French Institute of Pondicherry

Redefining key economic concepts such as "production" and "work" is a major advance of feminist economics. In a financialized economy where poor households are increasingly dependent on credit and savings to make a living, further redefinition is needed: financial work appears to be an extension of domestic work, largely undertaken by women. Drawing on ethnographic financial diaries conducted in Tamil Nadu, South India, this article quantifies and qualifies the content and scope of financial work and the gender division. Financial work includes contracting credits, managing and repaying debts, planning, making donations, and lending money. Sustaining household reproduction, all of this is real work as it involves routine, time-consuming tasks, and skills.

This study investigates dynamic morphological processes, cyclone-induced shoreline migrations, and land-use/land-cover (LULC) characteristics in the region of Gulf of Mannar Islands between southeast India and Sri Lanka. This is an area consisting of 21 ecologically sensitive islands that are strategically important for biodiversity and as a natural coastal barrier. A geospatial and remote sensing approach was adopted for conducting an assessment of shoreline dynamics using Endpoint Rate (EPR), Linear Regression Rate (LRR), Net Shoreline Movement (NSM), Weighted Linear Regression (WLR), and Shoreline Change Envelope (SCE). Then cyclone-induced shoreline changes were calculated through satellite-based change detection and by utilizing geospatial indices such as EPR, NSM, and SCE. Erosion was intense in the areas of various islands especially Vhan, Karai Challi, Mulli, Myual, Vishal, and Rameswaram. Cyclone-induced shoreline changes manifested asymmetrical responses, wherein erosion occurred on leeward shores and accretion was experienced on windward sectors. Rameswaram and Krusadai Islands, touted to be tourism hotspots by the Government of Tamil Nadu, are particularly sensitive to impacts attributed to extreme events and anthropogenic pressures. LULC classification based on 2022 satellite data shows scrub forest, barren land, and sandy land as the dominating classes, with Rameswaram showing the greatest degree of anthropogenic changes. The implications of this study further underscore the urgent need to develop adaptive shoreline management strategies regulated by systematic satellite-based monitoring of contextual ecological indicators and community-led conservation. This research provides imaging and geospatial insights to assist policymakers and coastal planners in managing these fragile island ecosystems sustainably.

Background Plant growth form diversity stems from a wide range of life history traits, yet vegetative architecture remains relatively understudied. Aims This study investigated the genus Thottea, a small group of understorey plants in tropical forests, to examine how shifts in growth form relate to variations in plant architecture, woodiness and stem biomechanics. Methods We analysed plant architecture, stem biomechanics, and anatomical features for nine Thottea species from lowland tropical forests in Peninsular India. A molecular phylogenetic framework was used to assess shifts in growth form and related traits. Results All Thottea species displayed a uniform architecture defined by (a) mixed axes (i.e. a single meristem determine both trunk and branch), (b) basal reiteration and (c) repetition of elementary modules. Growth form variations arose from distinct combinations of woodiness, below-ground structures and reiteration processes. Conclusion Key traits such as adaptive reiteration and basal reiteration, above-ground woodiness, mechanical reinforcement and plagiotropy are pivotal to the adaptation of species of Thottea to disturbed and shaded understorey habitats. These trait syndromes represent important life history strategies linked to the challenges of understorey life and have evolutionary implications across the genus.

In less than a decade, access to most of India's welfare schemes has been digitalised. Biometric IDs such as AADHAAR, PM-JAY and ABHA are now required to access healthcare and welfare. What is the genealogy of these identification systems? How are citizens navigating between multiple health IDs? What kind of data are these IDs encapsulating? How are these databases communicating? What is the role of state, parastatal and private actors in building/maintaining these infrastructures? With a multisited ethnography of digital health infrastructure in India, our paper builds on a genealogy of biometric identification in public health. It relies on archival and ethnographic materials collected between 2017 and 2024 in Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala. Analysing the politics of unique identification in healthcare and welfare, we detail the differences and common grounds between digital systems that are confusing citizens and displacing their datafied identities. Our analysis suggests that public health insurance for the poorest often turns out to be a testing ground for digital innovation. The most vulnerable strata of the population are bound to experience the complexity, duplicity, and breakdowns in the digital systems to exert their right to healthcare and welfare.

Heatwaves pose a growing threat to populations, with their intensity and frequency rising due to recent climate change. A combined vulnerability index, based on multiple indicators of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity, can produce effective vulnerability maps that visualize and identify areas at risk from environmental change. This study aims to create a composite heatwave vulnerability index (CHVI) map by assessing 20 indicators for each municipality in Mexico. Principal component analysis was used to assign weights to each parameter, minimizing overlapping and exaggeration. Geospatial analysis of the data offered valuable insights into the statistical relationships within each indicator and across states. The CHVI map shows that Tabasco (94.63%), Ciudad de Mexico (80.03%), and Campeche (71.83%) have the highest proportions of land in the very high vulnerability category. The calculated exposure, sensitivity, adaptive capacity, and CHVI for each municipality help identify affected areas and populations within each vulnerability class. Population density significantly influences CHVI scores in built-up areas, while socio-economic status, infrastructure, and green spaces lessen the impact of heatwaves. Integrating remote sensing and geographic information system technologies enhances understanding and supports the development of mitigation strategies that government and non-governmental agencies should implement to better manage risks.