Private institutions sign MoU with World Bank

Private engineering colleges signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the World Bank on Friday in the presence of state higher education minister G T Deve Gowda.

The MoU was signed in the meeting to review the third phase of the implementation of the Technical Education Quality Improvement Project (TEQIP), organised by the technical education department. TEQIP is implemented by the Government of India with assistance from the World Bank to improve the quality of technical education in engineering colleges.

In the third phase, nine private colleges and one university were chosen to be mentors of a few other institutions. They were given a direct assistance of Rs 7 crore by the World Bank. The third phase will end in 2020.

Speaking at the event, Gowda said: “The two previous phases have been successful in the state. I request the 10 institutions to work hard and use the World Bank funds in the best possible way. You should maintain the tradition and help continue the trust the World Bank has on our state.”

Principals of colleges, director of technical education U T Talwar and the World Bank’s global lead for tertiary education Francisco Marmolejo were present at the meeting.

“Karnataka will continue to be the lighthouse of education in India,” Marmolejo said.

“The World Bank intends to collaborate with the Government of Karnataka to support the overall system of higher education in the near future.”

The bank is already working on a similar project with Odisha and Madhya Pradesh, Marmolejo said.