NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the implementation of the Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States (STARS) project with a total project cost of Rs 5718 crore with the financial support of World Bank amounting to US $500 million (approximately Rs. 3700 crore).
STARS project would be implemented as a new centrally sponsored scheme under Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education,
Setting up support to the National Assessment Centre, PARAKH will be an independent and autonomous institution under Department of School Education and Literacy, MOE, according to an official statement.
The project covers six states namely Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Odisha.
The identified states will be supported tor various interventions for improving the quality of education.
Besides this project, it is also envisaged to implement a similar ADB funded project in five states namely Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Assam.
All states will partner with one other state for sharing their experiences and best practices, the statement added.
The STARS project seeks to support the states in developing, implementing, evaluating and improving interventions with direct linkages to improved education outcomes and school to work transition strategies for improved labour market outcomes.
The overall focus and components of the STARS project are aligned with the objectives of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 of Quality Based Learning Outcomes.
The project envisions improving the overall monitoring and measurement activities in the Indian School Education System through interventions in selected states.
The project shifts focus from the provision of inputs and maintaining of outputs to actual outcomes by linking the receipt and disbursement of funds to these outcomes.