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This review article explores the transformative influence of Internet of Things (IoT), Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and Deep Learning (DL) in modern agriculture, outlining their applications and impact on Smart Agriculture Systems (SAS). Examining various wireless communication technologies within IoT, including LoRa, Zigbee, and cellular networks like 5G, the study delineates their roles in enabling real-time monitoring and data transmission across expansive agricultural landscapes. Moving to UAVs, the review highlights their pivotal role in precision agriculture, elucidating how these aerial platforms equipped with diverse sensing technologies and cameras facilitate crop monitoring, disease detection, and targeted pesticide spraying. The integration of Deep Learning techniques, particularly Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), is discussed to emphasise their significance in disease detection, pest management, soil parameter estimation, and weed identification. The synthesis of these technologies reshapes traditional agricultural methodologies, empowering farmers with data-driven decision-making tools for optimized yield, sustainable practices, and efficient resource utilization. This comprehensive exploration aims to provide insights into the synergy of IoT, UAVs, and DL, laying the groundwork for the evolution of agricultural practices worldwide towards increased productivity and sustainability.

This review comprehensively examines the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) in revolutionizing agricultural practices. It highlights how these technologies are pivotal in enhancing crop productivity, optimizing resource use, and ensuring sustainability in response to the challenges of a growing global population and environmental concerns. The article synthesizes key studies to showcase advancements in smart aquaponics and marine farming, emphasizing the the importance of implementation of AI and IoT in agriculture faces significant challenges, including high costs, a digital skills gap among farmers, data management issues, and the need for robust technology. The review also addresses the socio-economic impacts, such as potential job displacement due to automation. Looking ahead, the article suggests that overcoming these challenges will require concerted efforts in technological innovation, policy-making, and education. The future of AI and IoT in agriculture is seen as promising, with potential for further advancements and wider adoption. The integration of these technologies with emerging fields like blockchain could lead to more secure, efficient, and transparent agricultural practices, contributing significantly to global food security and environmental sustainability.

Integrated Energy Centres, solar power community hubs for need based services, have been operationalised by SELCO Foundation for informal migrant communities in Karnataka, India since 2011. There are 26 IECs till date, offering 22 different services. Through the interventions, 6074 households have been impacted. The paper describes three different models through case studies illustrating their operational and financial aspects.

Editor’s note: These papers are contributions to the ‘Policy Debate’ section of International Development Policy. In this section, academics, policy-makers and practioners engage in a dialogue on global development challenges. Papers are copy-edited but not peer-reviewed. Instead, the initial thematic contribution is followed by critical comments and reactions from scholars and/or policy-makers.Authored by McKinsey’s research team, the initial paper addresses the Education to Employment challenge. It is based on McKinsey’s study, which looked at skill development in 25 different countries and investigated education-to-employment initiatives. The authors claim that the most successful efforts are those where different stakeholders interact intensively and frequently. Employers need to get involved in education, and educators should play a bigger role in employment.The paper is followed by critical comments by tree authors : Beatriz Cardoso, Executive Director of Laboratório de Educação, Brazil, Shailaja Fennell lecturer at the Centre of Development Studies, University of Cambridge, UK, and Claudio de Moura Castro, economist, Brazil.This debate can be pursued on the Journal’s blog http://devpol.hypotheses.org/423.

Marie Stopes faces the challenge of providing costeffectiveRH services.