National Australia Bank

Cooperatives have emerged as vital institutions for poverty alleviation and financial inclusion in Nepal, particularly in rural areas where agriculture remains subsistence-based and access to formal banking is limited. Savings and Credit Cooperatives bridge this gap by mobilizing savings, extending microcredit and providing skill-development opportunities. This study assesses the socio-economic impact of Janahitkari Saving and Credit Cooperative Limited in Birendranagar Municipality of Surkhet. A descriptive research design was applied using both primary and secondary data. Primary data was collected from randomly selected 368 members representing male and female equally. Data analysis employed simple statistical tools, such as number and percentage in tables. The results indicate significant economic and social improvements among cooperative members. Above three-fourths of the respondents reported increased income, while 81% improved their saving habits, reducing dependency on informal moneylenders. Social outcomes were also notable. Above four-fifths experienced enhanced social reputation, 78% gained new skills, and women, in particular, benefitted from greater decision-making power, leadership roles and financial independence. Similarly, 55% of the members secured new or improved livelihoods through cooperative-supported training. Despite these achievements, challenges persist. Around one-fourth of members failed to utilize loans productively, and landless individuals continued to face barriers due to collateral requirements. Training opportunities also remained unevenly distributed. Thus, the cooperatives are effective instruments for poverty reduction and empowerment in rural Nepal. However, reforms in inclusive lending, loan monitoring, and targeted youth- and women-focused programs are essential for maximizing their long-term developmental impact.

In this paper, we investigate household indebtedness in the lower half of the income distribution and examine the role of informal income, which is relevant for the design of macroprudential policy in developing economies. We identify five key patterns of household debt burden across the income distribution. First, lower-income deciles often exhibit a substantial gap relative to the national median. Nevertheless, most loans in the lower half of the income distribution are well serviced. This suggests that individuals at the bottom can manage their debt because a portion of their income is unreported, reflecting a reliance on informal employment and income. Comparing debt burden with loan performance thus provides a useful means to detect and potentially estimate the share of informal wages in the economy. Third, since informality makes it difficult to verify income, households in the lower deciles often carry relatively larger formal debt burdens, implying that macroprudential tightening may disproportionately affect these vulnerable groups. Fourth, we find that lower-income households rely heavily on credit from non-bank financial institutions. Finally, a higher share of non-performing loans across income groups originates from the non-bank sector. Taken together, these findings highlight critical considerations for designing effective macroprudential policy in economies with sizable informal sectors.

Abstract The conservation of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) is essential for global food and nutrition security, climate resilience and sustainable agriculture. This study presents a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework applied across 20 countries in the Global South to assess the state of ex situ PGRFA conservation. Using mixed methods, we collected quantitative and qualitative data on genebank performance, validated operational status, and identified specific needs of genebanks. Our findings demonstrate the practical use of this M&E framework for genebanks to assess efficiency and effectiveness in genebank management, while also guiding targeted capacity development and context-specific interventions to address persistent challenges. We recommend adopting the approaches described in this study, including genebank reviews and the review checklist, to support more systematic and evidence-based assessment of genebanks. Aligning national efforts with global conservation objectives will help generate actionable recommendations to strengthen genebanks and ensure the long-term conservation and availability of PGRFA.

Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (EVCS) deployment has been growing exponentially due to the fast integration of Electric Vehicles (EVs). These stations do not just handle the transfer of energy between the power grid and EVs, but also the delicate payment and user authentication procedures. Therefore, EVCS systems are becoming appealing to cyber attackers that want to take advantage of the existing vulnerabilities at grid interfaces and payment points. Privacy integrity and availability of such essential infrastructures are seriously threatened by data-leaking events, malware infection, ransomware and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. “we have to have a substantial amount of control over the data, both on an information network and the physical operations themselves.” —these breaches can also result in theft or alteration of financial data, and mismanagement of charging operations, energy theft and potentially destabilization of the grid. This study prescribes a holistic cybersecurity architecture including solutions for both grid communication links, as well as payment processing subsystems at EVCS locations. The method combines multi- factor authentication, anti-malware, malware detection/prevention, and secure communication protocols for an end-to-end secure operation. To avoid unauthorized access or manipulation in the command of energy transfer, encrypted communication with mutual authentication is implemented on grid interfaces. Tokenization, two-factor authentication and process of identification and verification for advanced fraud detection are methods that protect the payment gateways and financial transactions. Malware is combated with constant system monitoring, signature-based scanning and AI-based anomaly detection that can detect zero-day threats by identifying when things are not operating as they should be. Also, the solution includes firmware integrity check to prevent malicious attacks and uses segmentation to separate the payment network from the grid control systems, allowing the two to be isolated from each other – thus reducing the likelihood of cross system compromise. The experimental results are obtained on a simulated EVCS network with real-world charging and payment transactions data for different cyberattack scenarios, such as man-in-the-middle, SQL injection, phishing-based credential theft, and malware injection. Experiments showed a 97.8% detection rate, a 90% of the payment fraud attempts prevented and a very low overhead (<50ms) to normal charging or payment operations. The proposed framework provides a mechanism to make the infrastructure of EVCS a layered defense system that can address operation and finance security issues together. The project increases trust in EV uptake, strengthens regulatory adherence to data protection laws, and erects a resilient shield against advancing cyber threats within an expanding smart mobility environment. This study illustrates that, in addition to safeguarding monetary transactions, active cybersecurity is necessary to ensure the security of the operation of power systems linked to EV charging systems.

