Volume 13 | Issue 8 |

 Abstract

Early weed detection is an essential need for contemporary agriculture to avoid crop destruction, maximize herbicide application, and improve overall production. In chili crop cultivation, the occurrence of visually alike weeds makes detection challenging for visual identification, which tends to be tedious, prone to errors, and time-consuming. This study introduces a new deep learning-based method for early weed detection in chili crops by capitalizing on the strengths of three state-of-the-art convolutional neural network (CNN) models: EfficientNetV2B0, InceptionV3, and DenseNet201. An in-house dataset was gathered from actual chili fields with varying lighting conditions, occlusions, and background noises to facilitate effective training and generalization. The dataset was preprocessed and augmented to enhance feature learning and prevent overfitting. Both models were fine-tuned with transfer learning methods and learned on labeled images of weeds and non-weeds. Models were Assessed based on performance metrics such as accuracy, precision, and recall F1-score, and inference speed. Experimental findings indicated that EfficientNetV2B0 scored the best accuracy at 97.4%, followed by DenseNet201 (95.8%) and InceptionV3 (94.6%). EfficientNetV2B0 also demonstrated better generalization and inference speed, suitable for deployment in real-time on low-resource devices. This research proves the efficiency utilizing deep learning in automating weed detection and warrants the construction of smart agriculture implements to boost the performance of farmers, minimize the utilization of chemicals, and increase sustainable agriculture in chili production .

Licence: creative commons attribution 4.0

  License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 and The Open Definition

 Keywords

EfficientNetV2B0; InceptionV3; DenseNet201; Weed Detection; Chilli Crop; Deep Learning (DL); Machine Learning (ML); Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN); Image Classification; Precision Agriculture.

  License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 and The Open Definition

 Abstract

Gender equality is a crucial determinant of health and well-being, shaping access to resources, opportunities, and decision-making across societies. Health outcomes are not defined solely by biological factors but are strongly influenced by social and economic structures. Inequalities in healthcare access, education, employment, income, and protection from violence contribute to poor health outcomes, particularly for women and marginalized groups. Conversely, gender equality improves maternal and child health, enhances mental well-being, strengthens household economic security, and fosters safer communities. Global evidence demonstrates that countries prioritizing gender-sensitive policies achieve better population health indicators and progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Recognizing gender equality as a health determinant is therefore essential for building inclusive, equitable, and resilient health systems.

Licence: creative commons attribution 4.0

  License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 and The Open Definition

 Keywords

Gender equality, Health determinant, Well-being, Social determinants of health, Sustainable Development Goals, Women's empowerment

  License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 and The Open Definition

 Abstract

This essay entitled "Khasi Indigenous Knowledge System" is a brief reflection on the Khasi Indigenous Knowledge as a knowledge system. The Khasis are among the tribal groups inhabiting in the state of Meghalaya, Northeast region, India. From ancient times they have their own culture and lived within the framework of their cultural milieu, practices and worldview. The Khasi Indigenous Knowledge represent a unique knowledge system, practices and beliefs developed by the khasi communities over generations, encompassing diverse aspects of life, including the knowledge on agriculture, medicine, governance, cultural traditions and traditional practices, beliefs and values that have often passed down orally, providing a unique perspective on the natural world, human relationships and the cosmos.

Licence: creative commons attribution 4.0

  License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 and The Open Definition

 Keywords

Key words: Khasi Indigenous Knowledge, traditional practices, cultural sustainability, ecological resilience.

  License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 and The Open Definition

