Shanlax International Journal of Arts, Science and Humanities

Innovation, Creative Destruction, and Sustained Economic Growth - A Critical Insight into the Economic Thoughts of the 2025 Nobel Laureates

Anamika Kaushiva — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Economic growth is a complex phenomenon. The historical analysis of demographic and economic changes reveals that all economies have passed through four stages as they progressed from stagnation to rapid growth. The first Industrial Revolution, triggered by discoveries, innovations, and technological progress, helped economies break the Malthusian trap, and Western economies entered the phase of economic take-off. By the end of the 19th century, Western economies entered an era of sustained economic growth, and less-developed countries followed in the 20th century. As the pace of technological progress has increased, the contribution of human capital - education, skills, and health–has been acknowledged and emphasized. Economists have sought to analyze the dynamics of economic growth using growth models. These models usually focus on empirical evidence to trace the path of growth but often do not give due attention to the historical factors that triggered the transition and endogenous factors -knowledge and innovation. The Nobel Prize in Economics for 2025 was jointly awarded to Phillepe Aghion, Peter Howitt, and Joel Mokyr for their economic thoughts on innovation-driven growth. Although distinct, their ideas are complementary, as they argue that the dynamic interaction between knowledge, innovation, technological advancement, and institutions leads to sustained economic growth. This research traces their flow of thought on the role of exogenous and endogenous factors in economic development. This paper presents a conceptual review and attempts to critically interpret and synthesize the intellectual contributions of Nobel laureates. This study uses a qualitative and analytical research design based on a comprehensive review of the literature. The study’s theoretical foundation draws on the original scholarly contributions of Nobel laureates and literature on the Nobel Prize’s scientific background and Nobel lectures to examine their ideas. Additional literature, primarily secondary sources, is used to show the link between their perspectives and to provide a comprehensive understanding of innovation-driven creative destruction. The paper concludes by identifying future research avenues, specifically the role of artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and green technologies in innovation-driven economic growth, which is dominant worldwide today.

Envisioning the Future: The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Dan Brown’s Origin

R. Rohini, T. Gangaparameswari — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This paper offers a succinct analysis of the potential outcomes of the ascent of artificial intelligence software, as shown in Origin by Dan Brown. Through qualitative research, this paper discusses the portrayal of AI in Dan Brown’s Origin. The emergence of today’s technical innovations, such as the Internet, mobile phones, and artificial intelligence programs like Siri, Alexa, Gemini, and Cortana, would have been written off as mistakes a century ago. This is the extent of human progress in the current world. However, it is questionable if the inventors are holding the reins firmly enough since they build machines that are far superior to humans and each one is better than the last. According to the novel, it is both plausible and conceivable that humans may soon mix or merge with technology to become a sophisticated, interdependent, and networked posthuman species. Through a critical posthumanist reading of Dan Brown’s Origin, this paper examines and analyses the fictional possibility of humans in their symbiosis, intra-action, and trans-corporeality with the technium, that is, engagement and fusion with the modern technologies that alter humans’ subjectivity and identity evolving to become posthuman beings. This study also lays the foundation for further research on the posthumanist reading of Dan Brown’s works.

The Interplay of Self and Isolation in Geetanjali Shree’s Tomb of Sand

Mrityunjai Azzad, Balande Chandoba Narsing — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study aims to examine how psychological dynamics unfold amid emotional and social isolation stemming from the trauma experienced by some characters in Geetanjali Shree’s novel Tomb of Sand. Donald Woods Winnicott, a British psychoanalyst, theorises the concepts of the ‘True Self’ and ‘False Self’, which are useful as a powerful framework for understanding how individuals balance authenticity with societal demands. According to Winnicott, these patterns emerge in early childhood as external pressures prompt individuals to conceal their natural impulses and present a more socially acceptable version of themselves – the False Self. This tension is further complicated by isolation, which Winnicott sees not only as loneliness or separation but also as something that can protect and nurture a person’s True Self. Using Winnicott’s theories as a guiding framework, this paper closely analyses Tomb of Sand, focusing on the characters of the novel, Ma and Beti. Their contrasting choices and emotional journeys reveal an ongoing struggle between meeting social expectations and staying true to oneself. The study uses close reading and the application of Winnicott’s psychoanalytic theory to interpret the novel, aiming to show how isolation can serve both as a defense and as a space for personal growth. The analysis finds that both Ma and Beti undergo significant psychological changes due to their experiences of isolation. Ma, despite all the trauma she endures, can reconnect with her True Self later in life, while Beti’s path remains more conflicted, demonstrating how deeply the False Self can take hold. Ultimately, this paper highlights isolation as both a shield and a source of renewal in the development of one’s identity. A psychoanalytic analysis of the secondary characters, including Bade, Bahu, Rosie Bua, and Sidhartha, remains beyond the scope of this study and may be pursued in future research.

