PGI 2.0: Karnataka’s education score drops, quality remains stagnant

Karnataka has experienced a drop in its overall score on the Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0 for 2023–24, released by the Ministry of Education, with no improvement recorded in the crucial domain of learning outcomes and quality.

The state scored 549 out of 1,000 points this year, a decline from 562 in 2022–23. The PGI evaluates states across 73 indicators grouped under six key domains: learning outcomes and quality, access, infrastructure and facilities, equity, governance process, and teacher education and training.

Based on the total score, the Union government assigns states one of ten grades. Karnataka has been placed in the Akanshi-1 category, which corresponds to an overall score between 21% and 30%. The Akanshi-3 category represents the lowest grade for scores between 401 and 460.

In the learning outcomes and quality domain, Karnataka’s score has stagnated at 59.4 out of 240 for both 2022–23 and 2023–24.

The PGI measures learning outcomes in subjects like language, mathematics, science, and social science for students in Classes 3, 5, and 8.

Despite several initiatives by the state government aimed at improving education, the lack of progress in learning outcomes has raised concerns.

While Karnataka improved its score in the access domain — from 63.8 in 2022–23 to 67.7 in 2023–24 — it failed to translate those gains into academic quality.

“In spite of the government introducing various programs, the state has failed to show improvement in learning outcomes and quality,” the report states.

Experts believe the state’s focus has shifted disproportionately toward infrastructure development, often driven by funds under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), while neglecting academic quality and classroom learning.

The PGI 2.0 is aligned with the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) Plus and uses a weighted score system across two broad categories, outcomes and governance and management, which are further divided into six domains.

Scores are calculated by multiplying the proportionate value of each indicator with its assigned weight.

The continued underperformance in academic outcomes highlights the need for more targeted interventions that go beyond infrastructure and prioritize the core purpose of education: improving learning.