Context: 

The Ministry of Education has released the report on Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0 for states/UTs.

About Performance Grading Index:

• Devised by: Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education
• Aim: To assess the performance of the school education system at the state/UT level by creating an index for comprehensive analysis.
• First released: for the year 2017-18 

PGI 2.0

• The new PGI structure covers 73 indicators, focused more on qualitative assessment besides including digital initiatives and teacher education.
• Aim: 
  1. To propel States & UTs towards undertaking multi-pronged interventions that will bring about the much-desired optimal education outcomes covering all dimensions.
  2. To help States and UTs to pinpoint the gaps and accordingly prioritise areas for intervention to ensure robust school education systems at every level.
• Categories of Indicators: Outcomes, Governance Management
• Indicators of PGI 2.0 have been aligned to policy initiatives and interventions introduced post implementation of National Education policy (NEP) 2020.
• Domain wise division of categories: 
  1. Learning Outcomes
  2. Access
  3. Infrastructure & Facilities
  4. Equity
  5. Governance Process
  6. Teachers Education and Training
• Grades: 
  1. The PGI 2.0 for 2021-22 classified states/UTs into ten grades.
  2. The highest achievable grade is ‘Daksh’, which is for state/UT scoring more than 940 points out of a total of 1,000 points. 
  3. The lowest grade is ‘Akanshi-3′, which is for a score up to 460.  
  4. Other grades: Utkarsh, Atti-Uttam, Uttam, Prachesta 1, Prachesta 2, Prachesta 3, Akanshi 1, Akanshi 2, Akanshi 3.
  5. The grades/levels obtained by States/UTs in previous editions of the PGIs are not comparable as with the grades/levels obtained by States/UTs in this new edition.

Key Findings: 

• None of the states/UTs could achieve the top five grades in the overall category. 
• Only two states/UTs, namely Punjab and Chandigarh have attained Grade Prachesta -2 (score 641-700)
• Six states/UTs joined Grade Prachesta – 3 (score 581-640)
• 13 states/UTs joined Grade Akanshi -1 (score 521-580)
• 12 states/UTs attained Grade Akanshi – 2 (score 461-520)
• Three states got Grade Akanshi – 3.

News Source: pib