India: Gujarat Education Infrastructure and Technology Modernization Program

OBJECTIVE

The program objective is to upgrade school infrastructure and help create international-standard learning environment based on green and disaster-resilient architectural designs, while supporting accelerating learning by strengthening decentralized management for improved education outcomes in Gujarat.

DESCRIPTION

The program, to be co-financed with the World Bank (WB) (and referred to by WB as the Gujarat Outcomes for Accelerated Learning [GOAL] Program), will implement comprehensive reforms in the education sector based on a decentralized stakeholder-owned planning and management approach.

The program will upgrade the physical learning environment as well as digital infrastructure of participating schools. The program investments will also finance soft activities which will ensure the efficiency of the upgraded school infrastructure to bring the intended educational outcomes.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL INFORMATION

The program will be co-financed with WB, as lead co-financier, and its environmental and social (ES) risks and impacts have been assessed in accordance with the WB’s Program for Results (PforR) Policy. Under AIIB’s Environmental and Social Policy, as revised in May 2021 (2021 ESP), AIIB may apply WB’s PforR Policy in lieu of the 2021 ESP to co-financed PforR operations such as this one. Since the 2021 ESP affords Management the discretion to apply the 2021 ESP to operations included in AIIB’s investment pipeline prior to October 1, 2021, Management has decided to apply the 2021 ESP and consequently to apply the WB’s PforR Policy to this operation in lieu of the 2021 ESP.

WB has categorized the program’s ES risk rating as “Moderate” which is similar to Category B if AIIB’s ESP were applicable. As required under the WB’s PforR Policy, the program excludes activities that are likely to have significant adverse ES impacts that are sensitive, irreversible, or unprecedented (similar to Category A if AIIB’s ESP were applicable). As required under the WB’s PforR Policy, an Environmental and Social Systems Assessment (ESSA) for the GOAL Program has been completed by WB. The findings and recommendations of the ESSA as well as the corresponding program action plan are based on review of relevant environmental and social management systems of the Samagra Shiksha Program in Gujarat, and consultations with key stakeholders. These include recommendations to strengthen environment systems to focus on among others (a) scaling-up the ‘green school’ model; and (b) addressing disaster and climate related challenges through up-stream planning, improving building/infrastructure design and sensitization/preparedness and curriculum. With respect to strengthening social systems, recommendations include screening for ES risks/impacts for all civil works. In addition, though land acquisition and/or resettlement is not anticipated, in case the need arises, the WB core safeguard policy on land acquisition and resettlement will be followed and due process are to be instituted in consultation with WB task team. The client will be required to implement these recommendations under the program.

Virtual state-level consultations were conducted by the WB with Gujarat Council of School Education along with its Civil and Infrastructure branch and other relevant government agencies as part of the ESSA preparation and the final version of the ESSA has been disclosed on the client, World Bank and AIIB websites. Per the Right to Education Act 2009, the Government of Gujarat has authorized local authorities to perform grievance redress mechanism function. The system also specifies the type of grievance, authority charged with provision, time duration for decision, the appellate authority, and time for grievance redressal by the appellate authority.