Of late, public-private partnership is meant to encourage private capital to take responsibility for matters that were earlier regarded as primary duties of the State. The centre set up by the Pearson Company in partnership with the Central Board of Secondary Education is meant to enable the latter to progress towards the fulfi lment of longterm policy measures like developing a school-based evaluation system. In choosing Pearson as a partner, the Board has conveyed that its goals are not incompatible with the direction in which the market of educational services and commodities is pushing educational policies in several parts of the world.