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This paper aims to present a high-order scheme to approximate generalized derivative of Caputo type for μ ∈ (0,1). The scheme is used to find the numerical solution of generalized fractional advection-diffusion equation define in terms of the generalized derivative.

The Taylor expansion and the finite difference method are used for achieving the high order of convergence which is numerically demonstrated. The stability of the scheme is proved with the help of Von Neumann analysis.

Generalization of fractional derivatives using scale function and weight function is useful in modeling of many complex phenomena occurring in particle transportation. The numerical scheme provided in this paper enlarges the possibility of solving such problems.

The Taylor expansion has not been used before for the approximation of generalized derivative. The order of convergence obtained in solving generalized fractional advection-diffusion equation using the proposed scheme is higher than that of the schemes introduced earlier.

Plato and contemporary thinkers including American philosopher Martha Nussbaum have emphasized the need for political consciousness among the youth. Cultivating Humanity: A Classical Defence of Reform in Liberal Education by Nussbaum expressed that

It would be catastrophic to become a nation of technically competent people who have lost the ability to think critically, to examine themselves, and to respect the humanity and diversity of others.

It would be catastrophic to become a nation of technically competent people who have lost the ability to think critically, to examine themselves, and to respect the humanity and diversity of others.

Ideologically, it has been proven that advancement in technology can shift social ethos if we use it intelligently and then technology can lead to activism.

Digital activism can be defined as the use of electronic communication devices, for example, social media, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, e-mail, e-blogging, micro-blogging and podcast for different forms of activism. It enables citizens to express ideology and spread information to a large audience regarding human rights. In this context, researchers have explored the level of digital activism among pupil teachers and found very little awareness regarding the same. Findings also reveal that the level of digital activism does not have any significant effect on attitude toward human rights and peace. Although findings reveal that attitude toward peace and human rights is positively correlated with each other. Therefore, on the basis of the findings, an intervention program for digital activism has been suggested at the end of this chapter that can foster digital activism among them.

This case describes the events following an incident of a rape in a taxi associated with Uber, by its driver. Uber was an application based taxi operator. The events raised several issues for government systems and processes, such as need for regulation of new formats of business like application based taxi services, integrated databases, checks against forgery and holistic approach towards women safety. The case also brings out how an e-commerce business raises regulatory concerns.

The Sustainable Development Goals promoted by United Nations (UN) advocate that education is a fundamental right for human beings, and free universal primary education should be accessible to all regardless of gender or country of origin. Education on human rights aims to provide information on fundamental rights, equality and being non-discriminatory in nature by having its universal appeal. Learners should be exposed to human rights education and to relate it to their cultural context and build on real-life experience. Students should be encouraged to foster participation in creating a learning environment free from fear and upholds empowerment and human rights values. Universities and faculty members play a vital role in imparting education that helps build a strong foundation of society where people are respected and treated equally and gets equal opportunity for upward social mobility while protecting the dignity of such rights. This book addresses the role of education to uplift people out of poverty and oppression by imparting social justice education at the institution and the community level. Chapters are dedicated to human rights education which talks about fostering a sense of awareness among learners about the dignity of human life through various interventional programs. Such rights are discussed with respect to migrant workers, foster youth and prisoners in different countries and how students from all levels can benefit from such education.

The basic unit of the family is the married couple who are brought together through various means, the internet being an additional medium. This study is an attempt to capture changes in the realm of family through a detailed analysis of the matrimonial websites in India from a sociological perspective. With the advent of the internet technology, it explores whether and how the internet as a new medium of spouse selection influences marriage choices and family dynamics during match-fixing. It seeks to unweave the individual–family–community dynamics in the context of changing gender norms. The findings of the study are based on mixed-methods through the use of both qualitative and quantitative data gathered from the website and personal interviews. These data were further strengthened through the walkthrough method and participant observation. The findings of this study reflect upon the prescriptive, restrictive and supportive role played by the family in the context of online spouse selection. It also documents resilience and change (in terms of family structure and norms) in the realm of the family in the context of changing matrimonial preferences.

