Gujarat, Kerala, and Chandigarh have topped the Union human resource development (HRD) ministry’s first Performance Grading Index eating of the school education systems.

The index has been finalised on the basis of 70 parameters ranging from quality of education to infrastructure.

Gujarat, Kerala, and Chandigarh topped the index with scores ranging from 801 to 850 points out of an aggregate of 1,000. Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu followed the top three with scores between 751 and 800 points.

Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Goa, HP, Karnataka, MP, Odisha and Uttarakhand scored between 700 and 750 points. Daman and Diu and Maharashtra, Mizoram, Puducherry, Sikkim, and Telangana followed them on the list. Bihar, Jharkhand, J&K, Manipur, Tripura, UP, West Bengal, Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar Islands scored in 601-650 range.

Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, and Nagaland are at the bottom of the index with scores between 551 and 600.

An HRD ministry official said the first-ever exercise was carried out to have the focus to key aspects in crucial school education segment.

“During PM Modi’s reviews of school education, several decisions to improve the quality of learning, assessing the performance of states and Union Territories were taken. The ministry is also exploring ways of linking funding to bringing about improvement. In this background, the school education department decided to prepare a performance grading index to assess how the states were doing,” another official said.

It utilised the data states have provided about public and private schools for the index. It also utilised the findings of National Achievement Survey, the National Council for Education Research and Training has carried out to measure how students are learning in classrooms across the country.

First Published: Feb 22, 2019 07:08 IST