eChapters

ABSTRACT

Expert Systems could be incorporated into extension education programmes to assist in solving problems using knowledge gathered from experts. During the process of problem solving, the Expert System becomes a source of educational material for the user. Hypertext may be incorporated into an Expert System as a means of providing the user with additional information. A hypertext approach to system development involves attaching information to specific phrases used in the system. The form of attached information can be textual, graphical or procedural. The methodology of developing expert system consists of two parts viz., developing computer-based Expert System and testing its effectiveness. The first part includes selection of most relevant subject matter area and procedure used in the development of an Expert System. The second part deals with the research design and technique adopted to test the effectiveness of computer-based Expert System versus human expert.

Advanced artificial-intelligence models can achieve high predictive performance, but their black-box nature limits clinical trust and accountability. This chapter examines interpretability and explainability as essential requirements for trustworthy healthcare analytics. It reviews intrinsically interpretable models, post-hoc explanation methods, example-based approaches and network-based explanations. A framework combining data preparation, model selection, ensemble learning, calibration, uncertainty estimation and explanation validation is presented. An explainable sepsis-risk prediction case study demonstrates logistic modelling, ensemble methods, Bayesian uncertainty, SHAP attribution and network analysis. The chapter also addresses causal reasoning, adversarial robustness, temporal and multimodal data, human-centred explainability, ethical responsibilities and regulatory requirements for dependable clinical AI.

1. Introduction

Education is undergoing a digital transformation. The incorporation of digital technologies into the educational scene over the last two decades has radically changed the way we teach and learn. This transition has started a revolution with far-reaching repercussions, both positive and negative, for students, educators, and institutions alike.

The growing adoption of digital technologies in educational settings has created a world of possibilities. Online platforms, learning management systems, educational apps, virtual reality, and augmented reality are just a handful of the innovations that have transformed the educational experience. This comprehensive investigation tries to investigate the intricate and multifaceted impact of various digital technologies on schooling.

In India’s National Extension Programme, professional workers constitute the link between the people and the institute created to advance economic and social change upon the character philosophy, technical knowledge and compliance of these workers largely rests for the success of the programme. Hence the quality of these workers and their training is the important element to be dealt with properly and guided wisely.

In early fifties, the Gramsevak / Village Level Workers (VLW’s) served as a key-man in Community Development Programme and therefore, the Government of India aimed at imparting him by better training and supervisory assistance. As a step in this direction, Gramsevak Training Centers were started to impart training to GramSevaks / VLW’s and Extension Officers were appointed in block for better supervisory assistance.

Agricultural colleges and universities were first formed in the belief that farm production could be increased as a result of the systematic application of current technology and agricultural research findings. The mission of these early educational institutions was to scientifically study agriculture with the participation of the farming community; to carry the results to a broad range of farmers who could use them; and to train farmers, extension workers, agricultural teachers and researchers so that agricultural production could continue to be increased on a sustained basis. In many of the developing countries, agricultural education and training have failed to adapt and respond to the realities of rural societies. In response to the urgent need to review and adjust teaching and training in agriculture at all levels. The training is an important tool to overcome the problem faced by the rural people all over the world. The availability of the resource is the crucial determining factors to strengthen the training Programme for the needy people.

In the foregoing experiments performed either in CRD or RBD or LSD. We were primarily concerned with the comparison and estimation of the effects of a single set of treatments like varieties of paddy, different methods of cultivation etc., and such experiments which deal with one factor only may be called simple experiments. In factorial experiment the effects of several factors of variation are studied and investigated simultaneously in a single experiment, such experiments are known as factorial experiments. In these experiments an attempt is made to estimate the effects of each factors and also the interaction effects i.e. the variation in the effect of one factor as a result to different levels of other factors.  These experiments provide an opportunity to study not only the individual effects of each factor but also interactions.  In many biological and clinical trials factors are likely to have interaction. Therefore, factorial experiments are more informative in such investigations.

ABSTRACT

Communication is now one of the central issues in developing societies. Knowledge expansion, information technology and technology dissemination are the three very important dimensions of any development system be it agriculture, industry and whatever. Revolutionary changes in communication policies, techniques and strategies are needed in order to make information is a fundamental right to the poor rather than making communication a privilege enjoyed by the rich and powerful. Transfer of agricultural technology generally aims at speedy diffusion of novel agricultural information from the place of invention to the place of adoption. In the current Information and Communication Technology (ICT) era, human dependency on computer and allied modern electronic gadgets for executing day to day activities is inevitable. All fields are being influenced by the interventions of ICT and agriculture is in no way an exception to it.

