VOLUME 3, ISSUE 9, SEPTEMBER 2026

Abstract: This study examines the socio-economic vulnerability of daily-wage workers in India through an Ambedkarian labour justice perspective. Using a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) guided by PRISMA 2020, the study synthesizes evidence on economic insecurity, employment instability, occupational risks, social protection gaps, and inequalities related to caste, gender, and migration. The findings demonstrate that worker vulnerability is multidimensional and structurally embedded. Drawing on Ambedkar's principles of equality, dignity of labour, economic justice, and social security, the study proposes an Ambedkarian Labour Justice Framework for more inclusive labour governance. The study argues for a shift from employment generation towards employment with dignity, security, equality, and rights in India.

Keywords: Daily-Wage Workers; Socio-Economic Vulnerability; Ambedkarian Labour Justice; Informal Employment; Social Security; Labour Governance.

Abstract: Algorithms are entering child protection and welfare casework faster than the ethical frameworks that govern social work practice can accommodate them. This paper is not concerned with whether such tools are effective; it is concerned with whether confidentiality, informed consent, and professional accountability continue to function once decision-making authority is distributed between a caseworker and a computational system.

We ground the argument in Floridi's information ethics, read alongside the ethics of care and the data justice literature, to show that algorithmic mediation destabilises these commitments at a structural rather than incidental level. Drawing on critical policy analysis of the NASW Code of Ethics, the IFSW Global Statement of Ethical Principles, a systematically identified body of recent empirical and conceptual scholarship on algorithmic decision-making across child welfare, public administration, and healthcare, and current regulatory instruments — the EU AI Act as amended by the 2026 Digital Omnibus, the OECD AI Principles, and India's newly notified Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025 — we identify three structural gaps. Consent frameworks were not designed to anticipate downstream, predictive reuse of client data. Confidentiality provisions presume a practitioner control over information that has, in practice, migrated into opaque proprietary systems. Accountability mechanisms remain fixed on the individual practitioner even as decisional authority has shifted toward institutional and commercial actors.

We examine the counter-argument that algorithmic tools may reduce inconsistency and bias in casework, and we show why this claim, even where empirically supported, resolves only one of the three gaps and leaves consent and accountability untouched. The paper closes with an original accountability framework organised around layered and renewable consent, mandated algorithmic transparency toward practitioners, and institutional co-responsibility for automated decisions, with attention to its implications for social work practice, professional education, and policy.

Keywords: social work ethics, algorithmic decision-making, informed consent, confidentiality, information ethics, data justice, digital welfare

Abstract: Digital payment allows a monetary transaction to be completed between two or more parties on an online platform, without the physical exchange of currency, at any hour and from any location. This paper examines the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for digital payment services in India and the trajectory of growth that followed. The study is based on secondary data drawn from the Reserve Bank of India, the National Payments Corporation of India, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and published research. It finds that the total volume of digital payment transactions rose from 20.71 billion in FY 2017-18 to 222.6 billion in FY 2024-25, that the Unified Payments Interface accounted for 83.4 per cent of ecosystem volume by FY 2024-25, and that the pandemic acted as a decisive accelerant by making contactless payment a matter of public health rather than convenience. Cyber-security risk, the rural-urban infrastructure divide and limited digital literacy remain the principal constraints on equitable adoption.

Keywords: Digital payment services, COVID-19, Unified Payments Interface, contactless payment, financial inclusion, fintech, Digital India.

Abstract: For investors, politicians, and financial institutions worldwide, the ever-evolving global financial landscape presents both opportunities and problems. In order to help stakeholders effectively navigate these dynamic markets, this article looks at the key trends influencing international finance, identifies new risks, and highlights opportunities. Understanding the processes causing change is crucial for promoting stability and sustainable growth in the interconnected global economy, from technological advancement to geopolitical shifts.

