Consensus eluded a high-level meeting on Wednesday to finalise a viable economic model for setting up of 2,500 schools in public-private-partnership mode.

The meeting chaired by HRD minister Kapil Sibal, remained inconclusive on the issue of whether the government should provide assistance to private bodies for creation of school infrastructure apart from sponsoring up to 1,000 students in a school.

A sub-committee, headed by Gajendra Haldia from Planning Commission, has finalised most of the teething issues like sponsoring students by government for these schools.

"It remained inconclusive on certain issues. More information has been sought from Planning Commission after which a decision will be taken," a ministry official said.

The committee has prepared a PPP model under which private bodies will acquire land and set up schools. The government will sponsor up to 1,000 students at the rate of per-capita expenditure being incurred by the government in the Kendriya Vidyalayas. This payment will be inflation-indexed.

The private body will have the quota to give admission up to another 1,000 students at a price fixed by that agency.

This formula will be in place for 10 years after which the government will gradually stop sponsoring students. The government will completely stop sponsoring students by 2027-28.

The per-capita expenditure per year being incurred by the government in a central school was Rs 14,000 in 2008-09. This per-capita expenditure could reach Rs 40,000 by 2027-28.

Till that time, the government will have to spend Rs 87,000 crore towards sponsoring the students.

The Planning Commission has also suggested the government should give some support towards building of infrastructure apart from sponsoring the students.

Government is not much inclined to the idea that it should provide additional assistance apart from the money to be spent by it towards sponsoring of students.

The government has decided to set up 6,000 model schools in the country. While 3,500 schools will be set by the government, the rest 2,500 will come up in PPP mode.

These schools will offer schooling from Class-VI to Class-XII.

The 2,500 schools will cover 40 lakh children, of which 25 lakh will be from socially and economically backward groups.