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This book offers policy options that can help reduce textbook costs and increase their supply. The book explores, in depth, the cost and financial barriers that restrict textbook availability in schools across much of the region, as well as policies successfully adapted in other countries. The book also provides a thorough assessment of the pros and cons of digital teaching and learning materials and cautions against the assumption that they can immediately replace printed textbooks.

India’s livestock industry is grappling with a shortage of green fodder, necessitating concerted efforts to boost organized production and ensure a sufficient supply of high-quality forages, crucial for formulating nutritionally balanced, cost-effective, and rumen-healthy animal diets. Hence, this study was conducted to assess the plant growth-promoting characteristics of liquid microbial inoculants and their impact on the yield of forage pearl millet. The bacterial cultures utilized included Sphingobacterium sp., Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, and an isolate from vegetable cowpea, subsequently identified as Burkholderia seminalis. These cultures were initially characterized for their plant growth-promoting traits at different temperature and physiological conditions. All the bacterial cultures were found promising for PGPR traits over varied temperature conditions and the optimum activity was recorded at 40 °C, with tolerance to saline and drought stresses as well as wide pH and temperature ranges. A field experiment was conducted during kharif 2020 at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana and Punjab Agricultural University, Regional Research Station, Bathinda, involving combinations of liquid microbial inoculants along with 100% Recommended Dose of Fertilizer (RDF). It was observed that the treatment including B. seminalis + S. maltophilia along with RDF yielded the highest green fodder and dry matter yield, In conclusion, it is evident that the utilization of these liquid microbial inoculants holds significant potential for playing a pivotal role in the integrated nutrient management of forage pearl millet, thereby contributing to heightened productivity and sustained soil health.

Between 2006 and 2010 the World Bank sought to unmask the role of science, technology, and innovation in Ugandan industry. This report presents insights from this research based on case studies of six sectors: agriculture, health, energy, information and communication technology (ICT), transport, and logistics. Based on more than 80 interviews cutting across Uganda's small and medium-sized enterprises, universities, and government entities, the report's findings are intended to offer the government and its partners in industry increased clarity about how better to harness science, technology, and innovation to propel the economy. Enabling implementation of the recent Uganda national science, technology, and innovation policy is a parallel goal of the report. The policy articulates the government's intent to foster research and development that builds the human capital that Uganda requires for a knowledge-based economy. The case studies from which this report's recommendations are drawn depict a diverse range of experiences across industrial sectors in terms of generating, applying, and adapting science and technology to contribute to Uganda's development. Despite the relatively small size of the country's investments in science and technology, the past 20 years have seen considerable advances in building capacity in science and technology, developing related institutions and human resources, advancing collaboration and communication, and expanding the base of available knowledge. But given Uganda's limited investments in science and technology, policies should prioritize near-term investments that benefit key sectors. This report identifies those near-term investments as well as longer-term ones (three to five years in the future).

Science, Technology and Innovation in Uganda is part of the World Bank Studies series. These papers are published to communicate the results of the Bank’s ongoing research and to stimulate public discussion.This study presents a unique methodology to view science, technology and innovation (STI) in developing countries. The study provides a set of cases studies drawn from a diverse range of experiences across the Ugandan private sector and offers concrete policy recommendations on how to support broader development of STI in Uganda. The study finds that of all the STI challenges facing firms, universities, and public research organizations in Uganda, the barriers to collaboration and communication are the most urgent in terms of STI priorities to address in the coming years.

Even as countries in Sub-Saharan Africa work towards achieving better learning outcomes for children through systemic reform, the affordability and availability of textbooks remains a persistent challenge. Yet despite extensive technical support and funding from external development partners, including the World Bank, making textbooks affordable and available to teachers and students remains an elusive objective for most countries in the region. Most African countries experience low learning outcomes and high drop-out rates. Only two-thirds of those who enter school reach the final grade, and only about half of these master basic numeracy and literacy skills. There is wide agreement that availability of textbooks is both an indispensable and a cost-effective way of improving the quality of the learning process. Getting Textbooks to Every Child in Sub-Saharan Africa: Strategies for Addressing the High Cost and Low Availability Problem offers policy options that can help reduce textbook costs and increase their supply. The book explores, in depth, the cost and financial barriers that restrict textbook availability in schools across much of the region, as well as policies successfully adapted in other countries. The book also provides a thorough assessment of the pros and cons of digital teaching and learning materials and cautions against the assumption that they can immediately replace printed textbooks. Aimed at generating discussion among policy makers, development partners, and other stakeholders in Africa, Getting Textbooks to Every Child in Sub-Saharan Africa: Strategies for Addressing the High Cost and Low Availability Problem offers information and analysis that is both practical and relevant

Science, Technology and Innovation in Uganda is part of the World Bank Studies series. These papers are published to communicate the results of the Bank's ongoing research and to stimulate public discussion. This study presents a unique methodology to view science, technology and innovation (STI) in developing countries. The study provides a set of case studies drawn from a diverse range of experiences across the Ugandan private sector and offers concrete policy recommendations on how to support broader development of STI in Uganda. The study finds that of all the STI challenges facing firms, universities, and public research organizations in Uganda, the barriers to collaboration and communication are the most urgent in terms of STI priorities to address in the coming years.

This book offers policy options that can help reduce textbook costs and increase their supply. The book explores, in depth, the cost and financial barriers that restrict textbook availability in schools across much of the region, as well as policies successfully adapted in other countries. The book also provides a thorough assessment of the pros and cons of digital teaching and learning materials and cautions against the assumption that they can immediately replace printed textbooks. Textbooks play a key role in enhancing the quality of learning, especially in the context of low-income Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries characterized by large class-size, poorly motivated and inadequately trained teachers, and short effective school years. There are also high rates of illiteracy among parents and few reading materials at home for the student to bank on. Despite extensive investments by governments, the World Bank and other development partners, the majority of students in primary and secondary schools in SSA still lack the benefit of access to textbooks and the key reason for this shortage is affordability: textbooks are generally much more costly in SSA than in other developing regions. The need to increase access to key learning resources is of particular urgency because most African countries experience low learning outcomes which in part contributes to a high drop-out rate. Only two-thirds of those who enter school reach the final grade and only about half of these master basic numeracy and literacy skills. And although quality improvement depends on many factors inside and outside the school, there is wide agreement that availability of textbooks is both an indispensable and a cost-effective way of improving the quality of the learning process. A recent World Bank study examined the actual costs of textbooks, the scope for cost reduction, the portion of a national budget countries allocate to teaching and learning materials (TLMs) and hurdles in the way of making textbooks available to student. Some interesting findings from the study include: 1) the availability of affordable textbooks to all students could be dramatically improved by devoting an estimated 3 to 4 percent of the primary education budget and 6 to 7 percent of the secondary education budget; 2) the production process - methods, copyright, length of print runs, effective procurement practices - rather than the production costs should be the target of cost saving strategies; and 3) the increased integration of ICTs into education in SSA can provide important opportunities for promoting availability of electronic TLMs but electronic TLMs are not a substitute for printed TLMs including textbooks.