सारांश: प्रारम्भिक बाल्यावस्था मानव जीवन की वह विकासात्मक अवस्था है जिसमें शारीरिक वृद्धि, मस्तिष्कीय विकास, भाषा, संज्ञानात्मक क्षमता, सामाजिक-भावनात्मक व्यवहार तथा सीखने की आधारभूत क्षमताएँ तीव्र गति से विकसित होती हैं। स्वास्थ्य, पोषण, देखभाल और प्रारम्भिक शिक्षा इस प्रक्रिया के पृथक नहीं बल्कि परस्पर निर्भर घटक हैं। प्रस्तुत शोध-पत्र भारत के संदर्भ में प्रारम्भिक बाल्यावस्था स्वास्थ्य एवं शिक्षा के संबंध का वर्णनात्मक और विश्लेषणात्मक अध्ययन प्रस्तुत करता है। अध्ययन मुख्यतः द्वितीयक स्रोतों—राष्ट्रीय शिक्षा नीति 2020, NFHS-आधारित विश्लेषण तथा UNICEF India की हालिया रिपोर्टों—पर आधारित है। विश्लेषण में बाल पोषण, स्तनपान, पूरक आहार, प्रारम्भिक शिक्षा, ECCE, आंगनवाड़ी व्यवस्था, सामाजिक-आर्थिक असमानता तथा उत्तर प्रदेश में ECCE भागीदारी पर ध्यान दिया गया है। उपलब्ध साक्ष्य बताते हैं कि भारत में ECCE को नीतिगत रूप से शिक्षा की आधारभूत अवस्था में शामिल किया गया है, लेकिन पोषण की गुणवत्ता और सेवाओं की समान पहुँच अभी भी महत्वपूर्ण चुनौतियाँ हैं। UNICEF India की 2025 nutrition brief के अनुसार लगभग 70 प्रतिशत पाँच वर्ष से कम आयु के बच्चे एनीमिया से प्रभावित हैं और केवल 11 प्रतिशत बच्चों को minimum acceptable diet मिलता है। NFHS-5 आधारित UNICEF evidence में 42 प्रतिशत शिशुओं को जन्म के पहले घंटे में स्तनपान, 64 प्रतिशत को छह माह तक exclusively breastfeeding तथा 46 प्रतिशत 6–8 माह के शिशुओं को complementary food मिलने की सूचना है। अध्ययन का निष्कर्ष है कि बाल स्वास्थ्य, पोषण, परिवार और प्रारम्भिक शिक्षा को एकीकृत ECCE framework में देखने की आवश्यकता है।

प्रमुख शब्द: प्रारम्भिक बाल्यावस्था, बाल स्वास्थ्य, पोषण, ECCE, आंगनवाड़ी, प्रारम्भिक शिक्षा, विद्यालय तत्परता, गृह विज्ञान, भारत।

Abstract: The rapid expansion of the Pokémon trading card market has transformed collectible cards from recreational products into alternative assets with substantial economic value. This study examines the effects of scarcity, trading behaviour, and speculative investment on price appreciation in the Pokémon card market. A quantitative, cross-sectional research design was adopted, involving 550 Pokémon card collectors, traders, and investors, comprising 350 female (63.6%) and 200 male (36.4%) respondents. Data were measured using a five-point Likert-scale questionnaire and analysed through descriptive statistics, Cronbach’s alpha reliability analysis, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression. The analytical illustration demonstrates satisfactory construct reliability, with Cronbach’s alpha values ranging from 0.837 to 0.855. Positive relationships were observed between price appreciation and scarcity (r = 0.471), speculative investment (r = 0.442), and trading behaviour (r = 0.425). The regression model explained approximately 50.6% of the variance in price appreciation (R² = 0.506), with scarcity showing the strongest association (β = 0.367), followed by speculative investment (β = 0.303) and trading behaviour (β = 0.289). The findings illustrate how limited availability, active market participation, and expectations of future financial gains may jointly contribute to economic value creation within collectible markets. The study contributes to the emerging literature on collectible assets by integrating scarcity economics, behavioural trading, and speculative investment within a unified framework for understanding Pokémon card price appreciation. Because the statistical results are based on a simulated analytical dataset, the findings should be interpreted as an illustration of the proposed empirical model rather than evidence derived from actual respondent-level observations.

Keywords: Pokémon Cards; Economic Value Creation; Scarcity; Trading Behaviour; Speculative Investment; Price Appreciation; Collectible Assets; Behavioural Finance.