Positive Effects of Foreign Aid to India

It has been argued for decades that long term foreign assistance is unfavorable for the development of the recipient nation. However, there are some countries that have shown positive effects of foreign aid. India can be regarded as this type of country. According to Global Issues Journal (2011), India is one of the biggest recipients of long-term foreign aid in the world and mainly supported by donors, such as the United States of America and the United Kingdom, and international organizations, similar to the United Nations and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The situation in the country seems to be controversial; there is a well-developed country that shows great economic growth and nation with nearly 30% of population under the poverty level (OECD Statistics, 2010). Despite the poverty still remains as one of the biggest problems in India, there are convinced evidences that show positive contribution of foreign aid to the improvement of the country. Therefore, the paper is aimed to demonstrate the efficiency of foreign assistance to India in the sphere of agriculture, education and medical support, by providing certain examples and some statistics.
It is most appropriate to begin with the improvements in the sphere of education in the country. Association for India’s Development (2007) reported that with the help of American aid, the “Eureka Child”, a special organization that provides education to the poorest villages of the country, was created. Remarkable outcomes, such as the reconstruction of 7300 schools in 5 Indian districts and the implementation of innovative teaching methods, were attained by the organization. Consequently, 450,000 more children can read now and have an opportunity to be well educated. Before the 1990s educational support was diminutive and generally focused on post-secondary education, but in the period of time between 1992 and 2000s the situation has changed and the focus has transferred to primary