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The Ministry of Education released the Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0 for the years 2022–23 and 2023–24, offering a comprehensive assessment of school education across States and Union Territories (UTs). This index, aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 4), serves as a critical evidence-based framework for benchmarking educational performance in India.

About PGI 2.0

• Launched: 2017 (PGI 2.0 is the revised version)
• Published by: Ministry of Education, Government of India
• Purpose: Measures performance in school education using a data-driven approach
• Total Indicators: 73 across 6 domains
• Scoring: Out of 1000 points; graded into 10 performance bands:
  • Daksh (951–1000) – Top
  • Akanshi-3 (401–460) – Lowest

Domains Assessed

1. Learning Outcomes and Quality
2. Access to Education
3. Infrastructure and Facilities
4. Equity
5. Governance Processes
6. Teacher Education and Training

Key Highlights of PGI 2.0 (2022–24)

• Top Performer: Chandigarh with a score of 703, placed in the fifth band – Prachesta-1.
• Lowest Performer: Meghalaya, with 417 points, in the tenth and lowest band – Akanshi-3.
• No State/UT reached the top four bands (Daksh, Utkarsh, Ati Uttam, Uttam), indicating a national gap in quality education.

State-Wise Band Distribution

• Band 5 (Prachesta-1: 701–760): Chandigarh
• Band 7 (581–640): Punjab, Delhi, Gujarat, Odisha, Kerala, Haryana, Goa, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli & Daman & Diu
• Band 8 (521–580): 14 States/UTs
• Band 9 (461–520): 10 States/UTs
• Band 10 (Akanshi-3: 401–460): Meghalaya (only State in this band)

Performance by Domains

• Learning Outcomes: No State achieved the top four bands. Chandigarh, Punjab, and Puducherry performed relatively better (Prachesta-2).
• Access to Education: Odisha alone achieved the highest band (Daksh), while Bihar and Jharkhand showed notable progress.
• Infrastructure: Only Chandigarh featured in the third band (Ati Uttam), with Delhi and Dadra & Nagar Haveli in the next.
• Equity: All States placed in the top three bands, indicating relatively balanced access among social groups.
• Governance & Monitoring: Chandigarh excelled through digital governance and transparent fund utilization.

Significance for Policy and NEP 2020

• PGI 2.0 is pivotal in monitoring NEP 2020 implementation, especially for early-grade learning, infrastructure enhancement, equity, and governance.
• It identifies strengths and challenges, enabling targeted policy interventions.
• Despite infrastructure and access gains, quality of learning remains the most critical challenge.