This paper aims to gain insight on the perception and role of the local government officials on climate change and resilience in Uttarakhand, India. Uttarakhand, being a sensitive mountainous region in India, faces the brunt of frequent climate-related disasters and their severe impacts. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how authorities perceive the issue of climate-related disasters and their level of commitment toward mitigation and adaptation programs.

The literature review method was used for a holistic understanding of the impact of climate change and consequential disasters. A questionnaire survey method, comprising open- and closed-ended questions, was also used on officials of different departments.

Among the noteworthy findings of the study include the understanding of the perceptions of authorities and their role in decision-making on mitigating impacts of climate change-related disasters, their support or lack of it, for measures toward capacity building and spreading awareness of the intervention programs by the government. The study analyzes the perception of decision-making officials at state and district levels and infers that the variation on opinions may be attributable to multiple factors, including their past experiences of dealing with disasters.

This study offers insights into the role of perception of local government officials concerning climate change-related disasters and alleviation of their consequences through related programs. The findings have the unique potential to serve as a guide for the government at state and district levels to assess various aspects of different disaster mitigation measures based on sectors and departments.

The paper aims to develop an efficient and compact hybrid S-curve-PSO (particle swarm optimization) controller for the optimal trajectory planning of industrial robots in the presence of obstacles, especially those used in pick-and-place operations.

The proposed methodology comprises a monotonic trajectory through bounded entropy of speed, velocity, acceleration and jerk. Thus, the robot’s trajectory planning corresponds with S-curve-PSO duality. This is achieved by dual navigation with minimal computational complexity. The matrix algebra-based computational complexity transforms the trajectory from random to compact. The linear programming problem represents the proposed robot in Euclidean space, and its optimal solution sets the corresponding optimal trajectory.

The proposed work ensures the efficient trajectory planning of the industrial robot in the presence of obstacles with optimized path length and time. The real-time and simulation analysis of the robot is presented for performance measurement, and their outcomes demonstrate a good correlation. Compared with the existing controller, it gives a noteworthy improvement in performance.

The novel S-curve-PSO hybrid approach is presented here, along with the LIDAR sensors, which generate the environment map and detect obstacles for autonomous trajectory planning. Based on the sensory information, the proposed approach generates the optimal trajectory by avoiding obstacles and minimizing the travel time, jerk, velocity and acceleration. The hybrid S-curve-PSO approach for optimal trajectory planning of the industrial robot in the presence of obstacles has not been presented by any researchers. This method considers the robot’s kinematics as well as its dynamics. The implementation of the PSO makes it computationally superior and faster. The selection of best-fit parameters by PSO assures the optimized trajectory in the presence of obstacles and uncertainty.

There has been substantial research on luxury globally, but there is a dearth of studies empirically investigating the key relationships affecting luxury consumption. The aim of this paper is to consider the role of consumer vanity and brand consciousness and to set their relationships in context of luxury consumption.

To measure consumer vanity, brand consciousness, attitude towards luxury brands and purchase intentions, pre-established scale items were adopted. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed through luxury exhibitions and festivals in major cities of India. A sample of n = 342 luxury consumers was analysed using structural equation modelling.

The findings support that brand consciousness is mediating the relationship between consumer vanity and luxury consumption. Luxury consumers are primarily driven by achievement vanity. They are likely to evaluate luxury brands based on their price, fame and their ability to portray their professional achievements. They incur unreasonable costs to acquire the expensive, famous and prestigious luxury brands and conspicuously consume them to display their success and accomplishments.

The study provides an in-depth explanation of how consumer vanity is leading to consumption of luxury brands. The marketers may benefit by focussing on promotion of their brand's symbols and logos than on specific product features.

This is the first empirical examination understanding the mediating effect of brand consciousness as a mediator between consumer vanity and luxury consumption.