WASHINGTON, June 23, 2023—THE The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved a $255.5 million loan to help India improve the quality of its technical education and provide more career opportunities for students. Over the next five years, the project will support approximately 275 public technical institutions in selected states across the country, benefiting more than 350,000 students annually.
Higher education in India has seen steady growth from 29 million students enrolled in 2011-12 to 39 million students enrolled across 40,000 institutions in 2019-20. Although India’s higher education sector is one of the largest in the world, recent studies find growing gaps in technical and soft skills such as reasoning, interpersonal communication and conflict resolution.
THE Project to Improve Education and Multidisciplinary Research in Technical Education support the improvement of student skills and employability with a focus on better research, entrepreneurship and innovation; and improve governance in technical institutions. As part of the project, students will have access to enhanced curricula that include emerging technologies in communication and climate resilience. They will also benefit from better internship and job placement services, including networking opportunities with professional associations.
“India has one of the largest and fastest growing higher education systems in the world. The project will support the Government of India’s National Education Policy 2020, which calls for modernizing this critical sector to better prepare students for emerging jobs and business opportunities. said Auguste Tano Kouame, World Bank Country Director for India. “Improving the participation of women in technical education will be the subject of particular attention.”
The project will help participating institutions organize awareness programs providing prospective students, parents and guardians with more and better information on technical education program options, raise awareness of gender issues and combat ideas misinformation about women’s abilities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. Students will also be encouraged to connect with mentors and alumni to promote the completion of their course and gain early exposure to the world of work. Currently, less than 30 percent of undergraduate engineering students are women, while women from Scheduled Castes and Tribes are doubly disadvantaged.
Studies also highlight the need for improved linkages between India’s research and innovation, industry and society. Out of 9,581 technical education institutions, only 504 have incubated at least one startup, and 525 have founded two to four startups in the last two years. The project will support research and innovation in priority sectors such as climate change and sustainable energy.
“The project will also help participating institutions strengthen their governance and internal quality assurance mechanisms by strengthening their self-assessment capacity, developing institutional quality policies and preparing for accreditation.” said Nina Arnhold and Namrata Tognatta, work team leaders for the project. “At the state level, the project will help establish quality assurance cells to support the country’s objective of providing greater accountability and autonomy to educational institutions while also holding them accountable for achieving learning and employability outcomes.
The $255.5 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) has a final maturity of 14 years, including a grace period of five years.