Innovations

In the Union Budget 2024, the Union finance minister has announced Rs 1 lakh crore corpus to promote research and development by the industry in the private sector. Till recently the Indian government was primarily using tax incentives to encourage private R&D. This announcement by the finance minister marks a strategic change in the government R&D policy. This paper first briefly reviews the effectiveness of the different policy instruments used to stimulate R&D. The paper then reviews the R&D policy pursued by the government in the recent times. With this background this study attempts to assess how effective the recently announced giant corpus will be in boosting R&D by the private sector in India.

This study examined the effect of benefits and rewards on employee engagement, focusing on flexible work arrangements, health insurance coverage, and retirement benefits. With project performance as the proxy for employee engagement. Utilizing a descriptive survey design and census sampling technique, the research targeted employees from Setraco and Julius Berger, with a sample size of 650 respondents. Data was collected through structured questionnaires and analyzed via regression analysis using SPSS software. The findings reveal that health insurance coverage and retirement benefit have a significantly high positive impact on employee engagement compared to flexible work arrangement, (1.8205) and the two showing a mean score of 1.9291 and 1.9921 respectively Health insurance coverage was identified as crucial in alleviating financial stress related to medical expenses, thereby enhancing employee well-being and engagement. Retirement benefits were also found to significantly boost engagement, reflecting the importance employees place on long-term financial security. Although flexible work arrangements positively influence engagement, their impact was less pronounced than that of health insurance and retirement benefits. This study highlights the paramount importance of comprehensive health insurance coverage and robust retirement benefits in driving employee engagement. The study recommends Organizations to ensure that employees have access to extensive health benefits to reduce financial stress and enhance well-being. And also adopt and promote flexible working policies to accommodate the diverse needs of their workforce, thereby boosting engagement.  

This study aimed at determining the pest's preferences for various maize cultivars grown in Jordan. The experiments were conducted at the Southern Ghor Agriculture Directorate, Ghor Al-Safi, Karak, Jordan in 2022. Multi-choice preference and non-choice susceptibility experiments were set up to determine the least preferred cultivar by the early and late larvae of the pest. Egyptian White Maize, Aqeeq F1, Egyptian Red Maize,Merkur F1, Thailand A528, and Asgrow, were used in the experiment. The results of the preference experiment revealed that Egyptian White Maize is the least preferred maize cultivar for both early and late larvae, followed by the other four cultivars: Aqeeq F1, Egyptian Red Maize, Thailand A528 and Merkur F1, while Asgrow represented significantly the most preferred plant cultivar. In the susceptibility experiment, for the early larvae, the findings indicated that the maize cultivar, Egyptian White Maize and Aqeeq F1 were significantly the least preferred cultivars, followed significantly by Merkur F1, Egyptian Red Maize and Asgrow, while Thailand A528 represented significantly the most preferred cultivar. Forlate larvae, Egyptian White Maize and Aqeeq F1 were significantly the least preferred cultivars, followed by Egyptian Red Maize, while Thailand A528, Merkur F1 and Asgrow represented significantly the most preferred cultivars. In the multi-choice preference and non-choice susceptibility experiments, there was a positive and significant correlation between the cultivars and the leaf area consumed by the early and late larvae. In addition, there was a significant interaction between feeding type (separately or together) and each of larvae type and cultivar.  

The study examines the effect of audit committee on earning quality reporting of listed oil and gas firms in Nigeria. The population of the study consists of eleven (11) oil and gas companies listed on the Nigerian Exchange Group (NXG) as at 31st December, 2022. The sample of eight listed companies was made from the population between 2013 and 2022. Secondary source of data was used to obtain ten (10) year audited financial statements. The study employed correlation and ordinary least square regression statistical technique in analyzing the obtained data. The findings revealed a significant relationship between audit committee and earnings quality reporting of the listed oil and gas firm in Nigeria. It is therefore recommended that the board should try and maintain the board size and the existing proportion of audit committee accounting expertise members while the number of female directors represented in the audit committee should be reduced.  

