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India has vast experience in implementing the rural employment generation programmes after independence. In 2006, India launched a flagship programme called MGNREGS further it was transferred into the MGNREGA. This programme aims to providing 100 days of employment to rural households, it made a lot of positive economic aspects of rural households based on this background this paper is examine the MGNREGA’S Impact on Income and Employment in Seaweeds cultivating Households in Pamban Village of Ramanthapuram District of Tamil Nadu. This study undertaken in 2019-2020, the primary data were collected from 100 households, the households were selected randomly. The best performing village from the block was selected and the analysis has used simple percentage and average methods to find the variations in the sample household’s data. Both quantitative and qualitative surveys have been conducted for this study. The study results show that the MGNREGA has created more employment days and the earnings of households have also increased. Majority of the respondents participated in the programme and particularly, a higher percentage of female respondents worked in this scheme. It is found that the average number of days of employment have increased after the introduction of MGNREGA. It is also clear that with the implementation of the MGNREGA scheme, the income has significantly increased to all the participating households, and the monthly expenditure has increased constantly. The impact on income resulted to increased savings, repayment of loans and ultimately reduction in indebtedness. Therefore, it is concluded that there is a positive impact on employment, wages and income generation after the implementation of MGNREGA. To be continuously successful, a sustained monitoring and social audit of the scheme is inevitable. 

Among the red algae, Kappaphycus and Eucheuma are the two most commercially important carrageenophytes farmed extensively in Southeast Asian countries; they rank top in production in terms of volume of raw material produced. The farming of carrageenophytes has emerged as a successful enterprise and provides a promising, alternative livelihood option for low-income, coastal communities in a number of countries. In 2014, carrageenophyte production worldwide, surpassed other red seaweeds and was placed at the top of the production rankings with 10.99 million MT wet weight (77% of total production of farmed red seaweed) and Indonesia being a major producer. However, over time, the productivity of the crop (carrageenophytes) has declined in some regions due to sourcing of seedlings from single, selected genetic stocks considered to have higher yield potential which resulted in strain fatigue, or loss of vigour. The incidences of disease and epiphytic infestations are on rise in recent times which have severely affected biomass production, as well as the yield and product quality (carrageenan). In order to circumvent the crop productivity issues arising from clonal propagation, the raising of planting materials from spores, derived through the red algal sexual reproductive cycle, has been initiated to support the sustainability of selected, farmed carrageenophytes. Alternatively, in vitro tissue culture techniques have also been explored to not only rejuvenate the vigour of seedlings (i.e. the out-planting material) but also to seek seedlings resilient to stress, disease and epiphytes to act as an invigorated mother stock. These efforts have succeeded to a great extent in the development of appropriate techniques for explant culture, callus induction, callus sub-culture and regeneration to micro-propagules with improved traits. The present chapter briefly summarizes the developments and success achieved in micro-propagation of Kappaphycus and Eucheuma and also provides pointers to both gaps and priority areas for future research required for the advancement of sustainable farming of these carrageenophytes.

There is currently no sustainable reliance on liquid fossil fuels worldwide, which ensures that future fiscal, environmental and social stability requires alternative renewable sources of liquid fuel. In order to satisfy the worldwide demand for liquid fuel, microalgae production is needed on a commodity scale; however, there are significant challenges in ensuring that production is economical and durable. This paper aims to examine microalgae’ economic and cost advantages in greater depth and evaluate how vital biofuel policy support is for microalgae. A systematic analysis outlined the obstacles facing traditional biofuels to achieve these targets and proposed microalgae biofuels’ economic opportunities. Provided that the policy was a primary determinant of the biofuel industry’s development, these economic studies’ findings were then included in the debate on existing policy support for biofuels and biofuels’ potential microalgae play an essential role in the policy background.

Biofuels can be derived from waste biomass feedstocks, such as municipal, agricultural, forestry and industrial waste. There are several advantages in switching to microalgae for biofuel production. Microalgae has a rapid growth rate, so is more productive, so requires smaller areas for cultivation per unit of biomass produced. Microalgae can absorb “waste” CO2, does not compete with food crops (for land and freshwater), and can be cultivated in wastewater, doubling as a wastewater treatment. This paper gives an overview of microalgae cultivation, focusing on the early energy-intensive stages: growth, harvesting and drying. The harvesting and drying steps constitute a significant economic bottleneck, due to their high energy costs. This review also covers microalgal cultivation and its integration with wastewater treatment, carbon and energy sources, and the utilization of microalgal biofuel co-products from thermochemical conversion, as this route is the most likely to mitigate the techno-economic downsides of microalgal biofuel production.