IMPHAL, June 19: Meghalaya has ranked as the lowest-performing state in the Ministry of Education’s latest Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0 report, which assesses school education systems across India. The report, released on Wednesday, evaluated states and Union Territories on key domains such as learning outcomes, access, infrastructure, equity, governance, and teacher education.
Scoring just 417.9 points out of a possible 1,000, Meghalaya was the only state placed in the bottom-most category — Level 10 or ‘Akanshi-3’, with scores ranging between 401 and 460. The state’s performance marks a slight improvement over its 2022–23 score of 401.6, yet it remains the lowest in the country.
The PGI 2.0 report consolidates data from the 2022–23 and 2023–24 academic years, using inputs from the National Achievement Survey 2021, UDISE+, and the PM-POSHAN (mid-day meal) programme. The index aims to catalyse transformational change by helping states and districts identify gaps and areas for intervention in the school education system.
While no state or UT made it into the top four bands (scores of 761 to 1,000), Chandigarh topped the 2023–24 PGI with 703 points, followed by Punjab (631.1) and Delhi (623.7). All three were categorised under the fifth performance band, Prachesta-1. Other top performers included Gujarat, Odisha, Kerala, Haryana, and Maharashtra.
Meghalaya’s low ranking reflects persistent challenges across multiple parameters, particularly in learning outcomes, infrastructure, and governance processes. However, the state did show a positive trajectory with a minor increase in its overall score.
Among other northeastern states, Arunachal Pradesh (461.4), Mizoram (464.2) and Nagaland (468.6), were also ranked in the lower performance bands, indicating the need for significant reforms across the region.
The report also highlighted that 24 states and UTs improved their scores in 2023–24 compared to the previous year, while others, including Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, and Karnataka, saw a decline.
Officials from the Ministry of Education emphasized that PGI 2.0 is not strictly comparable with earlier versions of the index due to changes in grading parameters. However, the overall pattern remains consistent, showing a continued need for focused educational interventions, especially in underperforming states like Meghalaya.
The PGI, introduced in 2017 and revamped in 2021, is intended as a comprehensive policy tool to promote accountability and data-driven decision-making in the education sector across India.
