ADB Partners with SIL for USD 10 Mn to Expand Digital Education Infrastructure in India

Current Context: On June 16, 2026 (announced June 17), the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Schoolnet India Limited (SIL) signed a digital education partnership in New Delhi.

• Theme: “Technology‑Enabled Classrooms and Equitable Digital Pedagogy.”
• It aligns with India’s NEP 2020 and ADB’s Country Partnership Strategy (2023–2027) for inclusive growth.
• The project modernizes 30,000 government schools, benefiting 4.5 million students. 
• Deliverables include 58,000 digital classrooms, 1,000 new computer labs, and training 56,000 teachers in digital pedagogy.
• Funding: USD 10 million, split between ADB’s Ordinary Capital Resources (USD 5M) and LEAP 2 fund (USD 5M), backed by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
• It addresses India’s tech gap, as only 26% of K–12 schools have computer labs and 29% smart classrooms, ensuring equitable access.

Question:

Q.1 Which organization signed a digital education partnership with Schoolnet India Limited (SIL) in June 2026?
a) World Bank
b) Asian Development Bank (ADB)
c) UNESCO
d) UNICEF

Answer: b) On June 16, 2026 (announced on June 17), the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a digital education partnership with Schoolnet India Limited (SIL) in New Delhi to strengthen digital learning infrastructure in government schools.