Punjab jumps to top rank in Centre’s school edu index

Chandigarh: Punjab has moved up to Prachesta-1, the highest grade attained by any state or UT in the Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0 for 2024-25, which evaluates states and UTs on school education across various indicators. The state scored 709.1, up from 631.2 in 2023-24, when it was placed in the Prachesta-3 category.According to the PGI 2.0 report released by the ministry of education's department of school education and literacy on Tuesday evening, only Punjab and Chandigarh attained the Prachesta-1 grade this year. This grade covers scores ranging from 701 to 760. While Chandigarh remained in Prachesta-1 by improving its score from 703 to 739.1, Punjab's score rose by 77.9 points, allowing it to move up two full grades. In doing so, Punjab moved ahead of Kerala, Delhi, Maharashtra, and Himachal Pradesh, all of which were placed in the Prachesta-2 category. In the 2024-25 index, six states or UTs were placed in Prachesta-2, nine in Prachesta-3, 15 in Akanshi-1, three in Akanshi-2, and one in Akanshi-3. The index is based on 70 indicators across two main categories, outcomes and governance and management. These are further divided into six domains, learning outcomes and quality, access, infrastructure and facilities, equity, governance processes, and teacher education and training. Punjab scored 150.4 out of 240 in learning outcomes and quality, 67.9 out of 80 in access, 112.5 out of 190 in infrastructure and facilities, 230.6 out of 260 in equity, 79.1 out of 130 in governance processes, and 68.6 out of 100 in teacher education and training. In the Performance Grading Index for Districts (PGI-D) 2024-25, Barnala topped the state with a score of 461, earning the Uttam-2 grade. Other top-performing districts included Muktsar, Nawanshahr, Hoshiarpur, Sangrur, Tarn Taran, and Malerkotla. Punjab school education minister Harjot Singh Bains credited this success to the state's teachers and officials, stating that their efforts turned the "Sikhya Kranti" vision into a reality. He said Punjab's performance in the learning outcomes domain demonstrates that the state's focus on conceptual understanding over rote learning is delivering tangible results. MSID:: 131227608 413 |