 Abstract

ABSTRACT: The United Nations Convention unanimously define the reasonable accommodation of persons with disabilities as follows: ... "necessary and appropriate modification and adjustments not imposing a disproportionate or undue burden, where needed in a particular case, to ensure to persons with disabilities the enjoyment or exercise on an equal basis with others of all human rights and fundamental freedoms". The famous Genevan Philosopher-cum-Sociologist Jean-Jacques Rousseau capsulates; "Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains" and an American Philosopher Henry David Thoreau observes as; "Man does not always live by laws and justice but by Grace", these three statements knock every sensitive mind to think seriously about the traditional evil practices of human discrimination on the basis of corporeally and psycho-socially deviations. But, the sufferings and subjugations of the marginalized persons across the globe are the never-ending miserable experiences. Scientific advancement in medical field and societal spaces enormously and tremendously hit the delicacies and intricacies of the status of marginalized person or groups of persons. Irrespective of the geographical frontiers, race, religion, culture, caste, creed, color, gender, polity, ethnicity and ethics the marginality in the society and in an advanced stage, the marginality among the marginals is still prevailing, proactive, alive and burning the very basic existence of the human diversity and mankind ecosystem. The persons with corporeally disabled are 'not only simply marginalized, but also the marginals among the marginalized too'. Millennium Development Sustainable Goals emphasizes on; Education for All, Health for All, Employability and Skill Oriented Opportunities for All - means irrespective of the psycho-physical barriers of an individual to enable them to attain self-reliance and humility. Innumerable number of policies and programs initiated, promoted and propagated by the governmental and non-governmental agencies at all stages of public-private-participatory modes of administration across the globe striving hard to minimize and dilute the gravity of the pain and agonal issues of the marginalized sect of persons with corporeally disabled to curb the extent and effects of evil practices of societal attitudes towards them. In this regard education i.e., elementary, secondary and higher education stages are pro introductory towards the eradicative measures related to inclusion of persons with disability in all spheres viz., socio-cultural-religious-political domains. Hence, the efforts are on with slow motion pace to publicize the process of transformation of social inclusion as a public friendly initiative through interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches. In order to attain the meaningful outcomes through time oriented visionary tasks and schedules; well structured, rationally calculated, scientifically analyzed, holistically perceived and spirally managed specific discipline is essentially required to be existed independently. Accordingly, by the efforts of a few thinkers and educationists across the globe have resulted in establishment of Disability Studies as an independent discipline to address the issues of the persons with disability in a systematic, proper and rational manner duly encouraging the stake holders to come forward to raise their voices against the violence and discrimination they face. At this juncture, the very existence of the Disability Studies as an independent department or discipline of studies at higher education ladder, the quantum of humanly deserved and socio-culturally bound niceties will be more vested with the said discipline pushing the same towards the paradigm shift through expansion by means of interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches. As a continuum of the assertions and arguments cited above, the well-structured and scientifically carved transdisciplinary mode of approach is expected to enhance the; exchange of knowledge and learning, focus on addressing a specific problem, embraced broader perspective, social interaction and collaboration, knowledge co-creation, equitable involvement, recognizing the interconnectedness, long-term perspective, implications and potential consequences of actions, innovative approaches, shared ownership of goals, processes and outcomes, all voices are heard and valued, flexibly organized structures etc.....so on and so forth. The aim of this paper is to emphasize the positive role of transdisciplinary approach followed by interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary to enhance and emphasize the quandaries and concerns of the victims, stakeholders, activists, visionaries and entrepreneurs of the filed of Disability Studies and compel the public administrative system to make this issue a 'mass concern' and constrain the society to modify and transform its biased attitude into an acceptable act for the persons with disability duly respecting their existence as they are in order to promote equity and equality of opportunity.

Licence: creative commons attribution 4.0

  License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 and The Open Definition

 Keywords

KEY WORDS: Vested, Nicety, Marginality, Social Exclusion, Interdisciplinary, Multidisciplinary, Transdisciplinary, Subjugation, Sufferings, Socio-Cultural-Political Implications, quandaries, paradigm shift, humility

  License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 and The Open Definition

 Abstract

The study titled, "Smart Phone Addiction and Facebook Usage of Secondary School Students of Educational Zone Banihal" was descriptive in nature. The study was conducted on 200 secondary school students which were randomly selected from different schools of Banihal. The data was collected by using standardized tools and was analyzed by using percentage and t-test and Correlational Ananlysis. The main findings of the study revealed that; ? Smart Phone Addiction was found more in females of Secondary School Students of Educational Zone Banihal as compared to male Secondary School Students of Educational Zone Banihal of Jammu and Kashmir. ? No significant difference in Mean Scores of Facebook Usage of Secondary School students of Educational Zone Banihal with respect to their Gender was found. ? No significant correlation between Mean Scores of Smart Phone Addiction and Mean Scores of Facebook Usage of Secondary School Students belonging to Educational zone of Banihal of Jammu and Kashmir was found.

Licence: creative commons attribution 4.0

  License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 and The Open Definition

 Keywords

Smart Phone, Facebook, Addiction, Random, Descriptive

  License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 and The Open Definition

 Abstract

All areas of development are affected due to the pandemic, but if we talk about the education sector, it has been seriously affected. The biggest example of which is Covid-19. The country had to bear the brunt of the lockdown during Covid 19. Due to the lockdown, many changes came in the lives of students, during the pandemic about 32 crore students missed school, college and they got away from educational activities. Considering the future of the students and the importance of education, online education was started, which is a good option to maintain continuity in education, it is not that we were not aware of online education before the pandemic, even before that students and educational institutions used to resort to this medium for teaching and learning, but then it was optional that through which medium the students and educational institutions want to study and teach, but the pandemic made this option necessary for every student and educational institution and at the time of lockdown it emerged as a light in the darkness for the education sector, which showed the way to the educational institutions that in which direction they have to go. Therefore, it has become necessary to create an e-learning platform by strengthening the online teaching learning mechanism through WhatsApp, Zoom Meet, Google Meet, YouTube Live, Facebook Live etc. through laptop, desktop, tablet or smartphone via the Internet. Online education has emerged as a strong base to deal with the obstacles in the field of education during the pandemic.

