Chandigarh tops India in school education report

Time of India

3 hours ago

Chandigarh: Chandigarh has secured the top position in the Government of India's Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0, an annual assessment of school education systems across states and union territories, for two consecutive years — 2022-23 and 2023-24 — emerging as the only state or UT to reach the Prachesta-1 grade in either year.
No other region crossed into even the next higher grade band, making Chandigarh's lead both significant and solitary. Its overall score improved from 688 in 2022–23 to 703 in 2023–24, driven by gains in infrastructure, access, and governance. However, the data also reveals specific areas where Chandigarh did not lead the country, particularly in governance processes, teacher education, and learning outcomes—domains where other states and UTs outperformed it.
In governance processes, it scored 76.7 out of 130, remaining in the Prachesta-1 band. In comparison, Gujarat scored 87.8, while Odisha and Haryana also performed better in this domain. These governance indicators include digital fund transfers, student and teacher attendance systems, and timely data reporting—areas where Chandigarh still has room to strengthen implementation.
Similarly, in the teacher education and training domain, Chandigarh scored 85.7 out of 100, placing it in the Utkarsh category.
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However, Kerala, with a score of 91.4, became the only state or UT to achieve the topmost Daksh grade in this domain. This suggests scope for further enhancement in teacher qualification standards and in-service training in Chandigarh.
Even in access, where Chandigarh had previously achieved the Daksh grade (2022–23), its score marginally declined from 72.9 to 72.4 in 2023–24, falling into the Utkarsh range. By contrast, Puducherry retained the Daksh grade in access this year.
Nonetheless, Chandigarh's overall leadership reflects robust progress across most domains. It scored 148.0 out of 190 in Infrastructure & Facilities and 216.5 out of 260 in Equity, placing it in the Atti-Uttam and Utkarsh grades respectively. This success builds on several initiatives: 100% retention at all levels, 450 co-located Anganwadi centres, expanded vocational training, kitchen gardens in all government schools, and the installation of sanitary pad vending machines in previously uncovered institutions.
The UT also leads in digital readiness, having implemented digital attendance in all government schools and seeded over 98% of student records with Aadhaar in the UDISE+ system. Social audits were introduced under the PM POSHAN scheme in 2023–24, and all children with special needs (CWSN) were provided with assistive devices.
Importantly, Chandigarh maintained a consistent score of 103.6 in Learning Outcomes for three consecutive years, though no state or UT showed improvement here due to the reliance on NAS 2021 data.
While the PGI 2.0 results are not directly comparable to earlier PGI formats, Chandigarh has ranked first nationally for three years in a row under the updated methodology. The next round may bring further movement, as results from the 2024 PARAKH national assessment—expected in July 2025—will inform updates in the Learning Outcomes and Equity domains.
PGI 2.0 continues to serve as a powerful tool for states and UTs to monitor school education quality, push reforms, and work toward the goals set by the National Education Policy 2020 and Sustainable Development Goal 4.
BOX-Domain-wise scores
Learning outcomes (out of 240)
2022–23: 103.6
2023–24: 103.6
Access (out of 80)
2022–23: 72.9
2023–24: 72.4
Infrastructure and Facilities (out of 190)
2022–23: 136.5
2023–24: 148.0
Equity (out of 260)
2022–23: 216.4
2023–24: 216.5
Governance Processes (out of 130)
2022–23: 74.0
2023–24: 76.7
Teacher Education and Training (out of 100)
2022–23: 84.3
2023–24: 85.7
Total Score (out of 1000)
2022–23: 688
2023–24: 703
Overall Grade
2022–23: Prachesta-2
2023–24: Prachesta-1
BOX- What Chandigarh did well
100% retention at all school levels
Three-year pre-primary cycle introduced in all government schools
Digital attendance implemented in all government schools
450 Anganwadis co-located with schools
Vocational education expanded from 38 to 47 government schools
Kitchen gardens started in all government schools
Over 98% students Aadhaar-seeded in UDISE+
Social audits conducted under PM POSHAN scheme
Assistive devices provided to all CWSN (Children with special needs) students
BOX- Where others outperformed
Governance Processes: Chandigarh scored 76.7 out of 130 (Prachesta-1), while Gujarat scored 87.8, outperforming it in digital systems and fund disbursals.
Teacher Education and Training: Chandigarh scored 85.7 (Utkarsh), but Kerala crossed into the Daksh category with 91.4, indicating stronger professional development standards.
Access: Chandigarh slipped slightly from Daksh to Utkarsh (72.4 out of 80). Puducherry retained Daksh, reflecting stronger gains in enrolment and early learning participation.
No domain-level top grade: Chandigarh did not achieve Daksh (top grade) in any individual domain, while Kerala and Delhi each did so in one.