CEPT University

Abstract. In India, land ownership disputes remain a major source of litigation, often resulting from fragmented records, lack of transparency, and outdated administrative processes. This study explores the potential of geospatially enabled blockchain technology to transform land administration into a secure, efficient, and trust based system. By combining the immutability and decentralization of blockchain with the spatial precision of geospatial data, the research proposes a digital framework that enhances the integrity of land transactions and builds stakeholder confidence. The methodology follows a modular system development approach using both software and database life cycle models. Through fact finding, stakeholder interviews, prototyping, and interface development, the system was designed to accommodate various users buyers, sellers, inspectors, and administrators. Key features include cryptographic public private key generation and secure hashing algorithms for transaction protection. A functional prototype was developed using Java and MySQL, integrating GIS capabilities and smart contracts to automate processes and ensure spatial traceability. The system’s performance was assessed based on its completeness, usability, and security. Results showed that the blockchain ledger enabled real time synchronization and minimized the risk of fraud, tampering, or duplication. Incorporating spatial data allowed for visual verification of land parcels and ownership histories, improving reliability for both citizens and government agencies. This research demonstrates how integrating geospatial intelligence with blockchain can modernize land governance, reduce bureaucratic delays, and foster a more transparent and citizen centric system. It presents a promising direction for high performance, scalable digital infrastructure in rapidly developing regions.

ABSTRACT Witnessing an immense increase in its urban transport investments since the 2000s, the early 2000s in India saw a number of bus rapid transit, walking, and cycling projects. However, many of these projects were systematically stalled through bad press, judicial interventions, and, eventually, the reduction or withdrawal of funding. In 2015, Indian transport policies gradually entered the new infrastructure regime, promising ‘world-class’ and supposedly sustainable mobility options with smart technology and shiny public infrastructure. Large-scale investments were made in building and expanding road infrastructure and metro rail projects, and promoting electric vehicles. Employing discourse analysis to study policy documents across the years, we argue that there has been a shift in transport planning policy from ‘affordable’ to ‘aspirational’ transport infrastructure and with sustainability used as a buzzword. Whether these are the aspirations of the State or the people, infrastructure building has become an important part of political value signaling. As the aspirational aspects become the new rationality guiding the funding and implementation of infrastructure projects, sustainability remains in the policy rhetoric, and the concerns of accessibility and affordability recede into the background. The prevalence and popularity of ‘aspirational infrastructure’ define the ongoing low-carbon mobility transition in the Global South.

Due to the growing threat of climate change, the pressing need for carbon dioxide capture has become a global priority in the development of innovative technologies. Multipronged approaches and multifarious research efforts are underway to efficiently capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from emission sources, ambient air, and indoor air. Currently, absorption is the dominant industrial-scale process, using different solvents and their blends to lower the energy intensity of solvent desorption and regeneration. However, adsorption is emerging as a promising alternative due to its energy efficiency, eco-friendliness, and potential for large-scale applications. High-performance sorbents with large surface areas and bio-based materials exhibit high CO2 loading and selectivity in fixed-bed and fluidized-bed systems. Cryogenic CO2 capture systems, which do not require solvents or membranes, are optimized for energy through process integration. Researchers are investigating different membrane materials in hollow fiber membrane contactors for enhanced CO2 capture efficiency. Membranes that can selectively filter CO2 from gas mixtures are also being explored. Furthermore, hybrid technologies integrating different CO2 capture approaches are being developed to reduce costs and boost overall performance to curb rising atmospheric CO2 levels.

ABSTRACT Journals in the field of Library and Information Science (LIS) can serve as indicators for the growth of literature in every field of knowledge and understanding. This investigation collects and computes information technology (IT) related bibliographic datasets from the past 12 years (2012–2023) that were indexed in the Web of Science. Bibliometric methods were employed to analyze this data. The findings show that the Average number of Citations per Total Publications and Average number of Citations per Total Cited Publications were the greatest in the year 2012 (30.71 and 36.40, respectively). The extracted data indicates that the United States had the largest number of total publications (7,837) and total citations (180,288). It was followed by China, the UK, India, and Australia, which have been among the top five leading countries. Interestingly, when reviewing the publishing by organization metrics, China’s Wuhan University ranks number one, followed by the University of South Africa. Scientometrics from Springer was found to be the most published journal with 1,373 total publications and 27,241 total citations in the information technology (IT) literature. Among the top 10 authors, M. Thelwall holds the most publications (119) with total citations (3,582) and h-index (33). It is anticipated that this study will aid librarians and IT industry experts in their future efforts to expand this approach.

The rapid urbanization of Jaipur has profoundly altered its urban climate, driven by anthropogenic heat flux (AF) and shifts in surface energy dynamics. This study leverages remote sensing techniques, utilizing Landsat data, to quantify AF and assess its influence on the city’s climate. The findings reveal a striking paradox; despite a significant rise in AF from 127.31 W/m2 in 1993 to 201.82 W/m2 in 2020, Jaipur exhibits an anomalous urban cool island (UCI) effect during the daytime. In this phenomenon, surrounding fallow lands experience higher land surface temperatures (LSTs) than the urban core, defying the typical urban heat island (UHI) effect observed in most cities worldwide. This paradox is especially pronounced in semi-arid urban environments, where factors such as limited vegetation, arid conditions, and water scarcity intricately shape peculiar thermal behaviour. This study further highlights the role of urban expansion, with built-up areas growing from 11.95% in 1993 to 19% in 2020, intensifying AF. Notably, the latent heat flux was highest in vegetated areas, significantly reducing LSTs by facilitating evapotranspiration. Daytime surface temperatures have surged significantly, with temperatures ranging from 26–46.9 °C in 1993 to 31–56.5 °C in 2020, indicating an overall increase in surface heat intensity. Despite these increases, the UCI effect remains observable, further illustrating the cooling potential of urban vegetation. This study offers novel insights into the intricate dynamics of urban heat in semi-arid cities, providing refined perspectives on urban heat mitigation strategies and climate adaptation, with implications for future sustainable urban planning and environmental management.