Licence: creative commons attribution 4.0

  License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 and The Open Definition

 Keywords

Pandemic, lockdown, online education, digitalisation, social distancing etc.

  License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 and The Open Definition

 Abstract

Abstract: The incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) into democratic governance marks one of the most transformative developments of the digital age. AI promises to improve policy-making through enhanced efficiency, data-driven insights, and responsive service delivery. At the same time, it raises profound concerns about transparency, accountability, human agency, and the preservation of democratic values. This paper critically examines the dual impact of AI on democracy, focusing on its potential to enrich citizen participation and policy outcomes while highlighting the dangers of algorithmic bias, technocratic overreach, and the erosion of political equality. Drawing on theoretical debates, empirical case studies, and emerging regulatory frameworks, the paper argues that sustainable integration of AI into democratic systems requires a careful balance between technological innovation and core democratic principles, underpinned by ethical guidelines, institutional reforms, and active public engagement.

Licence: creative commons attribution 4.0

  License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 and The Open Definition

 Keywords

artificial intelligence, democracy, policy making, algorithmic bias, sustainable integration

  License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 and The Open Definition

 Abstract

This case study delves into Nike's strategic evolution in response to the rise of the creator economy and the shifting dynamics of consumer behaviour in the digital age. As traditional advertising models began to lose their influence--particularly among Gen Z and Millennial consumers--Nike recognized the need to pivot its branding strategy. Historically reliant on high-profile athlete endorsements, the brand began transitioning toward a more decentralized, authentic, and community-focused model of marketing built around influencers and content creators. By collaborating with a wide spectrum of influencers--including Nano-, micro-, macro-, and celebrity-level figures--Nike built a multi-platform presence across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and emerging social ecosystems. These influencers were not just brand promoters but co-creators, helping Nike communicate its values of innovation, inclusivity, empowerment, and sustainability in a relatable and culturally relevant manner. The case explores the core components of Nike's influencer marketing strategies. The study provides a comparative analysis of traditional vs. influencer marketing ROI, evaluating Nike's success in terms of engagement rates, content lifespan, brand favourability, and conversion metrics. Special attention is given to campaigns like "You Can't Stop Us" and "Move with Nike", which exemplify the brand's ability to blend storytelling with platform-native engagement. The study investigates the challenges of influencer marketing, such as maintaining brand consistency across diverse voices, avoiding influencer fatigue, and safeguarding against reputational risks. It also discusses Nike's use of AI and analytics platforms (like Creator IQ and Upfluence) to optimize campaign performance and mitigate these risks. Ultimately, this case positions Nike as a pioneering legacy brand in the influencer marketing space--balancing scalability with personalization, and tradition with innovation. The findings not only highlight Nike's success but also provide a framework for other global brands seeking to thrive in the evolving landscape of social media-driven, creator-led brand engagement.

Licence: creative commons attribution 4.0

  License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 and The Open Definition

 Keywords

A Study on Nike's Influencer Playbook: An authenticity and ROI in the Creator Economy

  License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 and The Open Definition

