Started in the slums of Mumbai in 1994, Pratham was created to augment the role of the government and the citizens in implementing and furthering universal primary education. The organization is based on a triangular partnership between government, the corporate sector and the citizens, and since inception, has reached out to over a million children. In 2000, Pratham received the Global Development Network Award sponsored by the World Bank and the Government of Japan as one the top three "most innovative development projects."

Rukmini Banerji, Director of the Research and Evaluation Unit for Pratham, India focused on implementation and key results from the unique participative impact/evaluation assessment tools used by Pratham, including the large and uniquely participatory household survey on elementary education, and the "People's Audit of Health, Education and Livelihoods." Ruth Levine, Vice President for Programs and Operations at the Center for Global Development moderated the discussion.

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