Characterization of Pure and Al-Zn Doped Conducting SnO2 Thin Films for Gas Sensors

V. Kirthika, K. Pakiyaraj — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The present study investigates the influence of Al–Zn co-doping on the structural, morphological, and optical properties of nanostructured SnO2 thin films prepared by spray pyrolysis. Pure and 2 mol% Al–Zn co-doped SnO2 thin films were deposited on glass substrates at 500 °C using a laboratory-developed spray pyrolysis system. Tin chloride pentahydrate (SnCl2•5H2O) was used as the precursor, while aluminum chloride and zinc chloride were employed as dopant sources. The precursor solution was prepared in ethanol and stirred continuously at 50 °C for 4 h. During deposition, the spray nozzle was maintained at a distance of 25 cm from the substrate and the solution was delivered at a spray rate of 10 mL min¹. The films were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), UV–Visible spectroscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX). XRD analysis showed that the average crystallite size decreased from 38.2 nm for the undoped SnO2 film to 27.3 nm for the Al–Zn co-doped film. The optical band gap decreased from 3.52 eV to 3.47 eV after co-doping, while good visible-region optical transparency was retained. EDAX confirmed the presence of the intended dopant elements in the co-doped film. These results demonstrate that Al–Zn co-doping modifies the structural and optical properties of SnO2 thin films and indicates their potential for gas sensor applications. Future studies will investigate gas-sensing response, sensitivity, selectivity, response/recovery characteristics, and long-term stability under different operating temperatures, humidity levels, gas concentrations, and interfering-gas conditions.

Social Exclusion and Economic Discrimination: Analysing the Socio-Economic Marginalisation of Dalit Christians in India

Pheba Ann Zachariah, Suby Elizabeth Oommen, Reno Mathew Johnson, Jobi Babu — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Dalit Christians in India experience a form of double marginalization —socially, within the entrenched caste hierarchy, and institutionally, through exclusion from the Scheduled Caste (SC) protections provided under the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order of 1950. This study employs a narrative review and conceptual synthesis approach to interrogate the denial of SC recognition as a state-mediated socioeconomic stratification process, examined across three analytical domains: educational attainment, labor market outcomes, and asset ownership. Drawing on peer-reviewed literature, government commission reports, and national data sources published between 2000 and 2025, this study conceptualizes exclusion as a cumulative causal process in which constitutional ineligibility restricts access to affirmative action, thereby lowering the expected returns to human capital investment, restricting occupational mobility, constraining productive asset accumulation, and reinforcing intergenerational poverty. Evidence from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and selected national sources indicates that Dalit Christians are under-represented in higher education, over-represented in informal and low-paid employment, and characterized by higher household poverty, with an incidence estimated at around 30 percent —substantially above that of their caste-Hindu and upper-caste Christian counterparts. Given the largely observational nature of the underlying evidence, the findings are presented as theory-driven associations rather than as causal estimates. The study concludes with institutionally feasible and constitutionally informed policy recommendations across four domains: legal recognition, educational equity, labor market inclusion, and asset building. This calls for future research grounded in nationally representative, religion-disaggregated primary data collection, together with longitudinal and intersectional designs capable of estimating causal effects. These findings have implications for social policy, constitutional jurisprudence, and the broader scholarship on caste-based stratification in post-colonial South Asia.