In the Technology Era, conflict between the individual’s identity and legislative regulation is inevitable. Snooping case is one of the glaring examples to defy the citizenry inalienable rights. The Pegasus snooping case has raised several difficult questions in the field of spyware and individual privacy. This is the first and foremost matter of the surveillance at large scale involves a large number of veteran journalists, lawyers, government officials, opposition leaders, social and human rights activists pose a serious threat to their life and security which is guaranteed as the fundamental rights under the Indian Constitution. The petitioner stated before the Supreme court of India that using military grade spyware for targeted surveillance is a direct violation of fundamental right to privacy as held in K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India (2017). This Article deals with the set of policy questions highlighted under the purview of relationship between the privacy and security distinction that deserve further research. Also, it is an attempt to examine the interpretation of the term national security and privacy and with the help of textual and judicial interpretation.

This study determined the dominant learning style in relation to the performance in Technology and Livelihood Education specializing in Home Economics and Industrial Arts at identified public secondary schools in Cebu province for School Year 2021-2022 as basis for a learning guide. The researchers employed the descriptive method of research using a modified standardized questionnaire in the gathering of important data relevant to the study. Findings revealed that majority of the teachers obtained units in master’s degree and has NC II certification, have been in the institution for more than 6 years, and have attended national trainings, seminars, and workshops. In addition, most of the learner-respondents are 13 years old and female. In terms of the dominant styles of the learners, majority of them are visual learners followed by tactile/bodily kinesthetic learners while auditory learners fell last. In relations to their level of academic performance for the fourth grading period, majority of the learners are in the proficient level in TLE. Lastly, the class performance of the learners when tested with their dominant learning style resulted in a significant correlation. It is recommended that the proposed Technical-Vocational Education Learning Guide will be utilized in the research locale.

Home-related spending in categories such as furnishings, renovations, and repairs is tied to housing market activity, with significant implications for aggregate expenditure dynamics. We refer to this relationship as the home purchase channel of expenditure. Using household-level panel data we estimate that home purchases lead to sizable increases in home-related spending, but not to increases in goods and services unrelated to home purchase. These findings are robust to the use of close-control groups and placebo tests. We then build a heterogeneous household model with housing, home renovations, and home-related durables that is calibrated to match our household-level evidence. Model simulations of housing market shocks generate large fluctuations in home-related and total expenditure. We show that the home purchase channel amplifies aggregate expenditure dynamics, with home-related spending accounting for around half of total spending fluctuations over the housing cycle.

The concept of Mahakumbh represents a significant cultural and spiritual gathering that transcends religious and social divides. It emphasizes the dynamic nature of knowledge and spiritual growth, advocating for the unity of human beings regardless of their individual identities. Drawing parallels with Newton’s law of inertia, the article highlights how stagnation in knowledge and belief systems leads to fanaticism and superstition, while a continuous engagement with traditions through modern perspectives ensures spiritual and intellectual relevance. The Mahakumbh, organized at the confluence of sacred rivers, symbolizes the purification of both body and soul. The mythological significance of the Kumbh as a vessel for nectar is linked to the metaphorical cleansing of human beings, removing the impurities caused by desires, anger, and greed. This gathering fosters unity, transcending caste, religion, and other divisions, encouraging a collective spirit of renunciation, knowledge, and devotion. It promotes the idea that true spirituality is not about personal pride or differences but about universal unity and self-reflection. The Mahakumbh serves as a living example of the eternal quest for truth, offering a platform for spiritual renewal and connection to the divine.

As smart homes are becoming more and more adopted by IoT technology, so are energy consumption levels increasing, which requires for intelligent and practical energy management solutions. The Smart Energy Consumption Prediction System is an AI powered, IoT, machine learning (ML), blockchain and edge computing integrated system to predict dynamically the consumption of energy. In the proposed system, the deep learning models including LSTMs, Transformers, and hybrid AI models are applied to real time energy consumption forecasting. Furthermore, optimization based on reinforcement learning is used for automation of energy scheduling aiming for the input of minimum cost with minimal power wastage. This is supplemented with a blockchain - based peer to peer (P2P) energy trading system that will allow for decentralized and secure energy transaction between smart home users. Federated learning is used to scale the system and achieve privacy, in order to train decentralized AI to multiple households without data leakage. It is integrated with edge computing in order to process the streaming sensor data with minimum latency and do away with cloud computing. Real world datasets are evaluated on the system, with, more accurate predictions, lower energy demand and cost savings. Ultimately, this research lays the groundwork for future AI enabled energy management solutions with respect to smart city infrastructure, and the smart city infrastructure of the future, as it aligns with the sustainable development goals.