63. An integrated National Education Programme – the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan has been launched for universalising elementary education and a National Mission constituted with the Prime Minister as Chairman. The programme aims to provide eight years of quality elementary education for all children upto the age of 14 years in a Mission mode with a thrust on community ownership, disadvantaged group and girls’ quality education and alternative modes of education. All existing schemes on elementary education will converge with this scheme after the Ninth Plan and it will cover all districts in the country by March, next year.