In the current research, attempts were made to isolate the potential plant growth-promoting bacterial (PGPRs) strains from the agricultural field soils from Udhampur (Jammu and Kashmir) and Gharuan (Punjab). A total of 9 bacterial strains were isolated, out of which 5 were isolated from the soil of the Jammu region and 4 from the Punjab region. In plant growth promotion tests out of the total, 55% of isolateswere found positive for HCN production while only 66% of isolates were positive in siderophore production. 55% and 88% of isolates show phosphate and zinc solubilization respectively and IAA was recorded only in the 66% of isolates. Isolates were identified at the molecular level using amplification and sequencing of 16S rRNA sequences. The DNA sequences were submitted to NCBI GenBank and accession numbers were obtained. A total of 5 isolates exhibited 4 or more than 4 plant growth-promoting traits and were inoculated with wheat varieties DBW 327, PBW 752, and Barley PL 426 grown in sterile pots containing soil and sand mixture. It was observed that the inoculated crop varieties show significant increases in 9.3%,15% and 9.9% height, 25%, 29%, and 40.2% increment in wet weight and 8.6%, 1.7% and 4.1% increment in chlorophyll content in the Wheat DBW-327, Wheat PBW-752 and Barley PL-426 crop varieties respectively than the uninoculated control plants. These isolates could become very crucial for the growth and yield of Wheat and Barley crops with sustainable agriculture. However, field trials are required to uncover the potential of isolates for plant growth and yield in an open uncontrolled environment.  

India, with its young population, boasts a demographic dividend. However, this advantage is overshadowed by a persistent challenge - youth unemployment. Many scholars in India attribute mass unemployment to lack of skills or a mismatch between the skills that job seekers possess and those that the industry requires. While skilling the youth can provide them with valuable skills and improve their employability, it alone is not sufficient to solve the unemployment problem due to various economic and structural factors. This paper goes further and argues that the root cause of the problem is not just a lack of skills but rather the inherent instability of capitalist production, which cannot always guarantee full employment. Additionally, Indian institutions that address the unemployment problem may not be effectively addressing the issue, which compounds the problem.  

This study investigates the impact of a 12-week psychological skill training program on the performance and psychological skill abilities of 400m runners. Utilizing a pre-test/post-test one-group experimental design, six athletes aged 19 to 25 from the Ethiopian Sport Academy participated in the intervention targeting imagery, relaxation, and self-talk. Performance and psychological skills were assessed before and after the intervention using standardized measures and the Psychological Skills Inventory for Sports. Descriptive analysis revealed a slight improvement in performance times post-intervention, with significant enhancements in relaxation and self-talk abilities. However, imagery ability remained relatively unchanged. Paired samples t-tests confirmed the statistical significance of these differences. These findings suggest that the intervention positively influenced both performance and psychological skill abilities. They align with previous research demonstrating the efficacy of psychological skill training in sports performance en8hancement. Further research is recommended to refine interventions for optimal effectiveness.  

Background: Inflammation of the fascia that covers the plantar area and the tissues around it is known as plantar fasciitis. The main reason for discomfort in the heel, which is found near the base of the foot, is plantar fasciitis. The pain and suffering linked to this illness can significantly affect physical mobility. The cause of this illness is not well known and is likely to be influenced by multiple factors.1This is a frequently occurring injury caused by over use.2The terms "jogger's heel," "tennis heel," and "policeman's heel" are other names for plantar fasciitis.The measurement is 4 feet and 5 inches. This study seeks to assess the advantages of 2 therapeutic approaches, DTFM and ultrasound method and it would be advantageous to compare their effectiveness in order to determine which technique is more suitable for relieving pain in patients with Plantar fasciitis. Method: This interventional study was conducted on a sample of 30 individuals who met the inclusion criteria for plantar fasciitis. Regarding the condition of plantar fasciitis. This study included 30 individuals who were randomly assigned to two groups. Each group consisted of 15 subjects. Subjects in Group A received Deep transverse friction treatment, Those in the B group were treated with ultrasound. Both groups were evaluated for pain using a VAS. The pretreatment visual analog scale (VAS) score was recorded prior to administering the treatment during all six sessions.The after treatment VAS rating was evaluated after each of the 6 sessions of therapy. Result: In the intergroup analysis, Group A has a mean rank of 8 and a total of ranks (R1) equal to 138.50. On the other hand, Group B has a mean rank of 8 and a sum of ranks (R2) equal to 300. The Mann- Whitney U test yielded a value of 165.0 and a matching value for P equal 0.0015.This P value indicates statistical significance, as it is less than the predetermined threshold of 0.0015. The analysis demonstrates that Group B (Ultrasound) is superior to Group A (Deep transverse friction) in alleviating pain. Conclusion: This study concludes that Ultrasound is more efficacious than DTFM in relieving the pain caused by plantar fasciitis. Both groups had a reduction in pain levels during the treatment session. Specifically, Group B saw a significant reduction in pain immediately following the therapy. Ultrasound is a useful therapy for treating pain in persons with plantar fasciitis.