(a) whether World Bank and lnternationa Monetary Fund have offered financial assistance for
expansion of primary educaion world over;
(b) if so, whetbPJ the Government have ;Dught financial assistance from these institutions
for expansion of primary educaion; and
(c) if so, the total financial assistance soJght by the Government and time by which it
is likely to be received?
The Minister of State in the Ministrv of Finanle & Comoanv Affairs ( Shri Anant G. Geethe)
(a). (b). & (c) : While the International :tvlontary Fund does not offer assistance for
such development projects, the Developnent Committee of the World Bank in its Spring
Meeting held on April 21, 2002 has reaffinned the commitment to achieve universal primary
education by 20 j. India has supported the plan for arriving at an international consensus
to acmere primary education for all children by 2015. The Action Plan decided in the meeting
includes mobilizing adequate resources including significant increase in enrnal funding for
primary education and identifying countries for initiating` fast track` process to provide
quick and incremental support to reach Universal pnmary completion by 2015. The modalities for
incremental assistance and `bst track` approach are still being worked out by the World Bank.
No specitc financial assistance has so far, therefore, been sought by Government of India.