New Delhi: The Right To Education Bill, which seeks to make education a right of every child, may be introduced in the ensuing session of Parliament with the Group of Ministers having finalised the funding pattern between the Centre and the states for implementation of measures recommended in the Bill.

"There is no problem in the Bill now. A satisfactory solution on funding responsibility (between the states and the Centre) has been achieved. I am quite satisfied," Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, who is also a member of the GoM, told PTI today.

He, however, did not specify the funding modalities.

The GoM, set up to study the Bill, yesterday discussed all contentious issues, including the extent to which the state governments should contribute to make free and compulsory education available to every child.

"Some modifications have been done to the draft Bill," he said.

Asked whether the Bill would be introduced in the coming session of Parliament, Alhuwalia said, "Yes I hope so."

The financial requirement for implementing the measures for seven years from 2008-09 to 2014-15 is estimated to be Rs 2.28 lakh crore. The legislation would require an additional Rs 12,000 crore annually during the remaining years of the 11th Plan as the balance would be met from the ongoing programme of Sarva Sikshya Abhiyan.
Source : PTI