Performance Grading Index (PGI) for 2020-21

Subject: Governance

Context:

The Ministry of Education has recently released the Performance Grading Index for States and Union Territories for 2020-21.

What is Performance Grading Index (PGI):

The Performance Grading Index (PGI) is a unique index for evidence-based comprehensive analysis of the school education system in India.
The Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education has initiated this index to promote evidence-based policymaking and highlight course correction to ensure quality education for all.
It assesses states performance in school education based on data drawn from several sources including the –
Unified District Information System for Education Plus,
National Achievement Survey,
Mid-Day Meal.
The Education Ministry released the first PGI in 2019 for the reference year 2017-18.

What is the methodology used:

PGI 2020-21 classified the States and UTs into ten grades of which the highest achievable Grade is Level 1 for the states scoring more than 950 points out of a total of 1000 points.
The lowest grade is Level 10 which is for a score below 551.
The PGI structure comprises 1000 points across 70 indicators grouped into 2 categories,
Outcomes,
Governance Management
These categories are further divided into 5 domains, viz.,
Learning Outcomes
Access
Infrastructure and Facilities
Equity
Governance Process.

About Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2020-2021:

As per the report, no state or union territory managed to attain the highest achievable grade of level I as a score above 950 was required.
Punjab shared top honours with Kerala and Maharashtra as all three states have scored 928 out of a total of 1,000 points to make it to Level II(901-950) of the annual grading index.
Apart from the above three states, four new states have been listed in Level II of the index for the first time.Thesefour states and UTs are Gujarat, Chandigarh, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh.
The newly formed UT Ladakh has made significant improvement in PGI from Level 8 to Level 4 in 2020-21 and improved its score by 299 points in 2020-21 as compared to 2019-20 resulting in the highest ever improvement in a single year.
The inter-state disparity in school education in India has reduced in the last four years.