tiny organisms (Peters and Bratton, 2016, Sanchez et al., 2014; Silva-Cavalcanti et al., 2017). Plastic debris is generally assessed according to size, like macro-plastics, i.e., plastic items larger than 5mm. Bigger than a grain of rice, and microplastics – 1um, i.e., plastic items smaller than a sesame seed, down to invisible (Arthur et al., 2008; Barnes et al., 2009; Thompson et al., 2009). Microplastics can be classified as (i) primary microplastics which are intentionally manufactured to be tiny, example – microbeads used in facial scrubs, cosmetic glitter, and industrial plastic pellets (nurdles), and as (ii) secondary microplastics that are created when larger macro-plastic break down, example – sunlight (UV rays), waves, and weathering degrade larger plastic items over time, breaking them into specks (Cooper and Corcoran et al., 2010, Derraik et al., 2002, Napper et al., 2015, Williams and Simmons et al., 1996). Macro-plastics directly cause physical damage to wildlife, such as birds, turtles, and marine life. The animals usually get trapped in them or accidentally ingest them, filling their stomachs, which leads to starvation. Microplastics are small enough to be eaten by the smallest marine creatures (like plankton) and work their way up the food chain. Microplastics have also been found in human organs, placentas, and bloodstreams, and studies are underway to explore their links to inflammation, cancer and cell damage (Jabeen et al., 2017; Jemec et al., 2016). Both the detection and categorisation of plastic contamination are still technical challenges. Visual representation, pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy and many more techniques are used for identifying the microplastics in the water bodies. There are alternative methods for monitoring the macro-plastics. There has been a reallife field deployment, which is cost-efficient and scalable to an extent, including the UAV-based platforms, which are used for spatial coverage of the large water bodies. Helping with on-site assessment. In addition, some architectures have demonstrated considerable automation in identifying and classifying the microplastics, with the help of methods like the Canny edge detection algorithm and Nile red fluorescent, substantially increasing the detection process across difficult-to-understand environmental matrices. There are many ways by which the water gets contaminated by the plastics, these are municipal waste, uncleaned drainage systems in regions (area-wise), littering of plastic waste by street shops and throwing them into the pipelines, which ultimately goes inside the larger water bodies. (Andrady, 2011; Cole et al., 2011). The plastic waste, which is increasing day by day due to the fast urbanisation, gets collected in one place, which chokes the flow of the river and other smaller water bodies inside the city region, helping various diseases to grow. Here, the important role is played by the water drainage pipelines that flow inside the cities and are the ones needed to be assessed in regular intervals. (Wagner et al., 2014). This is a big concern for all of us that plastic, which was once a part of human settlements, can now be seen far beyond the regions where there are no human traces found, for miles away all thanks to the ships and the water bodies which

Author Name: Himanshi Dahiya Abstract Self-Help Groups (SHGs) have emerged as one of the most significant grassroots mechanisms for promoting women empowerment in India. These groups, primarily composed of rural women , facilitate inclusion, collective decision-making, entrepreneurship, and social awareness . The SHG movement , strengthen through initiative such as National Rural livelihood Mission and the SHGs-Bank Linkage programme introduced by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, has transformed the socio – economic status of millions of women across the country. This research paper examines the role of SHGs in enhancing women’s economic independence , political participation, social mobility and decision making power within households and communities . The study explores how SHGs contribute to poverty reduction, access to credit, skill development, and leadership opportunities. It also analyses the challenges faced by SHGs, including inadequate financial literacy, market accessibility, limited training, and patriarchal barriers. The paper adopts a qualitative and analytical approachusing secondary data from government reports, journals, policy documents, and case studies. The findings suggest that SHGs have significantly improved women’s confidence, income generation, and participation in local governance. However, structural inequalities and institutional limitations continue to hinder their full potential.The paper concludes that strengthening SHGs through digital literacy, financial support,policy intervention, and capacity-building initiatives can further enhance women empowerment and rural development in India. Keywords: Self-Help Groups, Women Empowerment, Rural Development, Financial Inclusion, Micro finance, SHG-Bank Linkage, Gender Equality, Livelihood

