The document outlines the targets and priorities for elementary education across India's twelve Five Year Plans from 1951 to 2017. Key points include:
- The early Plans focused on expanding access and infrastructure, while later Plans emphasized quality, equity, and achieving universal elementary education.
- Targets included providing basic education to 60% of children by 1956, and universalizing primary education by 1990.
- Schemes like Operation Blackboard, Mid-Day Meal, and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan aimed to boost enrollment, retention, and quality.
- Challenges remain in ensuring equitable access across regions, genders and socioeconomic groups, as well as improving learning outcomes.