Rekha Wazir. The Gender Gap in Basic Education: NGOs as Change Agents. New Delhi: Sage Publications, 2000. Indian Rs 225.00 (Paper), Rs 395.00 (Cloth) 286 pages.

In the Constitution of India in 1951 it was set out that… “the State shall endeavour to provide within a period of ten years from the commencement of this Constitution, for free and compulsory education for all children until they complete the age of fourteen years”. But at the turn of the century nearly 424 million are still illiterate while it is estimated that nearly 35 million children in the age of 6-10 years age group are still out of school. The statistics for female education make even more dismal reading. Although the field of education is considered to be the prime responsibility of the State yet there is mushrooming growth of non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The impact of these NGOs is rarely reflected in overall educational performance and their approach is seldom transferred to the mainstream.