Authors: 1. Nandana Gireesh, University of Kerala 2. Devangi Sandhu, Amity University, Noida 3. Kirtika Verma, Amity University, Noida 4. Ishayu Mukherjee, The Heritage School Abstract Strait of Hormuz continues to be one of the key strategic maritime chokepoints worldwide, ensuring the passage of more than 20% of global oil supplies. With China being the largest crude oil importer, stability within the Strait is critical to securing both economic growth and security interests. The period from 2018 to 2025 has seen several developments that exposed vulnerabilities of global energy supply chains, including tanker attacks in the Gulf, US sanctions on Iran, increasing regional tensions, and disruptions of international energy trade due to the coronavirus pandemic. Increasingly complex security landscape in the Gulf illustrates the connection between strategic competition, interdependence, and vulnerability in energy supply. Within the scope of Geopolitical Security Theory and Complex Interdependence Theory, the impact of increased insecurity in the region on China’s growing energy security needs in relation to Gulf countries will be analysed. Despite growing economic partnerships and investment projects in the region, including the Belt and Road Initiative, geopolitical challenges still pose risks to energy supply safety. Consequently, the Strait of Hormuz remains both a critical energy lifeline and a strategic vulnerability within China’s broader energy security framework. Keywords: Energy security, Strait of Hormuz, China–Iran relations, Iran sanctions, Maritime chokepoint, Complex interdependence, Tanker warfare, Gulf geopolitics, Belt and Road Initiative, Post-COVID instability, Renewable energy transition

Author : Laksh Asija Abstract This study conducts a comparative analysis of government-led and market-led FinTech models and their respective impacts on financial inclusion, using India and Kenya as contrasting case studies. India’s government-led model, anchored by the JAM Trinity (Jan Dhan–Aadhaar–Mobile) and the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), is compared against Kenya’s market-led model, exemplified by Safaricom’s M-Pesa mobile money platform. Drawing on secondary data from the World Bank Global Findex Database, the Reserve Bank of India, the Central Bank of Kenya, and existing academic literature, this study employs a qualitative comparative case study methodology to evaluate both models across five analytical dimensions: access, usage, cost, depth, and sustainability. Findings reveal that government-led models demonstrate superior capacity for broad-based, equitable access at zero cost, while market-led models show advantages in product depth and rural usage penetration. The study concludes that hybrid models combining public infrastructure with private competition offer the most promising pathway to comprehensive financial inclusion in developing economies.

Author: Priyanshu Keshri Abstract This paper examines the causal architecture of the ongoing West Asia conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, and its cascading effects on global energy markets and India’s energy security. India’s structural dependence on imported hydrocarbons—crude oil import dependency reaching nearly 89 percent in FY 2023–24 – renders it acutely vulnerable to disruptions along the Strait of Hormuz, a maritime chokepoint through which substantial share of global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade transits. The paper argues that the crisis, and the resulting liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) supply shock in India, is not the product of unintended confrontation but of calculated escalation rooted in four interlocking causes: contested perceptions of Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the collapse of diplomatic mechanisms such as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), militarization dynamics exemplified by the Twelve-Day War, and the broader theoretical relationship between petrostates and militarized interstate disputes. The analysis situates India’s energy predicament within a condition of “dual energy dependency,” in which continued reliance on fossil fuels coexists with an expanding renewable energy transition. Keywords: Strait of Hormuz, Iran nuclear program, energy security, petrostates, India LPG crisis, JCPOA, geopolitical escalation

Authors: Shohrah Kadwani, Swati Dahiya, Shivangi Bhupendra, Krishnapriya KS, Archit Bhattacharya, and Ayeni Sarah Biola Abstract The rapid expansion of digital health technologies through wearable devices, health applications, and AI-driven technologies has created a shift in how traditional patient health data is being handled. As health data increasingly shifts from traditional healthcare institutions to consumer-facing digital platforms, it creates regulatory challenges that existing legal frameworks were not designed to address. This paper examines how effectively the United Kingdom and European Union protect digital health data privacy in this evolving environment. This paper uses a qualitative and comparative approach to analyse the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and the European Health Data Space (EHDS). Research was conducted into legislation, academic literature and case studies, and the paper is divided into three interconnected themes: wearable technologies, public trust and consent. The findings draw on the concept of regulatory lag, and suggest that despite comprehensive legal frameworks, both jurisdictions face a common structural problem: technological innovation seems to be advancing faster than policy can respond. Wearable technologies blur the distinction between lifestyle and health data to exploit the gaps in existing regulatory frameworks, and current consent mechanisms often fail to provide meaningful user control over data. This paper argues that both the UK and EU have largely adopted a reactive, rather than a proactive approach to digital health governance and emphasises a need to incorporate stronger consent mechanisms, oversight of wearable technologies and clearer accountability structures to adapt to an increasingly digital healthcare environment. To read the full paper, download below: