Materials management in state transport undertakings in india with special reference to kerala state road transport corporation

Scientific studies on the materials management systems and practices actually followed in various organizations in India are rather limited. This is particularly true with respect to service industries. In this context ,the present study on the “materials management in state transport undertakings in India, with special reference to kerala state road corporation” assumes particular significance . This study, examines critically, the prevailing set up, procedures and practices of materials management in the Kerala state road transport corporation and compares them with the prevailing practices in other similar state transport undertakings. It indicates several areas for improvement with respect to the organization, materials planning, purchasing, store keeping and other aspects. It also seeks to develop a comprehensive inventory control system for KSRTC.

“Studies on new base materials for microcellular soles"

The most important part of any footwear is the sole (or sole and heel) which withstands all the hannful external factors such as rouglmess of the ground or road, sharp objects, thorns and stones, heat, dampness and cold during walking. The properties desirable in soling material, therefore, would be 1. lightness 2. resistance to wear and tear for long service life 3. flexibility/softness for wearing comfort 4. thennal insulation Rubber soling surpasses all other soling materials in better performance and lower cost. Because MC sole is soft and very light, and has good abrasion resistance, flex properties and set behaviour it has become very popular all over the world and demand for better quality product is ever increasing. Due to the traditional approach adopted by the footwear industry in foot wear design, the rubber based footwear export surprisingly contributes only a small percentage. The essence of success for any industry lies in the expansion of the export market. Microcellular soles are manufactured for the last three decades without much change in the traditional design and colour pattern. In recent years domestic customers have also started demanding better quality products. In view of the changing taste of the customer and growing competition from other countries, substantial improvement in the export potential will require new base materials for regular or fashion rubber based footwears. The main objective of the present study is to develop new base materials for making MC soles with good quality, viz., light weight, durability and bright colours