Himachal Pradesh Jumps to Top 5 in PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan (PARAKH RS)

Himachal Pradesh jumped from 21st rank  in 2021 to the top five in recently announced PARAKH RS findings.

• National Achievement Survey (NAS) has been renamed as ‘PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan (PARAKH RS)’.

About PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan (PARAKH RS)

• PARAKH is the National Assessment Centre established within NCERT as an autonomous unit in 2023, in pursuance of the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020
• Objective: To develop norms, standards, and guidelines for student assessment.
• It evaluates learning outcomes in key subjects like language, mathematics, and science for students in Classes 3, 5, 8, and 10 across government and aided schools.
• It condcuts a  national-level test held every three years by the Ministry of Education.

Top Performing State/ Districts

• Best Performing States/UTs:
  • Grade 3: Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala
  • Grade 6: Kerala, Punjab, Dadra Nagar Haveli & Daman & Diu
  • Grade 9: Punjab, Kerala, Chandigarh
• Low Performing Districts:
• • Grade 3: Sahebganj (Jharkhand), Reasi & Rajouri (J&K)Grade 6: North, South, and South West Garo Hills (Meghalaya)
  • Grade 9: Shi Yomi (Arunachal Pradesh), North & South West Garo Hills (Meghalaya)

Key Learning Insights by Grade

Grade 3

• Language:
  • 67% could use vocabulary effectively.
  • 60% could comprehend short stories and read simple texts.
• Math:
• • 69% could identify patterns; 61% understood place value up to 99.
  • Only 54–58% could do basic arithmetic (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division).
  • 50% could recognise shapes or manage money-related tasks.

Grade 6

• Math:
  • Only 38% could solve multi-step problems; 29% understood fractions.
  • Estimation and geometry-related tasks were handled by about 42%.
• Science/EVS:
  • 44% could observe natural and social features around them.
  • Just 38% showed curiosity or made predictions about natural phenomena.
• Civics/Understanding Systems: 56% could explain local institutions; 38% related to everyday social/cultural events.

Grade 9

• Social Science: 45% understood constitutional values and historical roots.
• Language: 54% could extract key points from articles and reports.
• Math: Only 28–31% grasped fractions, percentages, or number properties.
• Science:
• • Around 34–37% understood basic physics, electricity, and biology.
  • Just 1 in 3 could describe adolescence-related physical changes or scientific cause-effect phenomena.

Major Concerns

• Learning Deficits Persist: Especially in fractions, measurements, science understanding, and conceptual math at higher grades.
• Grade 9 Weakness is alarming — students are not prepared for complex applications or abstract reasoning.
• Geographical Inequality: Remote and tribal districts (especially in the Northeast) continue to lag.

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