The Ministry of Education (MoE) on August 24, 2023, notified the Environment and Social Management Framework (ESMF).
The following has been stated: -
•MERITE is a central sector scheme being implemented in select states with World Bank assistance. Aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 reforms, the project will focus on enhancing the quality of technical education (teaching-learning and research) and enabling quality improvement through strengthened quality assurance and governance mechanisms.
•The MERITE project complements the NEP 2020 and addresses quality, relevance, equity, access, and governance issues. Project interventions will include activities aimed at:
(i)Enhancing the environment of education and research through improvements in course offerings, pedagogical practices, and assessment, as well as digitalization and instilling research practices.
(ii)Improving the employability of engineering graduates by strengthening skills and entrepreneurship capabilities and deepening industry linkages.
(iii)Increasing equitable access to technical education, focusing on women and socially and economically disadvantaged groups, and strengthening female careers.
(iv)Strengthening sector steering through improvements in governance, quality assurance, and financing, thereby bringing about greater transparency and accountability in technical education.
(v)Enhancing the ecosystem by supporting multidisciplinary institutions and programs, phasing out the affiliation model, and ensuring sustainability of reforms.
•This Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) is needed to screen the environmental and social risks and impacts of the MERITE project activities and provide guidance to the implementing agencies in the preparation of specific assessments and plans for the subprojects during implementation, including the implementation of any plans.
The detailed notification is given in the document attached below.
