Chandigarh tops India’s revamped school education rankings; Punjab, Delhi follow as Meghalaya sinks to bottom

In a telling snapshot of India’s school education landscape, Chandigarh has once again emerged as the country’s top performer in the Central government’s Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0 report for 2023-24, released on June 18.

Punjab and Delhi secured the second and third positions respectively, while Meghalaya ranked at the bottom, highlighting persistent regional disparities.

The PGI, first introduced in 2017 and revamped as PGI 2.0 in 2021, evaluates states and Union Territories across six critical domains: learning outcomes, access, infrastructure, equity, governance, and teacher education. The assessment draws from data sources including the National Achievement Survey 2021, UDISE+, and the mid-day meal (PM-POSHAN) program.

Out of a total 1,000 points, Chandigarh secured the highest score at 703, trailed by Punjab (631.1) and Delhi (623.7). Kerala, Gujarat, Odisha, Haryana, Goa, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan also figured in the upper mid-tier, scoring between 581 and 640. In stark contrast, Meghalaya registered the lowest score at 417.9, with Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Bihar occupying the next lowest slots.

Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand were clustered in the 521-580 range, reflecting a sizeable mid-performing block.

Significantly, 25 out of 36 states and UTs demonstrated improvement over the previous year’s performance, underlining incremental progress nationwide. For instance, Chandigarh improved from 687.8 in 2022-23 to 703 this year, while Punjab climbed from 614.1 to 631.1.

However, the report cautioned that due to changes in grading and indicators under PGI 2.0, year-on-year comparisons with previous PGI reports may not be strictly equivalent. “The maximum and minimum scores obtained by the States/UTs in 2023-24 are 719 and 417 respectively,” the report noted, underscoring the widening gap between the best and weakest performers.

The PGI framework is designed not merely to rank but to help states identify specific areas requiring urgent interventions to bridge these education quality gaps.