So far as education is concerned, India has come a long way since independence, especially after inheriting 81per cent illiterate population with skeletal institutional framework and wide spread poverty. With massive expansion at all levels of education, India has significantly advanced access to education for vary large mass of people. With several schemes and programmes for the educationally deprived people in the country coupled with enlarged institutional network, she has enhanced equity. Quality continues to be a serious concern in mass education though there are islands of quality that match global standards. In such an arduous journey through the difficult terrains of educational development, there is a need to count the milestones – where have we arrived, and how far to go.