ESSAYS ON K-12 EDUCATION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES - CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES AND IMPEDIMENTS

This dissertation focusses on the causes and consequences of low human cap- ital accumulation among children and adolescents in developing countries in Asia and Africa. My analysis is divided into three separate papers that explore different aspects of this research agenda. Broadly, chapter 1 of the dissertation describes the intergenerational learning impacts of a national–level school con- struction policy in India. Chapter 2 picks up where chapter one ends – using unique 17–year panel data from Senegal and Madagascar this analysis shows that children who perform better on learning tests in second grade have bet- ter later life (young adult) educational and learning outcomes (ages 23–25). In chapter 3, I take a step back and explore the role of one of the biggest impediments of school learning in the developing world – child marriage, which ac- counts for a large proportion of school dropout among girls in developing countries. In the first chapter of my dissertation I examine the impact of a national-level school construction program in India on educational outcomes of direct beneficiaries and their children. Between the years 1993–2004, the District Primary Education Programme (DPEP) served over 50 million children and prioritized districts with below–average female literacy rates. I use a fuzzy regression dis- continuity design to estimate the causal impact of the programme by comparing outcomes of school–age children in districts on either side of the average female literacy cutoff. To uncover the difference in timing of programme implementa- tion across districts, I use unique archival information that I collected and digi- tized. The results show that DPEP increased school access, enrollment, literacy and years of education for both male and female direct beneficiaries. I then pro- vide one of the first evidence of intergenerational effects of a school construction policy. Using test score data spanning the years 2007–2014, I find that children whose mothers were DPEP beneficiaries had higher scores on math (0.18 S.D.), vernacular (0.19 S.D.) and English (0.09 S.D.) tests. Daughters test scores went up by more than 10 to 15 percentage points higher than that of sons. Fathers DPEP exposure had no effect on childrens learning. I find evidence that the intergenerational impacts may be mediated through mothers increased bargain- ing power, higher investments in children's education and better health/health related behaviors. In the second chapter, I (along with my co–authors) study the determinants of human capital outcomes of young adults in Madagascar and Senegal, em- ploying a production function approach. Using unique and comparable long– term panel data sets, which span more than 15 years, from both countries, we find that test scores in second grade are strong predictors of school attainment and French/math skills of individuals in their early twenties. The association between second–grade skills and later–life outcomes is stronger among girls than boys, and likewise, stronger for math than French test scores. These find- ings highlight the importance of not falling behind during early school years, as it can lead to worse long–term outcomes, particularly for vulnerable groups like girls. We also find that height, a proxy measure of childhood health and nutritional status, does not affect the magnitude and significance of the early childhood test score variable, and also has an independent effect on the test scores of young adults in Senegal. Chapter 3 analyzes whether Ugandan women who marry at younger ages fare differently on a wide range of later life outcomes than women who marry at later ages. Using a nationally representative dataset, I identify the causal impacts of womens marriage age by using their age at menarche, a plausibly exogenous variable, as an instrumental variable. Results indicate that a one year delay in marriage leads to higher educational attainment (0.5–0.75 years), literacy (10 p.p.) and labour force participation (8 p.p.) among women. I also explore intergenerational effects of later marriage and find that the children of mothers who marry later have higher BMI (0.11 kg/m2) and hemoglobin levels (0.18 g/dl), and they are also less likely to be anemic (4 p.p.). Finally, I present evidence that suggests that the observed effects might be mediated through an enhancement womens agency within their household and positive assortative matching in the marriage market. By pointing to the beneficial consequences of delaying marriage, this research calls for concerted policy action to prevent child marriage

Here Comes the Rain Again: Productivity Shocks, Educational Investments, and Child Work

International audienc

Here Comes the Rain Again: Productivity Shocks, Educational Investments, and Child Work

This study uses household-level panel data from a nationally representative survey to estimate the effect of agricultural productivity shocks—as proxied by exogenous annual rainfall deviations—on education expenditures and children’s work status in rural India. We find that a transitory increase in rainfall significantly reduces education expenditures and increases the likelihood of child labor across multiple work activities. Additionally, households owning land and those with better credit access increase the use of child labor as rainfall increases because labor (and land) markets are incomplete. The effects of productivity shocks are reinforced for marginalized castes and for less educated households, thereby exacerbating inequalities in education

Development of Amine-Functionalized Metal-Organic Frameworks Hollow Fiber Mixed Matrix Membranes for CO2 and CH4 Separation: A Review

CO2 separation from raw natural gas can be achieved through the use of the promising membrane-based technology. Polymeric membranes are a known method for separating CO2 but suffer from trade-offs between its permeability and selectivity. Therefore, through the use of mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) which utilizes inorganic or hybrid fillers such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) in polymeric matrix, the permeability and selectivity trade-off can be overcome and possibly surpass the Robeson Upper Bounds. In this study, various types of MOFs are explored in terms of its structure and properties such as thermal and chemical stability. Next, the use of amine and non-amine functionalized MOFs in MMMs development are compared in order to investigate the effects of amine functionalization on the membrane gas separation performance for flat sheet and hollow fiber configurations as reported in the literature. Moreover, the gas transport properties and various challenges faced by hollow fiber mixed matrix membranes (HFMMMs) are discussed. In addition, the utilization of amine functionalization MOF for mitigating the challenges faced is included. Finally, the future directions of amine-functionalized MOF HFMMMs are discussed for the fields of CO2 separation

