Indians Kids In Armed Conflicts? MoS Straightens Record

New Delhi, Nov 15 (UNI) An Indian delegate to a United Nations agency-sponsored Education For All meet in Egypt today ''strongly contested'' a claim that children below 15 in India were involved in armed conflict, officials reported.

The claim figured in a Global Monitoring Report 2007: Strong Foundations - Early Childhood Care and Education by presented at Cairo by EFA Global Monitoring Report Team Director Nicholas Burnett, a statement released in New Delhi said.

Addressing the working session of the conference, India's Minister of State for Human Resource Development Daggubati Purandareswari ''strongly contested the same'' and urged ''immediate correction in the report.'' The Minister went on to point out that other countries could learn from the ''successful Indian experience'' of such schemes as Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, Mid Day Meals, Education Guarantee Scheme for hard to reach target groups and the National Literacy Mission, HRD Ministry officials said.

She told delegates about innovative resource mobilisation ways-- education cess and Prarambhik Siksha Kosh-- for achieving the EFA goals, they said.

Ms Purandareswari is heading the Indian delegation in the 6th High Level Group Meeting on EFA at Cairo.

The three-day meet is reviewing progress towards EFA goals and education related Millennium Development Goals, the HRD Ministry said.

The November 14-16 meet is holding six working sessions to deliberate on priorities intended to address key ''challenges'' facing the effort.

The meeting is expected to resolve such issues as donor support for expanded Early Child Care programmes and strategies to persuade donors to ''channel an appropriate share'' of 2005 and 2006 pledges to basic and other education.

It will also take up comprehensive sectoral response to Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and the Global Action Plan at international and country levels for effective support from key partners.

The pursuit of EFA has been undertaken following meetings sponsored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.

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