Vol. 2, Issue 6, Part N (2016)

Abstract
Measuring educational productivity is a subject of much enquiry nowadays specially after the implementation of RTE Act, 2009 in India. Undoubtedly, efforts initiated by the successive Governments have played a positive role in the expansion of elementary education in North-East part of India. However, the overall standard of education is well below the global standard. As a need of the hour, India has made huge advancements in the Education sector and the Union Budget makes an attempt to broaden the education standards in the country every year. In absolute terms, the increase in expenditure on education in India during the 68 years time span after independence may appear to be very impressive, but experts on the subject often consider the amount as less than the relative necessity of this sector. It has been claimed by the official authorities that India has achieved near universal enrolment and enhanced hard and soft infrastructure. However, while India has made considerable progress in improving Elementary Education when measured by the quality of schooling inputs including student enrolment and retention, the progress on learning outcomes has been minimal. ASER reports regularly highlighted the fact that learning outcomes were stagnant and more recently worsening. Based on data generated by ASER and DISE on elementary education, the present study is an attempt to show that there are large scales inter-state and intra-state variations with respect to fulfilling the requirements of RTE norms in North East region of India. These regional disparities in educational development and widening gap between financial allocations and outcomes do raise some important governance questions.