Abstract

FASTA, which stands for “Fast All”, is a sequence alignment tool developed by William R. Pearson and David J. Lipman in 1985. It is commonly used to identify similarities between DNA and protein sequences. FASTA employs a “hashing” strategy to locate matches for short stretches of identical residues with a length of k, referred to as k-tuples or k-tups. This method enables FASTA to quickly search large databases for sequence similarities, making it a popular tool for identifying homologous sequences, predicting gene functions, and analyzing evolutionary relationships. This chapter elaborates some basics of FASTA.

Healthcare organizations require collaborative learning methods that protect sensitive patient information. This chapter introduces federated learning as a framework for training models across decentralized institutions without transferring raw clinical data. Horizontal, vertical and hybrid federated architectures are examined alongside communication protocols, threat models and security requirements. Privacy-enhancing methods—including differential privacy, secure aggregation, cryptographic techniques and trusted execution environments—are discussed. Applications in medical imaging, electronic health-record analysis, wearable devices and remote patient monitoring demonstrate the framework’s practical value. The chapter also evaluates accuracy, privacy, communication cost, scalability and robustness while addressing data heterogeneity, fairness, explainability, legal compliance and ethical challenges in collaborative healthcare analytics.

A TTO needs a planned budget of five years to sustain it in the long term. This involves budgeting the infrastructure, manpower, research, and outreach programs. The budgetary needs of a TTO will be based on the size and scope of the TTO and the maturity of the parent institution it caters to. The initial years will be focused on capacity development, the appointment of experts, and the establishment of processes of intellectual property management. The mature TTO will generate income through the returns of the licensing agreements and the collaborative efforts with the industry. Nevertheless, external funding through grants and government schemes plays a vital part, particularly in the initial years. The planned budget ensures long-term stability and development of the TTO.
9.1 Budgetary heads
9.1.1 Operational expenditure
Operational expenditure refers to the ongoing costs incurred by a TTO to maintain its day-to-day operations. This includes the cost of maintaining the office, including rent, power and utility bills, computer and network infrastructure, patent management cost, and administration charges. The filing and legal charges also fall within this category. The overheads will be a heavy burden if not planned with finances properly. A TTO has to be provided with a properly planned operational budget that covers the daily operational expenses. The operational expenses help the office perform effectively, sustain the employees, and effectively manage IP. The operational expenses that the budget normally covers include:

12.1 Meaning and Definition

A flow chart is a graphical or symbolic representation of a process. Each step in the process is represented by a different symbol and contains a short description of the process step. The flow chart symbols are linked together with arrows showing the process flow direction. This diagrammatic representation can give a step-by-step solution to a given problem. Flowcharts are used in analyzing, designing, documenting or managing a process or program in various fields.

Introduction

As India is the leading global economy with livestock contributing 4.66% in total GVA to Indian Economy (PIB, 2024) and ranks 1st in Milk Production, 2nd in Egg production, 5th in meat production (BAHS, 2024). Being the largest exporter of milk and meat in the world , this has led to the intensification of animal production due to the increasing demand of major livestock products (MLPs), which has led to an increasing overall use of antimicrobials. Antimicrobials are invariably used to preserve animal and public health, but also as growth promoters at a sub-therapeutic level. The overuse and misuse of antibiotics can contribute to antimicrobial resistance. The growing resistance to antimicrobial drugs could reverse the therapeutic benefits; animals’ resistance to antimicrobial drugs, reduces productivity and leads to economic losses. Unwanted antimicrobials residues may be present in products of animal origins, in animal waste contaminating soil and water and the environment. Seventy-five to ninety percent of antimicrobials used in livestock are excreted, mostly unmetabolized. AMR poses a serious threat to the safety and quality of animal origin food, food security and livelihoods. Unhealthy and unproductive animals are no longer able to generate food products of acceptable safety and quality for human consumption and can no longer contribute to income generation. Insufficient standards for residues in animal food products, reduces the livestock sectors potential of access to trade and increases public health risks (https://www.fao.org/antimicrobial-resistance/key-sectors/animal-production/ en/).

1. Introduction

A public library is a repository of diversified material that serves as the primary hub for community information the spread. It provides fair access to a wide range of information and data, meeting the diverse demands of users. Services must be inclusive, with information appropriate for all age groups and the incorporation of both classic materials and contemporary technologies across many mediums. In 1987, the ILA defined the purpose of public libraries, stating that they should serve as independent training centers for community activities. Public libraries play a pivotal role in fostering community engagement, welcoming all members to participate in various programs. Initially established by the public, these libraries later received government funding for expansion and other requirements. The systematic development of India's public library system ensued after the establishment of the Raja Rammohan Roy Library Foundation (RRRLF) in 1972.

