Parakh National Survey 2024

PARAKH is a national evaluation organization established under the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and tasked by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Aim: To unify evaluation methods throughout the states and to offer dependable information on students' learning results.

2025 Survey Scope:

Evaluated more than 21 lakh students from 74,229 schools in 781 districts.

Topics covered encompassed language and mathematics for every grade, “The World Around Us” for Grades 3 and 6, along with science and social studies for Grade 9.

2.7 lakh educators and school administrators also took part via surveys.

Main Insights from the Survey

Highest Achieving States/UTs: Punjab, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Chandigarh.

Underperforming Districts:

Grade 3: Sahebganj (Jharkhand), Reasi, and Rajouri (J&K)

Grade 6: Northern, Southern, and Southwestern Garo Hills (Meghalaya)

Grade 9: Shi Yomi (Arunachal Pradesh), South West and North Garo Hills (Meghalaya).

Outcomes of Learning by Grade:

Grade 3: Just 55% could arrange numbers up to 99; 54% grasped fundamental multiplication/division.

Grade 6: 44% recognized environmental/social factors; 38% predicted outcomes based on patterns.

Grade 9: 45% grasped the Constitution and national movement; 54% identified main ideas from texts.

Issues Emerging from the Survey

Decreasing Proficiency with Higher Grades: A significant decline in academic performance is observed from Grade 3 to Grade 9, particularly in conceptual grasp and application.

Urban-Rural and Regional Disparities: States in the Northeast, such as Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh, still fall behind in basic literacy and numeracy abilities.

Public School Issues: Government-funded and state institutions struggle in math and science, especially at the middle and high school stages.

Government Programs for Enhancing Education

National Education Policy (NEP) 2020: Emphasizes foundational literacy and numeracy by Grade 3; encourages experiential, competency-oriented learning, and fair access to education.

NIPUN Bharat Mission: Seeks for every child to obtain basic literacy and numeracy by 2026–27 via activity-oriented education, teacher development, and involvement of parents.

Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan: A comprehensive education initiative designed to enhance quality, accessibility, and fairness from pre-primary to Class 12, focusing on inclusive education and gender equality.

Digital Initiatives: The DIKSHA platform, PM e-Vidya, and SWAYAM for content distribution, online learning modules, and educator training.

TALA (Technology-Enhanced Learning and Evaluation): Promotes the adoption of AI, personalized assessments, and digital resources to enhance education and monitor student development.

Conclusion

Concentrated Remedial Education: Implement specialized bridge initiatives and tailored teaching-learning resources for struggling areas and schools.

Teacher Development and Responsibility: Ongoing skills enhancement workshops and evaluations based on learning outcomes for educators are crucial.

Enhancing Basic Education: Guarantee strict execution of NIPUN Bharat, especially in underperforming districts.

Utilize Data for Local Initiatives: Local education officials should employ district-level data from PARAKH to formulate context-relevant policy actions.

Enhancing Evaluation Frameworks: Transition from memorization-focused assessments to competency-oriented evaluations, as outlined by NEP 2020.