Dikhyaa Mohanty 
The central government signed a $500 million Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States Programme (STARS) with the World Bank. The agreement was signed to improve school education quality and governance in six states, including Odisha.
As per the official reports apart from Odisha, the five states included in the programme are- Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. The programme will provide aid to about 250 million students aged between 6 and 17 in 1.5 million schools and about more than 10 million teachers.
CS Mohapatra, Additional Secretary, Economic Affairs stated that total assistance of more than $3 billion the bank had also provided towards this goal before the STARS programme. Even India’s National Education Policy 2020 also envisages equitable and inclusive education for all and the STARS project will help carry this vision forward.
Mohapatra further stated that this would strengthen early childhood education and foundational learning, including facilitates school to work transition through vocational education; improve learning assessment mechanisms; and support teacher development. This will help in the economic and social progress of the country.
Mohapatra also on behalf of the government and Junaid Ahmad, Country Director, India, signed the agreement on behalf of the World Bank.
India has been in a long partnership with the World Bank since 1994, through the STARS programme for strengthening public school education and supporting India’s goal of providing ‘Education for All’.
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