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This mixed methods study draws upon Young Lives India longitudinal data to analyse whether children who attended private preschools demonstrate higher cognitive skills and enhanced subjective wellbeing at the age of 12 compared to those who attended government preschools in India. Using linear logistic regression models, the analysis reveals that children who attended private preschools have significantly higher mathematics scores and more positive subjective wellbeing than those in government preschools. The propensity score matching technique further substantiates this finding. Furthermore, entering preschool before the age of 4 is shown to have a significant positive association with both cognitive achievement and subjective wellbeing at the age of 12. Given that the recently enacted National Policy on Early Childhood Care and Education recognises early childhood education as the foundation for all future learning and as a sorely neglected area, early childhood education must be prioritised by policymakers across public and private sector.

Using unique panel data from Young Lives study conducted in undivided Andhra Pradesh, India, this mixed-method paper analyses gender differentials in completion of secondary education. Results show biased secondary school completion rates in favor of boys. Probit regression results highlight certain variables such as mothers' education, wealth, high self-efficacy, early reading skills, lower birth order, and not engaging in more than two hours of domestic work and paid work at age 12, as positively associated with educational outcomes for girls. Decomposition analysis highlights that engaging in domestic chores at age 12 is the most contributory factor (36%) for the persisting gender gap. The other unexplained contributory factors may well be existing discriminatory social norms and son preference, which is captured by the qualitative case studies. The findings suggest that unless we are able to address persisting gender norms, universalizing secondary education with gender equity, will remain a distant dream.

Intelligent groups of people, scientists, planners, and policymakers from various countries have recognised that environmental quality is not always a simple function of nature, as it was in primitive earth. Today, nature's self-regulating mechanisms are inactive. Every developed and emerging country is highly concerned with striking a balance between environmental concerns and economic progress. Dreadful environmental conditions are wreaking havoc on the biological element of these locations' ecosystems. Human beings, as 'one of the most valuable components of the biosphere,' face a constant state of crisis as a result of sullied air, water, and soil degradation. While both water and land pollution are exceedingly harmful, air pollution is unique in its global dispersion of toxins. Air pollution's effect on health is quite complex, as it is caused by a variety of distinct causes, each of which has a unique effect. Not only the ambient air quality in cities is creating worry, but also the indoor air quality in rural and urban locations. The study is limited to the health consequences of declining air quality in Lucknow. Additionally, the purpose of this study is to ascertain the effects of ambient air quality on the health of the residents of the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates how teaching quality impacts students’ outcomes in public and low fee charging private schools in India. Drawing on Young Lives longitudinal study, students in private schools have a significantly higher mathematics score than public schools. Across public and private schools, teachers’ characteristics such as experience, gender, content knowledge and general education qualifications do not have significant influence on students’ learning outcome. Proximity of teacher's residence to the school, teacher's professional qualification and teacher's attitude towards schools and students and teaching practices such as regular checking of books, emerge as important determinants of students’ outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to draw attention to two important, but less researched, areas regarding low fee private school provision in India. Firstly, the paper evaluates the impact of fees on household debt burden and decision-making, and secondly highlights the dynamic interplay between the private and government sub-sectors and the potential consequences this may have for educational delivery. The paper attempts to provide an overview of the historic growth, extent and performance of low fee private schools and private tutoring. Consistent with others, the paper finds that private provision is not currently accessible to the poorest and thus potentially deleterious to equity both within schools and within families. While drawing on existing research and particularly the longitudinal Young Lives data sets in Andhra Pradesh – findings are largely exploratory. The paper concludes that there is a need for further research on both household and school effects related to increasing privatisation in education. In particular there is a focus on how emerging inequalities emanating from school choice and private tuitions can be addressed. This is urgently needed to inform policy and investment decisions that maximise the contribution of both sectors and mitigate against inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents detailed crop and gas flux data from two years of rice production at the experimental farm of the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India. In comparing 4 nitrogen (N) fertiliser regimes across 4 rice cultivars (CRD 310, IR-64, MTU 1010, P-44), we have added to growing evidence of the environmental costs of rice production in the region. The study shows that rice cultivar can impact yields of both grain, and total biomass produced in given circumstances, with the CRD 310 cultivar showing consistently high nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) for total biomass compared with other tested varieties, but not necessarily with the highest grain yield, which was P-44 in this experiment. While NUE of the rice did vary depending on experimental treatments (ranging from 41% to 73%), 73%), this did not translate directly into the reduction of emissions of ammonia (NH 3) and nitrous oxide (N 2 O). Emissions were relatively similar across the different rice cultivars regardless of NUE. Conversely, agronomic practices that reduced total N losses were associated with higher yield. In terms of fertiliser application, the outstanding impact was of the very high methane (CH 4) emissions as a result of incorporating farmyard manure (FYM) into rice paddies, which dominated the overall effect on global warming potential. While the use of nitrification and urease inhibiting substances decreased N 2 O emissions overall, NH 3 emissions were relatively unaffected (or slightly higher). Overall, the greatest reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions came from reducing irrigation water added to the fields, resulting in higher N 2 O, but significantly less CH 4 emissions, reducing net GHG emission compared with continuous flooding. Overall, genetic differences generated more variation in yield and NUE than agronomic management (excluding controls), whereas agronomy generated larger differences than genetics concerning gaseous losses. This study suggests that a mixed approach needs to be applied when attempting to reduce pollution and global warming potential from rice production and potential pollution swapping and synergies need to be considered. Finding the right balance of rice cultivar, irrigation technique and fertiliser type could significantly reduce emissions, while getting it wrong can result in considerably poorer yields and higher pollution. • Both genetic and agronomic solutions have similar potential to improve yield and NUE. • Co-application of nitrification and urease inhibitor reduced N 2 O emissions. • Decreasing irrigation resulted in less methane emission, but increased nitrogen pollution. • Rice genetics had no significant effect on the gaseous emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intermittent flooding (IF) of rice has been encouraged as an approach to reduce water use and methane emissions compared with continuous flooding (CF), but may involve trade-offs. This study compared the contrasting effect of IF and CF flooding regimes on emissions of methane (CH 4), nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and ammonia (NH 3), nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and yield. A split plot design was used which assessed the effects of four different fertiliser types. The results suggest that converting from CF to IF irrigation does lower CH 4 emissions (by approximately 18%); however, this comes at a cost. IF irrigation resulted in a significant decrease in grain yield, regardless of fertiliser type (6.1% in this study) and also a significant decrease in NUE (a drop of 22.5% when compared to CF). IF irrigation also resulted in a small, but statistically significant (t -test p < 0.01) increase in N 2 O emissions. Difference in NH 3 emission between the flooding regimes was not statistically significant. Our study concludes that conversion from CF to IF irrigation methods may well reduce overall global warming potential of greenhouse gas emissions from rice production; however, yield penalties and nitrogen pollution are likely to increase as a result. Leaf colour chart based application of Neem coated urea may lower the yield scaled GHG emissions under CF irrigation and NH 3 loss in IF irrigation. • Intermittent flooding (IF) irrigation lowers CH 4 emissions by approximately 18%. • Highest harvest NUE (64.5%) was in LCC based N with Continuous flooding irrigation. • LCC based N application lowered Yield scaled-GWP in CF and NH 3 loss in IF. • IF resulted in trade-off between reduced GWP and yield penalty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]