Study on the Performance of Cellulose Triacetate Hollow Fiber Mixed Matrix Membrane Incorporated with Amine-Functionalized NH₂-MIL-125(Ti) for CO₂ and CH₄ Separation

The increase in the global population has caused an increment in energy demand, and therefore, energy production has to be maximized through various means including the burning of natural gas. However, the purification of natural gas has caused CO2 levels to increase. Hollow fiber membranes offer advantages over other carbon capture technologies mainly due to their large surface-to-volume ratio, smaller footprint, and higher energy efficiency. In this work, hollow fiber mixed matrix membranes (HFMMMs) were fabricated by utilizing cellulose triacetate (CTA) as the polymer and amine-functionalized metal-organic framework (NH2-MIL-125(Ti)) as the filler for CO2 and CH4 gas permeation. CTA and NH2-MIL-125(Ti) are known for exhibiting a high affinity towards CO2. In addition, the utilization of these components as membrane materials for CO2 and CH4 gas permeation is hardly found in the literature. In this work, NH2-MIL-125(Ti)/CTA HFMMMs were spun by varying the air gap ranging from 1 cm to 7 cm. The filler dispersion, crystallinity, and functional groups of the fabricated HFMMMs were examined using EDX mapping, SEM, XRD, and FTIR. From the gas permeation testing, it was found that the NH2-MIL-125(Ti)/CTA HFMMM spun at an air gap of 1 cm demonstrated a CO2/CH4 ideal gas selectivity of 6.87 and a CO2 permeability of 26.46 GPU

Neonatal mortality among preterm infants admitted to neonatal intensive care units in India and Pakistan: A prospective study

Objective: To explore potential reasons for differences in preterm neonatal mortality in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in India and Pakistan.Design: A prospective observational study, the Project to Understand and Research Stillbirth and Preterms in Southeast Asia (PURPOSe) was conducted July 2018 to February 2020.Setting: Three hospitals in Davangere, India, and a large public hospital in Karachi, Pakistan.Population: Of a total of 3,202 preterm infants enrolled, 1,512 were admitted to a study NICU.Methods: We collected data for neonates, including length of stay, diagnoses, and diagnostic tests.Main outcome measures: Neonatal mortality, tests performed, diagnoses ascertained.Results: For infants of equivalent weights and gestational ages, neonatal mortality in Pakistan was twice that in the Indian NICU. The mean newborn length of stay in Pakistan was 2 days compared with 10 days for India. Fewer diagnostics and other investigations were used to determine neonatal condition or guide treatment in the Pakistani NICU. Because of limited information from testing in Pakistan concerning clinical respiratory distress, respiratory distress syndrome appeared to be over-diagnosed, whereas other conditions including pneumonia, sepsis, necrotising entercolitis and intraventricular haemorrhage were rarely diagnosed.Conclusion: In the Pakistani site, the limited resources available to the NICU appeared related to a shorter length of stay and decreased diagnostic testing, likely explaining the higher mortality. With improved care, reduction in mortality among preterm neonates should be achievable

Impact of 1,7-malaria reactive community-based testing and response (1,7-mRCTR) approach on malaria prevalence in Tanzania

Abstract Background Progress in malaria control has stalled in recent years and innovative surveillance and response approaches are needed to accelerate malaria control and elimination efforts in endemic areas of Africa. Building on a previous China-UK-Tanzania pilot study on malaria control, this study aimed to assess the impact of the 1,7-malaria Reactive Community-Based Testing and Response (1,7-mRCTR) approach implemented over two years in three districts of Tanzania. Methods The 1,7-mRCTR approach provides community-based malaria testing via rapid diagnostic tests and treatment in villages with the highest burden of malaria incidence based on surveillance data from health facilities. We used a difference-in-differences quasi-experimental design with linear probability models and two waves of cross-sectional household surveys to assess the impact of 1,7-mRCTR on malaria prevalence. We conducted sensitivity analyses to assess the robustness of our results, examined how intervention effects varied in subgroups, and explored alternative explanations for the observed results. Results Between October 2019 and September 2021, 244,771 community-based malaria rapid tests were completed in intervention areas, and each intervention village received an average of 3.85 rounds of 1-7mRCTR. Malaria prevalence declined from 27.4% at baseline to 11.7% at endline in the intervention areas and from 26.0% to 16.0% in the control areas. 1,7-mRCTR was associated with a 4.5-percentage-point decrease in malaria prevalence (95% confidence interval: − 0.067, − 0.023), equivalent to a 17% reduction from the baseline. In Rufiji, a district characterized by lower prevalence and where larviciding was additionally provided, 1,7-mRCTR was associated with a 63.9% decline in malaria prevalence. Conclusions The 1,7-mRCTR approach reduced malaria prevalence. Despite implementation interruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain challenges, the study provided novel evidence on the effectiveness of community-based reactive approaches in moderate- to high-endemicity areas and demonstrated the potential of South-South cooperation in tackling global health challenges. Graphical Abstrac