The World Bank has authorised a loan of USD 255.5 million in order to help India improve the quality of its technical education and increase the number of job opportunities available to students.
Over the next five years, the project will support 275 government-run technical institutes, which will benefit more than 3,50,000 students per year, according to a statement from the US-based global organisation.
From 29 million students enrolled in 40,000 colleges in 2011–12 to 39 million students enrolled in 40,000 universities in 2019–20, India’s higher education has been steadily growing. India’s tertiary education system is among the biggest in the world, but recent research has revealed rising gaps in both technical and non-technical skills like reasoning, interpersonal communication, and dispute resolution.
By putting more of an emphasis on research, entrepreneurship, and innovation as well as improving governance in technical schools, the Multidisciplinary Education and Research Improvement in Technical Education Project will help to increase student employability and skills.
Students will have access to updated curricula that include cutting-edge communication and climate resilience technologies as part of the initiative. They will gain from improved internship and placement services as well as networking possibilities with professional organisations, according to the statement.
“The tertiary education system in India is among the biggest and fastest-growing in the entire globe. According to Auguste Tano Kouame, the World Bank’s Country Director for India, the project would help the National Education Policy 2020 of the Indian government, which calls for modernising this crucial industry to better educate students for future professions and economic prospects. “Improving female participation in technical education will receive special attention,” the statement read.
The project will provide assistance to participating institutions in planning outreach initiatives aimed at educating parents, guardians, and prospective female students about technical education programme options, increasing gender sensitivity, and dispelling myths about women’s abilities in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields.
Studies have also demonstrated the importance of boosting India’s ties to business and society in terms of innovation and research, according to the official statement. Of the 9,581 technical education institutes, only 504 have started at least one company, and of those, 525 have done so in the preceding two years, starting between two and four. The programme will promote research and innovation in high-priority areas including climate change and sustainable energy.
The task team leaders for the project, Nina Arnhold and Namrata Tognatta, stated in an official release that “they will also help participating institutions strengthen their governance and internal quality assurance mechanisms by building their capacity for self-assessment, developing institutional quality policies, and preparing for accreditation.”
