This paper provides a comparative perspective on infrastructure provision in developing Asia's three largest countries: China, India, and Indonesia. It discusses their achievements and shortfalls in providing network infrastructure (energy, transport, water, and telecommunications) over the past two decades. It documents how three quite distinct development paths—and very different levels of national saving and investment—were manifested in different trajectories of infrastructure provision. The paper then describes the institutional, economic, and policy factors that enabled or hindered progress in providing infrastructure. Here, contrasting levels of centralization of planning played a key role, as did countries’ differing abilities to mobilize infrastructure-related revenue streams such as user charges and land value capture. The paper then assesses future challenges for the three countries in providing infrastructure in a more integrated and sustainable way, and links these challenges with the global development agenda to which the three countries have committed. The concluding recommendations hope to provide a platform for further policy and research dialogue.

The present work conducts a comprehensive thermodynamic analysis of a 150 MW_e Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) using Indian coal as the fuel source. The plant layout is modelled and simulated using the “Cycle-Tempo” software. In this study, an innovative approach is employed where the gasifier's bed material is heated by circulating hot water through pipes submerged within the bed. The analysis reveals that increasing the external heat supplied to the gasifier enhances the hydrogen (H₂) content in the syngas, improving both its heating value and cold gas efficiency. Additionally, this increase in external heat favourably impacts the Steam-Methane reforming reaction, boosting the H₂/CH₄ ratio. The thermodynamic results show that the plant achieves an energy efficiency of 44.17% and an exergy efficiency of 40.43%. The study also identifies the condenser as the primary source of energy loss, while the combustor experiences the greatest exergy loss.

Shore line change is considered as one of the most dynamic processes, which were mapped along the coast of Tiruvallur district by using topographic maps of 1976 and multi-temporal satellite images. The satellite images pertaining to 1988, 1991, 2006, 2010, 2013 and 2016 were used to extract the shorelines. It is important to map and monitor the HTL (High Tide Line) at frequent time intervals as the shoreline was demarcated by using visual interpretation technique from satellite images and topographic maps. Followed by this, an overlay analysis was performed to calculate areas of erosion and accretion in the study area. The results revealed that the coast of Tiruvallur district lost 603 ha and gained 630 ha due to erosion and accretion respectively. It was confirmed after the ground truth survey carried out in the study area. The high accretion of 178 ha was found nearby Pulicat Lake and low accretion of 19 ha was seen between Pulicat Lake and Kattupali Port. The high erosion area was found along the Pulicat Lake, Kattupali and Ennore ports, and Ennore creek mouth and southern Ennore such as Periya Kuppam, Chinna Kuppam, Kasi Koil Kuppam, and Thyagarajapuram. It may be concluded that the coastal erosion and accretion in the study area were mainly caused by anthropogenic and natural factors, which altered the coastal environment.

A reservoir of vegetation, wildlife, and medicinal plant abundance is represented by the Haridwar forest divisions. This study deals with the results of ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants conducted in the Haridwar forest division during the period of December 2016 and March 2019. The information on folk medicinal use of plants were gathered by interviewing with local healers and Vaidya’s who have long been advising the folk medicines for medication of various disorders. The important folk medicinal data of 33 medicinal plants species belonging to 22 families and 33 genera practiced by tribal and local people of the study area has been recorded by the survey team of the Institute. Fabaceae followed by the Lamiacea and Asteraceae were the dominant families. The species diversity showed maximum exploration of Trees, Herbs followed by Shrubs and Climbers. Leaves, seed and root were the most prevalently used part in study followed by the stem bark, fruit, flower, stem and fruit pulp. During the study it was observed that the traditional practices of Gujjars of Uttarakhand have close relation with forests and have strong dependency on the same for food, medicine, timber and fodder etc. The information recorded for the treatment in different ailments has been presented in the paper in the pie charts and tabular form. In the recorded information most of the plants along with Plant name, Family name, Voucher Specimen No., Local Name/Unani name, Part Used, Diseases/Condition and Habitat/ICBN status so as to enrich the existing knowledge on ethnopharmacology. Many of the medications used today have their roots in traditional knowledge of medicinal plants and indigenous uses of plant material, and there are still a plethora of potentially useful pharmaceutical chemicals to be found. In this regard, more in-depth field research could aid in the discovery of novel plant species utilized in indigenous medical systems to improve patient needs. With this aim this study was conducted to explore and trace the ethnobotanical potential of flora of the Haridwar forest division so that it could prove to be immensely advantageous for both the development of new medications to treat dreadful and catastrophic illnesses as well as for the study and preservation of cultural and social variety.