India's Development Assistance to Nepal: Case of the Education Sector

Abstract

India has historically been an aid receiver; however, since independence, India has been a prominent aid donor to its neighbouring countries, Nepal being one of the earliest recipients of India’s aid. The economic assistance provided by India to other countries including Nepal is described as development co-operation/partnership, not as foreign aid (Saran, 2014). Bilateral assistance has been offered to other South-Asian counterparts via two channels; the first has been in the form of direct support and the second in the form of technical assistance and training initiatives. Thus, development of human capital in the aid receiving country has been a key goal India’s development assistance. Over the years, India has provided development assistance in the education sector in Nepal. Given this background, the objective of this report is to assess India’s development assistance/engagement in the education sector in Nepal. The aim is to suggest measures to improve a) the outcomes in the sector in terms of quality and access and b) India’s overall assistance programme with respect to the education sector.