"It gives me really great pleasure to attend this First meeting of the Governing Council of the National Mission for 'Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan'. Of the commitments made by our Government, none is more dear to us than the one we have made to Universal Elementary Education. There is not one modern economy in the world today that does not have a literacy rate of at least 80 per cent. India cannot be an exception to what appears to be an iron law of development. Indeed in our own country, we see a strong and positive co-relation between education levels and social and economic development. As a State moves up the education ladder, it also moves up the developmental ladder as well. This however, is not the only, or even the primary reason for setting ourselves the goal of achieving universal elementary education. Every human being in a modern society is entitled to receive the light of education. We proudly assert the fact that our democracy has offered a Constitutional guarantee for the right to free and compulsory elementary education. Indeed, today there is a political consensus in favour of this right in our country. Our Government has shown determination to make this promise a reality by imposing an education cess that will make available the required finances for the programme.

As both the Deputy Chairman, and Finance Minister have stated, we will not allow this vital programme to suffer for want of adequate financial resources. What we now require is the political and administrative commitment on the part of the Centre, the State and local Governments to implement this promise to light the lamp of education for all our children. I urge each one of you to recognize how important this commitment is. It is not just an item in our political manifesto. Nor is it merely one more programme among the many that exist. This is a sacred duty of every citizen, every functionary of Government at every level of governance. Our country must become fully literate. I do not wish to specify a timeframe for this as we have done so many times. Slogans like 'Health for All', 'Education for All' and such like have been given before a deadline set - by 1980, by 1990, by 2000 and so on. We give dates that have lost meaning. We need Education for All today, here and now.

I want the sense of urgency to inform this programme. This has to be a truly national campaign that all patriotic Indians adopt as their personal mission. In every village and mohalla, the 'Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan' Mission must ensure participation of all children in the age group of 6-14 and ensure their continuation upto Class VIII and make the schools function well. The drop out rates in schools is unacceptably high. There is also internationally some questioning of the statistics that we put out in terms of educational achievements and I think this issue needs to be resolved. As I said the drop out rate in our schools is unacceptably high. The reasons for this include the lack of adequate facility, large-scale absenteeism of teachers and inadequate supervision by local authorities. We have taken an important step to ensure attendance in schools by widening the scope of mid-day meal programme. The experience of Tamil Nadu shows that this in itself can increase attendance and have a positive impact on the literacy and education levels within a reasonable period of time. Investment in children's nutrition will go a long way in improving their participation in schools, besides facilitating better learning and improving the state of their health. The provision of a mid-day meal, free textbooks and other incentives are of critical importance in ensuring the retention of children in schools. I believe that this is the right time to also integrate 'Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan' with the mid-day meal scheme. I hope today's deliberations will enable us to finalise modalities and assign realistic timeframe for such integration.

While mid-day meals ensure that students attend school, we need to identify what you can do to ensure that teachers attend as well. State Governments must come forward with innovative policies. They must involve local Governments and Panchayats in supervision of teachers. Education must become a priority area for State Governments. I can assure you that the Central Government's resolve and commitment to provide funds and focused attention on realizing universalisation of elementary education will not waver, I repeat, will not waver. However, to get optimum returns from investment under 'Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan', the State Governments must match it with an equal determination if we are to succeed. I urge the State Governments to rejuvenate their elementary education systems through appropriate policy changes and effective governance strategies. There must be a renewed focus on ensuring accountability in all levels of the education systems. I am aware that many States particularly, Jammu and Kashmir and the North East face problems mobilizing matching resources. I hope that the Union Finance Minister and the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission will carefully look into this issue. The 'Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan' is far too important to be permitted to languish for want of funds. The 'Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan' has provided a new model for decentralized and context-based planning and community-oriented modes of programme implementation. Its success depends on the extent to which the Government education system adapts to these requirements. There is need for greater openness, flexibility, accountability and transparency in the functioning of the educational administration at all levels. The challenge before the Mission then is to bring about this orientation in the working of the educational system down to the elementary school level.

One of the key ways of making government systems effective is to strengthen the Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies. For this, we need to build up the capacity of these decentralized bodies and empower their elected representatives. This is best done through effective devolution of funds. I note with satisfaction that this is the route taken by 'Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan', where more than 70 per cent of the funds are being spent through Panchayats and other school-based peoples' committees.

I see another and more fundamental benefit to our society flowing from effective implementation of the 'Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan'. Under this movement, I see a great potential to promote gender parity in the school system, not only to ensure that all girls attend school and acquire a sound, basic education, but also in making the school system more sensitive and responsive to their requirements. Thereby, through the 'Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan', we can work to build a society which is just and non-discriminatory. To further buttress these gender related goals of the 'Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan', we have initiated a support scheme involving the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas. Through this, about 750 residential schools for girls at the elementary level are being opened in the educationally backward blocks of the country. Girls from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBCs and Minorities will have 75 per cent seats reserved for them in these schools. We are also now focusing on the opening of new primary and upper primary schools in districts and blocks with a substantial population of our Muslim citizens. I strongly urge that this aspect be specially addressed while finalizing the annual work plans of the States. This will be in keeping with our Government's clear commitment to the welfare of all weaker sections, and our goal of a just, inclusive and tolerant society. I would be very happy if we set an appropriately ambitious goal for achieving for ourselves in this meeting of the Governing Council.

I am extremely grateful to all those who have lent their time and energy to help and guide the 'Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan'. We are fortunate to have such accomplished, dedicated and patriotic citizens assisting this great Mission.

I call upon all of you to ensure that the 'Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan' Mission reaches out to all sections of our society. It must involve experts, activists, educationists and grassroots organizations. The Mission should encourage public-private partnerships and give an opportunity to all those who want to see an educated and enabled citizenry in our country. All of us want India to become a Knowledge-based economy and society. We cannot realize this dream if the foundation of the knowledge pyramid is weak. If our IITs and universities are the apex of our knowledge pyramid, the school system that the 'Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan' will strengthen is the base of this pyramid. I sincerely hope that all of us will approach the work of this Mission as a sacred national duty and a service to our Motherland. We must ensure that every Indian can stand proud and tall as an educated citizen".