Ira Singh 
In a landmark stride towards education reform, the PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024—India’s most extensive system-level assessment to date—has offered a comprehensive snapshot of student learning outcomes, setting the stage for a new era of competency-based, evidence-driven educational policymaking.Conducted by the National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development), under NCERT and the Ministry of Education, the survey assessed 21.15 lakh students across 74,229 schools in 781 districts, covering all 36 States and Union Territories. Targeting Grades 3, 6, and 9, the assessment aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020’s learning stages—Foundational, Preparatory, and Middle—marking a critical departure from earlier frameworks.
Key Insights: Gains at the Foundational Level
At the foundational stage (Grade 3), findings showed notable progress. According to Item Response Theory (IRT) scoring, 57% of students were proficient or above in Language and 65% in Mathematics. This represents a sharp improvement from NAS 2021, where proficiency stood at 39% for Language and 42% for Mathematics—indicating a full recovery from pandemic-related learning losses.Girls marginally outperformed boys in Language (65% vs 63%), while both scored equally in Mathematics (60%). Interestingly, rural students slightly outshone their urban counterparts in both subjects. State Government schools demonstrated stronger performance in Grade 3, pointing to early successes of the NIPUN Bharat Mission.In Grades 6 and 9, Central Government schools led performance metrics, yet learning gaps across gender, region, and subject areas highlighted the need for focused pedagogical interventions. Notably, Mathematics and Science proficiency in higher grades remain areas of concern. The report underscores the urgency of gender-sensitive teaching methods and inclusive approaches to bridge systemic disparities.
The survey included opinions from over 2.7 lakh teachers and school heads to study student well-being and the school environment.. While it highlighted the increasing availability of digital tools, the findings raised red flags about emotional stress among adolescents and continued challenges in access for Children with Special Needs (CWSN), suggesting that academic reforms must be accompanied by robust support systems.Only Grade 3 data from the three cycles—NAS 2017, NAS 2021, and PRS 2024—are directly comparable, due to changes in assessment structure under NEP 2020. Comparing Grade 6 and 9 with earlier NAS Grades 5 and 8 could lead to misleading conclusions, as learning outcomes naturally evolve across grades.
According to information,several States and UTs—including Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh—surpassed previous benchmarks, showcasing the impact of targeted interventions, teacher training, and NEP-aligned programs. These achievements also position India for better global reporting under SDG 4.1.1, which measures minimum proficiency in reading and math across stages of education.
A New Era of Data-Driven Reform
PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 marks a big moment for school education in India. The results will guide changes in what children learn, how schools are supported, and what textbooks are used. It aims to make sure all students—no matter where they come from—get the skills they need to succeed. This survey will help leaders make better plans for the future of education.
(State Correspondent)
