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Business and government leaders join forces to improve schools in Rajasthan
Public-Private Partnership Launched to Create Rajasthan Education Initiative

29 November 2005 - New Delhi, India

Leaders from business and regional government came together at the World Economic Forum’s India Economic Summit 2005 today to launch an ambitious project that will improve the lives of thousands of school children. The Government of Rajasthan, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the Global e-Schools and Communities Initiative (GeSCI), an initiative of the UN ICT Task Force, and the World Economic Forum launched a new initiative aimed at improving public education in Rajasthan through an extensive programme of public-private cooperation.

Building upon its successful experience in developing similar initiatives in Jordan and the Palestinian Authority, the World Economic Forum’s Global Education Initiative team has swung into action. Over 50 organizations participated in two planning meetings convened in Jaipur within the last four months and helped shape a public-private partnership (PPP) model aimed at making it one of the largest and most comprehensive efforts of its kind. For everything from providing midday meals to the improved use of information and communications technology in education, the momentum has built rapidly with over eight MOUs signed even as the initiative was still being developed.

"The Rajasthan Education Initiative exemplifies the possible collaboration between global and local business leaders, civil society and government to create a practical and effective model to improve the state of the world. Together, we are building one of the main pillars of our common future by providing education for children around the world," said Peter Torreele, Managing Director, World Economic Forum.

Despite its rapid growth, India faces huge challenges, especially in the provision of quality educational opportunities for its increasing young population. At the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting early this year, the Chief Minister of the Indian state of Rajasthan, Hon. Vasundhara Raje, decided to put the idea to test and pledged her full support for an initiative to be launched that would create a broad partnership in support of Rajasthan’s education objectives. Indian and global business leaders, NGOs, social entrepreneurs and various international organizations present at the meeting seized the opportunity and the Rajasthan Education Initiative (REI) was conceived.

“CII’s commitment to education is clear and sustained and this initiative demonstrates the strong commitment of Indian industry to the children of Rajasthan,” said N. Srinivasan, Director-General, Confederation of Indian Industry. Several PPPs have already been developed that leverage the strength of India's information and communication technology (ICT) industry as well as its well-developed civil society organizations and its active Diaspora, as seen from the list of contributors. These include InfoTech giants Cisco, Intel and Microsoft, as well as innovative providers such as Hole-in-the-Wall Education Ltd. Non-profit organizations contributing to the REI include the Azim Premji Foundation, Akshaya Patra, American India Foundation, Aga Khan Foundation, Bodh Sanstha and Educate Girls Globally, which have all begun work in various districts across Rajasthan

“The Global e-Schools and Communities Initiative (GeSCI) was established in 2004 by the United Nations ICT Task Force with a mandate to harness the power of new technologies to strengthen schools and communities around the world. GeSCI is delighted to join the Rajasthan Education Initiative, an innovative and empowering initiative for the children of Rajasthan. In partnership with the State leadership, we look forward to working together in the months and years ahead on what we believe will become a leading initiative of its kind,” said Stephen Nolan, Executive Director, Global e-Schools and Communities Initiative (GeSCI), India.

The REI will work on a two-pronged effort aimed at balancing the goal of achieving “Education For All” (EFA) with that of providing improved opportunities to gainful employment in India’s fast growing knowledge-based industries. One, technology based education will leverage the power of ICT to improve the learning skills and competencies of students; and two, to create an enabling environment aimed at social responsibility programmes for holistic development of the child.

"Cisco, along with the World Economic Forum, was instrumental in conceiving and implementing the Jordan Education Initiative. Now, Cisco is very excited to be associated with the Rajasthan Education Initiative. Technology has the power to change the lives of people by giving access to education, health and commerce, and transforming the living standards and economic prosperity of developing nations. With the increasing emergence of visionary and supportive governments, India can look forward to continued progress in harnessing the productivity benefits from technology. Cisco takes the responsibility of a global citizen seriously. It's the right thing to do and our success depends on it,” said Rangnath Salgame, President, India and SAARC, Cisco Systems, India.

Key demographic groups that the REI will focus on include: girls, rural children, urban underprivileged children and children with special needs.

“Education is the most important means to empower young children to become productive citizens. Lack of food deprives children of education as poverty forces them to work at a very early age. The midday meals programme aims to fill this need in a scalable manner and increase the enrolment and retention in schools," said Mohandas Pai, Director and Chief Financial Officer, Infosys Technologies, India.

The REI will serve as an umbrella under which several public-private partnerships are catalysed through a fast track and supported by a programme office to ensure smooth implementation. The initiative will be implemented over a period of time after which the Government of Rajasthan is committed to scaling up and integrating the lessons learned into its large-scale efforts under the ongoing “Sarva Shikha Abhiyan” or EFA programme that is scheduled to be completed by 2010. PPPs incubated under the REI will focus on the creation of low-cost solutions that will provide opportunities for those at the bottom of the pyramid to become active participants in the economy.


The REI plans to continue mobilizing resources within India and from the international community as well as engage the World Economic Forum’s regional and global communities in the project's activities. It plans to convene bi-annual meetings that will bring together all stakeholders to review progress.

For more information about the India Economic Summit 2005, please visit: http://www.weforum.org/india, http://www.weforum.org/indiaindepth; photographs 2005: http://www.pbase.com/forumweb/india2005

Photos of our events can be downloaded free of charge for journalists at http://www.swiss-image.ch/worldeconomicforum (login required).

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