India pledges USD 1 mn for Afghan school

Kabul, May 21: India has pledged USD one million for modernisation and teachers' training at a prestigious school in Afghanistan as part of its long-standing support to the war-torn country's education sector.

India has decided to grant the financial assistance of USD one million to the school over a period of 10 years, in pursuance of India's long-standing support to Habibia School in Kabul, the Indian Embassy in Kabul has said in a statement.

The school is one of the largest and most reputed schools in Afghanistan. It was established in 1904 by King Habibullah. An Indian, Dr Abdul Ghani, was the school's first principal.

The funds will be utilised for replacement of electricity transformers and related works, immediate civil repairs, modernisation programme and annual routine maintenance.

To administer this assistance efficiently and in a transparent manner, a Memorandum of Understand (MoU) was signed on Wednesday between Embassy of India in Kabul, Ministry of Education, Afghanistan and Habibia High School.

The MoU was signed by Ambassador of India Manpreet Vohra, Minister of Education Assadullah Hanif Balkhi and Principal of Habibia School Sayed Shah Lala Bakawly. Under this assistance, electrical works including replacement of two transformers have already commenced and civil works are expected to begin soon.

These maintenance works are expected to cost approximately USD 150,000. During the subsequent nine years, an amount of USD 60,000 would be released each year to the school for annual routine maintenance.

The remaining amount of USD 310,000 will be utilised for modernisation programme, teachers' training, upgradation of school labs and equipment. Many prominent Afghan personalities have graduated from the school including President Ashraf Ghani and former president Hamid Karzai.

The renovated school building was inaugurated in 2005 jointly by Karzai and then prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

India and its people stand committed to the development of education sector in Afghanistan and assist country in rebuilding and modernising its educational system and institutions, the statement added.

PTI