Job Involvement of B.Ed College Teachers in Tiruchirappalli District

N. Senthamil Selvamurugan — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study examined the level of job involvement among B.Ed. college teachers in the Tiruchirappalli district. A descriptive survey method was adopted, and the study included a sample of 50 B.Ed. college teachers. Data were collected using a job involvement questionnaire constructed by the researcher. Percentage analysis, chi-square test, independent-samples t-test, and one-way ANOVA were employed for data analysis. The findings revealed that 54% of the respondents had a high level of job involvement, while 46% had a low level of job involvement. No statistically significant association or difference was found in job involvement with respect to age, religion, family size, gender, work experience, and educational qualifications. The study concluded that the demographic characteristics examined did not significantly differentiate the job involvement of B.Ed. college teachers in the selected sample. Future research may include larger samples from different districts and examine institutional, professional, and organizational factors influencing teachers’ job involvement.

Perceived Usefulness of GenAI among University Students for Academic Support, Accessibility and Skill Development

Minorita Lyngdoh — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study aimed to determine the perceptions of the usefulness and impact of GenAI tools for academic activities and to explore significant differences in the perceived usefulness of GenAI across demographic factors. This study comprises students enrolled in undergraduate and postgraduate courses at Martin Luther Christian University, Shillong. Data were collected from 301 students using a self-administered questionnaire. The statistical test showed that the majority of students fall within 18–24 years (80.7%), with a significant gender disparity, as females constituted 72.3% of the respondents. The majority of students (62.8%) were enrolled in postgraduate (PG) courses. Regarding the level of agreement on the perceived usefulness of AI, 60.1% agreed that AI tools helped students in academic activities, 61.8% believed that AI improved academic writing, 70.4% agreed that AI tools helped reduce errors in their academic work, and 73.4% agreed that AI assisted them in solving academic challenges. An independent sample t-test was conducted to examine the perceived usefulness of AI by gender and level of study. ANOVA was used to determine the significant differences across age groups. The findings indicated no statistically significant differences in the perceived usefulness of AI across these demographic variables.
The findings show that institutions should integrate AI into their curricula, redesign examinations to assess critical thinking, and develop students’ AI literacy. Adequate infrastructure and equitable access are also crucial. Clear AI policies should be established to guide the ethical use of AI, while developing practical AI-related skills can support students employability and prepare them for careers in an increasingly AI-driven workplace.
The study is limited to a single-institution sample, cross-sectional samples, and demographic imbalances, all of which constrain generalizability. Future research should adopt multi-institutional, longitudinal, and experimental designs and mixed-methods approaches to further identify GenAI usage patterns, examine learning outcomes, and ethical practices across diverse Indian higher-education contexts.

Betel Leaf Farmers and Market Performance: A Review of Marketing Practices and Price Realization

K. Kasilingam — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Betel leaf (Piper betle L.) is an important commercial crop that provides income and employment opportunities to many farming households. The economic benefits of cultivation depend not only on production but also on effective marketing, price realization, and access to suitable markets. This review examines the marketing practices, price realization, and major challenges faced by betel-leaf farmers based on selected Indian and foreign studies. This study aims to examine the marketing practices and price realization of betel-leaf farmers and identify the major marketing problems affecting their returns and income. A review-based descriptive and analytical research design was used, drawing on secondary information from research journals, books, theses, government and research reports, and academic databases. The literature related to betel-leaf marketing, marketing channels, price realization, marketing costs, market efficiency, and constraints faced by farmers was considered for the review. The selected studies were screened for relevance to the objectives and compared thematically to identify common marketing practices, marketing channels, price-related issues, marketing costs, and constraints. The reviewed literature shows that farmers mainly depend on village traders, commission agents, wholesalers, and retailers for marketing their produce. Marketing channels involving fewer intermediaries generally provide better price realization and higher marketing efficiency. However, price fluctuation, high transportation and commission costs, inadequate market information, limited storage facilities, post-harvest losses, middlemen involvement, labour shortages, and increasing input costs are major problems affecting farmers’ returns. The highly perishable nature of betel leaves also encourages farmers to sell their produce quickly, sometimes at unfavorable prices. The review further indicates that direct marketing, improved market information, better transportation and storage facilities, farmer groups, and stronger links with retailers and consumers can improve bargaining power and marketing efficiency. The study concludes that strengthening the marketing system is essential for improving farmers’ price realization, income, and livelihood. Future research should focus on primary studies across different betel-leaf-producing regions, comparative analysis of marketing channels, digital and direct marketing opportunities, and the impact of farmer producer organizations and institutional support on price realization and farm income.