The World Bank Board of Executive Directors, on November 25, approved the projects which would benefit over six million people, the bank said in a press note.
The bank has approved the Punjab Outcomes-Acceleration in School Education Operation (POISE) programme ($286 million) which will help in improving the quality education in Punjab by incorporating technology to track the outcomes.
The programme aims to ensure that 1.3 million students are enrolled in primary schools, and 2.2 million students are enrolled in secondary schools, along with supporting 5,92,000 during early childhood education.
POISE will support digital infrastructure in schools by setting up computer labs, tablets and projectors to foster innovation, especially for students enrolled in science and math curriculum, the bank said.
On the other hand, the Maharashtra Project on Climate Resilient Agriculture (POCRA) aims to enhance crop productivity and strengthen resilience by adopting digital technology in precision farming practices. Over $490 million have been allotted for the second phase of the project.
Over two million small and marginal farmers in Maharashtra, including 2,90,000 women farmers are expected to benefit from the tech adoption under the project which would improve soil health, nutrient management, and water-use efficiency.
Across 21 Maharashtra districts, it will also aid in improving climate resilience and raise income levels by 30% for smallholder farmers. The project will be aided with the help of data integration, real-time monitoring, remote sensing and artificial intelligence (AI) applications in the agriculture sector.
Paul Proccee, Acting Country Director, World Bank India, said that the two new projects will support India’s vision of Viksit Bharat through quality education for better jobs and using technology for increased crop productivity and improved livelihoods.
The POISE project has a final maturity of 19 years including a grace period of five years and POCRA Phase II project has a final maturity of 24 years, including a grace period of 6 years, the bank noted.
