World Bank offers additional funds for SSA

With government’s flagship Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) scheme showing encouraging results in expansion of elementary education, the World Bank has come forward with an offer to provide additional funding of $ 500 million (Rs 2,325 cr approx) for the programme.

The World Bank has proposed the government to provide the money as soft loans to be paid over a period of 35 to 40 years with lesser interest. The World Bank had provided soft loan of $ 600 million (Rs 2,790 cr approx) for the scheme which aims at universalisation of elementary education.

At present 99 per cent of the habitations in the country have got a primary school. Under the SSA, 270,000 schools have already been operationalised.