Introduction
Sustainability in the digital age represents a transformative approach to addressing the critical challenges of economic growth, environmental stewardship, and social equity. For India’s vision of “Viksit Bharat” (Developed India) by 2047, integrating sustainable practices within the digital transformation framework is pivotal. This foundation has three primary pillars: technological innovation, inclusive development, and environmental responsibility.
Role of Technological Innovation: Digital technologies have emerged as essential drivers of change, reshaping traditional methods of governance, education, healthcare, and industrial processes. Initiatives such as Digital India have laid the groundwork for building a robust digital infrastructure, empowering millions of Indians, especially in rural areas, with access to essential services. Artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and blockchain technology are transforming industries by enabling smarter decision-making, improving resource efficiency, and promoting transparency. For instance, AI-powered systems are being used to optimize energy grids, reduce waste in supply chains, and monitor environmental conditions. These advancements directly contribute to sustainability by minimizing resource consumption and mitigating environmental degradation. IoT-enabled smart cities enhance urban planning, improve waste management systems, and facilitate efficient energy use. India’s Smart Cities Mission exemplifies the integration of such technologies, targeting sustainable urbanization to accommodate the growing population without overburdening the environment.

1. Web Based Services

People can reach the web, which is short for "World Wide Web," which is a huge network of papers and tools that are all linked together. The web, which was created by Tim Berners-Lee in the late 1980s, changed the way people around the world share and receives information.

The growth of technology has had an impact not only on the formats and sources of the information, but also on the manner in which library services are provided and the locations where they are provided. A portion of libraries and the resources they provide have been relocated to the digital realm created by the Internet. The web works on a client-server model: web computers (clients) ask web servers for web pages and other data and then show them. There are connections between the text, pictures, movies, and apps that make up these tools.

Web development is based on key tools like HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), and JavaScript, which make it possible to make web pages that look good and let you interact with them. Over time, improvements like flexible web design (which makes sure that websites work on all devices) and web APIs (which let different software systems share data) have made the web experience even better.

4.1 Introduction to Function in Python

Python Functions is a block of related statements designed to perform a computational, logical, or evaluative task. The idea is to put some commonly or repeatedly done tasks together and make a function so that instead of writing the same code again and again for different inputs, we can do the function calls to reuse code contained in it over and over again. Functions can be both built-in or user-defined.

Function means sub-program

1. Function definition

2. Function call

Example:

def message: #function definition

print(?hello python”)

message() #function call

Artificial intelligence and machine learning provide the technological foundation for intelligent agricultural applications. This chapter introduces supervised, unsupervised and reinforcement learning, model-development pipelines, feature engineering and evaluation metrics. It explains how algorithms can be selected and implemented for agricultural datasets that may be noisy, incomplete, variable or weakly labelled. Advanced topics include deep-learning architectures, transfer learning and model optimization. Practical considerations involving preprocessing, interpretability and deployment constraints are also discussed. Agricultural case studies illustrate AI applications in crop-yield prediction, plant-disease detection and environmental modelling. The chapter provides the technical foundation needed to design, evaluate and responsibly implement AI-driven agricultural solutions.

Artificial intelligence offers practical solutions to agricultural problems associated with population growth, food demand, climate change and limited natural resources. This chapter introduces machine learning, deep learning, computer vision and natural language processing, together with enabling technologies such as IoT, remote sensing and cloud computing. It explains their applications in crop monitoring, disease recognition, yield forecasting, irrigation, soil assessment and livestock management. AI can improve decision-making, resource efficiency, automation and precision farming while reducing reliance on manual labour. The chapter also examines adoption barriers, including high costs, limited digital literacy, data-security concerns and weak rural infrastructure, and considers future developments in autonomous and climate-resilient farming.

Intelligent irrigation requires systems capable of responding dynamically to crop, soil and environmental conditions. This chapter explores fusion-driven reinforcement learning for precision irrigation, with particular attention to rice alternate wetting and drying and drip farming systems. It introduces the overall framework and methodology used to combine information from different sources for irrigation decision-making. Kalman filter fusion is considered for integrating relevant data, while reinforcement learning provides an adaptive environment in which irrigation strategies can be optimized. The chapter presents results and discussions associated with the proposed approach and considers its potential contribution to efficient water management. Future research directions focus on improving intelligent irrigation systems and their agricultural applicability.

Computational intelligence is central to the development of proactive, personalized and connected healthcare systems. This chapter examines artificial intelligence, machine learning, expert systems, medical-image analysis, IoT, big-data analytics, cloud computing and blockchain as key enabling technologies. It presents intelligent architectures for diagnosis, monitoring, treatment support and secure health-data management. Privacy, cybersecurity, explainability, bias, fairness, scalability and deployment challenges are discussed in relation to practical healthcare implementation. The chapter proposes a research roadmap involving trustworthy AI, advanced privacy-preserving mechanisms, edge-cloud intelligence, digital twins, multi-omics integration and personalized health models. It also emphasizes accessible computational-intelligence solutions for rural and resource-constrained healthcare environments