 Abstract

पंडित दीनदयाल उपाध्याय न केवल एक राजनेता थे, बल्कि भारतीय चिंतन परंपरा के एक ऐसे मौलिक विचारक थे जिन्होंने पश्चिमी राजनीतिक और आर्थिक सिद्धांतों के बीच एक भारतीय विकल्प प्रस्तुत किया। उनका ‘एकात्म मानववाद’ एक ऐसी समन्वित दृष्टि है, जिसमें मनुष्य को केवल आर्थिक उत्पादक या उपभोक्ता नहीं, बल्कि एक चैतन्य, नैतिक और आध्यात्मिक सत्ता के रूप में देखा गया है। उन्होंने यह स्पष्ट किया कि भारतीय समाज की रचना, उसकी आवश्यकताएँ और उसकी चेतना पश्चिमी समाजों से भिन्न है, अतः इसके समाधान भी भारतीय संस्कृति की अंतःप्रेरणा से ही निकल सकते हैं। उनकी विचारधारा यह मानती है कि समाज, व्यक्ति और राष्ट्र अलग-अलग नहीं, बल्कि एक अविभाज्य इकाई के रूप में जुड़े हुए हैं। जिस प्रकार शरीर के विभिन्न अंग मिलकर शरीर की क्रियाशीलता और स्वास्थ्य को बनाए रखते हैं, उसी प्रकार व्यक्ति, परिवार, समाज और राष्ट्र एक जीवंत इकाई के रूप में कार्य करते हैं। एकात्म मानववाद में इस जीवन-दृष्टि को केंद्रीय स्थान प्राप्त है। इसके अनुसार, समाज की प्रगति तभी संभव है जब व्यक्ति का सर्वांगीण विकास हो और वह विकास केवल आर्थिक नहीं, बल्कि शारीरिक, मानसिक, बौद्धिक और आत्मिक चारों स्तरों पर हो। उपाध्याय जी का मानना था कि केवल योजनाओं और आंकड़ों के सहारे समाज का विकास नहीं किया जा सकता, जब तक उस समाज की आत्मा को न समझा जाए। वे इस बात पर बल देते थे कि भारत का विकास स्वदेशी सिद्धांतों और भारतीय संस्कृति की आत्मा के अनुरूप ही संभव है। उनके अनुसार, पूंजीवाद जहां व्यक्ति को अत्यधिक स्वार्थी और भोगवादी बनाता है, वहीं साम्यवाद व्यक्ति को राज्य का दास बना देता है और उसकी स्वतंत्रता तथा सृजनशीलता का ह्रास करता है। इन दोनों का विरोध करते हुए उन्होंने एक ऐसा मार्ग सुझाया जो व्यक्ति की गरिमा, समाज की एकता, और राष्ट्र की सांस्कृतिक पहचान को एकसूत्र में बांधता है। एकात्म मानववाद एक तरह से भारतीय समाज के पुनर्गठन की रूपरेखा है, जो आर्थिक योजनाओं, सामाजिक संरचना और राजनीतिक दिशा को एक साझा सांस्कृतिक दृष्टि में समाहित करता है। इस विचार में ग्राम स्वराज, विकेन्द्रीकरण, स्थानीय संसाधनों पर आधारित आत्मनिर्भरता और नैतिक मूल्यों पर आधारित नेतृत्व के दर्शन मिलते हैं। उन्होंने यह संदेश दिया कि तकनीक और विज्ञान का उपयोग अवश्य किया जाए, परंतु वह भारतीय मूल्यों और जीवनशैली के अनुरूप हो। आज जबकि भारत तीव्र आर्थिक विकास, शहरीकरण और वैश्वीकरण के दौर से गुजर रहा है, एकात्म मानववाद की यह चेतना अत्यंत प्रासंगिक हो गई है। यह केवल एक राजनीतिक वैकल्पिक विचारधारा नहीं, बल्कि राष्ट्र की सांस्कृतिक और आध्यात्मिक पुनर्रचना का मार्गदर्शन करती है। यह दृष्टि हमें यह समझने में मदद करती है कि भारत का पुनर्निर्माण केवल भौतिक संसाधनों से नहीं, बल्कि आत्मा से जुड़ी विचारधाराओं से होगा — जहां व्यक्ति के भीतर दायित्वबोध, समाज के प्रति संवेदना और राष्ट्र के लिए समर्पण की भावना हो। इस प्रकार, पंडित दीनदयाल उपाध्याय का एकात्म मानववाद आज के समय में एक वैचारिक पथप्रदर्शक के रूप में खड़ा है, जो भारतीय चिंतन की मौलिकता, उसकी व्यापकता और समग्रता का प्रतीक बन चुका है। उनके विचार आज भी हमें यह स्मरण कराते हैं कि भारत का भविष्य तभी उज्जवल होगा जब उसकी आत्मा, संस्कृति और मूल्य उसके विकास के केंद्र में होंगे।

Licence: creative commons attribution 4.0

  License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 and The Open Definition

 Keywords

दीनदयाल उपाध्याय एकात्म मानववाद, भारतीय सामाजिक संरचना, ग्राम स्वराज, विकास और संस्कृति, मानव विकास

  License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 and The Open Definition

 Abstract

In our ancient Tamil Kingdoms described by the Sangam Age, in a war, the power king "Annihilates" his enemies, their kingdom and generally do not stop the war and its destruction, in spite of the sufferings to the people, natural resources and properties of the enemy kingdom. A king of any kingdom is also so compassionate towards his people and all living things! This character is expressed in the literary works describing the 7 great benefactors who were Pari, Valvil Ori, Nedumudi Kari, Began, Aai Andiran, Nalli and Adhiyaman. If kings, upholding such values and virtues of benefaction, also engage in complete annihilation of their enemies, then what can be the internal prompt or force for the king's behaviour? What can be the possible psychological underpinnings of such act? This article attempts to explore the same and present the same..

Licence: creative commons attribution 4.0

  License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 and The Open Definition

 Keywords

Fear, Anxiety, Annihilation, Flight or Fight Syndrome, Responding, Reacting

  License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 and The Open Definition