For the purpose of raising the standard of technical education in government-run institutions in India, the World Bank has authorised a loan of USD 255.5 million. More than 350,000 students will benefit annually from the project’s assistance of 275 government-run technical institutes over the course of the next five years.

By putting more of an emphasis on better research, entrepreneurship, and innovation, as well as greater governance in technical institutions, the Multidisciplinary Education and Research Improvement in Technical Education Project will assist increasing student skills and employability.

As part of the project, students will get access to upgraded curricula including emerging technologies in communication and climate resilience. They will also benefit from better internship and placement services, including opportunities to network with professional associations, World Bank said.

“World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors have approved a USD 255.5 million loan to help India improve the quality of its technical education and provide more career opportunities to students,” the US-based multilateral institution said in a statement.

Tertiary education in India has been growing steadily from 29 million enrolled students in 2011-12 to 39 million enrolled students across 40,000 institutions in 2019-20.

While India’s tertiary education sector is among the largest in the world, recent studies note increased gaps in both technical and non-technical skills such as reasoning, interpersonal communication, and conflict resolution, the World Bank said.

“India has one of the largest and fastest-growing tertiary 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, the World Bank’s Country Director for India. “Improving female participation in technical education will receive special attention.”

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 fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

The full term of the USD 255.5 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) is 14 years, including a five-year grace period.

(This story has not been edited by Bharat Express staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)